House of the Dragon S3E1 Recap: "Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood"

The long-anticipated* Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon, titled “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood,” wastes no time reminding viewers that the Dance of the Dragons is not, and will not be, a war built on victory, but on unending sacrifice. After two seasons of mostly political maneuvering, broken family promises, and the slow collapse of the Targaryen dynasty, the conflict between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and the Blacks, and Alicent Targaryen (Olivia Cooke), her sons, and the Greens finally reaches the point where armies, ships, and dragons collide. (*My recap for the finale of Season 2 was almost two years ago. But at least we got A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in the interim.) The result is one of the most devastating episodes of the series in terms of loss of life, as both sides discover that even victories in war often come at horrific costs. The episode centers around the long-awaited Battle of the Gullet, one of the best parts of the text in Fire & Blood, and a massive naval conflict that changes the course of the war and leaves Rhaenyra facing another devastating loss. The episode begins with the war continuing to reshape the political maneuverings of Westeros. On Dragonstone, Rhaenyra remains focused on reclaiming the Iron Throne while trying to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. After Alicent’s offer of Rhaenyra taking the throne peacefully at the end of Season 2, Rhaenyra’s priority is still to find a path toward ending the conflict without destroying what remains of House Targaryen. However, her son, her small council, and those around her increasingly understand that peace may no longer be possible. Her advisors and her son Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) urge caution, especially when Alicent reaches out with terms that appear to offer a possible resolution with such a small price in return (Alicent and her granddaughters get to remain alive). Jace, still carrying the trauma of losing his younger brother Lucerys at the hands of Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Vhagar at the end of Season 1, understands that trusting the Greens could put his mother and their entire cause at risk. Meanwhile, the situation in King’s Landing and the Red Keep continues to deteriorate. Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), weakened and frail after the events of the previous season, is captured while attempting to escape with the help of Larys Strong (Matthew Needham). His disappearance creates chaos within the Green faction, leaving Aemond Targaryen as the most powerful figure in the city. Aemond’s rise represents a dramatic militaristic shift for the Greens. Unlike Aegon, who has struggled with the responsibility of the duties of a king, Aemond embraces violence and fear and wants those to define his power. Alicent’s relationship with Aemond becomes one of the episode’s more complicated emotional themes. Once the person who pushed her children toward duty and responsibility, Alicent now appears to be seeing the consequences of the choices she helped create. She encourages Aemond to leave King’s Landing and confront Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) at Harrenhal, in a ploy to get him to leave the city so Alicent can usher in a peaceful transition with Rhaenyra. Her desperation shows how far the conflict has moved beyond political disagreements. The war is no longer about proving who has the better claim; it is about survival for her, even if it means losing Aemond and Aegon II. She writes to Ormund Hightower (James Norton), also telling him to stand down and wait for Aemond, hoping to avoid further bloodshed in a battle with Daemon. (We also see in this scene our first glimpse of Alicent’s son Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), who is also a dragonrider for the Greens.) Speaking of Daemon, one of the episode’s most important developments comes with his campaign in the Riverlands. After gathering support from powerful houses, Daemon’s forces clash with the Lions of the Lannister army. The battle ends with the Lannisters defeated, and the surprise arrival of the Stark army further strengthens Rhaenyra’s position. Led by Lord Roderick Dustin (Tommy Flanagan, let’s go!), whose banners are loyal to the Stark cause, the northern forces make it clear that they are willing to fight and die for the Dragon Queen. Their arrival ushers in an official entry of the Stark family, their bannermen, and Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor), who is playing a large role this season. This has become a conflict involving nearly every major house in Westeros. The episode also introduces a major turning point involving Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) and the wild dragon Sheepstealer. After searching for a dragon of her own at the end of Season 2, Rhaena finally claims the massive and unpredictable creature, with Sheepstealer even bonding with Rhaena