Ahead of what promises to be a massive Season 3 finale, House of the Dragon's penultimate episode delivered quite a surprise for fans with not one, but two, huge returns.
The first was the return of Dreamfyre. The dragon, bonded to Helaena, hatched a secret clutch of eggs that are currently being stored at Harrenhal by Alys Rivers. As if that wasn't a big enough talking point, Aegon's presumed-dead mount, Sunfyre, made a surprise comeback after seemingly falling at the Battle of Rook's Rest.
Talking to Entertainment Weekly (via SFFGazette.com), House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 7 director Nina Lopez-Corrado said of the latter's apparent resurrection, "I think [Aegon] truly did believe that Sunfyre was dead, and I think Sunfyre was very close to being dead. During the time period in which he was lying there, he did rejuvenate so that he was able to come back."
"I think a part of his healing process truly had to do with the fact that when Aegon was there, he was gonna die," she added. "So I think it helped him rejuvenate enough strength to come back and save him. I think it 100% has to do with the Targaryen line and the connection they have with the dragons. It was a huge, huge reason in the return of Sunfyre."
HBO has also released a first look at next Sunday's finale, and it's all to play for as Rhaenyra Targaryen gears up to go to war with Lord Ormund Hightower. The First Battle of Tumbleton will mark a huge turning point for House of the Dragon heading into Season 4, and it seems like Ormund has a plan that will give him the upper hand.
As word of Aegon's return spreads, it's only served to increase dissent across Westeros. Rhaenyra's fragile rule is showing signs of breaking under the pressure, and Daemon may have met his match in Ormund.
The fourth season will also be the Game of Thrones prequel's last, though we'll likely have to wait until 2028 to see how the story ends. The books provide a good indication, of course, but the series has already veered from those in a big way at times (much to author George R.R. Martin's chagrin).
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.