It's hard to believe, but we're only two episodes away from the end of House of the Dragon season 3. It's been a wild ride so far, with epic set pieces like the Battle of the Gullet and the Fall of King's Landing, deep character studies like the Black Queen-centric episode "Rhaenyra Triumphant," chaotic murder sprees, shocking betrayals, political missteps, stunning dragon scenes, and much more. There's no denying that the third season of HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series has been a return to form and a massive step up from season 2.
That said, much can be changed by the quality of a season's ending — just look at the aforementioned second season, as an example. House of the Dragon season 2 had ups and downs, but it wasn't until its underwhelming finale that the narrative really started turning against it.
Considering that part of the reason for House of the Dragon season 2's struggles were due to a last minute order from HBO to restructure the season from 10 episodes eight, and that season 3 didn't face any similar restrictions, the odds are in its favor. But can it stick the landing? And what needs to happen for that climax to go off without a hitch?
Here are eight things we want to see happen in House of the Dragon season 3, episode 7 and episode 8.
1. The First Battle of Tumbleton
If there's one thing House of the Dragon season 3 must do in its final two episodes, it's pull off the First Battle of Tumbleton. This battle is a crucial turning point for the Dance of the Dragons in George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood, and everything has been building toward it, with Ormund Hightower's (James Norton) decision to set up shop in the city making it a central location for more than half the season. There is no way House of the Dragon doesn't end season 3 with this battle.
Of course, there are questions about how it will all come together. In the book there are two battles that happen at Tumbleton. The first features a shocking betrayal, and the second features a slew of important deaths. It remains to be seen whether House of the Dragon will combine these two set pieces in some way or keep them separate, but either way, blood must be shed at Tumbleton before the credits roll on the season 3 finale.
2. Daeron the Daring takes to the sky on Tessarion
Despite what a scene stealer Ormund is, one character that I've been even more excited to see in the show is his ward, Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth). The back half of season 3 has given a solid spotlight to Daeron, and while it's largely made for great moments with him and his Hightower relatives, there's one aspect that's been sorely lacking: scenes between him and his dragon, Tessarion.
Tessarion and Daeron play an important part in the First Battle of Tumbleton in the book, and considering that showrunner Ryan Condal previously teased the dragon has a "great role to play" this season, I imagine we'll see that happen on screen, too.
I'm also hoping we see Daeron actually earn his "Daeron the Daring" nickname. In George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, Daeron is knighted and given this name after the Battle of the Honeywine, where he and Tessarion save the Hightower army from defeat. The show cut that battle and used the nickname as part of Ormund's propaganda campaign in King's Landing instead, but I'm still holding out hope that we'll see Daeron and Tessarion given a proper chance to shine and show just how daring they are in the battle ahead.
3. Major deaths
This is a Game of Thrones series, and as such, we need to see someone major bite the dust as we head toward the finish line for season 3. We're not talking just side characters here! We need major casualties to sell the fact that this war is destroying House Targaryen from the inside out.
Criston Cole may go down as the biggest character to die this season — after all, actor Fabien Frankel has technically been on the series longer than even Emma D'Arcy or Olivia Cooke — but there needs to be other important deaths if the ending of this season isn't going to feel underwhelming like season 2. Many of the most important characters will understandably have to be saved for big exits in the show's fourth and final season — don't expect Daemon, Aemond, Rhaenyra, or Aegon II to die in the final two episodes, for example — but we still need to see someone go down, and go down in spectacular fashion.
This wouldn't necessarily need to be a battlefield death, either. Game of Thrones was often at its best when it hit us where we expected it least. Without getting into spoilers, there are a few characters in House of the Dragon who are nearing the end of their book storylines, giving the show the potential to leave viewers as devastated as they are eager to see what happens next in Westeros.
4. Aemond must leave Harrenhal and be reunited with Vhagar
One of the most-criticized aspects of House of the Dragon season 2 was Daemon Targaryen's (Matt Smith) plotline at Harrenhal, where the rogue prince essentially spent the entire season in a haunted castle having trippy visions. Season 3 also features a Harrenhal plotline, this time starring Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and the witch Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), and while it hasn't been quite the drag that Daemon's was, it's still high time for it to end. Aemond has been at Harrenhal since episode 2 of the season, and his monstrous dragon Vhagar hasn't appeared on screen since then either.
Before the season ends, Aemond needs to reunite with Vhagar, and he needs to get out of Harrenhal and start affecting the larger tapestry of events again. Aemond is one of the show's most compelling villains, and House of the Dragon can't afford to keep him off the board for practically its entire penultimate season.
