The latest episode of House of the Dragon's third season sees Master of Whisperers Larys Strong and the severely injured King Aegon II reach a new nadir as their escape plan unravels. Secretly fleeing King's Landing with the kingdom's gold, Larys intended to wait out the Targaryen civil war in Essos, but their journey has proven far more perilous than anticipated.
Matthew Needham, who portrays Larys Strong, explained that his character's meticulous plans are being thwarted by Aegon's unpredictable nature. "[Larys] feels he’s got Aegon in the palm of his hand, and events transpire, and he realizes he doesn’t have any control," Needham told Polygon. "Aegon is such a livewire, such a loose cannon. [Larys] realizes he’s bitten off way more than he can chew."
Their escape began in a rookery carriage, which was quickly intercepted by Rhaenyra loyalists. Larys' deception was jeopardized when Aegon refused to pledge loyalty to Rhaenyra, forcing Larys to reveal their identities. This led to them being taken hostage rather than executed as loyalists.
"Larys probably sees himself as a shelter, bulletproof glass to go in front of Aegon to go ‘Follow me, copy me, and we’ll survive,’" Needham said. "He’s more experienced in terms of hiding, and I think he feels he could protect Aegon. He doesn’t really have a choice."
Tom Glynn-Carney, who plays Aegon II, described his character as a "loose cannon" whose ego and pride make him difficult to control. "He’s been a bit of a lone wolf, causing chaos in his own spare time and being in a position where he’s got all the people around him giving him everything, serving him, and treating him like the king, only to have that pulled away and be stuck in the back of a rookery with loads of raven shit everywhere and Larys Strong next to him," Glynn-Carney said. "He’s like ‘This man has more of a plan than I do,’ so I’m just going to hand myself over to him because what’s my other option? Stay in the Red Keep and be killed by my own brother or someone else?"
Aegon's insistence on meeting with his Hand, Christian Cole, at Rook's Rest led to further disaster. The garrison was in disarray, and Aegon was forced to perform menial labor and beg for his life. This sequence of events, compounded by the lingering physical and psychological trauma from his dragon Sunfyre's near-fatal encounter with Aemond's dragon Vhagar, has deeply affected Aegon.
Glynn-Carney noted that the prosthetics used to simulate his dragonfire burns have influenced his portrayal. "It serves as a constant reminder of his injuries and his discomfort," he stated. "It’s uncomfortable, overstimulating, and anxiety-inducing, but it’s great. You let those feelings bleed into the scenes and how the character feels, and it informs the way that I move and the way that I speak."
Despite the dire circumstances, the dynamic between Aegon and Larys provides moments of dark humor. "It’s inherently funny to see two people not have a plan and be panicking about their future, how much danger they’re in and how high the stakes are, and to see people at rock bottom," Glynn-Carney remarked. "Poor guys."
Larys remains focused on his original plan to escape Westeros, though the immediate challenge is simply finding a way to board a ship. "He’s got it all mapped up. The trouble is he can’t get on a boat. They just need to catch a break," Needham said.
House of the Dragon season 3 episode 4 premiered on July 12 on HBO.