We’re just weeks away from House of the Dragon Season 3’s June 21 premiere, and showrunner Ryan Condal is teasing the Game of Thrones franchise’s biggest battle yet. House of the Dragon is among the most impressive fantasy shows to debut since Game of Thrones‘ ending in 2019. However, it’s never quite accumulated the same level of hype as its predecessor. Given the excitement surrounding Season 3’s opening, it sounds like that could change. Condal believes its action surpasses everything that’s come before — so, all eight seasons of Game of Thrones and the first two outings of HOTD. After sequences like the Battle of the Bastards and the Battle of Winterfell, that’s a high bar to set.
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During an appearance at Shoreditch Town Hall during SXSW London, Condal hinted the looming Battle of the Gullet would clear it (via Variety). The most gruesome sea battle in the Dance of the Dragons, the Battle of the Gullet will open House of the Dragon Season 3. According to Condal, it’s “unlike anything that’s ever been done” in the Game of Thrones franchise and on TV generally.
The Battle of the Gullet sees House Velaryon’s fleet, led by Steve Toussaint’s Lord Corlys, facing off with the Triarchy between Dragonstone and Driftmark. It’s one of the most highly anticipated battle sequences of House of the Dragon, and those behind it are well aware of the pressure that comes with adapting it. Condal admitted it “has been haunting” him, noting that the amount of construction that’s gone into it is “kind of crazy and frankly irresponsible” for a single episode of television. “But it was necessary to tell the story,” he added. “I mean, this is such a seminal moment in the show.“
For an idea of just how massive the conflict will be, Condal likened it to the Battle of Helm’s Deep in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The comparison shows that he’s approaching the sequence with the weight it deserves:
“I’m a huge Lord of the Rings fan, and I always said it’s like if you’re making Lord of the Rings, and we’re like, ‘Well, maybe we could just say, “Well, you know man, Helm’s Deep, that was a crazy battle, you should have been there, you should have seen it.”’ No, you have to show the Battle of Helm’s Deep, and I felt like, with this telling, however we got there, and however we did it, we had to dramatize this moment, that even within the bloody, awful history of the Dance of the Dragons, the Gullet stands out, even to those historians [of Westeros], as one of the worst things that happened in that history.“
The Battle of the Gullet Sounds Like Exactly What House of the Dragon Needs
Condal and the other creatives behind House of the Dragon Season 3 have been consistent in their praise for the Battle of the Gullet, and we’ll soon know if it lives up to all the excitement. House of the Dragon Season 3’s trailer offers promising evidence that it will, showcasing glimpses of action that already feel on par with Game of Thrones‘ best chapters.
This could be exactly what HBO’s spinoff needs, potentially marking a turning point for the series. House of the Dragon continues to feel smaller and more niche than the prior show, and with its more intimate conflicts, that’s not entirely unexpected. However, if the Battle of the Gullet is as massive as Condal says, it could catch viewers’ attention and bring the show up to Game of Thrones‘ level as it reaches the heights of the Dance of the Dragons.
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