5. Sunfyre's return
We also need some sort of resolution for the other Targaryen brother, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney). Aegon has been firmly off-book in season 3, as the show fills in a period of time where the character disappeared from the narrative with new details and adventures. That's largely been very successful, thanks in no small part to outstanding performances from Glynn-Carney and his frequent scene partner, Matthew Needham (Larys Strong).
The big mystery looming over Aegon is whether his dragon, Sunfyre, is truly dead. We saw what seemed to be the beast's corpse in the forest outside Rook's Rest during the season's fourth episode, but if you've read Fire & Blood, you know there is no way the show has actually killed off this dragon for real. Sunfyre is absolutely crucial to the final leg of the Dance of the Dragons civil war.
So much of Aegon's storyline this season has revolved around his losses: he's lost his place as king, he's lost his family, he's lost much of the use of his body, and he's lost his dragon. There needs to be a payoff before the end of the season, and considering how much time Aegon has spent circling Sunfyre's corpse on the map, the dragon has to be involved. It's time for House of the Dragon to finally settle the mystery of Sunfyre's fate.
6. Alicent Hightower finds some purpose — narratively and literally
While House of the Dragon season 3 has had plenty of high points, the aspect that has grated on me the most is its handling of Alicent Hightower. Over the course of the season, Alicent has been shuffled from humiliation to humiliation, enduring an unwilling kiss from her son, a rape attempt by another Small Council member, imprisonment by Rhaenyra, and now, being sent on a half-baked assassination mission by the Black Queen. The problem is that the show isn't doing very much with any of these things for Alicent as a character, and so as a result, it feels like they wanted to shove her into the sort of perpetual victim storyline that Sansa Stark had in the early seasons of Thrones, without any of the legwork to actually make it worthwhile.
Considering that episode 307 will see Alicent head to Harrenhal in an attempt to assassinate her son, Aemond, I'm not optimistic that House of the Dragon will course correct with her this season. But it would be help a great deal if we got some small sense that any of these horrible ordeals mattered for Alicent as a character before we say goodbye to her for the next two years between seasons.
7. Something, anything to happen with Rhaena and Sheepstealer
One of the biggest changes House of the Dragon has made from its source material this season is switching up Sheepstealer's rider. In the book, it's a common-born girl named Nettles, who serves Rhaenyra as a dragonseed just like Ulf, Hugh, and Addam of Hull. In the show, it's Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) who claims the wild dragon during the season premiere without realizing it will irrevocably change her life for the worse. In the Battle of the Gullet, Rhaena and Sheepstealer accidentally cause the death of Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett), the heir to the Iron Throne under Queen Rhaenyra.
This was a thrilling way to start the season for Rhaena and Sheepstealer, but since then they've spent pretty much every subsequent episode holed up in a cave in the Vale. Outside of a single encounter with her father, Daemon, Rhaena has done basically nothing in House of the Dragon season 3. It's a shocking waste, considering how the show set her and Sheepstealer up to be such integral parts of the story early on. We haven't even really seen what her relationship with the dragon is like at all.
I wouldn't mind if House of the Dragon keeps Rhaena and Sheepstealer's story running into season 4, but we need to see her leave that cave and actually start impacting events again in the final two episodes of the season. Just like Aemond and Vhagar, Rhaena and Sheepstealer are too important to leave off the board entirely. Their time to return to the mix is nigh.
8. A bitter ending for Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen
Perhaps the most compelling turn of season 3 belongs with Rhaenyra Targaryen herself, who has gone from a ruler aspiring to justice and integrity, to a paranoid mess who's alienating her allies, her smallfolk, and everyone in between. It'd be hard to even count the number of mistakes Rhaenyra has made this season; she's truly plummeting toward rock bottom, and taking everyone around her down with her.
While I don't expect a real resolution to Rhaenyra's storyline until season 4, I do think the show needs to put some sort of bow on her descent. Whether that's forcing viewers to witness Rhaenyra's worst atrocity yet, or a break that finally tears some of her neglected allies away from her, or some other horrific twist we can't predict, Rhaenyra Targaryen cannot end season 3 on an optimistic note. It's the one part of the season I'm dreading finding out the answer to, just as much as I can't wait to see how actor Emma D'Arcy sells it with their phenomenal performance.
Hopefully, we'll see all this and more as House of the Dragon reaches the climax of its third season. Episode 7 premieres this Sunday, August 2 on HBO and HBO Max, with the season finale following on Sunday, August 9.
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