House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 3 Is Rhaenyra’s First Real Test as Queen

Critic’s Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

3.5

It’s been a long road, but Rhaenyra is in the early days of her reign as Queen on House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 3, an hour that slows down to put her under the microscope.

After spending so many years believing her reign would be challenged at every turn, she’s in the unique position of having to put everything she thought she’d be like into practice. The weight of the crown is a burden for many, but after everything she’s gone through, Rhaenyra is trying to be a woman of her word.

Her road to the Iron Throne has been long and challenging, but without people embracing her, where would she really be right now? Far away from King’s Landing, I think.

For that reason alone, this uncharted territory feels surreal even to Rhaenyra herself.

It’s riveting watching the many nuances that make up this character as she grapples with this new chapter.

One of the things I questioned going into House of the Dragon Season 3 was just how difficult it would be for the inevitable changing of hands between rulers of the Seven Kingdoms.

This hour was excellent because it dug into what goes on behind the scenes and showed how everything previous rulers have done can come back to haunt the person who follows them.

Rhaenyra’s desire to be the queen who upholds the values her father instilled in her is perfectly natural. She knows there was a reason Viserys wanted her on the Iron Throne.

But the castle’s finances and the simmering tensions in a city without resources are forcing her to question everything as she tries to figure out the best path forward.

Rhaenyra Is Taking Big Swings on House of the Dragon

The dinner party was very telling in how this reign is likely to unfold. Without the commonfolk, Rhaenyra would have faced an uphill battle.

The commonfolk are well aware of how tense things became under Aegon’s reign and believe the only way things can improve is with Rhaenyra in power.

That’s not a bad sentiment, but in practice she’s putting out multiple fires behind the scenes, so the mere fact she went against these rich people who hoarded all the food was a great way to send a message to everyone else.

These people showed up at the castle expecting to be wined and dined with the best produce, so it was satisfying seeing her serve them rats and lay into them about how selfish they all were.

Whether that will come back to haunt her, I don’t know, but it was a great way to curry favor with the people beyond the castle walls.

The sad part of Rhaenyra’s reign is that she grew up in the castle, and now everywhere she looks there are memories of the past. Some are painful, and others not so much.

Her imagining she saw Jacaerys walking the halls was heartbreaking because she clearly never imagined returning to these halls without all of her children.

It must be hitting her now that she’s finally got what she wanted, only for it to feel so different without the people she loves there to share in it. That’s a devastating realization.

I’m not sure what to make of her keeping Alicent and Helaena as prisoners. It makes sense, but she is going against her promise to show them mercy by refusing to let them leave.

Maybe in the back of her mind, Rhaenyra knows Alicent is an excellent political player and could theoretically return down the line with Aegon, Aemond, dragons, and an army to challenge her claim to the throne.

But it’s so obvious after House of the Dragon Season 2 that Alicent is tired of the bloodshed and believes leaving King’s Landing could be the only way to have any semblance of a normal life.

There is still animosity between Alicent and Rhaenyra, and Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy continue to bring this fraught dynamic to life flawlessly.

It’s hard to believe how close Alicent and Rhaenyra were back on House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 1. It just goes to show how quickly everything in life can change.

I definitely think some of Rhaenyra’s actions repulse Alicent, but she also believes the ends justify the means and is willing to let things slide if it leads to an easier life.

But it was obvious the moment Alicent realized the boy Rhaenyra held captive wasn’t Daeron that this was the turning point that would kickstart the war again.

Rhaenyra spent much of House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 3 conflicted about killing this kid, and to think, if she’d followed Daemon’s order, she would have done it without considering the bigger picture.

Rhaenyra Has Enemies Popping Up Everywhere

As a result, she feels duped and knows she’ll have to make a fiery statement in response.

Ormund played up the fact that this was Daeron very well at the beginning of the episode, when Daemon strong-armed him into handing the boy over.

All of this suggests Ormund is playing the long game, and now that he’s taken over Tumbleton, this tension is only going to escalate.

Rhaenyra’s first instinct was to Dracarys Tumbleton, but she never stopped to consider the innocent people whose lives had already been upended by these savages.

The only way for Rhaenyra to succeed is with a strong council, and right now there aren’t enough people around her willing to offer different perspectives.

It isn’t helping that she’s making enemies everywhere she turns. Who would’ve thought Corlys would be yelling expletives at her so soon after they all seemed so united?

I can see both sides of their argument. Rhaenyra doesn’t want to begin her reign by making bold declarations that immediately raise questions about her motives.

For Corlys, he’s fought for Rhaenyra, pledged his loyalty to her for years, and wants to ensure the Velaryon line succeeds him.

I’m not quite sure how far south things will go between Rhaenyra and Corlys, but this type of infighting is never a good look.

If this episode proves anything, it’s that winning the Iron Throne was only half the battle. Holding onto it while balancing grief, duty, politics, and impossible expectations may prove to be Rhaenyra’s greatest challenge yet.

What are your thoughts on the many hurdles Rhaenyra faced in this episode of the HBO hit?

Were you stunned by the Daeron revelation? Do you think Corlys is about to turn his back on Rhaenyra?

Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
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