House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 4 “Tumbleton” is a showcase for James Norton’s Ormund Hightower, as the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place. It’s still mostly setup, but now the setup seems to be leading somewhere as Ormund reveals his true nature and Daemon makes the obvious and yet most surprising decision possible.
There was no reason for Ormund Hightower to be as interesting as Norton has made him, and yet here we are, with a new villain to hate and also obsess about a little. Such is the House of the Dragon way. There’s a very volatile cocktail of arrogance and barely contained violence in Ormund that is sure to explode sometime soon. We’ll see if Daeron can get out of the way before it does.
Overall, it’s a good episode because Norton makes it so, and because the big change from the source material regarding Nettles finally pays off in this hour. Of course, Daemon would do that. What else was he going to do? Now the stage is set for what’s coming next, and it’s not going to be pretty.
MORE: Read our review of Episode 3 of Season 3.
Father of the Year
Daemon Targaryen has never exactly been a great father. We saw some moments of affection between him and Baela when she was younger, but the show has shown us absolutely nothing of him and his daughter, and very little of him and Rhaenyra’s kids or the kids they share. However, we know that he holds some affection for all of them. We saw it when Luke died. We saw it when Jace died. And we see it now, when confronted with Rhaena’s mistake.
Credit to Daemon, his first instinct isn’t to try to cover it up. Instead, it’s to tell Rhaena that they should both go to Rhaenyra. She will understand. I’m not exactly sure he believes that himself, but he says it. Rhaena doesn’t seem to agree and refuses to go with him. Not just that, she asks him to be a father for the first time in her life and let her go.
I won’t even go into how weird it is that the show hasn’t let Daemon be a father in general, or Rhaenyra be a mother to Daemon’s daughters, who she helped raise, because we’ve already gone over the show’s problems with the younger generation. But Rhaena’s request and Daemon’s decision here make sense within the context of what the show has given us, and it serves to set up what comes next very well.
Rhaenyra is going to find out Daemon lied, sooner or later. And her reaction is likely to make their previous marital strife seem like a walk in the park.
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With Allies Like That…
I have never really liked Corlys, and this episode doesn’t do much to change my mind. The problem with Corlys is that he pretends to be a political mind when he isn’t. He’s been a horrible Hand of the Queen because he’s unable to think about the big picture. Instead, he’s all about the now—and almost as importantly, about himself, what he wants and what he deserves.
Right now, what he feels he deserves is heirs. And Rhaenyra is robbing him of that. So, he’ll throw a tantrum and go to war, because… why not? That’s what men do or something. Let’s not even go into how he was fine with letting Alyn and Addam starve until their presence benefited him.
Alyn proves to be infinitely wiser than his father in the little time he gets with Rhaenyra, because he clearly has the vision his father lacks. And sure, Alyn wanted to be legitimized. But it seems like, unlike Corlys, he at least understands Rhaenyra’s decision isn’t about him, it’s about timing and about holding onto the power she already feels is slipping away.
MORE: Here’s our review of House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 2
Suicide Mission
It’s hard to feel bad for Criston Cole, and even if I can muster some shred of sympathy for Gwyane Hightower, it’s not all that much. Neither of them is all that likeable, even if Gwayne is infinitely better, and the conversations they have in this episode don’t really help to make us dread what’s coming their way.
There’s, of course, no going back for Criston Cole. He will forever be the dude who got mad that a woman didn’t want to give up everything she deserved to go be poor with him and then held a grudge for two decades. Gwyane I wouldn’t mind seeing survive, but considering the source material, I wouldn’t be surprised if this suicide mission ends exactly how they expect it to.
My one question about this storyline is: how long can they put off telling us what happened to Aemond? And where exactly is he? We saw Alys this episode, so he might not be far, but Aemond is way easier to hide than Vaghar. So, what gives?
MORE: Here’s our review of House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1
You Must be King
The contrast between Daeron and Ormund is so profound that it must be talked about. Ormund is obviously the villain, but Daeron seems like a pretty sweet kid, and it’s easy to see that he would probably make a good king, unlike his older brothers. But Ormund doesn’t want him to be king because he believes in this; he wants him to be king because, through Daeron, he’d have control.
Ormund doesn’t see Daeron for all he is, and doesn’t actually fully like him. He tells him, “there’s taint in your blood” and “the Targaryens are a savage race,” but believes the “superior” Hightower part of him is prevalent in Daeron because he raised him. Of course, we see from Daeron’s bond with his dragon Tessarion, whom he clearly cares for, that this isn’t exactly so. Ormund also makes clear he doesn’t want Daeron to “indulge in affection for that beast,” but Daeron doesn’t seem like he will listen in that regard. He already cares about his dragon.
The scene with Hugh the Hammer’s brother-in-law that will surely come back to bite us all in the ass is proof of Ormund’s brand of villainy, which is mostly about a sense of superiority and the belief that he is right. When Daeron tries to plead for his life, pointing out that mercy is also a kingly virtue, Ormund scoffs and tells him that he sounds like his father, like that’s a bad thing.
“Surely you do not wish to disappoint me,” Ormund says, and Daeron does what he wants. But there’s an undercurrent of fear to him, not just in the fact that he kills this poor man, but also that he apologizes to Ormund for speaking out and that Tessarion, in the back, seems ready to tear Ormund apart throughout most of this conversation.
It’s an interesting dynamic, and it sets up a lot. The most despicable member of Team Green. The most relatable. The problem is they’re together, and it feels like their destinies are very much tied.
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Things I think I think:
- Funny how Caraxes, who typically listens to Daemon and sometimes seems to be reading his mind, is like “nah, dude, there’s something you gotta see here, trust me,” about Sheepstealer and Rhaena.
- I don’t think we should be that surprised about Daemon being a good father, even if he hasn’t been shown to be. I’m more surprised that the series has portrayed him as a rather distant father, because we know he loves Rhaenyra, and we know he believes in Targaryen supremacy. Why wouldn’t he care for the kids?
- Notice that Rhaenyra doesn’t doubt Daemon’s words about the head he brings her; she’s just mad she didn’t get the chance to confront the person she believes is responsible for Jace’s death. But hey, it feels like Mysaria and Daemon’s back-and-forth insults might be paid off this way.
- Of course, Helaena is pregnant. Of course. We were missing a kid.
- And if it’s a boy, no way Rhaenyra can let him live.
- “Victory will be ours. It is the will of the Gods,” sure, Ormund. Sure, sure.
- Daeron being worried about being a “turncloak against my brothers” is kinda cute considering this entire war is based on that premise.
- I know this would only cause more trouble, but it pains me to see Tessarion tied down.
- “You must be king.” I wonder if he’d be willing to kill Aegon and Aemond to get his way.
- Tessarion burning the body feels more like trying to spare Daeron from seeing it.
- “And now, we begin.” Ominous words.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 4? Share with us in the comments below!
House of the Dragon airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.
