Despite Game of Thrones' controversial series finale, TV audiences are still invested in George R.R. Martin's fantasy world. We were able to return to Westeros with some spinoffs, the first of which is House of the Dragon (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription). The show's creator Ryan Condal recently compared one upcoming battle to Lord of the Rings' Helm's Deep, and now the stakes feel so much higher.
What we know about House of the Dragon Season 3 has been limited, but since its a book-to-screen adaptation, there are some fans who know what to expect. During an interview with EW about the forthcoming batch of episodes, Condal confirmed that the Battle of the Gullet was coming, referencing The Two Towers in the process. In his words:
To try to tell this story without doing the Gullet would be trying to film Lord of the Rings without doing the Battle of Helm's Deep. If we were gonna do it, we had to do it right. And that meant dragons and ships and multiple theaters of conflict.
Well, I'm invested. While I don't know what goes down in the Battle of the Gullet, it sounds like the stakes are going to be extremely high whenever that episode drops in Season 3. The Battle of Helm's Deep is arguably the most iconic fight scene in the Lord of the Rings franchise, so it sounds like it's going to be a truly epic moment in television. We'll just have to wait and see how all the medieval warfare and dragon battles shake out.
Aside from which HOTD dragon belongs to who, GOT fans who haven't read the books are curious to see how the war between the Targaryens will shake out on the small screen. The conflict between the Greens and Blacks seemingly ends House Targaryen's power forever, so smart money says we'll see lots of humans and dragons killed off throughout the final two seasons of the spinoff. But luckily, it sounds like we're going to be treated to an epic battle akin to Helm's Deep. Take my money, already!
This news about the Battle of the Gullet should please hardcore House of the Dragon fans who read the books. The show famously didn't show The Battle of the Burning Mill in Season 2, instead cutting to the bloody aftermath of the skirmish. Luckily, that's not going to happen with Season 3, and I'm so invested in what happens when the Dance of the Dragons continues.
All will be revealed when House of the Dragon returns for Season 3 on June 21st as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to wait and see when the Battle of the Gullet goes down.
