House of the Dragon season 3 is off to an incredible start, and the stage has been set for that to continue in the third episode, which airs 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 5, on HBO and HBO Max. We're recapping the House of the Dragon season 3 episode 3 live as soon as it's available to stream.
In the season 3 premiere, we watched the Battle of the Gullet, which included several key deaths, including Rhaenyra's son, Jace (Harry Collett).
Then, in the second episode, Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Daemon (Matt Smith) enlisted the help of the Dragonseeds to take the Red Keep and King's Landing.
It's all part of the plan that Alicent (Olivia Cooke) set in motion at the end of the second season. While it's not necessarily a bloodless taking of the city by the Blacks, the casualties are far fewer than if Rhaenyra's dragons and forces attacked the city and the Greens fought back.
The plan doesn't turn out exactly how Alicent wants, to say the least. After the city falls, the City Watch finds Alicent and Helaena (Phia Saban) quite quickly. They're brought in to see Rhaenyra take a seat on the Iron Throne while the head of Alicent's father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), lies at her feet.
It's a double loss for Alicent's side of the family, though. Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Vhagar single-handedly take Harrenhal and kill the Strongs, but Aemond takes a knife to the back in the fight and collapses at the feet of Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin). We don't know if he's dead or alive.
That's where things stand heading into the third episode. Rhaenyra is ready to rule and take her rightful place as the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. We'll have to wait and see if she has what it takes.
Ormund surrenders Daeron Targaryen to Daemon
House of the Dragon season 3 episode 3 opens with Daemon and the Dragonseeds flying into the location Ormund Hightower (James Norton) has made camp after Alicent requested he halt his march to King’s Landing earlier in the season.
Daemon informs Ormund that Rhaenyra has taken King’s Landing, the war is over, and it’s time for him to swear fealty to Rhaenyra before taking his army back to Oldtown. He also informs him of Otto’s death.
Daemon gives Ormund a choice to pledge his allegiance to the Queen or forfeit his life and the lives of his many men. Ormund obliges and bends the knee for Rhaenyra. It’s quite the surrender, and it all goes quite well until Daemon’s final request.
He forces Ormund to surrender Daeron Targaryen, the youngest son of Alicent, which he does. The only problem is that the person Ormund gives Daemon is definitely not Daeron Targaryen.
It sure seems like Ormund has other plans.
Later, Daemon returns to King’s Landing with “Daeron,” and turns him over to Rhaenyra. She questions Daeron about Ormund and his plans, but Daeron doesn’t speak.
Rhaenyra’s rule is off to a rocky start
After speaking with Daeron, Rhaenyra meets with the Grand Maester and learns that the Crown is basically broke. Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), Larys (Matthew Needham), and the others took all the gold from King’s Landing in case of Rhaenyra’s attack. She doesn’t have enough money for the Crown to function, which means she’s going to have to get creative.
She wants to have a big coronation, but Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) has other plans. She tells Rhaenyra that a big ceremony will not be received well by the people, as they starve.
Rhaenyra asks her team to ask for tribute from the nobles, merchants, and wealthy houses of Westeros to help her get her rule off on the right foot.
She also wants Aemond and Vhagar killed. With Aegon “dead” and Daeron in custody, she can’t have the brother of the king, and technical heir to the throne for the Greens, flying around the country, rallying support.
Rhaenyra and Alicent meet
Finally, Rhaenyra meets with Alicent and questions her about the missing coin. Alicent claims she has no idea what happened. She also reveals that Aegon has been badly burned after nearly dying at the Battle of Rook’s Rest. She says that no one would recognize him.
Rhaenyra doesn’t want to hold up her end of the bargain yet. She can’t let Alicent and Helaena leave while Aegon and Aemond are unaccounted for. She promises to keep the pair as comfortable hostages, basically, until the brothers are found or killed.
Rhaenyra tries to govern
Then, Rhanyra gets down to business. She has a lot of governing to do, but first, there are still the matters of treason and treachery to resolve.
First, she tells her PR team to spread the word that Aegon was killed when the Blacks took King’s Landing. Of course, he’s not actually dead, but she doesn’t want anyone to know that. She wants him found and killed without a big fuss.
Then, Mysaria gets the task of finding out who is actually loyal to Rhaenyra and who is just playing a part. Honestly, it’s going to be easier said than done, but if history is any indication, the people prefer a just king or queen. Can Rhaenyra be one? She’s going to try.
