Songs about House of the Dragon's latest episode will be sung across the fandom, as it opened off on a particularly high note. Audiences were immediately introduced to the events of the Butcher's Ball—a big confrontation between the armies of the two political factions fighting over the throne: the Greens and the Blacks. With far fewer numbers on their side, the Greens knew death was coming, and yet one man couldn't help but feel liberation when faced with such a grim fate.
Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) was yearning to meet his end. He wanted to die a warrior's death so that tales and songs about his strength, prowess, and abilities would echo across the Seven Kingdoms and right into the ears of Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke). However, what followed was anything but an epic conclusion... and that is precisely what the actor behind the character strived to achieve.
Fabien Frankel wanted Criston’s death to be faithful to the book
During the latest The House That Dragons Built episode, Fabien Frankel revealed that one of his main concerns was whether Criston Cole's death on the show would be faithful when compared to the character's passing in George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood:
"Ryan [Condal, showrunner of House of the Dragon] had called me beforehand. I knew it was coming, obviously. I always knew that Cole was going to go in season 3. And he says, 'Cole is going to die.' And all I asked [was], 'Is it faithful to the books?' Because I love how Cole dies in the books. Will that be enough to make a fight of it? And he offers to spare his men their lives. That's all that I cared about: that he died how he died in the books. And he did, so I was very happy."
In the book, Ser Criston Cole dies an unceremonious death. The self-proclaimed best warrior across the Seven Kingdoms was also leading a Green army through the Riverlands when the Blacks suddenly ambushed them. Criston attempted to negotiate his surrender in exchange for the Blacks to allow his men to live. However, Roddy the Ruin, Ser Garibald Grey, and Ser Pate of Longleaf all refused his "offer." In a last-ditch effort, Criston challenged the three lords to a combat trial, hoping to best them in battle. Instead, Red Robb Rivers and his archers killed the Kingmaker with just three arrows.
Cole's death on the small screen was very faithful to his death in the pages of Fire & Blood. There are a few key differences, like the fact that Alysanne Blackwood is the one to kill him in the show. However, the overall theme of his passing was preserved on-screen, as Cole didn't die in the middle of a big, epic battle squaring off against multiple other soldiers like he wanted to. Instead, he was killed in an instant, with no chance for possible retaliation. We can assume no songs will be sung about his passing.
Ultimately, Frankel was very pleased with how the story of his character came to an end, as he revealed in the House of the Dragon behind-the-scenes episode:
"Cole's last stand was my favorite scene to shoot this season. An incredibly choreographed scene because it is so complicated. In that fight—albeit Cole is an amazing fighter—I wanted it to feel sluggish and thuggish, and not look like perfect choreographed moves because the reality of fighting in that heat, after the months they've been traveling, and all the terrain they had to cover and the weather they've been faced with; that he finally gets into the fight and he's just exhausted."
But why was Criston so eager to meet his end in the first place? He even went head-first into a battle he knew was not possible to win. Fortunately, Frankel also gave more insight into what the character was thinking moments before tragedy struck:
"Sarah [Hess] wrote it so well: 'The dragon's dance and men are like dust under their feet. All our fine thoughts, all our endeavors are as nothing. We march now toward our annihilation,' I think is what she wrote. That, to me, is exactly what is happening. Suddenly you've realized how small you are in the face of these huge beasts and that all of the sitting around the small council, discussing what the potentials for what's gonna happen in this world are, feels almost ridiculous in the face of these beasts and these beings that are so much more powerful than any of our words will ever be."
Cole was eager to find death, and that's exactly what happened. However, he would not have celebrated the way in which he died, either in the book or the live-action adaptation. That being said, he definitely got what was coming to him in both stories.
New episodes of House of the Dragon air on Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
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