The Pepper Prince: Seasoning Pass (Episode 2-5)

House of the Dragon: Season 3 continues to fire on all cylinders – or dragons, possibly. Even as viewers we can see the forces aligning against Rhaenyra and the pitfalls that surround her, and yet she seems oblivious. A lot of characters are growing increasingly desperate, and that tends to lead to outbreaks of violence in the very near future. It’s also a great performance episode, particularly for Fabien Frankel, Phia Saban and Olivia Cooke.

In this week's House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra’s eyes are fixed on the throne – but her one-track focus may be causing her to miss things.

Review: Pirates! Dragons! Ships! Fire! Betrayal, chaos, death and destruction... House of the Dragon's Season 3 premiere has it all.

Seasoned Westeros watchers will see potential problems arising with each scene of this episode. Everywhere Rhaenyra turns there’s someone looking for a piece of her (rodent bites both literal and figurative). Any one of these requests could be key to her undoing, and it’s very clear that she’s navigating a dangerous path. From the impossibly cool pre-opening credits scene to Rhaenyra ultimately swearing to burn all who stand against her, this episode moves almost too fast to track; no wonder Rhaenyra dissociates as she sits on her uncomfortable throne.

The latest threat to Rhaenyra Targaryen's reign is a string of grisly murders targeting the city watch. And the mystery gets very dark.