It's too late to introduce one of Fire & Blood's most iconic characters in House of the Dragon 2

Typically when a book is adapted for the big or small screen, we can't expect every character to make the cut, especially when it comes to a book as dense as Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, the creator of Game of Thrones. When fans watched the first season of the Game of Thrones prequel show House of the Dragon in 2022, some were upset about the exclusion of Mushroom, a popular character from Fire & Blood.

If you've read Fire & Blood, then you'll know all about Mushroom. If you haven't, here's the gist: the character is a court jester serving House Targaryen. He doesn't have much power, but he sees a lot and spreads gossip. Fire & Blood is a history of the Targaryen dynasty "written" by Archmaestar Gyldayn, who draws on different accounts of this periods while trying to strin together a coherent narrative. That includes Mushroom's account as set out in a book titled The Testimony of Mushroom. But the thing about Mushroom is that he's an unreliable narrator, and we never know for sure if the events he recalls actually happened or if he just made them up. He tends to lean into the juicier and sometimes provocative side of things, making his accounts fun to read.

We don't need Mushroom in House of the Dragon anymore

While I, too, was hoping Mushroom would appear in House of the Dragon season 1 as a central character — not just potentially making a quick cameo at Rhaenyra and Laenor's wedding as some speculated — now that season 2 is nearly here, it's just too late. We've already introduced the main players of the Dance of the Dragons and we'll be off to the races once the show returns this Sunday. That's not to say we won't be meeting new characters in the sophomore season; we definitely will. But introducing Mushroom now, someone who's important from the start in the source book, wouldn't make sense. It wouldn't improve the story and would instead just feel cluttered.

A lot that went down in the first season of the show, but it's a slow burn compared to what we'll get in season 2. Not only does the war between King Aegon and Queen Rhaenyra officially begin, but we'll be traveling far from King's Landing to other locations, meeting new characters as new alliances are formed and new enemies made. I don't think Rhaenyra needs Mushroom as part of her story, though Mushroom might argue differently.

Especially for audiences who have not read Fire & Blood, the second season of House of the Dragon could be overwhelming in terms of how much will be covered. Of course, we're expecting other moments from the book to be cut or altered just as they were in season 1, but there's still a lot to unpack. Adding a character the show proved it could live without would be unnecessary, and would only further clog an already-stuffed season.

At the end of the day, maybe we really never needed Mushroom in House of the Dragon. Instead of us reading second-hand accounts, the writers of the show are deciding what happens. In a way, they're rewriting the history because they have to. When accounts are fuzzy, they come in to set it straight. Considering all of this, what would Mushroom really be there for beyond some unneeded comedic relief? House of the Dragon is pretty dark, and I prefer it that way. As few jokes as possible, please!

It doesn't look like the writers behind House of the Dragon have spoken out publicly on their decision to exclude Mushroom, but at this point, they've got more important things to talk about. The second season is bound to shock audiences with its many twists, battles, and deaths, and I cannot wait to see it all unfold.

The countdown for the return of House of the Dragon is on! The second season premieres on Sunday, June 16 at 9:00 p.m. ET, airing on HBO and streaming on Max.

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