House of the Dragon season three is now airing on HBO, and things are heating up both in Westeros and online, with the stakes and fans’ concerns for the series’ future higher than ever. Season three opens to the dance of the dragons in full force, but many fans are worried that the series has decided to step away from the source material, a move many cite as the reason for Game of Thrones‘ historically bad ending. Despite these concerns, HOTD’s powerhouse cast has delivered stellar performances, drawing fans back into the world of Westeros once again.
Trouble in Westeros
House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones, set around 200 years before the battle between the Starks and Lannisters. The series follows the members of House Targaryen as a civil war splits both the family and the world. HOTD sees Rhaenyra Targaryen competing with her younger brother for the Iron Throne as her claim is challenged by her childhood friend and stepmother, Alicent Hightower.
The series stars Emma D’arcy and Olivia Cooke as Rhaenyra and Alicent, with Rhaenyra supported by Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen, who is most known for his role in Doctor Who, and Harry Collett as their son Jacaerys Velaryon. Alicent supported by her sons Aegon and Aemond Targaryen, played by Tom Glynn-Carney and Ewan Mitchell. During the show’s first season, Milly Alcock (the star of this Summer’s Supergirl film) portrayed a younger Rhaenyra.
Martin’s Departure
This is not the only prequel to Game of Thrones that series author George R.R. Martin has created. Martin’s Hedge Knight short stories recently received an adaptation with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which debuted to critical acclaim. Many have compared the two prequels, as one remains faithful to the source material and succeeds, while the other has been struggling as it moves away from what Martin has written.
Despite still working on finishing A Song of Ice and Fire, on which Game of Thrones is based, Martin often involves himself in the creation of its adaptations. However, Martin has recently stepped away from involvement in HOTD, which many fans believed to be the beginning of the end for the series. Martin has cited a breakdown in his relationship with showrunner Ryan Condal as the reason for his departure; however, Martin has stretched himself thin with the projects he is involved in, and it has now been longer since the release of the fifth book in the ASOIAF series than it took for him to write the first five novels.
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Collett’s Message to Fans
Collet thanked fans for accepting him in such a life-changing role, stating that he hopes he has lived up to readers’ expectations for the character. Collet has previously been active on social media, sharing behind-the-scenes moments from the first two seasons, which has made fans grow more connected to the cast over the years.
Despite the love Collett has received since the premiere of episode one, changes to Jacaerys’ character are some of the most talked about among fans. Fans feel that Jacaerys deserved more time to flesh out moments from the books, and that changes to the battle of the gullet made his role in the episode feel less important.
The first episode of HOTD premiered on June 21, with new episodes set to release every Sunday with eight episodes in total. Despite fans’ concerns, the first episode debuted with a 9.3 on IMDB. Kicking the season off with high praise is sure to keep fans glued to the edges of their seats for the rest of the season, as fans know by now that no one is safe in Westeros.
