All articles tagged with #alicent hightower
Variety recaps House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 7, detailing a controversial scene where Aemond’s encounter with Alys Rivers unfolds during a hallucinatory sequence with his mother Alicent present; the piece also discusses Alys revealing dragon eggs to Aemond as part of a long game to breed new Targaryens, with interviews unpacking the characters’ complex dynamics ahead of the finale.
In Episode 5, a sprawling conspiracy within King's Landing explodes into violence as the Gold Cloaks are killed and staged as a ‘feast for traitors,’ Criston Cole’s army falters under a cunning enemy, Aemond grapples with prophecy and trauma at Harrenhal, Alicent and Helaena get trapped in a hidden passage, Mysaria negotiates loyalties, and Tyland Lannister resurfaces to push new moves, signaling a darker turn for Rhaenyra’s grip on the realm.
Variety’s review says House of the Dragon Season 3 turns up the power, delivering spectacular battles—notably the Battle of the Gullet—while sharpening intimate, history-laden dynamics between Rhaenyra and Alicent, supported by new tensions like Ormund Hightower. After Season 2’s slower buildup, the premiere shows a war-is-hell core at work, with Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke grounding the epic in human consequence. Some legacy plot threads feel undercooked, but the season leans into meaningful character work and bigger set pieces as it heads toward a planned Season 4. Debuts June 21 on HBO/HBO Max at 9 p.m. ET.