The Game of Thrones Historian Preps Us for House of the Dragon Season 3

Who’s ready for House of the Dragon season three?! We’ve been deep in our rewatch to get prepped for the exciting new season… but there’s one person we couldn’t help but turn to to guide us through this next season. 

The Game of Thrones Historian! 

I sat down with Kellie, the grand master of all things Game of Thrones-related, to discuss what we can expect from season three of House of the Dragon, how we can prepare ourselves, and we even dive into some thoughts on Westeros fashion. 

Click the video below to watch our interview, or read her answers here on the blog: 

So ready. Like, it almost feels like I can't believe we're nearly there, like, it's been a while. It's like… two years, something like that, so it does go by slowly, and then all of a sudden you're like, oh, it's in two months or something, so I'm very excited. Now it's about to happen. I'm rewatching my old videos, like, "what have I said about this?" I can't remember, it's been so long.

Well, it's tricky because there's… season three is, like, there's so much action, and it depends on where they draw the line, and then have season four, so I'm not 100% sure where we'll go up to, but this section of the story, this season, is gonna be the most action-packed. Like, this is where everything is kicking off. Left, right, and center, so there's a lot happening. Like, it's… people say, you know, the war of the Dance of the Dragons, it really does explode in earnest in this season. I'm assuming anyway, having not seen anything yet, but it just feels like, okay, everyone is gonna just go crazy now, and it's gonna be no holds barred. So, we should brace ourselves as the audience.

Well, there is one moment in particular, but it might be a spoiler, so I'm gonna hold that one back, and I'll come up with something different, because I don't want anybody to be like, “Oh, wait, what?” We want everyone to be surprised.

I think the way that it ended at the end of season two, and the way that it's going to segue into more drama, more action, more battles. That's the thing that I'm most excited for, and for what Rhaenyra does, more importantly, because that's my queen. So I'm like, okay, what are you going to be doing, and where will you be? Who will you be with? And what are you gonna be up to? 

That's the thing, because for me, Rhaenyra is the heart of this story. As much as the supporting cast is brilliant, so talented, and everyone's got their unique personalities, shall we say, but for me, when you distill it down, it's about a woman being usurped. And that's the heart of the story, so I always look to Rhaenyra, like, what are you gonna be up to this season? Because it's gonna be a lot.

Yes, but it depends on how they play it, because House of the Dragon does differ on some aspects from the book, so it depends on how they go about it.

But I think it's like, it's the way that this is a pressure cooker and you've got dragons fighting dragons, and loads of crazy stuff going on, but you also have, like, when you distill it down, just courtly intrigue, and people still playing the Game of Thrones in the middle of a war. That always fascinates me, because it's like, there's craziness going on all around you, and there's still people trying to navigate through and play the traditional Game of Thrones.

But I think what we're gonna see is that… it's all bets are off, basically. There are no rules going forward in season three for everybody, basically.

There's a few. I really loved the moment where Viserys entered into the throne room in season one and was standing up for his daughter.The whole scene in the throne room with Daemon, with everybody watching, with Aemond watching in awe. I loved that whole scene, and Paddy Considine took a character that was okay, but never a favorite, and he did such a good job with the way he was, like, staggering and could barely walk. I just thought it was so well done. I can see why George R.R. Martin thought it was brilliant as well. Like, he was over the moon with this portrayal. So that was a big one.

But in season two, I really loved Rhaenyra with the dragons when she was speaking High Valyrian, and doing her thing, that for me was very powerful to see, and I love that moment where she stood and the dragons are around her, and Aemond turns away and has… thankfully has some common sense and realizes, I'm not gonna go and approach Dragonstone, you know, I'm outnumbered, she's there with multiple big dragons.

That moment really just, as an image, really meant a lot to me to see her standing in her power, when a lot of the time, Rhaenyra either can't or won't stand in her power. So it's nice to see someone standing there and putting up a bit of a fight, and not just taking it. I think that's season three’s vibe. Both sides are really locked into the fight.

The first thing is probably a heart monitor or something, just to regulate things, because we are all going to be sat there stressed. Episode after episode, I can guarantee we're all going to be like, “deep breaths, that was a lot.” I would also say a sprinkle of common sense as well, because I feel like the audience might be the common sense in the story, where everyone else gets lost in the thick of the war, we're kind of watching objectively. And I think the third thing… maybe a fire extinguisher would be good, because things are gonna get spicy and hot and steamy and smoky. So, yeah, basically, like, your standard survival kit, because it's gonna be wild.

