Season 3 of the HBO series “House of the Dragon” is not only taking the story to another level but also giving a masterclass on how storytelling can be just as thrilling in a quiet, tense conversation as it is in a massive battle with dragons. The first two episodes made it clear that the “Game of Thrones” prequel is now heading towards a war that would change everything. The death of Jacaerys changed Rhaenyra, and she wanted revenge. As a result, before claiming the throne, she killed Ser Otto Hightower and made everyone realize that Rhaenyra would do anything to avenge her son’s death.
However, the death of Otto Hightower in Episode 2 changed a lot of things. His daughter, Alicent Hightower, helped Rhaenyra by striking a deal and letting her come inside King’s Landing. She wanted to leave the kingdom with Halaena, but couldn’t, and as soon as she entered the throne room, she saw her father’s lifeless body lying on the floor. Her facial expressions changed, and she couldn’t believe what Rhaenyra had done. The first two episodes featured a lot of action sequences and dragons, but Episode 3 is different from what we have seen so far this season, and that’s exactly why Episode 3 is such an important milestone.
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Let’s take a look at what happened in the third episode of “House of the Dragon” Season 3.
Did Ormund Hightower bend the knee?
The episode begins with a tense standoff between Daemon Targaryen and Ormund Hightower. Daemon, along with three formidable dragons – Vermithor, Caraxes, and Silverwing – confronts Ormund, telling him that the war is over and a new Queen sits on the throne now. While he was outnumbered in footprint, Daemon held the aerial advantage because of the three massive beasts. Surprisingly, nothing catastrophic happened, and Ormund quickly got down from his horse and swore allegiance to Rhaenyra Targaryen.
The meeting doesn’t stop there, as Daemon has one more condition before letting him and his men retreat to Oldtown. He wanted Alicent’s youngest son, Daeron Targaryen. Ormund doesn’t think twice before handing the blonde boy remarkably fast. It seemed so odd that something so big took place so easily in the world of “Game of Thrones.” As the episode progressed, it was revealed that the boy who reached King’s Landing was not Alicent’s son, and her shocked reaction exposed the truth. In reality, this was a merchant’s son forced to bleach his hair to protect the real prince.
It looks like Rhaenyra and Team Black have once again been fooled by the classic Hightower bait-and-switch.
Is Rhaenyra the Queen of a fractured kingdom?
King’s Landing is supposed to be the wealthiest city in the entire realm, its chambers filled with gold. However, things aren’t as they should be. The royal treasury has been completely wiped out, and all the people who knew about its whereabouts, including Otto, are dead. Rhaenyra is tired of what is happening in the kingdom and finally meets Alicent. They haven’t seen each other for a very long time, and now that they are in front of each other, the situation is very different.
Rhaenyra asks Alicent about the gold, and it actually feels like she is losing patience. She demands to know where the gold is, but a weary Alicent genuinely has no idea, noting how much the men of the court resented her influence. As the conversation progressed, Alicent wanted to strike another deal with Rhaenyra so that she and Halaena could go out of the city. While talking about what’s happening around them, Alicent suggests that Team Black should announce that Aegon is dead. No one currently knows what Aegon looks like, and by letting everyone know that he is dead, Alicent buys her son the perfect cover to heal in safety, far from Rhaenyra’s reach.
Initially, it looked like Alicent convinced Rhaenyra to do what she wanted her to. However, she failed miserably, and Rhaenyra refuses to let Alicent and Halaena leave while both of Alicent’s sons remain at large.
Are cracks beginning to appear in Team Black?
Rhaenyra has claimed the throne after suffering huge losses, and all she wants now is to have her team united behind her. In all honesty, Rhaenyra’s mental state is fragile, and she is currently being haunted by the visions of her late son, Jacaeryes. At the moment, she wants her team to be supportive, but none of her advisors are helping her. Daemon doesn’t want Rhaenyra to focus on the people of King’s Landing. Instead, he wants her to focus on conquering lands beyond Westeros. Meanwhile, Mysaria asks Rhaenyra to look at the condition of the people living in King’s Landing. According to her, the starving people of the kingdom won’t let her rule in peace.
But it is worth noticing that Rhaenyra is not officially a queen right now, and it can only happen if she manages to prove that Aegon is dead. Later, a tense dinner with Corlys Velaryon completely blows up in her face. Corlys wanted Addam and Alyn to be legitimized. However, Rhaenyra refused to do so, which made Corlys very angry. He asked Rhaenyra if her illegitimate children could get her name, then why the same couldn’t happen for his children.
Although she doesn’t say a word to him, she knows she has to boost her public image. As a result, she hosts a banquet for all the small lords who have been hoarding food, serving them nothing but rats to let them know how common people live in King’s Landing. Moreover, she takes a trip inside the city and hands out grain, making the crowds realize that the new queen is better than all the previous rulers.
Does Ormund Hightower betray Rhaenyra?
The first betrayal came with the fake Daeron Targaryen. However, Ormund didn’t stop at that and went on to betray his vow. Ormund bent the knee during a conversation with Daemon and swore an allegiance to the new queen. However, in the ending moments of the episode, Rhaenyra gets to know that Ormund’s army has seized the town of Tumbleton, and the fragile peace she fought so hard for has officially gone up in flames.
As the episode concludes, a furious Rhaenyra stares into a burning pile of Green banners, making it clear that peace is not an option now, and if Team Green wants war, then war they should get. It is a chilling moment that indicates Rhaenyra is finally ready to go on a dark path and embrace the destructive fire inherent in her Targaryen blood.
The first three episode of “House of the Dragon” Season 3 are currently streaming on HBO Max.