Written by With the death of Jace, the future fight for the Seven Kingdoms is solely for Rhaenyra to take over the kingdom. Her two sons, who led to the start of the war, are now gone. She is unlikely to take kindly to this news. Even worse, her stepdaughter, Rhaena, was partially responsible. The tragedy is going to ring out through Westeros. Meanwhile, Coryls is seemingly lost at sea. Taking the Iron Throne has a long history of resulting in bloodshed, but House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2 is going to need to clean up the fallout from the Battle of the Gullet.
Spoiler Alert !!!This is a spoiler recap and review. It contains details from House of the Dragon, Game of Thrones, and Fire and Blood.
What happens in House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2?
In the waters of the gullet, the bodies of sailors and soldiers are destroyed by dragonfire. Jace’s body, recovered by Baela, is returned to Dragonstone. Rhaenyra enters the room and is inconsolable. Instead, she asks, “What have you done?” to his corpse, eventually breaking down over her son’s body. Her Queensguard offers his sword to her as payment for his actions, but she refuses. Instead, she screams at her court’s culpability and cries over her son.
Rhaena arrives at the Vale, begging Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin) for asylum. Jeyne refuses at first, asking why Rhaena would bring chaos to her doorstep. She’s already received word that Jace has died. Rhaena assures her no one saw her and offers her dragon as protection for the Vale. Jeyne tells Rhaena she cannot stop a dragon from doing what it pleases, but she does not want to see them again.
Daemon (Matt Smith), Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes), Roderick Dustin (Tommy Flanagan), and Alysanne Blackwood (Annie Shapero) celebrate their victory over the Lannisters. They sing ballads and drink amongst heads on pikes, but are interrupted when Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale) comes to deliver gifts. He also hands off a message from Rhaenyra, informing him of Jace’s death. He immediately stiffens, delivering battle plans to take Harrenhal and King’s Landing.
Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) speaks with Daemon while Caraxes drinks from a lake. She requests Harrenhal as her reward for helping Daemon summon 40,000 troops. He refuses her at first, reminding her she is without title, name, or even a husband. Insulted by his offer to put in a word for her to receive a different reward, Alys tells him to leave and never come back.
In the Gullet, Alyn searches for Corlys while the battle at Driftmark rages on. As he searches the corpses on the beach, Baela arrives on Moondancer. They swap stories about Corlys, with Baela reminding him that many have counted out her grandfather and Alyn’s father before. Addam of Hull also searches from the skies on dragonback. We see Corlys, unconscious, has washed ashore. Addam recovers his father and reunites him with his family. With Driftmark in ruin, he will bestow his name on his sons.
Stuck in the carriage with the birds, Larys (Matthew Needham) tries to make conversation with an angry Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney). However, as Larys tells his king that he only exposed their identities to keep them alive, a commotion starts outside. Soldiers from the Triarchy fight Rhaenyra’s men, opening a path for the two Greens to escape.
Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) watches as Aemon leaves the city. Once gone, she speaks with the commander of the Gold Cloaks, Ser Largent (Tom Cullen). She tells him Rhaenyra will reenter the city, and Queen Helaena (Phia Saban) means to let her retake the throne. He questions if this is treason, but Alicent asks him to do what he thinks is best. She then calls a meeting of the small council.
Daemon returns to Dragonstone, where he meets Ulf (Tom Bennett) and Hugh (Kieran Brew). He asks why they left their post at Harrenhal, and when Ulf starts to explain, Daemon slaps him. However, he’s stopped cold when Hugh reveals a witch had told them to return. Daemon leaves the room and heads upstairs to speak with Rhaenyra.
En route to his wife, he speaks with Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), with each trading barbs about the ills they’ve done each other in the past. They also wonder if Alicent should be trusted. They are interrupted when a maester informs them that Vhagar has left King’s Landing. Daemon enters the room to tell Rhaenyra the news, asking her if she will let her sons die in vain. At first, she languishes in grief, but Daemon reminds her that he saw the vision his brother once saw. It is only through her that the Song of Fire and Ice will come to fruition.
Alicent collects things from her room when she’s confronted by Lord Jasper (Paul Kennedy). He asks why she’s been so busy, closing the door to her room behind him. Jasper threatens her by revealing he knows about her dalliances with Ser Criston. He tries to rape Alicent, but Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan) steps into the room with soldiers. They arrest Jasper for his transgression, even as he tells them Alicent has betrayed the crown. Alicent thanks Orwyle, but he questions what she’s done.
Rhaenyra tells her council she rides for the Red Keep. While her court tells her to remain at Dragonstone, she has already made up her mind. Mysaria hands Rhaenyra her crown, asking the Queen to remember who has been loyal to her. Daemon makes a snide remark about Rhaenyra’s new advisor, but she brushes it off. Daemon tells Ulf and Hugh they will accompany the Queen as support. After the city is taken, they will turn their attention back to Vhagar. The four dragons fly over the wreckage of the Gullet.
