“House of the Dragon,” the first big “Game of Thrones” prequel and spin-off, has finally returned for Season 3 — and critics are responding with overwhelming enthusiasm to the fantasy drama’s opening four episodes.
The first four installments, screened for reviewers ahead of the show’s June 21 premiere, plunge viewers straight back into the conflict. Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, played by Emma D’Arcy, continues her fight to reclaim what she sees as her rightful seat on the Iron Throne, uniting the Black factions against her former friend-turned-rival and stepmother, Queen Alicent Hightower, portrayed by Olivia Cooke, and the Green forces behind her. After Season 2 spent much of its final stretch setting up major confrontations — while leaving some storylines unresolved — Season 3 wastes little time delivering some of the most significant battles of the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. Reviewers, for the most part, are delighted.
Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky praised the season’s immediate intensity, writing, “This season wastes absolutely no time getting into the dark and gritty. The Battle of the Gullet is a massive, devastating spectacle, and it just gets wilder from there.” Melody McCune echoed that excitement in her review for MovieWeb, calling the new episodes a barrage of “sword-clashing, fire-breathing action” balanced with just enough political scheming. Looper’s own Matthew Jackson also joined the wave of praise, writing, “The series is better than ever, and the new season will have you hanging on every single moment.”
At The Daily Beast, Nick Schager described the season as “an assured and often-thrilling mixture of colossal battles and court intrigue.” Megan Lachinski, reviewing for Next Best Picture, was similarly impressed, arguing that Season 3 directly tackles many of the criticisms aimed at the first two seasons and, in doing so, becomes the show’s strongest outing yet.
Variety critic Alison Herman highlighted the season’s character drama, especially in the aftermath of Rhaenyra and Alicent’s secret meeting in the Season 2 finale, where they attempted to negotiate a path forward — one that was meant to end with the death of Alicent’s eldest son and heir, Aegon II Targaryen, played by Tom Glynn-Carney. Herman argued that, amid all the destruction, it is the people at the center of the story who make “House of the Dragon” compelling. Kaiya Shunyata of RogerEbert.com shared a similar view, writing that the series has recovered its emotional core by allowing its characters to evolve into fuller, more complex figures than they appeared to be in Season 2. Samantha Nelson of Polygon likewise pointed to the show’s blend of ruthless intrigue, large-scale action, and emotional devastation as a key reason it remains worth watching.
Not every review was glowing, however. Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter expressed some hesitation, saying he was especially taken with the third episode and parts of the fourth, but worried that the series may still be trying to juggle too much at once. Nick Hilton of The Independent UK offered a similarly muted response, describing “House of the Dragon” as “perfectly watchable fare.”
According to critics, House of the Dragon Season 3 is a triumph — and a pivot from the previous season
Ollie Upton/HBO
Over at Variety, Alison Herman praised the interpersonal conflict on the third season of “House of the Dragon,” which picks up after Rhaenyra and Alicent met in secret during the Season 2 finale to try and come to an agreement … albeit one that’s supposed to result in the death of Alicent’s eldest son and heir Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney). “Whether they provide surprise and distraction or anchoring ballast, it’s the people who make “House of the Dragon” worth enduring the predetermined devastation,” Herman wrote in her review. Kaiya Shunyata seemed to agree with this assessment at RogerEbert.com. “As the stakes grow, the show has managed to salvage its beating heart, allowing its characters to become fully realized, complicated versions of the husks who took up the screen in [Season 2],” she mused. At Polygon, Samantha Nelson declared, “It’s well worth watching to enjoy the same mix of cutthroat intrigue, spectacular action, and gutting drama that made the world fall in love with Westeros.”
Still, some critics had reservations, like Daniel Fienberg at The Hollywood Reporter. “Anyway, this all boils down to me really liking the third episode, liking portions of the fourth and fearing that no matter how much I like the change of direction that occurs in much of those two episodes, House of the Dragon has too much on its plate,” he wrote. Nick Hilton at The Independent UK expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “In truth, ‘House of the Dragon’ is perfectly watchable fare.”
Season 3 of “House of the Dragon” premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, June 21 at 9 p.m. EST — and here’s the only recap you need before you return to Westeros.
