‘House of the Dragon’ Director Discusses Changes in Season 3 Episode 7
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 is approaching its finale, and Episode 7 brought several unexpected moments for fans of George R.R. Martin’s ‘Fire & Blood’. The episode featured the long-anticipated introduction of Dreamfyre and the surprising return of Sunfyre, alongside significant narrative changes that could influence the storyline moving forward.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Episode 7 director Nina Lopez-Corrado shared insights into the creative choices behind these pivotal moments and explained the reasons for diverging from certain aspects of the source material.
A standout moment in the episode was the first full appearance of Dreamfyre, the dragon linked to Helaena Targaryen. In a striking vision, Helaena rides Dreamfyre over King’s Landing as the dragon wreaks havoc on the city below.
Lopez-Corrado noted that bringing Dreamfyre to life was relatively straightforward, as the original storyboard remained largely intact throughout the production process. “I’ll be honest with you, it didn’t change much from the original storyboard,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “But the thing that was really amazing is when the set department started to put together the saddle. That’s when it really starts to feel real because that’s the only physical, real part of the whole dragon.”
This sequence also underscores a key difference between the television adaptation and Martin’s novel. In ‘Fire & Blood’, Helaena is depicted as an active dragonrider with a deep bond to Dreamfyre. Conversely, HBO’s version portrays her as hesitant to ride, believing that dragons only bring destruction.
Lopez-Corrado explained that this iteration of Helaena perceives dragons as the catalyst for her family’s disintegration.
“Helaena has such a strong feeling about the dragons in which she’s torn because she thinks that they do change people and that they’ve changed their whole world, essentially,” she said. “I think she knows that deep down inside, because she is a Targaryen, there almost is no positive outcome to anything that’s happening in regards to this war in this family. And the dragons, as long as they exist, are going to keep this inner turmoil inside of the Targaryens.”
Episode 7 also shocked fans with the unexpected return of Sunfyre, the dragon of King Aegon II. Many viewers had assumed the dragon perished during the Battle of Rook’s Rest earlier in the season, but Sunfyre reappears just in time to rescue Aegon during a perilous encounter.
Lopez-Corrado explained that Aegon genuinely believed his dragon was lost. “I think he truly did believe that Sunfyre was dead, and I think Sunfyre was very close to being dead,” she clarified. “During the time period in which he was laying there, he did rejuvenate so that he was able to come back.”
She also emphasized that the emotional bond between dragon and rider played a crucial role in Sunfyre’s revival. “I think it 100 percent has to do with the Targaryen line and the connection they have with the dragons. It was a huge, huge reason in the return of Sunfyre,” Lopez-Corrado said.
The director also addressed the show’s choice to alter elements of George R.R. Martin’s narrative as the season builds toward the Battle of Tumbleton. In Episode 7, Lord Ormund Hightower tries to persuade Ulf the White to betray Rhaenyra by offering him power and titles, setting the stage for significant events in the finale.
Lopez-Corrado acknowledged that some fans might disagree with the creative decisions, but she believes these changes enhance the television adaptation of the story. “We do deviate just a little bit in episode 7 from what’s originally in the books and, personally, from a character standpoint, what Ryan [Condal] and the writers did in terms of that really helped evolve the character storylines from what were in the books,” she noted. “I know that’s a very controversial thing to say for diehards, but I think some of the storylines that you’re gonna see in 7 that’ll carry on into 8 were really executed strongly by the writers and also by the actors.”
With the Season 3 finale just around the corner, Episode 7 has laid the groundwork for one of the series’ most significant battles. Regardless of whether fans agree with the show’s alterations, it is evident that HBO is charting its own course as the Dance of the Dragons reaches another critical juncture.
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