enough to bring her food. However, Sheepstealer is not like the trained dragons of House Targaryen. The dragon’s wild nature makes it just as dangerous as the war itself, as Rhaena will soon learn. Dragons are supposed to be weapons of power, but at least some Targaryens and Valeryons are discovering that these creatures cannot always be controlled. This leads us back to the central event of the episode, the Battle of the Gullet, one of the most important naval battles of the Dance of the Dragons. The Triarchy arrives with a massive fleet under the command of Abigail Thorn’s Sharako Lohar (whose ship is called the Bitchfist, what a name!), working alongside Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) to break the Velaryon blockade and restore supplies to King’s Landing. The conflict immediately becomes a battle between ships, dragons, and two desperate sides. The Velaryons have controlled the seas for many years, including defeating the Triarchy many years ago. But the Triarchy’s new arrival threatens to destroy one of Rhaenyra’s greatest advantages. After Jacaerys orders the Kingsguard to lock his mother in her room so she can’t risk her life at the battle, Jace and Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia) take to the skies with Vermax and Moondancer, respectively, to help defend their family’s position. Jace has spent much of the series trying to prove himself as a leader, but has begun to question his true place after the events of “The Red Sowing,” when bastards were able to become dragonriders. Despite being the heir to Rhaenyra’s throne, he has always carried the burden of questions surrounding his legitimacy and the loss of his brother, Luke. His decision to fight in the Gullet is both an act of trying to prove his own bravery and a reflection of his desire to protect his mother. The battle quickly descends into chaos. Dragons unleash fire across the battlefield, ships are destroyed, and neither side can gain complete control. When Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) try to evade Lohar and her ships through a narrow pass, Lohar is able to track them through it and catch up to them, leading to vicious hand-to-hand combat between the two sides, including Corlys and Lohar. Lohar (having just tossed Tyland Lannister overboard) breaks the agreement she had with King’s Landing, because she is desperate for revenge for her people, whom Corlys and Dameon destroyed a decade ago. Alyn of Hull comes to Corlys’s aide when Lohar seems to have the upper hand, and kills her, saving his father’s life. The arrival of Sheepstealer at the larger naval battle only makes the situation more dangerous, despite the Targaryens and Velaryons having a three-to-zero dragon advantage. The wild dragon does not, or more likely cannot, distinguish between friend and enemy, attacking ships and causing confusion among the Blacks. The battle becomes a reminder that dragons, despite their importance to Targaryen power, can also become uncontrollable forces of destruction. The tragedy of the battle comes when Jacaerys and Vermax are pulled into the sea. After an anchored crossbolt strikes Vermax during the fighting, Jace is separated from his dragon and attempts to survive in the water. However, he is quickly killed by enemy arrows. The loss will certainly be devastating for Rhaenyra, because Jace was not only her one remaining son but also the person who represented the future of her claim to the Iron Throne. After already losing Lucerys, Rhaenyra has now lost another child because of the war that began over her right to rule. The death of Jace also changes the emotional foundation of the series, especially for Rhaenyra. Before this episode, there was still a sense that the younger generation of Targaryens could somehow repair the damage caused by their parents. Jace represented responsibility, patience, and a desire to avoid unnecessary destruction. His death proves that the Dance of the Dragons will consume everyone involved, even those who are trying to protect their families. By the end of “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood,” there is no true winner. And this theme is sure to continue for the remaining two seasons. The Blacks suffer the loss of Jace and Vermax, while the Greens and their allies experience heavy casualties as well, including the loss of the Lannister and Triarchy fleet. The Battle of the Gullet becomes a perfect representation of the entire conflict: a war where every victory creates another tragedy. Both sides of the Targaryens may have dragons, armies, and claims to the throne, but they are destroying the family and legacy they are fighting to preserve. The premiere sets the tone for Season 3 by showing that the Dance of the Dragons is entering its darkest stage. The title, “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood,” captures the entire episode: no matter where the battle takes us next—land, sea, air, or anywhere else imaginable in Wetsteros—fire and blood are sure to follow. It’s always good to be back in Westeros! I hope you’ll join me each week for a House of the Dragon recap.