Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 3.

The Big Picture

In the third episode of
House of the Dragon
Season 2, the Targaryen civil war intensifies as both sides prepare for battle.
Aegon, influenced by his Whitecloak friends, plans to ride to war on dragonback, but is dissuaded by Larys Strong, who is granted the title of Master of Whisperers in return. Aegon and his friends then go out to party in King’s Landing and humiliate Aemond, further escalating tensions between the brothers.
Rhaenys suggests that Rhaenyra reach out to Alicent to avoid further bloodshed. During their clandestine meeting, Rhaenyra realizes that Alicent misunderstood Viserys’ final words about naming Aegon as king.

While its first two episodes wasted no time in plunging us back into the story, House of the Dragon Season 2 has clearly been teasing out the greater war ahead. The Dance of the Dragons, as told in George R.R. Martin’s history of the Targaryens, Fire & Blood, will become one of the most notorious and deadly struggles in Westeros — rendered even more devastating, no doubt, by the fact that it plays out between kin. Before that happens, however, all the relevant pieces need to fall into place, but the precipice of war has proven no less compelling.

Episode 3 begins by introducing us to the Brackens and the Blackwoods, whose houses have been at odds for centuries. Their choosing opposite sides in the Dance — the Brackens have declared for Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), while the Blackwoods have pledged fealty to Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) — only gives them one more excuse to indulge their ancient grudge. Yet what seems like a harmless tussle between impressionable young rivals over a boundary line quickly gives way to the brutal, bloody aftermath of a battle, with countless bodies strewn across the field. It may seem somewhat heavy-handed, but it tells us everything we need to know about what’s coming: this is a conflict from which no true winners will emerge, and the cost of victory will be much too high to even be considered a triumph.

House of the Dragon The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO series Game of Thrones. Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is set nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.Release Date August 21, 2022 Creator Ryan J. Condal, George R.R. Martin Main Genre Drama Seasons 4 Distributor HBO Expand

The Greens Seek To Claim Territory in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2, Episode 3

Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) is suiting up for his first small council meeting as Hand of the King, wearing both a new chain of linked golden hands and his Lord Commander finery, but his isn’t the only promotion to make a note of; Aegon has named some of his most loyal buddies as men of the Kingsguard, many of whom are more content to lean around and shirk their duties instead of maintaining watch. A gaggle of slacking Whitecloaks is the last thing the new Hand can concern himself with, though; the stronghold in the Riverlands needs to be secured, particularly in the wake of the Battle of the Burning Mill at the beginning of the episode. Even if the Brackens did emerge somewhat victorious (albeit barely), the king’s forces are too scattered, with armies still needing to be assembled in order to be of any use. Criston declares that he will personally go to the Riverlands with a small scouting party rather than wait for greater numbers, insisting that speed, and by extension the element of surprise, will give them a bigger advantage to both join up with the Brackens and claim Harrenhal. No dragons allowed, though; Vhagar and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) need to remain to guard King’s Landing.

Before riding out for the Riverlands, Criston apparently has time to cut his hair into a fairly unfortunate new ‘do — but at least now, his terrible outsides match his insides, amirite? He’s also greeted by an unexpected addition — Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox), Alicent’s brother, who the dowager queen (Olivia Cooke) insists will accompany Criston into battle. The tension between the two men is impossible to overlook, particularly because Gwayne levies remarks at Criston about usurping Otto (Rhys Ifans) as Hand, as well as the Lord Commander’s Dornish heritage. It wouldn’t come as any big surprise if Gwayne happened to meet with some misfortune on the road, particularly because he’s not interested in lying low on the way to the Riverlands. Why camp out in the woods when they can lay their head to rest in the closest inn? But Criston realizes that, as they stand around debating the necessity of subterfuge, they’ve left themselves exposed beneath the open sky. Sure enough, Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Moondancer are scouting themselves close by. While the young dragonrider doesn’t engage the knights directly per Rhaenyra’s orders, only chasing them to the edge of the forest, she’s able to not only confirm Criston’s identity but allow Rhaenyra and her advisors to estimate the scout party’s intended destination.

