House of the Dragon’s Next Moves

As a historian who has spent countless hours delving into the annals of Westeros, I must say that the Dance of Dragons is shaping up to be a spectacle of epic proportions. The events unfolding in this third season are indeed reminiscent of the tumultuous times of old, with alliances shifting faster than the winds of Driftmark.

The series “House of the Dragon” has wrapped up for the current season, but there’s plenty more dragon action on the horizon. Exactly when we might get to see more is yet to be determined – it took almost two years between the end of season one in 2022 and the beginning of the second season. If the third season arrives sooner than that, it will still be a significant wait before we find out what happens next in this wild, incestuous family’s storyline and their fiery, bloody civil war.

If you’re eager to skip the wait, delving into historical texts would be your best bet! “House of the Dragon” is derived from George R.R. Martin’s fictional history, “Fire and Blood,” which chronicles the Targaryen dynasty. For a comprehensive review of the storyline presented in those books, we’ve already provided an extensive summary. However, let’s focus on what could potentially unfold during the third season of “House of the Dragon.”

Given the progress of “House of the Dragon” so far, it seems plausible that the series may span four seasons, although this hasn’t been officially confirmed. If this is the case, we can anticipate some significant events that viewers might be excited to see. It’s likely that not all these events will have their own dedicated episode; instead, they might be incorporated as subplots within others due to timing or budget considerations. The Dance of the Dragons, with its numerous battles, is a costly affair even for HBO’s VFX and extra budget, so not every week can be an action-packed spectacle. Some events that we thought would occur in season three could potentially be delayed until season four, especially if “House of the Dragon” extends to five seasons and requires more story expansion. With all these factors in mind, here’s a speculative look at the major events we might expect to witness in season three (beware: there will be spoilers ahead!).

A Huge Naval Battle and the Season’s First Major Death

The final scene of season two hints at a thrilling action sequence in the beginning of season three, as various plotlines from the finale converge dramatically in the Narrow Sea. Tyland Lannister’s recent partnership with the Triarchy, a formidable group of cities in Essos, provides the Greens with the naval strength necessary to challenge the Velaryon blockade that is weakening King’s Landing and turning its people against them. However, due to this development, Rhaenyra’s youngest sons by Daemon, Aegon the Younger and Viserys, are unexpectedly caught in the path of the approaching armada as they journey to Pentos. In the novels, Aegon successfully flees on his dragon, Stormcloud, to Dragonstone and warns his mother, while Viserys is captured by the Triarchy and assumed dead. However, given that Aegon and Stormcloud appear much younger in the show, it remains uncertain whether this storyline will unfold as written in the books.

In the renowned skirmish known as The Battle of the Gullet, young Dragonseeds Hugh, Ulf, and Addam are thrown headfirst into their first significant battle against the Triarchy’s naval force. The Velaryon fleet, led by Alyn of Hull, also shows remarkable bravery in this conflict. Ultimately, they manage to vanquish the Triarchy and deter them from further involvement in the war. Regrettably, this victory comes at a high price. Corlys Velaryon’s ancestral home, High Tide, is set ablaze along with its substantial wealth. The tragedy worsens when Jacaerys, riding on Vermax, plummets into the sea after being hit by an arrow, and his dragon. It is believed that the strike may have caused him to lose control. In the end, Jacaerys, the young, aspiring prince, meets a disgraceful demise at the hands of crossbow fire. Although many readers of ‘House of the Dragon’ anticipated that the second season would culminate in this grand battle, it appears that their expectations were not met — perhaps due to the writers’ decision to avoid ending two consecutive seasons with one of Rhaenyra’s sons meeting an untimely death.

Meet Daeron (Finally!)

In the upcoming narrative, Daeron Targaryen, Alicent Hightower’s highly capable son, will make his appearance. His character was scarcely touched upon in season one, causing speculation among book enthusiasts about his potential exclusion from the adaptation. However, hints dropped during season two suggest that he remains an essential figure in the unfolding events.

At the Battle of the Honeywine, Daeron, along with his dragon Tessarion, make their grand entrance into the ongoing conflict. This battle, though not yet depicted in the show “HotD”, features Daeron rescuing Ormund Hightower, a future character and nephew of House Hightower’s head, Lord Otto Hightower. As the story unfolds, Ormund is expected to play a significant role, possibly with a new actor portraying him.

