"The Dragon in Winter", chapter 3x07 of House of the Dragon, continues this season’s streak: episodes that are elevated by one or two epic sequences, with the rest of the hour being made up of random scenes strewn together, with no overarching theme. When compared to the show’s source material, episode 7 has nothing in common with Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin. Essentially, every single scene in the episode is original to the show. Let’s analyze and squint our eyes for any parallels with the book and all major differences.
Impotent against foes she can’t see, Rhaenyra turns to dreams for answers and demands them from Helaena, misunderstanding the way dragon dreams work. Helaena couldn’t give her straight answers even if she wanted, no matter how important it is to Rhaenyra. Despite the sour way the scene ended, it was lovely to finally see Rhaenyra and Helaena interact, reminding us of Rhaenyra referring to Helaena as “my sweet sister” in the book.
Rhaena's secret is out
None of Rhaenyra’s issues from previous episodes have been resolved, and the council scene is tedious and devoid of any solutions. Daemon is notably absent, and Mysaria tries once again to poison Rhaenyra’s heart against him, suggesting his betrayal. Despite the evidence, Rhaenyra clings to her trust in Daemon, to his love for her. When word reaches them that Sheepstealer has been sighted with a rider, she takes matters into her own hands and summons Ser Addam to go with her.
Daemon flies to the Vale seeking Rhaena. In the high hall of Arryn, he interrupts a private moment between Lady Jeyne and her lover Lady Jessamyn Redfort, who Fire & Blood describes as “her dear companion.” Jeyne tells Daemon there is talk “of a wild girl living amongst nettles and sheep,” which is a clear nod to the discarded plot line that was changed in favor of making Rhaena Sheepstealer’s rider; in the book, Nettles is the nickname of the baseborn girl who tames Sheepstealer. Similarly to Rhaena’s self-imposed exile, it is likely that Nettles lived out the rest of her days hidden in the Vale, where, “the wildlings of the mountains still tell tales of a 'fire witch' who once dwelled in a hidden vale far from any road or village.” On the show, the character Nettles was merged with Rhaena.
Jeyne gives Daemon a lead to follow Rhaena, and he pursues that trail on Caraxes until he finds his daughter and Sheepstealer. Rhaena admits she’s been trying to intercept Vhagar, to kill her and Aemond, or die trying, so her debt to Rhaenyra, to their family, can finally be repaid. When Daemon can’t change her mind, he offers himself in service, as a companion in this mad undertaking. This is also a clear reference: in the book, Daemon takes Nettles with him to hunt Vhagar along the Trident.
Daemon and Rhaena’s overdue conversation is interrupted by Rhaenyra and Addam who converge at the scene with their dragons. At once Rhaenyra realizes that Daemon had lied to her about killing Sheepstealer’s rider but once she understands it’s Rhaena, she sees matters are more complex than she thought. Sheepstealer is responsible for Prince Jacaerys’s death, because Rhaena is unable to control the wild dragon. The situation escalates and turns into a full-on dragon fight; when Sheepstealer is nearly defeated, Rhaenyra takes Rhaena with her and flies home. Daemon nearly kills the wild dragon but ultimately lets him go, wounded but alive. I wonder what the point of this was, beyond a cool scene of dragons dancing, if Sheepstealer is still in the picture; will this be just another half-truth that Rhaenyra can blame Daemon for?
Back in King’s Landing, Baela and Rhaena have a small reunion that I hope is the prelude to a reconciliation that the writers will care to explore.
Rhaenyra nearly forgives Daemon
As for the Queen, Rhaenyra has many conflicting emotions to contend with: anger at Rhaena for her silence, relief at her husband not keeping a scheme against her, but also frustration at his lie, offense at him thinking she could ever harm Rhaena, no matter the circumstances. The show has not been very good at fleshing out the relationships between characters in Team Black, but Rhaenyra helped raise Baela and Rhaena, and it is ludicrous that they’ve had so few interactions on screen.
That night, Daemon visits Rhaenyra’s chambers, to apologize, to explain he was only protecting his daughter who was only seeking both of their approval. Rhaenyra weakly refuses his comfort, only barely, and commands her lady-in-waiting Elinda Massey to stay in the room. Rhaenyra understands Daemon’s motives, his loyalty to a daughter he has long neglected — and wouldn’t she have wanted her father to choose her as well? Here, Rhaenyra knows that, without an audience, she would have forgiven her rogue husband, caved, let herself need him; but it’s clarity she needs now, not to be engulfed by his love.
