Watch of the Week: House of the Dragon Season 3

The most aggravating aspect of House of the Dragon’s third season, which came to an end just 2 Sundays ago (at the time of publication), wasn’t that it was bad; it was that it showed all-too brief flashes of creative brilliance that came and went quicker than you can say, “Dracarys.”

Harsher critics of the season might ask, “What was so great about it?” and while there was more wrong with it than right, I would argue the entire season became worthwhile when Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney, who, once again, delivers my favourite performance) unceremoniously slapped his traitorous brother with a gleeful sing-songy, “I’m alive!” A few story beats echo Game of Thrones at its heyday, from the viciousness of the Tumbleton battle to that wide open bedroom window (heartbreaking), but seeing Aegon’s vengeful fury wilt when faced with Aemond’s (Ewan Mitchell) genuine regret is House of the Dragon at its best.

Now if only impulse showed itself more. This season is a definite improvement over the last, considerably sleepier, season, which ended well enough but rarely felt like more than chess pieces circling the board. Action is certainly not the issue this time around; the abruptness of the premiere felt like a slight overcorrection. As far as the storyline goes, there’s a lot to enjoy here, especially getting to know more of the extended Hightower and Targaryen family members. Despite the positives, the third season was genuinely tough to watch at times. It wasn’t because of the violence, and it wasn’t because of the pace. It only really hit me on the season’s penultimate Sunday:

It’s because everyone’s dumb.

Hey, I get it. It’s a show that sets out to tell the story of a mighty family and their downfall at their own hands; of course, there was gonna be a bit of hubris involved. But it seemed like almost all of our leads, especially our royals, made the most illogical decisions at every turn.

I could have pulled my hair out watching Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint), a.k.a. The Smartest Man in Westeros, present the perfect solution to all their problems only to get turned down flat, all because Daemon (Matt Smith) is gonna do Daemon things. If it was just Daemon being hardheaded, that would be a mere friction point, but the season went to great pains to assure us that if Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) had been in his place, she would undoubtedly make the same choice.

Oh, Rhaenrya. I rooted for you. Hard. Like so many, I was enthusiastically Team Black, and this is how you repay us. I can forgive wrongdoing, but I draw the line at incompetence.

Maintaining control of the throne should’ve been easy, but Rhaenyra managed to successfully dodge every bit of wise counsel thrown in her direction. The more tenuous her hold became—and with it, all her insecurities—the more desperate she grew, culminating in a tearful breakdown (D’Arcy is so good in that scene) that quickly gives way to villainy.

Again, naked ambition has reduced her to a fool, but now she’s an exceedingly dangerous one. Her villainous turn will be something to behold once season four, reportedly the show’s final season, gets underway. I only hope that the choices that unfold will be done in such a way that confirms Rhaenyra’s maliciousness rather than her foolishness.

All episodes of season three of House of the Dragon are now streaming on HBO Max / Crave.