New Home of the Dragon season 3 episode 3 pictures present the fiery begin to Rhaenyra Targaryen’s reign

It is the daybreak of a brand new period for Westeros. The second episode of Home of the Dragon season 3 noticed Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) notice her long-held ambition to assert the Iron Throne, and now in the end, her reign can start in earnest. What’s going to her first actions as queen be? And the way will they be obtained by her topics, nice and small?

These are questions we’d like solutions to, whilst Rhaenyra reels from dropping her son Jacaerys (Harry Collett) on the Battle of the Gullet and the violence of her personal ascension. And it appears to be like like we’ll be getting them within the subsequent episode of HBO’s Recreation of Thrones prequel sequence, as a result of the studio has simply launched a ton of gorgeous new pictures from Home of the Dragon season 3 episode 3, and almost all of them focus on Rhaenyra and King’s Touchdown. Similar to we did final week, we’ll run by way of all of them and glean what we will about what’s in retailer.

Daemon and Ormund parley within the Attain

Out of 23 pictures that HBO launched for episode 3, solely three of them aren’t in King’s Touchdown, so let’s begin there. These stills present a gathering between Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and Ormund Hightower (James Norton), which, as we noticed within the trailer for the episode, will probably be used as a option to introduce Daeron Targaryen, Alicent Hightower’s youngest son. Above, we have now Daemon along with his dragon Caraxes, wanting spectacular as all the time. And beneath, Ormund along with his second-in-command, Daring Jon Roxton (Joplin Sibtain):

I like that Ormund introduced his whole military to this assembly, and Daemon arrived with only a dragon. Ah, the facility dynamics of the height Targaryen dynasty. Here is a shot of Daemon and Ormund discussing what comes subsequent:

On condition that the Greens are out of energy in King’s Touchdown and Rhaenyra now sits the Iron Throne, one can assume Daemon might be feeling fairly good about this assembly. We have not seen sufficient of Ormund but to know the place his head is likely to be at, however I am hopeful we get some high quality time with him this week.

However nonetheless a lot we’ll see Ormund, there is no doubt who the star of Home of the Dragon episode 303 is: Rhaenyra Targaryen. Right here she is abiding over the Small Council:

Queen Rhaenyra guidelines over King’s Touchdown

This shot offers me chills, as a result of it calls again to one of many very first pictures that was ever launched of Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys, sitting in that precise chair in an identical pose. How far we have come.

Ah, however who’s on that Small Council? Our subsequent picture supplies a solution:

That is Daemon, Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), and Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), all within the Small Council chamber. Judging by Mysaria’s side-eye, she and Daemon are nonetheless going at it right here. It is also value noting that there is no signal of Bartimos Celtigar or Maester Gerardys, Rhaenyra’s advisors on Dragonstone. We’ll have to attend and see if she brings them alongside or offers them the boot, after the debacle with Ser Lorent locking her in her room in the course of the Battle of the Gullet.

We get fairly a number of extra pictures of Rhaenyra, each alone and with others. Right here she is in what seems to be her bed room, gazing at a fireplace; you possibly can see the glow lightening the facet of her that is closest and casting shadow on the remaining:

And right here she wanting fraught in what seems to be a distinct room. Be aware the again of the chair within the second picture; that is not the Small Council chamber:

We are able to say with some certainty that greater than sooner or later will cross throughout episode 3 whereas Rhaenyra guidelines, as a result of we get a number of pictures of her at dinner in numerous areas. Right here she is holding a feast for the gathered the Aristocracy. I ponder what’s on the menu?

And right here she is internet hosting Corlys and his two bastard sons, Alyn (Abubakar Salim) and Addam (Clinton Liberty) for a extra personal engagement:

HBO additionally bequeathed a number of shut ups from that dinner. Here is Corlys:

And Addam and Alyn:

These three — Alyn and Corlys specifically — simply served Rhaenyra nicely on the Gullet. It is sensible that they’d need to regroup after all the pieces the lot of them have been by way of, however it’s curious to see them at what basically appears like a household dinner. Bear in mind, up till final episode it was a secret that Addam and Alyn had been Corlys’ sons. However now that he is determined to legitimize them as Velaryons, it appears to be like like he’ll be extra comfy being open about their relation.

