There is no middle ground when it comes to Westerosi politics. House of the Dragon has once thrust audiences into the grimdark reality of constant backstabbing and court intrigue, so it’s no wonder many are finding it rather peculiar how we’ve grown to hate a certain fan-favorite character with such a bristling passion in the matter of three episodes.
When Ser Criston Cole first appeared on-screen and challenged the Rogue Prince himself in the tourney held in the honor of Viserys’ newborn son, most fans dismissed him as just another too-eager fool with a death wish. That quickly changed when we realized Fabien Frankel’s character was going to be a recurring cast member, and as a member of the Kingsguard, no less.
And you know how fandoms get when dealing with a character whose main charismatic feature is his looks. But it’s amazing that even though Cole hasn’t done anything, the character has gone from an absolute fan favorite to being hated worse than Joffrey Baratheon, and at times ignored, for doing nothing but taking Alicent’s side.
Suffice it to say, the hatred for the Greens runs deep in this community. Still, if you think we’ve seen the last of Criston Cole making trouble for Rhaenyra and her lot, then the fandom has some troubling news for you.
Criston is admittedly a side character, but so is Larys Strong, and we all know what kind of mischief that man has been up to from behind the curtains. With Westeros, it usually seems as though the most unimportant and unassuming players usually end up doing the most damage. So, I guess the real question is: How will history remember Ser Criston Cole of the Kingsguard when House of the Dragon is nigh at an end?