The season three premiere of HBO’s House of the Dragon confirms that whatever you thought of season two, this season is going to top it. Season three, episode one is better than any single episode of season two and sets a high bar for the episodes that follow.
(The following is a recap of season three, episode one and there are spoilers.)
The new season kicks off in the Vale, with Lady Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) approaching the wild dragon Sheepstealer as it feeds. She asks it to be calm and places her hand on its side. Rhaena climbs as fast as possible and Sheepstealer initially tries to shake her off, but she holds tight. She screams as it flies off with her on board.
At the Red Keep, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) drags Grand Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan) out of bed, believing he helped Aegon escape. The maester’s spared at the last minute when Aemond’s informed Lord Larys is also missing.
This leads directly into a scene with Larys (Matthew Needham) and Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) on the road, with Aegon complaining about his circumstances. He’s in great pain as soldiers force him out of the carriage. Larys claims that they’re simple men transporting ravens. Aegon chuckles when the soldiers force them to their knees and make them renounce the usurper and swear their fealty to Queen Rhaenyra. Aegon refuses, and as they’re about to be killed, Larys reveals Aegon is the king.
The leader of the soldiers still wants to take their heads and deliver them to the queen. Instead, Larys suggests that they should be delivered alive to Queen Rhaenyra.
Jace (Harry Collett) insists that Alicent’s offer was a ruse, but Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) thinks she wouldn’t have risked coming there if she weren’t truthful. Rhaenyra’s certain that, since Alicent confirmed Aegon is bedridden, she’ll be able to take the throne and seize Aegon in a single stroke. Rhaenyra insists to her small council that Alicent will open the gates after Aemond leaves with Ser Criston Cole. Rhaenyra will take the city and Aegon’s head.
Alicent (Olivia Cooke) is escorted by the Kingsguard to the throne room to see the “king” and is shocked when she’s delivered to Aemond. He announces that Aegon has fled and abdicated the throne. She’s absolutely stunned to learn that Aegon and Larys have escaped. Aemond demands to know where she has been for the last few days, and she lies, saying she was in the Kingswood.
Aemond announces he’s not flying out with Criston Cole, making Alicent’s plan impossible. He’s got plans in place to take on the Sea Snake and break the blockade. There are 15,000 men marching toward the fleet of Lord Corlys Velaryon right now.
Meanwhile, Daemon (Matt Smith) and his men slaughter an army, with Daemon returning to his brutal form after spending season two sulking. The Lannister army has been decimated, and Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes) demands that they be buried, not burned.
The Winter Wolves, led by Lord Roderick “Roddy the Ruin” Dustin (Tommy Flanagan), arrive at the end of the battle. Lord Roderick tosses the severed head of Lord Jason Lannister at Daemon’s feet, declaring they’ve come to pledge themselves to the dragon queen.
Alicent’s brother, Ser Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox), is in camp with Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and it appears they’re waiting for word from Prince Aemond. Gwayne’s upset that Aemond hasn’t shown up yet and they don’t have any dragon support. He also reports that one of their men has raped a village girl, and Criston doesn’t seem to care. Criston believes they’ll all become beasts before this is over.
Ulf (Tom Bennett) talks about his childhood, which was rough, as three dragons rest nearby in Harrenhal. He tells Hugh (Kieran Bew) and Addam (Clinton Liberty) that he was raped by a priest as a child and hates admitting that the priest who told him he had dragon’s blood was right. Ulf’s bored and thought they were there to kill Aemond, who hasn’t shown up. Ulf believes they’re all getting castles when this is over, and Addam corrects him. They will be knights, which means they get horses, not castles. Ulf doesn’t need a horse; he wants a castle!
Alicent tells her daughter, Queen Helaena (Phia Saban), she’s frightened for Ser Gwayne and Criston. Helaena believes Aemond is scared and doesn’t want to face all of Rhaenyra’s dragons. Alicent sends a note meant to be handed to Lord Ormund Hightower, who’s currently on the march with his men.
Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint) asks his son Alyn (Abubakar Salim) to drink with him, and Alyn reluctantly agrees. He informs Alyn that they’re going to send five ships to seize King’s Landing. Alyn’s confused as to why Aemond would ever abandon the throne, and Lord Corlys doesn’t reveal the entire plan. He apologizes for the breach between them and admits he was fond of Alyn’s mother and tried to provide for him and his brother. Alyn replies, “A life, perhaps, but never a name.”
An alarm sounds outside as the weather turns rough and they’re about to face Ser Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) and Admiral Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn), commander of the Triarchy’s fleet. She has a plan to sack Lord Corlys’ castle, High Tide, because that will draw his attention away from the blockade.
Back at the Vale, Sheepstealer tosses Rhaena off. She orders it to obey, pleading that they need to return to Dragonstone, their home. Sheepstealer responds by flying off.
Rhaena waits for the dragon to return in the freezing cold, and it finally does with an offering of food that it tosses to her. After presenting her with food, he settles down to eat, too.
Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton) receives the letter Alicent wrote, pretending to be Aemond, ordering him to stay there and wait for further word.
Alicent continues her plan to help Rhaenyra, speaking with Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and admitting Aegon wasn’t meant for the throne. She believes he should have been king, if only he’d been born first. Alicent insists that he needs to stick to the plan and go to Harrenhal since he’s no longer safe in King’s Landing. Aemond claims he’s not afraid and doesn’t need to seek safety. But she reminds him he is the king now, and Rhaenyra will send her dragons for him soon.
