House of the Dragon (2022): Tumbleton - S03E04 - RECAP

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This was probably not the most exciting episode of the series but for GOT and HOTD fans this might be the most satisfying episode in my opinion as we get to know more about dragons, more about their riders, see how Aegon knows Sunfyre is still alive, how Daemon lies for Rhaena, so many things happen on this episode. It all felt like small talk but not just to kill time but to give more context. Initially that rabbit across the river from Tumbleton gave me a bad feeling, the town looks peaceful for seconds, then Green soldiers fill civilian homes while locals strengthen the defenses. Ormund has spread roughly fifteen thousand men through the town, meaning Rhaenyra cannot send dragons without roasting people who already bent the knee to her. That setup is smart and nasty, he uses every family as protection while daring the queen to become the monster her enemies already call her. Lord Footly and his wife confront him while he sits naked in their bath I would guess, Daeron waiting nearby like a squire and Ormund talks about order like taking another mans home is normal for him, or to say it better its the right thing to do, to beat the Targaryen because its clear he hate them all, the greens, the blacks. We also get to know his little perfume container and the incense around him make the scene stranger, this guy can command an occupation, yet a bad smell seems capable of ruining his day and I liked that weakness because it never makes him soft, especially once Alicent explains his sensitivity to odors. The occupied home of Cat and her brother makes it personal, Green soldiers enter their space and one immediately turns threatening toward her, trying to make a move on her. Tumbleton never needs a giant battle to feel dangerous, the danger is already eating at civilian tables, sleeping under their roofs and calling the takeover protection, but the moment Verminthor The Bronce Fury lands near by makes things so much more interesting, this is going to be way better than Rooks Rest. At Tumbleton they are cutting down trees because the town was never built for war, trapping every family between an army inside and dragons outside.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11198330/
• Platform: HBOMAX

Ormund was easily the strongest part for me, because he can act like a fair lord in one room, then reveal the control underneath once Daeron is alone with him, he got the boy so confuse and yet dominated. When Cat and her brother demand justice after the soldier attacks her, Ormund hears both sides and orders punishment to the soldier who make a move on her, making him look reasonable. He turns that judgment into a lesson for Daeron, explaining that a ruler must control the public and his soldiers to latter on at close doors make Daeron take his first life, that first kill by hand. Then Gwayne sends word from Harrenhal that Aemond and Vhagar cannot be found and thats when Ormund flip and breaks the second realize his plan has lost its biggest weapon. Its interesting also how well Daeron knows him as he sends the servant away before Ormund hacks at the table with his sword, one of my favorite reactions because Daeron knows what is coming, if they ever go different ways this might be interesting. Daeron looks trained to survive that temper, which tells us plenty about their years together. Ormund is like a constant reminder, praising Hightower order while treating Targaryen blood like something dirty that needs control, like a disease on Daeron's blood. Daeron sitting close to Tessarion gives the opposite feeling, the dragon reacts badly to Ormund and Daeron has to calm her while the man who raised him gets closer. I think Ormund goes very very low when Daeron asks whether mercy is a kingly virtue, because it is that question that defines every thing he has thought him over the years, this is when the mask goes off and Ormund answers with anger instead of guidance. He puts the sword in Daerons hands, forces him toward violence, then offers respect once the damage is done, showing every kindness from him is just another tool to build a king he can control.

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The character of Rhaenyra just keeps expanding this season, she looks more lost every week and the small council scene makes that clear without anybody needing to announce that her rule is in trouble, when I say expanding Im going into the madness direction, she seems to be loosing it more and more, its like most Targaryen specially the blacks are born to fall into madness, thats just my perspective from the series. The table has empty positions, Corlys is missing, she pours her own wine and the council discusses how long the Rivermen and Winter Wolves need to reach Tumbleton. Honestly I get this is a though position but other than the people of Tumbleton what does this town represent for her? got six dragons, why not send two to some other Green Bannerman and do the same with them to force the greens out of Tumbleton, there some things on the series that lack some logic for me. She start to build up the small council by recycling some of them, lets Orwyle keep the Grand Maester title and return to her council, waves off the old attendance spheres as relics of a dead regime, but changing symbols does nothing about the money, food and loyalty problems in that room. Torrhen Manderly becomes master of coin, something that I saw coming after the rat banquet, he suggests taxes while the crown gold remains missing, exactly the solution that can turn hungry people against a new queen. In storage, Rhaenyra finds the broken model Viserys built of old Valyria while rats crawl through it, matching the kingdom she is trying to hold together, here she has a small moment with Alyn of Hull who suggests cats against the rats, a simple idea she likes and their conversation feels more useful than half the speeches upstairs, for this and for his father Corlys missing he then gets a seat a the council?? I was like hhhmmm. Then Ulf arrives with favors for his drinking friends, asking for tax relief, land, and pardons after they filled his head with requests, I totally flip but the worst is when Rhaenyra refuses, the way she refuse and tells him he cannot return to the tavern because Silverwing makes him too valuable to risk, which is logical for the crown and terrible for keeping Ulf loyal, he is literally in house arrest. Then he brings up the Queen of Bastards graffiti scrawled through the streets, since his friends only care about his money, and Rhaenyra reminds him his body belongs to her service now. Her response makes everything worse, sending Gold Cloaks into the streets to erase the graffiti and hunt whoever made it, while frightened residents are dragged from their homes and her wish for love turns into another reason for the city to hate her, lets remember this Gold Cloaks are still the same trained dogs Daemon build 20 years ago, during Season 1.

