House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 7 Review: Is Sunfyre Immortal?

House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 7, “The Dragon in Winter,” takes viewers for a crazy ride with twists and turns everywhere we look.  From Aemond seeing Alys as his mother to Rhaenyra discovering who Sheepstealer’s real rider is and Sunfyre coming back to life, the episode doesn’t stop surprising us.

As the season finale approaches, Rhaenyra’s insecurities grow, and she doesn’t know how worthy she is of the crown. While she once believed the gods had chosen her, this belief seems gone as her enemies get closer.

The first sign that Rhaenyra’s insecurities are taking over is the way in which she approaches Helaena.

For the first time, as viewers, we’re able to dive into Helaena’s visions and understand what it is that she sees in her dreams. It is clear that what she sees isn’t exactly telling her what is happening, but a flash and an idea of what could be.

The problem is that Rhaenyra doesn’t believe this and tries to force her sister into telling her the truth. Because she can’t use the sisterly bond as an excuse, she demands answers as the ruling Queen. But the big problem is that because the sisterly bond isn’t there, Helaena doesn’t trust Rhaenyra.

If the sisters had a better relationship, maybe Helaena would let her in on her visions. For now, she will sustain that the dragons alter everyone who rides them. Nevertheless, she still dreams of riding one.

House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 7, “The Dragon in Winter,” isn’t the first time we see Mysaria trying to come between Daemon and Rhaenyra. She uses the knowledge she has of both to try and control the narrative and what happens to them.

However, the moment Rhaenyra discovers Daemon lied because he was protecting his daughter (more on that later), she begins to second-guess Mysaria’s intentions. But it is that same doubt that pushes the Queen closer to Mysaria.

Rhaenyra feels alone and vulnerable, sensing that her enemies are closer. It’s the first time we see her question whether she should be acting the way her father expected her to, because it hasn’t led her to success. 

That is why she turns to Mysaria. She is seeking approval from someone who can tell her she is worthy of the crown, worthy of ruling. But is this enough to keep her in charge?

It was obvious that Daemon lying to protect Rhaena wasn’t going to end well. But even expecting a terrible ending, viewers could understand why he chose to protect his daughter for the first time in his life.

There is a sense of guilt that he carries with him as he watches what Rhaena has become. That guilt is much stronger than the loyalty he feels toward Rhaenyra, and for the first time we watch him choose someone else over himself and his own benefit.

Rhaenyra seems to understand, but the anger and the betrayal won’t be washed away that easily. Things will probably get more complicated if (or when) she discovers that Daemon didn’t kill Sheepstealer. The wild dragon is still flying free, and at this point, that is not good for Rhaenyra’s power.

What stands out the most from this betrayal is that it’s the last push Rhaenyra needed to feel completely alone. If the man who has sworn to be loyal to her can lie that way, who else could betray her? She feels there’s no one else on her side to help her win this war.

Game of Thrones fans who have seen it all aren’t surprised when House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 7, “The Dragon in Winter,” tricks viewers into believing that Alicent has arrived willing to sleep with her own son to get him back to Rhaenyra. Even though we understand how this show works, it still feels like quite a shocking moment.

The shocking element is handled perfectly by the show. Everything we see “Alicent” do makes sense because it seems she understands exactly what Aemond is feeling and what he needs.

Once it’s revealed that he is actually having sex with Alys but sees his mother instead, viewers understand why “Alicent” understood Aemond so deeply. All his fears, needs, and wants are reflected in that vision he has. This is further confirmed when real Alicent shows up, and Aemond is so eager to welcome her.

Aemond intends to stay with Alys and create his own ruling, raise his own throne, but refuses to listen to her when she warns him about his mother. Undoubtedly, this is what gives Alicent the chance to bring him down…but can she?

As Ormund continues to advance, we see him kidnap Corlys and manipulate Ulf by making him believe he could be Driftmark’s newest lord. But even as he finds different ways to bring Rhaenyra down, we see that Daeron has no interest in becoming king.

Unlike his uncle, he cares more about his people and doesn’t want to see them ruined because Ormund is on a crazy journey to bring Rhaenyra down. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.

But as exciting as it is to see that someone so close to Ormund doesn’t trust him, it’s far more exciting that we finally get to see the dragons in action. The scene in which Daemon, Rhaenyra, and Addam’s dragons confront Sheepstealer is one of the best of the season.

The power of the dragons is finally put on display again, and it feels quite thrilling. A thrill that grows the moment we see Sunfyre come back to life. Could it really be that he didn’t die in battle?

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

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