Now that we know about Ormund Hightower’s treachery, Rhaenyra will need to spring into action. By taking Tumbleton and now holding it hostage, the Hightowers have made their allegiance to anyone other than Rhaenyra clear. Whether they choose to back a return for Aemond or Aegon is another matter. If Ormund knows that Daeron has an equal claim to the throne as his brothers, are the Hightowers simply raising up their own blood and relationships over the established line? House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 4 digs into the conundrum while giving us a more… revealing… look at Ormund in power.
Spoiler Alert !!!This recap contains in-depth spoilers for House of the Dragon.
What is House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 4 about?
The people of Tumbleton are forced to shelter the Hightower soldiers, with many quartered in the homes of those who live in the city, including one where Kat (Ellora Torchia) is staying. The Footly family, who rule Tumbleton, demand their bedroom and quarters back from Ormund (James Norton), who bathes in their presence. Lady Footly tells Ormund they swore allegiance to Rhaenyra because she is Queen, though her husband is far less bold. Ormund steps out of the bath, revealing his naked body to the nobles, and sends them away.
Ormund relays the lesson to his dark-haired ward, the real Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), to never let those beneath you treat you with contempt. Ser Jon Roxton (Joplin Sibtain) arrives with word from the Baratheons: they will not come to arms. There has been no word from Harrenhal from Aemond or Vhagar. Roxton fears they will be outmatched if dragons arrive.
Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) speaks to Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan) and Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) about Ormund’s plan to take Tumbleton. It does not make much sense unless it’s meant to provoke Rhaenyra to attack a town that raised its banners for her. Orwyle suggests they should not use dragons but instead use the Tullys to root out the Hightowers. Mysaria agrees, and Rhaenyra names Orwyle her Grand Maester. Mysaria also suggests they name a Master of Coin, and Rhaenyra asks her Mistress of Whispers to check on Torrhen Manderly.
Rhaenyra goes to Alicent (Olivia Cooke) to find out anything she can about Ormund. Alicent does not remember much about him, but she willingly sent her son to be his ward so that Daeron could be raised as a Hightower. Hoping that Rhaenyra will still spare her son, she reveals Ormund is particularly susceptible to strong smells. Alyn (Abubakar Salim) tells Corlys (Steve Toussaint) that he’s wanted by the Queen in court. Corlys refuses but sends Alyn in his stead. He believes that will allow him to better himself. Corlys leaves King’s Landing with other soldiers.
Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Larys (Matthew Needham) trek through the woods, with Aegon pushing the pace. They come upon Sunfyre, where the dragon lies in the woods. Aegon touches his old dragon while Larys is accosted by two men demanding payment for touching “their dragon.” When they realize he has money, they begin to surround Larys, but he passes himself off as a man of the Faith. Aegon begins to exclaim that Sunfyre is not dead. This causes concern among the others, and Larys ushers Aegon away from the dragon.
Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) enter Harrenhal but find no one in the halls. Eventually, they stumble upon Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), who informs them that the Strongs have been slain and Prince Aemond is not here. She also reveals Rhaenyra took King’s Landing, a shock to both men. With no sign of Aemond, Gwayne wishes to regrounp at Tumbleton with Ormund, but Cole wishes to engage in guerrilla warfare against the Riverfolk. This will slow down their march toward Tumbleton, even if they cannot win.
Alyn meets with Rhaenyra in King Viserys’ old model room. He tells her that Corlys needs a battle to clear his mind, and right now he will be no help for her. They discuss their fathers and their willingness to follow their whims. The presence of rats annoys Rhaenyra, but Alyn suggests using cats to hunt the rats.
Aegon and Larys come upon the remains of Meleys and the carnage of Rook’s Rest. There are still corpses in every direction, and the former garrison is in shambles. They are hassled by men who tell them there is no place to stay, but Larys convinces them to let them stay for a few coins. Aegon is offended when he is offered up to clean latrines but eventually goes to do the job.
In Tumbleton, Kat returns to her dwelling. Inside, Hightower soldiers look over the family doing some work, and when one tries to force her into sex, the family steps up to stop the potential rape. However, in the process Kat’s brother is beaten and her sister-in-law has her arm broken. The Footlys bring Kat and her family to Ormund, where they allege assault. He sees the charges are true, and even though his man is in his employ, he orders the punishment. Again, Ormund uses this incident as a teaching moment for young Daeron.
At King’s Landing, Hugh requests that Rhaenyra send him to Tumbleton so he can watch over the city with his dragon. She is hesitant, at first, because she does not want him overly invested in the battle to come should it not swing their way. However, she relents, letting him go with Ulf to watch over the city and forces. Ulf returns to his old tavern in Flea Bottom, where he’s greeted as a hero. On the way, he sees graffiti on the walls: “Queen of Bastards.”
Rhaenyra speaks with Orwyle, asking him for information on the Hightowers and the Faith. He confirms that, while the two have long been linked, he does not believe the Hightowers control the Faith. She points out that the High Septon refuses to anoint her as Queen. Rhaenyra asks if she can replace the High Septon, but Orwyle warns against it.
Daemon meets with Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin), who seems far more hostile toward him after the fate of his first wife. Daemon skirts the jabs, instead pointing out no men were ever supplied to Rhaenyra. He hopes Jeyne will make up the oversight with a generous amount of gold. Jeyne laughs, referring to him as a beggar, and he agrees to leave earlier than expected if she pays.
