Things are getting more chaotic in Westeros in House of the Dragon season 3, and we don’t see that slowing down anytime soon. This week, season 3 episode 5 delivers a eventful hour we couldn’t look away from, full of surprises, teases, and deaths. As Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) grapples with her destiny, there’s an unknown killer in King’s Landing, while Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) wakes up in Harrenhal.
There’s so much to unpack this time around, but already, we’re looking ahead to next week. HBO has released the trailer for season 3 episode 6, and it looks totally epic.
From the look of it, episode 6 will take all the plot threads established in this week's episode and dial up the tension. Ormund's campaign to undermine Rhaenyra's rule continues causing problems in King's Landing and division between her and Daemon (Matt Smith). In the Riverlands, Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) is in the middle of a frantic battle. At Tumbleton, the massive dragon Vermithor flies over the city while Hugh (Kieran Bew) keeps watch. And in the Vale, shockingly, Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) is seemingly brought before Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin). Things are getting crazy on every front, as they should be with only three episodes left this season!
While Ormund Hightower (James Norton) plots his next move in Tumbleton, Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) get a major surprise when reuniting with Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall), who viewers assumed might’ve died in the Battle of the Gullet. Meanwhile, Aemond is alive and back to health in Harrenhal, forming a relationship with Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) while missing his mother. But he comes out of a daze when intruders arrive at the castle—remember, Rhaenyra put a bounty on his head—and he kills a group of men attacking Alys.
For a bit, it seemed the Red Keep would be Rhaenyra’s sanctuary while chaos was ensuing outside of King’s Landing, but that’s not the case any longer. In tonight’s episode, Daemon Targaryen learns that someone is killing off Gold Cloaks, and he insists Rhaenyra must treat the situation as a priority. But she doesn’t understand the severity of what’s happening, and why Daemon needs to be there to oversee it. She wants to find Aemond as soon as possible to ensure he and Vhagar don’t make a move on her. It makes sense, but as Daemon reminds her, Aemond already fled to avoid Rhaenyra. They have more pressing matters at this point, inside the city.
That all comes to fruition at the end of the episode when Daemon discovers a handful of other Gold Cloaks—including Ser Luthor Largent (Tom Cullen)—slaughtered and staged at a dinner table, with a message left behind: “A feast for traitors.” Nooo, not Ser Luthor! We weren’t expecting his death to come until later in the show.
Earlier in the episode, it’s revealed that Ormund is behind the Gold Cloak killings, and he’s even delivered a message (he’s big on messages, apparently!) in the form of a coin with Daeron Targaryen’s (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) face on it. He’s launched his campaign to make Daeron king, whether Daeron likes it or not. That’s sure not to end well.
Keep watching new episodes of House of the Dragon season 3 every Sunday night on HBO and HBO Max.
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