‘House of the Dragon’ Star Harry Collett Opens Up About Jace’s Brutal Death in the Season 3 Premiere
Few shows on television commit to consequence quite like ‘House of the Dragon.’ From the very first season, the ‘Game of Thrones‘ prequel has made it clear that no character, no matter how beloved or central to the story, is guaranteed to survive. Season 3 wastes no time reminding audiences of that brutal promise, delivering a premiere that plunges viewers headfirst into the chaos of the Dance of the Dragons and exits with one of the show’s most significant losses yet.
The season picks up with Rhaenyra’s forces, the Blacks, still locked in war against the Greens, the King’s Landing loyalists loyal to King Aegon II. Rhaenyra’s army has been bolstered by a grizzled contingent of House Stark fighters known as the Winter Wolves, as well as additional dragonriders drawn from Targaryen bastards known as dragonseeds. The stage is set for a battle that showrunner Ryan Condal had reportedly been building toward for some time.
Condal had to cut the Battle of the Gullet from Season 2 due to budget constraints, meaning the production went all-out for the Season 3 premiere. The result is a full-scale naval confrontation that pulls no punches, and one of its most devastating casualties is Jacaerys Velaryon, known to fans simply as Jace, played by Harry Collett since the very first season.
When the Triarchy’s fleet arrives in the narrow Westerosi waterway known as the Gullet, Jace locks Rhaenyra away for her own safety and takes to the skies on dragonback alongside his cousin and fiancée Baela. The Triarchy has devised a deadly strategy for dealing with dragons, harpooning Vermax mid-air and dragging him down into the water. Jace manages to free himself from his drowning mount and reach the surface, but is immediately struck by a volley of arrows and killed. It is as unceremonious as it is heartbreaking.
Speaking to Variety, Collett described the physical challenge of filming the sequence, saying it was “really hard to act dead” and called it “actually one of the hardest acting I’ve ever done in my life.” He added that it was “really fun, but also really challenging trying to keep my eyes open in the water and staying afloat, while also not getting any up my nose.”
For Collett, the farewell had been coming for a long time. He told Parade in an exclusive interview that he had known since Season 1 that his run on the show would eventually end, saying, “It’s such a blessing to be in this show. I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of talking about it or repeating myself, because this is a once-in-a-lifetime show.” His co-star Bethany Antonia, who plays Baela, reflected on their final scenes together, “I felt like we were doing really good work. I felt really emotional and proud of you.”
Emma D’Arcy, who portrays Rhaenyra, told Den of Geek that the loss of her eldest child represents a turning point with no return. “I think for Rhaenyra, Jace’s death is an insurmountable loss, honestly. It’s unprocessable,” D’Arcy said. Collett himself, speaking to Gold Derby, called the sequence a standout exit, saying simply, “What a way to go.”
With Jace gone and the war escalating toward what promises to be its most devastating chapter yet, ‘House of the Dragon’ has made clear that Season 3 is going to demand everything from its characters and its audience. Do you think Jace’s death hit with the weight it deserved, or did the Battle of the Gullet leave you wanting even more time with the character before the arrows flew?
