This Sunday marks the halfway point for the third season of House of the Dragon with just four more episodes to go once this one has aired. Things are heating up in Westeros, with Team Black and Team Green no closer to resolving this brewing Civil War.<\/p>\n
Read on for everything you need to know about this week\u2019s episode as Rhaenyra and the Blacks take on the Hightowers and the Greens. <\/p>\n
House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 4 drops at 9pm ET \/ 6pm PT on Sunday, July 12 and will run for a total of 62 minutes, or 66 minutes including end-credits. An updated opening credits sequence and theme music accompanies the new season.<\/p>\n
Like Season 2, Season 3 will be just eight episodes long instead of 10. Here\u2019s when they air on HBO and HBO Max:<\/p>\n
The Season So FarWhat Happened In ‘House Of The Dragon\u2019 Season 3, Episode 1<\/p>\n
House of the Dragon<\/p>\n
Credit: HBO<\/p>\n
For a full recap and review of the Season 3 premiere, \u201cSalt and Sea, Fire and Blood,\u201d be sure to check out my House of the Dragon Season 3 Premiere review<\/a>. I had pretty mixed feelings about the episode, which had some great moments but a lot of frustrating changes from the source material.<\/p>\n The Season 3 premiere largely focused on the infamous Battle of the Gullet, when Triarchy forces attacked Lord Corlys Velaryon\u2019s blockade of King\u2019s Landing. Outnumbered, Team Black risked losing their naval dominance. Just in time Prince Jacaerys and Princess Baela arrived on dragon-back.<\/p>\n The tide turned, the battle all but won, Triarchy archers managed to hit Jace\u2019s dragon, Vermax, and both dragon and rider crashed into the waves. While the crown prince managed to free himself from the dragon before sinking, Triarchy crossbowmen peppered him from a nearby ship, and both dragon and rider perished.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Daemon and his forces celebrated victory and joined with the men of the North. Gwayne Hightower and Criston Cole continue their march across the Riverlands, fearful of Team Black\u2019s dragons with no support from Team Green\u2019s own winged beasts. Plots and machinations have been set in motion in King\u2019s Landing as well, where Alicent conspires against her own sons, sending Aemond out of the city and paving the way for Rhaenyra to take the city. <\/p>\n What Happened In \u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019 Season 3, Episode 2<\/p>\n House of the Dragon<\/p>\n Credit: Netflix<\/p>\n In the second episode of House of the Dragon Season 3, titled \u201cQueen\u2019s Landing,\u201d Rhaenyra discovers that her eldest son, Jacaerys, is dead, slain at the Battle of the Gullet. This breaks her. She\u2019s determined to discover who Sheepstealer\u2019s rider was and bring them to justice, not knowing yet that it was Rhaena. Rhaena goes to the Vale and begs Lady Jeyne Arryn for sanctuary, but the noblewoman wants nothing to do with her. In the end, she allows Rhaena to live in the wild, her dragon a defense of Arryn lands.<\/p>\n Rhaenyra and Daemon head to King\u2019s Landing, where Alicent has done all she can to provide them a smooth landing. Alicent is very nearly raped by the Lord of Laws, Jasper Wylde, but the High Maester, Orwyle, intervenes. The Gold Cloaks end up turning on Team Green, allowing Rhaenyra to take the Iron Throne.<\/p>\n Daemon, set to execute Orwyle since Aegon has absconded (and is off on a fun adventure with Larys), decides to spare the High Maester, who offers him Jasper Wylde instead. But Daemon makes another discovery. Larys has imprisoned Otto Hightower beneath the Red Keep. Daemon brings both men to Rhaenyra, who lops off Otto\u2019s head \u2013 though it takes two swings, the first wedging into the older man\u2019s back. Just as she climbs the Iron Throne, Alicent and Helaena arrive, horror written over their faces as they see Otto\u2019s decapitated body on the floor.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a gripping end to the episode, setting the tone for what\u2019s to come. You can read my recap\/review of House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 2 right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n What Happened In \u2018House of the Dragon\u2019 Season 3, Episode 3?<\/p>\n House of the Dragon<\/p>\n Credit: HBO<\/p>\n Episode 3 was mostly about Rhaenyra\u2019s dawning realization that actually ruling is quite challenging, with a thousand people always trying bend your ear. Everybody needs something and with no gold and barely your feet on the ground, this is no easy task. The one reassuring thing is that Lord Ormund bent the knee and gave over Alicent\u2019s youngest son, Daeron, to Daemon. Only, it\u2019s all a subterfuge. At the end of the episode we learn that this was a false Daeron. The real one is back with the Hightowers in Tumbleton, which Ormund has sacked and occupied.