Image via HBO

Back at the Red Keep, Alicent and Helaena (Phia Saban) are reflecting on the loss of Jaehaerys, with Helaena admitting that perhaps she should be experiencing more grief after the death of a child, yet also pointing out that her situation is not unique, particularly as a parent. “Sadness is a condition of motherhood,” Alicent muses, and one gets the feeling that she’s speaking of her children as things stand now, rather than when they were babes. She’s also much more tearful than Helaena is, but when Alicent’s daughter offers her the forgiveness she’s unconsciously been seeking, it takes her completely by surprise — because it’s likely the very last place she expected to receive it.

Meanwhile, Aegon, rallied by his Whitecloak pals, is being dressed in a suit of Valyrian steel armor, intending to ride to war himself on dragonback. A few carefully chosen words from Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), however, manage to stay the king, and in return, Aegon grants him an official job title as the council’s new Master of Whisperers. After that, the king and his cronies decide to make it a night on the town, descending on the Street of Silk to party and help deflower one of the knights’ new squires. When they discover Aemond in a room, curled up in brothel madam Sylvi’s (Michelle Bonnard) arms, a drunken Aegon aims to humiliate his younger brother in front of everyone. After a long, silent pause, Aemond climbs out of bed, refusing to hide his nakedness, and walks out of the room — but it seems this insult might carry an even harsher sting in the long run, especially as tensions only continue to build between brothers.

The Blacks Make a Final Attempt at Peace in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2, Episode 3

At Dragonstone, Rhaenyra, Jace (Harry Collett), and Rhaenys (Eve Best) are standing vigil while the Cargill twins (Elliott and Luke Tittensor) are buried side by side. Once the two women are alone, Rhaenys astutely points out that Otto would never have issued such an order, so hotter tempers must have assumed authority. It’s becoming more difficult to name the precise starting point of this conflict, as Rhaenys observes: Was it Jaehaerys’ murder, Luke’s (Elliot Grihault) death at Aemond’s hand, or the day when Luke (Harvey Sadler) took Aemond’s (Leo Ashton) eye? “We teeter now at the point where none of it will matter.” Rhaenys urges Rhaenyra, then, to consider the possibility of contacting Alicent with the hope of preventing an even greater loss. Turns out Alicent had been the one to reach out first, sending a raven bearing a message after Luke’s death, but Rhaenyra hasn’t been able to bring herself to read it… at least not yet.

In the wake of essentially saving Rhaenyra’s life from an assassination attempt, Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) never got around to actually leaving Dragonstone, but now we know why — to earn some form of reward. A place at Rhaenyra’s court is what the former White Worm seeks, but as the Black Queen soon realizes, having an expert spymaster at her disposal, particularly one who knows the inner workings of the Red Keep and those who reside within it, will only be a benefit. Besides, there’s no love lost between Mysaria and the Hightowers, whom she (rightly) blames for burning her home to the ground. Beyond that, she has ties to the smallfolk of King’s Landing, whose favor Rhaenyra could always stand to earn — particularly after Aegon’s vicious string of executions. Between the two heirs who could sit on the Iron Throne, Mysaria says, only one has displayed the capacity for mercy, but Rhaenyra also admits that she doesn’t want her mercy to be confused for pliancy.

Meanwhile, Daemon (Matt Smith) and Caraxes have flown to Harrenhal, and the once-largest castle in the Seven Kingdoms has been reduced to a burned-out shell of itself, largely abandoned. Daemon is ultimately greeted by a small contingent of occupants, led by castellan Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale, a welcome sight for us loyal Penny Dreadful fans). The uncle of Lyonel Strong (Gavin Spokes) displays no resistance pledging loyalty to Rhaenyra and the Blacks. In the aftermath of the fire last season, which led to the deaths of both Lyonel and Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr), the consensus (correctly) seems to be that Larys had a hand in orchestrating his family’s deaths. Since Larys is also allied with Aegon, that makes the decision to position the remainder of House Strong in opposition an easy one.

