Not many series’ have ridden the ups and downs like House of the Dragon has over all three of its seasons; each one has something holding it back. This season is an improvement on last season’s rather uneventful outing, but it does suffer from a major dip in the middle that halts momentum.
Season 2 brought us 8 hours of pure setup, so it stands to believe this year’s episodes would be a little more fast paced… and that’s the case with the first few of this season. It hits the ground running with all the things we love from Westeros; dragons, massive battles, tension, drama, blood and violence. It balances all these elements with having slower sequences for character development and puts together three of the best episodes of the series. Rather than maintaining that pace throughout the season, it takes the foot off the gas for the next few episodes with a lull that’s unfortunately as unexciting as season two. That’s not to say there’s nothing to love; there are major steps forward in the narrative through those episodes, but it’s overly dialogue heavy and not quite as rewarding as we’d want a weekly show to be.
This may be unpopular, but the issue with this series really is Harrenhal. Daemon spent almost all of season 2 at the dilapidated castle, ruining the season’s momentum, and now another arc takes place mostly at Harrenhal and it’s almost just as sluggish and unexciting. Both arcs are designed for personal development, but that development is so minimal and inconsequential that I can’t see why either story needed to be as extended as it was. Outside of Harrenhal, the rest of the character development that fills the middle of the season is tense and intriguing enough to bridge the gap from the exciting opening to the climactic finale. A lot happens and it moves at a fast enough pace to remain a fun ride.
The variety of action and violence in this season is a major highlight; there’s the dragon-focused action you expect, but also naval combat and political thriller elements that are just as exciting. The season builds to something and actually has payoff associated with that buildup, which is a testament to the writing and overall vision of the season. The finale itself isn’t the strongest, with the penultimate delivering a larger punch, but it puts itself in a good place to spring off with an exciting final season.
The writing it one thing, but it’s the performances that make this season what it is. Emma D’Arcy is just stellar; truly unparalleled in acting ability this season. If you asked me to pick her best scene this season, I’d be picking from one of 10 moments. She’s a powerhouse whenever she’s on screen, commanding all attention and delivering every line with such grand conviction. The tension, suspense and deep emotional weight of the season is amplified by D’Arcy. She’s crafted Rhaenyra into the single most intriguing character of the show. In a crazy turn of events, her performance is followed closely by Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon), whose performance is improved on once again. His role this season is a complex one, and he absolutely nails every single moment. He has some huge scenes, especially in the tail end of the season, where he impresses beyond anything I believed he could bring to the character.
In the end, House of the Dragon’s third season is an improvement on the last, delivering a stronger narrative and some genuine payoff to go with it. It’s not without a dip in quality through the middle of the season, but it makes up for that with a stellar opening and penultimate episode that’s as good as the show’s ever been. It has an exciting balance of dragon combat, shocking twists and deep character-centric moments to keep you coming back every week, making it a worthwhile watch for any Westeros fan.
8.3/10
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