House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 6 Review: The Lady of the Water and The Dragonlord are Born

Cole is dead. Corlys might be dead. House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 6, “Faceless Men,” continues to prove Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne has caused more chaos than good.

Truth be told, Cole’s death is expected and celebrated. He’s been nothing but a terrible human being since Rhaenyra seemingly broke his heart, using his thirst for revenge to bring everyone down.

However, when it comes to Corlys, our thoughts might be different. Is he truly dead? Do we have to mourn him? Or will he resurrect in upcoming episodes?

Everyone who’s been around since Game of Thrones knows that if the Iron Throne cuts whoever sits on it, this means they are unfit to rule and unworthy of the throne. The one thing Rhaenyra has been trying to prove since returning to King’s Landing is how worthy she is of ruling.

The look on her face as she cuts her finger and the way in which she rushes out of the room are clear signs of the fact that she knows what that tiny slice of her skin means. All of her fears and her paranoia quickly become real the moment the iron touches her skin and blood begins to drop.

So, here comes the dilemma. Do viewers truly believe the Iron Throne cuts those who are unfit? Does this mean Rhaenyra is not the rightful Queen?

If we guided ourselves by comments like Rhaenyra still chasing her father’s approval, we might lean towards saying she is unfit. Daemon himself scoffs at this when Rhaenyra makes a choice based on what her father would abhor.

Ormund argues that she won’t dare burn her subjects because she is a woman. Everything continues to point to her not being fit for the job, but is it because she is a woman? Or is Rhaenyra not the one in the prophecy her father believed?

Nevertheless, we must admit that worthy or not, Rhaenyra came up with one of the best plans we’ve seen during this “war.”

If Gwayne Hightower hadn’t been present when the men arrived to seemingly bend their knee for the king, Ormund and Daeron would be dead. Her plan was almost perfect, and it would have brought the results she needed to finally feel like the rightful queen.

But her plan to use Alicent to bring Aemond home might not be the smartest. Does Aemond care enough about his mother to even listen to her? This just seems like a desperate tactic to bring down the man responsible for her sons’ deaths.

What does stand out is that Rhaenyra tells Alicent she is an enemy in the eyes of her court, but refuses to answer when Alicent asks if she feels the same way. That bond from their teenage years is still there, hiding behind the anger.

Throughout everything that happened on House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 6, “Faceless Men,” the growing relationship between Alys and Aemond is what will become most memorable.

The chemistry between Gayle Rankin and Ewan Mitchell is palpable through the screen, making the connection between their characters even more intense. But even so, both characters are in it to benefit each other.

Alys wants to claim Harrenhal, and she knows what she has to do for that. Aemond just wants to find his dragon and kill Rhaenyra, but when he sees Dreamfyre’s eggs, he knows what to do.

Their alliance, the birth of the Lady of the Water and the Dragonlord, is one that could potentially help bring Rhaenyra down. After all, their combined power is one of the strongest we’ve seen on the show.

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House of the Dragon airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO MAX.

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