The latest House of the Dragon episode sets up a heartbreaking death in next week's finale

Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen in the House of the Dragon Season 3 finale | Image Via: YouTube/GameofThrones
Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen in the House of the Dragon Season 3 finale | Image Via: YouTube/GameofThrones

The seventh House of the Dragon Season 3 episode reveals that Rhaenyra Targaryen's reign might come to an end soon. Ever since the start of her rule in the third episode, the show has been suggesting that Rhaenyra's rule is not that stable, as the royal treasury is empty, and her small council has been struggling because of this very reason.

Moreover, Torrhen Manderly is catching up to the fact that the Targaryen queen hired him as the Master of Coin as a scapegoat. Meanwhile, a lot of her allies feel that Rhaenyra is using them as a tool. But the most shocking scene in this House of the Dragon episode is when Helaena has a vision of riding Dreamfyre, her dragon. This scene might be setting up an important plot point in next week's finale.


We may see Helaena die in the House of the Dragon Season 3 finale:

The episode opens with Helaena, but it is her vision in the third act that matters the most. This vision opens with the birth of Maelor, who is taken away from Helaena, even before she can hold the baby. Then, we see her feeding chickens with her daughter Jaehaera and the now-dead son, Jaehaerys. But the most important scene is when we see Helaena in a regal dress riding her dragon Dreamfyre.

People are running towards her and Dreamfyre, which is why Helaena orders her dragon to burn them. This is revealed to be a dream, but the situation mirrors the incident called "Storming of the Dragonpit" from Fire & Blood, where the commoners break into the dragon pit and even kill some dragons. This shocking incident prompts Rhaenyra to leave King's Landing, and fly towards Dragonstone, the place where she was subsequently captured by Aegon.

People storm the Dragonpit because of Helaena's death, for which they hold Rhaenyra responsible. Helaena had just ended her life after learning about her young son Maelor's death. House of the Dragon changed things by having Helaena conceive Maelor after Jaehaerys' death, even though the young prince was present during the Blood and Cheese incident in the book.

This season has been building towards Helaena's tragic decision to end her life, and the vision she sees in this episode only convinces her that she will have to engage in violence, something she has been apprehensive about. Thus, the vision of her burning people might finally push Helaena towards her fateful decision.

If she ends her life in the closing minutes of next week's finale, tides might turn against Rhaenyra in the fourth (also the final) season of the HBO prequel series.


When will the final episode release on HBO?

Still from the season 3 finale | Image Via: YouTube/GameofThrones
Still from the season 3 finale | Image Via: YouTube/GameofThrones

The final episode of the current season will air on HBO this Sunday. The preview teases a brutal battle between Rhaenyra and Ormund's forces. But the release date and time of the episode will be different across the world. Here's when you can catch the House of the Dragon Season 3 finale on HBO:

  • Pacific Standard Time: 06:00 PM, August 09, 2026
  • Eastern Standard Time: 09:00 PM, August 09, 2026
  • Indian Standard Time: 06:30 AM, August 10, 2026
  • Greenwich Mean Time +1: 01:00 AM, August 10, 2026
  • Australian Eastern Standard Time: 11:00 AM, August 10, 2026
  • Central European Time: 03:00 AM, August 10, 2026

Seven episodes of House of the Dragon Season 3 are available through streaming. Binge them all before the finale releases this week.

Edited by Ravikumar N