House of the Dragon fans have been left reeling after the latest episode of the hit HBO show, thanks to one chilling scene. This article contains major spoilers from House of the Dragon Season 3 episode 5.
This week’s instalment featured a grisly final moment in which Daemon Targaryen (played by Matt Smith) found the Commander of the City Watch, Ser Luthor Largent (Tom Cullen), and his fellow gold cloaks butchered in their own barracks. Their bodies were arranged in a scene mirroring the Last Supper, with echoes of the Red Wedding from Game of Thrones.
Viewers Question the Scene’s Plausibility
Many viewers have taken to Reddit to point out a fatal flaw in the scene. One posted: “How tf the enemy were able to kill all those gold cloaks. Or unless the double agent is also a gold cloak?”
A second commented: “Yeah they seem to have unlimited manpower and unlimited stealth. We are meant to believe this location is the main barracks for the entire city watch, 2000 strong. And yet they overtake it completely, slaughter all the commanders, have time to desecrate their bodies and arrange them in a little diorama, and Daemon hears about it by walking in there expecting to find things normal?”
Adding: “It's one thing to have assassins and infiltrators in King's Landing spreading propaganda. That makes perfect sense. This, on the other hand, had better have a really good explanation. Because it beggars belief.”
Hightower Power and Fan Theories
A third fan wrote: “It begs the question of just how powerful the Hightowers are, being so close to the faith and the Citadel.” Others on X (formerly Twitter) commented: “Makes no sense in the world. Ur telling me that random dudes in kings landing are killing the city watch like it’s nothing?” Another said: “I would preffer if he was killed much later by angry mob. Now Im quite confused where story is going.”
Ser Ormund (James Norton) was behind the campaign of terror after it was revealed that he’d paid people with gold coins bearing Daeron Targaryen’s (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) face. Theories suggest Ormund even paid off some gold cloaks to murder their brothers in arms after they hadn’t received a wage for quite some time. It was all part of Ormund’s scheme to dethrone Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy).
Showrunner and Writer Explain the Intent
On HBO’s Inside the Episode, showrunner Ryan Condal explained: “[Daemon and Rhaenyra] don’t know how to wage combat against them, which is exactly the design of Ormund’s campaign, is to make them feeling helpless and ineffectual and frustrated and maybe goad them into making a mistake. His design, at the end of the day, is to make sure that nobody wants to be a gold cloak and people are afraid to mount a defence in Rhaenyra’s name.”
Writer Philippa Goslett, who penned the episode, said: “By the end of episode five, both Rhaenyra and the audience finally understand Ormund’s true intent. If Aegon and Aemond can’t be found, then he still has Daeron. He’s an incredibly dangerous man and will do anything and everything to destablize Rhaenyra’s reign.”
House of the Dragon Season 3 airs on Sky Atlantic, NOW and HBO Max UK & Ireland on Mondays.
