House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1 “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood,” is this show’s greatest battle so far, a battle on a scale to rival Game of Thrones’ Hardhome episode or The Battle of the Bastards. The problem, of course, is that those Game of Thrones battles worked for one very important reason: we cared about the people involved enough that the stakes felt real. Here we can appreciate the scope of the naval battle and the way it’s constructed, but by the time Jacaerys Velaryon lies dead and the episode comes to a close, we’re still pretty ambivalent about the whole thing.
The problem is, of course, that House of the Dragon has kept the development to its core characters, and outside of those, we really don’t care enough about anyone else. In Team Black, the problem is compounded by the fact that the younger generation, particularly Baela and Jace, who take center stage this episode, have gotten so little in the way of character growth that we only worry about them because of what their loss would mean to their parents or the cause.
On the other side of the coin, there’s Corlys, a character we know very well but who we don’t actually like all that much. In fact, Corlys serves as the one character who makes us like everyone else around him. We liked Rhaenys much more than we did him, and with him gone, we absolutely like Alyn and Addam of Hull more than we do Corlys.
The Battle of the Gullet is over, and there are no winners. In fact, it seems like both sides lost. And the repercussions will surely be felt by all.
The Powerless Queen(s)
“Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood” is a case study in how powerless women can be, even while they have power. Alicent is the Dowager Queen and has basically ruled for years while Viserys was sick, and yet this episode finds her trying to convince her son Aemond to leave King’s Landing and running around trying to ensure that when Rhaenyra gets to the capital, she will not face a battle that will leave many dead.
Rhaenynra, meanwhile, cannot even choose to head straight to battle at the Gullet without her son, Jacaerys, deciding that his mother needs to be protected from herself and locking her in her room. He doesn’t do this alone; he’s got help from her Queensguard, Ser Lorent, and Baela, who follows Jace into battle. And in the end, Rhaneyra won’t even be able to get mad at her son, because he’s dead.
Power is fickle, is the thing. Especially when you’re a woman. Alicent has to allow Aemond to believe he’s got the upper hand—creepy kiss and all—to get what she wants. Rhaenyra has to stay locked in her room because she’s an idea more than a ruler, and protection from the men who claim to follow her looks like stripping her of her agency. But that’s not what either of them wants. And the journey now becomes how these two fight to get real power back, despite the world conspiring against them.
The (Bad) Decisions of Youth
Ah, Jace. You could have been such an interesting character.
Ironically, the most interesting thing Jacaerys Velaryon ever did on this show, just like Lucerys Velaryon before him, is die. His death will drive the plot for his mother, Rhaenyra, likely for his stepdad Daemon, and even for his fiancée Baela. But his death should have also been pretty devastating for us as viewers. If it’s not, it’s because the show never took the time to develop Jace as anything other than Rhaenyra’s oldest.
This generation of the Greens hasn’t gotten as much development either, but I’ll argue we know more about Aegon, Aemond and even Helaena than we ever did about Jace. Perhaps, after his death, the show will develop Baela a little more. By giving Rhaena what is essentially Nettlle’s plot and making her shoulder some of the blame for what happened to Jace, they commit to at least developing her a little. It’s just sad that we had to lose Jace before ever truly caring about him.
Rhaena is also an interesting character because this can be seen as her trying to be helpful, but it’s ultimately a selfish decision that’s as much about her wanting to be seen (by her father, her sister, Rhaenyra) as it is about a desire to turn the tide of the war on the side of the Blacks. And her decision, reckless as it is, has dire consequences that I’m pretty sure she won’t be willing to face.
However, I will say Rhaena in the Nettles plot is actually a book change I don’t mind. Jace’s death being part accident part misunderstanding, just like Luke’s was, is a copout, but the ramifications of Rhaena being Nettles? That can work. If something is going to drive a wedge between Rhaenyra and Daemon, putting Rhaena in that role makes more sense than a random woman. Of course, it would have made even more sense if we were ever allowed to see Daemon as anything remotely resembling a caring father. Or, if not a caring father, at least a father who remembers he has daughters. But alas, sometimes with this show, things like that feel like asking for too much.
Neverending War
The men are at war in the first episode of Season 3, “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood,” and though I confess I have no idea what Daemon is still doing in the Riverlands. In fact, this is about as obvious a plot decision as there can be, as he is only there to keep him away from Dragonstone, where he surely would have been the one to fly to the Gullet, and nothing bad would have happened to Jace. Not to mention, he would not have locked his wife in a room.
But let’s take a moment to cheer for the Winter Wolves, even if Craegan Stark is not around. Trust me, whether you are a Stark apologist or not, in House of the Dragon, you’ll be rooting for the Starks.
Just as Aemond heads for the Riverlands, however, Daemon will surely head to Dragonstone because we cannot have those two facing off anytime soon. Matt Smith is needed for the Season 4 press tour, after all. And then there’s Ormund Hightower, who is sure to be a delightful thorn on our side, if nothing else, because he’s played by James Norton, who is too good an actor to waste on a character that will just do as he’s told. For now, he’s just being charismatic in that quiet way. And hiding Daeron, surely. Fun times await.
Or not.
Things I think I think:
- Alyn is the only winner of this episode because he’s the only character we walk out of this hour caring about.
- Like, Corlys is lost to the sea, and I’m just like “meh, he’ll turn up.”
- Triarchy storyline, we hardly knew you. We never cared.
- Also, goodbye to the Lannisters; we also hardly knew you. And also didn’t care.
- Rhaena, baby, when your Targaryen side came out, and you were like, “There’s a battle, what will I do with a dragon I can’t control? I know, head there.” I really wanted to shake you.
- Convenient that Baela didn’t see the other rider. CONVENIENT.
- Rhaenyra has the worst advisors in the history of advisors.
- Well, I guess Daenerys would say hold my beer.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1 “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood”? Share with us in the comments below!
House of the Dragon airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.
