ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Movies and TV devider A blood-soaked start for 'House of the Dragon' Season 3

A blood-soaked start for 'House of the Dragon' Season 3

Published Jun 22, 2026 03:47 pm
House of the Dragon Season 3 poster (HBO)
House of the Dragon Season 3 poster (HBO)

(WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK)

If Season 2 of "House of the Dragon" wasn't stressful enough, Season 3 raises the stakes even higher, delivering a premiere packed with shocking twists, dragon warfare, and heartbreaking losses that will keep fans on edge.

Manila Bulletin Entertainment was invited to an exclusive premiere screening of the first episode. As a longtime fan of the series, this writer can confidently say the season wastes no time throwing viewers into the chaos of the Dance of the Dragons.

The episode opens with a tense encounter between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. Hoping to prevent further bloodshed, Alicent urges Rhaenyra to claim her rightful place without plunging the realm deeper into war. Rhaenyra appears willing to listen, but her son, Prince Jacaerys "Jace" Velaryon, remains convinced it is a trap and warns his mother against trusting Alicent.

Any hope for peace quickly disappears when news arrives that the Battle of the Gullet is already underway. Determined to defend her claim, Rhaenyra prepares to join the fight herself. Fearing for his mother's safety and everything the Blacks have fought for, Jace takes matters into his own hands. He locks Rhaenyra in her quarters and convinces Baela Targaryen to ride into battle with him aboard their dragons, Vermax and Moondancer.

Meanwhile, Alicent is reunited with Aemond, who returns unexpectedly. She urges him to take control of Harrenhal, but the episode soon delivers one of its most jaw-dropping moments when Aemond shares a kiss with his mother, leaving viewers stunned.

Battle of the Gullet (HBO)
Battle of the Gullet (HBO)

Elsewhere, Rhaena Targaryen finally earns the trust of the wild dragon Sheepstealer after spending much of Season 2 searching for a dragon of her own. However, her arrival at the Battle of the Gullet only adds to the chaos. Instead of helping turn the tide, Sheepstealer begins burning the fleet of Lord Corlys Velaryon.

Unaware that Rhaena is behind the destruction, Baela joins the attack on Moondancer. Jace follows close behind on Vermax, but tragedy soon strikes. Already badly wounded from an earlier assault, Vermax is hit again and crashes into the sea. Jace survives the fall, only to be struck by enemy crossbow bolts before he can reach safety.

The death of Jace is easily one of the most heartbreaking moments of the episode and will no doubt leave many fans devastated.

The battle grows even deadlier when Sharako finally gets his chance to confront the legendary Sea Snake, Corlys Velaryon. The two engage in a brutal duel aboard a damaged ship. Just when Corlys appears ready to finish his enemy, he is thrown overboard and disappears beneath the waves, leaving his fate uncertain.

Harry Collett as Prince Jacaerys (HBO)
Harry Collett as Prince Jacaerys (HBO)

Stepping up in the chaos is Alyn of Hull, who emerges as one of the episode's biggest heroes. He takes on Sharako in a fierce showdown and avenges his father in a battle sequence that is as brutal as it is satisfying.

Beyond the carnage, the premiere also sets up major political developments. Larys Strong and Aegon are captured and forced to swear loyalty to Rhaenyra. Facing possible execution, Larys argues that both he and Aegon are worth more alive than dead, setting the stage for further intrigue in the episodes ahead.

With dragons falling from the sky, beloved characters meeting tragic ends, and the war escalating at an alarming pace, Season 3 wastes no time reminding fans why "House of the Dragon" remains one of television's most gripping fantasy dramas.

If the premiere is any indication, viewers should brace themselves for an even bloodier and more emotional season ahead.

"House of the Dragon" Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes released every Monday.

Related Tags

House of the Dragon Season 3 HBO Max PH Battle of The Gullet
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ static_articles_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.