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Light spoilers follow for House of the Dragon season 3 episodes 1 to 4.

House of the Dragon has a reputation to rebuild after its somewhat divisive second season. At watching its first four episodes, I suggested that House of the Dragon season 2 was the popular show at its "volatile, merciless, and masterful best". However, its latter chapters drew fierce fan criticism for spinning the show's narrative wheels, and a distinct lack of high-stakes, fiery action.

The high-fantasy series' latest installment, then, has the chance to set things right; and, after sitting through House of the Dragon season 3's first four entries, it goes a long way to making amends for its sluggish forebear, even if this season itself isn't beyond reproach.

Fire and ash

Alyn (left) and Corlys (right) prepare for The Battle of the Gullet, aka this season's first major set-piece (Image credit: HBO)

Just as its predecessor did after season 1's bombshell ending, House of the Dragon 3 seamlessly transitions from House of the Dragon's season 2 finale by immediately picking up where that episode left off.

Amid multiple plot threads left dangling by season 2 episode 8, this season opens with the one that saw Queen Dowager Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) secretly make a deal that would allow Rhaenyra to fly to King's Landing, and finally claim the Iron Throne with little to no resistance. In return, Rhaenyra would grant Alicent and her daughter Halaena (Phia Saban) safe passage out of Westeros' capital city.

House of the Dragon has certainly improved across the board but, maddeningly, still has its limitations

As the saying goes, though, the best-laid plans often go awry — and this one certainly does, in dramatic, action-packed, and ultimately fatal fashion.

Indeed, with season 2 seeing Rhaenyra instruct Ser Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) to form a blockade of King's Landing's ports to starve out the Hightowers, one of the latter's allies in House Lannister convinces the Triarchy — an Essosi naval military alliance — to align themselves with Team Green to destroy said blockade. Thus, the much-anticipated Battle of the Gullet begins.

The Battle of the Gullet is visually impressive, but ultimately left me wanting more (Image credit: HBO)

Considering how much this sea-based conflict has been hyped up by the cast and crew pre-release, I was expecting a devastating, multi-stage set-piece to rival those of Game of Thrones' best action-heavy standalone episodes, such as 'The Watchers on the Wall' or 'The Battle of the Bastards'.

Color me disappointed, then, that this titanic clash only flaunted across the final 25 minutes of House of the Dragon 3's premiere.

The Battle of the Gullet isn't worthy of a spot in Thrones' best battles pantheon

That's not to say it's terrible. The Battle of the Gullet is a brutal and nerve-fraying showdown between Corlys and Triarchy commander Sharako Lohar's (Abigail Thorn) forces, and the ruinous events that occur create irreversible shockwaves that ripple out and impact every subplot and major story strand.

Nevertheless, it's not as hard-hitting as conflicts that occur in the aforementioned Thrones episodes, nor does it fully capture the unrelenting pace or futile struggle of the White Walkers' attack section of the main show's fan-favorite 'Hardhome' installment. That's partly down to this season's first major action sequence being intercut with other scenes, which disrupt its flow and dampen its explosive impact.

Sharako Lohar leads the Triarchy during The Battle of the Bullet (Image credit: Ollie Upton/HBO)

The Battle of the Gullet was supposed to bookend last season, but was withheld for this season's opener due to budget and time constraints. However, despite having a longer runway, and more money to do justice to this hugely significant conflict, it's not worthy of a spot in Thrones' best battles pantheon.

It's not the only action-based criticism that season 3 arguably deserves. Like the HBO Max TV series' sophomore outing, this season's first half disappointingly opts to only show us the final moments of Daemon Targaryen's (Matt Smith) ongoing crusade in the Riverlands, rather than a full battle. If House of the Dragon wants to overcome accusations of being an action-light show, it seriously needs to step things up in season 3's latter half.

Seize the throne

Rhaenyra will aim to become Westeros' new monarch in season 3 (Image credit: HBO)

Thankfully, House of the Dragon 3 succeeds in other areas, including its depiction of Rhaenyra's emotional and psychological unraveling.

Few other actors could deliver the kind of powerhouse performance and emotional gravitas that D'Arcy does

Given the sheer number of traumatic events she's tolerated, few viewers will be surprised by this development. Unfortunately for Rhaenyra, more heartache awaits, and one such moment early in season 3 episode 2 left me in little doubt, if any remained, that few other actors could deliver the kind of powerhouse performance and emotional gravitas that D'Arcy does in this show.

