Aug 03, 2026 7:14pm IST
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Episode 7 Review: Weakest, Most Inconsistent Episode Saved by Its Final Act
“House of the Dragon” just delivered the messiest episode of Season 3, and the weakest penultimate episode of the series. The third season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel has had a pretty great run, using the setup episodes between major battles to highlight the failings of House Targaryen as rulers and how their misguided sense of self-importance via prophecy eventually cripples the realm. And yet, the deviations from canon and writing inconsistencies continue to drag the season, reaching a crescendo on the eve of its final episode, when it most needed to gain momentum.
Season 3 Episode 7, titled “A Dragon in Winter,” is another setup in service of a grand finale. Historically, “Game of Thrones” series like “House of the Dragon,” or even “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” have employed this tactic but still offered something to write home about. However, this episode finally proves the stalling accusations true. What makes it worse is that the writing and the pivots from canon take turns that are either groan-inducingly familiar or ones we know will lead to dead ends.
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Take, for example, the rather chaotically wrapped-up arc of Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) with the wild dragon Sheepstealer. It was an interesting change to canon, giving the arc of a lowborn Nettles to Daemon Targaryen’s daughter, because the ripple effects could alter several future plot points, notably a major battle involving Daemon (Matt Smith). But instead of fully committing to its chaos, the show lets Rhaena be torn away from her dragon too soon, even as her attachment to Sheepstealer remains unconvincing. The literal dance of the dragons, with Seasmoke, Syrax and Caraxes ganging up on Sheepstealer, is pretty cool, but lacks emotional impact for lack of consequences for Rhaena.
Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Daemon conversing in the Common Tongue instead of High Valyrian is cleverly symbolic of their rift. Rhaenyra is angry but not unreasonable about Daemon’s lies. Yet her relationship with Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) makes it messier. The episode does try to address the muddied motivations of Mysaria by bringing in a character from her past—the brothel madam Sylvi—to address how being in power has changed her. The encounter also has Sylvi deliver a classic “Game of Thrones” line about how in the halls of the powerful, “a whore remains a whore.” And yet, Mysaria remains one of those characters the show doesn’t know what to do with. Is she motivated by jealousy? Is it a more intricate ploy in service of the realm, like a Lord Varys would have had? Rhaenyra’s emotional state is equally unclear. She is astute enough to understand Daemon’s reasons and Mysaria’s schemes but then falls for the latter's sexual manipulation.
A similar plight plagues Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), who is relegated to using the dark magic within the walls of Harrenhal to treat Targaryen men for their Oedipal issues. Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) was rehashing Daemon’s Season 2 arc until Season 3 took the incest trope too far this episode. Even Alicent's (Olivia Cooke) dispatch to Harrenhal for an assassination plot against Aemond that we know is going to fail is just another unnecessary detour to a dead end. The only saving grace was Alys’ perfect rendition of “Idiot,” after Aemond fell for the most classic Alicent Hightower play: A potion.
In its better parts, the episode does serve its cause well. Though it is an odd deviation from canon to put Alyn (Abubakar Salim), Addam (Clinton Liberty) and Baela (Bethany Antonia) in a love triangle, it will be interesting to see how this shapes the dynamic between the Velaryon-Targaryen step-siblings. The capture of their father/grandfather, Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Touissant), by Ormund Hightower (James Norton) is guaranteed to change things up for the Hull siblings at Rhaenyra’s council, which continues to offer comedic relief. Torrhen Manderly’s (Dan Fogler) reaction to being scapegoated and Sabitha Frey’s (Sarah Woodward) euphoria on being asked to just take Harrenhal if she so pleases were hilarious.
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The episode’s biggest moment arrives when—surprise, surprise—King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) has a second coming at Rook's Rest. For weeks now, there’s been heated debate over how “House of the Dragon” plans to arrive at a major moment in the Targaryen civil war history with Aegon’s dragon, Sunfyre, presumed dead. But now, in a moment that would give most Indian TV serials a run for their money, Sunfyre returns to his rider at a time of need, and when Aegon shows the most courage he ever has.
For all its melodramatic staging and expected outcome, Aegon’s turn this episode is remarkable, elevated by Tom Glynn-Carney’s consistently brilliant performance. Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) has left him with a promise to immortalise him in Westeros history. Only Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) stands by his “losing” side. The sole dragon scale Aegon took from Sunfyre was, unbeknownst to him, working some weird blood magic after it was used to kill Janos. The House Mooton host, in service of The Blacks, was standing before him, and oblivion was moments away. And King Aegon II served fire, leaving no crumbs, only piles of ash, from which he arose like a phoenix.
With only one episode remaining in “House of the Dragon” Season 3, there’s a lot yet to sort out before the show delves into its final season. Helaena the Dreamer's (Phia Saban) arc (we finally get a look at her riding Dreamfyre!) this season has served the dual purpose of showing just how Rhaenyra has lost sight of her true cause and how much the shadow of the prophecy about Winter and White Walkers still looms over House Targaryen’s fate. The news of Aegon’s return and Ormund Hightower’s deal with Ulf the White (Tom Bennett) will set the stage for the First Battle of Tumbleton to hit the Blacks where it hurts the most. And hopefully Episode 8 helps Season 3 regain its strong footing.
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