House of the Dragon Season 3: A Thrilling Return to Form

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This is a spoiler-free review of the first four episodes of House of the Dragon season 3.

Last week, as I sat down at the House of the Dragon world premiere in Leicester Square, ready to dig into my popcorn, I could barely contain my excitement.

For two years, we’d waited for season 3 of the Game of Thrones spin-off. We’d been desperate to see if the Battle of the Gullet would be as spectacular as we hoped, and to find out if the secret pact between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower would actually lead to peace within the warring family.

The atmosphere in the auditorium was electrifying as the HBO title card crackled on the big screen. You could hear a pin drop as hundreds of eyes locked onto the sight of warriors fighting to the death across an ocean while dragons flew overhead, ready to scorch their enemies.

I felt exhilarated and devastated as certain major events that I will not divulge transpired on screen – the mixture of emotions that you hope to feel when you watch any Thrones tale.

There was also one disturbing moment that sickened me and made the hundreds of people watching with me gasp in unison. House of the Dragon has never been afraid to push the boundaries – the opening episode of season one included a tragic birth scene that’s truly one of the most horrifying sequences I’ve ever watched on TV.

House of the Dragon season 3 premieres on HBO Max, Sky Atlantic and NOW on Monday June 22nd. There will be eight episodes in total, which will be released weekly. It’s been confirmed that House of the Dragon will end with season 4.

After watching the first episode on the big screen at the world premiere, I then had the chance to see four out of the eight episodes in advance. From what I’ve witnessed so far, fans who felt that the show suffered a dip will be relieved by this thrilling return to form.

For anyone out there who decided to boycott this epic series after the dissatisfying end to season two, there’s no shame in changing your mind. We’ll happily welcome you back.

Rhaenyra has three new dragonriders in her ranks, three men from humble backgrounds who all boast Targaryen ancestry: Ulf, Hugh, and Addam, who’s one of Corlys’ illegitimate sons.

The claiming of their dragons was one of my favourite moments of season two. In a story where the majority of the main characters have been born into nobility, it thrills me that anyone in this world could hold far more power and influence than they realise.

House of the Dragon is back to its fiery glory – you won’t want to miss this.