HBO Takes Swift Action After Embarrassing House Of The Dragon Mistake

In many ways, HBO's attempt to recapture the glory of "Game of Thrones" has not disappointed. The new prequel series "House of the Dragon" sets up a different but equally fascinating world of political machinations revolving around the Targaryen dynasty 200 years before the events in the main series. With the number of dragons spotted steadily rising, the series is as advertised. But measuring up with "Game of Thrones" can also be a double-edged sword. 

Despite years of high-quality programming, many mistakes the original show made remain in the minds of many fans. No one is likely to forget the critical fallout of the divisive series finale as well as the infamous coffee cup moment when an anachronism was left in the shot of the final season. Unfortunately for "House of the Dragon," the new series also seems to be following suit. Though "House of the Dragon" is attempting to fix the final season of "Game of Thrones" in some ways, the prequel has also made a significant mistake that is hard to ignore.

In a series like "House of the Dragon," visual effects are of the utmost importance. Mythical creatures and bloody carnage are what makes Westeros go round. But even more imperative are the small effects needed, especially in the case of King Viserys (Paddy Considine), who is missing several fingers due to rot. However, some viewers on Twitter were taken out of the realism when they spotted Viserys' supposed missing fingers wrapped in the greenscreen tape meant to be edited out. This oversight is glaring but something that HBO is certainly used to.

"Things can get forgotten on set," art director Hauke Richter explained when the coffee cup debacle first appeared on "Game of Thrones" (via Variety). He went on to say: "[It was] so blown out of proportion [because] it has not happened with 'Thrones' so far."

"Game of Thrones" said goodbye to the coffee cup, and it seems that "House of the Dragon" will receive the same treatment. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it won't be long before the image will be scrubbed from the internet. Viserys' maggot-feasted fingers will be digitally erased as it was always intended. But if you ask executive producer Miguel Sapochnik, they maintain a sense of humor about any potential mishaps: "[S]ee if you can see where the Starbucks cups were that we removed digitally after the fact, and if you can find one, there is a prize" (via The Hollywood Reporter).