WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 1 and George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, on which the show is based.
Summary
While Criston Cole was already high on my list ofHouse of the Dragoncharacters I can’t stand, his role in Blood & Cheese has sealed his spot as my #1 least favorite character. To be fair, Criston Cole began the show as a relatively likable and perhaps even rootable character. Fabien Frankel’s chemistry with Milly Alcock as young Rhaenyra Targaryen was palpable, and it almost seemed as if they were about to embark on a Daenerys and Daario Naharis-like romance. However, this all changed duringRhaenyra and Laenor’s wedding inHouse of the Dragonseason 1, whereCriston’s true colors came to light as he stained the hall with Joffrey Lonmouth’s blood.
When Rhaenyra chose to embrace her claim to the Iron Throne and duty to the realm (andAegon the Conqueror’s dream) rather than spend her days selling oranges in Essos with Criston, her sworn protector became one of the least redeemableGame of Thronescharacters yet. From killing innocents to devoting his entire life to hypocrisy, petty revenge against Rhaenyra, and disparaging her children,Criston Cole’s 16-year festering resentments made him brutally and utterly pathetic. Needless to say,House of the Dragoncast memberFabien Frankel gives an incredible and compelling performance as Criston, but I can’t help disliking his character even more than I thought possible after Blood & Cheese.
Criston Cole’s Role In Blood & Cheese Makes Him Even Less Likable
After Criston soiled his white cloak by sleeping with Rhaenyra – a vow betrayal that he still blames on Rhaenyra rather than himself – the Lord Commander of Aegon II Targaryen’s Kingsguard has doubled down on his hypocrisies.House of the Dragonseason 2, episode 1 reveals thatAlicent and Criston Cole have been sleeping togethersince Viserys’ death, with this twist instantlyreminding me of Rhaenyra’s season 1 line to Alicent, “Exhausting wasn’t it? Hiding behind the cloak of your own righteousness.”While Alicent attacked Rhaenyra by asking “Where is duty? Where is sacrifice?,” the same could ironically be said to Alicent and Cole during Blood & Cheese.
Criston often discusses the importance of prioritizing duty, but in the Greens’ most dire moment yet,the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard is having sex with the Queen Mother rather than protecting the heir to the Iron Throne. While there’s the excuse to be made that Criston may not have been able to interceptBlood & Cheese killing Jaehaerysregardless of whether he was in Alicent’s chambers or not, I still believe he could have done at least something more active had he been on guard. There was no sense of duty at that moment, and now he’ll have to answer where he was when King Aegon’s heir was beheaded.
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Criston Is The Most Hatable Character In House Of The Dragon - And It’ll Keep Getting Worse
Criston Cole’s actions will continue to ruin his reputation in House of the Dragon
Game of Thronesgraced (or cursed) audiences with some of the greatest and often simultaneously most despicable villains on TV, most notably Joffrey Baratheon, Ramsay Snow, and Cersei Lannister.House of the Dragon, on the other hand, is unique in that themajority of its major characters fall more into an anti-hero sensibility than full-on villain territory. Daemon, Aemond, Aegon II, and Otto perform plenty of unspeakable acts, but they’re also more complex in the sympathy that the show aims at their characters. AsHouse of the Dragoncontinues, however, the same can’t be said for Ser Criston Cole.
Having read George R.R. Martin’sFire & Bloodbook, I’m already aware of how Criston’s story will generally play out, and there are plenty of upcoming moments that will do even more damage to his reputation.
Rather than scaling back his loathable character to gain more sympathy,Criston Cole arguably becomes increasingly worse throughoutHouse of the Dragon’s war. Having read George R.R. Martin’sFire & Bloodbook, I’m already aware of how Criston’s story will generally play out, and there are plenty of upcoming moments that will do even more damage to his reputation. Even more so after the changes the show has made to his story, such as his sexual affair with Alicent, I’m certain thatCriston Cole’sHouse of the Dragonendingwill prove satisfying to many.
Larys Strong is another loathsome House of the Dragon character, but while Criston believes himself morally superior, Larys at least acknowledges his own villainy.
New episodes ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2 release Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
