The latest episode of House of the Dragon season 3 breaks the usual mold to bring us an installment purely focused on Rhaenyra Targaryen ruling, after she took the Iron Throne in last week's episode.
Spoilers for season 3, episode 3 follow. Turn back now if you're not up to date!
One of the many problems Rhaenyra is faced with is the matter of her Hand, Corlys Velaryon, and his two bastard sons, Alyn and Addam, whom Corlys has promised legitimacy. After accusations levelled against Rhaenyra's own children, the new queen is reluctant to legitimize Corlys's son.
Corlys, however, is extremely unhappy with this decision, and, in a shocking moment, he shouts in Rhaenyra's face that her children were bastards.
"It's one of the things that he does without thinking," Steve Toussaint, who plays Corlys, told Variety of the moment. "Looking at the scene in the script, I remember thinking, 'OK, well, the last time someone said that to her, it was his brother, and he died within seconds.'"
Way back in season 1, Corlys's brother did indeed declare Rhaenyra's sons bastards when Driftmark's succession was called into question. Daemon swiftly – and brutally – killed him in front of the court.
"So this is a very dangerous thing to do, but I feel like he's completely at the end of his tether," Toussaint continued. "In that moment, he doesn't care, which, again, is why he raises his voice. It's not like he sort of just goes, 'I know what's going on.' He screamed it out. He doesn't care. And it's very defiant: I dare you to prove me wrong, because the world has suspected this anyway, and I've kept a secret. It's not careless abandoned, that's not quite what it is. I think it's like, do your worst. I don't care. There's nothing you can do that will make the truth any different to what it is."
The scene ends before Rhaenyra can properly react, but it's safe to say there's some bad blood between the new queen and her Hand now.
House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.
For even more, check out our House of the Dragon season 3 review or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.