Then, Rhaenyra makes an enemy of the faith. She meets with the High Septon, who is less than thrilled Rhaenyra has taken the city. He makes it clear that he thinks her dragons, and her basically, are an abomination, and he’s going to do what he can to make her life harder. Things are going so well!
Finally, Rhaenyra takes a spin holding court. Members of the public come to Rhaenyra and start their grievances. Basically, there’s not enough food or money to go around in the city, and everyone is feeling the pinch. The blockade of the city doesn’t help, and it’s clear there are lots of problems.
She walks the castle at night looking for answers. Later, she gets an idea.
Corlys asks Rhaenyra to allow her to name Alyn of Hull as his heir
After the Battle of the Gullet, Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) arrives in King’s Landing with his two sons, Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) and Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty), who is now one of the Dragonseeds and rides Seasmoke.
Coryls tells Rhaenyra that Alyn and Addam are his sons, though they do not take his name. He claims that he wants to give them the Velaryon name. He also tells Rhaenyra that he wants Alyn to be his heir.
Rhaenyra doesn’t say no, but it’s pretty clear that she isn’t exactly enthused about the idea.
Daemon knights Ulf the White, Hugh the Hamme, and Addam of Hul
The Dragonseeds finally become true knights and dragonriders of the Crown. Daemon knights Ulf the White (Tom Bennett), Hugh the Hammer (Kieran Bew), and Addam of Hull. You’ll notice that Daemon doesn’t say Velaryon, which means that Rhaenyra has made her decision.
After the ceremony, Hugh meets with Rhaenyra and asks for more permanent lodgings. He claims that his wife is living with her brother in Tumbleton. Rhaenyra promises him a nice house in the city.
Rhaenyra asks Alicent for advice
That night, Rhaenyra meets with Alicent again. Alicent asks Rhaenyra to send her father’s remains to Oldtown, to which Rhaenyra agrees.
There’s also another vulnerable moment between these two. Rhaenyra basically asks for help ruling the realm because she’s struggling, and Alicent tells her that Rhaenyra needs to change how she rules. It’s not easy governing a country as divided as this one.
Rhaenyra feeds the nobles and merchants rats
Back to that idea Rhaenyra had earlier. She invites many of the wealthiest families in King’s Landing to a feast at the Red Keep. They’re eager to dine with the new Queen, but Rhaenyra has other plans.
She brings out cooked rats and maggots for her guests on plates, and she uses the moment to lecture them all about how they have been hoarding the food while the poorest of the city have been forced to eat rats and maggots to stay alive.
Rhaenyra meets an interesting noble, Ser Torrhen Manderly (Dan Fogler), who offers the blockade excuse for the problem. He doesn’t do it in a rude way, and there’s definitely something to like about his boldness.
Corlys publicly calls out Rhaenyra
After Corlys learns Rhaenyra won’t legitimize Alyn and Addam as Velaryons, he is fuming. He asks Rhaenyra why she won’t do this one thing for him.
Rhaenyra offers a weak excuse. She claims that there’s been too much talk about her children’s father and the rumors about them. She doesn’t want to give the people something to talk about immediately after taking the Iron Throne.
Corly loses his cool, and he calls her ashamed about her past. He even calls each of her sons “bastards” loud enough for others to hear. It’s wildly disrespectful to speak this way to the Queen and possibly even treasonous.
Daeron isn’t actually Daeron
The moment we’ve all been waiting for arrives at the very end of the episode.
Speaking with Alicent, Rhaenyra reveals that she’s going to show mercy to Daeron. Instead of killing him in Aegon’s place, Rhaenyra wants to be merciful. She informs Alicent that she’s going to allow Daeron to take the black and serve the rest of his life at the Wall.
Alicent hates it, but she understands. She asks to see Daeron before he is sent to the Wall.
When they enter the room, it’s obvious that something is wrong. This “Daeron” who stands in front of her is not Daeron at all. Instead, it’s an imposter. Ormund has double-crossed Rhaenyra.
The boy reveals that Ormund dyed his hair and threatened to kill his mother if he didn’t stay silent about the switch.
Rhaenyra learns that Ormund has taken Tumbleton
After learning that Daeron is not the real Daeron, Rhaenyra is dealt another blow. She learns that Ormund and his army have not returned to Oldtown. Instead, they have taken Tumbleton and are holding the people in the town as hostages.
That’s where the episode ends. It’s clear, almost halfway through the season, that they are definitely teasing one of the biggest battles to come in House of the Dragon season 3.
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