HBO boss hits back at claims House of the Dragon season 2 'divided' fans after George R.R. Martin criticism
House of the Dragon season 2 came to an end this summer, with showrunner George R.R. Martin penning a post about the most recent season of the Game of Thrones spin-off.
HBO's Casey Bloys has brushed off suggestions that the audience for House of the Dragon was divided over its second season.
This comes in the wake of Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin expressing dissatisfaction with parts of the recent season in a blog post he later removed.
In a conversation with Deadline, which suggested that House of the Dragon's viewership might have been "divided" - particularly by the season finale that hinted at an immense war without showcasing any battles - Bloys was asked about the show's prospects at the upcoming Emmys amidst the so-called "divide".
In possible reference to the author, Bloys jokingly responded: "Yes, maybe one fan was.
READ MORE: Netflix show likened to Game Of Thrones branded ‘one of the best series in history’READ MORE: House of the Dragon: Who is Sheepstealer and which book character has Rhaena replaced?"But no, the show did really, really well," he continued. "I expect that will be in competition."
Bloys also commented on HBO's potential award hopefuls, saying: "I have high hopes for Penguin and Colin [Farrell] and Cristin [Milioti]. We've got White Lotus coming back, we've got Last of Us coming back, we've got Emmy winner Hacks coming back. So I'm looking forward to next year."
One particular point of contention for author Martin regarding House of the Dragon season 2 was the adaptation of the notorious 'Blood and Cheese' scene, reports the Express.
In the first episode of season 2, King Aegon II's (Tom Glynn-Carney) eldest son is decapitated while asleep due to a tragic mix-up.
Despite the scene's impact on television, Martin appeared to be unhappy with the omission of certain details from the book.
The show also fails to include Aegon and Helaena's (Phia Saban) youngest son in the scene.
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This means members can enjoy binge-worthy shows like House of the Dragon, The Penguin and Bridgerton without paying a penny.
At the time, Martin expressed his concern that tweaks made to the show could potentially have a disastrous butterfly effect on the show's future seasons, including a major season 3 event that we won't spoil here.
Nonetheless, plenty of fans expressed their enthusiasm for the show's second season, with many arguing it had been even stronger than the last.
Martin's relationship with HBO also appears to be unaffected, as the new Game of Thrones spin-off A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has just finished filming.
All episodes of House of the Dragon seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream via Sky and NOW.