LOS ANGELES: HBO’s House of the Dragon has taken a major creative departure from George R.R. Martin’s source material, Fire & Blood, significantly reshaping the narrative behind one of the Dance of the Dragons’ most infamous betrayals. Episode 7 of the current season uncovers a stunning conspiracy orchestrated by Ormund Hightower, reframing how Rhaenyra Targaryen’s forces will fracture at the upcoming Battle of Tumbleton.
Despite facing a numerical disadvantage, Ormund Hightower’s quiet confidence was finally explained in the closing moments of Episode 7, which revealed secret meetings between Ormund and Ulf the White. Rather than a spontaneous act of treason, the series depicts Ormund systematically manipulating Ulf—praising him, reminding him of past humiliations by Daemon Targaryen, and sweetening the pot with a lucrative offer of Driftmark and the title Lord of the Tides. This master manipulation sets the stage for Ulf, and potentially Hugh Hammer, to switch their allegiance to the Greens.
The dramatic episode also dropped several other game-changing bombshells for the remainder of the season, including Tessarion joining the Greens, a haunting vision of Helaena Targaryen riding Dreamfyre to torch smallfolk at the Great Sept, the surprising return of Aegon’s dragon Sunfyre, and the capture of Lord Corlys Velaryon by Ser Jon Roxton.
With Team Black fracturing over internal disputes like Corlys’s un-legitimized sons and two dragonriders poised to turn coat, the stage is set for a cataclysmic finale. Director Nina Lopez-Corrado hinted that the upcoming episodes will feature breathtaking aerial sequences, noting the intricate production effort required to bring iconic dragons to life.
