![Emily Carey and Paddy Considine as Alicent Hightower and King Viserys in 'House of the Dragon,' which airs episode 3 on Sept. 4. The two are facing one another and holding each other's hands.](https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/House-of-the-Dragon-Episode-3-Release-Date-Time.jpg)
‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 3 Release Date and Time on HBO
House of the Dragon is setting up a Targaryen civil war, and episode 2 sees the show’s major players taking sides. Once King Viserys (Paddy Considine) names Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) his heir, it becomes obvious that his advisors aren’t entirely on board with her role in the kingdom. “The Rogue Prince” sets the stage for infighting between the members of Viserys’ family and his small council. And House of the Dragon Episode 3 will expand on that — but what is its release date and time on HBO?
[Warning: Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon Episode 2, “The Rogue Prince.”]
King Viserys chooses a wife in ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 2
![Emily Carey and Paddy Considine as Alicent Hightower and King Viserys in 'House of the Dragon,' which airs episode 3 on Sept. 4. The two are facing one another and holding each other's hands.](https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/House-of-the-Dragon-Episode-3-Release-Date-Time.jpg?w=1200&strip=all&quality=89)
House of the Dragon Episode 1 sees King Viserys’ wife dying during birth, leaving Princess Rhaenyra his only child. As such, he names her his heir. He doesn’t believe his brother, Daemon (Matt Smith), is suited to be king — and a betrayal during the premiere reinforces that notion.
Of course, the realm isn’t accustomed to a woman on the Iron Throne. And House of the Dragon Episode 2 sees Viserys’ advisors pushing him to remarry — and tip-toeing around their hope that he’ll produce a male heir to place on the throne instead.
That may just happen, as Viserys chooses a new wife in “The Rogue Prince.” Although Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) offer to wed their daughter to him, Viserys decides to marry Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) instead. His Hand of the King, Otto (Rhys Ifans), has clearly been hoping for such a development, leaving the plot of the Game of Thrones prequel to thicken.
Rhaenyra isn’t thrilled about the arrangement, especially after she spends most of this episode fretting over whether the realm will accept her. And Corlys is angered by Viserys’ decision as well, so much so that he allies with Daemon at the end of this installment. Daemon offers to help him deal with the Crabfeeder (Daniel Scott-Smith), another looming threat. Is he a bigger problem for the king than Daemon, though?
We’ll have to wait for House of the Dragon Episode 3 to find out. When does it debut on HBO?
When does ‘House of the Dragon’ air? Episode 3 release date and time
With so much political maneuvering happening in House of the Dragon Episode 2, fans will want to get to episode 3 as soon as possible — so, what is its release date and time on HBO?
New episodes of the Game of Thrones prequel debut every Sunday on HBO, with the next arriving on Sept. 4. They kick off at 9 p.m. ET/PT, and each chapter starts streaming on HBO Max at 9 p.m. ET as well. As such, subscribers on the west coast can access new content a little bit early.
House of the Dragon Season 1 will continue for 10 episodes, with its release schedule as follows:
- Episode 1 – Aug. 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Episode 2 – Aug. 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Episode 3 – Sept. 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Episode 4 – Sept. 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Episode 5 – Sept. 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Episode 6 – Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Episode 7 – Oct. 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Episode 8 – Oct. 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Episode 9 – Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Episode 10 – Oct. 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Needless to say, things are just heating up in King’s Landing. And the Game of Thrones prequel promises to bring plenty more drama our way. So, what can viewers expect when House of the Dragon Episode 3 arrives on HBO and HBO Max?
What to expect when episode 3 arrives on HBO and HBO Max
House of the Dragon Episode 2 left Princess Rhaenyra worried about her claim to the Iron Throne, and episode 3 promises to complicate matters further.
HBO’s preview for the next installment (which you can watch on YouTube) reveals that King Viserys and Alicent will successfully produce a male heir. And Otto Hightower tells his daughter that Aegon will become king, meaning Viserys’ succession just got a whole lot messier.
Rhaenyra’s relationship with her father looks strained as well. One clip even sees him shouting at her over the subject of marriage. Unsurprisingly, Rhaenyra doesn’t want to abide by tradition and take a husband. And it looks like she’ll start acting out in response to all the changes in her life and family.
Finally, the preview suggests that Daemon and Corlys’ fight against the Crabfeeder may prove more difficult than they’d hoped. The last bit of footage sees a dragon attacking the enemy’s men. Perhaps the pair will find a way to pull through — or perhaps one of Daemon’s relatives will offer aid.
We’ll have to wait until next week to see how things play out. In the meantime, House of the Dragon Episode 2 is currently streaming on HBO Max.
House of the Dragon Episode 3 airs on HBO on Sunday, Sept. 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.