House of the Dragon Season 3 Episodes 1-4 Review

Dragons, battles, and the fight for the iron throne: House of the Dragon is back with season 3 and more compelling than ever. 

In Season 3 of House of the Dragon, the dragons are naturally front and centre, especially in episode 1. But now that the war is underway, both the audience and the characters themselves start to understand that the dragons are not necessarily a weapon to be wielded by the different factions but, rather, an untamable force of destruction across Westeros. This is especially evident in episode 1, which focuses on the Battle of the Gullet, a visually striking and narratively heartbreaking moment that shows us what this series does best: big moments with many characters involved that are not just beautiful on screen but also highly emotionally charged. Much like in previous seasons, episodes 1 to 4 prove that one of the show’s biggest strengths is how well the dragons are designed and integrated within the plot. Each animal is visually unique and has their own story as part of the bigger narrative of this season.

The acting in the first four episodes of season 3 is also phenomenal. Emma D’Arcy especially stands out as an incredible performer who is able to convey their character’s feelings and inner thoughts just through one facial expression. In episodes 1 to 4, the audience gets to see different aspects of the characters we know and love, with new challenges set before them that will bring out aspects of their personalities the audience has never seen before. Equally, the newer characters who were introduced in the second half of season 2 are further explored in terms of backstory and relationships amongst each other. 

While the first episodes make for an incredibly strong premiere for season 3 of House of the Dragon, episodes 3 and 4 are a little less compelling. When the multiple narrative strands get fragmented again, the narrative becomes weaker. Admittedly, the various locations and storylines across Westeros are interesting to see, but it is hard to keep track of all the storylines happening simultaneously when the show keeps jumping back and forth between four, or at times even five, different narratives, especially because we are yet to see how all of them come together.

In the second half of these first four episodes, some moments also end up feeling like fillers rather than entirely necessary to the plot. The character analysis is fascinating, but it doesn’t always move the narrative along, making parts of episodes 3 and 4 seem too long and with too little happening when the conflict alters momentarily. In these episodes that are less action heavy and significantly more dialogue based, the pacing feels off at times, but the writing is once again brilliant and extremely clever. The latter works particularly well when paired with the excellent cinematography and impressive special effects that make this show such a compelling one.

Overall, episodes 1 to 4 of House of the Dragon season 3 are a very strong first half of the season. With an incredibly impressive large-scale battle in the very first episode and dragons being a key element of the narrative, this season immediately sets its tone as an action heavy, well written, and beautifully filmed first four episodes. With the next danger constantly around the corner, we are left wondering what else might happen in the second half of the season and what other characters we might potentially have to say goodbye to.

Episodes 1-4 of House of the Dragon Season 3 are now available to stream globally on HBO Max. The rest of the episodes will be released weekly, with the finale airing on August 9.