House of the Dragon S3E6 Recap: “Faceless Men⁩”

The following recap contains spoilers for House of the Dragon S3E6, “Faceless Men” (written by David Hancock & Shyam Popat and directed by Loni Peristere). This recap also discusses plot points from the Game of Thrones series.

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Ser Criston Cole (Fabian Frankel) clearly said in last week’s episode, “I am the realm’s greatest warrior, and I will die as such. Clear-eyed. Unbent. Glorious in battle. […] And they will sing songs of it. And Queen Alicent herself will hear them.”

So, it’s very interesting to witness his death in Episode 6, and for all intents and purposes, see him become one of the “Faceless Men” referenced in this episode.

For three seasons of House of the Dragon, Cole has been one of the series’ most polarizing figures. He was a knight whose pride became ambition, helping ignite the Dance of the Dragons Civil War through means of murder and oath-breaking. Yet his end comes not in an epic duel, nor in a dragon battle, nor with the final words usually given to legendary warriors. At “The Butcher’s Ball” (the name given to this battle by the Fire & Blood text), Cole dies exactly as George R.R. Martin described it in the book. He is shot with arrows before he can even raise his sword.

It is one of the most shocking anti-climaxes in the Game of Thrones universe, a death that intentionally seems quick and uneventful. Unlike Oberyn Martell’s spectacular death, the Red Wedding’s slaughter, Ned Stark’s unexpected public execution, or the Night King’s destruction at Winterfell, Cole’s death is almost simple. There are no songs. No final stand. Only a brief conversation and flying arrows. (And we are sadly not treated to one of the best lines of the text, delivered by Longleaf the Lionslayer: “I’ll have no songs about how brave you died, Kingmaker!”)

That moment perfectly captures what makes this part of Episode 6, “Faceless Men,” so compelling. (The rest of the episode? Meh, not so compelling in my view.) The battle that follows—The Butcher’s Ball—joins Blackwater, the Battle of the Bastards, Hardhome and the Field of Fire among the franchise’s defining military battles, but we sadly only see the beginning of the skirmish, where the Riverland men playing dead attack Cole’s army.

Those other battles were remembered for spectacle and cinematography. The Butcher’s Ball is remembered because there is almost none, despite how important it is. Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes) and Roderick Dustin’s (Tommy Flanagan) forces surround the exhausted Green army; Cole immediately realizes the hopelessness of his position and negotiates for only moments before arrows cut him down. What follows is a slaughter (largely unseen) as Cole’s remaining soldiers are overwhelmed from every direction in one of the bloodiest engagements of the civil war.

Cole’s death also creates an enormous hole within the Green leadership. Whatever viewers thought of him personally, he remained the military leader holding together a weary and dwindling alliance. His absence leaves Ormund Hightower (James Norton) free to pursue his own reckless agenda while Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) continues trying to reconcile the man he might want to become with the ruthless commander Ormund expects him to be.

Cole’s death, while not monumental in scope, will surely be monumental in its impact.

Back in King’s Landing, Daemon (Matt Smith) wastes little time arguing before Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) council that Ormund intends to humiliate the queen herself by undermining her legitimacy before eventually crushing her rule entirely. While the council debates measured responses, Daemon advocates a far more direct solution (the same one he has been trying for several episodes): fly immediately to Tumbleton and reduce Ormund’s army to dust before it grows any stronger. The discussion highlights the increasingly familiar divide between caution and aggression that has plagued Rhaenyra and the Blacks all season. Every hour spent deliberating and debating allows the Greens to tighten their grip somewhere else across Westeros.

Representatives from House Baratheon arrive while Lord Borros remains occupied fighting the Dornish in the south, a perceived slight that Rhaenyra receives as another personal insult rather than a necessity. Even as her enemies might be stalling on the battlefield, alliances continue slipping through Rhaenyra’s fingers.

Elsewhere in the Red Keep, Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Helaena (Phia Saban) have been captured and brought back to their quarters. After Alicent’s attempted escape, Rhaenyra confronts her former friend, only to learn that Helaena is pregnant. As a result, Rhaenyra confines both women even more strictly, refusing to allow them outside as Helaena’s pregnancy becomes increasingly visible. It is another example of how the throne is steadily transforming Rhaenyra into someone far removed from the compassionate heir audiences first met years earlier.

Alicent even says at one point, “Did I not warn you that you would come to this?”

Meanwhile, the cracks inside King’s Landing continue spreading. Members of the City Watch abandon their posts and turn in their cloaks to Daemon, unable to provide for their families or unwilling to die defending a city that appears increasingly doomed. Alyn Hull (Abubakar Salim) urges Corlys Velaryon (Stephen Toussaint) to reinforce the capital, but Corlys still resents Rhaenyra’s refusal to legitimize his family despite their unwavering loyalty. Even so, Corlys shares news that Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) survived the disastrous Battle of the Gullet and may have reached Rook’s Rest alive.

Speaking of Rook’s Rest, Tyland buries the man Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) murdered during last week’s episode. Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) reveals he has secured passage to Essos if Tyland and Aegon all wish to flee Westeros altogether, but Tyland remains unwilling to abandon the realm despite everything that has happened. Even in their horrible situation, Tyland remains committed to Aegon II being the king.