Like, you think seasons one and two, it was drama? Season three, from what I feel will happen, they're gonna start with a big bang, and it's just gonna continue. It's gonna be more and more intense as episodes go on. We'll all need a holiday after this season's finished, just to process it all. It's gonna be a lot, but it's exciting as well, knowing there's a lot happening.

It's been fascinating because I've been a witness to the community and a part of it, and I'm kind of lucky because I've created a nice little community where we just talk about what we enjoy, and we go back and forth on different topics, and it's always in a safe space, in a comfortable space, and we never take it too seriously, because it's all fictional at the end of the day.

It's really fun to see more people getting into this community as more spin-offs happen, as more books are potentially on the horizon – who knows? You know, fingers crossed – and it's nice to see people dipping their toe into this community, and it's growing, and sometimes fandoms get a bad rep, and I'm sure that every fandom has aspects that are not amazing, but I've found that you really can carve out a really cool community of people who always will push you to think of something different.

And the comments I get on my videos, I'm always like, "Oh, I never thought about that till now, but now you've got me down this rabbit hole," and that's my favourite thing. And it doesn't matter what experience you have, you could be a relative newcomer and that's kind of what I do with my videos: we'll have some really intense deep dives, and sometimes we'll just cover something in a more lighter topic, because not everyone knows all of the stuff, so I kind of try and sort of cater to everybody because there's new people joining the fandom every single day, and people are like, “what's this about?” I got you, I got you, we'll cover it all. It's basically like a school.

It's really fun, because it can be a lot. When it's such a big story, it's hard to remember everybody and all of the storylines, and you've got the show, you've got the books, you've got different adaptations, that there's so much, [including] this new potential film we're getting of Aegon's Conquest. There's a lot, and it's hard to remember it all, so it is nice to be able to have this community where we all share our thoughts on it, and I love the little bubble that I've created. It's fabulous, and you meet some really amazing people, like genuine friends as well, which I didn't expect. 

That's the biggest surprise, like, when you enter into a community, especially when it's a virtual thing for the most part. It's hard to imagine that you would make friends that you talk to every day about other stuff, real life stuff.

And then, “oh, let's do a video about this together,” and you support each other, and it grows from there. And I've been really lucky to have a lot of people in my corner, and it's just a really nice thing to do, and I enjoy it. It's why I keep on doing it. If I didn't enjoy it, and I didn't like the space I was in, I wouldn't be able to put myself out there, so it’s the bubble that I've created that just… it works. Long story short.

Yeah. I think when you find your people, they can inspire you. Some of me and my friends will have conversations about stuff, and before you know it, we're going down these really niche rabbit holes, and we're all chipping in, like, well, what do you think about this, and what about that? And it becomes a collaborative thing. We're all kind of throwing in our two cents, and that's what keeps it fun.

I think that's the main thing for me, is if I don't enjoy it, I can't really, like, fake it. I have to be invested, and it's why sometimes I'll do a video about some character that appeared in, like, two episodes, but we need to talk about this person, because it's important, and it's nice to go down all of these avenues, and there's just so much to choose from. You can pick anything. And that's the creative side – I didn't realize I was a creative person until I started doing this, and I'm like, oh, that makes sense now in my brain! 

So, I get a lot of enjoyment from doing these videos, and from interacting with people, and from watching videos as well. Like, it's not just my videos, it's all of the people in this community who spend so much time, and they'll watch an episode, and they'll slow it down, and they'll zoom in on the tiniest detail, but it's something that nine times out of ten we’ll miss, we'll skim over. That's my favourite thing, just when people take the time, and you can tell they've got a passion for it, that's just… I love it.

Yeah, absolutely, it happens. This is the thing, even me, I still learn new things all the time, and that's what keeps it interesting for me. And there are plenty of characters that I change my mind on, and sometimes I'm like you know what, I might flip through their chapters in the books, because I'm not feeling them today. It tends to be Bran that I do that with sometimes. Sometimes I'm here for Bran, and sometimes I'm like, not today, not today, Bran.

So it depends on what kind of mood I'm in, but I like that your perspective can constantly change, and I think that comes back to these characters being so well written in the first place, because that's the basis. These brilliant characters are what we're so invested in.

It had a huge impact on me when I first started reading the books, and I would read the books, and then I would finish, and I would start again, and I'd go through all five books, and then I'd go back to the beginning, and that kind of got me through some tough times in life.

It was kind of escapism, and I found a lot of people find that it is escapism for them, too. It's nice to go into a different world and talk about other things and that's a big part of why I think this whole story and all of the shows resonate with people. It’s real human stories, but there's an objectivity, so it's nice to be able to step back, and you take a break from real life, which can be a lot. So that's the biggest change on a personal level, because it's something that I leaned on, and then I decided, let's talk about this and share this thing I love with the world.

That's how I started making videos and it's just grown from there and it's actually made Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire, an even bigger part of my life, and it's just all been a good thing. It's been a good path to go on.

Well… it's the ultimate tragedy, really. It's, like, not to spoil anything, but I'm sure people who have watched Game of Thrones, they know that for a time, there were no dragons, so… this is basically what caused that situation to be, and it's a situation where I want to shake everybody and say, “You're messing up, don't do this, this is all a disaster.”

But there's something sort of Shakespearean about it, that maybe it's human nature to want to see this, and see how it plays out, and especially with the situation all coming from a woman being usurped by a younger man.

I think that's something that fires up the audience massively, and it's very Team Green/Team Black, everyone has their favorites, but it's… I hate to say this, but I do sit on the fence because I'm like, I can see everybody's point of view, and I understand why everyone is the way they are, but it's frustrating to just see this family clash when it doesn't need to be this way. 

And that's sort of the most intense thing, is they could have just allowed Rhaenyra to take the throne, and we could have gone about our day. Everyone is still rich, everyone is still dressed to the nines, you can have all the feasts you want, you can play on your dragons.You know, it’s shoulda, woulda, coulda. It could have been great. But, you know, it wasn't meant to be, and it's why I think it's brilliant to have this Game of Thrones Shakespeare play that they're doing with the Royal Shakespeare Company, because it's…a match made in heaven. George R.R. Martin and Shakespeare go hand in hand, and that's the Dance of the Dragons. It's just a tragedy. It didn't need to happen.

And it's frustrating, but I think it's important to shine a light on this. And I think, yes, the dragons are a big pull for people, but also the story of a woman who was skipped over when she wasn't even consulted in the first place, you know? It's… a lot of things happen around Rhaenyra, and that's typical, I suppose, in that medieval society, but it's her standing up and saying, “This is my birthright,” and owning that. I think a lot of people can just root for her. I know not everybody, because we have a lot of Team Greens, but I think that is something that, for me at least, I'm cheering her on, like, yes, go for it, you've got this.

Well, I think it probably has to go to the Lannisters, because they've got the coins. They can pretty much outspend anybody on the finest things. The only thing they don't have any longer is a Valyrian steel sword, but they've got all the diamonds and the gems and all the fancy outfits.

And I think there's a natural sort of swagger to a Lannister, that it's kind of like, you could see all of them walking the runway. They've got that sort of je ne sais quoi that other houses just don't have. So I think the Lannisters take it for me.

Oh, it's close, because there are some of Alicent's gowns that I would wear to the supermarket, like, I would wear every day. Gorgeous. But I love that with Rhaenyra and with Daemon when they have more structure to…Rhaenyra's gown and to Daemon's armour in season two in particular that was sort of bulked up, and it looked very Targaryen, and very dynamic.

I thought it was nice to see Rhaenyra with more structure in her garments as well, like, a lot more around the neck and a lot of detail. And it's nice to see somebody just sort of stand there and go, “Yeah, I know I look good. I know I do.” In the middle of all this drama, you've got to look right, because you can't be turning up to war looking shabby. You've got to look the part.

To be honest, it's probably young Rhaenyra when she is named as the heir. I think it's such a timeless piece and it just took my breath away when you saw the headdress and everything and it was so ornate. That for me is just definitive House of the Dragon fashion. Like, it was just so breathtaking.

And, oh my god, they've got money, they can buy the best of the best, because that outfit, still, to this day, gives me chills.

I think my favorite tidbit is that Rhaenyra always wears boots, so she's ready to go. So she has, I'm sure, a wardrobe full of gowns and sandals and all kinds of stuff, but she chooses to wear boots.

So she is dragon-riding ready, and I mean, what's not to love? Like, she is prepared. That's my favorite thing. Yeah, she's practical. She needs some red bottoms on those boots, and she's ready to go.

Jaw-dropping…emotional…And…I guess action-packed because it's a lot and I feel like nobody is going to be spared, everyone's gonna be sucked in, no matter whether you are at the heart of it, or whether you're on the periphery. We're all getting dragged into the drama and that scares me but I want to watch!

Get your survival kits ready for a jaw-dropping, emotional, and action-packed season! Don't forget to dress the part with our latest styles inspired by House of the Dragon and be sure to follow Kellie, the Game of Thrones Historian, to stay up to date on all the lore in Westeros!