Alicent believes that if he flies to the Riverlands, he can draw Daemon out and kill him. If he stays here, he’ll be killed. She holds his head and tells him he’s courageous, but she can’t lose him. Alicent pleads with her son to leave, to keep him safe.
Aemond bends down to kiss her on the lips and Alicent tries not to react or pull away. She needs to continue with this charade. He agrees to go and declares he’ll host a feast for her there once he has Daemon’s head.
Ulf’s taking a sh*t when something growls at him. Hugh believes that maybe they shouldn’t stay there, and Ulf is adamant that they leave. Suddenly, the witch Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) arrives and tells them they’re missing the battle and needed at Dragonstone.
Baela (Bethany Antonia) races through the castle to inform Rhaenyra that an army of ships is sailing toward Lord Corlys in the gullet. Rhaenyra decides she’ll go and take care of it, refusing to change her mind when Jace tells her she must stay safe since she’s queen. Jace orders Ser Lorent Marbrand (Max Wrottesley) to lock Rhaenyra in her room and not release her.
Baela pleads with Jace to change his mind, reminding him this is treason. He swears he won’t let them kill his mother like they killed his brother. Jace asks Baela to come with him to help him win the victory.
Rhaenyra is stunned when she realizes her door is locked and orders Ser Lorent to open it. He won’t, admitting that Jace made him do it.
The Battle of the Gullet rages on and the Sea Snake’s ships are getting the worst of it. Lord Corlys watches his men slaughtered by Lohar on another ship. She orders her men to pursue Lord Coryls’ ship, The Queen Who Never Was, and Lannister reminds Admiral Lohar they are the flagship and can’t be drawn into the war. She insists she neither cares about keeping her promise to him nor about fighting for his king. This is personal.
Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) suggests to Rhaenyra that Jace just wanted to protect her. Rhaenyra didn’t expect her Queensguard or Jace to do this to her. She stabs her armor, ripping it to pieces in frustration and anger. Rhaenyra knows she possesses the heart and spirit of a king, even though she has the body of a woman.
The Sea Snake’s fleet is surrounded when Jace and Baela arrive on their dragons, lighting the Triarchy’s ships on fire. Lord Corlys wants to take his ship to High Tide, even though the tide’s out. He thinks he can lure Lohar there.
Lohar orders her men to prepare to shoot the dragons. She takes aim and fires, catching Jace’s dragon, Vermax, by surprise. It plunges into the sea but rises again. More scorpion bolts fly and Vermax is attached by a rope to Lohar’s ship. Fortunately, Baela’s Moondancer frees him.
Lord Corlys’ ship makes it to the tunnels by High Tide, aware that’s where Lohar is heading. Lord Corlys knows the exact method of navigating the narrow pass, and the captain follows his instructions.
Lohar’s crew insists that they don’t know how to make it through this passage. She believes they’ll simply follow Sea Snake’s lead. It’s very touchy going through a particularly shallow patch, and Lord Corlys takes over the helm. His men cheer when they’re clear and haven’t been grounded. Now they must return to the gullet and rejoin the fight.
Rhaena’s happy to see her home and tells Sheepstealer that they’ve made it. But then she sees High Tide on fire and the Battle in the Gullet raging on and flies toward it instead.
Lohar gives orders as they throw everything that has weight overboard, including Lannister’s men. Lord Corlys realizes she’s hot on his tail because she’s sleeker and more lightweight. He has his men prepare for battle as Lohar gives the orders to prepare a boarding party.
Lord Corlys is stunned to see his castle on fire, something Lohar ordered done to distract him from the battle in the gullet. As Lohar approaches, it’s Alyn who orders his men to begin shooting. The smaller ship rams into Corlys’ ship, punching a hole in its hull. Triarchy fighters board Lord Corlys’ ship and begin killing his men.
Rhaena weaves her dragon through the ships, setting them on fire indiscriminately, even killing her father’s men.
The Sea Snake is knocked down but rises and returns to battle, a fierce fighter. His ship’s on fire and men fall into the water when it starts falling apart. Alyn falls into the sea and continues fighting.
Rhaena searches for her father’s ship while Sheepstealer keeps setting everyone on fire. (She can’t control her new dragon.) Jace and Vermax see another dragon, but Jace doesn’t realize it’s Rhaena.
Lord Corlys, Alyn, and Lohar are the best fighters, but not many remain when Lohar and Lord Corlys face off. The ships are barely afloat as blood flows over the decks. While they’re fighting, The Queen Who Never Was finally breaks in two. Lord Corlys falls into the sea.
Jace finally figures out it’s Rhaena and calls Vermax off, but Sheepstealer keeps pursuing him. Vermax is hit by another scorpion and roars in pain.
Alyn picks up the fight with Lohar and finally manages to slash her throat. She sinks underwater, but he’s also injured.
Baela calls out for Jace and Vermax as they plunge into the sea. Vermax can’t get loose and Jace finally manages to free himself as his dragon sinks into the sea. He grabs a floating piece of wood but is killed by three arrows fired by Myrish bowmen.
The battle’s over and very few ships remain.
The season three premiere ends with Baela and Moondancer circling overhead.
- House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 1 “A Son for a Son” Recap
- House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 2 “Rhaenyra the Cruel” Recap
- House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 3 “The Burning Mill” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 4 “The Red Dragon and the Gold” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 5 “Regent” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 6 “Smallfolk” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 7 “The Red Sowing” Recap
- Season 2 Episode 8 Finale Recap
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