House of the Dragon episode 5 release date and time — how to watch online

In a matter of days, it will be time to watch House of the Dragon episode 5 online. HBO's Game of Thrones prequel is raising the dramatic stakes even higher, with a potential royal wedding for the heir to the Iron Throne. And fans of the George R.R. Martin's books and the GoT series know just how eventful — and red — weddings in Westeros can be.

House of the Dragon episode 5 release date and time

House of the Dragon episode 5 airs Sunday, Sept. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

House of the Dragon episode 5, titled "We Light the Day," takes place after King Viserys (Paddy Considine) previously commanded his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), marry her cousin, Laenor Velaryon (Theo Nate). Their union would heal the rift between the two most powerful houses in the realm and strengthen the Targaryens' rule.

Royal matchmaking is a complex business. It'll be interesting to see how Laenor's father, Corlys (Steve Toussaint), reacts to the king's overture. The Sea Snake may be hard to win over, after Viserys previously rejected his daughter Laena.

Meanwhile, Queen Alicent (Emily Carey) is in turmoil now that her father Otto (Rhys Ifans) has been fired as Hand of the King. He's adamant that she encourage Viserys to name her son, Aegon, as the new heir, but she remains uncertain.

Here is everything you need to watch House of the Dragon episode 5. Plus, check out a preview video:

How to watch House of the Dragon episode 5 in the U.S.

In the U.S., House of the Dragon episode 5 is set to air Sunday (Sept. 18) at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Season 1 consists of 10 episodes in total, releasing at a pace of one per week every Sunday.

If you haven't signed up for HBO Max, what are you waiting for? It's our top pick among the best streaming services.

HBO Max offers an exceptional library, including all of HBO's prestige series, like Game of Thrones, Succession, The Sopranos and The Wire. Plus, the service has its own originals like Hacks and The Flight Attendant. HBO Max costs $15 per month (or $10 for the ad-supported tier).View Deal

How to watch House of the Dragon episode 5 in Canada

While Canadians don't have access to HBO or HBO Max, they can still watch House of the Dragon episode 5 at the same time as the U.S. airing. Crave, the usual source for HBO shows in Canada, has the rights.

The streaming service has a seven-day free trial. After that, the Movies + HBO package costs $19.98 CAD per month.

If you're an American traveling abroad and want to access all your paid services, you'll need to look into the best VPN services, such as Express VPN.

How to watch House of the Dragon episode 5 online in the UK

Since Brits also don't get HBO or HBO Max, they will watch House of the Dragon episode 5 on Sky Atlantic and NOW. It will air Monday, Sept. 19 concurrently at 2 a.m. BST and again at the more reasonable time of 9 p.m. BST.

Sky TV packages start at just ￡25 per month.

Every episode will debut the day after its U.S. airing.

How to watch House of the Dragon episode 5 in Australia

Aussies can stream House of the Dragon episode 5 on Binge. It should arrive on Monday, Sept. 19.

House of the Dragon episode schedule

• House of the Dragon episode 1: August 21 @ 9 p.m. ET

• House of the Dragon episode 2: August 28 @ 9 p.m. ET

• House of the Dragon episode 3: Sept. 4 @ 9 p.m. ET

• House of the Dragon episode 4: Sept. 11 @ 9 p.m. ET

• House of the Dragon episode 5: Sept. 18 @ 9 p.m. ET

• House of the Dragon episode 6: Sept. 25 @ 9 p.m. ET

• House of the Dragon episode 7: Oct. 2 @ 9 p.m. ET

• House of the Dragon episode 8: Oct. 9 @ 9 p.m. ET

• House of the Dragon episode 9: Oct. 16 @ 9 p.m. ET

• House of the Dragon episode 10: Oct. 23 @ 9 p.m. ET

House of the Dragon cast and characters

The House of Dragon cast is a big ensemble, including:

Paddy Considine as King Viserys I: He's described as being "chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather's legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings."

Milly Alcock (later Emma D’Arcy) as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, "the king’s first-born child, she is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider.  Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man."

Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, described as "younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon.  But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…"

Emily Carey (later Olivia Cooke) as Alicent Hightower, who is "the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen."

Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower: As Hand of the King, Hightower is protecting the throne loyally, and sees the king's brother Daemon (Matt Smith) as the biggest threat to the monach.

Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon aka "The Sea Snake," who will be the lord of House Velaryon. Their bloodline is old as House Targaryen, and Velaryon earned his nickname for being the most notorious "nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros."

Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, a dragonrider who is wife to Lord Corlys Velaryon. She did not get the throne at the Great Council because — hold your surprise — "the realm favored her cousin, Viserys, simply for being male."

Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole, a member of King Viserys I Targaryen's Kingsguard. On his blog, George R.R. Martin wrote Ser Criston is "the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven. He has no claim to lands or titles, all he has is his honor and his skill with sword and lance. He is a challenger, a champion, cheered by the commons, beloved of the ladies. He is a lover (or is he?), a seducer (or is he?), a betrayer (or is he?), a breaker of hearts and a maker of kings … Welcome to Westeros, Fabien. And do keep that sword sharp."

Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria: A former prostitute who had nothing when she arrived in Westeros. Now, after being "sold more times than she can recall," she's actually got the trust and of Daemon, the heir to the throne.

House of the Dragon plot

House of the Dragon is set several hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones. It's based on Martin's novel "Fire & Blood," which chronicles the rule of House Targaryen from the beginning. The story starts with Aegon I Targaryen's conquest of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

House of the Dragon will focus on a particular part of the Targaryen history: The Dance of Dragons. It was a bloody and brutal Targaryen civil war that takes place 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. (That's a little more than a century after Aegon I's conquest.)

Star Olivia Cooke has revealed that House of the Dragon won't have the gratuitous graphic violence against women that was commonplace on Thrones. She told The Telegraph that "I wouldn’t feel comfortable in being a part of anything that has just egregious graphic violence towards women for no reason whatsoever, just because they want it to be tantalizing in a way that gets viewers."

King Viserys I's death sets off a struggle for succession between his daughter from his first marriage, Princess Rhaenyra, and his son from his second marriage, Aegon II. Princess Shireen Baratheon recounted this story in a fifth-season episode of Game of Thrones.

"Brothers fought brothers, dragons fought dragons," she reminded her father, Stannis. "By the time it was over, thousands were dead."

As Shireen noted, the conflict took its toll on the Targaryens, as almost all of their dragons died in the war. The beasts remained extinct for a century and a half, until Daenerys Targaryen hatched her three dragons in Game of Thrones.