In yesterday evening's episode of House of the Dragon, "Unbowed and Unbent," Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen struggled to maintain control of King's Landing as a shadow campaign orchestrated by Ormund Hightower started undermining their rule.
Elsewhere, Ser Criston Cole remained isolated in the Riverlands, while Aemond, recovering from his injuries at Harrenhal, continued to develop an uneasy relationship with Alys Rivers. At the same time, Alicent and the pregnant Helaena attempted a desperate escape through the Red Keep's secret tunnels, only to find themselves trapped beneath the castle.
"Unbowed and Unbent" is lighter on dragon action than previous episodes, but serves as an important setup chapter, positioning every major faction for what appears to be a series of major battles in the second half of the season, with Butcher's Ball seemingly drawing ever closer.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, HBO has released a first look at next week's sixth instalment of House of the Dragon, and it seems tensions in Westeros, and more specifically, King's Landing, will continue to rise as Rhaenyra realises that her rule is far more fragile than she realised.
Ewan Mitchell, who plays Aemond, recently spoke with the Los Angeles Times and compared his character's journey with that of an unexpected Marvel superhero: Spider-Man.
"With great power comes great responsibility to wield that power," Mitchell told the site. "He’s got to be able to show he can control it effectively. That’s what he wanted to prove throughout Season 1 and 2. It’s just like 'Spider-Man 2.' I find it really interesting building up this character over two seasons to bring him back down."
House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal added, "He’s feeling isolated and alone and he possibly has made an enemy of his family. And then this woman saves him. He feels this sudden magnetic draw to her. In the episodes that follow, we will further excavate that relationship. It’s one of the most surprising and engaging and emotional stories we have this season."
Based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, the series, set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen.
Returning cast members for season 3 include Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, Matthew Needham, Tom Bennett, Kieran Bew, Kurt Egyiawan, Freddie Fox, Clinton Liberty, Gayle Rankin, and Abubakar Salim.
New additions include Tommy Flanagan as Lord Roderick Dustin, Dan Fogler as Ser Torrhen Manderly, and James Norton as Ormund Hightower.
House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming weekly on HBO Max.