House of the Dragon Episode 3 Review: Baby Boy Aegon II Changes Everything

Home of the Dragon episode 3 — out now on HBO Max and Disney+ Hotstar — is occupied with male privilege and marriage proposals, for essentially the most half. Whereas Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) spent a bulk of the second episode asserting herself, a literal two-year-old is now overshadowing the inheritor. It is Prince Aegon, the primary little one of King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and now Queen Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), who’s pregnant with a second. (Given the boy’s age, you possibly can inform it has been roughly three years since episode 2.) A feast and a hunt have been organised in Aegon’s honour, which is sweet for the viewers because the Sport of Thrones prequel sequence lastly leaves King’s Touchdown for practically a full episode — we solely get as far as the Kingswood although — and it feels good!

This provides Home of the Dragon episode 3 the chance to craft a mini-getaway for 2 characters, Rhaenyra and her bodyguard, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), because the crossed Princess runs into the Kingswood. (This was arguably the most effective a part of Sport of Thrones, as characters at instances with polar reverse views paired up for sudden journeys.) Rhaenyra just isn’t okay with the eye being poured on Aegon, particularly as a result of like everybody else, she expects her father to call the toddler the brand new inheritor as he is the firstborn son. Even the episode 3 title belongs to him, “Second of His Title”. A gender-neutral naming would possibly’ve been smarter, for my part, as it might’ve signalled how Rhaenyra feels proper now.

She could be first in line to the Iron Throne, however there is a feeling round courtroom that Aegon now has the stronger declare just because he has a penis. And for Rhaenyra, it is a triple blow of types. She hasn’t simply misplaced her maintain on the crown, but in addition Alicent and her father. Viserys and Rhaenyra have not seen eye to eye ever since he married her greatest good friend — I imply, that is sensible — and that hole additional widens on Home of the Dragon episode 3 after she learns that the King can be procuring her round.

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Jefferson Corridor as Jason Lannister, Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra Targaryen in Home of the Dragon episode 3
Photograph Credit score: Ollie Upton/HBO

“It’s essential to marry,” Viserys shouts at her daughter in entrance of everybody on Home of the Dragon episode 3, quickly after Rhaenyra discovers that the conceited and self-serious buffoon Jason Lannister (Jefferson Corridor) — he is the Lord of Casterly Rock, however they don’t maintain as a lot energy on this period because the Lannisters we have identified from Sport of Thrones — was solely partaking her in dialog as a result of he desires to “take” her as his “girl spouse”. That, together with the remaining, is sufficient to ship Rhaenyra into the woods.

Whereas the primary proposal was sanctioned by the King himself, the Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), is daring sufficient to current the second on Home of the Dragon episode 3. Otto tells Viserys that he ought to get Rhaenyra married to Prince Aegon, the babe. (Whereas this might sound odd given they’re step-siblings, marrying inside your loved ones was fairly widespread for the Targaryens, because it was royals of previous in our world. It was accomplished within the identify of sustaining the purity of their blood.) However the sheer age distinction — Aegon is 2 whereas Rhaenyra is 17 — is sufficient to ship Viserys into suits of laughter. Otto clearly has ulterior motives, as that might make his grandson King Regent, and even King.

And therefore, when a 3rd marriage proposal comes from Viserys’ Grasp of Legal guidelines and Lord of Harrenhal, Lord Lyonel Sturdy (Gavin Spokes), the fed-up Viserys believes he is in it for himself too. Let me guess, you are going to counsel Rhaenyra marry your individual son, the King says in as many phrases on Home of the Dragon episode 3. However seems, that’s not the case. Lyonel proposes that Rhaenyra be paired with Ser Laenor Velaryon (Theo Nate), the son of Princess Rhaenys “The Queen Who By no means Was” and Lord Corlys “Sea Snake” Velaryon, who’s briefly seen once we shift to the Stepstones in Home of the Dragon episode 3. Constructing on his ignored recommendation from episode 2, Lyonel posits this may assist bridge the hole between the 2 previous Valyrian homes.

The visibly-inebriated Viserys offers Lyonel a pat on the shoulder as he walks away, suggesting greater issues in retailer for the person who is not solely taken with elevating his station.

