After two seasons of teasing, House of the Dragon’s third outing finally delivers on the epic scale of its source material. Photo: HBO Max.
It has taken three seasons, but the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon has finally provided a full season of quality akin to the early seasons of its predecessor.
In its first two seasons, House of the Dragon (HotD) struggled to create its own identity. It couldn’t make up its mind whether it was purely an adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy encyclopedia, Fire and Blood, or its own separate thing, using key events as inspiration.
The show was stuck in limbo: despite some high-quality episodes and top-notch production, book fans were left frustrated by significant narrative changes, and casual fans were left unsure of just how dense and sophisticated the story was.
Honestly, with names like Aegon I, Aegon II, Aemond, Ormund, Rhaenys, Rhaenyra, Rhaena, Laena, and Helaena, it’s easy to see why.
Thankfully, with the show’s third season, the showrunners have learnt some valuable lessons, and in return, viewers were treated to a very good season of high-budget fantasy TV.
Throughout season three, we are given epic battles unlike anything ever seen on TV before. These character moments blur the lines between who is the real hero and who is the villain and, of course, include satisfying and shocking deaths for some of the most beloved and hated characters.
In previous seasons, particularly season 2, HotD was unable to manage the weight of so many characters and plots and, given the nature of the book it was based on, there was not much source material to draw from.
So many character decisions felt idiotic. The big moments were too few and far between, and there were too few things for each of the characters to do.
Thankfully, season three rectifies this by doing something really simple: focusing only on the main players and giving us a reason to care about them.
The main character of this entire show, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), finally becomes the primary focus. We are no longer jumping to 50 different characters just to fill a runtime. Instead, much of the season is told from her POV, giving the show proper direction.
It’s a small but important change of pace. For the first time in the show, the audience is given insight into how she feels, why she makes her decisions, and why she loses the plot.
D’Arcy gives an Emmy-worthy performance this time around, and it’s purely because she is given writing she can work with.
While D’Arcy takes centre stage, iconic characters like Daemon (Matt Smith) and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) take a back seat. This is a positive thing.
Both are very mysterious and interesting elements of the show, but in the past, the writers have continued to give them screen time despite having little to do.
It made these great characters a chore to watch. But by giving Rhaenyra the focus, we find that when we do visit others, their presence feels so much more important.
The spectacle of this season is also far superior to its predecessors.
Season 1 was very much set up for the civil war that was to come. Season 2, for some reason, was even more of the same despite a lot of the pieces already being in place. Season 3 finally pulls the trigger.
There are three huge battles scattered across the season. They are among the best in the Game of Thrones franchise and made each episode feel like appointment viewing every Monday night.
The big set pieces made it easier for the writers too. The structure of the season became one episode of setup, the battle and then the fallout. It is simple but effective and provided a back-to-basics approach for the show that went too far into trying to be sophisticated.
The show has never been awful, but it’s never been as good as the original Game of Thrones until now. With one season left before HotD wraps up, viewers can only hope it carries this momentum into its final season.
All three seasons of House of the Dragon are now streaming on HBO Max.