Here is another shot of Rhaenyra with Corlys, this time discussing one thing in a hallway. That is the newly launched gold cloak captain Ser Luthor Largent (Tom Cullen) standing with them:

Persevering with our tour of a day within the lifetime of Rhaenyra Targaryen, right here she is dressed for mattress, additional supporting the concept we’ll see a number of days cross in episode 3:

Is that the identical mattress that Viserys died in, and Aegon II lay crippled in for weeks on finish earlier than he was pushed from the fortress by his power-hungry brother Aemond? In that case, Rhaenyra ought to have that factor burned and get a brand new one. Who desires to sleep with that many ghosts?

And who is aware of, maybe she’s going to burn the mattress at that — or on the very least, each banner sporting the Greens’ model of the Targaryen livery she will discover. Take a look at this gorgeous shot of the queen standing earlier than a raging pyre:

Corlys is not the one acquainted face hanging round King’s Touchdown with the brand new queen, both. Right here we see extra pictures of Daemon Targaryen within the capital, this time lurking concerning the Pink Hold:

And having a moonlit dialog with Rhaenyra:

It has been good to have these two core characters again collectively once more, after spending most of season 2 and the beginning of season 3 aside. I am very a lot wanting ahead to extra scenes with Smith and D’Arcy as Daemon and Rhaenyra.

And that is not the one core character pairing we’ll see this week. Here is Rhaenyra with none aside from Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke):

Primarily based on the very fact Rhaenyra’s sitting, I am inclined to suppose this scene takes place in her room. That might imply she has Alicent delivered to her — or that Alicent is able to request to see the queen. Contemplating the queen dowager is now Rhaenyra’s prisoner, that hints at an fascinating dynamic between these two ladies within the coming weeks.

Above we have now one other, totally different scene with Rhaenyra and Alicent, this time with Alicent’s daughter Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) in attendance as nicely. This appears to be like to me like a distinct room than the earlier picture. Contemplating that the earlier episode ended with Alicent and Helaena strolling into the throne room proper after Rhaenyra beheaded Alicent’s father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), I am anticipating some uncomfortable conversations in episode 3.

The above nonetheless is an fascinating one. It reveals Rhaenyra with a personality we have not seen because the present’s first season: the Excessive Septon, performed by Simon Chandler. The final time we noticed him was throughout Aegon II’s coronation in “The Inexperienced Council.” Now that Rhaenyra has assumed energy in King’s Touchdown, she’ll must deal with all kinds of factions, together with the Religion — particularly if she desires a correct coronation herself. That is our first affirmation that she’ll meet with the Excessive Septon, and sooner reasonably than later.

Our subsequent few pictures appear to be establishing Rhaenyra’s first time really holding courtroom. Above, we see her being ready for the event, with two serving ladies serving to her don her robe and crown. Under, we see one other character we have not seen shortly:

That is the brothel madam Sylvi (Michelle Bonnard), who helps Rhaenyra and Mysaria incite the ire of the smallfolk in opposition to the Greens in the course of the worst of the blockade in opposition to King’s Touchdown, which disadvantaged town of meals for months. The one actual cause she could be standing within the throne room, and with Luthor Largent and Corlys Velaryon — the Hand of the Queen — on the base of the throne in addition to, is that if Rhaenyra is listening to petitions. Recalling how that went for the rulers on Recreation of Thrones, I would say Rhaenyra’s drained however steely expression as she sits the throne in our remaining picture might be warranted:

We’ll see how this and extra goes for Rhaenyra within the subsequent, very King’s Touchdown-centric episode of Home of the Dragon, premiering this Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.