"House of the Dragon" season 3 review: Finally, the show we were promised

Three seasons in, "House of the Dragon" finally finds its footing.

The "Game of Thrones" prequel series had clear struggles in identifying what it really wants across its previous episodes. Season one opened with a strong pilot, anchored by the great Paddy Considine as King Viserys I. It is often a sleight of hand with these series, as his character — a promising lead — was killed off mid-season. The rest of season one mostly dealt with time jumps that ended up feeling more event-driven than emotionally affecting.

It is only in season two that "House of the Dragon" picks up the pieces and finds a better narrative flow, one that takes its time. The emphasis on patience, however, came at a cost: the promised bloodbath between Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) was never delivered.

With most HBO shows now operating on eight episodes, events that were supposed to be in season two were only realised in the earlier episodes of season three. I saw the first four episodes of "House of the Dragon" season three and can confirm that the promise of the Battle of the Gullet is fulfilled — and it is a majestic set piece comparable to its mother series. The third season of "House of the Dragon" is exactly what I have been clamouring for, even if it is eighteen episodes too late.

Alicent and Rhaenyra's Bond

This season picks up immediately where season two concludes. Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) has forged a deal with Rhaenyra to surrender King's Landing and claim the Iron Throne. Their relationship as best friends turned rivals, each protective of their respective lineage, has always been the most compelling aspect of the show. Their push and pull alliance will be tested and strengthened this season, especially in the wake of Aegon and Aemond's (Ewan Mitchell) destructive patterns.

Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra remains one of the show's strongest assets, and her performance in season three is impressive. Grief is a critical force in "House of the Dragon", and watching what it does to her this season is genuinely exciting.

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Aegon's Escape from King's Landing

With Rhaenyra's takeover looming, King Aegon escapes King's Landing alongside Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham). The added threat of Aemond becoming an even more vicious ruler makes Aegon's position precarious, particularly as he recovers from a near-fatal accident. What viewers can expect from this storyline is that it will be lighter than anticipated. 

Asked by Larys to remain anonymous and lay low, their scenes together carry a comedic energy reminiscent of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms". Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon has grown considerably on me, and the black and white divide among characters throughout the show has been getting greyer, to the point where taking sides becomes far more difficult.

Battle of the Gullet

The Battle of the Gullet, in which Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint) and Alyn Hull set sail toward the Gullet in support of Queen Rhaenyra's invasion of King's Landing, is as grand and gritty as expected.

This sequence serves as the centrepiece of the season three premiere and was most likely cut from season two due to episode count limitations. It marks the first time we see Lord Corlys in action as Lord of the Tides. It is far more than dragons and ships battling it out at sea — the emotional toll that unfolds beyond the battle is equally intense and engaging.

(READ: "House of the Dragon" Season 3: Steve Toussaint teases Battle of the Gullet)

A Promising Direction

If these four episodes are any indication, "House of the Dragon" is off to a promising start. The pace is brisker this time around, leaving behind the excesses of long setups and muddled narrative threads. I am genuinely excited to see new characters like Ormund Hightower (James Norton) thrown into the chaos as the season progresses. I truly hope showrunner Ryan Condal does not fall into the same traps as before.

“House of the Dragon” season three gets ★★★★☆.

“House of the Dragon” premieres on HBO Max in New Zealand from 22 June, with new episodes dropping every Monday. 

Featured images from HBO.