House of the Dragon finally displays the namesake monsters in all their terrifying grandeur as they battle the Crabfeeder after two episodes that were low on the scaly, fire-breathing action.
Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) engage the pirate in combat, but the outcome is not favourable to them. Caraxes unleashes hell on the Crabfeeder and his men in the opening moments, but they easily flee the flames by hiding in caves. Given the severe circumstances, King Viserys (Paddy Considine) is eventually persuaded to dispatch relief.
The outcome, however, is not exactly what was anticipated: Daemon, furious that his brother is coming to the rescue, embarks on a fierce one-man assault to take down the Crabfeeder, arrows pouring down on him in the finest scene of the episode.
The Crabfeeder cautiously sends out waves of combatants from the protection of cover, creating a violent, gory spectacle. As Daemon is on the verge of being killed, the suspense increases. However, help arrives in the guise of the Velaryon army and Corlys's son Laenor (John Macmillan) riding his dragon. The creature's sheer power is enough to give one shiver; a fireball knocks Daemon off his feet, and those enormous wings are audibly beating the air. These minute nuances are what give the dragons their authentic feel.
Unfortunately, the anticipated battle between Daemon and the Crabfeeder isn't entirely realised as the grinning Targaryen prince chases his adversary into the shadowy caverns and brutally chops him in half. The conflict is occurring off-screen, but witnessing it would have made the Crabfeeder seem more like a formidable adversary rather than just another nemesis we hardly got to know.
We're left wondering what will happen next as the blood-spattered Daemon surveys the wreckage after the battle. Daemon is a genuine wild card, and Matt Smith gives the role a captivating air of intrigue. Given how chaotic King's Landing is becoming, it would appear that this would be the ideal opportunity for the Rogue Prince to start some trouble closer to home.
In terms of the remaining Targaryens, the episode skips ahead two years and plops us in the middle of more political manoeuvring and scheme-making. The new queen is significantly pregnant with her second child and bears a boy, another Aegon Targaryen. After Viserys shocked the small council by choosing to wed Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey).
This puts Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) in a perilous situation because the realm anticipates that two-year-old Aegon will succeed his elder half-sister as heir. The fact that Alicent was Rhaenyra's best friend and that their relationship has been severely strained by Alicent's new job makes things even more difficult.
In a scene beside the Weirwood tree, where Rhaenyra tries to evade going on a hunting trip to honour Aegon's second birthday, the new equilibrium of their relationship is made clear. When a bard is ordered to remain by Rhaenyra on the princess's behest, Alicent promptly exercises her royal authority to make him go. The formerly inseparable pair is actually arguing, and Alcock's Rhaenyra pulses with hurt, seething hostility the entire episode.
Additionally, in what may be a foreshadowing of things to come, Alicent demonstrates that she is not beyond utilising her own cunning; in addition to leveraging her new influence over the bard, she cunningly reveals to Viserys how he could persuade Rhaenyra to wed. Nevertheless, Carey imbues Alicent's character with a sense of innocence, and she makes an effort to relate to Rhaenyra.
Additionally, the episode is primarily focused on omens of future events. White harts are kings of the forest, therefore their appearance on Aegon's birthday is significant, according to Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), who believes that seeing one in the woods is a good omen. Otto has established himself as a master manipulator, but in this episode his deceit is so blatantly obvious that it is incomprehensible that Viserys doesn't realise what his Hand is up to. Otto, Alicent's father, is attempting to gain more power by manoeuvring to have Aegon recognised as the new heir.
Viserys' refusal to accept this is another indicator that he is a bad king, and it is made worse by his fight to kill the stag that the hunting party caught—not the white hart, as was first thought. In the meantime, Rhaenyra kills a boar in a ferocious act of self-defence. Also, if you needed more proof that Rhaenyra is the rightful heir, the legendary white hart comes up to her in the woods. Although it may not be subtle, it works.
Another foreboding moment occurs when Viserys tells Alicent that he had a dream in which his son was wearing the conqueror's crown while gazing into a roaring fire. This is what drove him to order the murder of his wife Aemma (Sian Brooke) in the pilot, and it is what now causes him to reconsider designating Rhaenyra as his heir. Alicent remains silent while displaying distress. She later defends Rhaenyra's claim to the throne.
The third episode of House of the Dragon's first season is another standout instalment that sets up future epic confrontations. It is evident that Rhaenyra has very few supporters or even friends in King's Landing, which is not a good situation for someone on the verge of a deadly civil war. However, overall this is Matt Smith’s episode. He impressively portrays so much emotion without saying a single word throughout his time on screen.
This is one of the best episodes so far of this first season. It’s exciting where this show is going to go next, after this impressive and spell bounding third instalment.
Performance | 4.8/5 |
Enjoyment | 4.7/5 |
Overall Rating | 4.8/5 |
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