House of the Dragon season three

Two years after the season two finale left audiences on a tantalising cliffhanger as the armies of Westeros marched to battle, House of the Dragon‘s third instalment gets off to an exhilarating start. The first episode’s depiction of the Battle of the Gullet is an astounding action spectacle of naval warfare and dragon fire that’s brimming with high-stakes political intrigue and hard-hitting violence. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) put their plan to end the fighting in motion while the badly injured Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) flees King’s Landing for his life. Unforeseen complications and tragedy become catalysts that escalate hostilities in what is a superb opening four episodes.

Like Game of Thrones before it, House of the Dragon is a show in which characters are propelled towards inevitable disaster. Showrunner Ryan Condal understands this perfectly as he shifts the focus between the various plotlines and characters. Each scene gradually adds to the building tension as the narrative feels like it’s slowly marching towards catastrophe.

The measured tempo also allows ample room for character development, which remains as riveting as ever thanks to extraordinary performances from the ensemble cast. D’Arcy gives their strongest turn as the Targaryen matriarch so far, with an impassioned monologue in the second episode being a testament to the actor’s talents. As the pressures of leadership begin to mount and their paranoia grows, the series becomes a fascinating examination of the character’s fracturing stability. Returning cast members Matt Smith, Ewan Mitchell, and Cooke are joined by James Norton as Ormund Hightower, the lord of Oldtown and Alicent’s cousin. He’s a scheming and manipulative new player in the civil war who’s shaping up to be one of the show’s greatest additions.

Underneath the gripping drama and eye-widening visuals, House of the Dragon continues to function as a poignant commentary on power. As well as raising further questions about whether the Targaryens really can or should control dragons, the series effectively tackles issues surrounding gender imbalance and the fallout of war.

The latest instalment of House of the Dragon delivers everything that made the previous series so incredibly compelling while elevating the action to thrilling new heights. D’Arcy and Smith dominate on screen in the first half of what’s set to be an exquisite third season.