'House Of The Dragon' Season 3, Episode 1 Ending, Explained
House of the Dragon (2022) is back for Season 3, and the first episode of the season throws us right into the Battle of the Gullet. And quite a battle it is, as the bloodiest naval conflict in Westeros history by far. It’s the kind of episode reminiscent of Game of Thrones’ (2011) most famous battles, like the Massacre at Hardhome or The Battle of the Bastards. Except in this episode, no one really wins.
The hour sees Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and his fleet, led by his bastard son Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim), face off against the Triarchy, who have allied with the Greens. Or at least, they pretend for long enough to attack the Velaryon fleet and destroy High Tide, which is really what they’re after. With the new dragon riders awaiting Vhagar in the Riverlands, where Daemon (Matt Smith) is still stationed, and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) confined to her room by order of her son Jacaerys (Harry Collett), the battle ends in disaster for both the Blacks and the Greens.
How ’House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Ended And How It Leads To The Battle Of The Gullet
The lead-up to the battle is simple. Alicent (Olivia Cooke) has promised Rhaenyra that she’ll open the door to King’s Landing and let her take the city, as long as she spares her, her daughter Helaena (Phia Saban) and her granddaughter, Jaehaera. Rhaenrya has also reconciled with Daemon, who has gathered an army in the Riverlands that is loyal to the cause of the Blacks.
Meanwhile, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) has fled from King’s Landing alongside Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), who prepare to head to the Riverlands to face Daemon. Plus, we see Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) awaken in a dark cell, with no idea where he is or how he got there. Perhaps even more importantly, Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell), Daemon’s youngest daughter, approaches a wild dragon, Sheepstealer, in an attempt to claim him.
In the meantime, Lord Corlys prepares his fleet to enforce a naval blockade on King’s Landing. But Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall), on behalf of Team Green, has come to an agreement with the Triarchy to break the Velaryon shipping blockade. That means a battle is coming, and this time it won’t be fought on the ground.
What Happened At The End Of ’House of the Dragon’ Season 3, Episode 1?
The episode ends where we expect it to, with the death of Jacaerys “Jace” Velaryon, Rhaenyra’s oldest son and heir. But Jace doesn’t die for the same reason he does in the book, even if he does die more or less in the same way. In Fire & Blood, the book on which House of the Dragon is based, the Battle of the Gullet involves Rhaenyra’s youngest sons, Aegon III and Viserys. Jace comes into the battle after the ship carrying them is attacked, and then gets killed after he flies too low.
In House of the Dragon, Jace very much decides to head to battle. Not just that, but he also decides that he should be the one to do so and convinces Baela (Bethany Antonia) to accompany him on her dragon. Before that, though, he orders his mother’s Queensgard, Ser Lorent (Max Wrottesley), to bar the door to her room and make sure Rhaenyra doesn’t leave, for her own protection.
Once there, Jace doesn’t just run into bad luck. The show fakes us out at first, with Jace flying his dragon, Vermax, too low early in the battle and getting hit with a scorpion. But the scorpion doesn’t just wound the dragon; instead, it shoots a grapnel tied to an anvil, which is then dropped to the bottom of the ocean, dragging Vermax with it.
However, as Vermax drops, Baela comes in with her dragon, Moondancer, and helps him get away. After that, Jace seems in control and much more aware of the dangers of flying low. That is, until he sees another dragon come into battle and attack the Velaryon fleet. It’s none other than Sheepstealer. Assuming the rider is one of the Greens, Jace goes to attack, only to realize the rider is actually Rhaena, his step-sister and Daemon’s daughter.
He, of course, turns away so he doesn’t hurt her, which is when he ends up flying too low once again and gets hit. This time, Moondancer can’t get to him in time, and Vermax falls into the ocean and starts drowning. Jace attempts to help his dragon before cutting himself free and swimming to the surface. But as soon as he emerges, arrows hit him, and the episode ends with him dead, floating in the ocean.
How Jace’s Death Changes ’House of the Dragon’
Now what? Well, Jace was the heir to Rhaenyra, so his death changes the game considerably. The heir is now Joffrey, one of Rhaenyra’s young sons (around six or seven years old), and he will likely now come to stay with his mother at Dragonstone instead of being sent to Pentos for his protection. That puts him in the line of fire, and Rhaenyra has already lost two sons to this war: Jacaerys and Lucerys. But the ramifications of Jace’s decision probably won’t stop there.
Jace disobeyed not just his mother, but also his queen. And so did Baela by flying with him, and Ser Lorent by keeping Rhaenyra in her room to prevent her from heading to the battle herself. Baela is a dragonrider and very useful, plus Daemon’s daughter, so she’ll likely escape consequences for the time being. But Ser Lorent can probably count his days.
In the books, the Battle of the Gullet changes the war for good. At least one third of the Velaryon fleet is lost, and High Tide, the seat of the Velaryons, is destroyed. But that’s not all, as the loss of Jace convinces Rhaenyra to attack King’s Landing. Is that where we’re going in House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 2? Probably. But we’ll likely have to deal with Rhaenyra’s grief and her anger at those close to her first.
