One Change HOTD Series Made That Could Help Team Green Win The War
But judging by GoT, it might be better for the writers to follow George R. R. Martin's lead.
House of the Dragon has not only won the hearts of fans, but also a plethora of prestigious awards. The HBO show has everything you'd want in a fantasy series: George R. R. Martin's material as a solid base, two clashing teams, insanely talented actors, and of course, lots of beautifully done CGI dragons.
As far as adaptations go, House of the Dragon might be the one that checks all the boxes in terms of quality at the moment. However, as it usually happens in the process of adapting a book into a TV script, some changes were made that could actually affect the outcome of the whole story.
The most noticeable change has to do with the age of some characters. In order to make the story more appropriate for viewers (as far as grooming and incestuous relationships go), the ages of the main characters Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower were altered. While Rhaenyra was slightly aged up in the series, Alicent was significantly aged down.
Although some fans didn't find the change appropriate, as it ruined the dynamic between the book versions of Alicent and Rhaenyra, the showrunners took it upon themselves to create a new one to fit the story. Instead of the old tale of an evil stepmother and young daughter, Alicent and Rhaenyra started out as friends.
As the war for the Iron Throne begins, Rhaenyra and Alicent find themselves on opposite sides. At that point, Rhaenyra is already remarried to her uncle Daemon Targaryen, which helps her greatly in supporting her claim to the throne.
What Alicent could not do at that point in the book was remarry: she was past child-bearing age. However, since her screen coutnerpart is still young and loved by many noble men, she could still find a great suitor for her hand in the show. By uniting the houses with someone strong, she could get more men to fight for her son Aegon and secure his position as king.
Whether that's a possibility the writers are willing to explore in Season 2, or something that would remain a fan theory forever, we'll have to wait and see. House of the Dragon is still filming in the UK amidst the strike, so keep an eye out for a release date announcement!