‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Review: Heavy is the Head That Wears the Crown [B+]
There are ghosts wandering the halls of the Red Keep. War threatens the lives of everyone in King’s Landing, and across Westeros, death encroaching on all those involved in the many battles scattered across the lands. The breath of dragons burn alive the enemies of House Targaryen on both sides, the stakes rising quickly as lowborn citizens find themselves the prime recipients of the side effects of the constant fighting. House of the Dragon, now in its third season on HBO, finds itself in the middle of war as its lead, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), finds herself with fewer options as each day passes. The time for action is now.
Over the past two seasons, House of the Dragon has been setting up to bring the series to the war of dragons. While many things have happened, the past two seasons have been relatively tame when it comes to battles. This is remedied quickly in the show’s third season, bursting out the gate with a fighting sequence that rivals anything Game of Thrones ever did. Our last entry into the civil war of House Targaryen, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) was sneaking around to speak to Rhaenyra, who she promised access to King’s Landing. According to Alicent, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) will be riding to Harrenhal to look for Daemon (Matt Smith), which will leave Westeros’ capital without a massive dragon guarding it, allowing Rhaenyra to sneak in and stake her claim. House of the Dragon still moves at a languid pace, so the opening of season three does not thrust our characters into this situation – in fact, the battle of episode one prolongs Rhaenyra’s journey to King’s Landing.
Season three moves the pieces on the chess board slightly slower than before, though there is still much action, allowing the characters time to seep into their positions. Rhaenyra moves against the counsel of those closest to her, as does Jace (Harry Collett) – like mother, like son. Those close to Rhaenyra are skeptical of Alicent’s promise, thinking the former is walking into the latter’s trap. Rhaenyra knows this to be true, however, as Alicent’s greatest desire is the protection of her children. Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) has fled the castle with Larys (Matthew Needham), maneuvering across Westeros as a nobody, hoping to flee the battles and secure his safety. In his absence, Aemond thinks he’s moving into the role of ruler, unaware of Alicent’s deception and unable to perceive in his blind spots, allowing arrogance to rule his motives. Everyone is slowly moving, everyone hoping to end the war in their own way. What allows House of the Dragon complexity is the constrained plot, following the motions of one family instead of everyone in Westeros. The Targaryen civil war lasts many years, the series laser-focused on how each small deception pushed people in large ways.
Game of Thrones explored the inner workings of the great houses of Westeros, pushing its narrative forward with ease while doing check-ins with numerous characters across the series. By narrowing the focus to one family during a time of tribulations, House of the Dragon differentiates itself from its predecessor by being less concerned with war and more attentive to the specificity of its characters. Rhaenyra proves repeatedly that she’s at war with herself and with the opinions of those around her, always attempting to be better in her decisions than the savagery of Aegon. Though Rhaenyra moves differently in the hopes of being a great ruler, the heir to the throne, she still covets the position above all else. Her greatest ambition is to rule, and in the end, she’ll do anything to rise to the crown.
The intimacy of the series also gives us time across the war with different characters, like Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint) and Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty), which keep the world feeling three dimensional, characters who are fighting for this cause with less of a stake than the others. These characters fight amongst the main characters, but provide an in-depth examination of the effects of war on those who fight for either side but don’t receive accolades or placements. Some of these men go to war specifically to die for the side of the crown they believe in, but will never receive anything for it. House of the Dragon feels steeped in consequence, which makes the war feel more real than most shows are able to pull off.
The season is filled to the brim with intrigue and reveal a show that’s come into itself. What fans have come to love about the series is what it will be appreciated for in season three: its characters are better than ever, with performances that anchor them and make the entire show feel real. Emma D’Arcy specifically, has been given more to do this season as Rhaenyra goes to war, and they tackle the material with gusto. The constant frustration and rage that Rhaenyra feels is written plainly on D’Arcy’s face and in their eyes, a sadness just below the surface that finds its way through every now and then.
The first four episodes made available to critics are a testament to the show’s strengths. Even the opening title sequence, now full of war drums, shows that the series is quickly coming to its end. Season three acts as the penultimate outing for the show, so it only makes sense that everything has begun to feel like it’s wrapping up. The show moves at a perfect pace, picking up when battle is near and slowing down to give way to character movement. What stands out about House of the Dragon is its character work, and its third season only proves well what fans already knew: it stands tall next to its predecessor, with the possibility of finishing stronger and being better.
Grade: B+
Season three of House of the Dragon debuts Sunday, June 21 on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The eight-episode season will continue with one new episode weekly through August 9.
- AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 351: FINAL Predictions for the 78th Primetime Emmy Nominations - July 3, 2026
- FINAL 78th Primetime Emmy Nomination Predictions: Expect ‘The Pitt,’ ‘Pluribus,’ ‘Hacks,’ ‘Widow’s Bay’ to Show Up Big - June 30, 2026
- Director Kitao Sakurai on Finding Connection Through the Deepest Tensions in Season 2 of ‘Beef’ - June 19, 2026
Palm Springs International Film Society (PSIFS) Announces Two Awards in Honor of Former Festival Chairman and Philantropist Harold Matzner 
Danny Boyle’s ‘Ink’ to Open 83rd Venice Film Festival 
Director Watch Ep. 163: ‘Oppenheimer’ (Christopher Nolan, 2023) 
2026 Toronto International Film Festival: New Films Starring Cate Blanchett, Mahershala Ali, Margaret Qualley, Naomi Watts Announced for TIFF51