House of the Dragon: George R.R. Martin Reveals Series Character He Wishes He Created

Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin’s world of Westeros has exploded into being an entire franchise universe at HBO, with spinoff like House of the Dragon growing the mythos well beyond the edge of the book pages. As such, HotD has added so many new elements to the story of Targaryen civil war known as the “Dance of the Dragons” that even Martin himself is a bit jealous of the ideas he didn’t come up with, originally. 

Case in point: Martin went his personal blog to confess that House of the Dragon writer/showrunner Ryan Condal and Season 2 premiere director Alan Taylor had wowed him with one new addition: the dog who belongs to the treacherous rat-catcher known only as “Cheese.” 

“The show added a brand new character as well.The dog,” Martin said in his blog post, admitting that “I am… ahem… not usually a fan of screenwriters adding characters to the source material when adapting a story.Especially not when the source material is mine.”

However, the “Song of Fire and Ice” author had to admit “that dog was brilliant.” He explained that even though he had created the story of “Blood & Cheese” in his books, the show made Cheese, in particular, a whole rounded character in just a short amount of screen time – thanks to the dog.

Cheese is one half of the hired assassin duo “Blood & Cheese,” with “Blood” being a Gold Cloak hired by Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) to get revenge on The Greens for killing Prince Lucerys Velaryon. Using Cheese’s knowledge of the tunnels under the Red Keep, the two assassins snuck in and murdered young Prince Jaehaerys in his bed. If child-murder wasn’t vile enough, Cheese disgusted audiences when he kicked his pet dog along through the tunnels, in a pathetic display of “power” after Cheese himself is manhandled by Blood. However, the dog got justice(?) when it ultimately got to see Cheese hung for his crime – but the mournful look on the still-loyal dog’s face broke hearts – including Martin’s:

“I was prepared to hate Cheese, but I hated him even more when he kicked that dog,” Martin wrote. “And later, when the dog [stays] at his feet, gazing up… that damn near broke my heart. Such a little thing… such a little dog… but his presence, the few short moments he was on screen, gave the ratcatcher so much humanity. Human beings are such complex creatures. The silent presence of that dog reminded us that even the worst of men, the vile and the venal, can love and be loved.”

Martin made sure to give credit where credit is due, by saying “I wish I’d thought of that dog.I didn’t, but someone else did.I am glad of that.”

House of the Dragon Season 2 is streaming on Max and airing on HBO.