Critics Can't Agree If House Of The Dragon 3 Is 'Boring' Or The 'Best Yet'

House Of The Dragon fans, rejoice: its long-awaited season three is very nearly back.

The third series in the Game Of Thrones prequel, which is set to end after season four concludes, will be available to stream on Sky Atlantic, NOW, and HBO UK on Monday 22 June.

But only the first four episodes will be released on that date. The show, which stars Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith and Olivia Cooke, will have a second 2026 release, like Rivals.

Speaking to Variety previously, producer Ryan Conda seemed excited about season three’s depiction of the Battle Of The Gullet, which is a major plot point in the books on which the series is based.

In 2024, he called it “arguably the most anticipated – well, I would say maybe the second-most-anticipated – action event of Fire & Blood,” adding, “it should be the biggest thing to date that we’ve pulled off”. 

Here’s how critics have responded to the season so far: 

1) Empire (4/5) 

“More action-packed but still as thoughtful as ever, the first half of Season 3 suggests it could very well be House Of The Dragon’s best offering yet.” 

2) Variety

“The Battle of the Gullet is indeed spectacular. Yet the entire point of House of the Dragon has been so well made that there’s little satisfaction to be gained by the Pyrrhic victories achieved within its scope... the more exciting development in Season 3 is much more intimate...

“It’s the people who make House of the Dragon worth enduring the predetermined devastation. The dragons are just the CGI flying lizards on top.”

3) The Independent (3/5) 

“Perfectly watchable fare... [but] even though it is lazy to say it, the show remains darkened by the shadow of its forebear. More dragons did not have to mean less humanity, and yet the balance remains off in a show that is dazzlingly bombastic but disappointingly shallow.” 

4) The Hollywood Reporter

“Simultaneously too much and too little, House of the Dragonhas always been packed with promising elements and intriguing mythology, but... there has been no way for momentum to build. 

“The third episode of [season three] and, to a lesser degree, the fourth were my favourite House of the Dragon episodes to date. Why? Because they were funnier, smarter and a little more intimate in scale, albeit with episode lengths of between 56 and 64 minutes and, yes, lots of dragons.”

5) Radio Times (5/5)

“House of the Dragon’s previous run fielded plenty of criticism for its slow pace and lack of action. But... there surely won’t be those same complaints for season three. 

“Episodes available to press are bookended with memorable series-defining moments. Of course, with the season storming out of the gate in such a blaze of glory, could it risk fizzling out further into the run?” 

6) The Times (2/5)

“It tries its best, even giving Rhaenyra a speech about having the ‘weak and feeble body of a woman’, which borrows almost word for word from Elizabeth I’s famous address at Tilbury before the Spanish Armada arrived. But this points to an essential difficulty I have with this show: all too often it feels so old hat, so reheated and, well, so, so boring.”

7) IndieWire (B-)

“Having faced considerable losses already and staring down more to come, many of the prominent combatants spend Season 3 in an existential crisis, which lends the series a similar atmosphere... Call it hypocrisy or honesty, either way, Season 3 is a joyless exercise that’s nonetheless an improvement on the wayward Season 2.”

8) Metro (4/5) 

“I felt exhilarated and devastated as certain major events that I will not divulge (never fear – you won’t find any spoilers here) transpired on screen... I feel confident that dedicated fans won’t be disappointed.”

9) Collider 

“Book lovers might think they have guessed the coming storyline, but Condal and his team have created an intriguing twist that not only benefits the show but also most effectively utilizes the mammoth cast.”

10) MovieWeb (8/10) 

“The highly anticipated Battle of the Gullet is, quite simply, epic. It’s massive in scope and scale, unlike anything attempted in this franchise, battle-wise... The performances really carry this story, as has always been the case. Emma D’Arcy should be writing their Emmy speech for their work this season. 

“Strap in, folks. It’s all sword-clashing, fire-breathing action from here on out, with a smattering of political machinations for good measure.”