House of the Dragon season 3 has come to a fittingly shocking conclusion, and it may well spell doom for Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 8 follow! Turn back now if you haven’t seen the episode yet!
In the finale, Helaena, who has been held captive and isolated throughout the season, throws herself from the Red Keep to her death. Speaking at a press conference attended by GamesRadar+, Emma D’Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra, expanded on what that means for their character.
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“Helaena is the moral heart of the show, I think,” D’Arcy reflected. “Maybe the only character who has a proximity to power but remains uncontaminated. And so, I think her death condemns Rhaenyra to the path she’s chosen: no way back after that. There’s certainly no route back to a more moderate form of leadership. And I don’t know where we go from here, but I imagine it’s likely to be impassable in her relationship with Alicent, which I think also means Helena’s death condemns Rhaenyra to be alone in her pursuit for power.”
In the episode, Rhaenyra’s tenuous grip on the crown is threatened even further when news breaks that Aegon is still alive. This prompts Rhaenyra to arrange a coronation – and have the High Septon killed when he refuses to play along. Later, Rhaenyra finds a tapestry woven by Helaena – a dragon dreamer who could see the future – that depicts Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne, dripping blood and surrounded by flames and dying dragons.
“I was just thinking about Rhaenyra, her rejection of the Seven and murder of the High Septon, and this attempt to reject other legitimizing institutions,” adds D’Arcy. “And in a funny way, Helaena’s power of sight is another institution of legitimacy. I guess I just love the simplicity of looking at a document that could be hugely illuminating, but choosing to chuck it on the floor. Feels very odd.”
When asked if the window Helaena jumps from is the same as the window Tommen Baratheon stepped to his death from in Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal clarifies, “It’s a different set,” but acknowledges: “Echoes and reflections and parallels, for sure, to be drawn between the two series.”
For more on the show, check out our guide on everything there is to know about House of the Dragon season 4, as well as our House of the Dragon season 3 ending explained.