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Warning: This includes SPOILERS for House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 5, but will not include any further book spoilers!
House of the Dragonisn't an easy show to follow along with, particularly with the numerous plotlines happening in Season 3, Episode 5. It's got time jumps, casting changes, and a ton of characters, not to mention two-year gaps between seasons that aren't helping anyone. If you're a diehard Thrones fan who hasn't read the books in years, or a casual enjoyer who wants to learn more, there's no shame. In case you missed them, I've also done lists of questions for House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, and Episode 4.
Why You Should Trust Me: I've covered House of the Dragon since the first season premiered, and have written hundreds of articles on the series, as well as Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and the books they're all based on. I've spent an extensive amount of time (possibly too much) researching George R.R. Martin's lore, so you don't have to.
Who Is Killing the Gold Cloaks in King's Landing & Why?
This subplot of the gold cloak murders in King's Landing is original to the TV series, which means there's not much info to go on aside from what we already know. The gold cloaks are the City Watch of King's Landing and are crucial to establishing control of the city. This is why Ormund Hightower is having them picked off from afar, because without control, King's Landing's lack of gold and resources will leave it susceptible to riots and rebellion.
Who is Meria Martell? The "Yellow Toad," Explained
Ormund gives Daeron Targaryen a history lesson in Episode 5, where he tries to show his youthful cousin that the natives of Westeros are not completely at the whims of the Targaryens and their dragons. He cites Meria Martell, the Yellow Toad of Dorne, as an example. Aegon the Conqueror never conquered Dorne, and at this point in the TV series, the southern principality still remains independent from the Seven Kingdoms, despite several attempts.
While every other part of Westeros fell to Aegon and his sisters, the Yellow Toad used Dorne's terrain and cave systems to repel the dragons. Dorne even managed to kill Aegon's sister, Rhaenys, and her dragon, Meraxes, by using a scorpion ballista. Ormund considers himself something of a Yellow Toad. He cannot defeat the Targaryens through raw power, but he can instate Hightower rule through outwitting his opponents.
Why Alicent Covers Up Helaena's Pregnancy
Helaena Targaryen is pregnant, likely with the third child of King Aegon II, Rhaenyra's primary competitor for the Iron Throne. In the books, Helaena has already had this child before the Dance begins, whereas the TV series notoriously omitted the baby during the Blood and Cheese killings in Season 2's premiere. House of the Dragon looks to make good on this by bringing the child back into the story, but Alicent insists Helaena keep it a secret, because Rhaenyra would surely have the child imprisoned or killed, depending on its sex.
How Tyland Lannister Survived & What He Wants
Tyland Lannister was pushed into the ocean during Season 3, Episode 1's massive naval battle and was believed to be dead by audiences of the series. He's now turned up at Rook's Rest, where he's joined Aegon's party with Larys, and is trying to encourage the wayward king to retreat with him to Casterly Rock, where they can rebuild the Lannister forces and live to fight another day. Larys, on the other hand, wants them to sail across the sea. The scene ends with Aegon killing a man who tries to attack him, showing them that, in either case, nowhere is safe.
Who Are Criston Cole's Forces Fighting Against?
After leaving Harrenhal, Criston Cole and Ser Gwayne Hightower's forces have been engaged in skirmishes in the Riverlands, using their smaller numbers to ambush Northern and Riverland forces. Roderick Dustin, who leads the campaign on behalf of Lord Cregan Stark, tells Oscar Tully that he'll handle the matter and begin combatting Cole at his own game. The Northerners attack Cole and his men several times throughout the episode, dwindling the Greens' forces in the Riverlands through brutal tactics like "crow's feet."
What Are Crow's Feet?
So, despite how they look, crow's feet aren't actually the feet of any birds; they're iron spikes laid out on the ground for area denial. We see them used effectively against Cole's forces, injuring horses that then need to be put out of their pain. Crow's feet are also called "caltrops," a term used to describe an important faction of political players during the Dance of the Dragons, though we haven't gotten to that yet.
Why Doesn't Criston Cole Listen To Gwayne?
Criston Cole has had every opportunity to turn back, and now, with less than a hundred men remaining, starving, and with morale effectively dead, he still refuses to try to flee. This is because Criston Cole wants to die on his terms. At this point, he is a broken man, feeling nothing but regret for his time spent serving the Targaryens, and wants to die the death of a warrior, tying back to his origins as a soldier.
Who Is Rhaenyra's Latest Small Council Member?
Rhaenyra brings on a member of House Frey, Sabitha Frey, who becomes an instant gossip partner for Torrhen Manderly. In House of the Dragon Season 2, Jacaerys brokered a deal between the Freys and the Blacks, allowing the Stark bannermen permission to cross the Trident, much like Robb Stark in Game of Thrones. Now, the Freys are upset that Rhaenyra has offered Harrenhal to whoever can kill Aemond Targaryen, but Rhaenyra insists that it is only a ploy and that they would not really give the castle to a lowborn.
What Is "A Feast For Traitors" & Who Dies?
Luthor Largent is the primary character death of House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 5, and this makes sense. Rhaenyra may have just taken King's Landing, but her grasp on the city is far from firm. Luthor was one of her few reliable supporters and should have been the enforcer of her control. However, Ormund's gold cloak murders included him, as Daemon finds his way to a brutal display of dead City Watch members at a table, with "A Feast For Traitors" written in blood.
This is not a book event, so it's hard to say too much about its implications. Ormund is succeeding in stirring up chaos in King's Landing, and the loss of Luthor will be notable for Rhaenyra and the Blacks. I could see this directly leading to more unrest in the capital, as Rhaenyra struggles to maintain her rule.
This event is named in reference to "A Feast for Crows," the fourth book in George R.R. Martin'sbook series.
Are Alicent & Helaena Trapped in That Tunnel?
One of the most puzzling events in Episode 5 is the final sequence with Alicent and Helaena. After almost cartoonishly attempting to escape in maid costumes earlier in the episode, Helaena discovers a hidden passageway in the walls of their quarters. They enter a dark tunnel, and everything goes awry, with the door shutting and them losing their light.
So, yes, they are trapped. However, I do not know what can or will become of this, as it's another deviation from the source material. Any outcome aside from the pair simply being found and brought back to the Red Keep would suggest that they escape captivity, which would be an enormous change from the books at this point in the timeline.
