House of the Dragon Episode 3

House of the Dragon is now on its third episode.  Much like the previous episode, the quality continues to soar upwards, and the episode stands among the strongest in the realm of Westeros.

The Downfall Begins

Skipping forward a year, the issues setup in the previous two episodes are starting to take effect.  Viserys’ is slowly losing his grasp on the situation, and stress is overtaking him.  With a newborn son to Alicent Hightower, daughter of the Hand of the King, questions begin to arise as to whether or not young Aegon will supplant Rhaenyra as heir, or if Viserys will stick to his word.  Rifts begin to form, with Rhaenyra now scornful towards her former friend turned queen, and her father who longed so much for a son.

Courtesy of HBO

Dreamers and Dragon Riders

Once again, the performances of Paddy Considine and Milly Alcock stand out.  While they clearly still care for each other, much like life, politics is slowly tearing them apart.  Considine takes multiple scenes to stand out, with a bonfire scene that burns brighter than others.  It’s here that all of Viserys’ frustrations come out, with a compelling speech of dreams and dragon riders.  Alcock’s performance continues to draw parallels to Danerys, as moments of her cold, calculating, and mad nature shine, along with a serene side which appreciates life.  Animals play a large part in this episode, particularly a deer and a boar.  The interactions Viserys and Rhaenyra have with them provide subtle, yet fascinating insights to their character.

Courtesy of HBO

Blood of the Dragon

It isn’t just these Targaryens that get to shine this episode.  While the first two-thirds focus on those in King’s Landing, the final section focuses on the encounter with the Crabfeeder, and it’s here the show gets its first major battle scene.  Daemon’s ruthless, yet careless abilities are put on full display.  While undoubtedly a skilled combatant, his aggressive nature is shown to get the best of him.  If not for the reluctant re-enforcement he received from Viserys, it’s all too likely he’d have been defeated.

The battle is short, but its fire burns brighter than many.  Like the best battles of Game of Thrones, it’s bloody, it’s intimate, and it ramps up the longer it goes.  In many ways, the episode brought back memories of episodes like Battle of the Bastards, or Winds of Winter.  So much is set up, paid off, and well executed that it is hard to find any faults.

Final Thoughts

House of the Dragon has now reached the point where it is truly standing on its own.  Unique plot lines, characters, and set pieces give this show its own distinct identity.  Still, with the emphasis on blood, politics, and bloodlines, the spirit of Game of Thrones is strong.  While the first two episodes showed promise, it couldn’t quite find its own voice yet.  With Episode 3, Second of His Name; House of the Dragon now stands as more than just a simple Game of Thrones prequel.