We’ve reached the fifth episode of House of the Dragon season three, and both sides of the Dance of the Dragons are starting to realize how cruel and tedious war can be—even when there are no dragons involved.

This week, we spend time with Cole’s increasingly raggedy army, as well as another beleaguered group of soldiers: Daemon’s Gold Cloaks of the City Watch in King’s Landing. The tension builds throughout and yields some awfully gruesome returns; extra praise must be given to the House of the Dragon special effects team this week for truly outdoing themselves.

We first check in with young Lord Tully and his army of rivermen (plus Roddy the Ruin and the Winter Wolves), whose journey to Tumbleton by way of the Stoney Sept has been slowed by sabotage from Cole, Gwayne, and company. Tully tasks a group to go ahead and protect the river crossings, and Roddy says he’d be happy to chase down Cole’s forces and fight them outright.

But Tully suggests they instead “play at his game,” an idea that becomes more urgent when Cole leads an attack on Team Black’s camp that results in slashed throats and burned tents.

Next, we’re in Harrenhal, where the Black Phillip of Westeros makes another cameo before a group of rough-looking men enter, intent on collecting Rhaenyra’s prize for killing Aemond: ownership of Harrenhal itself. Alys Rivers, who’s grown accustomed to such invaders, is there to “greet” them. She assures them Aemond is not there and then shoos them away with help from Harrenhal’s resident ghosts.

But of course, Aemond is there, recovering from his wound and having some classic Harrenhal nightmares. He wakes up disoriented, rattled by a vision of Aegon’s burning face and taunting laughter. Alys comforts him as he says, presumably speaking about Helaena, “She saw it. She said that I would die, that I ruined everything.” Then, as he clutches onto Alys, he says, “Mother.”

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Speaking of Helaena and mother-related subjects, we cut to the Red Keep, where Grand Maester Orwyle chats his way past Alicent’s guards by explaining he’s there to assist with a “disorder of the female persuasion.”

A maid silently takes note of his approach. Side note: there are now cats galore roaming around the castle. Orwyle hands Alicent the special potion he’s brought and apologetically says he won’t be able to keep doing favors for her. She gets it.

Far less understanding is Helaena. She flat-out refuses to drink any abortion tea, despite Alicent telling her that if she has this baby, it will face either certain death or a life as “a hostage or a pawn.”

Elsewhere in the castle is someone we’d almost forgotten about: Lady Sabitha Frey, who’s hopping mad that Rhaenyra offered up Harrenhal as a bounty. In season two, Jace (RIP) promised it to House Frey if they’d let the Winter Wolves cross at the Twins. Rhaenyra doesn’t back down, but she does offer Lady Frey a seat on her Small Council as a consolation prize.

Speaking of, it’s time for that group to meet, and the table of advisors is no longer empty. (Love the side bit of Lord Manderly gossiping with Lady Frey and Daemon’s disapproving glare at their chatter.)

There’s a lot going on: Baela and Addam, who’ve been on dragon patrol, report that Vhagar has been spotted randomly burning farms just outside of Wendish Town, east of Harrenhal. (Nobody in this group realizes it’s Vhagar solo, without Aemond guiding her movements, though Daemon points out that “dragons need to eat.”)

Closer to home, there’s more unrest. The people are hungry, the City Watch is unpaid, and the violence we saw last week over the “Queen of Bastards” graffiti has caused more ill will, with the tables turning against authority: two Gold Cloaks were just found dead in Flea Bottom.

Plus, Ormund is still hunkered down at Tumbleton, and Rhaenyra remains frustrated by the fact that nobody knows or can even guess what his plan might be. She’s also angered by the update that Cole’s army has been sabotaging the Tully crew and asks Baela and Addam to fly back out and investigate.

Addam protests that Baela is exhausted, but she insists she’s A-OK to fly—and their only available back-up, Daemon, says he’s not going anywhere until he figures out who killed the Gold Cloaks.

Rhaenyra is infuriated by his defiance, and she chases after him to call his priorities into question. “Revenge may wait,” he tells her, and insists whatever treachery is going in King’s Landing should be his focus right now. And anyway, she shouldn’t have let herself get so rattled by that ridiculous graffiti. “You are the Queen of Dragons. Your strength is your legitimacy,” he reminds her.

They’re interrupted by a maid who tells Rhaenyra that wee Prince Joffrey has arrived from the Vale and is asking to see his mother. She puts off the reunion for now.

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We then jump to Larys and Aegon trudging through the woods. Or rather, Aegon is trudging, chasing after those same tales of Vhagar sightings, and Larys is urging him to return to the camp at Rook’s Rest. A stubborn Aegon declares his brother to be the cause of “every one of my miseries” and vows he’s going to kill him or die trying.

In the Red Keep, Mysaria visits Alicent. She knows the Grand Maester was called upon to provide his special concoction, despite Alicent’s frantic attempt to cover for her daughter by chugging the entire pot of tea herself. But the Mistress of Whisperers hasn’t told Rhaenyra… yet.

