The dragon has awoken! HBO’s hit fantasy TV show “House of the Dragon” has returned after nearly two years. The eight-episode third season continues the bitter civil war, categorized as the Dance of the Dragons, of the two Targaryen factions, the Blacks and the Greens, as they wage war for the Iron Throne.
Ahead of the season’s premiere, several developments took place. Not only did HBO Max cut its one-year subscription price by 28%, making all episodes accessible for the summer, but critics’ early reactions to the first four episodes were largely positive with a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes, outscoring its 84% score for the second season.
Is the first episode as good as the critics say? One can read as many professional reviews as they wish, but the true critics are the fans of the “Game of Thrones” franchise as a whole.
On Sunday, June 21, the first episode, “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood,” premiered. It opens where it left off, only the first scene is of the wild dragon from the Vale, named Sheepstealer by Rhaena Targaryen, played by Phoebe Campbell, burning a lamb before taking it as its meal. Rhaena, who’s been tracking it toward the end of last season, cautiously steps closer to the dragon and tries to claim it but is met with violent rejection twice.
Oddly enough, personalities aside, the two do actually share a connection. Sheepstealer has been aimlessly living alone in the Vale and probably has felt a lack of purpose, while Rhaena has been dragonless for most of her life and longs to experience what is to be a dragon rider. They’re both lost and waiting to be found. But their dynamics also echo a line Viserys Targreyen, played by Paddy Considine, once told a young Rhaenyra Targreyen: “The idea that we control the dragons is an illusion.”
Sheepstealer is a wild dragon who has never been claimed or interacted with another person and likely not a dragon either. Rhaena’s ambition blinds her to this fact, as will be seen later in the episode.
Now that the pieces have fallen into place, an auspicious Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) calls her council and relays the news of Alicent Hightower’s secret visit. She shares Alicent’s plan to surrender to the Blacks once Aemond Targaryen leaves for Harrenhal in the Riverlands, unaware of the unpredictability of Aegon Targaryen’s retreat. While the council makes their doubts clear, it’s Rhaenyra’s eldest son, Jace Velaryon, who strongly opposes this plan.
Through dramatic camera angles, intense closeups and tense performances by both actors, the conflict between Rhaenyra and Jace was one of the best highlights of the episode. Since the second season, Jace has disagreed with Rhaenyra’s wartime decisions, which has prevented him from joining the fray. Their delicacy can be felt through a single look they share. Tensions reach their breaking point when Jace goes rogue, ordering Rhaenyra’s guard to lock her in her chambers so he and Baela Targaryen can join the Battle of the Gullet themselves.
Anyone who’s read George R. R. Martin’s companion book “Fire & Blood,” knows the Battle of the Gullet, a naval clash between Lord Corlys Velaryon’s ships and the formidable Triarchy fleet, has been one of the fans’ most anticipated battles in the show. What was originally planned for the finale in the second season got pushed back due to budget constraints and added to the third season.
Filming the battle required a great deal of time and patience for those involved, reportedly taking two years of research and development to master. Some parts of the battle were shot in a massive tank pumped with 1,000 liters of water per minute and had gimbals built to make the full-scale ships feel like they really were floating in the sea. In an interview, Abubakar Salim, who plays Corlys Velaryon’s illegitimate son Alyn of Hull, recalled thinking “Oh, my God, I’m on a theme park ride.”
Its set and scale preparation were a complete success, creating a wild naval battle from seas to flights. Through teal and orange color grades accompanied with desaturated blues and grays, the battle’s setting is illuminated by its fire and sea collision. The battle also holds records of its massive stunt and background performer requirements.
From their very first scene together, Rhaena and Sheepstealer take audiences on a wild ride through the opening episode. Packed with family tensions, battles, and dragons, the episode ultimately ends in tragedy. But is there a steady and hopeful road ahead? The coming attractions say otherwise.
“House of the Dragon” airs every Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on HBO and is available to stream on HBO Max.
Featured image: Photo courtesy Deviant Art
Edited by James Sutton
