Warning! Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 3, ahead!Game of Thrones season 8 would have had far fewer problems had it taken House of the Dragon season 3’s approach. HBO’s off to a great start this season. The premiere came out swinging with the Battle of the Gullet, while episode 2 saw Rhaenyra Targaryen finally claim the Iron Throne. Now, House of the Dragon‘s most recent episode has shifted to a more haunting tone, directing its main character into a steady decline.
House of the Dragon season 3, episode 3, “Rhaenyra Triumphant,” feels more like a psychological thriller than your typical high fantasy. There’s irony in the episode’s title, since, while Rhaenyra now has the Iron Throne, her circumstances feel less than triumphant. The crown has no gold, the people are starving, and the high lords are hoarding resources. These challenges are compounded by just how much Rhaenyra has had to sacrifice to claim her “triumph.” Between her children and father, the Red Keep is full of ghosts—not to mention rats.
This all rather effectively gives us a look at Rhaenyra’s psychological decline. She isn’t sleeping, and the knowledge that her enemies are still out there is maddening. There is a sense that everything is slipping through Rhaenyra’s fingertips, and once she’s lost hold, there will be nothing left of the queen. This is House of the Dragon‘s version of a Mad Queen arc, and it’s far more effective than Daenerys’ decline in Game of Thrones season 8.
House Of The Dragon’s Tone Change Benefits The Entire Game Of Thrones Franchise
It’s intriguing that this is where Rhaenyra stands only three episodes into House of the Dragon season 3, especially since Game of Thrones season 8 struggled to achieve anything similar with Daenerys’ arc. An overwhelming complaint is that this Mad Queen’s decline was rushed and poorly executed. It’s not that Daenerys’ grief and rage weren’t enough to drive her to tyranny, but audiences were never given a moment to see into her mind and experience the torment and distortion along with her.
House of the Dragon uses the same kinds of filming and special-effects techniques as any good psychological thriller, and the impact is precisely what it should be. It’s perfectly clear that Rhaenyra is losing her grip, so her journey toward tyranny and paranoia feels chillingly organic. We can easily expect this character to do anything in future episodes, because it’s been effectively established that she is slowly becoming an entirely different character.
It would have been preferred for Game of Thrones to use the same approach with season 8. However, House of the Dragon‘s approach to a similar arc is better late than never. HBO is demonstrating that it has learned a thing or two from Game of Thrones, and even previous seasons of House of the Dragon. Season 8 of the parent series rushed through the necessary arcs, while the first two seasons of its prequel show dragged along. With Rhaenyra’s arc in House of the Dragon season 3, there’s breakneck excitement and plenty of psychological nuance.
HBO’s Version Of Rhaenyra’s Ending Will Still Be Divisive
Warning! Spoilers for Fire & Blood (and potential future episodes of House of the Dragon) ahead!
Just because House of the Dragon is giving us a slow, steady, and tormented decline, it doesn’t mean Rhaenyra’s ending will be any more popular. In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, it’s said that the queen became increasingly distrustful, paranoid, and blood thirsty. Then, she was betrayed, leading to her execution by Aegon and his dragon, Sunfyre. This guarantees that House of the Dragon‘s ending will be yet another tragedy. We will, once again, have to watch our Dragon Queen die.
Of course, there is a bit of a difference here. Book and TV fans alike were shocked by Daenerys’ death, while those familiar with Martin’s Fire & Blood know that Rhaenyra’s end is near. So, while the queen’s death will likely cause similar disruption for those who avoided spoilers, that won’t be the experience across the board. Further divisiveness, however, will come from House of the Dragon‘s changes to canon. The show already has a reputation for playing fast and loose with Martin’s story, and it appears that won’t end any time soon.
Already in House of the Dragon season 3, Rhaenyra’s ending has been tampered with. Season 3, episode 3, seemingly confirmed Sunfyre’s death, making it impossible for this particular dragon to consume Rhaenyra as he is supposed to. So, while the queen’s psychological decline has been handled beautifully, House of the Dragon isn’t quite in the clear. We will have to see how it all plays out.