House of the Dragon Episode 5: What that cliffhanger means and the biggest book changes

Well, that escalated quickly. If you thought Rhaenyra’s days on the Iron Throne meant smooth sailing in House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 5—think again. This episode is essentially a lesson in how no good deed (or ruthless power grab) goes unpunished when there’s a Hightower in the mix, and the showrunners are having a field day swerving away from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood whenever they feel like it.

The Three (Possibly Four) Remaining Contenders to the Throne

Rhaenyra might be sitting in the big chair, but the Hightowers are multiplying like particularly vindictive rabbits, and Ormund Hightower, in particular, is giving her nothing but grief. He’s after the crown for Daeron, Alicent’s youngest lad, which is a new headache for those following the book. Just to up the ante, Aegon is still alive, but mostly focused on avenging himself, and Aemond’s flying about with Vhagar, torching villages in the Riverlands. If Helaena pops out a boy in her current pregnancy, the number of claimants Rhaenyra has to worry about could jump to four. As if she hasn’t got enough on her plate.

Daemon: Ally or Disaster-In-Waiting?

And then we’ve got Daemon Targaryen, who is loyal enough as an ally but seems to treat “loyalty” as a vague suggestion. He keeps openly defying Rhaenyra in her own council meetings, claiming it’s all in her interest—or at least that’s the line he’s peddling.

Team Black vs. Team Green: Even-Stevens?

Interestingly, this episode starts to show both sides (Team Black and Team Green, for those still keeping score) getting wins and losses. It feels a lot more like a dead heat than the lopsided brawls from last season. But if you’re clutching your battered copy of Fire & Blood, you’ll notice more and more plotlines going off-piste. Episode 5, in particular, is chock-full of show-only twists and a couple of juicy cliffhangers.

Cliffhangers Galore: Episode 5’s Final Moves

• Torture & Treason: Daemon and Luthor Largent get busy interrogating Ormund’s hapless fall guy (the bloke who killed the gold cloaks). At first, he says he acted alone. Then Daemon adopts the classic Westerosi interrogation method (removing an eyeball—lovely), and suddenly the man admits he was bribed with a gold coin, straight from ‘King Daeron Targaryen’. Luthor dispatches him, and Daemon produces the coin as proof for Rhaenyra, spelling out Ormund’s plan to push Daeron for the throne.
• Cole’s Last Stand: Criston Cole gives the world’s most doomed pep talk before dragging his dwindling army to face the Rivermen and Roddy the Ruin’s Winter Wolves. Gwayne peels away from camp, seemingly headed to reinforce Ormund at Tumbleton. Cole, meanwhile, essentially announces he’s on a suicide mission, hoping for a heroic death. For most of the episode, his voiceover is a sort of poetic prayer, desperately asking the Seven for a spot of luck.
• Secret Doors & Rats: While all that’s going on, Alicent and Helaena discover a concealed passage in their chambers, but their escape attempt is cut short when the tunnel is blocked and their main door locks behind them. Helaena, being less than thrilled with rodents, drops the only torch after a rat jump-scares her. That’s them trapped, in literal and metaphorical darkness.
• The Bloody Supper: Daemon spends the episode’s final moments on a somewhat gothic wander around King’s Landing, eventually finding Luthor and several gold cloaks gruesomely killed and arranged around a table a la The Last Supper, eyes gouged out, ‘A Feast for Traitors’ smeared in blood on the wall above. Cole’s speech closes with a hope for the Stranger’s mercy. Sleep tight, everyone.

How the Show Breaks Away From ‘Fire & Blood’

There are some bold changes in Episode 5 if you know your source material. First, Tyland Lannister makes an unexpected comeback. In the book, he’s captured and subjected to proper Red Keep hospitality—meaning torture, blinding, gelding, the lot—when Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing. He’s not supposed to disappear and suddenly waltz back in. Important to remember: Tyland will be needed for Aegon III’s regency, so the show will have to shuffle him back to the Red Keep eventually.

The Aegon vs. Aemond storyline also gets a major remix: in Fire & Blood, the two are more like co-conspirators than mortal enemies. Now, Show Aegon wants Aemond dead—a major deviation.

Luthor Largent meets his end much sooner here. On the page, he’s killed off during the King’s Landing riots, brutally murdered in the dragonpit chaos. The show, not content with one nasty death, gets there early and in full, gory detail.

Baela and Addam being paired off is another departure. According to the book, Baela actually marries Alyn (after he’s legitimised), and Addam’s meant to die in the Second Battle of Tumbleton. The adaptation might be mashing the two Tumbleton battles together—to be fair, staging two is probably budget suicide anyway. Plus, having Baela lose two love interests in the span of a fortnight is a bit excessive.

Helaena’s pregnancy is out of step with the timeline established in the book. After Blood and Cheese’s mischief (you know, murdering Jaehaerys), Helaena and Aegon are supposed to have three kids at this point—not expecting another. Also, Helaena and Alicent don’t go on a clandestine crawl through secret passages in the source material; the whole tunnel plot is brand new for telly.

Ormund’s rampage and general scheming are exclusive to the show. In Fire & Blood, Ormund’s a relatively bland player, but the series has given us a proper, scenery-chewing villain. No complaints from me—James Norton’s clearly having a great time, and Team Green desperately needed someone with a bit of menace to keep Rhaenyra on her toes.

Daeron never actually challenges Rhaenyra’s claim in the book. The writers haven’t just bent the source material here; they’ve built a whole new wing onto it.