In the forest, Gwayne is riding along telling Cole how wonderful Oldtown is. He offers Cole a future place in House Hightower’s service. Before Cole can respond, horses start screaming and falling, and we realize someone has studded the ground with razor-sharp crow’s feet. It’s a wrenching scene (Cole putting his own steed out of its misery is especially brutal), but now we know what Tully was getting at when he suggested giving Cole’s men a taste of their own medicine.

Back in King’s Landing, Daemon is scolding Ser Luthor for being so harsh with the smallfolk; Luthor basically says, “I learned it from watching you,” and tells Daemon the murdered Gold Cloaks had their throats and their bowels cut. If you’re wondering what that might look like, fear not: two more City Watch bodies have just been discovered, and we get a full visual of what “dying in agony in their own shit” looks like.

A small girl watches the scene from afar, then runs into a house and whispers a report to a man seated there. Another man goes to the window and sends a bird on its way.

The message is “Gold blood shed. Three marked in the tally. The account lies open.” We’re wondering why it doesn’t say “four marked,” but we recognize the recipient: Ormund Hightower, who reads it while ordering more effort be put into the building of reinforcements at Tumbleton.

He then steps over to quiz Daeron on Westeros history, and when the boy admits he doesn’t know the story of Meria Martell, Ormund launches into the tale of “the Yellow Toad of Dorne,” an incredibly gifted military strategist. Ormund admires her despite the fact that she was a) unattractive and b) a woman. Imagine that.

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While he’s talking, the pair are playing what looks like Cyvasse, a Westeros version of chess. When Daeron makes the winning move, he’s proud for about half a second before he panics. And indeed, Ormund’s first instinct is to angrily sweep the pieces onto the floor. But instead of yelling at Daeron for daring to win, he claps him on the shoulders and tells him, “Never apologize for victory.”

Then he has a surprise: he’s had gold coins made that are imprinted with Daeron’s likeness. “You are the sign our allies have been waiting for,” he tells the boy he really, really wants to make king.

In the garden, noted insect aficionado Helaena is warning little Jaehaera not to touch a certain caterpillar—“They eat the leaves of the nightshade, but that would be death for you or me,” which certainly could be interpreted as foreshadowing—when Alicent approaches. It’s time for another attempt at fleeing King’s Landing. With Rhaenyra’s guards helping the Gold Cloaks track down Flea Bottom’s version of Jack the Ripper, there’ll be fewer eyes checking on them.

But Helaena says she won’t leave without her daughter, despite Alicent’s assurances that leaving Jaehaera behind is the best (and only) course of action. “You look away when you lie,” Helaena observes.

Baela and Addam are still coming up empty-handed on the hunt for Vhagar. Addam can tell that Baela is exhausted, and she admits her determination comes from the guilt she feels over Jace’s death—and Rhaenyra’s lingering fury at Baela’s part in Jace’s fatal “lock my mom in her room” mistake.

She also has fears about her future now that Jace is gone, imagining she’ll be married off to whichever creaky old lord offers the most gold. “Then I’ll come find you and we’ll fly to exile,” Addam promises and insists they take a meal break. Is there a spark between these two?

At Harrenhal, Aemond has another nightmare and wakes up yelling for Vhagar. “She’s gone,” Alys tells him. He’s devastated, and he should be. He’s good with a sword, sure, but without the power of Vhagar, “I’m nothing.”

The hits keep coming, as Alys reminds him that King’s Landing is now being ruled by Queen Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra has declared Aegon dead and blames Aemond for killing him.

But of course, Aegon is alive, if not exactly well. Just as Aemond is remembering how much he’s always hated Aegon, Aegon is returning the favor, moaning to Larys about what could have been if only he’d been given the same advantages and favoritism that Aemond enjoyed.

Larys soaks in this “woe is me” rant and finally says what he really thinks for once. He points out that Aegon’s injuries came after he chose to fly “drunk into a battle to which you were not invited,” and that ever since then, “you’ve done nothing but whinge and self-flagellate with a tenacity I find astonishing.”

In fact, Larys observes, Aegon had literally every imaginable advantage handed to him. “You could have risen to greatness,” he says. “But instead you trampled your birthright in the mud.”

And the honest truth: “You were a terrible king. But worse than that, you are a terrible man.”

In King’s Landing, Rhaenyra is kneeling in the sept, a sight that makes Daemon chuckle. He’s there to update her on the situation in the streets: four Gold Cloaks dead, all murdered in the same gruesome way. “I fear this is but the beginning,” he tells her.

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As they talk, they switch to High Valyrian. Rhaenyra admits she now realizes her enemy is “within.” While there are likely many conspirators involved, there’s one mastermind steering the plot against her. The gods wanted her to rule, so why is someone daring to challenge that?

“Did you imagine there would be no dispute?” Daemon chides her. “You are a woman, Rhaenyra. There will always be those who oppose you.”

But Rhaenyra sees it as something more cosmic than patriarchy and politics. “Something stirs against me: something crouched, something formless. I feel the dread of it.”

Daemon doesn’t agree. He thinks it’s just ordinary men, albeit maddeningly elusive ones. “You are more than this,” he scolds as he leaves.

