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House of the Dragon season 3 episode 1 is here, and the brutal Battle of the Gullet certainly lived up to its bloody reputation. But the Gullet isn’t all we get in the season 3 opener, which catches us up with Rhaenyra, Daemon, Alicent, Aemond, Aegon and more in a surprisingly efficient 65 minutes.
Below, you’ll find a full spoiler-filled breakdown of the episode, as well as a rundown of all the major deaths, and a list of Easter eggs we spotted in the season 3 premiere. So, needless to say, if you’ve yet to watch House of the Dragon season 3, episode 1, turn back now! Our spoiler-free House of the Dragon season 3 review is ready and waiting for you.
Don’t forget to bookmark our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule, where you’ll find all the latest information on exactly when new episodes drop, so you’ll never be spoiled. Want more from the World of Westeros? See what’s coming with our list of upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.
House of the Dragon season 3 episode 1 recap
Adding fuel to the fire that season 3’s opening episodes are season 2 episodes 9 and 10 in all but name, House of the Dragon season 3 picks up moments after season 2’s abrupt cliffhanger finale. Wild dragon Sheepstealer does an impressive job sneaking up on a sheep, which he promptly roasts. A desperate Rhaena attempts to tame the wild dragon, and even manages to mount the untameable beast, but Sheepstealer flies off with little thought for his rider’s comfort.
Back in King’s Landing, newly crowned King Aemond drags Grand Maester Orwyle out of bed in the dead of night and threatens to behead him, believing he has enabled Aemond to flee the keep. Larys is missing as well, however, putting Orwyle in the clear. On the road, Larys and Aegon are tucked safely away in a carriage. Larys has forgotten to pack the milk of the poppy, leaving a still-singed Aegon in excruciating pain. Things go from bad to worse when their convoy is stopped by a band of mercenaries loyal to Rhaenyra. To save their lives, Larys reveals that they have captured Aegon Targaryen, and that it would be wise to deliver them to their Queen alive.
After securing the loyalty of the Rivermen last season, Daemon leads a massacre of Lannister forces, though we only catch the tail-end of the bloody battle. Jason Lannister, we learn, has fled. But moments later, figures emerge from the treeline, and the man in front offers up Jason Lannister’s severed head. This is Roddy the Ruin (Tommy Flanagan), leader of the Winter Wolves, who were dispatched by Cregan Stark in the season 2 premiere (took their sweet time marching down from the North). If there was any question about Mr. Ruin’s loyalties, his declaration that, “We have come to die for the Dragon Queen!” should clear up any doubts.
Still en route to Harrenhal, Cristin Cole hasn’t cheered up one bit since we last saw him. Even when Gwayne approaches him with demands he reprimand one of his troops who has assaulted a woman, all Ser Cristin can think about is how insignificant everyone is in the face of dragon warfare. Cheer up, already!
The Dragonseeds, meanwhile, are stuck waiting for Aemond and Vhagar to fly by, so they can intercept the new king on his way to Harrenhal. To pass the time, they share stories about the pasts. Later, Alys Rivers appears out of nowhere and tricks the Dragonseeds into abandoning their post by telling them a battle is underway at Dragonstone. Out of fear and concern, they leave. Back in the Vale, Sheepstealer dumps and seemingly strands a haggard Rhaena on top of a mountain… but later returns with some roasted sheep, which he shares with his new rider. Progress!
Aboard the Queen Who Never Was, Lord Corlys and his illegitimate son, Alyn of Hull, share a moment in the Sea Snake’s cabin, bonding over disgusting-looking liquor. Corlys looks on Alyn with pride, and wants him to take the Corlys name, but Alyn is called away when a siren sounds. Triarchy forces have been spotted on the horizon, led by Admiral Sharako Lohar. Speaking to Tyland Lannister, Lohar tells the newly twinless Lannister that their plan is to sack Lord Corlys’ fortress, the High Tide, so the Sea Snake will be distracted during the battle.
Next we meet a brand new character – Lord Ormund Hightower, Otto’s nephew. Leader of a small army, Ormund is waiting on word to attack Harrenhal… but receives a letter from Aemond instead that he is the new king, and that he will join them on the battlefield. We also learn that Ormund has a strong aversion to unpleasant smells – not good news for Ormund given the short supply of showers in Westeros.
After initially fearing his own mother helped Aegon flee King’s Landing, Aemond starts to put renewed trust in Alicent again. Using a cunning mix of reason and manipulation, Alicent convinces Aemond to leave King’s Landing and fly to Harrenhal, leaving the door wide open for Rhaenyra to fly in and take the capital while it is unprotected by Vhagar. Mother and son seal it with an icky kiss, which Alicent barely manages to conceal her upset over.
