Rhaenyra takes the Iron Throne. When is the next 'HOD' episode out?
Warning: This story contains spoilers from Episodes 1-2 of "House of the Dragon" Season 3.
The carnage continues in "House of the Dragon" as Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) takes the Iron Throne and Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) flees town.
Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), who created a stir with an incestuous kiss with his mom Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) in the premiere episode, also fell, but not before he sticks his blade into the smooth-talking Harrenhal caretaker, Ser Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale).
Season 3 of the series returned with a bloody episode and a skyrocketing death toll, which continues to rise, as the rival Targaryen factions clashed in the shock-and-awe-inspiring Battle of the Gullet.
The epic sea battle featured a fiery face-off with fire-breathing dragons and ships that showrunner Ryan Condal described as "arguably the craziest episode of television ever made."
Based on George R.R. Martin's "Fire & Blood," the series is set 200 years before the events of "Game of Thrones."
USA TODAY TV critic Kelly Lawler gave the new season ★★½ out of four, writing Season 3 "still has too many forgettable and stilted characters and not nearly enough oomph behind its biggest conflicts, even with two seasons' worth of backstory in its wake."
"But there are glimmers of hope, particularly after the first two (sadly) table-setting episodes, that there is some honest-to-goodness storytelling momentum here," her review says. "The pace quickens, the characters start using their brains, and there's even a smidgen of levity mixed in with all the heads on pikes and grieving mothers."
When do new 'House of the Dragon' Season 3 episodes release?
Episode 3 of "House of the Dragon" Season 3 will air on HBO on Sunday, July 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and will be available to stream on HBO Max at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
New episodes of the series will drop weekly through Aug. 9.
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How to watch 'House of the Dragon' Season 3?
"House of the Dragon" Season 3 airs on HBO at 9 p.m. ET/PT and is available to stream on HBO Max at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT on Sundays.
Stream on HBO Max with Sling: House of the Dragon Season 3
'House of the Dragon' Season 3 episode schedule
"House of the Dragon" Season 3 is listed to have eight episodes. With two episodes out, here's what the remaining season schedule looks like:
- Episode 3: July 5
- Episode 4: July 12
- Episode 5: July 19
- Episode 6: July 26
- Episode 7: August 2
- Episode 8: August 9
Watch 'House of the Dragon' Season 3 trailer
'House of the Dragon' Season 3 cast
- Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen
- Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Olivia Cooke as Queen Dowager Alicent Hightower
- Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon II Targaryen
- Phia Saban as Queen Helaena Targaryen
- Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen
- Bethany Antonia as Lady Baela Targaryen
- Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen
- Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole
- Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower
- Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon
- Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull
- Matthew Needham as Lord Larys Strong
- Abigail Thorn as Admiral Sharako Lohar
Contributing: Kelly Lawler, Bryan Alexander / USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rhaenyra takes the Iron Throne. When is the next 'HOD' episode out?
Reporting by Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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This story was originally published July 5, 2026 at 6:01 AM.