'House Of The Dragon' Season 3 Episode 5 Teaser Breakdown: Who’s Gonna Die Next?

This week, instead of releasing a teaser focused on House of the Dragon season 3, episode 5, HBO has released a mid-season trailer that depicts shots from the fifth episode and beyond. You can also find a text overlay that says, “In The Weeks Ahead,” and this evidently makes it a bit difficult to tell which of these scenes are specifically from episode 5, but I’ll try my best. In the fourth episode of season 3, Ormund Hightower took over the market town, Tumbleton, planning his attack on King’s Landing, which is a mere sixty leagues away from King’s Landing. Ormund’s plan was to bring Aemond and his dragon, Vhagar, to join the fight so that, together with Daeron and his dragon, Tessarion, they could lay siege to King’s Landing and restore the rightful line to the throne. However, Aemond was nowhere to be found, so Ormund and his squire, Daeron, had to find another way to fulfill their objectives. In the meantime, Rhaenyra, instead of sending dragons to burn the whole town to ashes, sent a raven to the Riverlands’ hosts, and ordered them to march towards Tumbleton to take back the city from the Hightowers. And while Oscar Tully and his allies were on their way to Tumbleton, Rhaenyra sent her two dragonseeds, Ulf and Hugh, to keep an eye on the Hightowers’ army. The fifth episode will follow what happens next.

Spoiler Alert

The teaser begins with a bird’s-eye view of Criston Cole, inspecting a dragon’s foot (likely Vhagar’s) in the middle of a field.  He looks up at the sky, trying to figure out where Aemond went. The thing is, Cole doesn’t want to believe that Aemond would desert him, and I guess, sooner or later, he will find out that Alys Rivers lied to him. Furthermore, in this shot, Cole isn’t wearing his battle armor, and instead is dressed in civilian clothes. I think this is part of Cole’s plan to attack the Riverlands army as the scorpion does the ox. To become wraiths with fear as their standard, and strike the enemy in the dark of the night. Well, the usual guerrilla warfare, so Cole hiding himself in plain clothes makes sense. Also, Gwayne Hightower, who was at Cole’s side this whole time, doesn’t appear in the teaser with him, and it’s possible that these two men have parted ways due to some misunderstanding, or maybe Cole himself asked Gwayne to join forces with his cousin at Tumbleton.

Next, we have Rhaenyra, telling her small council that her patience has its limits. It seems like Ormund has done something to agitate her again, and that’s why she’s telling her council that she can no longer keep ignoring the attacks, as that will make her look weak. Or perhaps it has something to do with the graffiti on the wall, calling her “queen of bastards,” and I guess Rhaenyra may want to take strict action against those who dare question her dignity. In the next scene, we see soldiers’ tents on fire at night. It’s hard to guess whose camp this is, but I think this could be the doing of Cole, who burned down the Riverlands’ camps to slow them down and stop them from reaching Tumbleton and King’s Landing. Next, we have Alicent, holding a ring with the Faith of the Seven’s sigil on it. Rhaenyra’s voiceover plays over this scene, asking, “Have I not shown you mercy?” Most probably, Rhaenyra is talking to Alicent here, trying to tell Alicent that she has been more merciful with the Hightowers than they deserved. However, the important question here is: why did Rhaenyra bring this up? My guess is that Alicent may have asked Rhaenyra to let Helaena go to Oldtown.  The reason being, Alicent knows that Helaena is pregnant, and if Rhaenyra (or Daemon) finds out about Aegon’s potential heir, then they will certainly want to kill the child, because if it is a boy, then he will have a stronger claim to the throne than Rhaenyra herself. And the High Septon will favor Aegon’s male heir over anyone else, so Rhaenyra cannot afford to let this child live, and Alicent’s aware of that. Alicent’s daughter, Helaena, has already lost one son, who was killed by the assassins Daemon sent, and Helaena, the kind-hearted soul, won’t survive the loss of another child, so Alicent will have to do something to protect these two lives.

As Rhaenyra’s mercy dialogue plays out, we see a shot of Aegon, still at Rook’s Rest, holding Sunfyre’s scale in his hand, remembering his wounded dragon. I think Aegon was right when he said Sunfyre isn’t dead, and the dragon will probably rise up before Larys and Aegon escape Rook’s Rest. If I have to speculate further, I think Aegon will get into some trouble with Janos, the loudmouth who has been bullying Aegon from the moment they arrived at the ruined castle. So what may happen is that Janos and his men will try to kill Aegon (either over some argument, or after finding out that he’s Aegon the usurper), and that is when Sunfyre will finally wake up to save his rider’s life. Next, we see one-eyed Aemond practicing his swordsmanship inside one of the dark chambers of Harrenhal. So yes, Aemond never left the castle, and  Alys lied to Cole and his men. Aemond also has a bandage wrapped around his belly, still recovering from the wound he suffered during his clash with the Strongs in the second episode.

