House of the Dragon certainly knows how to leave a trail of bodies behind.
The HBO fantasy drama wrapped its third season Sunday night with a fiery 75-minute finale that delivered the Battle of Tumbleton, several brutal deaths, a shocking suicide and an increasingly unsettling Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen.
And if anyone thought the Dance of the Dragons couldn't get messier, Season 4 now has quite the inferno to clean up.
One of the finale's biggest shocks came from Helaena Targaryen, who had been kept prisoner in her Red Keep bedchamber while Rhaenyra attempted to extract information from her prophetic visions.
But Helaena ultimately took control of her own fate in devastating fashion, leaping from her window to her death. Rhaenyra later entered the room to discover the open window and Helaena's body impaled on the spikes below.
Even more ominously, Helaena left behind an elaborate piece of embroidery seemingly depicting both her own death and Rhaenyra's increasingly bloody future. The image showed Rhaenyra still holding onto the Iron Throne as death and destruction unfolded around her.
Rhaenyra's response? Rather than appearing shaken enough to reconsider her path, she simply closed the windows.
Earlier, the queen had already embraced some seriously chilling rhetoric, proclaiming before the people of King's Landing, "I am the shield of the people, I am Rhaenyra the Chosen."
She also expelled her adviser and former lover Mysaria, removing one of the few people still willing to challenge her increasingly ruthless decisions.
Meanwhile, the Battle of Tumbleton descended into absolute chaos thanks largely to Ulf the White.
After being humiliated by Daemon Targaryen and courted by Ormund Hightower to switch allegiance, the notoriously unruly dragonrider finally snapped. Still drunk, Ulf climbed aboard Silverwing and unleashed dragon fire across the battlefield - apparently without caring very much which side he was burning.
That proved disastrous for Ormund.
The Hightower commander found himself locked in a vicious fight with Ser Roderick "Roddy the Ruin" Dustin. Ormund managed to slice off Roddy's arm, but Roddy retaliated by plunging a knife into Ormund from behind.
Before either man could properly enjoy the outcome, Ulf and Silverwing came roaring overhead and engulfed them in flames.
By the finale's closing moments, Ormund was shown charred beyond recognition.
Daemon also came dangerously close to joining the body count. After narrowly surviving Silverwing's rampage, he appeared ready to stagger back into battle until Corlys Velaryon intervened.
"Ulf has turned; the town is lost. We are leaving," Corlys told him.
The pair escaped together, meaning both Daemon and the Sea Snake live to fight another day - although Corlys is now missing a finger after his captivity under Ormund.
And then there are the brothers nobody expected to see working together again.
Aegon Targaryen made his presence dramatically known to Aemond at Harrenhal after spending much of the season allowing people to believe he was dead.
"I'm alive, imbecile," Aegon informed his brother.
Considering Aemond previously nearly killed Aegon with dragon fire, the reunion wasn't exactly warm and fuzzy.
Aemond was apparently prepared to accept death as punishment for betraying his brother, but Aegon had other plans. Instead of killing him, he intends to use Aemond in the continuing war against Rhaenyra.
So, yes: Aegon and Aemond are somehow back together.
Alicent Hightower, meanwhile, doesn't yet know the full horror awaiting her in King's Landing. While traveling back to the capital, she suddenly found herself surrounded by blue butterflies - an eerie moment suggesting she sensed that something terrible had happened to Helaena.
With Helaena dead, Ormund burned alive, Ulf out of control, Daemon and Corlys retreating, Aegon and Aemond reunited and Rhaenyra becoming increasingly consumed by the Iron Throne, House of the Dragon has positioned virtually everyone for one final bloody reckoning.
The good news? Season 4 promises to be explosive.
The bad news for impatient fans? The fourth and final season isn't expected until 2028.
After that finale, Westeros is going to make viewers wait two years to find out who gets burned next.
