House of the Dragon season 3's finale is almost upon us, and there's a lot left to contend with after the latest batch of episodes. Judging by HBO's preview, the last one of this outing will be action-heavy and focused on Tumbleton. It's everything the Game of Thrones spinoff has been building to, yet there are plenty of smaller pieces that need to be addressed before it goes off the air again.
Larger season 3 narratives also need to be dealt with, as House of the Dragon's fourth and final season will be occupied with wrapping the main characters' arcs. Clearly, then, there's a lot to cover this week, especially if the HBO series wants to ensure fans aren't left frustrated and without answers between seasons. Here's all the stuff the finale can't ignore, even if it spends much of its runtime on larger action.
1. The rising tensions in King's Landing
While House of the Dragon season 3's finale is set to focus heavily on Tumbleton, the consistently rising tensions in King's Landing must also be addressed. This season spends much of its time demonstrating that Rhaenyra's a poor leader. This leaves both the nobles and commonfolk increasingly frustrated with her.
With her no longer hearing petitions and blaming everything on Ser Torrhen Manderly, that's only getting worse. It's unlikely her subjects' anger will fully boil over this week — covering both Tumbleton and the Riot of King's Landing in one episode would be a tall order — but the finale should leave that storyline somewhere satisfying and easy to pick up from in season 4.
2. Tumbleton as a whole
The most obvious storyline that must be addressed in the season 3 finale is Tumbleton, and we already know that's happening. Rhaenyra must decide what to do with the market town, which continues to prove a thorn in her side. Although the innocent people living there have nothing to do with that, Ormund Hightower can't be left unchecked.
A battle is imminent, and Ormund is just one of the characters whose storylines should be resolved after it happens. He's a great House of the Dragon villain, but season 4 should really be focused primarily on Rhaenyra, Aegon, and Aemond.
In addition to wrapping Ormund's arc, the finale must also reveal what becomes of Gwayne Hightower and Daeron Targaryen. Gwayne is already past the point when he dies in Fire & Blood, so his fate in the show remains a mystery. Daeron's conclusion in Fire & Blood comes later, but it's ambiguous, and the show is known for deviating from the source material. Whatever happens, everyone involved in the First Battle of Tumbleton must be accounted for.
3. Ulf's betrayal in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 7
The other obvious thread the finale must pull on is Ulf's betrayal at the end of House of the Dragon season 3 episode 7. It's too big of a cliffhanger to ignore, and it's likely to send Rhaenyra fully spiraling before season 3 is through. Not only will House of the Dragon need to showcase the aftermath of Ulf's decision, but it will need to face him with choosing a side. He's a dragonrider, so he won't be able to sit out the fight ahead.
In grappling with Ulf's betrayal, the Game of Thrones prequel will also need to reveal the allegiance of Hugh Hammer. He's unaccounted for during Ulf's meeting with Ormund, but it seems unlikely the Lord of Oldtown hasn't sought him out as well. And he'd likely be privy to what the two of them are up to. Like Ulf, he's a big liability.
4. Sheepstealer's fate
House of the Dragon season 3 episode 7 leaves the fate of Sheepstealer up in the air, with Caraxes, Syrax, and Seasmoke ambushing him. An angry Rhaenyra takes Rhaena back to King's Landing, but Sheepstealer is left severely injured in the Vale. Despite Daemon ordering Caraxes to kill him, we don't actually see him perish. And unless the show diverges from Fire & Blood, it seems likely we'll see the wild dragon again.
House of the Dragon could technically leave us hanging on this storyline, but it shouldn't. Too many fans are in their feelings about Rhaena's dragon, and they deserve to know what's become of him after his unfortunate encounter with the other dragons.
5. Sunfyre's return and Aegon's next move
Speaking of injured dragons, Sunfyre makes his comeback in House of the Dragon season 3's penultimate episode — and it's among the most epic moments of the season. After being thought dead since the Battle at Rook's Rest, Sunfyre makes a grand entrance, killing Aegon's enemies as he watches and laughs. The pair can't exactly lie low now, which means the finale will need to address their "return" to the spotlight.
In the preview for this week's episode, Addam brings up Aegon's return, suggesting it's put Rhaenyra in a dark place. The show should give us more than that, revealing what Aegon plans to do now that he has a dragon again. Will he insist on making for Essos still, or will he change course and try to reclaim his throne?
6. Helaena's latest dreams
House of the Dragon season 3 places a large emphasis on Helaena's prophetic dreams, and that's especially true in last week's episode. She has a few cryptic glimpses of the future, which include: her baby being taken away from her, her riding Dreamfyre while a mob rushes them, and a happy scene with her children being overtaken by darkness.
I'm not super confident we'll get more information about these visions in the finale, as it already has so much to cover. And one of the visions appears to be the Storming of the Dragonpit, which shouldn't happen yet (unless the series is adjusting the timeline...and I mean, Helaena shouldn't be around for that either). Even still, it'd be nice to get a little more context before the show signs off. When it returns, I'm doubtful people will remember the minor details.
7. Alicent's poisoning attempt
In one of the oddest show-only additions to House of the Dragon, Alicent is sent on a mission to kill Aemond. She gives it her best effort in episode 7, putting poison in his drink before fleeing. However, Alys Rivers discovers him, so it's likely she'll find a way to save him. With the preview showing Aemond, it's all but confirmed.
Although Aemond and Alicent don't seem likely to feature much in the finale, the fallout of this situation must be shown in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 8. Everything from Alicent's escape to Aemond's reponse should be dealt with. For one, I'm not sure I can handle another season of Aemond's mommy issues. But more than that, this is too much of a subplot to wait two years to resolve.
8. Where Vhagar has been this whole time
Following Aemond's arrival at Harrenhal, Vhagar is absent for much of House of the Dragon season 3 — and even Aemond doesn't know where his dragon has gone. She's one of the largest creatures in the show, so losing her isn't an easy feat. And the other characters are actively searching for her, making her whereabouts even more interesting.
With such an emphasis on Vhagar being MIA, House of the Dragon season 3 must see her return...or at least tell us where she is. It's too prominent of a mystery to leave until season 4. I never thought I'd say it, but bring Vhagar back to us!
9. Prince Joffrey's return
Rhaenyra's youngest son with Ser Harwin returns to the Red Keep in House of the Dragon season 3, but we only see him once: when Rhaenyra visits him while he's asleep. She's obviously keeping her distance, the result of losing two children to the Dance. However, there must be some purpose to bringing Joffrey back into the fold. The finale needs to circle back to this.
If it doesn't, it'll be a strange thread for the show to leave lingering. Plus, it behooves House of the Dragon to attach us to Rhaenyra's younger children. They all have roles to play in the Dance of the Dragons, however small. It'll be hard to care about them if we continue to see so little of them.
10. Lord Corlys Velaryon's capture
House of the Dragon goes off-script with Lord Corlys Velaryon's capture in season 3. And while we know that he's still alive, and that Ormund Hightower has plans for him, it's still not entirely clear what the series is doing. Fans should have a better idea of where his arc is headed following the finale.
The preview shows that he's in it — and offering some bleak advice — but there are still so many questions. Will he get caught up in the battle, and will he make his way back to Team Black? He could also turn on Rhaenyra, which would be yet another blow to her reign. Whatever happens, Corlys deserves some screentime to set up his season 4 story. Right now, it's hard to guess what it is.
The House of the Dragon season 3 finale premieres this Sunday at 9:00 p.m EST on HBO and HBO Max.
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