We’ve made it, friends. The premiere of House of the Dragon season 3 is finally out, and the cast and crew weren’t joking when they promised this installment starts with a bang. After an underwhelming season 2 finale, which saw the key players preparing for war, fans were really hoping for an action-packed opening for season 3. And that’s certainly what they got.
Of course, it was no secret going into the season 3 premiere that we’d be getting the very highly anticipated Battle of the Gullet. As one of the bloodiest naval battles in Westeros history, this marks a pivotal moment in the Dance of the Dragons, causing major devastation for all involved. The most heartbreaking part of the battle is the death of Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett), Rhaenyra Targaryen’s (Emma D’Arcy) oldest son and heir to the Iron Throne. We knew it was coming, but it still hurt so badly to see it depicted onscreen.
But the Battle of the Gullet doesn’t just include one named death as it does in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. The show also kills off Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn), the leader of the Triarchy, at the hands of Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim). Fighting in the water, it’s a pretty awesome moment, and a big relief for Corlys’ (Steve Toussaint) fleet. But wait, what about Corlys? He falls off the ship at one point and is not seen again in the season 3 premiere.
Does Corlys die in the House of the Dragon season 3 premiere?
Though the episode leaves Corlys’ fate up in the air, we can expect him to survive the Battle of the Gullet. There are multiple scenes of him in the trailer that we haven’t seen yet, confirming his story isn’t done just yet. And, of course, we know Corlys doesn’t die in the Battle of the Gullet in Fire & Blood. In fact, he has a quote in the aftermath that has been shared throughout Westeros history, one that I’ll never forget from my first time reading the book.
“It is written that when the Sea Snake was congratulated on his victory, the old man said, ‘If this be victory, I pray I never win another,’” reads Fire & Blood. It’s a chilling line that puts the war into perspective. Sure, someone will sit the Iron Throne in the end, but at what cost? Rhaenyra has now lost two sons. Corlys has lost his heir to Driftmark, his wife, and now another grandson. And the danger is far from over.
Corlys’ storyline in season 3
On this season of House of the Dragon, Corlys will likely navigate his relationship with his bastards sons, Alyn and Addam (Clinton Liberty). We’ve already seen in the premiere that Corlys is ready to admit his wrongs, but is it too little too late for the brothers? While chatting with Screen Rant, Toussaint spoke about his character’s relationship with Alyn specifically, saying Corlys “sees himself” in his son.
“The great thing about Alyn and the great thing about Corlys is that Corlys sees himself in Alyn, in Alyn's refusal to take a helping hand in his steadfastness,” Toussaint shared. “Because what Corlys would expect is that he sort of goes, ‘All right, now I'm ready to acknowledge you as my son.’ And he expects Alyn to go, ‘Oh, thank god. Great. Yeah.’ But no, Alyn's like, ‘Hell no, I don't need you. Where were you 20 years ago?’ And so that forces, I think, Corlys to reassess what is important, and what is important is not the trinkets and that stuff. It is about being there. And I hope that he's on his way to learning that lesson and I think he is.”
As for Addam, as one of the dragonseeds he’s got important missions to fulfill this season. In the season 3 premiere, he’s sent to Harrenhal to look out for Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Vhagar alongside Ulf White (Tom Bennett) and Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew). Though Ulf is quick to suggest they leave, Addam is steadfast in his responsibility to Rhaenyra. He’s definitely going to prove to be a character Rhaenrya can trust this season. As for the other two dragonseeds? Ehh…
It might seem like a close call for Corlys in the Battle of the Gullet, but he should be back on his feet and in good health by next episode. House of the Dragon season 3 releases new episodes every Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
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