In the next shot, we see Rhaenyra, standing in the fields (maybe somewhere outside Tumbleton), screaming at the top of her lungs, “This is finished,” and then we see Daemon’s Caraxes, roaring in the same manner. So what’s this about? Well, first things first, I don’t think this shot is from episode 5. It may be from one of the later episodes, where Rhaenyra’s patience is at its end, either due to some loss, or because of a betrayal, and I think we have four candidates for who’s got her this mad: Daemon, Ulf, Hugh, or Rhaena. We know that Daemon lied to her about Jace’s killer (and Sheepstealer’s rider) to protect his daughter, Rhaena, and you know what’s gonna happen when Rhaenyra discovers the truth. She’ll likely accuse Daemon of betraying her trust and send him away, and Daemon, in his anger (and seeking to prove his loyalty to his Queen), will leave for Tumbleton to fight with the Riverlands, and later fly to Harrenhal to hunt down Aemond, who had actually killed one of Rhaenyra’s sons. I think, with the way Daemon functions, he will likely think that bringing Aemond’s head to his wife will make things right between them. It could also be possible that Rhaenyra is screaming at Ulf and Hugh, who are still not loyal to her, and are more bothered about their personal ambitions and attachments. Well, we have to wait to find out who becomes the target of Rhaenyra’s wrath.

Then we have a shot of the empty Iron Throne, and Rhaenyra walking through a corridor in King’s Landing, with Alicent’s dialogue playing over it, saying that Rhaenyra has the throne, and it is she who rules now. I think Alicent here is speaking to Helaena, probably trying to convince her to leave King’s Landing before anyone else finds out about her pregnancy. Or maybe Alicent is talking to someone else, but I don’t think she has any other allies left in the Red Keep. Next, we have a brief cut to Rhaenyra looking at her father’s crown, probably thinking about the burden it has brought with it.

In the next shot, we see Hugh’s Vermithor flying over Tumbleton, and Ormund’s bannermen stationed at the top of a building. However, there’s one thing I can’t seem to ignore: if Ormund hates dragons so much, then he should’ve built weapons (similar to the ones they have in King’s Landing) to strike down the dragons, as he knows that Rhaenyra will definitely use them to win the battle. So if Ormund has those weapons in his possession, he must be hiding them somewhere, letting the enemy fly their dragons over the city, allowing them to think they are invincible, and then finally bringing out the artillery to take down the beasts when they least expect it.

Next, Daemon tells Rhaenyra that they should have burned them (the Hightowers) when they had the chance. I think here, Daemon is referring to the period when Ormund and his army were on the road, marching towards King’s Landing. Back in season 3, episode 3, Daemon, Hugh, and Ulf, along with their dragons, arrived at Ormund’s camp, giving him the chance to bend the knee to the Queen, and instead of taking his army back to Oldtown, Ormund devised a ruse by giving Daemon a fake Daeron. And I think Daemon’s furious that Rhaenyra didn’t let him burn the Hightowers to cinders, because they had the opportunity to do so at the time, but Rhaenyra wanted to win the battle “peacefully,” and Ormund seemingly took advantage of her weakness. In the next shot, we see Daeron, looking at Ormund’s army, preparing to leave for battle, but I don’t think this shot is from the fifth episode. Then we have Ormund telling someone (likely Daeron) that a cunning mind can resist the most savage beast. We are already aware that Ormund doesn’t like Daeron’s closeness with his dragon, and is trying to brainwash the kid into believing that these dragons are nothing but abominations. Or maybe Ormund here is talking about Rhaenyra and Daemon, testing their patience, that is, and seeing how long Rhaenyra will be able to resist using the beasts on the battlefield. Of all the people on her side, only Rhaenyra knows that dragons can never be fully tamed, and once they jump onto the battlefield, they burn everything to the ground, be they friend or foe. This is why Rhaenyra is opposed to the use of dragons in the battle, as she’s well aware of the aftermath. Well, Ormund’s playing a game of chess (literally), and the Queen is his only target.

