‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Delivers More Than One Devastating Blow in Episode 2

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2.HBO’s House of the Dragon courted controversy and backlash from fans for the incredibly long wait between seasons, but the hugely positive reaction to Season 3’s debut episode is bringing people back in droves. The epic Battle of the Gullet alone has brought back the massive sense of scale that the Game of Thrones franchise is so famous and beloved for. Plus, the other major developments of Sheepstealer’s reign of terror and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) being an all-around creep with his mother set the stage for what could be a very chaotic penultimate chapter.

By far the biggest curveball Season 3 threw in its premiere was the death of Queen Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) oldest son and heir, Jacaerys (Harry Collett), who met an untimely end as the Battle of the Gullet concluded. Episode 2, which is arguably even better than the hour that preceded it, reveals Rhaenyra’s reaction to the aftermath, a moment that all but assures D’Arcy a seat in the next Emmys race.

Rhaenyra Can’t Accept Jace’s Death in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Episode 2

Episode 2 of House of the Dragon Season 3 picks up right where the premiere left off, with the bloody aftermath of the Battle of the Gullet feeling more like a defeat for Rhaenyra’s forces instead of a technical victory. Jace’s death and Corlys’ (Steve Toussaint) disappearance mean that the apparent victory comes at a high cost, and only time will tell what effect it will have on the ongoing war. Until then, Lady Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia) is tasked with bringing Jace’s body back to Dragonstone to inform Rhaenyra of what’s transpired.

It’s here where Emma D’Arcy absolutely steals the show with their most powerful scene in the entire series yet. When Rhaenyra first sees Jace’s lifeless body, her first thought is to scold her child for his brash and reckless behavior, completely in denial of the harsh reality right in front of her. It’s a truly heartbreaking and surprisingly grounded representation of grief, one rarely seen in high-fantasy shows like this, and D’Arcy’s career-best performance is truly one for the books. Even Rhaenyra’s rage for the Kingsguard that locked her in her room under Jace’s orders is surprisingly spared for the time being, as the queen is too heartbroken to actually do anything that resembles retribution.

Rhaenyra is the only one given time to grieve Jace, as Baela leaves Dragonstone rather quickly to join Allyn (Abubakar Salim) and Addam (Clinton Liberty) in their search for the Sea Snake. Thankfully, Corlys has not suffered the same fate as his beloved Rhaenys (Eve Best), as he is eventually found relatively unharmed. Corlys also decides to officially claim Allyn and Addam as his legitimate sons and heirs, effectively rejecting their status as bastards.

Aemond Potentially Gains a New Ally in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Episode 2

Despite the death of Rhaenyra’s oldest son (meaning the toll of “a son for a son” just went up), things are not looking good for the Greens, and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) knows it. King’s Landing is in a complete state of disarray; not only has Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) abdicated the throne, but Aemond has also left on Vhagar to claim Harrenhal. With both of her sons away from the heart of Westeros, Alicent puts the plan she hatched with Rhaenyra into motion, conspiring with the Goldcloaks with the knowledge that they’re still loyal to Daemon (Matt Smith).

Speaking of Daemon, he is summoned back to Dragonstone, but not before he has an unfortunate conversation with his witch ally from Harenhal, Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin). Alys expected Daemon to hand over Harrenhal to her once the war was over, but it seems Daemon is going against his word despite the visions she showed him, which may be a decision he lives to regret.

Meanwhile, Aemond decides to lead a solo assault on Harrenhal, with the mighty Vhagar eviscerating everything in sight as Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) assembles the troops. Aemond’s in no mood to take prisoners today, so as soon as he enters Harrenhal, he kills Ser Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale) and his son, but manages to take a good stab to the gut. It’s highly unlikely this will be the end of Aemond as we know it, especially when he asks Alys to help him, teasing a new alliance. Meanwhile, Aegon and Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) manage to escape custody to flee toward parts unknown.

Rhaenyra Claims the Iron Throne at a Cost in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Episode 2

Image via HBO

Despite still grieving from Jace’s death and desperate to discover the identity of Sheepstealer’s rider, Rhaenyra knows she can’t sacrifice the opportunity to take King’s Landing. Rhaenyra and Daemon practically waltz into the city on dragonback since every guard has been ordered to stand down by Alicent, bar a few loyalists. This includes the Kingsguard, but as soon as the Goldcloaks arrive to show their support for Daemon, they surrender. Thus, Rhaenyra finally takes the Iron Throne, doing so with a fraction of the casualties it took for her descendant, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), to do the same in the flagship series.

Daemon begins to scour the castle for Aegon, not yet realizing that the “Usurper” has fled King’s Landing. However, Larys has left a surprising gift behind. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), but he’s evidently been imprisoned in the Red Keep ever since he was asked to step down as Hand of the King. With Aegon MIA, a public execution of his grandfather and a high-ranking member of his council is the next best thing, and Rhaenyra has to be the one to do it.

In another great and emotional scene, Rhaenyra executes Otto, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Moments after she does, Alicent, who was trying to escape King’s Landing, is captured and brought before the new queen, with Otto’s headless body still lying on the floor. Alicent has stayed true to her word about giving Rhaenyra King’s Landing on a silver platter, but the execution of her father is bound to cause another rift between the friends.

New episodes of House of the Dragon Season 3 premiere Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.

Release Date

August 21, 2022

Network

HBO

Showrunner

George R.R. Martin

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  Fabien Frankel

  Ser Criston Cole

Pros & Cons

• Emma D’Arcy gives their best performance of the series so far.
• The Sea Snake lives!
• Rhaeneyra’s claiming of the Iron Throne happens in a unique and interesting way.
• Otto Hightower’s death is another great curveball for the next episode.