House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 6 Recap: We’re All Just Yearners After All

The people want to see dragons and bloodshed, and while both House of the Dragon and its predecessor, Game of Thrones, have surely proven they can awe us with both swords and dragon fights, the true heart of these two shows has always been the verbal sparring. Some have been disappointed with the last few episodes of HOTD season three, hungry for the same fast-paced action of the beginning of this season. And while there are times, sure, when I crave the violent deaths and sweeping shots of aloft dragons, I know it all means nothing without context to back it up and provide the stakes. Episode six strikes a nice balance. It starts with a shock before slowing down considerably. Almost all of the storylines are moved along this episode, and the stage is set for what will likely be an exciting penultimate one next week, as the franchise is wont to have.

Episode six begins with a bang. Or, rather, a pierce. Criston Cole gets exactly what he wanted: death, though perhaps not in the way he hoped. It feels unlikely that anyone will write songs about getting shot with arrows before a battle has even begun. The timing of Cole’s demise at the beginning of the episode is a bit odd, and it’s fairly anticlimactic. Not very fitting for the self-proclaimed “Realm’s Greatest Warrior.” But it’s apt for the character, especially considering that he grasps Alicent’s handkerchief in his last seconds of life. The man died a yearner.

Cole’s death also proves that Gwayne was right in leaving Cole last episode. He quickly makes it to Ormund at Tumbleton, where it initially seems like he has jumped out of the frying pan and into the fryer, removing himself from one delusional man only to find himself at the whim of another. Like Cole, Ormund has no plans to lay down his sword, though he doesn’t have Cole’s same death wish. No, Ormund would prefer to live in luxury and allow underlings to engage in the dirty work, lest Ormund have to subject himself to the scents of common men.

Gwayne’s arrival allows us to learn more about Daeron. Up until now, he has played the role of Ormund’s mostly silent lackey. But the boy confides in his uncle, revealing that he has been simply acting accordingly so as not to ruffle Ormund’s very sensitive feathers. Daeron seems to be a sweet boy, likely Alicent’s only one. He tells Gwayne, “I hate who I am when I’m with him,” referring to Ormund, and he seems fairly uninterested in the crown. It’s almost too bad, considering Daeron might be the most well-adjusted of Viserys’s children, and likely the most well-suited to the role. Daeron proves to have a firm grasp on the situation at hand. He is surely more self-aware than Ormund, though that isn’t saying much.

What he isn’t, though, is daring, which is why it’s ironic that he has been bestowed the title Daeron the Daring by his followers. Daemon discovers as much when he dresses as a Gold Cloak and bests one of the members of Ormund’s underground ring who have been slaying the guards.

And Daemon isn’t the only one who goes undercover this episode. When a representative for House Baratheon answers a summons to King’s Landing by Rhaenyra without the head of the house, Lord Borros, in the party, the Queen is extremely offended. To make up for it, the group goes to Tumbleton as a Baratheon contingent to bend the knee to Daeron. In reality, they are there on behalf of Rhaenyra to murder Ormund and Daeron and put an end to the insurrection. Unfortunately for them, Gwayne sniffs them out while Ormund, for his part, does nothing in an attempt to stop the assassination attempt, aside from spilling his guts all over the table following its conclusion.

Not only does Rhaenyra’s plan fail, but it also seems to bond Gwayne and Ormund further. Ormund even apologizes to his cousin, and while he grants Gwayne leave to Oldtown, it looks like Gwayne will decide to stay up north for a while longer.

The slaughtering of the Baratheon host proves that Daemon was once again correct. He volunteers to slay Ormund and Daeron, and perhaps would have been more successful in doing so, but Rhaenyra rejects the offer. Yes, Daemon always defaults to violence, but thus far, Rhaenyra’s tendencies to lean toward passivity have consistently backfired. Perhaps, though, I am just keen on Daemon at the minute, considering he delivers, hands-down, the best line of the episode. As Manderly mocks the dragons’ lack of discernment during the Small Council, with a toss of his cup, Daemon shuts up the Master of Coin and states, “I’ll hear no more from those whose greatest battle has been with their own indigestion.”

Daemon also has words with Ulf, who he finds lumbering about King’s Landing, despite Rhaenyra’s previous insistence that he remain within the confines of the Red Keep. In general, things are not looking great for the Dragonseeds. Ulf and Hugh spend days watching over Tumbleton, an excruciatingly dull task. And there is also little joy in their off-duty lives. Ulf is prohibited from going to the taverns or even showing off his new dragon. “What’s the point of having a dragon if no one is around to see it?” he asks. Hugh, meanwhile, was holding it together for his wife, but when he finally sneaks into Tumbleton to see her, she chides him for abandoning her in order to go claim a dragon. The life of these men has almost completely drained out of them since they became dragonriders, and while, for the most part, their roles in this season thus far have been fairly inconsequential, it seems likely they will eventually snap.

