House of the Dragon Episode 3 is now streaming on HBO Max and Disney+ Hotstar and is mostly about male privilege and marriage proposals. While Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) spent much of episode two asserting herself, a two-year-old now overshadows the heir. This is Prince Aegon, the first child of King Viserys (Paddy Considine), now Queen Alison Hightower (Emily Kelly) is pregnant with her second child. (Given the boy’s age, you can tell that about three years have passed since the second episode.) A feast and a hunt were organized in Aegon’s honor, which was a good thing for viewers because the Game of Thrones prequel series finally left King’s Landing in almost a full episode—even though we only made it to Kingswood—and it felt good!
This gives House of the Dragon Episode 3 the opportunity for two characters – Rhaenyra and her bodyguard Ser Criston Cole (Fabian Frankel) – to plot a mini-escape when the enraged princess runs into Kingswood. (This is arguably the best part of Game of Thrones, as characters with diametrically opposed views sometimes team up on unexpected journeys.) Rhaenyra resented the attention on Aegon, especially because, like everyone else, she wanted her father to name the baby the new heir because he was the eldest son. Even the title of the third episode belongs to him, “The Second of His Name.” In my opinion, a gender-neutral naming might be wiser, as it would indicate how Rhaenyra is feeling right now.
She may be first in line to the Iron Throne, but there’s a feeling in the courtroom that Aegon now has a stronger claim simply because he has a penis. For Rhaenyra, this was a triple whammy. Not only did she lose the crown, but she also lost Alicent and her father. She and Rhaenyra haven’t seen eye to eye ever since Viserys married her best friend – I mean, that makes sense – and in the third episode of House of the Dragon, that divide grows even further when she learns that the king is also touting her.
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Jefferson Hall as Jason Lannister and Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon Episode 3
Photo credit: Ollie Upton/HBO
In the third episode of House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra discovers that the arrogant and self-righteous jester Jason Lannister (Jefferson Hall) – who is the lord of Casterly Rock, but they don’t have as much power in this era as the Lannisters we know from Game of Thrones – is only talking to her because he wants to “take her for himself,” and soon after, Viserys shouts to her daughter in front of everyone in House of the Dragon: “You must marry.” “My lady.” Combined with other things, it was enough to send Rhaenyra into the woods.
While the first proposal was approved by the king himself, Hand of the King Sir Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) was bold enough to make a second proposal in House of the Dragon Episode 3. Otto told Viserys that he should let Rhaenyra marry Prince Aegon. (While this may seem strange since they are step-siblings, intermarriage is common for House Targaryens, as they are the ancient royal families of our world. This is done in the name of keeping the bloodline pure.) But the sheer age difference—Aegon was two, Rhaenyra was seventeen—was enough to make Viserys laugh out loud. Otto clearly had an ulterior motive as this would have made his grandson regent or even king.
So when Viserys’ Master of Laws, Lord Lionel Strong (Gavin Spikes) of Harrenhal, proposes for a third time, a jaded Viserys believes he’s proposing for his own sake as well. Let me guess, you would advise Rhaenyra to marry your own son, the king said as much in the third episode of House of the Dragon. But it turns out that’s not the case. Lionel suggests that Rhaenyra be paired with Ser Lannor Velaryon (played by Theo Nate), the son of Princess Rhaenys “The Queen Who Never Was” and Lord Corlys “Sea Serpent” Velaryon, who briefly appears when we move to the stairs in House of the Dragon Episode 3. Based on his ignored advice in Episode 2, Lionel believes this will help bridge the gap between the two ancient Valyrian houses.
Viserys, visibly drunk, patted Lionel on the shoulder as he walked away, suggesting that a man who wasn’t just interested in improving his status had bigger things to do.
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Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen and Emily Carey as Queen Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon Episode 3
Photo credit: Gary Moyes/HBO
As Viserys walked out, he was joined by his young wife, Alicent. For a brief moment, he collapsed. Although he openly and reaffirmed his stance that Rhaenyra would be his heir – he chided Jason Lannister for “assuming” Aegon would take her place and strongly pointed out that he did not choose his daughter on a whim – Viserys confessed to Alison that it was during a period of weakness when he thought he had lost everything. “What if I’m wrong?” Viserys wondered to himself. Later in the third episode of House of the Dragon, when the king swore to Rhaenyra that she would not be replaced, the king admitted that he had wavered.
Still, I might argue that Viserys essentially provides Alicent with ammunition for the future. Alicent also owns shares in the company. As her father Otto pointed out in House of the Dragon Episode 3, life would not be great for the Challenger (Aegon) and his mother if Rhaenyra ascended the throne. Alicent’s career – or rather, Otto’s career at the moment – benefited from the fact that everyone around Viserys assumed or expected him to name Aegon his heir sooner rather than later, rather than changing that fact. But Viserys clearly wanted to stick with his choice. While Rhaenyra felt that he abandoned Daemon instead of choosing her, as she confided to Alicent in episode two, it now appears that she was wrong about this view of her father.
Viserys even cared about Rhaenyra’s well-being, as he first told Otto and then reiterated as much to his daughter. Everything that happened in “The Second of His Name” — the growing gap between the king and his heirs — comes to light as Rhaenyra walks in to confront her father, just as he sends men to the Stepstones to help Daemon and Corlys (on the Queen’s advice). Rhaenyra believed Viserys wanted to marry her off to a watchtower or a fleet. The king noted that he wanted her to marry to cement her inheritance. But when Rhaenyra points out that he didn’t remarry for profit, Viserys admits it and then tells her to find her own man, one who will make you happy and strengthen your claim.
In that moment, the severed bridge between father and daughter seemed to be repaired in the third episode of House of the Dragon. A smiling Rhaenyra, relieved that the king would not replace her and concerned about her feelings, walked away.
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“House of the Dragon” Episode 3 Will Johnson as Ser Wymond Velaryon, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Theo Nate as Lannor Velaryon
Photo credit: Ollie Upton/HBO
Speaking of strengthening your case, the last part of House of the Dragon episode 3 was devoted to Damon (Matt Smith). It’s been three years since the troubles with the Treading Stones began. Daemon, Prince of Thieves, with the help of his dragon Carax, has been besieging the crab feeders, but the cave keeps them safe. What was originally an attempt to make Daemon appear valuable in the eyes of the lords of Westeros now appears to have failed. More than anything, Viserys’ meager helping hand was an insult to Daemon. He wanted the war to be a victory for himself, not one that the Crown could claim as its own.
With the morale of his troops low, Daemon’s new strategy (originally proposed by the squabbling Velaryons) is to surrender to the Crab Feeder (Daniel Scott Smith) in House of the Dragon Episode 3. The disfigured admiral knew this might be a ploy: to lull his men out of the cave in a false sense of security. That’s why he watched the dragon’s movements before ordering his troops to bring in Daemon. But he didn’t seem to have to wait long. Just as the crab feeders had feared, Carax appeared at the last moment, riding a Velaryon. With the help of dragons and the armies of Westeros, the Crabcatcher’s men were wiped out – and then he himself paid the ultimate price at the hands of Daemon.
Although the rogue prince defeated his enemy in the battle, how will he deal with the dual threats of his heir and eldest son?
House of the Dragon Episode 3 is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar and HBO Max in India. New episodes are released every Monday at 6:30am IST/Sunday at 9pm ET.