In the next shot, we see Rhaenyra lying on her father’s bed in the King’s chamber, unable to sleep. The show has previously established that Rhaenyra isn’t able to close her eyes on her father’s bed, because there are too many memories attached to that room, and there are still ghosts that haunt her in her sleep. Aemond’s voiceover plays over this shot, as he tells Alys that Rhaenyra has defiled their great house and diminished the Iron Throne. How? Well, in the very next shot, we see Hugh, Ulf, and their dragons, stationed outside Tumbleton, so Aemond is likely accusing Rhaenyra of defiling their house by bringing in bastards, aka the Dragonseeds. Next, we see Rhaenyra walking away from the throne, and in the next shot, Aemond (either sitting on a bed or on his knees), with Alys standing in front of him. Here, Aemond tells Alys that Rhaenyra is no queen, but why is he telling Alys this? Is Alys supporting the Blacks? Well, the show hasn’t yet revealed what Alys really wants, but in the second episode, she did show a keen interest in Harrenhal. But Daemon ignored her request and laughed it off, so it’s possible that Alys will try to get what she wants through Aemond. Back in episode 3, after Aemond went missing, Rhaenyra put a price on his head, that whoever finds the one-eyed prince will get Harrenhal for their service to the queen, and I think Alys knows about this prize, which is why she’s keeping Aemond in her grasp, and may have possibly poisoned his mind, showing him haunted visions using her potions. Another possibility is that Alys may side with Aemond in the war and help him win back the throne, though I am not sure if this is where the show will go, considering in the books Aemond never leaves Harrenhal again.

Over the montage shots, we see the Northman, Roddy the Ruin, with his army, getting ready for battle, and then the Riverlands’ bannermen marching in huge numbers, likely moving towards Tumbleton, where the season’s final and biggest battle is gonna take place. In the book, we have two battles of Tumbleton, but I think the show will trim it down to one, to build up to a crescendo, and yes, to save on the budget. These montage shots of soldiers are most likely from the final episodes of the season. Next, we see Cole and his guerrillas coming out of the woods, where Cole’s dialogue pops in, where he says that they have endured much, and though they languish, they will not lose heart. He’s likely saying this to his soldiers to boost their morale and prepare them for an upcoming clash. In the next montage sequence, we see Rhaenyra crying, and Daemon standing in the background. Once again, either she’s heartbroken after being betrayed by those close to her, or she may have suffered another personal loss in the battle (possibly Joffrey’s death). Then we have a shot of someone picking up a sword, and Cole fighting on the battlefield, probably the battle of Butcher’s Ball. Then we see dragonfire burning a cart on the ground, likely somewhere in Tumbleton. Next, we see Rhaena standing on a cliff in the Vale, followed by a close shot of her face. Again, we have a wide shot of soldiers marching towards each other from both sides. I think this scene is from the clash between Cole’s soldiers and the Riverlands army. Needless to say, we won’t be seeing any of these battle sequences in the fifth episode, and most of these scenes will appear in the last few episodes of the season.

As the montage continues, we see Tumbleton, surrounded by Rhaenyra’s vast army. In the next shot, even Roddy and his Northmen reach Tumbleton to join the high octane battle, and Cole’s voiceover continues over these shots as he tells his men that they will join them (the enemy), glorious in battle. In the midst of this sequence, we have one shot where we see Alyn in his armor, with King’s Landing footmen around him, walking in front of what looks like a coffin. I guess someone important died here, and if you have read the books, I think you already know that this person is very close to Rhaenyra. However, Alyn looks sad, so it could be his father, Corlys, or his brother, Addam, though I won’t put my money on them. We have seen Rhaenyra losing her patience, so it feels like her “personal” loss. Next, we see Daemon on the battlefield, arriving outside Tumbleton, a shot of Ormund and Jon Roxton with their helmets on, looking shocked, and then Roddy and his army charging towards the enemy, followed by a cut of Cole, continuing his voiceover, telling someone that they will sing songs about their glory (well, assuming they win, right? Else they will only be forgotten). In the end, we see Daemon ordering his men to charge forward, and this is where the teaser once again shows cuts of different battles at different places that we will witness by the end of the season. In the last shot, Daemon has entered Tumbleton, and he plunged his sword into someone before the scene cuts away. I think the fifth and sixth episodes will mostly be due to the build-up, pushing Rhaenyra over the edge, and possibly bring another falling out between Daemon and  Rhaenyra, after which Daemon leaves for the Battle of Tumbleton, leaving Rhaenyra alone to handle the crisis at King’s Landing. And this is where Rhaenyra or her council will make some rash decisions that will turn the common folks against her. Well, these are my thoughts on what we can expect next, but do share your views on the mid-season trailer below.