Helaena sits in the orchard, looking at the fruit and insects, when Alicent arrives. Her mother informs the Queen that Rhaenyra is coming, and the only way they will survive is to get the city’s guards to stand down. They quickly tell the men on the ramparts what is unfolding, asking them to lay down their arms.
Vhagar flies north with Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), showing Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) that it is time to march for Harrenhal. Upon arrival at the castle, Vhagar and Aemond make quick work of the remaining soldiers. Aemond enters the great hall, where Simon Strong sits eating a meal. He kills Simon, as well as his sons, but is stabbed in the back in the process. Aemond turns to find Alys Rivers waiting in the doorway and begs for her help as he collapses.
Rhaenyra, Daemon, Ulf, and Hugh arrive at King’s Landing, where they are met with no retaliation by the city’s defenses or Gold Cloaks. Instead, they are allowed to enter the Red Keep, where the soldiers surrender and drop their swords. In the halls of the Red Keep, several soldiers try to resist, but Daemon slays them with ease. When they enter the throne room, the two are surrounded by Gold Cloaks and the Kingsguard. However, when it seems like they were set up for a trap, Ser Luthor pledges his allegiance to Rhaenyra and Daemon. They will fight the Kingsguard if necessary, but instead, they lay down their arms.
Rhaenyra stares at the throne for a moment, before demanding the gold cloaks bring Aegon to her. Daemon searches for Aegon, but only finds Orwyle. He offers his allegiance to Rhaenyra and offers up others for Daemon’s bloodlust. Daemon goes down to the dungeons, where he finds Jasper. However, a guard tells him that there is “a gift from Larys Strong” waiting for him down a further path. Once he spots what is inside the cell, Daemon cackles with laughter.
Alicent and Helaena try to escape the city in cloaks, but quickly realize there’s no way out. Rhaenyra meets with the imprisoned lords and ladies who were taken by the Greens due to their allegiance to Rhaenyra. She thanks them for their loyalty. Jasper is brought to her, but he continues to tell everyone they will die for their allegiance.
Daemon returns from the dungeon with none other than Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). Daemon confirms Aegon has fled, so Otto will have to do. After hesitating for a moment, Rhaenyra takes Daemon’s sword and hacks off his head. Daemon grabs his sword and decapitates Jasper before he can utter his final words. Rhaenyra Targaryen ascends the steps to the Iron Throne, taking it for herself after all these years. Alicent and Helaena are brought to the throne room, where they see what has transpired.
Is House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2 worth watching?
Yes, House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2 is one of the very best episodes in the series to date. Between the grandiose battles, the personal battle warring divisions between Rhaenyra’s advisors, and the incredible performance from Emma D’Arcy, the series has rarely united so many disparate elements to its advantage.
The story of House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2 will be D’Arcy, who delivers an impeccable performance. They’ve had far more depth than the character had on the page, and the non-binary actor once again proves their talent. The monologue and outpouring of grief upon seeing Jace’s body is one of the best moments in the series to date. D’Arcy has earned Golden Globe nominations for their work, but this episode alone should get them their first Emmy nomination next year (House of the Dragon Season 3 will be eligible for the 2027 Emmys).
This is also one of Matt Smith’s best episodes in House of the Dragon. The moment he receives the note from Rhaenyra reminds us of his personal ambition. You can feel Smith working through the ways this will now open the door for his line to take the Throne, while also realizing the incredible pain his wife must feel. As the episode progresses, we get to see Daemon as a warrior and leader, which Smith has always delivered with excellence. It’s a brilliant supporting role for sure, but it’s one the series needs to click into place.
The events at Harrenhal in Season 3 Episode 2 are just as consequential. We know that Alys Rivers sent the dragon riders away from Harrenhal in the last episode, and it’s obvious she knew Aemond would be traveling to the castle. The relationship she builds with Aemond could help her win her ultimate goal: control of the fortress. You cannot help but wonder what might have come to pass if Daemon had promised her the castle now. Instead, she seems likely to save the young prince, who is on death’s door.
Speaking of, we’re really sad that Ser Simon Strong, aka Simon Russell Beale, is gone from the show. He’s been one of the great side characters, and Beale was always wildly overqualified for the role. The great British thespian was brilliant as ever in House of the Dragon, and his combination of charisma and comedy will be missed.
However, the biggest death of House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2 undeniably belongs to Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). The scene comes across as a horrifying moment, with everyone knowing it is merely a formality to establish Rhaenyra’s new power. Hearing Otto ask for Daemon to be the one to kill him is one of those incredible moments full of dual meaning. Not only does Otto not want to suffer (he does), but he knows that if it had been Daemon to deliver the blow, it would undermine Rhaenyra from the start. She follows through, but in doing so, could irreparably harm her potential alliance with Alicent, who arrives just in time to see the results of her work.
House of the Dragon airs on HBO on Sunday night.
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