NOW ENTERTAINMENT June 21 Month 00 -- 27, 00,2026 2023
Your Weekly TV Entertainment Brought To You By Olean Times Herald & The Bradford Era
Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy, “Truth Seekers”) returns to King’s Landing in “House of the Dragon” Season 3, premiering Sunday, June 21, on HBO and HBO Max. Emma D’Arcy in “House of the Dragon”
Cover Story Battle of the blonds: Targaryens wage war in ‘HOTD’ Season 3 By Dana Simpson Early this year, American author and world-builder extraordinaire George R.R. Martin met with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss his eternally popular Game of Thrones empire, a creation which cemented the author’s transformation from “son of a New Jersey longshoreman who got his start by selling monster stories to schoolmates for a dime apiece,” to “the country’s most recognizable author aside from Stephen King.” Martin has been a recurring topic of discussion in the entertainment industry since the April 2011 premiere of “Game of Thrones” on HBO, an adaptation of his beloved A Song of Fire and Ice literary series which released its first installment (the similarly titled “A Game of Thrones”) in 1996. But in recent years — and as fans of the author’s work will know — Martin has become a rather more contentious figure in the pop culture sphere, particularly due to the perpetually pending arrival of A Song of Ice and Fire’s final two novels; novels that
have been promised since the 2011 publication of the series’ most recent novel, “A Dance with Dragons.” So, while Martin sits at his keyboard, his fans must keep their eyes affixed to their television sets where, mercifully, another season of “House of the Dragon” is about to begin. “House of the Dragon” Season 3 premieres Sunday, June 21, on HBO and the HBO Max streaming service. “House of the Dragon” is Martin’s second series with HBO, having premiered its freshman season a little more than three years after “Game of Thrones” ended and shy of four years before the universe’s newest installment, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” premiered. The series follows the silvery-blond Targaryen clan as they battle for succession 172 years before the birth of “GOT” tragic heroine Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke, “Ponies”). The series’ first season boasts a 90% approval rating from critics (and 82% from
viewers) on RottenTomatoes. com, with reviewers praising the show’s world-building, political intrigue and acting. Season 2’s approval, however, fell to 84% and 72% among critics and audiences, respectively, as the pace slowed and the drama became more character driven. Never fear, though, because Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy, “Truth Seekers”) is back in King’s Landing this season — and she comes bearing dragons. No official HBO season description exists as of writing, but according to Entertainment Weekly, who released an exclusive “HOTD” story titled “Burn, Baby, Burn” on May 26, the Season 3 premiere “brings us the Battle of the Gullet, one of the most violent sea battles in the history of this fantasy world. “The scarring aftermath of this moment will carry both the Greens (supporters of King Aegon’s [Tom Glynn-Carney, ‘Dunkirk,’ 2017] claim to the Iron Throne) and the Blacks (supporters of Queen Rhaenyra) through to the inevitable conclusion,” continues the synopsis.
From a logistical perspective, showrunner and Martin’s “HOTD” co-creator Ryan J. Condal (“Colony”) told EW that the Season 3 premiere is “arguably the craziest episode of television ever made.” This commitment to action (and dragons!) is a huge relief for the many fans who were disappointed by Season 2’s lackluster conclusion in August 2024. But with nearly two years to ruminate, Martin’s mid-January exit due to creative differences and Condal’s HBO deal extended into 2029, “House of the Dragon” now has plenty of wind under its scaled and leathery wings. “When you’re a showrunner, you’re always in the position of having to balance storytelling and the resources that you have available to tell that story,” Condal said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “We are trying to give the Gullet — which is arguably the second most anticipated action event of ‘Fire & Blood’ — the time and the space that it deserves. “We also wanted to build some anticipation toward it,” the showrunner added, “so I apologize for the wait.”
In Focus
In Focus “Adventure Time: Side Quests” Season 1 (Hulu/Disney+ — June 29, Series Premiere) A companion to the beloved original “Adventure Time,” the new animated series follows young hero Finn and his magical dog best friend Jake as they embark on adventures across the fantastical land of Ooo.
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“Elle” - Season 1 (Prime Video — July 1, Series Premiere) Spinning off from the iconic early 2000s “Legally Blonde” film franchise, Season 1 of this new series follows a young Elle Woods (Lexi Minetree) in high school as we learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the woman we came to know and love.