House of the dragon: criston cole’s brutal, unceremonious death shocks fans
Ser Criston Cole’s shocking demise in the latest episode of House of the Dragon has sent shockwaves through the fanbase, offering a grim and abrupt end to a deeply divisive character.
A swift and unsavory end
Just ten minutes into episode six, the knight – played with compelling intensity by Fabien Frankel – met a spectacularly fatal end. He was ambushed by Oscar Tully’s Rivermen, lured into a deadly trap of seemingly deceased soldiers. A brutal volley of arrows, striking him twice in the gut and once in the cheek, swiftly brought his life to a close, a far cry from the glorious battlefield death he so desperately craved.
The killer? Alysanne Blackwood, a relatively unknown face in the series, delivered the fatal blow – a stark contrast to the grand, operatic deaths that have become a hallmark of the show.
Frankel himself revealed in HBO’s “Inside the Episode” that Cole recognized his fate, stating, “[Cole] knows that it’s over, and there’s a relief in that for him.” A poignant admission considering the character’s prolonged descent into betrayal and obsession.
Fan reactions: a mixed response
Immediately following the episode’s broadcast, Reddit exploded with reactions. While some lauded the unexpected twist as “a wild way to start off” the episode, others deemed it a “extra salt in the wound” from a narrative perspective, highlighting the abruptness of his demise.
One particularly pointed comment referenced Cole’s recurring, melodramatic pronouncements about losing to dragons, noting the irony of his death occurring at the hands of lowly foot soldiers, devoid of any dragon’s fury. It was a devastatingly fitting – and brutal – conclusion.
George R.R. Martin’s source material offered a subtle, yet significant, divergence. While the show retained Oscar Tully’s iconic line – “I’ll have no songs about how brave you died, Kingmaker” – a novel passage saw a Riverlands knight delivering the chilling farewell directly to Cole. The omission, according to some fans, felt like a missed opportunity to amplify the character’s tragic fate.
A contemptuous character, finally quelled
Throughout the series, Cole had been a constant source of friction, a traitor and a hypocrite, fueled by jealousy and a misguided desire to serve Rhaenyra Targaryen. Despite Frankel’s nuanced portrayal, capturing the character’s complexities, fans overwhelmingly welcomed his demise. Indeed, one social media user praised Frankel’s performance, stating, “Fabien Frankel you absolutely nailed the character of Criston Cole. When you truly hate a character, it usually means the actor did an incredible job.”
Ultimately, Ser Criston Cole’s death serves as a grim reminder that even the most ambitious and seemingly powerful figures in Westeros are vulnerable. And with this swift and shocking conclusion, the show has solidified its reputation for delivering unforgettable – and often heartbreaking – moments.