D'Arcy continues to fire on all cylinders in a breath-taking seasonal display of acting prowess (Image credit: HBO Max)

That opinion has only been further strengthened by how D'Arcy handles a grief-stricken and rage-filled Rhaenyra's not-so-subtle evolution into something of a mad queen, too. This season's third episode, an action-free, one-woman character study that might be my favorite House of the Dragon episode in a long time (which, given my earlier-outlined criticism, is something of an irony), tangibly cranks up the pressure on Rhaenyra in ways I won't spoil here, and lays the foundations for what I expect will be a full-blown breakdown in the near future.

In that regard, Rhaenyra's descent into madness will be less abrupt and abrasive than of Daenarys' similar heel-turn in the final season of House of the Dragon's parent show. Nonetheless, as much as I like her as a character, I can't wait to see how her volatile decision-making and handling of those loyal to her will come back to haunt Westeros' would-be monarch.

Enemy at the gates

Alicent (left) and Aemond (right) continue to have differences of opinion (Image credit: HBO)

This isn't simply the Rhaenyra show, though. Many other individuals — new and old alike — help to season House of the Dragon 3 with the prerequisite amount of melodramatic spice, and ensure there's plenty more delicious political scheming, and familial backstabbing and betrayals, to gorge yourself on. Suffice to say, then, there are more than enough twists and turns to keep you engaged amid the perpetual cycle of one-upmanship, and inter- and intra-familial machinations.

Smith continues to deliver a devilishly delightful display as the unpredictable and power-hunger Daemon

Of the myriad character arcs and storylines that comprise season 3, many fans may be most satisfied to hear that more tasty scenes between leading ladies Alicent and Rhaenyra await. Elsewhere, the screen-commanding Smith continues to deliver a devilishly delightful display as the unpredictable and power-hunger Daemon, whose cruelty, arrogance, and self-serving actions are, like Rhaenyra, sure to come back to bite him.

It's events surrounding Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), though, that — Rhaenyra's impending crash out notwithstanding — I've found to be this season's most intriguing subplot.

With last season's finale seeing the latter convince Westeros' physically and emotionally scarred monarch to abdicate the throne and flee King's Landing, the pair's meandering and dangerous journey isn't novel in its approach and execution. After all, we've seen similar storylines involving characters like Tyrion and Arya in the main show.

Larys (left) and Aegon's (right) subplot is one of this season's most interesting (Image credit: HBO)

Nonetheless, by virtue of the deeply humbling quest it forces the egocentric Aegon to go on, it's yet another example of the Thrones-Verse doing what it does best; that being, making you feel sorry for characters you've actively or subconsciously detested.

Aemond and Criston Cole are the biggest casualties of the show's ever-expanding ensemble

Speaking of unlikeable individuals, the debut of the nefarious Ormond Hightower (James Norton) is the most noteworthy of this season's new additions.

A calculating, cunning, and smarmy tactician, Norton, who commands the most screentime of this season's newcomers, imbues Alicent's cousin with an striking obnoxiousness that'll immediately — and continue to — bother you throughout this season, especially once he lays out his daring masterplan in full. I for one can't wait to see if he spectacularly fails or somehow succeeds.

James Norton is fantastic as the antagonistic Ormund Hightower (Image credit: HBO)

With so many characters vying for time in front of the camera, it's inevitable that some will be relegated to the sidelines.

As of season 3's midpoint, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) are the biggest casualties of the show's ever-expanding ensemble. Sure, the pair are handed moments to shine, but viewers hoping to see plenty of them in this season's first half should temper their expectations accordingly. Here's hoping they have more to do in the chapters ahead, especially if House of the Dragon 3 belatedly dials things up on the action front.

My verdict

After the fan outcry to last season's anticlimactic ending, plus the critical and commercial success that fellow Thrones offshoot A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms enjoyed earlier this year, House of the Dragon season 3 needed to step up big time — and, in some ways, it does.

As an overall package, it's certainly improved across the board but, maddeningly, still has its limitations. If this season's second half addresses its biggest issues — for starters, giving us plenty more tentpole action — then I foresee many viewers re-evaluating their overall opinion of this show. Season 2 promised plenty but largely failed to deliver on the destructive Targaryen civil war, otherwise known as the Dance of the Dragons, and I really hope that we're not sat here in a few months' time saying the same things about its follow-up.

House of the Dragon season 3 launches on Sunday, June 20 (North and South America) and Monday, June 21 (UK and everywhere else).

House of the Dragon's third season comes close to being the unflinchingly brutal chapter that the series always promised to be.

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