House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 3 Ending Explained
House of the Dragon (2022) Season 3, Episode 3 puts a stop to the war and gets into the politics of actually ruling a kingdom. It’s a brilliant, if contained episode, that focuses on Rhaenyra trying to govern instead of win a war. Except a war is still being fought, and some members of Team Green won’t go down without a fight.
The episode also gives us more of the dynamic this show has been centered on, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke), and does it from a very different angle than before. We’re no longer seeing two women who are on different sides, but a queen coming to the former queen for advice. It’s strange, but it works mostly because Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke make it work through sheer willpower.
But what happened in the episode? What comes next? And which allies seem like they might betray Rhaenyra?
How Does House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 3 End?
House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 3 ends with the revelation that Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton) and his men have taken Tumbleton. In the books, the battles in that town, two to be precise, are turning points in the Dance of the Dragons. But we’re not there yet. Instead, the episode ends as we learn that the greens have taken control of the town.
Rhaenyra is alone when she learns this, after an episode that has seen her try to contend with the fact that she might now sit on the Iron Throne, but there’s no money in the coffers and some of her allies are asking things of her that she is in no position to grant. Case in point, Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint) who wants Rhaenyra to legitimize Alyn (Abubakar Salim) and Addam (Clinton Liberty) and make them Velaryons.
Of course, that puts her in a very uncomfortable position, because there are already rumors that her own sons are bastards, so she doesn’t want one of the first things she does as queen be to legitimize Corlys’ bastards. Lord Corlys doesn’t take that very well, going as far as to yell at her in public that her sons were legitimized bastards, so why not his?
While all of this is going on Rhaenyra has sent Daemon (Matt Smith) to the Vale, to ask for gold. The problem? Someone else is hiding in the Vale, Sheepstealer and Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell), Daemon’s daughter. And let’s not forget that Rhaenyra tasked Daemon with finding the ride of Sheepstealer, who she holds responsible for Jace’s (Harry Collett) death. How likely is it that Daemon will find it’s his own daughter sooner rather than later?
Who is the Fake Daeron in House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 3?
The other big storyline in the episode involves Daeron Targaryen, or the imposter that pretends to be Daeron. The episode begins with Daemon confronting Ormund Hightower, and informing him that the Blacks have won the war. He and his army are to head back to Oldtown. Ormund seems to acquiesce, and when pressed by Daemon to give up Daeron, even sends him along.
Except the boy Daemon takes to King’s Landing is not Daeron. No one realizes for a while, and we get to hear Daemon make it clear to Rhaenyra that the right move is to kill him and have Rhaenyra decide that she will instead take him to the wall before Rhaenyra takes Alicent to see the boy. And once she does, the truth becomes apparent. This boy is not Daeron Targaryen. Ormund Hightower gave them an imposter, all while keeping the real Daeron and his dragon, Tessarion, with him.
And Lord Ormund is now in Tumbleton, where Daeron is presumably with him. Also, in Tumbleton? Hugh the Hammer’s (Kieran Bew) wife. Both Hugh and Ulf (Tom Bennett) have acted like they are with Team Black because that’s how circumstances worked out and have no real loyalty to Rhaenyra, so having Hugh’s wife be a hostage of Ormund throws an interesting wrench into what might come next.
What Can We Expect From House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 4?
It feels a little too early for the first battle of Tumbleton, but there’s no doubt that Rhaenyra will have to respond to Ormund’s move. With Daemon off at the Vale, that means she’ll have to send the Dragonseeds. Plus, we will probably get a closer look at the real Daeron and his relationship with Ormund, who has basically raised him.
Daemon will get to the Vale and likely find that it was his daughter who intervened in the Battle of the Gullet and invertedly got Jace killed. What does he do next? Does he tell Rhaenyra? Does he cover for Rhaena? He’s never been father of the year, but not killing your daughter feels like a low bar to clear that even he should be able to manage.
Meanwhile, Aemond is still hurt and somewhere in Harrenhal and Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Larys (Matthew Needham) are on their own sitcom-like adventure. So, even though Team Black has a definite advantage at this point, the Dance of the Dragons is nowhere near over. There’s still a lot of story to be told.