After receiving the gold from the Arryns, Daemon boards Caraxes. However, his dragon is restless and takes off towards a cliff. They discover Sheepstealer and Rhaena hiding in the cave, with Rhaena’s appearance drastically altered. Daemon asks about what happened with Jace, and Rhaena admits she was only trying to help. He offers to hide her from Rhaenyra, but she reminds him that everyone pitied her before she had a dragon. This is even the first time he’s thought much of his daughter. She tells him to leave her in self-imposed exile and to lie about what he’s learned. After she leaves on Sheepstealer, Daemon spots a shepherd alone.
In Tumbleton, Ormund sniffs unique spices and scents when Ser Jon Roxton enters the room. He hands over a note from Gwayne, which reveals Aemond has gone missing. Ormund acts out, smashing his sword against the table and screaming profanities. He reveals to Daeron what has happened. Their plans will need to change.
In King’s Landing, Orwyle reveals to Rhaenyra that Otto wrote often to Ormund, but Ormund never wrote back. They are both confused by the lack of response, but they table the discussion. Ulf asks to speak to Rhaenyra about pardons for his friends in Flea Bottom.
As he tells her of their misdeeds, she realizes that he’s still going to small pubs without thinking of what his presence will mean for the image of the Crown. She tells him he can no longer drink outside the Red Keep. Ulf is perplexed, and he brings up the graffiti he saw in the streets. Ulf pretends to walk it back, but the damage is done. She tells the Kingsguard to find who is vandalizing the streets and stop it.
Larys and Aegon continue to work, but Aegon has grown frustrated by his new role. Larys reminds them of their precarious position. He also reveals that Rhaenyra claimed Aegon was slain by Aemond, which grants them anonymity. Larys believes they can use this information to their advantage for the moment of his resurrection. When Aegon is left without food, he storms over to their new “lord” and screams at him. When the leader holds him at knife point and forces him to kiss his feet.
Daemon enters the Small Council chambers, interrupting the new Master of Coin, Torrhen Manderly (Dan Fogler). He places a charred skull on the table, blaming the slain shepherd for riding Sheepstealer. He also announces he brought gold from the Arryns to restock their coffers. While everyone argues about how to bring in more money, Rhaenyra asks for the room. She tells Daemon she wanted to confront the rider, but Daemon tells her Sheepstealer fled after its rider was slain. He does not think talking to the rider would ease her pain. Outside the room, Mysaria asks Daemon, “Whose head is that?”
Alicent sits by the fireplace when Rhaenyra enters the room. She tells Alicent that her father’s remains are being returned to Oldtown and hands over Otto’s ring. After she leaves, Helaena walks over to her mother, accidentally showing that she’s pregnant in the process. Alicent realizes the danger they’re both in now. In Tumbleton, Hugh’s arrival scares the Hightower soldiers, as they tell the people to hide in their houses. Kat sees her husband ride over her. Meanwhile, in Flea Bottom, Gold Cloaks enact vengeance against those who have vandalized the walls.
Back in Tumbleton, Ormund interrupts Daeron as he shows affection to his dragon, Tessarion. Ormund calls the Targaryen blood “tainted,” but Daeron is superior because of his Hightower genetics. He believes Daeron is beyond them and asks him to prove his future ability as King by executing Kat’s brother. While it’s true that their soldier was wrong, it was still an assault against a Hightower and, by proxy, an assault against Daeron. The young Targaryen does not want to turn against his brothers but follows Ormund’s wishes. They then feed the body to Tessarion.
Is House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 4 worth watching?
Yes, House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 4 continues the show’s upward ascent. Much of Thrones has always relied on its ability to create devious, upsettingly vile characters. Ormund not only fits that mold, but he actively shines as someone who knows better. If Aemond is too focused on killing his Uncle, and Aegon does not have the power to take back his crown, then we will need someone to rise to the Otto Hightower level of villainy. Ormund is that man.
James Norton has a long history as an excellent actor. Shows like McMafia, House of Guiness, and Happy Valley have long proven his talent. However, each show has struggled to make the same impact in America as they have overseas. Hopefully, audiences take to Norton, because he’s a supremely talented performer. In this episode alone, he shows his ability to play anti-heroes particularly well, hiding a far more dangerous angle in most scenes.
Perhaps most impressive, Norton puts his aggression and ambition on full display from the first scene and still gives us the impression that he’s going to act with honor for a moment. Instead, he has all the arrogance of a Tywin Lannister, which could lead to some disastrous results.
On the flip side, Daemon is playing a dangerous game with his wife. Rhaenyra was visibly shaken by the charred skull, but when she discovers that her husband lied, she will be furious. While the truth would hurt Rhaenyra, especially because it might force her to go after her own stepdaughter, there would be less blowback from that discussion. If anything, it would put to bed any questions about Daemon’s own ambition to take the throne. By hiding someone who is responsible for her son’s death, Daemon is giving an opening for Mysaria to exploit. Instantly realizing the unlikelihood that he killed the rider, Mysaria’s skepticism came through when he left the council chambers.
Rhaenyra is inviting her issues to come center stage. While Alyn of Hull is a trusted figure in her court, she still alienated her Hand of the Queen. Simply embracing the other dragon riders would have kept Corlys close at hand, while Daemon and Rhaenyra have each pushed Ulf to second-guess his allegiance. If being a dragon rider gives him a war machine, won’t he just use that to his own advantage? Sending Hugh to Tumbleton seems like a positive move compared to the way they’ve treated Addam and Ulf, but any book reader knows this has invited its own dilemma on the horizon.
Through four episodes of House of the Dragon, we’ve seen a massive swing in quality. The storytelling is much tighter this season, and the arcs are being well established. Where we go in the final four episodes of the season will be intriguing. As Ormund noted, now that there’s another dragon rider backing the Greens, this time under the leadership of a tactical genius, the war is finally beginning in earnest.
House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 4 aired on July 12, 2026. All episodes are available to stream on HBO Max.
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