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Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, Emily Carey as Queen Alicent Hightower in Home of the Dragon episode 3
Photograph Credit score: Gary Moyes/HBO

As Viserys steps outdoors, his younger spouse Alicent joins him. And for a short second, he breaks. Although he is taken up and reiterated the general public place that Rhaenyra can be his inheritor — he reprimands Jason Lannister for “assuming” that Aegon would take her place, and strongly notes that he did not decide his daughter on a whim — Viserys confesses to Alicent that it was at a time of weak spot, when he thought he had misplaced the whole lot. “What if I used to be mistaken?” Viserys wonders to himself. Later in Home of the Dragon episode 3, as he swears to Rhaenyra that she will not be supplanted, the King admits that he wavered at one time.

Nonetheless, Viserys has basically given Alicent ammunition for later, I would argue. And Alicent has a stake in it too. As her father Otto factors out on Home of the Dragon episode 3, if Rhaenyra will get on the throne, it isn’t going to be a pleasant life for the challenger (Aegon) and his mom. Alicent’s trigger — or fairly Otto’s, for now — is helped by the truth that everybody round Viserys both assumes or expects him to call Aegon as his inheritor sooner fairly than alter. However Viserys clearly needs to stay by his selection. Whereas Rhaenyra felt he was spurning Daemon and never selecting her, as she confided to Alicent on episode 2, it now appears she was mistaken to assume so of her father.

Viserys even cares for Rhaenyra’s happiness, as he first tells Otto, earlier than reiterating in as many phrases to the daughter. All the pieces that is been taking place all episode in “Second of His Title” — the widening hole between the King and his inheritor — involves the fore as Rhaenyra walks in and confronts her father, simply as he is sending off males to assist Daemon and Corlys within the Stepstones (on the Queen’s recommendation). Rhaenyra believes that Viserys desires to marry her off for a watchtower or a fleet of ships. The King notes that he desires her to marry to shore up her succession. However when Rhaenyra factors out that he did not re-marry for benefit, Viserys admits it earlier than telling her to hunt her personal man out, the one that will hold you content and strengthen your declare.

In that second, the damaged bridge between father and daughter is seemingly restored on Home of the Dragon episode 3. A smiling Rhaenyra, comforted by the truth that the King just isn’t going to switch her and cares for the way she feels, walks away.

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Wil Johnson as Ser Vaemond Velaryon, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Theo Nate as Laenor Velaryon in Home of the Dragon episode 3
Photograph Credit score: Ollie Upton/HBO

Talking of strengthening one’s declare, the final part of Home of the Dragon episode 3 is dedicated to Daemon (Matt Smith). It has been three years for the reason that troubles within the Stepstones started. Daemon the Rogue Prince has been laying siege to the Crab Feeder with the assistance of his dragon Caraxes, however the caves are retaining them secure. What started as an try and make Daemon look worthy within the eyes of Westeros lords, is beginning to appear to be a failure. On prime of that, Viserys’ meagre serving to hand comes as an affront to Daemon. He wished this warfare to face as his personal victory, and never one thing that the Crown may declare for itself.

With troop morale at a low, Daemon’s new technique — first introduced up by the bickering Velaryons — is to give up himself to the Crab Feeder (Daniel Scott-Smith) on Home of the Dragon episode 3. The disfigured Prince-Admiral is aware of that this could be a tactic: to get his males to go away the caves in a false sense of safety. That is why he watches for dragon motion earlier than ordering his troops to usher in Daemon. However he did not wait lengthy sufficient, it appears. Simply because the Crab Feeder feared, Caraxes reveals up on the final minute, with a Velaryon using it. With the assistance of the dragon and the Westerosi forces, the Crab Feeder’s males are laid to waste — earlier than he himself pays the last word worth at Daemon’s arms.

The Rogue Prince could have conquered an enemy in battle, however how will he cope with the dual threats of the inheritor and the firstborn son?

Home of the Dragon episode 3 is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in India, and HBO Max wherever out there. New episodes launch each Monday at 6:30am IST/ Sunday at 9pm ET.