Overall I feel like this season has done a much better job than the previous one in not having many obvious filler scenes and while this episode felt like it had less important events than any of the previous ones to me it was still pretty good. The way things play out between Aemond and the witch seemed a little forced though.

I love that they talked about Meria Nymeros Martell, the Yellow Toad of Dorne. Eventually we’ll get Aegon’s Conquest and there is now no doubt in my mind that HBO intends to show us the failed Dornish campaign.

Elsewhere, we see the common refrain in history where river crossings are so much more crucial than people realize. And we see how House Frey re-learns the bitter lesson that people only care about them when they want to use their bridge, but once they’ve done so, all promises will be quickly forgotten. I’m sure it won’t make them bitter and suspicious. But we should probably rewatch Jace’s negotiation with them to see if he said “mayhaps”.

It’s kinda crazy how with a little gold Ormund was able to build, out of random peasants, a crack assassination squad, capable of slaughtering entire squads of gold cloaks in their very headquarters. I suppose if food is still scarce people will be desperate enough to do anything.

But it seems to me that perhaps this should have been a job for Mysaria - she’s supposed to be the one with her ear to the ground, but she’s spending all her attention on Alicent. She knew Blood and Cheese and had them in her pocket, so sniffing out malcontents and mercenary hearts SHOULD be right in her wheelhouse. A funny thing I’ve noticed: her accent is an exaggerated version of Varys’s, so I guess he hadn’t lost his Lysene accent as completely as he thought.

And we’re seeing Rhaenyra develop a bit of paranoia. That’s not good.

It was interesting to hear how both Aegon and Aemond both felt that Alicent loved the other one more. And hearing Larys finally snap and tell Aegon how insufferable he is was so satisfying.

Season Three has truly redeemed this show.

Poor Daeron. Gwayne said he let Ormund win when they were young. Daeron hasn’t learned that lesson yet.

Larys telling Aegon that not only was he a terrible ruler, he’s a terrible person was excellent.

Also surprise Lannister. I also wonder what his plan was prior to running into Aegon & Larys. My best guess is he had some Lannister sigils and hired a few sell swords to get him home, they do always pay their debts after all.

And of course Rhaenyra and Daemon just chatting in Valyrian at the Sept was cool.