House of the Dragon S 3 on Sky

[LobeliaBaggins]

Beginning June 22nd. Anyone else watching?
It's been so long since S2 that I had to do a quick rewatch!
Can't wait for the Battle of the Gullet, but may also have to watch through my fingers. ( I read the book so am forewarned)

Really enjoying ‘The House that Dragons Built’ behind the scenes programmes for this season. Only two so far, and they’re brief - but they’re teaching me to be more observant and appreciative of the work that goes into what we see and hear on screen.

I liked E 2 better. We got to see more of the dragons.

@ScoutOfTheSoftHeartsClub where can you watch that? Thanks

Same place as the main show! I’ve been watching it on Now TV.

I thought E 3 was brilliant! Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown indeed. And Emma DA was incredible.
Is no one else watching? 😂

I’m watching! Saw it on Monday and watched the corresponding behind the scenes episode today, so still absorbing all the developments. They clearly put a lot of thought into it.

One thing that was mildly fascinating was the sadness on Daemon’s face when he heard what had happened to Ser Simon Strong at Harrenhal. That’ll be another thing against Aemond.

Loved the twist at the end (and annoyed I didn’t anticipate it). I had wondered what Ormund Hightower was for.

Presumably at this stage we can assume that both of Alicent’s older sons are variously still clinging to life.

And there was some indication that Rhaenyra is hoping to add (more?) legitimate heirs to her family. (Though I haven’t read the books so don’t know if that’s where the story leads.)

I’ve only just caught up! Yes it was a great episode I thought. Full of foreboding.

I wonder why no one has figured out who is riding Sheepstealer!

I’m enjoying it, do wish I could binge it though. Watched Epsiode 4 last night, I don’t like how weak they are making Rheanyra look, she’s grown up in a royal household close to her father, she had her own mini ruling at dragon stone, surely she would understand the basics of ruling? What was all the BS about her getting her period and not being able to see straight or hear anyone? They have all sorts pain relief available, I felt they were trying to make her look weak.

What do we think is happening at the end of the episode?

Um, its a fake medieval setting, they really dont have "all sorts of pain relief" available, certainly not safe and effective pain relief without dubious side effects.

They have hardcore stuff like "milk of the poppy" which viserys was pretty much up to his eyeballs on for the last decade of his life and which is essentially opium/morphine - not something anyone could or should take every month and be expected to function vaguely normally!

Other than that youd basically just have herbal remedies like willow bark which would be of limited help - it literally showed the tea Elinda gave her to help with the cramping which was basically hot water with a few leaves floating in it!

There are many women today who struggle to work and function effectively on their period even with the full gamut of properly regulated effective medicine we have available - I imagine if you told them to just carry on armed only with a dodgy green tea with bits of tree floating in it and some well washed rags they'd soon tell you where to go!

The whole point is that Viserys didnt prepare her to rule. Dragonstone is a tiny island with no real trade, no town let alone a city, and only a few hundred inhabitants. Compare that with a realm of several million about the size of western Europe thats in the middle of a civil war, the whole previous administration (apart from poor orwyle) have been replaced with people with no or minimal governing experience, and no money to pay for anything and even the most capable and experienced person would struggle!

OK thanks for that very helpful and not at all patronising rant. I’ll leave you to it. Ffs 🙄.

Patronising is your interpretation but tbh if you make a completely illogical and unthinking comment its not surprising someone spelling out the bleeding obvious might be taken that way.

It might just be a TV show but in the real world women are constantly criticised for the way heavy or painful periods impact them (see the shocking stats and treatment for endometriosis) so if you're so unsympathetic to a TV character struggling without any medication I dread to think how you'd react to a friend or colleague struggling in real life.

But the profits of pharmaceutical companies are based on the development, across thousands of years, of knowledge of herbal remedies. So I’m perfectly ready to believe that in this fictional universe herbalists and maybe caregivers in ordinary households knew enough to be able to produce moderately effective remedies for mild to moderate pain and disease. (Though they admittedly didn’t seem to have cracked childbirth and amputation …)

I enjoyed Ep 4 hugely and am mystified that at least one review deemed it to be filler. It opened out the story magnificently.