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Rhaenyra clashes with Lord Corlys, refusing to legitimize his sons Addam and Alyn with her hold on power so tenuous. Corlys has some very harsh words for the new queen. She also clashes with the High Septon who is no fan of Targaryens and their dragons and still very foreign ways. It was a very strong episode overall, and my favorite of the season so far.<\/p>\n You can read my full recap\/review of House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 3 right here.<\/a><\/p>\n Watch The \u2018House of the Dragon\u2019 Season 3, Episode 4 Teaser<\/p>\n It appears we\u2019ll get a slightly less frazzled Rhaenyra this week, and more of Lord Ormund. Still no big battles yet, but the forces of both Team Black and Team Green are readying for war (which I suppose has been the case for one-and-a-half seasons with the odd battle here and there). I think James Norton is fantastic in this role, though I can\u2019t shake him as Tommy Lee Royce from Happy Valley, one of the most terrifying villains in television history.<\/p>\n \u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019 Season 2 Recap<\/p>\n Season 1\u2019s time-jumping plot ended with the death of King Viserys I and the fractious road to succession, with both Team Black, led by his daughter Rhaenyra and her husband and uncle, Daemon, and Team Green, led by the Hightowers and Visery\u2019s sons with Alicent, Aegon and Aemond, vying for power.<\/p>\n At the end of the first season, when Rhaenyra\u2019s son Lucerys visits Storm\u2019s End to petition House Baratheon to join their cause, he and Alicent\u2019s second son, Aemond, trade barbs. This escalates into a dragon chase and Aemond\u2019s giant, ancient beast is overcome with bloodlust, killing Luke and his dragon much to the dismay of Aemond One-Eye.<\/p>\n If peace could have been reached before, there\u2019s no turning back now. In Season 2, Daemon sends assassins to kill Aemond in retribution, but they cannot find him so they behead Aegon and Helaena\u2019s young son and heir, Jaehaerys, instead<\/a>. The second season continues a very slow build as both sides navigate alliances and shore up their power, though the Battle of Rook\u2019s Rest gives us our first real dragon battle. Rhaenyra\u2019s aunt, Rhaenys, is slain in the fight, and Aegon is mutilated, his own dragon left for dead on the field. Team Black gains an advantage when they recruit dragonriders for their spare dragons from the common folk, but Team Green still holds King\u2019s Landing.<\/p>\n All that might change, however. In a secret meeting between Rhaenyra and Alicent, the queen dowager agrees to help Rhaenyra take King\u2019s Landing, even if it costs her son Aegon his head. Meanwhile, Lord Corlys Velaryon and his fleet have the city blockaded, while Team Black commands from Dragonstone and Daemon battles in the Riverlands and Aemond broods on the throne, which he\u2019s taken from his maimed brother. Larys sneaks Aegon out of the city and we see Otto Hightower languishing in what appears to be a prison cell.<\/p>\n \u2018House of the Dragon\u2019 Cast<\/p>\n House of the Dragon stars:<\/p>\n Matt Smith as Prince Daemon TargaryenEmma D’Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra TargaryenOlivia Cooke as Queen Dowager Alicent HightowerRhys Ifans as Ser Otto HightowerSteve Toussaint as Lord Corlys VelaryonEwan Mitchell as Prince Aemond TargaryenTom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon II TargaryenFabien Frankel as Ser Criston ColeSonoya Mizuno as MysariaHarry Collett as Prince Jacaerys VelaryonBethany Antonia as Baela TargaryenPhoebe Campbell as Rhaena TargaryenPhia Saban as Queen Helaena TargaryenMatthew Needham as Larys StrongFreddie Fox as Ser Gwayne HightowerAbubakar Salim as Alyn of HullGayle Rankin as Alys RiversTom Bennett as Ulf the WhiteKieran Bew as Hugh Hammer<\/p>\n Newcomers include:<\/p>\n James Norton as Ormund HightowerTommy Flanagan as Roderick DustinDan Fogler as Torrhen ManderlyTom Cullen as Luthor LargentJoplin Sibtain as Jon RoxtonBarry Sloane as Adrian RedfortAnnie Shapero as Alysanne Blackwood<\/p>\n Look for my review of tonight\u2019s episode here on this blog<\/a> directly after it airs, and let me know your thoughts on House of the Dragon on Twitter<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, or Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n