Let’s do some heavy lifting. Because Episode 4 of House of the Dragon Season 3 is absolutely jacked. While Rhaenyra frets over Ormund Hightower’s possible motive in taking Tumbleton, and the cagey, preening, occasionally nude lord of Team Green grooms Alicent’s youngest boy to be a key piece of his big takeover — all real, no gimmicks; it’s Benjamin Evan Ainsworth revealed as the actual Daeron Targaryen — we’ve also got a surly Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) meeting Alys Rivers and pledging guerilla actions, Larys Strong and Aegon II becoming “Tangletongue & Mangleface” (we’re absolutely loving their death-filled, shit-smeared road trip), and Daemon’s visit to the Vale paying off in more ways than one. We’ll get to all of it. But let’s start there, as the brilliant Matt Smith transforms Daemon from wielder of Dark Sister into concerned father in like two seconds.
The prince dutifully conducted his niece-wife-queen’s political errand. Far below her throne in the high hall at Eyrie, Daemon accepted Lady Jeyne Arryn’s jibes that he arrived as a beggar with a tin cup. But as he loads sacks of coin onto his saddle for the return trip to King’s Landing, Caraxes becomes agitated. “Lykirī!” he commands. Blood Wyrm will not calm. And the massive red dragon alights instead outside a cave to the north, where Daemon’s blade clatters to the rock at what they’ve found. Silhouetted in dragonglow is his daughter Rhaena. Touching her sooted, strained features, “How?” is all he can muster. She was supposed to be a chaperone for Targ babes and dragon eggs. But here she is the bonded rider of a wild dragon.
“Sheepstealer is mine! He is a part of me.” She has been alone all her life. “Rhaena, the unfortunate.” And if her father ever wished to do one thing for her, it must be now. Keep her terrible secret. Do not tell Rhaenyra it was she and her mount who enabled Jace’s death at the Gullet. Both Phoebe Campbell and Smith are so wonderful in this scene. The context is drenched in blood. But Daemon and Rhaena only have love and care on which to rely. And as she flies off, he resolves to keep her secret. A little more death and some sleight of hand might make the queen stop hunting.
In Tumbleton, the Greens host have forced their billets on the locals. 15,000 soldiers crowding into commoners’ chambers, where one scarred-up goon puts his hands on Kat (Ellora Torchia), Ser Hugh the Hammer’s wife, who has been staying at her brother’s. Ormund, a known liar, pretends to be magnanimous about all of this. He punishes the grunt, but makes an example of Kat’s brother, who he forces his ward to execute. Young Daeron, raised at court in Oldtown, still has Targaryen filth in his veins. If the boy will become the Hightower-controlled king Ormund wishes to foist onto the Iron Throne — blast his brother Aemond, who according to a raven from Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) is not at Harrenhal and will not be riding Vhagar to T-Town — then the sweet-tempered Daeron must learn to be cunning and firm. Haltingly, the kid drives a sword through the heart of Kat’s brother. His young dragon Tessarion roasts the remains. And across Ormund’s face spreads a wicked grin. “Now we begin.”
Ormund’s smugness and smile dim a little soon after this, as a different dragon pours wingwash down on the gates of Tumbleton. It’s Hugh on Vermithor, who has pledged this overwatch to Queen Rhaenyra. “I will not tire when one I love is below.” Kat looks to the sky; it’s not clear she sees her husband the dragonseed up there, but we wish there was a way she could raven-text him about all the evil shit happening in these streets. Rhaenyra has also ordered Ser Ulf to surveil Ormund’s movements. Ulf, who has rejoined his old drinking buddies, and witnessed dissent amongst the smallfolk. To Rhaenyra’s further apprehension, someone has been plastering “Queen of Bastards” graffiti all over King’s Landing. She tells Ulf to stay out of the bars and report to his dragonrider’s posting. But the queen, distracted by this public jab at her consuming anxiety over legitimacy, can only stew about it in the Red Keep.
There are dragons finding dragons in this episode of HOTD, dragons in flight, dragons in service to Greens deceit, and even the carcasses of dragon battles past. For Aegon and Larys have come upon Sunfyre, whose body plunges the usurper into remorse and wishful thinking. (“I’m here,” he whispers in High Valyrian, willing his mount back to life.) They travel also into a hellscape of death, desperation and scavenging, where what remains of Rook’s Rest includes Meleys, draped across the rubble. A straggler’s army accepts the duo’s ruse — “I’m the fucking king! If they knew I walked among them…” — but it barely holds. There are so many shifty eyes here. Larys gathers intel on the war and Team Black while Aegon deigns to collect shit and piss from the latrines. But he falters out of sputtering anger and switches to King Voice. Bad idea. He has no power here. Has nothing but his wasted flesh. A House Lannister soldier, serving as lord of this rabble, forces the usurper to kiss his feces-caked boots. The whole sequence is revolting, evocative of those past dragon clashes, and somehow still kind of funny. Aegon and Larys remain on a crazy dark adventure.
“Whose head is that?” Upon Daemon’s return to King’s Landing, with fistfuls of gold and a severed head rendered unrecognizable by dragonflame — and amid her own small council whispers to the queen — Mysaria seems to know Daemon is lying. He tossed the bloody mess on the table before Rhaenyra, his gift of vengeance to go with Jeyne Arryn’s much-needed coin. “I desired the same answers,” he says to her frantic questions of identity, allegience, and intent, “but a dragon is not a precise instrument.” We know he burned a random shepherd in the Vale after Rhaena departed. We understand this is his ploy to keep his daughter clear of Rhaenyra’s want for closure on Jace’s death. But with Mysaria’s raised eyebrow, we wonder how long this lie will stand. It’s holding up a lot.
Hot D’s for House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 4:
- “Let us become wraiths, with fear as our standard.” At Harrenhal, kinda spooked by Alys Rivers, who says nothing about Aemond’s wish for her aid — and neither he nor his dragon are seen — Ser Criston Cole commands Gwayne to join him in a guerrilla campaign against Daemon’s larger Rivermen host. While Rhaenyra sits the throne, it’s all Criston has to retain some kind of honor.
- Rhaenyra puts her gold cloaks on quelling the Queen of Bastards tagging, but they go about it like an ICE raid, herding innocent smallfolk into the streets and beating down supposed suspects. Not good for Team Black optics!
- Christ, this episode is packed. Is Heleana Targaryen pregnant?! She bats Alicent’s hands away from her swelling dressing gown. Who could be the father? When was the conception? And what does this mean for correctives to the lore?
- And finally, Ser Torrhen Manderly has been tapped for Rhaenyra’s small council as her new Master of Coin. Suggested by Mysaria, and as a potentially convenient public fall guy for the realm’s insufficient funds. We like how Dan Fogler plays Manderly as a willing vizier, yet with something hiding behind his laughing eyes.
Johnny Loftus (@johnnyloftus.bsky.social) is a Chicago-based writer. A veteran of the alternative weekly trenches, his work has also appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, The All Music Guide, and The Village Voice.
