Winter Is Coming

If there's one thing House of the Dragonhas made abundantly clear, it's that keeping track of the Targaryen family tree is a royal headache for even the most studious of maesters. That becomes even more true during the thick of a civil war where multiple branches of the family are vying for the throne, each with their own line of succession.

Episode 5 of season 3 of House of the Dragonserves the exact same purpose as its counterpart in season 2: to add fodder content with little relevance to the overarching plot, which would be welcome in a 20-episode season, but seems like a waste of a good hour when there are only 8 precious episodes. The story does not move forward — and not even sideways, frankly. There are plot holes in every storyline. However, the episode deserves a pass solely for the cats that now roam the Red Keep.

We’re getting closer to the finish line in House of the Dragon season 3. Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen and Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 5. | Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO. Things are getting more chaotic in Westeros in House of the Dragon season 3, and we don’t see that slowing down anytime soon. This week, season 3 episode 5 delivers a eventful hour we couldn’t look away from, full of surprises, teases, and deaths.

In its fifth episode, House of the Dragon season 3 has hit its stride, delivering its tightest, most cohesive hour yet. Matthew Needham as Larys Strong and Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 5. | Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO. House of the Dragonseason 3 has been marked by ups and downs.

We’re inching closer to the conclusion of House of the Dragonseason 3, but there’s still a whole lot of action and excitement to get through before it wraps up. While the second season was criticized for slower pacing and a uneventful finale, this installment has been full speed ahead since the highly anticipated Battle of the Gullet in the premiere.

House of the Dragon season 3 episode 5 ends with the most shocking death of the season to date, and it has major ramifications for what’s likely to come for Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and her reign as the Queen of Westeros. At the end of the fifth episode of the season, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) discovers Ser Luthor Largent (Tom Cullen), the commander of the City Watch, also known as the Gold Cloaks, murdered. It’s not just that Ser Luthor has been killed.

Now that House of the Dragon season 3 has surpassed the dreaded halfway point, we're zooming to the final three episodes of the season, which are set to deliver some of the deadliest moments of the season yet. That's saying something for a season that has already been plenty deadly. But one of the season's expected deaths just received quite the heartbreaking tease.

Ormund Hightower gives Daeron Targaryen an important history lesson about the Yellow Toad of Dorne in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 5. In the episode, Ormund (James Norton) learns from his little birds in King's Landing that his plan to cause general unrest in the city by assaulting the City Watch is going quite well. Then, he asks Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) for a brief summary of his studies for the day.

If there was any doubt that Helaena was pregnant, House of the Dragon season 3, episode 5, cleared that up right away. At the top of the episode, Alicent is understandably worried about what Helaena’s pregnancy could mean, which is an understandable concern to have given the child is likely Aegon’s and therefore would have a claim to the Iron Throne.

Among the many curveballs we’ve received this season on House of the Dragon, it’s revealed in season 3 episode 4 that Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) is pregnant. For readers of the source material, George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood, speculation about Helaena’s fate began, considering Martin’s since-deleted blog post from 2024 which detailed his frustrations with the show’s direction for the character. But for viewers who didn’t read the book, many immediately questioned who the father is.