As House of the Dragon Season 3 unfolds on HBO, actor Fabien Frankel reflects on the turbulent journey of Ser Criston Cole, revealing that the complex character’s arc includes a march in the Riverlands before his end at the Butcher’s Ball.
Fabien Frankel Looks Back at Criston Cole’s Arc
When a House of the Dragon audition opportunity came along for actor Fabien Frankel, he had no idea that the character he was up for – Ser Criston Cole – would become so pivotal to the drama at King’s Landing. Frankel said across a Zoom from the U.K. after being asked by TheWrap if he knew he was up for Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon when the opportunity came around, "I didn’t know anything about it. I just knew the character I was auditioning for was called Ser Clint. And so I was like, ‘Oh, here we go.’ And the scenes — I actually have yet to ask Ryan [Condal] or Miguel [Sapochnik, both Season 1 co-showrunners] about it."
Reflecting on the evolution from a principled, Dornish-born warrior to one of the realm’s most divisive figures, Frankel notes that his character was ultimately placed in a world he was never meant to navigate. In the first episode of House Of The Dragon, audiences were introduced to Fabien Frankel’s Ser Criston Cole. A lowborn man, he wins the favor of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen during a tournament. He is later added to the Kingsguard by her as he is the only candidate who has seen actual combat. Unfortunately, things between the two characters quickly became complicated. In the show’s fourth episode the two became lovers, complicating everyone’s relationships with one another when it is made clear that Rhaenyra must wed her cousin.
Frankel also shared a lighter milestone from his early casting days. Fabien Frankel first spoke with George R.R. Martin at San Diego Comic-Con, though remarkably enough, that was not about House of the Dragon, but about Lord of the Rings. Speaking to Fabien Frankel on behalf of IGN about House of the Dragon and his role as Ser Criston Cole, an extremely skilled warrior of Dornish descent, the actor was asked how he reacted when George R.R. Martin dedicated a blog post to his character. According to Frankel, it was one of his happiest moments. "Bro, that was the very best. It was the best day. I was in the park with all my best mates from drama school, my seven best friends from my year in acting school. We ended up in a pub near Waterloo. And I got a call from my agent that George R.R. Martin had written a blog post about me. We just did loads of shots. It was the best day of my life. It was amazing."
Contrasting Philosophies on the Road to Harrenhal
House of the Dragon Season 3 sees some characters catapulted back into the action while others wait in the woods. The latter, in episode 1, applies to our Westeros odd couple, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox), a pair who couldn’t have a more contrasting attitude to The Times if they tried. The mission? Wait for Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) to show up on his colossal dragon Vhagar and take the crumbling castle of Harrenhal from Team Black. On one hand, Cole’s really going through it. The traumatised Lord Commander fatalistically wallows in the "doom and ruin" surrounding him.
As the war to capture the Iron Throne rages on, Criston marches onward with his men, including Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox). Frankel says fans can expect even worse from his character in the new season. It’s safe to assume that Frankel is aware of Ser Criston’s fate, but he hoped the show would at least give his character a break. In an interview with BlackGirlNerds for House of the Dragon Season 3 alongside Olivia Cooke, Fabian Frankel was asked whether he had hoped Criston would become a little more likable in the new episodes, admitting that he did.
The Doomed March and the Butcher’s Ball
Now we’re roughly a year into the civil war that Criston’s actions helped spurn and are no closer to the answer of what drives him. Or at least we weren’t until House of the Dragon season 3 episode 5. It turns out that Ser Criston Cole wants a lot of things – honor, fame, love, power, autonomy – but above all else, Ser Criston Cole wants to die. In tonight’s House of the Dragon
episode, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) proclaims that he’s ready to die — and he’s ready to do so honorably.
Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) was killed in a lopsided battle, known in the book as the Butcher’s Ball. With his meager group of men, Criston was surrounded by a much larger army of Northerners and Rivermen, all loyal to Queen Rhaenyra. Watching his enemies approach, Criston understood right away that he was doomed. When that didn’t work, he challenged Lord Roderick Dustin (Tommy Flanagan) and Lord Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes) to a duel.
A Tragic End Clutching Alicent’s Handkerchief
Like Blood and Cheese before it, Criston Cole’s death at the Butcher’s Ball is one of the best moments in Fire & Blood. The sixth episode of season 3 certainly meets that challenge with one of the show’s biggest deaths yet, assassination attempts, and numerous plot twists. From strange decisions to rushed romances, House of the Dragon season 3 episode 6 feels fairly indicative of the season’s strengths and flaws as a whole. One thing there can be no doubt about, however, is that we’re fast speeding toward the epic climax of the season…and not everyone will be around to see it.
