Two series from the fictional continent of Westeros are delighting fans of "Game of Thrones" and George R. R. Martin (77) this calendar year. Following "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" at the beginning of the year, the third (and penultimate) season of "House of the Dragon" is now ready to launch.
The new season goes all out right from the premiere episode. The civil war within House Targaryen between the "Greens" and the "Blacks" has now fully erupted.
At sea, on land, and in the air
It's no secret that the third season of "House of the Dragon" finally delivers the eagerly anticipated Battle of the Gullet for viewers, an event well familiar to readers of the source material by fantasy grandmaster George R. R. Martin.
In one of the greatest naval battles in the history of Westeros, supporters of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy, 33) such as the "Sea Snake" Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint, 61) clash with allies of Prince Regent Aemond (Ewan Mitchell, 29) and King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney, 31).
And the Battle of the Gullet absolutely delivers on its promise. Without revealing too much, dragons are deployed here, as are the giant crossbows already familiar from the finale of "Game of Thrones", which are so highly dangerous to the flying beasts that they can potentially even bring them down from the sky-or at least hit and injure them.
But the battles at sea also don't come up short. Hair-raising maneuvers by the ships involved are on display, as are fierce close combat on sinking vessels and unstable footing.
Too many characters in "House of the Dragon"?
And beyond the Battle of the Gullet, there's plenty of fighting in the return of "House of the Dragon" and the first few episodes of the new season. The viewer almost gets the feeling that HBO and the "House of the Dragon" creators wanted to make up a bit for the rather disappointing battles at the end of the parent series "Game of Thrones".
The only drawback of the HBO series' third season is that in light of the overwhelming battles, quiet character moments occasionally get short shrift. But since the roster of characters is also growing, aside from some deaths, there isn't always enough time here and there for a meaningful conversation. However, given the overwhelming battle panoramas, this doesn't weigh too heavily.
