This article contains spoilers.
Last week on House of the Dragon Season 3, we saw King’s Landing descend into chaos after several of the city’s watchmen turn up butchered on the streets. In Episode 6, entitled “Faceless Men,” we get to know more about these killers — or at least, just the little they’re willing to betray about themselves.
In an episode that’s all about killing, the first scene does not disappoint. Criston (Fabien Frankel) and his men march on a Team Black camp, only to find its soldiers, Rivermen, dead. Except they’re not actually dead. The ambush leaves very few of the Green soldiers alive, including Criston, who watches Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes), Winter Wolves commander Roderick Dustin (Tommy Flanagan), and their men emerge from the fog. Outnumbered, Criston challenges Oscar and Roderick to a two-on-one duel to spare his men, but Alysanne Blackwood (Annie Shapero) kills him with her bow, starting a second wave of attacks that kills the rest of the Greens.
In King’s Landing, the Small Council discusses the watchmen assassinations and what they should do next. Rhaenyra’s brash uncle-husband Daemon (Matt Smith) suggests burning everyone and everything, but others disagree. Alyn (Abubakar Salim) says Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) should answer “with force, but discriminately.”
A representative of Borros Baratheon comes at the queen’s summons, but Rhaenyra is upset that Borros isn’t there. To recall, House Baratheon had promised troops for the Greens and his daughter’s hand in marriage to Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), but nothing has still become of it, frustrating Ormund (James Norton). Where the house’s allegiances lie at this point is still unclear.
The guards have found Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Helaena (Phia Saban) in the hidden corridor where they got stuck last episode. Rhaenyra confronts Alicent, who tells her that Helaena is pregnant. The queen doubles their guards and bans them from walking in Godswood to keep people from seeing that Helaena is bearing a child. When Rhaenyra leaves, she asks Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) if she knew about Helaena’s pregnancy, but Mysaria, lying, says no.
Who’ll Keep Watch Over King’s Landing Now?
Elsewhere in the Red Keep, Daemon promises that Luthor and the other watchmen will be avenged, but the remaining Gold Cloaks turn in their gold cloaks and desert him, fearing for their lives and frustrated by the lack of a salary (remember: King’s Landing is still broke).
Alyn goes to Corlys (Steve Toussaint) and asks to get more Velaryon men in the city watch to replace the Gold Cloaks. Corlys reluctantly agrees and tells him that he’s heard from the Triarchy pirates that Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) is still alive and making for Rook’s Rest.
But as we know, Tyland has already made it to Rook’s Rest. Now, he’s digging a shallow grave for the man that Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) killed in the last episode. As they bury him, Larys (Matthew Needham) says he’s found passage to Braavos, one of the cities in Essos, across the sea. Tyland says they’re making a mistake sailing out of Westeros, and that Aegon is welcome to establish his court at Casterly Rock instead. Aegon, however, chooses to sail for Braavos.
In the Vale, Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) spots two dragons in the distance and recognizes one of them as Moondancer, the dragon of her sister, Baela (Bethany Antonia). The episode doesn’t show her riding out to follow her sister, but later on, Rhaena is brought to Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin), who scolds her for risking being seen in public. The lady warns her (former) ward that Rhaenyra already thinks that Sheepstealer’s rider is dead, and that both Rhaena and Jeyne may get in trouble if the queen finds out the truth.
In Driftmark, the Velaryons’ seat of power, Alyn finds Baela and asks her to talk to Corlys, feeling distant from his birth father. The two bond about their family problems and the responsibilities they both take on as the eldest children, before uncle and niece (Baela’s mother is the late Laena Velaryon, Corlys’ daughter) share a kiss. The Velaryons may not be Targaryens, but they are blonde, and in Westeros, that’s enough to merit incest.
Where Did Gwayne Go?
Last episode, we saw Gwayne (Freddie Fox) abandon Criston, which turned out to be the right decision, after all. He arrives in Tumbleton and suggests that they surrender to Rhaenyra, especially with dragons Silverwing and Vermithor watching them. But Ormund believes Rhaenyra would never burn her own subjects, and that the great houses will join the Greens in the war. Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) is happy to see his favorite uncle again, and tells Gwayne in private that he knows Ormund is using him as a puppet.
In Harrenhal, Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) tells Aemond that she is indebted to him after he saved her from bounty hunters. Aemond aims to go out and look for Vhagar, but Alys convinces him to stay when she shows him a crate of old dragon eggs that he may be able to hatch and suggests that they could be king and queen together.
Back in King’s Landing, Daemon lures an assassin by dressing up as a watchman. He asks how many of them there are, but the assassin refuses to answer, saying instead they have no number. Daemon kills him and, on his way back to the castle, runs into Ulf (Tom Bennett), whom he beats for disobeying Rhaenyra’s orders to stay at the Red Keep and away from taverns.
At Tumbleton, Hugh (Kieran Bew) sneaks into the city disguised as a farmer. He finds his wife, Kat (Ellora Torchia), also known as the woman who almost got assaulted by a Hightower soldier in Episode 4, and asks her to return to King’s Landing with her. But Kat refuses, angry that he had left her alone while he sought out his own glory as a dragonseed.
Meanwhile, an envoy of House Baratheon arrives, all dirtied up and making Ormund squeamish. A man who introduces himself as Arrion Baratheon says the house is bending the knee to Daeron and asks to see him so that they can bow to him. But Jon Roxton (Joplin Sibtain), Ormund’s lieutenant, kills him and the rest of the men in the Baratheon delegation. Gwayne tells Ormund that they were assassins sent to kill Daeron. He also says that the real Arrion was taller and more attractive. Ormund throws a fit, but before he could finish berating Rhaenyra, he vomits, nauseated by the smell.
In a desperate bid for freedom, Alicent tells Rhaenyra that she believes Aemond is in Harrenhal. Rhaenyra says her riders have searched for Vhagar there, but Alicent suggests that the dragon and his rider have been separated. The queen sends out a man to kill him, with his mother in tow for assurance. Rhaenyra then receives a package from Tumbleton, a vest with a warning, most likely from Ormund: “Kick this dog and it will bite your hand.”
At night, in the woods, Corlys tells his men that they’re going to King’s Landing, but they’re ambushed by Jon and other Green assassins.
House of the Dragon Season 3 is streaming on HBO Max.
Frequently Asked Questions
The killers are known to be hired by Ormund Hightower to threaten Rhaenyra Targaryen and her claim to the throne.
Criston Cole dies in an ambush by the Rivermen. Alysanne Blackwood kills him after he challenges Oscar Tully and Roderick Dustin to a duel.
Yes, Alicent reveals to Rhaenyra that Helaena is pregnant, prompting the queen to double her guards and restrict her movements to keep the pregnancy hidden from King’s Landing, as the child may turn out to be another claimant to the throne.
The remaining Gold Cloaks desert Daemon out of fear for their lives following the watchmen killings, compounded by the crown’s ongoing failure to pay their salaries.
Aegon chooses to sail for Braavos with Larys Strong, rejecting Tyland Lannister’s suggestion that he establish a court at Casterly Rock instead.
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