*Warning: Spoilers ahead for the House of the Dragon season 3 finale and Fire & Blood* Ormund Hightower (James Norton) met a flamboyantly gruesome end in House of the Dragon season three episode eight, and he could have just avoided it if it weren’t for this one “embarrassing” act. As expected, the Battle of Tumbleton was downright horrific. The Game of Thrones prequel series pulled no punches when it got down to depicting the realities of war, with countless characters – including children – losing their lives amid the chaos. It might be just as bloody, but showrunner Ryan Condal and the writing team made some huge changes to George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, including the mechanics of the battle itself. The book sees Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) forces holding Tumbleton when Ormund arrives with his army to attack them, but this is reversed in the HBO show. This alongside a series of other changes (more on this shortly) is what leads to Ormund’s grisly death. According to actor James Norton, it all came down to one humiliating moment. Ulf’s ‘embarrassment’ is what sealed Ormund’s fate Credit: HBO As Norton said in the behind-the-scenes look at the finale, “The whole battle spins on a dime, all because one man felt embarrassed.” Let’s rewind a bit to explain: if you remember, Ulf switched from the Blacks to the Greens after making a deal with Ormund. In the finale, he’s seen drinking, bragging and just generally acting the big man to impress his peers. When it comes down to the battle, the Black army gathers outside the walls, but Ulf is nowhere to be found. A furious Ormund surrounds the city with children as human shields while he goes looking for the rogue dragonseed. Finally, he discovers him, passed out on the toilet and naked from the waste down. Unsurprisingly, Ormund turns away in disgust and gets his men to drag him out. Once he’s settled his stomach with his pomander, Ormund kicks Ulf in front of the townsfolk and his men – peen and all – and calls him a “worthless sot” (aka a drunkard). Credit: HBO “All you had to do was sit on your f**king dragon. They’re inside the walls. You useless baseborn stump,” Ormund screams, ordering him to jump on his dragon and do as he’s been told. You’ve got to understand the mindset of Ulf at this moment. He’s been put down by nobles and monarchs his entire life, and made to feel less than. At the same time, by taming a dragon, he believes he’s above those around him. This beatdown from Ormund is his last straw – Ulf does get on Silverwing, but it’s not just Rhaenyra’s side he targets. He burns anyone caught in the crosshairs. This is where Ormund comes in. Amid the chaos, Roderick Dustin, aka Roddy the Ruin (Tommy Flanagan), manages to charge into the city and the two come face to face. Credit: HBO Ormund cuts Roddy’s arm off, but it squirts blood all over Ormund’s face, causing him to start retching. Roddy takes his opportunity, pushing Ormund to the wall before driving his blade right up Ormund’s butt. “That’s a proper f**king, by the North,” Roddy says. Just like magic, Ulf approaches on Silverwing to see them both standing there. “F**k you too,” he says, before Silverwing sets the pair ablaze. That’s exactly what Norton is saying – if Ormund hadn’t humiliated Ulf in that way, these events would never have played out in this way. Maybe Ormund would still be alive. “The power of shame. It’s amazing, you can have all these huge, big armies, big set pieces, and the thing which really dictates the story is something so small and domestic,” the actor said. Ulf star Tom Bennett then pointed out his character’s approach: “I’m burning you lot, and you. I’m burning you lot too.” How Ormund’s death and Ulf’s betrayal are different in Fire & Blood Credit: HBO In Fire & Blood, Ormund’s death is nowhere near as undignified. There’s no naked Ulf, no toilet scene and certainly no sword up the backside. Instead, Roddy makes his way through overwhelming numbers to reach Ormund. Ser Bryndon Hightower cuts off Roddy’s shield arm with a longaxe, but before succumbing to his own wounds, Roddy manages to kill both Hightowers with just the one arm. The biggest difference comes with Ulf and fellow dragonseed Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew). In the book, the pair deliberately betray Rhaenyra together, turning their dragons against the Blacks in exchange for rewards from the Greens. Their betrayal is one of the decisive moments of the battle. With Vermithor and Silverwing suddenly fighting for the opposite side, the Black army is overwhelmed and Tumbleton falls. Hugh quickly develops ambitions far beyond being rewarded for his service, believing that the man with the biggest dragon should be king. The HBO adaptation has only gone part of the way there. Ulf has already switched sides before the battle begins, but his rampage is an emotional reaction and he goes against both sides after Ormund publicly humiliates him. Hugh, meanwhile, never turns on Rhaenyra during this conflict. But with his wife killed, this could potentially give him a very different motivation heading into House of the Dragon season four. For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page. Featured image credit: HBO Post navigation Next story