King’s Landing Changes Hands

Despite seemingly insurmountable challenges, Daemon Targaryen successfully united the Riverlands under his banner, thereby backing Queen Rhaenyra. Recognizing this as a danger, Prince Aemond decided to act. He climbed aboard Vhagar and led Criston Cole and their forces in an assault on Harrenhal. Upon arrival, they discovered the castle abandoned – a common occurrence for Harrenhal. The Blacks had foreseen the attack and maneuvered Daemon’s army around the Greens, thus avoiding them completely. In the TV series, this is revealed when Alicent visits Dragonstone in the finale to switch allegiances and offer aid to Rhaenyra. However, this event does not occur in the books, and the future ramifications for Alicent and Rhaenyra’s relationship might lead to events that book readers may find unexpected.

There are some battles near Harrenhal that we probably won’t see because they’re not too important, aside from maybe getting a chance to check in on the Black-allied North’s slow progress south. The real significance of Aemond’s assault on Harrenhal is that King’s Landing is undefended, with Alicent laying out a red carpet for the Blacks in the show’s version of events. So Rhaenyra and Daemon hop on their dragons and fly to King’s Landing, with Mysaria and the Velaryon fleet behind them, taking the capital of the Seven Kingdoms without much effort. Aegon, injured as he is, already fled the city with Larys Strong in the season-two finale; in the books, his only surviving heir, Princess Jaehaera, makes it out too. (He had another son in the books, Maelor, who isn’t in the show.) Alicent, who is seemingly on the Blacks’ side in this adaptation, stays in King’s Landing, as does Helaena. Tyland Lannister is horribly tortured when he won’t give up the location of gold he’s hidden as Master of Coin, and Rhaenyra has Otto Hightower executed.

In addition to The Blacks, Dalton Greyjoy, infamously known as the Red Kraken and ruler of the Iron Islands, pledges his loyalty. Throughout the ensuing conflict, he preys upon the Westerlands and the Reach in support of Rhaenyra. This may imply that he could make an appearance in season three if House of the Dragon accommodates another fresh character. However, it’s also feasible that he might be left out or assigned a minimal role.

Criston Cole Gets Owned

After being outmaneuvered, Aemond and Criston must devise an alternate plan. Instead of facing his adversaries head-on, Aemond adopts a cunning approach similar to Daemon, choosing to hide in the Riverlands. He hopes that someone will confront him and his enormous dragon, causing destruction across the region as he does so. In addition to this, Aemond grows particularly close with Alys Rivers, eventually fathering her child – a seer. Meanwhile, Criston and his troops march towards the south. However, they encounter an immense Black army comprising Rivermen before advancing too far. Rather than engaging in single combat as proposed, Criston is met with a hail of arrows and meets an ignominious end, often referred to as Butcher’s Ball. In the book, Lord Roderick Dustin commands this army, but it could potentially be led by a character familiar to viewers, such as season-two standout Oscar Tully.

Hopefully Not All of Nettles’s Plot

In the series of books, an additional Dragonseed named Nettles is introduced, alongside Addam, Hugh, and Ulf. Nettles, a commoner, has the ability to control a ferocious dragon called Sheepstealer. However, it’s been confirmed in the season-two finale of ‘House of the Dragon’ that it will be Rhaena Targaryen who rides a wild dragon, not Nettles.

The inclusion of Rhaena Nettles’ storyline appears well-thought-out; it could lead to exciting scenes involving her and Sheepstealer at the Battle of the Gullet, and there are intriguing developments for her post-war. However, let’s hope that a significant twist from the books, namely Daemon falling in love with Nettles, doesn’t materialize on screen. This plot point might strain his relationship with Rhaenyra even further, which seems improbable given the Targaryens’ proclivity for incest. Instead, it’s possible that Daemon may rekindle a bond with his daughter, reminiscent of his protective fatherly moments in season one. This could potentially alter his allegiances, moving him away from supporting Rhaenyra. However, this is merely speculation, as the end of season two suggests Daemon becomes increasingly devoted to Rhaenyra after his Weirwood vision, a unique element exclusive to the series.

The New Dragonriders Switch Sides

As a passionate cinephile immersed in the epic tale unfolding onscreen, I must say that thus far, the Blacks have been holding their own remarkably well in this fierce conflict – that is, save for the heartrending loss of two more of Rhaenyra’s sons (a grim reminder that she believes Viserys to be deceased). However, the tide seems to be turning when not one, but two of the Dragonseeds decide to switch allegiances. If you sensed that Ulf could potentially pose a threat to Rhaenyra, you’ve shown an astute understanding of the storyline – well done!

In a bid to reclaim King’s Landing, the Greens are advancing, led by Daeron and Ormund (provided he’s in the series). Accompanied by the Hightower army, they make their way towards the capital, effortlessly overpowering any Black forces they meet until they reach Tumbleton. However, Rhaenyra sends Hugh and Ulf to protect Tumbleton, a town strategically located on the border of the Crownlands. Unfortunately, when they encounter the much larger Green host, they seem to falter, as was hinted at in the season-two finale. Ulf, known for his authority issues, is expected to act this way, while Hugh appears to be a reasonable man. If Hugh were to switch sides in season three, the storyline would require some setup to explain this development.

Tumbelton Castle tumbles down, causing the Blacks to lose two of their dragons. This is troubling, but what might be worse is that Rhaenyra starts questioning if she can trust her new dragon riders due to betrayal. Corlys Velaryon assures her about one of them, yet Rhaenyra orders his arrest as a safety measure. However, Corlys alerts his son, allowing the man (Addam) and his dragon (Seasmoke) to flee. Corlys is then arrested for this action. Later, we won’t see Addam and Seasmoke this season. Since Rhaena, not a commoner like Nettles, rides Sheepstealer instead of her aunt/stepmother, Rhaenyra might respond differently. In the book, Daemon sleeps with Nettles and encourages her to run away, thus widening the gap between him and Rhaenyra, and leaving the Blacks with even fewer dragons.

One potential ending for season three could be this, yet there are also two other occurrences within the Dance that might plausibly conclude it as well.

Now Dragonstone Changes Hands

Since Aegon departed King’s Landing without defense and left it vulnerable against Rhaenyra, one might wonder where he’s been hiding. Interestingly, Dragonstone, too, appears to be unguarded. Larys secretly transports the king to Dragonstone, where they await the arrival of Aegon’s dragon, Sunfyre, which was recuperating from its own severe wounds at Rook’s Rest. (In the season-two finale, Aegon declared his dragon dead; it seems he may be mistaken or the show could be introducing a significant plot twist. Most likely, Aegon is presuming the worst.) With a small army, Aegon, Sunfyre, and their forces successfully seize Dragonstone with minimal resistance. Only Baela and her dragon, Moondancer, were present to challenge him, but Aegon and Sunfrye vanquish the dragon and capture Baela as a prisoner. However, Aegon sustains another setback when he’s compelled to leap from his dragon’s back during battle and breaks both his legs. Notably, Rhaenyra remains oblivious to Dragonstone falling under Aegon’s control.

In this scenario, it seems appropriate that the season might conclude here, as both the Blacks and Greens have swapped positions, and even their dragons have been exchanged. However, there could be another potential ending for season three…

An Epic Dragon Duel

Things aren’t going well for Rhaneyra following a promising start to her season. She’s upset with Daemon due to his refusal to arrest Nettles as she instructed. Feeling lost and with nothing left to lose, Daemon travels to Harrenhal where he challenges Aemond in a dragon duel. The TV series may alter these details since Rhaneyra has less cause to distrust Rhaena rather than Nettles, and it’s hoped that Daemon won’t have developed an intimate relationship with his daughter in the adaptation. In the show version, Daemon might not be estranged from Rhanerya at all but instead driven to Harrenhal due to a prophecy he experienced when touching the Weirwood in the season finale.

In any event, Daemon, upon Caraxes, confronts Aemond and Vhagar in an extraordinary aerial fight above a lake near Harrenhal, known as the God’s Eye. The dragons grasp each other and plummet towards the water, but Daemon jumps from Caraxes onto Aemond, impaling the prince with his Valyrian steel sword in his last eye before they all crash into the lake. Aemond and Vhagar perish beneath the water, aligning with Heleana’s prophecy in the season-two finale that he would be “consumed by the God’s Eye” and never seen again. Caraxes somehow escapes to the depths of Harrenhal before succumbing to its wounds. Daemon’s body is never located.

What About Season Four?

It’s quite intense to fit so much activity into just one season, and it seems unlikely that the Battle Above the God’s Eye will serve as the season-three climax. House of the Dragon might prefer to begin the next season with a larger cast still intact, particularly Matt Smith, who is among the most recognized actors in the series. A more plausible finale could involve the capture of Dragonstone or the repercussions of Ulf’s and Hugh’s betrayals instead.

While it’s possible that season three wraps up these events, there’s still a wealth of action remaining in ‘The Dance of Dragons’. Exciting moments like The Storming of the Dragonpit, The Second Battle of Tumbleton, and The Hour of the Wolf are yet to come. Plus, we have many significant character deaths ahead. We’ll hold off on revealing specifics until the next finale.

2024-08-05 06:54