Week after week we have watched their careful dance, Daemon poking at Rhaenyra, gradually awakening her anger, Rhaenyra letting Daemon get away with anything. This, right now, is the last straw; not forever, but for the time being. Later, when Rhaenyra can’t sleep, she walks to Mysaria’s chamber as if on a mission: to have the last word and prove that she was right, because Daemon did not betray her, was simply protecting his daughter, a fact Rhaenyra does not blame him for. Mysaria insists on hammering her point, almost desperate in her agenda to drive a definitive wedge between the Queen and her husband. Why, that is? We are not treated to Mysaria’s motivations. I don’t believe it to be mere jealousy, nor her own ambition alone. Is it revenge on Daemon? We don’t know, but I hope there is a sense behind Mysaria’s arc.
Rhaenyra has caught on, but she is not interested in exploring the reasons behind Mysaria’s crusade; all she cares about is succeeding, being a worthy ruler. In seeking her approval, Rhaenyra serves Mysaria’s last move on a silver platter; earlier in the day, the once-prostitute had been reminded by her former colleague Madam Sylvi of her origins. Mysaria chooses to make that her strength, as she all but seduces Rhaenyra professing her unconditional faith and the promise of better days.
In defense of Rhaenyra (and Mysaria)
Before the internet starts accusing Rhaenyra of adultery for reaching out for Mysaria’s kiss, it’s important to recontextualize what we are seeing. In our day and age, we have finally reached the point where sex between women holds the same weight as straight sex — at long last and thankfully; however, that is not the reality of Westeros. In 130 AC Westeros, a highborn woman can have female lovers and they would be referred to merely as close friends they are fond of, and men wouldn’t bat an eye — in fact, Daemon himself did not even comment when walking in on Jeyne Arryn and her lover earlier in the episode. Plus, Rhaenyra and Mysaria’s dynamic was born due to their shared past with Daemon and greatly still revolves around him — whether it’s Rhaenyra needing a reason to forgive him or Mysaria breaking them apart so she can have full access to Rhaenyra.
If Daemon knew Rhaenyra had taken a male lover, he would decapitate him in an instant. But if he knew she had taken a female lover, he would probably just laugh it off and ask to join. Obviously, there is the added factor that he has a long and deep history with Mysaria, and that he knows she’s trying to drive Rhaenyra away from him, but I doubt he would consider it adultery. Manipulation, at best.
Now as for Rhaenyra: after everything Daemon has put her through, does she not deserve, for once, to do what she pleases? Daemon may not have cheated on her by taking a lover, but hasn’t he chafed at her at every opportunity? Did he not put her through infernal uncertainty for the entirety of season 2 with his temper tantrum in Harrenhal? For all Rhaenyra knows, he did take a lover all those months away, and it doesn’t matter that he didn’t, because despite the lies, the miscommunication, the ambition she doesn’t share, she still took him back. This version of Rhaenyra still loves this version of Dameon.
In Fire & Blood, the situation is — as always — different. At this point in the story, it is stated that Daemon and Mysaria have rekindled their relationship, with Daemon entirely “in her thrall." The book also makes it a point to say that Rhaenyra is quite all right with the arrangement. The text heavily suggests that Mysaria may also be Rhaenyra’s lover. Now, whether you choose to believe they were all involved romantically or sexually, or whether Mysaria was just whispering honeyed words in Rhaenyra’s ear while she was with Daemon, she did manage to turn the Queen against her husband in the end, suggesting his betrayal, convincing Rhaenyra to call for his arrest.
To go back to Mysaria/Rhaenyra on the show: as a queer woman in 2026, I am happy to see Rhaenyra take pleasure where she pleases. If validation is what she seeks, let her have it. I am a serial Daemyra supporter, but also an advocate of queer Rhaenyra — her emancipated sexuality has always, to me, been an integral part of her story, and getting to see some degree of it on screen is satisfying. Remember: being queer does not negate that Daemon is the love of Rhaenyra's life.
