Which character from the world of Game of Thrones comes into your mind when someone asks you about the most hateable character from the franchise? King Joffrey? Come on! That guy is a thing of the past! Although, he was truly a sick SOB! But think about it! What about Ser Criston Cole? Huh? Oh, yeah! It seems like we got you! Ever since Rhaenyra dumped him in Season 1, Cole has gone absolutely berserk. The only good and likable thing about the character is his good looks in House of the Dragon Season 2. Yet, one of the series’ directors, Geeta Vasant Patel believes that Cole will emerge as a highly relatable character by the end of Season 2.
Speaking with Variety, Patel shared that despite the path on which Cole is on right now, a substantial shift will occur in the upcoming episodes.
“He’s [Cole] a very interesting character by the time you get to the season finale. There’s a lot of things that we will relate to and we will be embarrassed to relate to. What he shares with us in Episode 8 is pretty awesome — we all have a bit of Criston Cole in us. That’s what we’re building. There’s this vulnerability in Episode 3, and then it keeps building from there and by the time you get to Episode 8, he has this beautiful moment where he shares what he thinks about the world and what he thinks about war.”
Many fans have struggled to connect with Cole this season. His negligence – failing to secure the Red Keep – allowed Blood and Cheese to infiltrate and kill Jaehaerys. Instead of taking responsibility for his absence, he sent Arryk on a suicide mission to Dragonstone, likely knowing Arryk wouldn’t succeed. This resulted in the deaths of both Arryk and his twin brother, Erryk. Yes, Cole was responsible for the needless deaths of the Cargyll twins.
Ser Criston Cole is obviously a man with a weak ego. He hates Rhaenyra only because the latter dumped him and chose to fulfill her father’s wish, instead of selling citrus with him. Season 2 has brought out more toxicity out of Cole. Now that he has become the Hand of the King, it will be interesting to see how he manages to handle this big responsibility. His newest appointment as the Hand only teases doom and death for the Seven Kingdoms. He is way too far from being called a people person. And we all know how politically “astute” he really is. So now, we have a king and his hand who don’t know a damn thing about acting in the best interest of their people. Oh, dear!
Stream House of the Dragon Season 2 on JioCinema. Stay tuned for more updates.