Another week brings with it another episode of House of the Dragon season 3, and, this time, tensions are rising in Westeros.
After last episode saw Rhaenyra struggling to rule her new kingdom, this episode focuses on a brewing battle in Tumbleton. The green forces are taking over the city, while Rhaenyra is still grappling with a tenuous hold on power.
Below, we've got a complete House of the Dragon season 3, episode 4 recap, so you can get caught up on everything that goes down at a glance. Naturally, that means major spoilers follow. For even more, you can keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule, or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.
House of the Dragon season 3 episode 4 recap
The episode begins in Tumbleton. Green forces are taking over homes, including one occupied by a family that includes Hugh Hammer's wife. The atmosphere is incredibly hostile and uncomfortable. We also discover that the real Prince Daeron is Ormund Hightower's squire, after a plot to replace him with a decoy temporarily fooled Rhaenyra.
Rhaenyra seeks information on Ormund from Alicent, though the Dowager Queen doesn't know much about her relative except that he isn't a fan of strong smells. Rhaenyra's problems continue to stack up as Corlys now wants his bastard son Alyn – whom the new queen recently refused to legitimize – to take his place on the council and leaves the city. Maester Orwyle, meanwhile, returns to his position.
Out near Rook's Rest, Aegon and Larys find the corpse of Sunfyre. However, Aegon is convinced that the dragon is actually alive, though we don't find out for sure.
In Harrenhal, news that Rhaenyra has taken King's Landing reaches Criston Cole and Gwayne Hightower, and it appears Aemond and Vhagar have fled. Criston turns down Gwayne's plan to go to Ormund.
Meanwhile, things go from bad to worse for Aegon. He's put to work on the latrines by a belligerent local leader, which the green king can hardly stand. Things are also getting worse for Rhaenyra, as graffiti appears in King's Landing that brands her "queen of bastards."
The situation continues to deteriorate in Tumbleton, too, after a soldier attempted to rape one of the women in the household we were introduced to earlier in the episode. Ormund has the attempted rapist gelded.
Daemon heads to the Vale to borrow gold from Jeyne Arryn. As he's leaving, Caraxes flies him to Sheepstealer and Rhaena. Daemon is horrified to learn that Rhaena is the mysterious rider of the wild dragon, since Rhaenyra blames the rider for Jacaerys's death and wants justice. Rhaena, however, won't give up her dragon.
In Tumbleton, Ormund learns Aemond won't be coming from Harrenhal, and he smashes up his rooms in anger.
The dragonseed Ulf the White has a long list of requests for Rhaenyra, which she has little patience for. When she learns Ulf is going out to taverns, she confines him to the Red Keep. Ulf then tells her about the "queen of bastards" graffiti in the city.
Aegon has enough of his mistreatment in Rook's Rest and begins talking like a king to the ringleader, who promptly puts him back in his place by forcing him to kiss his filthy boots. It might be the green king's lowest point yet.
Daemon returns to Rhaenyra with the head of a random, very unlucky bystander shepherd, passing him off as Sheepstealer's rider. Rhaenyra is devastated, because she wanted to see the rider for herself, and she feels she hasn't truly had the justice she sought. Elsewhere in the Red Keep, Alicent discovers Helaena is pregnant. Outside, the gold cloaks brutally attack the smallfolk to find the culprit of the graffiti.
Back in Tumbleton, Ormund lectures Daeron about their superiority. Tessarion is small enough to be inside with them, and the dragon watches on. Ormund wishes to make Daeron king, and he brings forth a man from the Tumbleton family we've been following all episode, because he attacked the green soldier who attempted to rape his wife. The Hightower leader makes Daeron execute the poor man, and the prince does so by stabbing him in the chest.
Who dies in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 4?
Surprisingly, no major characters perish in this episode. Instead, it's the unfortunate man in Tumbleton executed by Daeron, and the innocent shepherd in the Vale, killed by Daemon, who meet their maker.
House of the Dragon season 3 episode 4 Easter eggs
Nettles: This episode confirms the direction the show is taking after cutting the dragonseed Nettles and replacing her with Rhaena. In George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood, Daemon and Nettles are a source of great conflict for Rhaenyra, and it seems in the show, it may be Daemon's paternal responsibility towards and love for his daughter that causes issues in the future.
Graffiti: The graffiti blasting Rhaenyra as "queen of bastards" calls to mind graffiti in Game of Thrones, which was aimed against Rhaenyra's descendant, Daenerys Targaryen. The words "Mhysa is a master" were graffitied in Mereen – Mhysa means mother in Valyrian and is what the freed slaves of Essos called Daenerys.
House of the Dragon season 3 air weekly on HBO and HBO Max on Sundays in the US and on HBO Max, Sky and NOW on Mondays in the UK. For more, check out our exclusive interview with Ryan Condal.
