Dragons are about to eat your weekend. HBO Max‘s House of the Dragon returns for season 3 on June 21, and depending on who you ask, it’s the most anticipated thing landing on any streaming service all year. The small catch, though: it arrives on the last day of this post’s window, which makes this week more about prepping—rewatching season two (or at least the last few episodes), remembering which Targaryen wants which other Targaryen dead, names, illegitimate children, etc. But if Westeros isn’t your favorite destination, HBO Max is hardly short on other new shows to watch, either.
Beyond the dragons, I’ve also highlighted a chiseled-jaw-dropping documentary about new-age models that’s climbing the charts, plus the 42nd season of a long-running kitchen showdown show that’s a perfect palate cleanser before (or after) all the fire-breathing begins.
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House of the Dragon (Season 3)
Critics are already calling this the most action-packed season yet
If A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was a slightly kinder, gentler Game of Thrones spinoff, prepare yourselves for what critics have said promises to bring George R.R. Martin’s monstrous franchise roaring back to its fiery, bloody true form—the third season of House of the Dragon, which premieres June 21st. Adapted from Martin’s Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon has been bringing to life the story of legend that is the Dance of the Dragons, a brutal civil war between a Targaryen royal family torn in two over a contested Iron Throne.
While season two took some criticism for feeling a bit slow and short (only eight episodes), season 3 is wasting no time making up for it. Episode one opens with the highly anticipated Battle of the Gullet, which, in Game of Thrones lore, is known as one of the bloodiest sea battles in all history, featuring dragon-on-dragon clashes, and a naval battle between the mighty Velaryon fleet (the Blacks) and the warships of the Triarchy, a fleet of allied cities fighting on behalf of the Greens. At the heart of all this conflict are estranged besties Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), each fighting for their claims, Alicent’s menacing son Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), and Rhaenyra’s loyal uncle/husband Daemon (Matt Smith).
Quiz
Know Your Game of Thrones Lore
Trivia challenge
From the Red Wedding to the Dance of the Dragons — how well do you know
Westeros?
CharactersBattlesMomentsHousesLore
The fan theory ‘R+L=J’ refers to the true parentage of which Game of Thrones
character?
Correct! R+L=J stands for Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark equals Jon
Snow, revealing that Jon is not Ned Stark’s bastard but a trueborn Targaryen heir. This was one of the
most celebrated fan theories in TV history, eventually confirmed in Season 7.
Not quite. R+L=J refers to Jon Snow, whose true parents are Rhaegar
Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Ned Stark kept this secret to protect his nephew from Robert Baratheon’s
wrath, making it one of the show’s biggest reveals.
The Red Wedding saw the massacre of which Stark and his allies at the Twins?
Correct! Robb Stark, his mother Catelyn, his pregnant wife Talisa, and
most of his bannermen were slaughtered at the Twins by the treacherous Walder Frey and Roose Bolton. The
event, known as the Red Wedding, shocked audiences worldwide and remains one of TV’s most infamous
moments.
Not quite. The Red Wedding claimed the life of Robb Stark, the King in
the North, along with his mother Catelyn and his wife Talisa. Orchestrated by Walder Frey and Roose
Bolton, it ended the Stark rebellion in one brutal night.
Which Targaryen queen is at the center of the civil war known as the Dance of the
Dragons in House of the Dragon?
Correct! Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, named her father Viserys I’s heir,
fought her half-brother Aegon II for the Iron Throne in the devastating civil war called the Dance of
the Dragons. House of the Dragon chronicles her rise and the conflict that tore the Targaryen dynasty
apart.
Not quite. Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen is at the heart of the Dance of the
Dragons. She was declared heir by her father Viserys I, but her claim was contested by her half-brother
Aegon II, igniting a devastating dragon-fueled civil war.
The Battle of the Gullet, a pivotal naval conflict in House of the Dragon, saw the
Triarchy fleet face off against which Targaryen forces?
Correct! The Battle of the Gullet was a bloody naval engagement where
the Triarchy attacked the Gullet strait, and Rhaenyra’s forces — including her sons riding dragons —
fought to defend it. It was a devastating battle with enormous losses on both sides, including the death
of one of Rhaenyra’s sons, Lucerys.
Not quite. The Battle of the Gullet involved Queen Rhaenyra’s forces,
including Velaryon ships and dragon riders among her sons, clashing with the Triarchy fleet. It was a
catastrophic engagement that highlighted the horrific cost of the Dance of the Dragons.
Ser Duncan the Tall, the protagonist of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, eventually
rose to hold which prestigious position?
Correct! Ser Duncan the Tall eventually became Lord Commander of the
Kingsguard, one of the highest honors a knight could achieve in Westeros. His squire, the young boy
called ‘Egg,’ was none other than Aegon V Targaryen, who would go on to become king.
Not quite. Ser Duncan the Tall rose to become Lord Commander of the
Kingsguard. His adventures as a hedge knight are chronicled in George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and
Egg novellas, which serve as the basis for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
What is the meaning behind the iconic Stark words ‘Winter is Coming’?
