The City Watch of King’s Landing, famously known as the Gold Cloaks, have always been wildcards in the game of thrones. Ever since Daemon Targaryen formed and armed them decades ago, their true allegiance has hovered like a shadow over the capital. In a tense, breathless standoff inside the Red Keep’s main hall.

It looked as though Rhaenyra and Daemon were cornered by hostile guards until the City Watch marched in. So, who exactly is Ser Luthor Largent, the imposing commander who just tipped the scales of the civil war?

Played with charismatic gravity by actor Tom Cullen, Ser Luthor Largent is the newly introduced Commander of the City Watch in House of the Dragon Season 3. In George R.R. Martin's lore, Largent is a fierce and brutally pragmatic knight whose ultimate loyalties lie with the man who originally handed him his gold cloak, Prince Daemon Targaryen.

To ensure the City Watch stayed loyal to Team Green, the Hightowers had even installed Alicent's brother, Ser Gwayne Hightower, as Largent's second-in-command. However, when Team Black executed their lightning-fast coup of the capital, Largent revealed where his true allegiance stood. In Fire & Blood, when Gwayne realizes the betrayal and confronts him as a turncloak, Largent famously laughs, declaring that the cloaks Daemon gave them are “gold no matter how you turn them” before executing Gwayne on the spot.

By leading his men into the throne room to support Queen Rhaenyra instead of the Hightower faction, Ser Luthor Largent effectively secured the capital for the Blacks, proving that Daemon’s long-standing influence over the streets of King’s Landing remains one of the most powerful forces in the war.

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Yet beyond the shock of his allegiance, the show’s latest chapter is also revealing how audiences are responding to the escalating conflict.

The numbers for the highly anticipated return of the Targaryen civil war in House of The Dragon are officially in, and the fantasy epic continues to command a massive global audience despite a slight downward trend. The Season 3 premiere pulled in 21.5 million viewers worldwide across linear television and streaming platforms during its initial three days of availability.

While that figure represents an 8 percent decline compared to the 23.4 million viewers who tuned in for the Season 2 opener over the same timeframe, network executives view the performance as a steady sign of audience stability. A modest drop was expected, especially given the natural attrition premium television series often face between seasons.

At the same time, internal data underscores the franchise’s enduring pull. Weekly streaming numbers for earlier episodes surged by threefold ahead of the premiere, pointing to a wave of returning viewers and newcomers catching up on the story.  As alliances shift and loyalties are tested, Ser Luthor Largent’s pivotal decision stands as a reminder that control of King’s Landing is often decided not just by dragons, but by the men who command its streets.

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What do you think about Ser Luthor Largent’s allegiance and the House of The Dragon Season 3 performance? Let us know in the comments.