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Daemon getting to the Vale should have been another political stop, yet Caraxes refusing to behave turns the visit into the most personal problem he has faced this season and its here when the episode sky rockets for me, from Caraxes, from Rhaena, from the Daemon lying to Rhaenira, when you look at it everything conencts. Lady Jeyne sits above Daemon, reminds him about his former wife and wants him gone once he receives the gold. The comedy of Daemon hauling heavy bags works because Caraxes ignores him, thrashes around and senses Sheepstealer nearby. Then finding Rhaena with the Sheepstealer crashes his duty into family business, his daughter is scared, isolated and refusing to leave the first bond that made her feel she belongs and has a purpose. Daemon offers to take her to Pentos or return with her to ask forgiveness, but Rhaena will not abandon Sheepstealer after everything that happened so she asks him to lie, tells him she has never ask him for anything in her life, even insinuate "unless you betray me" , damn big words and he realizes protecting his daughter means returning to the Red Keep with a story Rhaenyra will question, he sits between his wife / queen and his daughter from another marriage. I mean everything about his trip to the Vale was damn sick, because the shots and talk at the Vale looked cheap because it all look like another errant he had to run. Back in Kings Landing, Daemon presents the head of a shepherd as proof that Sheepstealer is handled, then tries to move the council toward using the Vale gold for soldiers, gas lighting all them until Rhaenyra snaps with everything going on, she cannot focus once the head appears, the voices fade from her perspective and grief over Jace controls her again. Mysaria didnt bought the show and clearly does not buy the proof neither, she even challenges Daemon after, so the fake answer, Rhaenyras unanswered questions and Mysarias doubt turn his protection of Rhaena into another fuse to slowly burn inside the family.

Its been a while since we got some good content out of Criston and Aegon, but this episodes strips powerful men down until their pride is almost all the have left, and even for Aegon felt like he had nothing else for a minute, seen Sunfyre in a kind of comma and having to kiss some man dirty boots to stay alive. Aegon reaches Rooks Rest with Larys, walks to Sunfyres body, holds one of the dragon scales, and insists several times that Sunfyre is alive even when nothing answers him. Sunfyre body has become a local attraction as local men charge people to touch the dragon, then threaten Aegon and Larys, forcing both behind false identities as men of the faith. Criston reaches Harrenhal with Gwayne, passing bodies left by Aemond before finding the castle empty except for Alys Rivers who drops some news on them about Rhaenira winning the war, sitting at the throne and controlling Kings Landing, leaving their force without Vhagar or support from the capital. Gwayne wants to join Ormund at Tumbleton, which makes sense, while Criston talks about honor and continuing the original mission against forces far larger than their own. It almost feels like the characters of Criston and Aegon are old news, I really like that not only because I dont like them but its like the series puts them on hold and start to build momentum on them so at some point not only recycle them but turns them into something more important to the story. When you zoom out you can tell how every other character has some interest on the story and is risking more than their life. That connects back to Ormund, Rhaenyra, Daemon and Ulf, because every section shows that dragons, crowns, swords and old names no longer guarantee obedience. Tumbleton gives these threads room to breathe while pushing them in the same direction and the same ugly point, nobody controls the situation, alliances feel temporary and I am giving episode four an 8.5/10 because its full of context on every aspect of the story and its characters, including the dragons.

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Rating: 85/100

Originally posted through scrobble.life/tv.