It feels like it was only yesterday that we were waiting for the beginning of House of the Dragon season 3, and now here we are, eight episodes later and a whole lot of heartbreak. With season 4 confirmed to be the final season, now begins our two-year wait until we finally see the conclusion of the Dance of the Dragons.
But with House of the Dragon season 3 officially done, we can now look back and see what the absolute best moments were…and some not-so-great ones. Let’s dive back into the world of Westeros.
- Best: The Battle of Tumbleton
- Worst: That Alicent/Aemond bed scene
- Best: The Battle of the Gullet
- Worst: Jacaerys' and Helaena’s deaths
- Best: Aegon’s overall arc
- Worst: Rhaenyra telling the prophecy to everyone
- Best: The dragons fighting
Best: The Battle of Tumbleton
I genuinely don’t think I loved any other fight this season more than Tumbleton in the finale, “The Treasons at Tumbleton,” and it’s for good reason. Were there some other great duels/battles that happened? Yes, of course. This is House of the Dragon, so there’s going to be plenty.
But Tumbleton was like a combination of so many things happening at once that made it feel like the perfect storm. Beginning with just the Winter Wolves storming the walls and taking people out was great enough for me, but then you add in Caraxes breaking down the doors and Ser Ulf (Tom Bennett) suddenly betraying both sides and burning everything to the ground. It all molded together beautifully.
Were there changes from the book that we didn’t really agree with? Sure. This version of the battle robbed Hugh the Hammer (Kieran Bew) of a big moment. But it was still so much fun and well-choreographed.
Worst: That Alicent/Aemond bed scene
I feel like I don’t even really need to break down why this is bad. It really just is. Because, genuinely, who wants to see this?
This is the world of Game of Thrones, and it’s not like incest is uncommon at this point in Westeros history. But I think it was just the fact that Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) already had a weird mother-son relationship, so throwing in a forced kiss in the season 3 premiere, as well as that really uncomfortable bed scene towards the second half of episode 7, “The Dragon in Winter,” was just…not my favorite.
Alicent did try to poison Aemond in season 3; however, he made it through thanks to Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) and was reunited with Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney)—which did not happen in the books—so I’m not sure how he will be when he sees Mommy Dearest again.
Best: The Battle of the Gullet
If we’re talking about the king of premiere episodes, this definitely was it. The Battle of the Gullet was epic.
“Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood” was the best way to kick off a season that was full of action, deaths, and so much more. And this naval warfare set the tone perfectly. The season 2 finale was honestly just a build-up for the amount of damage that happened here.
From Corlys (Steve Toussaint) having an honest conversation with his son, to the tearing of the ships, to the dragons joining in the fight, it was just an all-around fantastic sequence that got me locked into the season.
Worst: Jacaerys' and Helaena’s deaths
There were plenty of deaths in the finale, and really throughout the whole season. But to me, the worst ones were Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Helaena (Phia Saban), for two completely different reasons.
Jacaerys was the death that really kicked off everything in the premiere and began to send Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) down a path she wouldn’t recover from (understandably). He wanted to prove himself to his mother in some way, to use his dragon to show he was a warrior and could fight, and didn’t want his mother to risk her life. But it fell apart. And Rhaenyra’s reaction afterward is what made it even worse. That grief hurt.
As for Helaena, well, it was just sad. Her death was foreshadowed all season and made sense for it to be one of the last scenes in the finale, but still, watching it happen after she was trapped in her cage and forced to eat was a lot for me, as it was for many viewers. She really was innocent in all of this, and her death as a way of escaping this pain still hits hard.
Best: Aegon’s overall arc
I did not expect to come away from House of the Dragon season 3 as a Team Green fan, but Aegon convinced me. Granted, that’s also because of a great acting performance, but I really did enjoy Aegon’s story this season.
His becoming an outcast, getting a wake-up call, and then finally turning around and being willing to die in episode 7 because he refused to be a coward is something I can get behind. And now, with him alive, back on Sunfyre, and reunited with his brother, this new kind of mindset makes me curious to see where he goes from here.
Worst: Rhaenyra telling the prophecy to everyone
There were a lot of moments with Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) in the finale specifically that made me realize just how far she had fallen. But I think the worst one was her openly saying the Prince That Was Promised prophecy to the people of King’s Landing.
You know, the one your father specifically said to keep only within the family and pass down to her chosen heir? Yeah, that. I mean, girl, come on. Killing the High Septon was one thing, but then stepping out and actively making yourself look like a fool in front of crowds of people who would never believe you is just so saddening and frustrating at the same time. Nothing will ever quite be the same.
Best: The dragons fighting
One of my absolute favorite moments of season 3 has to be in episode 7 when Caraxes, Sheepstealer, Syrax, and Seasmoke all fought because Sheepstealer felt threatened.
I love this moment. It was one of the most ambitious scenes the show has done with their dragons and really illustrated that dragons are still animals that will fight and bite each other if there’s even a chance someone is hurting them.
It’s a great metaphor for the dance itself — Targaryens who are supposed to be working together, clawing and biting at each other’s throats to win or stay alive. It’s sad, but thrilling.
If you want to relive any of these moments, check out the full third season of House of the Dragon over on HBO Max.
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