Image via HBO

Before Daemon can do anything else, however, Harrenhal requires fortification — but it also means he’ll be in place to confront Criston, Gwayne, and the small party riding right for this castle. But Harrenhal, which has always had a cursed legacy, seems to be haunted by its own ghosts, and Daemon experiences an intense nighttime vision during his stay in a scene straight out of a horror movie, which culminates in an unexpected appearance by a young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) cradling the body of Jaeherys in her arms as she personally sews his head back on. “Always coming and going, aren’t you?” she says, “and I have to clean up afterward.” When Daemon finally snaps out of it, he’s standing in the godswood, far from his original quarters, with a dark-haired woman (Gayle Rankin) watching him from a distance. We don’t know her yet, but we’ll likely come to, especially as she ominously remarks that Daemon will meet his end at Harrenhal.

Back at Dragonstone, Rhaenyra’s reluctance to engage in all-out war — particularly one fueled by dragons — butts up against her council’s urgings to escalate. The fact that she has to stand in opposition to a group of men who are questioning and second-guessing her every decision isn’t subtle, and it plays into the very likelihood that even those who have pledged their loyalty to Rhaenyra may find their faith shaken — or are secretly so craven that they desire to be as close to her power as possible. When her advisors toss out the idea that she go into hiding while they make decisions in her stead, Rhaenyra openly balks, considering the suggestion tantamount to treason. Her position as ruler has never been more precarious — not merely in terms of perception across the Seven Kingdoms, but within her own council.

Amid everything else going on, Rhaenyra begins efforts to send her youngest children as far away from the field of battle as they can get. Joffrey (Oscar Eskinazi) will head to the Vale to become the ward of her cousin, Lady Jeyne Arryn, with his growing dragon, Tyraxes, accompanying him for additional protection. But she also asks Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) to take her youngest sons, Aegon and Viserys, to Pentos, where they will shelter in place until it is safe for them to return. It feels like a thankless task for Rhaena, who hardly wants to play nursemaid half a world away, but Rhaenyra also entrusts her stepdaughter with the safekeeping of four dragon eggs to prevent them from falling into the hands of their enemies. It’s a bittersweet farewell for all, including Rhaenyra and her children, but also Rhaena and Baela, as the sisters embrace without knowing when they’ll see each other again — or if they ever will.

Image via HBO

Having finally worked up the nerve to read Alicent’s letter, Rhaenyra asks Mysaria to assist with arranging a meeting for them, a last-ditch effort at finding a path to peace. While it was certainly possible for Daemon to sneak into the Red Keep in the dead of night back in Episode 1, Rhaenyra has to adopt a different strategy, disguising herself in the robes of a Septa so she can surprise Alicent outside the castle walls, since the dowager queen is known to pray in the Great Sept of Baelor. Although Alicent is rightfully shocked to see her former friend, she at least doesn’t raise the alarm, allowing Rhaenyra to plead her case. At first, the possibility that these two women will be able to circumvent a war dangles tantalizingly within reach, and even when Alicent realizes that she had, in fact, heard Viserys incorrectly — that he hadn’t named Aegon as king but was rather alluding to Aegon the Conqueror and the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy by referencing “the prince that was promised” — uncertainty flickers behind her eyes.

The episode’s concluding minutes are a visceral reminder of just how good D’Arcy and Cooke are as scene partners, and just how much has been lost now that their characters are not only emotionally but physically distanced from one another. Confronted by the chance to put all misunderstandings aside and move forward in peace, however, Alicent doubles down, insistent that no mistake has been made on her side. The last vestiges of hope finally leech out of Rhaenyra’s expression at the subsequent realization that Alicent no longer possesses any control over the men she’s allied with — not Otto, not Criston, certainly not Aemond — and that, once again, it will be men who dictate what is to come, rather than the two women who could have prevented it all.

House of the Dragon As Alicent and Rhaenyra fail to make amends in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 3, the Dance of the Dragons reaches a point of no return.ProsAs Daemon looks to secure Harrenhal, the series leans into welcome horror territory.Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke’s brief scene together is a reminder of what the show is missing now that Rhaenyra and Alicent are at odds.The rising tensions between Aegon and Aemond are signaling a path to betrayal.

New episodes of House of the Dragon Season 2 premiere Sundays on HBO and Max.

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