Of course, Rhaenyra is completely oblivious to the fact that two of her dragonriders may be on their last legs. She, per usual, has a laundry list of other problems occupying her attention. The Queen once again visits her favorite prisoner, Alicent, to admonish her old friend for attempting to escape. Rhaenyra rightly acknowledges that she must punish Alicent. Too many people know about the escape attempt, and doing nothing will undermine Rhaenyra’s authority. So what does the Queen do? Nothing. Well, not necessarily nothing. She revokes Alicent and Helaena’s outdoor privileges, all the more necessary now that she knows the latter is pregnant. Rhaenyra tells Mysaria about this news, and the White Worm lies and denies having prior knowledge, providing some insight into her game plan. It seems the Mistress of Whispers is officially keeping her options open. Rhaenyra really should tell Daemon about the pregnancy, as he would likely suggest they kill Helaena. This would be the right—if not brutal—move, but Rhaenyra would likely once again ignore her husband’s shrewd tactics.

Alicent assumes it is only a matter of time until either Rhaenyra realizes she needs to take action, or Helaena dies from malnutrition. Her daughter is not eating out of depression, and instead simply sits around, working on her needlepoint. It is her prophetic work, which depicts Aemond at Harrenhal, that gives Alicent an idea. She is once again forced to choose between children, and she decides to prioritize Helaena and her unborn child. Alicent visits Rhaenyra in an attempt to make a deal, revealing that she believes Aemond is still at Harrenhal and citing Helaena as evidence. Now, HOTD has been hinting at Helaena’s abilities for quite a while now, but this just might be the first time they’re truly acknowledged. Rhaenyra fully accepts Helaena's designation as a dreamer, and she moves forward with a plan. Send swords and Aemond will flee, but send just one sword with someone he trusts, and he could be captured. And thus, Alicent is off to trap her son and send him to his likely death.

Of course, Aemond is none the wiser of the schemes underway to catch him. He has healed and is ready to go find Vhagar. Alys Rivers does her best to prevent his departure. Once again, Alys remains one of the most intriguing characters in this story. She boldly stated her intentions and goals in the beginning of the season, but it seems like there has been a bit of a change in her desires. Is it possible that Alys actually feels something for Aemond? Or, has she now set her sights beyond Harrenhal and sees Aemond as her ticket to even greater power? She presents him with a store of dragon eggs left at Harrenhal by Rhaena Targaryen almost a century prior and speaks of the return of the Targaryens to the castle. The two share a moment as Alys suggests a partnership—“I will be the Lady of the Water, and you, the dragonlord by my side”—which he seems to accept with a kiss.

The rest of the episode is rounded out by the continuation of several side stories. We learn that Jeyne Arryn gave Rhaena permission to live hidden in the caves of the Eyrie. But when Rhaena sees her sister’s dragon and flies off to try to catch her, Jeyne scolds Rhaena. She threatens the girl to remain hidden, lest Rhaenyra learn Jace’s killer is not only still alive, but has been granted asylum by Jeyne. Baela, meanwhile, is kissing her uncle, Alyn, despite displaying some sexual tension with his brother, Addam, in the previous episode. Aegon has seemingly come to terms with the fact that he’s a terrible person and opts to embrace his cowardice and head over to Essos. Rhaenyra is still avoiding her son Joffrey and struggling with petitioners, but the worst comes to pass when the Iron Throne cuts her. If her crippling passivity and indecision didn’t prove she might not be right for this job, that omen surely will.

Finally, Alyn is sent to request that Corlys send his Velaryon men to King’s Landing to protect the city in the absence of the City Watch. Corlys is still bitter over Rhaenyra’s refusal to acknowledge his bastard sons, but Alyn rightfully points out that it took Corlys decades to do the same. It seems this gets to Corlys, as he agrees to help the Queen. But before they can even depart for the city, Ormund’s troops attack the Velaryon army and capture the Seasnake in the process.

And with that, we have just two episodes left in the season. I could say there are many loose ends to tie up in that time, but with a fourth and final season already confirmed, there is no guarantee that episode eight will end with any satisfying conclusions. But what we can hopefully count on is an exciting episode seven, which, if you ask the action junkies, is necessary.