Aegon and Larys are captivating together. Which is something I never thought I’d say as Larys used to make my blood run cold. And, not having read the books, I assumed Aegon would have died in a previous season. To watch him gaining strength and retaking hold of the will to live is fascinating. I have two questions concerning his closest circle: resurrection and pregnancy. The former makes me wildly excited about how the story might somersault. The latter is worrying, given that he’s had no penis for quite some time, surely?

I have an awful feeling Daeron is keeping a little notebook with a record of every single time Ormond has inflicted cruelty on a sentient being.

Caraxes at the cave entrance. Give that dragon an Emmy.

And I’m so enjoying The House that Dragons Built as an extension of the main show.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26761151/

No one watched Ep5? It was very excellent!

Decent recap / review here:

https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/a73200706/house-of-the-dragon-season-3-episode-5-recap-review/

Halfway thru E 5.
Will post tom. Only caught up wt E 4 over the weekend.
I think the baby is Aemond's.

think the baby is Aemond’s

So do I

Im a bit lost with it now and finding it hard to follow. I am confused as to who is doing what & why. Whats Sir Cristin doing? Will have a read of that recap to see if that helps.

This should help, @HollyBerri:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2026/07/20/house-of-the-dragon-season-3-episode-5-recap-review/

And this even more:

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-season-3-episode-5-review/

Finally caught up with E 5, in time for today's episode! It's diverging from the book now. It dragged a bit for me after E 3 and 4, and why is everything always so dark and murky?

I did very much enjoy Larys and Aegon's bromance. And Larys telling Aegon off. Aegon showing he can't be underestimated with that stabbing.

I think Helaena's baby could also be Aegon's, as while it's been some two years since S 2, it's actually only a few months in HoD world!

Daemon is such an absolute smug twat, being taken in by false Daeron and then not even confiscating Tessarion. Why would you not capture a baby dragon if you can? That will come back to bite him. He's also a pretty shit father, though then he suddenly stepped up to protect Rhaena, after barely seeing her and Baela all 3 seasons.

I also do not like paranoid, anxious Rhaenyra. I want her to show some gumption. Plus ffs, treat your dragonseeds better and give Hugh Hammer a house.

Do we think Helaena will finally ride her dragon Dreamfyre?

I am not sure how they will cram in all the tumultous events in only one more season.

Just watched 5, and im a bit lost now, wish somebody would light some candles, its impossible in some scenes to make out the action, its so dark!!

Oh, that reminds me there should be a behind the scenes episode available now for Ep 6!

The main show just gets better and better - Ep 6 has genuinely made me feel excited about the unfolding story. Finally we see the point of all the focus on Harrenhal.

E 5 was baffling. SPOILERS

Why did they kill off Christon Cole so unceremoniously? They didn't even introduce his killer. First time we saw her.

Why are Baela and Allyn kissing when it's Addam who likes her? Out of the blue.

Alicent has a terrible story arc this season. She has done nothing but be shut up in her room and agree to sacrifice each of her children. She's better than that!

So bored of Alys, Aemond and Harrenhal in general. How on earth has no one been able to spot Vhagar anywhere with all their spies and ravens and dragons?

You mean Ep 6?

How can you possibly be bored with Harrenhal after this episode?????😲 It’s the most exciting thing of the whole season so far!

It’s true Ser Criston Cole’s end was hard to fathom. (Particularly for those like me who haven’t read the books.) Every single reviewer was jubilant that this evil no gooder got his comeuppance - but I’ve rather forgotten whatever he did in earlier seasons, and have been finding him rather charming. (Bit of a jolt to see him being compared to Ramsay Bolton somewhere. Even reading that name makes my blood run cold.)

I absolutely adore Ramsay Bolton for the evil, murderous nasty bastard that he was! No body, not even Joffrey, compares to Ramsays fantastic wickedness! Criston Cole is in no way even comparable to either Joffrey or Ramsay, he is a pussy cat and nothing more than a spurned lover who has taken his bitterness too far!