Oh no, another love triangle?
At Harrenhal, we are treated to yet another unnecessary mother/son incest scene. It’s only imagined, which somehow makes it almost worse, because it’s essentially wasted screen time, a precious currency in such a short season. When Alicent does set foot in Harrenhal for real, I felt like I was stuck in a terrible time loop, as if in a nightmare — maybe we are forever scarred by the trippy sequences with Daemon in Harrenhal from last season.
Alicent’s arrival is another example of unrealistic timeline: not to sound like a broken record, since I’ve mentioned this in nearly every article this season, but the concept of travel time and distances is entirely lost. The Riverlands/Winter Wolves army are finally a day away from Tumbleton when they were two weeks away last episode, having left Harrenhal behind in episode 2, yet it took Alicent and Ser Adrian Redfort less than two weeks to cover double the distance between King’s Landing and Harrenhal.
Rhaenyra’s plan for her Kingsguard Ser Adrian to kill Aemond on sight obviously goes awry when it’s Aemond who makes the first move, leaving Alicent alone in a plan she has fully come to adopt. After a few uncomfortable scenes with Alys and Aemond, Alicent poisons her son, who stumbles into Alys’s workshop like he did in episode 1.
Needless to say, Alicent never leaves King’s Landing or interacts with Alys Rivers in the book, nor does she plot against Aemond.
Tumbleton and the power of an evil charmer
The writers are banking so much on Ormund Hightower’s aura — or James Norton’s charm; they made him a main character and a mastermind this season and expected us to be fine with it. His madness is evidently clear to Daeron and Gwayne, who still are not privy to his schemes. It’s incredible how no one, from his cousin-heir to his ward-hostage-king, to his generals or his foot soldiers, demands to know what Ormund is planning, for King’s Landing or to take down Rhaenyra, or — especially — how he intends to defend their own position in Tumbleton with an army of 20,000 angry Rivermen and Winter Wolves marching outside their doors.
Ormund has taken Corlys captive, hoping his disappearance will lead to more chaos in King’s Landing. Although, sending the Sea Snake’s ring finger to Alyn may not be the smartest move: by logic, Rhaenyra should legitimize Alyn to prevent the Velaryon dynasty from dying out, and it may embolden their men to fight more fiercely to rescue (or avenge) their lord.
The Hightower lord has yet another trick up his sleeve: he has bribed and converted Ulf to his cause, with the (false) promise of offering him Driftmark. It’s obvious that an elitist such as Ormund will never relinquish such an important seat to a peasant, but Ulf is proud enough to believe it. This is more or less consistent with Fire & Blood, where Ulf does become a turncloak and betrays Rhaenyra at the First Battle of Tumbleton. He is promised the seat of Bitterbridge but dares to ask for Highgarden itself, which he will never get. In the book, Hugh also betrays Rhaenyra and it’ll be interesting to see what spin the show writers decided to give the character.
Enter Sunfyre
Let’s end it on a high note, with the best scene in the episode: that of Aegon’s speech ending in Sunfyre rising to protect him. While I personally hate Aegon as a character with a burning passion, I have to admit that this episode’s climax revolving around him was possibly the most emotionally evocative scene in the episode.
After renouncing his name all season and running to save his life, when faced with the impending arrival of Lord Mooton’s Black loyalist army, Aegon decides he’s had enough of anonymity. He claims his name and his title and renounces the chance to run away for one last glorious stand. One that he hopes will make its way into the history books, vindicating him from the rumor that he was killed by his own brother Aemond. As always, Aegon is rewarded by the narrative as Sunfyre himself appears as a deus ex machina, before his rider can come to harm, and burns the enemy army. I am sure that, like me, many viewers had seen Sunfyre’s entrance coming, but it was still a powerful moment to witness. I wonder if part of Aegon knew this would happen, if he thought that coming close to death may awaken Sunfyre from his sleep. Aegon did say he knew his dragon was alive, after all.
In shows in the Game of Thrones universe, a season’s penultimate episode usually tends to be a big deal. While this episode ended on a high note with Sunfyre’s appearance, the episode itself failed to deliver its storylines cohesively or to make them intriguing enough.
Episode rating: B
One last episode to go; I am putting all my hopes in the finale.
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