House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 3 focuses on a very specific part of Rhaenyra Targaryen’s story, and it’s the best answer to George R.R. Martin’s Lord of the Rings complaint. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books are very different from J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, and the Game of Thrones franchise thrives on that. There’s much to love about more hopeful, idealistic fantasy narratives like Tolkien’s, but what sets Martin’s world apart is its brutal realism. The flawed characters, mistakes they make, and larger consequences of those errors are what fuel Game of Thrones and its spinoffs.
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In his books, Martin acknowledges the human tendency to squabble over power. Indeed, that’s the entire premise of his main series and Fire & Blood. The author recognizes that not every character is suited to it, however, including the ones we’d consider heroic. That’s one way his approach to the crown differs from The Lord of the Rings, and Martin is well aware of it. In fact, he has thoughts about how Tolkien handles his endgame in that regard. His work is, in many ways, an answer to that — and House of the Dragon‘s latest episode underscores this fact. SPOILERS ahead for House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 3.
George R.R. Martin Criticized The Lord of the Rings’ Approach to Power
Like so many fantasy writers, Martin respects Tolkien’s work; A Song of Ice and Fire is clearly influenced by The Lord of the Rings in a number of ways. However, Martin also has critiques of Tolkien’s story, and one has to do with its approach to power. In an interview with Rolling Stone (via Wayback Machine), Martin responded to the idea that most of his own characters utilize power “badly.” He noted that this was one of his issues with The Lord of the Rings: the notion that being a good person automatically makes someone suited to rule. That’s the inevitable takeaway of Aragorn’s arc, but Martin has questions, which his own story sets out to answer:
“Ruling is hard. This was maybe my answer to Tolkien, whom, as much as I admire him, I do quibble with. Lord of the Rings had a very medieval philosophy: that if the king was a good man, the land would prosper. We look at real history and it’s not that simple. Tolkien can say that Aragorn became king and reigned for a hundred years, and he was wise and good. But Tolkien doesn’t ask the question: What was Aragorn’s tax policy? Did he maintain a standing army? What did he do in times of flood and famine? And what about all these orcs?”
Martin doesn’t shy away from such conversations, and we see them play out across the Song of Ice and Fire books. Daenerys is faced with the harsh reality that conquering and leading aren’t the same thing, and Jon sees the consequences of doing what’s right against the wishes of the people he oversees at the Wall. Ned’s honor makes him bad at navigating the politics of King’s Landing, and several of the show’s rulers need someone else to do that for them — hence Tyrion’s and Tywin’s stints as Hand of the King. Martin demonstrates the realities of ruling, and so do the adaptations of his work. And the strongest example arrives in House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 3.
House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 3 Depicts What George R.R. Martin Was Talking About
House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 3 perfectly answers Martin’s Lord of the Rings complaint, and it’s arguably the best example of the Game of Thrones franchise doing so. “Rhaenyra Triumphant” proves that taking the throne isn’t the end of any ruler’s story, nor is it the most difficult part. The episode presents Rhaenyra with the sorts of obstacles Aragorn should’ve faced. Right after claiming the Iron Throne, she’s challenged with larger moral dilemmas — like what to do with the Greens who aren’t resisting her and whether to alienate the wealthy to satisfy the commonfolk — along with smaller issues, like rats and a lack of lighting.
It’s no wonder she spends much of the episode stressed, and her experience highlights that different strengths are needed to take a throne and to keep it. Rhaenyra isn’t particularly versed in doing the latter, as she’s spent so much of the series fighting to be recognized as queen. With most of her advisors cut out and left in Dragonstone, she’s floundering. It doesn’t help that King Viserys I isn’t the best example, but he’s the primary one she had. And with King Aegon II and Prince Aemond clearly letting things get out of hand, Rhaenyra is forced to pick up the pieces. It’s to be expected on the heels of hardship and war, but it’s not something we see addressed in stories like The Lord of the Rings.
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