If there is one thing that House of the Dragon fans have been able to count on from the show, it’s consistency with how the show kicks off every week. Before we re-enter the world of Westeros to watch the latest events of the Dance of the Dragons between the Greens and the Blacks, we get to ease into the new episode by taking in the show’s incredible opening sequence and iconic theme.
The opening title sequence is like our fight song, hyping us before each episode as we get ready for the latest political maneuvering, epic battles, and shocking moments that will follow once the title sequence draws to a close and the episode officially begins.
That routine has become such a defining part of the viewing experience that most fans barely think about it anymore. We press play and just expect the title sequence to begin playing right away, which is exactly why season 3, episode 3 immediately stands out.
House of the Dragon season 3 episode 3 is only the second episode of the show to have a cold open
Rather than opening with the title sequence, House of the Dragon season 3, episode 3, breaks tradition and begins with a cold open before the opening credits begin. It’s a somewhat jarring moment that might have you wondering if you accidentally pressed the wrong button on your remote because cold opens are not a creative element House of the Dragon deploys often. In fact, there has only been one cold open ever in the show’s three-season run, and it came in the show’s very first episode.
That’s right, the only time an episode of House of the Dragon has begun with a cold open prior to season 3, episode 3, was the series premiere, which introduced fans to several key characters at the center of the show before the title sequence. This is not at all uncommon, as most pilot episodes of a series bring fans into the world before they roll out the title sequence, as it would feel jarring to put a new series on and have to sit through opening credits before actually meeting any of the characters.
After the series premiere, House of the Dragon quickly settled into the pattern of opening episodes with the title sequence, which was a theme we saw with Game of Thrones as well. Nearly every episode of Game of Thrones began with the show’s iconic opening, with only a few cold opens sprinkled in across the show’s eight-season run.
Typically, the franchise has used cold opens for major narrative beats, and that was indeed the case with House of the Dragon season 3, episode 3.
Warning: spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 3.
Episode 2 ended with Rhaenyra Targaryen returning to King’s Landing and claiming the Iron Throne, a major moment that will have significant implications for the episodes ahead. Rather than picking up directly where episode 2 concluded in the aftermath of Rhaenyra taking the Iron Throne after beheading Otto Hightower, episode 3 uses its cold open to jump slightly ahead in time with a major scene between Daemon and Ormund Hightower.
The episode opens with Daemon and the Dragonseeds flying to Ormund’s camp to inform him that Rhaenyra has taken King’s Landing and that the war is over. Daemon makes it clear to Ormund that his army is to return to Oldtown and swear loyalty to Rhaenyra, giving him the choice to either bend the knee and accept Rhaenyra as his queen or die.
Given the choice of life or death, Ormund surrenders to Daemon before turning over Alicent’s youngest son, Daeron Targaryen, to Daemon to be escorted back to King’s Landing. After Ormund obliges and says a final goodbye to Daeron, the title sequence officially begins.
Considering the events that then play out over the course of the episode, it becomes clear why the writers chose to bring the cold open out of retirement for the episode, as it helped to move the narrative ahead and set the course for the primary events that would unfold over the episode.
We’ll have to see if the show chooses to incorporate any additional cold opens as the season progresses, and it was certainly fun seeing the device brought back after all these years to be used in the episode.
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