In the woods, Cole, Gwayne, and the rest of their now-horseless army are hacking their way through the underbrush. Everyone’s exhausted; desertion is a growing concern. You can tell Gwayne is hoping Cole will agree to turn back, but instead Cole suggests a shortcut to speed up their progress.

Amid the squalor of Rook’s Rest, Larys sees Aegon limp into camp. “Just hire the fucking ship,” the terrible man sighs. Suddenly a familiar face appears out of nowhere. Turns out Tyland Lannister did not die in the Battle of the Gullet after all!

In the Red Keep, Alicent and Helaena, disguised as maids, are sneaking to freedom when Mysaria stops them. She calls out Helaena’s unborn child as “the inconvenient heir” and makes it clear she’s done keeping secrets from Rhaenyra.

But while she’s no fan of Alicent or the Hightowers, Mysaria is a big-picture thinker. She listens when Alicent suggests Rhaenyra’s feelings about her could turn on a dime. And when Alicent suggests the Hightowers could return the favor someday if Mysaria doesn’t tell Rhaenyra about Helaena’s pregnancy, she takes that into thoughtful consideration.

Helaena, we see, has set up a habitat for the nightshade-chomping caterpillar. A little deadly friend.

Elsewhere in the castle, Rhaenyra peeks in on a sleeping Joffrey. Can she keep this heir safe, or will he suffer the same fate as Jace and Luke?

Back to Gwayne and Cole and their men, who are now slogging through rain and mud. At least one soldier falls out of line and dies on the spot. Gwayne, who has to yank a leech off his leg, looks 100% over it, but Cole keeps pushing on.

At Harrenhal, an especially determined gang of bounty hunters has scaled the cliff to get to the castle. For once the men aren’t scared off by Alys; instead, they grab her—not realizing that Aemond is nearby with his sword and a desire to protect this mysterious woman who’s been taking care of him. “Seems you’ve taken a turn for the better,” Alys quips once Aemond has finished cutting down all the intruders.

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At Rook’s Rest, Larys and Tyland argue about what to do. The trio is also being newly scrutinized. A few feet away, Aegon catches the camp’s self-styled leader—the man who made him kiss his boots—rifling through Aegon’s bag and trying for a “gotcha” moment when he discovers the king’s crown. “You may call me Your Grace,” Aegon declares as he swiftly stabs the guy to death.

In King’s Landing, the Gold Cloaks are in a panic. When Ser Luthor can’t calm them, Daemon swoops in to give the ultimate Westeros version of a locker-room speech, and “the Lord of Flea Bottom” proves he’s still got what it takes. Morale restored, the men head out to kick ass and do their duty. Making things even better, Daemon and Ser Luthor learn a suspect in the killings is now in custody.

After much struggle, Cole and company reach the river, only to find that their rivals have already torched the bridge crossing. Gwayne looks distraught. “So we have failed,” he says, but Cole just stares blankly across the river.

We quickly return to Daemon and Luthor’s interrogation of their suspect, who refuses to talk and has an eye plucked out as punishment. When Daemon asks if he’d rather lose his other eye or his tongue next, the man screams he was doing “the king’s work.” But he doesn’t mean Aegon. He has a coin stashed in his boot: one of Ormund’s custom-crafted pieces decorated with Daeron’s likeness.

In the forest, Gwayne tells Cole he’s heading to Tumbleton to link up with Ormund. But Cole’s going to stay the course.

It’s a battle he can’t win, and he knows it. “Our fate was always assured, Ser Gwayne. When we set out, we were doomed to death and defeat,” Cole says. He’s been a servant all his life—a life that’s been defined by oaths and devotion and whoever is giving the orders.

“I am the realm’s greatest warrior, and I will die as such,” he tells Gwayne. “Clear-eyed. Unbent. Glorious in battle. And not in their service, finally. But in my own. And they will sing songs of it, and Queen Alicent herself will hear them.”

In the Red Keep, Daemon shows Rhaenyra the Daeron coin, calling it “the price of our humiliation.” Also, he adds, “We should have burned them when we had the chance.”

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Back in the woods, Cole gets to give his own locker-room speech when he addresses the men who’ve stuck around, but it’s more of a last stand moment. His words saying the Seven will watch over them play over the sight of Helaena finding a hidden passage out of the room that’s become a prison for her and her mother.

We then see Daemon, confused to find the City Watch barracks are curiously empty. Where is everyone?

When Cole gets to the part about the Stranger, the most ominous of the Seven, who “offers us rest,” Alicent and Helaena realize they’ve become trapped in the tunnel just as their lantern goes out, leaving them in total darkness.

Then, Daemon realizes where all the men are. He turns a corner and finds the mutilated bodies of every Gold Cloak, including Ser Luthor, arranged around a table in a macabre tableau.

The words “A FEAST FOR TRAITORS” are scrawled on the wall behind them in blood.

Forget Jack the Ripper. We are in Hannibal territory now.

A new House of the Dragon arrives Sunday on HBO.

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