WARNING: INCLUDES MASSIVE SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 3!
House of the Dragon season 3's latest confirmed death could be a major test for the Game of Thrones franchise's future. House of the Dragon season 2's ending left audiences divided, making the show's future pivotal for HBO as it tries to market and multimedia franchise out of George R.R. Martin's fantasy world.
Complaints about House of the Dragon season 2 range from "not enough action" to "dull character drama" to plenty of other unsavory things. In my opinion, one of the most disappointing aspects of the series is the apparent favoritism toward Rhaenyra and the Black faction, often reducing the Greens to villainous caricatures.
Criston Cole's House Of The Dragon Season 3 Departure Is Confirmed
Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) lying on the ground covered in ashes in House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4
One of the most surprising news announcements regarding House of the Dragon season 3, which recently wrapped filming, is that Criston Cole is going to die. The surprise isn't that he's going to die, at least not for anyone who's read the books, but that showrunner Ryan Condal revealed this months before the show's release.
On The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of podcast, Ryan Condal revealed that he gifted actor Fabien Frankel with his character's sword and helmet to commemorate his time on the series. Frankel may be playing the show's most despised characters, but the actor has done a phenomenal job in the role and deserves all the praise in the world.
House Of The Dragon Needs To Get Criston Cole’s Death Right
Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) covered in ashes after the dragon attack in House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4
Despite seemingly popular belief, Criston Cole isn't just in House of the Dragon to be a menace. This war is all about how the oppressive roles and archetypes of Westeros cause these conflicts, and he’s integral to the moral dilemmas of the Blacks and the Greens. I've often argued that his role is instrumental to what made season 1 so riveting.
House of the Dragon season 2 showed Criston Cole being a spiteful, cruel man, but it also opened up a potential avenue to sympathy for him. I'm not saying he should die a hero, but the possibility of making him a more complicated character before his death is there by allowing him to spend the season reckoning with who he's become, and what it's cost him.
Criston Cole Is More Important To House Of The Dragon Than You Think
As I said, Cole is a huge part of what made House of the Dragon season 1 so raw and fascinating. In many ways, he's similar to Jaime Lannister, showing what the knight's vows and expectations can do to a man. He's an outstanding character, and if he can't be given a death that acknowledges that, the series will continue to struggle.