Receiving word of the battle about to erupt in the sea off Dragonstone, Rhaenyra resolves to ride into battle on Syrax, telling Jace he must stay home. Jace, however, locks his mother in her quarters and commands a guard, under threat of death, not to let her out. Instead, he takes flight on Vermax, alongside Baela on Moondancer, and rides into battle.
Now, finally, it’s Gullet time! Before you know it, ships are ablaze and decks are covered in blood, as the Triarchy and the Sea Snake fleets go at it. Corlys has two major firebreathing advantages, as Moondancer and Vermax rain fire down on the Triarchy ships. But the Triarchy have come prepared with anti-air weaponry in the form of Scorpion-like harpoon guns. Lohar nails Vermax, who is weighed down by the weapon. Before he and Jace are pulled into the sea, Moondancer swoops in for the save by severing the cable.
The fate of Westeros may ride on this battle, but Lohar only has eyes for the Sea Snake, and they’re covered with red mist. Corlys has a plan – lure Lohar and her supporting vessels into the narrow, shallow Dragonstone pass, where they’ll be run aground on the rocks below. Initially, the plan seems to work when two of Lohar’s ships get stuck on the teeth. But after jettisoning all dead weight (including ruthlessly kicking the armored Tyland overboard), Lohar’s ship manages to make it through the pass as well.
As Lohar’s ship closes the gap, Corlys notices that his home is literally on fire, and freezes. Alyn steps up and takes charge, preparing everyone as the ship is about to be boarded. The Triarchy swings aboard, and swords clash. Amid the chaos, Alyn briefly falls into the water, as the Queen Who Never Was sinks, and takes off his armor to stay afloat. Eventually, Corlys and Lohar trade blows. Corlys gets the upper hand, but as he’s about to land the killing blow, he’s thrown into the sea. Eventually, Alyn kills Lohar in the half-submerged lower decks by stabbing them in the neck.
While Rhaena attempts to ride Sheepstealer to Dragonstone, the wild dragon is drawn to the battle, noticing Vermax and Moondancer in the fray. Unfortunately, Sheepstealer has no interest in listening to Rhaena’s commands, and attacks Moondancer. Vermax pursues Sheepstealer, but flies too low and is hit by a harpoon weapon once again. This time, Moondancer arrives just too late, and Vermax is dragged under the surface and drowns. Jace pulls himself onto some debris, but is hit by an arrow in the back by an unseen archer. Two further arrows hit Jace in the chest and neck, killing Rhaenyra’s eldest son. The day is won, but Team Black has suffered an immeasurable loss.
House of the Dragon season 3 episode 1: Who dies?
This is Westeros, so of course there are many, many casualties in the season 3 opener, particularly during the bloody Battle of the Gullet. But the main, named characters slain this episode are:
- Jason Lannister (beheaded by Roddy the Ruin)
- Sharako Lohar (stabbed in the neck by Alyn)
- Vermax (drowns after being pulled into the sea)
- Jacaerys Velaryon (shot by three arrows)
The episode leaves the fates of Lord Corlys and Tyland Lannister somewhat ambiguous, but if you’ve been paying attention to marketing materials, you’ll know at least one of those characters survives.
House of the Dragon season 3 episode 1 Easter eggs
New title sequence… and song!: As is tradition with Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, we’ve got a tweaked title sequence to pore over this season. For the most part, the tapestry that is being stitched in real time is identical to the version in season 2, episode 8. There is, however, an extra bit of animation at the very beginning as the threads are fed into the tapestry. You may also notice that the iconic Game of Thrones theme has been given a percussion-heavy remix by composer Ramin Djawadi. Showrunner Ryan Condal explained the change, noting: “We wanted to mark the darker tone this season with something small but noticeable. When Ramin shared this update to his iconic theme, we knew it was the way to go.”
Tessarion: The unnamed small, blue dragon who briefly featured in the season 2 finale appears again alongside Ormund Hightower’s forces in the season 3 premiere. This is Tessarion, a dragon belonging to Daeron Targaryen, who has yet to appear in the show. For a full rundown of both, head over to our Tessarion explainer.
Wrath of Khan: There aren’t any Starfleet insignias hidden on flags (that we spotted, anyway), but if you detected a bit of Kirk and Khan in the strategic battle between Corlys and Shakaro, award yourself a bunch of bonus points, because Kirk and Khan’s classic encounter in Star Trek 2 was a major inspiration for showrunner Ryan Condal.
House of the Dragon season 3 air weekly on HBO and HBO Max on Sundays in the US and on HBO Max, Sky and NOW on Mondays in the UK. For more on the show, check out our guides, explainers and interviews: