The fourth episode of House of the Dragon Season 3 may not deliver the dragon spectacle some fans have been waiting for, but it more than makes up for it with tense political manoeuvring, layered character work and the arrival of one of the series' most fascinating players. While much of the episode focuses on moving pieces into place for the war ahead, James Norton's Lord Ormund Hightower emerges as the hour's biggest surprise, effortlessly commanding every scene he appears in.

Ormund Hightower takes centre stage

Ormund is unlike the loud, impulsive villains Westeros is known for. Calm, calculating, and deeply unsettling, he presents himself as a disciplined leader while revealing flashes of ruthless cruelty underneath. Whether he's delivering justice in public or manipulating young Daeron behind closed doors, Ormund proves he is far more dangerous than brute-force warriors like Aemond.