House of the Dragon Series Review (Season 3)

Released: 21st June to 9th August 2026

Number of Episodes: 8

Certificate: 15

Created By: Ryan Condal

Starring: Emma D'Acry, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, James Norton, Tom Glyn-Carney, Phia Saban, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel and Matthew Needham

2026 has been a big year for A Song of Ice & Fire, following the smaller-scale debut of Dunk and Egg, it’s time for the next chapter of House of the Dragon. After a somewhat lacklustre build-up in the second season, the war of succession has reached a boiling point in the third entry. For the most part, it’s a very satisfying offering.

After a final failure of diplomacy, the Targaryan and Hightower houses are now at each other’s throats. Queen Rhaenyra Targaryan (Emma D’Acry) appears to easily win the ensuing conflict, but sitting on the Iron Throne is a more complicated matter. With the gold reserves missing, animosity among the populous and a growing insurgency, it’s clear that the Hightowers are down but not out. From here the prequel shifts back to multiple perspectives. Rhaenyra and Daemon (Matt Smith) handle the main business from King’s Landing while tracking down their foes while Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and her daughter Helaena (Phia Saban) try to keep their heads down in the same city. Meanwhile, an injured Aegon (Tom Glyn-Carney) looks to escape Westeros until he can rebuild with Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) at his side and the town of Tumbleton becomes a makeshift fortress for Ormund Hightower (James Norton) and his army. Sprinkle in the tussles between dragons and their riders and you’ve got a potent mix. The show builds all sides of its setting, from the biggest castles to the dangerous roads between them. We also get a sense of distance and terrain that has been missing from this series for some time; seeing Ser Cristan (Fabien Frankel) and his men navigate a muddy quagmire adds an extra layer to the plot, emphasising the difficulty of rooting out their foes. Interestingly, Aemond Targaryan (Ewan Mitchell) takes Daemon’s place in Harrenhal with the mysterious Alys (Gayle Rankin), but this plot thread is handled much better than the last season. It doesn’t bog the pace down and allows Aemond to be more introspective.

The cast showcases the toll of the conflict at every turn with Rhaenyra always at the centre. Her personality starts as proud triumph then slowly devolves into something more callous. Fans of the series will be glad to know that Matt Smith is back to his ruthless best. With no bland side quest to tie him down, he embarks on many search parties and fully partakes in the climax. Desperation is a key factor for many of the characters with Olivia Cooke and Phia Saban conveying the most visceral moments. Some of the larger dragons allow the side performers to flex their acting chops, most notably Phoebe Campbell as the wayward Rhaena; her efforts to tame the hulking Sheepstealer pack in plenty of emotion. There are many characters and relationships to keep track of and while most of them are well written and acted, there are several flimsy moments that feel rushed or thrown together in haste. Later scenes between Rhaenyra and her advisor Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) have an emotional flare-up that doesn’t really go anywhere and some members of the house of Velaryon don’t receive proper payoffs over the eight episodes.

The sense of scale remains on top form. As early as the first episode, the third season locks you into a massive naval battle that places the brilliant special effects front and centre. The dragons have never looked better and the camerawork follows suite, using wide shots to convey the chaos of the combat. Often times, there are many twists and turns and the unpredictable nature of both the dragons and their respective armies adds further tension. The eight episodes are filled with variety when it comes to the environments and the soundtrack continues to impress.

House of the Dragon has regained some of its mojo for the third chapter; each of the narrative threads is well written and well-paced with just a few stumbles along the way. There’s a solid momentum here and with two memorable set pieces at either end, the foundations have been laid for a rousing conclusion.

Rating: 4/5 Stars (Great)