HBO’s House of the Dragon has a lot to overcome in its third season. Firstly, the bad taste that Season 2 left in viewers’ mouths. It’s been noted that the weaker aspects of the second season’s ending were due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes, but many of its problems were apparent long before the flat, uninteresting finale took place. Secondly, in a now-infamous, deleted blog post, A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin lambasted HOTD showrunner Ryan Condal, stating, “This is not my story any longer.” Moreover, Martin did not have anything slightly positive to say about House of the Dragon Season 3.
Additionally, earlier this year, fans were treated to the best season of Game of Thrones television since the early seasons of the original series with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. A show that Martin had nothing but the highest praise for, both pre- and post-release. Will Ryan Condal, who has served as the sole showrunner since GOT alum Miguel Sapochnik left after season one, and his writers’ room be able to defy the odds and opinions against them and deliver a great season of television with House of the Dragon Season 3? Time will tell, but the first four episodes of the season do give us a glimpse at the answer.
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Starts Strong
Season 3 of House of the Dragon begins with a bang. Almost immediately after the show’s theme finishes, we’re met with the fallout of season two’s finale. Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) begins to issue orders to her council. Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) has promised her King’s Landing, and Rhaenyra intends to act quickly. Though not without facing criticism and pushback from everyone around her, including her own son and heir, Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett). We saw glimpses of their contentious relationship in the previous season, and while it’s still not all that compelling, the actors do a fine enough job with the material they are given.
Courtesy of HBO
What follows next in the season’s opening will likely satisfy those who were waiting on some action from the second season. We are treated to a thrilling sea battle known as the “Battle of the Gullet.” Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) leads Queen Rhaenyra’s forces against the Sharako Lohar’s (Abigail Thorn) Triarchy, and the clash is incredibly engaging. This is the first time we get to see the Sea Snake’s nautical prowess put on display. Thus, it’s a shame that the next few episodes fail to reach the same entertaining heights.
Repeating Past Mistakes
Emma D’Arcy has said that this season Rhaenyra’s “innate” Targaryen madness is no longer being held back. Yet, it feels like the series is deliberately stacking the odds against the Queen and then mischaracterizing her reactions as insanity when they are not. It’s grief and anger, and a slew of other emotions that the writers seem incapable of parsing through without completely flattening Rhaenyra’s experience into something predictable. Their intentions for the character are clear, and while it makes sense for the story, it’s written in a way that is not even remotely interesting. You would think that avoiding the same mistake Game of Thrones Season 8 made with Daenerys would be easy! Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Unsurprisingly, Rhaenyra is not the only character done a disservice this season. Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), ever the Rogue Prince, is once again the show’s most enjoyable character. His shrewdness, vicious nature, and steadfast support of Rhaenyra are all qualities that make him shine. Smith does a fantastic job, and it’s obvious that out of the entire cast, he’s having the best time playing in this world. However, the decision to have “The Song of Ice and Fire” be the primary motivation for his character going forward is odd. It’s yet another way the writers have managed to make previously compelling characters feel two-dimensional.
Adapting George R.R. Martin’s ‘Fire & Blood’ is Somehow More Challenging than Expected
Lady Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) was ostensibly given a more “exciting” storyline than her book counterpart, but the execution is questionable. Rhaena’s arc during the first half of House of the Dragon Season 3 doesn’t really make sense, nor does it add anything substantial to her character. This is likely because she is standing in for Nettles, an important and fan-favorite book character whom Ryan Condal and company decided to excise from the narrative. The two characters’ purposes in the lore of ASOIAF could not be more different, though!
Courtesy of HBO
Individually, there are some fascinating elements at play this season. Again, sadly, none feel fully thought-out in the grand scheme of this third season. The intrigue is all at once engrossing, and few and far between. There seem to be just as many lulls in the narrative as there were last season, which leads us to the weakest element of House of the Dragon as a whole: it is stretching the already light source material too thin. With another entire season to go before we see the conclusion of the “Dance of the Dragons” Targaryen civil war, it’s difficult to see how the HBO show plans on shaping this story into something capable of reaching a satisfying end.
Some Hope Remains…
Despite the hollow scripting, House of the Dragon Season 3 has a few highlights. As always, Ramin Djawadi’s score is sensational. Even when the material on screen is weak, his music elevates the flattest of scenes beyond what they are due. Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton) is a much-needed breath of fresh air. Immediately, he comes across as a complex antagonist, and he could be what the rest of the season needs in order to redeem itself. The strained relationship between Alicent and Rhaenyra is also still enthralling, as they settle back into a tenser version of their girlhood friendship.
Perhaps the remaining episodes will surprise us. There are a handful of plotlines that are slowly heating up, whereas others are quickly reaching their anticipated climaxes. As the season stands, there will likely be at least one or two more notable conflicts in Westeros that could potentially outdo the Battle of the Gullet, if done right. There are more character-driven plot threads that have been teased as well — none have been fully explored at this point. These elements could all make or break the audience reception of House of the Dragon Season 3.
If the HBO series stops spinning its wheels, something it was unable to do last season, then maybe, just maybe, Ryan Condal will be able to prove that George R.R. Martin was wrong. However, I, for one, am not holding my breath.
★ ★ ½
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 premieres on HBO and HBO Max on June 21!
Created by Ryan Condal & George R.R. Martin.
Showrunner: Ryan Condal.
Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood.
Executive Producers: Ryan Condal, George R.R. Martin, Sara Hess, Melissa Bernstein, Kevin de la Noy, Vince Gerardis, David Hancock, & Philippa Goslett.
Season 3 Writers: Ryan Condal, Sara Hess, David Hancock, Philippa Goslett, Shyam Popat, Zenzele Price, & Ti Mikkel.
Season 3 Directors: Loni Peristere, Clare Kilner, Nina Lopez-Corrado, & Andrij Parekh.
Main Cast: Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, Matthew Needham, James Norton, Tom Bennett, Kieran Bew, Kurt Egyiawan, Freddie Fox, Clinton Liberty, Gayle Rankin, Abubakar Salim, Tom Cullen, Tommy Flanagan, Dan Fogler, Joplin Sibtain, & Barry Sloane.
Production Companies: GRRM, Bastard Sword, 1:26 Pictures Inc., & HBO Entertainment.
Composer: Ramin Djawadi.
Episode Count: 8 (Season Three).