Correct! Unlike most Great House mottos that boast of glory or strength,
‘Winter is Coming’ is a somber warning — a reminder that hardship is always on the horizon and that one
must always be vigilant and prepared. It reflects the pragmatic, stoic nature of House Stark and the
brutal climate of the North.
Not quite. ‘Winter is Coming’ is House Stark’s warning to never grow
complacent, as dark and hard times are always approaching. It stands apart from other house words by
being a caution rather than a boast, embodying the Stark family’s grim but honorable worldview.
The Battle of the Bastards in Season 6 of Game of Thrones saw Jon Snow fight to
reclaim Winterfell from which villain?
Correct! The Battle of the Bastards pitted Jon Snow against Ramsay
Bolton, the sadistic lord who had seized Winterfell and held Jon’s brother Rickon captive. Jon’s forces
were nearly overwhelmed before Sansa’s timely arrival with the Knights of the Vale turned the tide, and
Ramsay was ultimately fed to his own hounds.
Not quite. Jon Snow faced Ramsay Bolton in the Battle of the Bastards.
Ramsay was one of the show’s most despised villains, and his defeat — followed by Sansa feeding him to
his own starving hounds — was one of Game of Thrones’ most satisfying moments.
Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons were named after people important to her. Which of the
following is NOT one of her dragon’s names?
Correct! Balerion, known as the Black Dread, was the legendary dragon of
Aegon the Conqueror — not one of Daenerys’s dragons. Her three dragons were Drogon (named after Khal
Drogo), Rhaegal (named after her brother Rhaegar), and Viserion (named after her brother Viserys).
Not quite. Balerion was not one of Daenerys’s dragons — he was Aegon the
Conqueror’s legendary Black Dread, long dead by the time of Game of Thrones. Daenerys’s three dragons
were Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion, each named after a man significant in her life.
Your Score
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Thanks for playing!
The first two seasons of House of the Dragon have earned the show a combined 14 Emmy nominations with two wins, and so far, early reviews of season three have it at a whopping 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Take this week to get up to speed with what happened at the end of last season, before all the new madness begins on Sunday. In the meantime, I’ll just leave this quote from after the Battle of the Gullet here for you: “If this be victory, I hope I never see another.”
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Bring Me The Beauties: A Model Cult
Supermodels, an alien guru, and a real cult
One of the most bizarre and fascinating documentary series I’ve watched in a long time, Bring Me The Beauties: A Model Cult is a trippy, three-part HBO original documentary that has been climbing the streaming service’s charts and has a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. Decades in the making, the series largely centers on Hoyt Richards, who, during the height of the 1980s, was (and is) considered by many to be the world’s first male supermodel—and, quietly, a devoted member of a weird new-age cult.
That group was Eternal Values, and its leader, a gorgeous, well-to-do New York socialite named Frederick von Mierers, who had his followers believing that he was a “walk-in,” an alien from the star Arcturus living in von Mierers’s body. Von Mierers preached empathy and the importance of youth and beauty to his followers—which included many young models and professionals—while also relieving them of their money.
Directed by Chris Smith, the man behind Fyre, Bad Vegan, and the Emmy-winning 100 Foot Wave, Bring Me The Beauties uses excellently hazy, 80s-style archival footage, private recordings, and clips from Eternal Values’ cable access TV show, and candid interviews from Richards and many other cult members to illustrate the extent of von Mierers’s grip and influence over the group.
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Beat Bobby Flay (Season 42)
Wannabe chefs keep coming for the king of Food TV
Season 42 of this long-running staple of a Food Network cooking series has landed on HBO Max (Food Network is already a season or two ahead of streaming), just in time to offer some low-stakes, hunger-inducing programming to settle your nerves after all those fire-breathing dragons. But don’t let celebrity chef/host Bobby Flay’s calm, cool demeanor fool you; when he’s got two competing chefs vying to take him on in a battle to outcook him, the gloves always come off.
Let’s back up a bit—Beat Bobby Flay‘s premise is simple: two professional chefs from around the country and from a range of restaurants, from high-end to catering businesses, arrive to first go head-to-head to create a dish featuring a secret ingredient chosen by Flay. A pair of celebrity judges, from Food Network personalities to other pro chefs to actors, musicians, and more, decides the winner who then takes on Flay in the show’s main event. The winner gets to pick the dish they make, in the hopes that it’s a specialty that the quick-witted Flay might struggle with, again judged blindly by the celebrity guests.
It’s a Food Network mainstay that’s been going since 2013 for a reason—the charismatic Flay is fun, there are loads of good-natured trash talking, and the guests are usually good, too, with some examples including SNL cast members Colin Jost, Heidi Gardner, and Ego Nwodim. All seasons up to 42 are available, should you want a supreme binge-watch, or you can just jump around as you see fit.
For the good of the realm
Whether you’re bracing for the spectacle of Westerosi dragons or just want something gently simmering on the stove (see what I did there?), hopefully the suggestions above offer some options. If not, the streaming roundups on How-To Geek are always serving up fresh picks for whatever mood strikes next.
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HBO Max is a subscription-based streaming service offering content from HBO, Warner Bros., DC, and more. In 2025, the service re-branded itself as HBO Max after having previously cut “HBO” from its name.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