In an oddly placed scene for this episode, Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) continues hiding alongside Sheepstealer in the Vale. Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin) admonishes her for not staying hidden and threatens to end her life the next time Rhaena makes a mistake.

At Harrenhal, Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) convinces Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) that remaining hidden without Vhagar actually provides greater safety given the bounty now placed upon his head. Yet Harrenhal’s most consequential developments revolve around Alys herself and what she reveals.

She gives Aemond a clutch of dragon eggs supposedly laid by Dreamfyre a century earlier, before attempting to seduce Aemond into abandoning the war altogether. Rather than serving competing monarchs, she imagines the two ruling together as Dragonlord and Princess of the Water, isolated from the destructive politics and wars consuming Westeros. Whether Alys genuinely believes this vision or merely manipulates Aemond remains ambiguous at this point, but her influence over him grows unmistakably stronger.

Elsewhere, Ormund Hightower’s army remains confident from their position as occupiers of Tumbleton. Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) visits Ormund and Daeron only to discover a commander unconcerned by the absence of Vhagar or reports of enemy movements. Ormund believes his strategy is already destabilizing King’s Landing without requiring dragonfire at all.

Privately, however, Daeron confesses to Gwayne that he dislikes the man he becomes while serving under Ormund’s command. Gwayne fears Ormund is marching the army toward defeat, though Daeron refuses to abandon his family. It is one of the episode’s strongest character beats, illustrating how Daeron increasingly resembles the decent ruler the Greens desperately need rather than the conqueror Ormund wants. But he is afraid to show this side of himself to Ormund. Especially after that tirade last week!

The episode’s title resurfaces through one of Daemon’s most effective sequences all season. Disguised as an ordinary City Watch soldier, he walks around King’s Landing until he is attacked. In doing so, he uncovers a growing network working on Ormund’s behalf. Their leader explains they possess no banners or sigils because striking one member only inspires another, which is the origin of the “Faceless Men” movement. Daemon responds characteristically by driving a knife into the man’s throat. Right after, he confronts Ulf White (Tom Bennett), whom he viciously beats and kicks and warns never to return to the city without permission. Just when he wanted a break from doing Rhaenyra’s work, Daemon beats and humiliates him. Something to keep in mind, I think.

Hugh Hammer’s (Kieran Bew) storyline offers an emotional position next to what we see with Ulf. Sneaking into Tumbleton aboard a supply wagon, Hugh finally reunites with his wife Kat (Ellora Torchia). Proudly introducing himself as both dragonrider and knight, Hugh hopes his new status will convince Kat to leave with him. Instead, she rebukes him for abandoning their people while atrocities unfolded around them, refusing to leave despite his pleas. He is forced to leave without her, and wonders if claiming a dragon was worth losing everything else.

The Greens narrowly avoid disaster when House Baratheon’s supposed “envoy” arrives to swear loyalty to King Daeron. While Ormund enthusiastically welcomes them, Gwayne instantly recognizes the visitors as assassins and attacks before they can strike. Good thing Gwayne was paying attention in school and at all those tourneys! The gory bloodshed and inescapable smell horrify Ormund, who finally gives in to his sensitivity to smell and is sick all over the dinner table.

Back in King’s Landing, the Iron Throne itself begins passing judgment. As Rhaenyra hears endless complaints from citizens regarding disappearing Silent Sisters and dwindling resources, she notices the throne has cut her hand. The symbolism could hardly be clearer. Just as it wounded King Viserys and Maegor the Cruel before him, the Iron Throne appears to reject another ruler whose decisions increasingly drift away from justice or compassion. Is Rhaenyra the next in line for that judgment? Time will tell.

The hour closes with several major pieces shifting into place. Alicent desperately bargains for Helaena’s freedom, revealing that Aemond is hiding at Harrenhal while Vhagar is elsewhere, knowledge Helaena supposedly received through dreams. Rhaenyra immediately recognizes the opportunity, dispatching Alicent with a small group while quietly implying an assassin will accompany the mission.

Moments later, a cryptic message from Tumbleton arrives: “Kick this dog and it will bite your hand.” Who could have sent this? It looks like it is written on a piece of clothing either Ulf or Hugh were wearing, but no answer is given. Before we are even given a chance to fully interpret the warning she receives, Corlys finally commits his forces to King’s Landing, only to then be captured by Hightower soldiers.

For an episode that begins with one of the Targaryen Civil War’s most famous deaths, “Faceless Men” ultimately proves less interested in mourning Criston Cole than exploring the consequences for others in the war. The Butcher’s Ball removes one of the war’s defining players, but it also accelerates other storylines toward inevitable collision. The questions are: when will we get there? Where will this all end?

Armies continue marching, dragons remain largely unmoved, loyalties are being tested but not broken, and rulers on both sides are becoming increasingly consumed by political debate, fear, and vengeance. With just two episodes to go this season, we are very likely to begin seeing less cutting back and forth from various locations (à la Game of Thrones), but rather the people at these locations converging into some kind of major showdown.