The following is a review of the eight-episode third season of HBO’s House of the Dragon — Series created by Ryan Condal and George R. R. Martin.

Nowadays, it can be difficult to remember just how big Game of Thrones was back when it aired, especially since the show is most often mentioned online for how frustrated fans were with the final season. But the continued success of the first spin-off show, House of the Dragon, is a testament to the fact that the original adaptation still holds a strong place in the hearts and minds of fantasy nerds (said and meant lovingly) around the world. I remember being wowed by the first season of the spin-off because it made me fall back in love with the world of the show that I had watched for so many years. When the second season finished in 2024, I wasn’t burnt out on it, but I noted the online frustrations and agreed with some of them. It did feel repetitive. It did feel rushed. It did feel like it didn’t actually have a proper season finale. Still, I was hopeful that the third season could win back some of the goodwill that the sensational first season had earned. Having recently finished the third season finale just last night, I can say that while I do think it is, in some respects, still suffering from some of the same issues that plagued it last season, the highest highs of the show keep me hooked. It is a show that can still wow you. It just doesn’t have as steady a hand as the early seasons of the original show did when it comes to building characters patiently, or when it comes to making story build-up feel purposeful rather than laborious. At its worst, it feels like the show is stalling. At its best, it feels like the show is not only delivering on the action but capable of doing something interesting with character focus.