We’ve arrived at the penultimate episode of House of the Dragon season 3, and while much has happened, there’s still so much left to come. If you’re privy to Game of Thrones, then you know what inevitably becomes of these characters, and yet we’re still waiting for a big battle. Not every episode needs big dragons and sword fights to be great. This one reveals subtlety in the evolution of certain characters while laying the last few pieces of the puzzle so that larger plot points can finally follow. Still, with only one episode left, you can’t help but wonder what season 4 will hold and whether they’ll extend the season or episode runtime to show all the action we’ve been waiting for. And if those episodes will do the story justice. In the meantime, there’s a lot of meat on this episode’s bone, so let’s dive into some key moments before we see the finale next week.
Helaena’s Dreams
In episode six, we’re reminded of Alicent’s naivety around Targaryen culture, which is also the reason we’re in this mess in the first place. When Alicent told Rhaenyra about Helaena’s visions, Rhaenyra’s eyes lit up because it’s clear to her that Helaena is a dreamer, which means she has insight into the future. When Rhaenyra visits Helaena, she begins to grill her about what she’s seen. One running thread in Rhaenyra’s character is her uncertainty. She’s plagued with doubt, wondering if this is actually what she should be doing. Her need to be assured that she’s making the right decisions causes her character to shift, and her budding cruelty begins to seep through the pores. Helaena warns that the dragons are changing Rhaenyra: “You now have many dragons. Are you yourself not altered?” It’s only a matter of time before we see her transform into the title she earns in the books.
Daemon’s Betrayal Unearthed
Gossip is running through the streets, and word will soon reach Rhaenyra that Sheepstealer’s rider is not dead. Daemon flies to the Vale to try to put a lid on it, but there’s truly no way to keep a wild dragon from flying where it pleases. He asks Lady Jeyne to give him some time so he can break the news to Rhaenyra himself. Before Daemon gets the chance, Baela and Addam see Sheepstealer and alert her. Mysaria, of course, uses this as an opportunity to twist the knife of betrayal even further. While Daemon is pleading with Rhaena to come home, Addam and Rhaenyra herself fly in on their dragons to discover that Rhaena is the rider responsible for Jace’s death.
The best part about this scene is that Rhaenyra does what Daemon should’ve done from the start. She tells Rhaena to get her butt on that dragon and let’s go home. A true mother. Another aspect I love is that while Daemon thought he was doing the right thing, his withholding from Rhaenyra signals to her that he sees her as some sort of monster. Rhaenyra was hurt not just to find out that the person responsible for killing Jace had not met the demise she’d hoped for, but also that the person who did it was Daemon’s daughter, and the reason he did not tell her is that he thought Rhaenyra was that cruel. He feared what she might do, which leads her to ask, “What am I?” Why would he think she would harm his own daughter? But we also got another tender glimpse of Daemon. He protected Rhaena because she’s his daughter, but also because he identifies with her. They led similar lives. He didn’t have a dragon when he was younger, his mother died in childbed when he was younger, and he also felt alone, doomed to the shadow of his older brother. And to close out the Rhaena update, Baela comes in, and while Rhaena might’ve been expecting anger, her older sister instead greets her with comfort: “You will begin anew.”
Mysaria’s Whispers Getting Louder
And speaking of Mysaria, House of the Dragon is all about power: who has it, how to get it, and how to keep it. Mysaria tries to set herself up as Rhaenyra’s proxy, another self-serving way to cement her usefulness. On the outside, she presents as a champion of the people, but it’s all a means to her own end. She’s reminded that as close as she is to the throne, she’s not the same as these people. “Within the walls of the highborn, a whore will always and ever remain a whore.” And while this seems harsh, it may also ring true. Rhaenyra called Mysaria out on her manipulation in this episode. Every time Daemon does anything, Mysaria is there to ensure that every lie, omission, or betrayal cuts even deeper by adding onto it. But Rhaenyra calls her out on how she feels Mysaria is manipulating her, using her feminine wiles to bend Rhaenyra to her will. “Pouring your honey in my ear.” And with all of this knowledge, Rhaenyra still falls prey to Mysaria’s seduction. It’s no surprise that Mysaria has seemingly turned against our queen, but has she really? Sure, she’s using her feminine wiles to wield Rhaenyra in a way that benefits her, but is she truly against her or just for herself, seizing an opportunity that might land her in a better position permanently? Either way, her slip is beginning to show.
Other Things Going On
Meanwhile, Aemond is still convinced there’s no love like a mother’s love. Literally. Alys has big plans for Aemond, but things are thrown off when Alicent arrives to fulfill her assignment and kill Aemond. When she gets to Harrenhal, she’s shocked to discover Aemond’s romantic situation and snaps right into mom mode. Aemond has decided that Alicent and Alys will stay at Harrenhal with him, which in his mind is probably some sort of throuple situation. Alys tries to protest, urging him to let Alicent go back to Oldtown, but Aemond won’t have it. It looks as if Alicent manages to poison Aemond and escape, but considering his girlfriend is a witch, he’s probably not dead.
Ormund doesn’t appear to be a fighter, but he does appear to be a good strategist, as shown by his kidnapping Lord Corlys instead of killing him. In the scene where Ormund and Lord Corlys are speaking, we see Daeron begin to use his voice, and he’s smart. This allows us to peek under the curtain at what might be Daeron breaking ranks with his cousin to exercise his own power. Is this the beginning of him having a backbone and standing in his identity as a dragon-riding Targaryen? Even if Daeron does turn in the future, Ormund still has a dragon by his side now that Ulf has switched sides. We all saw it coming. He’s never been happy in House Targaryen since claiming his dragon, Silverwing. So in the words of Rhaenyra, Ormund poured honey in Ulf’s ear and now has two dragons on the green side. Ulf definitely gives psychopath, so we’ll have to see where this leads.
We also got another Helaena vision. In her vision, she’s giving birth, a gray man in armor takes her son, and then she’s suited up, riding on Dreamfyre. She says, “dracarys,” and Dreamfyre breathes fire. Then she’s on a farm with her children and chickens. It begins to snow, but not real snow. It’s ash from a fire. What does it all mean? Calamity is coming.
And last but certainly not least, Aegon’s back in the game now that Sunfyre has awakened from his long nap. But where will Aegon go? He can’t fly into King’s Landing because Rhaenyra’s army is too stacked. Ormund is raising Daeron to be king. Aemond is going to rule Harrenhal. Who would back Aegon at this point in the story?
In all of this, we see that Rhaenyra continues to unravel, thread by thread. She’s unfocused. She can’t sit still. She’s anxious and uncertain. Ormund is clearly more sound of mind and confident in his plans. This is an interesting place for our characters to be in before the finale. It will be interesting to see if their positions change by the end of the season.
House of the Dragon airs every Sunday at 9 PM ET on HBO.
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