Game of Thrones will be remembered for many things after revolutionizing television and the fantasy genre over its eight seasons on HBO, and one of those things will be incest. Arguably the show's first huge twist came with the reveal that Jaime and Cersei Lannister were hooking up, and the whole Targaryen line with the exception of Jon is basically on the same branch of the family tree. Now, the Targaryen line could be showcased even further despite the end of Game of Thrones with a Targaryen-centric spinoff. Prepare for some serious incest!
HBO is reportedly approaching a pilot order for a Game of Thrones spinoff that will be based on George R.R. Martins' Fire & Blood book, with Deadline stating that the project hails from Martin himself and Colony co-creator/executive producer Ryan Condal, and will be set 300 years prior to the beginning of Game of Thrones. This same report states that the potential series is co-created by Martin and Condal, with Condal penning the pilot.
Game of Thrones fans (and A Song of Ice and Fire readers, many of who probably would have preferred news about The Winds of Winter to news of a potential new spinoff) well-versed in the lore of Westeros know that 300 years prior to Game of Thrones in-universe was when Aegon I Targaryen -- a.k.a. Aegon the Conqueror -- and his sisters/wives flew to Westeros on dragonback and conquered the kingdoms.
While House Targaryen created the Seven Kingdoms and would proceed to rule until Robert's Rebellion a couple of centuries after Aegon I and his sisters, readers of Fire & Blood know that the end for House Targaryen began when they settled in Westeros.
As somebody who read the book, I can promise that I'm not kidding when I say that a faithful adaptation of Fire & Blood would involve a lot of incest, with Targaryen siblings marrying each other whenever possible, with the occasional aunt or uncle thrown into the mix when a sibling wasn't available. Throw in the option of polygamy and more than a few bastard children, and it should come as no surprise that it didn't exactly take long for in-fighting over the line of succession.
Basically, if this spinoff scores a series order, viewers may want to count on a lot of blonde-on-blonde action, both violent and romantic. After all, Jon was the exception to the rule of the blonde-haired and light-eyed Targaryens, and that was due to his Stark blood.
How Game Of Thrones Could Justify Jon And Dany's Incest
HBO has not yet officially commented on reports of the Targaryen-centric project existing since the fall or approaching a green light for a pilot, and there's technically only one Game of Thrones spinoff currently confirmed. Sources reportedly state that the project would be a new take on a version of Westeros presented in one of the original Game of Thrones prequel scripts that HBO ordered back in 2017, most of which were scrapped.
Will a Targaryen Game of Thrones spinoff based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood actually happen? We'll have to wait and see. Despite the outcry about Daenerys' arc in the last few episodes of Thrones after Jon found out they were related, Dany and her dragons are undeniably some of the most popular aspects of the universe. The history of her family and the madness that afflicted her father and arguably her as well would surely attract viewers!
It may be a while before we find out any further details about this potential series, but you can always read Fire & Blood for yourself to get an understanding of what made Daenerys as well as Viserys and Rhaegar before her the way that they were. I've been fruitlessly holding out for a Robert's Rebellion spinoff, but I'll take a look at the twisted Targaryens if I can get it!
For now, you can stay tuned for news of the Game of Thrones prequel spinoff that has already been confirmed, read Fire & Blood, (re)watch Game of Thrones Season 8 on digital, and/or join the hordes of A Song of Ice and Fire readers praying to the old gods and the new that the next book releases sooner rather than later. If you're willing to branch out from the Game of Thrones universe, our fall TV premiere schedule is packed with options!
