Warning: this post contains spoilers for Episode 3 of House of the Dragon.
This week's episode was an action-packed one, with time jumps, new characters, fighting, hunting, and DRAGONS. Let's take a look at some of the most interesting details and moments...
1. Roughly three years have passed between the last episode and this one: enough time for Alicent and Viserys to have gotten married, have a baby named Aegon — who is now a toddler — and become pregnant with another one.
It seems that the War for the Stepstones has been going on for most of that time, too — and it's taken its toll on the combatants. Laenor, meanwhile, has been through puberty in a major way.
It's also Laenor we see on the back of a dragon — named Seasmoke — in battle at the end of the episode.
2. Not only do we now have an aged-up Laenor, but this episode also introduces several new characters — including the Lannisters! Lannister TWINS, even!
Tyland Lannister is the new Master of Ships since Corlys Velaryon stormed off to his war in the Stepstones with Daemon.
His brother, Jason, was born first and is, therefore, Lord of Casterly Rock — he is the one who was pursuing Rhaenyra in Episode 3.
3. We also get our first look at the sons of Lyonel Strong, Master of Laws.
The youngest, Larys Strong, was born with a disability — he's the man we see joining the ladies for a gossip sesh while the rest of the men are hunting.
Harwin Strong is Lyonel's eldest son, heir to Harrenhal, and supposed strongest man in the land — it was him who was giving Rhaenyra horny eyes when she returned to camp after slaying the boar.
4. Someone else with little screen time in this episode, who will presumably get more in the future, is Joffrey Lonmouth (the blonde on the right in the below image), to who Laenor is extremely close to.
5. Meanwhile, Otto Hightower's older brother, Hobert, Lord of Oldtown, is someone we saw briefly in Episode 1, but gets slightly more screentime in this episode, pushing Otto on the matter of Aegon becoming heir and even going so far as to call Aegon "second of his name," a title the boy would only receive if he actually became king.
6. Back to the characters we know and love, the scene in the godswood highlights just how much Alicent and Rhaenyra's relationship has changed.
7. Alicent's way of dressing is also markedly different — not only richer, but Targaryen red with dragon scale details, showing her apparent enthusiasm for her new family and new role.
8. Rhaenyra, meanwhile, is seen more often in clothes like her dragon-riding gear (as opposed to the soft, light dresses she previously wore most of the time); these clothes are darker, stiffer, and more clearly Targaryen.
9. Another notable contrast is the one drawn between Alicent and Aemma — highlighted by the fact that Alicent is living in the same rooms as Aemma (complete with orgy-filled paintings on the walls, reminding each queen of their main role — procreation).
10. Viserys, meanwhile, is physically deteriorating. Not only has he aged what seems to be more than three years (that receding wig line!), but he has also lost two fingers.
11. When the women are gossiping during the hunt, they talk about Lady Johanna Swann being kidnapped in the Stepstones, which is an event mentioned in Fire and Blood, the book the show is based on — she's actually only 15 when she's enslaved and sold to a "pillowhouse."
12. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra's quip about Lady Redwyne "eating cake" in service to the realm is a layered comment, calling back to her yearning to do just that in Episode 1, when she was talking to Alicent.
13. You will have noticed that when Otto suggested Rhaenyra marry Aegon, Viserys laughed at the idea — but only because of Aegon's age, not because the two are, you know, half-siblings.
14. Another interesting Aegon moment was when Rhaenyra mentioned she didn't want to be part of the boar hunt because she didn't like to hear how they "squeal like children" — a comment that was juxtaposed with a shot of Aegon. Combining this with the way Rhaenyra goes HAM on a boar later in the episode, well, she clearly has a lot of repressed feelings about her baby brother.
15. Speaking of the boar, Rhaenyra's wild, spontaneous, frenzied, emotional, and ultimately triumphant kill was a drastic contrast to Viserys' set-up, nervous, faltering murder of the stag.
Which in turn is an even bigger contrast to Daemon's very real, very spontaneous, very wild, very dangerous killing of the Crabfeeder (amongst others) in the Stepstones.
16. Also, it's not really relevant to this story, but it's interesting for Game of Thrones fans, at least, that the stag is killed by a Lannister weapon.
17. Finally, the white stag showing up for Rhaenyra but not Viserys/Aegon is obviously very symbolic and suggests she is the rightful heir. And once again, Rhaenyra letting the stag go free while Viserys ineffectively slaughtered his stag was a significant moment of contrast between them, where Rhaenyra comes off as the better leader.
