As a Game of Thrones girlie, watching the original show, I liked Dany (Emilia Clarke), but I just never cared for the Targaryens the way I did for other houses. But when House of the Dragon hit, it captivated my interest, and I became invested in the dragon saga. Mostly for the dragons, but I digress. We’ve returned to Westeros and the brutal civil war between the Blacks and the Greens. This episode takes us on an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end, and I was riveted for the entire ride. Let’s dive into the first episode of season three and discuss the big wins and the devastating losses.
Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena
The episode opens in the wilds, following Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) as she attempts to make a connection with Sheep Stealer, the wild dragon haunting the Vale. There are some attempts, but it’s clear that this is not like the trained Valyrian beasts she’s used to seeing. He fucks off and leaves her easily, something a bonded dragon would never do. But more on that later, because Sheep Stealer and Rhaena have quite a role to play in this episode.
Matthew Needham as Larys and Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon
Down in King’s Landing, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) is on a tear, realizing his brother, the King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), is missing. Uh-oh, that’s not good for the Greens or for anyone in the realm, really. Aemond is a quick-to-violence type, as we saw from his attack on his cousin Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) at the end of Season One. Aegon has made his exit with Larys (Matthew Needham), who does feel vaguely like Littlefinger’s (Aiden Gillan) ancestor with how well he plays the game. The minute they’re captured, he tells the men who they are but bargains for their lives. Admittedly, not the best idea, but given they are gonna take down Aegon’s hood and see that shock blonde hair, being honest is the best method for survival. While the Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) certainly wants Aegon’s head, she’d need to be the one to take it herself lest it be mistaken for anyone else. It’ll be interesting to see where this goes.
Olivia Cooke as Alicent and Ewan Mitchell as Aemond
Meanwhile, Rhaenyra is weighing Alicent’s (Olivia Cooke) offer to come and take King’s Landing. And on the surface, sure, it’s a good deal. But my God, how many variables could go wrong by the time she gets there? How could it possibly go right? As we see from Alicent returning, Aegon is gone, and Aemond now sits on the throne. Aka everything she promised Rhaenyra is now gone. And Aemond wants to know where mommy’s been. She lies, but it’s only a matter of time before she’ll get trapped in her deception. She can try and play him, give him smooches (for fuck’s sake, with the incest in this show), but there’s no way he’ll entirely trust her. At least I highly doubt he would.
“We have come to die for the Dragon Queen.”
Daemon (Matt Smith) is making his way, rallying Rhaenyra’s troops and getting shit done. The Lannister host has been decimated, and who shall arrive? The grey beards of the Starks have come. Older men who have left the North to reserve supplies for the younger people to survive the winter. Their whole purpose is to die in service for her. Honestly badass to the core and part of why I totally identify with House Stark. And they show up with the head of a Lannister Lord? Seriously badass.
Abubakar Salim as Alyn and Steve Toussaint as Corlys the Sea Snake
The other Lannister is in the drink otherwise known as the Gullet, traveling with the Triarchy to attack the Sea Snake’s (Steve Toussaint) blockade. Before it all hits the fan, Corlys has a chance to make amends with his son Alyn (Abubakar Salim), and it’s such a beautiful moment. As Toussaint points out in the post-episode clips, in the past, Corlys would have behaved very differently and just wanted to get on with things. To take a moment and actually apologize was amazing character growth, and likely in part, the pain of losing his wife, Rhaenys (Eve Best), has shown him he doesn’t want to lose anyone else without making amends. And the Triarchy has arrived! No such thing as happy moments in the show, just fleeting smiles before terror. RIP Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan), you would have loved the Bitch Fist and Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn).
“Get more women with a castle.”
The bastards who have claimed dragons are lying in wait, per Rhaenyra’s orders, but they’re getting restless. People haven’t arrived, and there’s been no communication. The three begin bickering, each with their own point of view on what they should do. Cue the witch of Harrenhal (Gayle Rankin) coming to tell them they should go to Dragonstone. Not sure what her motive is, nor the information to say as such, but if the witch says leave, maybe we should?
Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole
“We will all become beasts before the end.”
Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) is out in the field with Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox), and their varying commentary on the human condition was amusing. Gwayne sees a soldier abusing a woman and insists on Cole dealing with it. Cole shrugs it off, tells him to kill the offender and be done with it. But Gwayne wants this addressed to the whole troop; he doesn’t want this to be a problem that spreads. The men need to understand this isn’t ok and it’s beastly behavior. Cole is emotionally detached, and I have to wonder how much he knows and expects his impending death. To be so apathetic cannot be good, and I think it indicates the deeper state of what’s going on with his mental health. But he’s not the only one out of touch…
Harry Collett as Jacerys and Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra
Rhaenyra gets news of the attack in the Gullet, and she becomes possessed with going herself. Much like the plan for King’s Landing, she’s so focused on the plan that she refuses to listen to anyone. Prince Jacerys (Harry Collett) cannot get her to listen to him. In her mind, he’s just her son being protective. She’s not actually stopping to think of logistics. You’re the Queen, Rhaenyra. Do you think those following you would blindly follow your son if you died? The answer is no. They’re not fighting for the prince. They’re fighting for the Dragon Queen. Think of chess. Does the Queen walk the board right away? No, she sends pawns. She stays back while other pieces move, and then she makes her move when she knows she can strike. Do I love locking her in her room? No, that lack of autonomy sucks a lot. But what other options were there?
And here in the Battle of the Gullet is where it all goes down. Corlys lures the Bitch Fist into following him into the shallows. She makes it through, but not without tossing the other Lannister Lord overboard. Ouch, but when you gotta lose weight, you do what you gotta do. The ships eventually collide, and fighting ensues. Corlys is thrown into the water, and Alyn finishes what he could not, killing Lohar. Meanwhile, Jace and his fiancée, Baela (Bethany Antonia), arrive on their dragons. And for a moment, all is well. The dragons are doing their dragon thing. These beauties are trained and bonded with their riders, much different from Sheep Stealer. But Rhaena wants to help, so when Sheep Stealer comes back for her, she takes her chance to get him to the Gullet. They even pass by Dragonstone, and y’all should have just stayed home. Because you’re taking a loaded gun to a gun fight, and he doesn’t know who is friendly and who isn’t.
Unsurprisingly, her and Sheep Stealer’s presence causes some massive chaos. Jace at first is insistent on attacking this unknown dragon, only to realize and pull Vermax at the last second. But Sheep Stealer is burning anything and anyone, and Rhaena is now seeing exactly why she should have stayed her ass at home. Jace cannot protect Baela and Rhaena, and being younger dragons anyway, Vermax isn’t that big. Plus, the enemy has been upgrading their weaponry specifically for dragon stabbing purposes. Baela is able to save them once, but not twice. And the rider goes down with his dragon. RIP Prince Jacerys, serving face one last time. Though it was hard to fully appreciate since I was sobbing. As Corlys says in the book, “If this be victory, I pray I never win another.”
Harry Collett as Jacerys
We have plenty left to go for the season, and I know it’ll be even more of a roller coaster. The show has already been confirmed for a fourth and final season, so I know we have even more to look forward to. But with the Queen’s two oldest sons now dead, I can only imagine how vicious she could become. She complains about not being taken seriously as a woman, how she has rage in her that’s not respected. And as a woman in this day and age, I get it. She wants to be taken seriously; she wants her anger to be acknowledged. But women aren’t supposed to be angry. I have a feeling Rhaenyra is going to show everyone why you don’t underestimate a woman’s rage, and I cannot wait to watch.
