Ser Criston Cole Is Way More Than Rhaenyra Targaryen's Vengeful Ex

[@misskate3815]

I think people really tend to overlook how big a role class plays in ASOIAF. From Arya “asking” Mycah to play swordfighting to Merillion’s abuse of Sansa to this scenario with Criston and Rhaenyra, class dynamics have propelled so many of the plots of the series.

[@satya4234]

We rarely acknowledge class struggle in our world, so this lack of awareness in a fantasy world doesn't surprise me.

[@gerardjagroo]

@@satya4234 Why would we acknowledge class when we could be more futilely and amusingly involved in Left vs Right battles and culture wars. It was the finest trick ever to get the peasants to hate one another over trivialities. These deluded masses will not rise up against the tyranny of Capital and corrupt politicians, they're to busy being hateful to one another. Ever since I came to this realization I cannot help but think of anyone who engages in this nonsense war with anything but scorn.

[@HillsAliveYT]

Absolutely agreed, these dynamics are extremely intentional and show how often that lower-born people are cannon fodder for the wealthy, but it's almost always ignored to an almost absurd degree.

[@misskate3815]

@@satya4234 maybe, except the books really push the class dynamic stuff.

[@BillyBasd]

Arya 'asking' Micah to play swords is a good observation. Micah probably felt he couldn't say no to a dangerous situation. If an accident were to happen, it would end badly for him. OH yeah it did end badly for him

[@samsonright936]

I always cackle when people call Criston an incel but will worship the likes of Daemon despite Daemon being violent/harmful towards women on every level imaginable lol

[@kailanerman5090]

😂Right!!??? The guy who smashes his wife's face with a rock and grooms his minor neice. THATS the good guy.. It almost makes me wonder, if GOT was shown entirely from Cercies perspective as the main character, would people hate on Ned for being a bigot instead of seeing her as she is? Does the audience seem blind to all of Rhaenyra's shit decisions?? Simply because she's the main character.? Girl does a lot of bad things, even asks that her ten year old step brother be further tortured and people STILL defend that scene

[@leadvendor]

THIS. Yeah, Matt Smith IS indeed awesome and he's an engaging charismatic actor, but Daemon, despite his complexity IS a fucking crazy prick.

[@Dawumpni]

​@@kailanerman5090 People defend that scene!? Stupidity like this is why I avoid social media. Completely indefensible.

[@joshridinger3407]

anti-'incel' rhetoric isn't really about criticizing misogyny, t's about scapegoating men perceived as low status or unworthy of love or respect for all the misogyny, while giving the hot guys who actually do most of it a pass.

[@Janary08]

​@@joshridinger3407 that's ironic considering criston is a bit more conventionally attractive than daemon lol no hate to the actors they both look good- But yea people apply this false labels on these fictional men depending on if they serve their queen rhae or not

[@bloodravenn8305]

If Cristin cole was motivated by nothing by vengeance towards Rhaenyra as some people claim he would have sided with Otto in episode 9 who was trying to get Rhaenyra killed, but instead he supported Alicent, meaning that his loyalty for Alicent is much bigger and significant than whatever he feels towards Rhaenyra.

[@Janary08]

Right he tries to follow by principle and his relationship with rhae was a big shame to him as a noble knight

[@marcusdalton9764]

Exactly. Also, in the episode “Driftmark” Allicent tells Cole to take one of Rhaenyra’s son‘s eye and said “you are sworn to me”. He cannot let go of Rhaenyra not choosing him. He also said in an interview about that part where he and Aemond are searching for Aegon and talks about how his character is really a POS and that comment something like “women are a image of the mother and be respected…blah blah” so Pablo, actor plays Cole, knows he is a messed up dude. People read way too much into scenes and come up with stupid videos like this. Granted everybody is Allowed to have their own opinion, but still

[@UnbowedUnbentUnbroken93]

​@@marcusdalton9764 terrible opinion,but you're still allowed to have one

[@hudsonlewer7486]

Except for the part where he’s a kings guard so he has a legal duty to protect the queen and I believe it’s also stated that at this time he’s her sworn sword

[@lbwnova6654]

And do you think actors are immune from misinterpreting the characters they play?

[@miam2772]

Criston is notably the only man in Alicent’s life (that she didn’t give birth to) who hasn’t exploited or abused her in some way.

[@danika9411]

And that she is safe with, because he is sworn to her.

[@Ares99999]

He fails. The Blacks actually win. Aegon III is Rhaenyra's son.

[@Daughter-of-Palestine]

@@Ares99999 There is no win. Rhaenyra is never made queen.

[@fauzanabdulkahfi957]

​@@Ares99999and her winning doesn't "change the order of things"

[@Thrawn23.]

Aemond was loyal to her

[@Laramaria2]

I think there's a weird beauty to Cole's relationship with Alicen and her kids... His care for her kids is clearly genuine and I do appreciate the idea of them having someone to go to...

[@ravengrey9709]

I feel like a lot of his demonization by the fan base spawns from the fact that if he is not demonized as this incel, people are confronted with the fact that Rhaenyra was not the victim in their relationship and that she does in fact deserve criticism for how she acted in it.

[@Okkotsu86275]

Lord forbidden, a lady is held accountable

[@komal146]

But we need to remember that she was a kid getting groomed by her uncle. he definitely is the victim in this relationship and I am not a fan of Rhaenyra but we need to remember that this book is largely a critic on system that (would've) punished Criston over a princess.

[@ravengrey9709]

@@komal146 I wish the show emphasized her grooming for what it was because yes that is an issue. However, Rhaenyra is not free from responsibility because she was being groomed. It is an interesting take to have on why she did what she did but it does not excuse it cause her being hypersexual towards him was not the only problem with their relationship. There is a lot of underlying classism in how she acts with him that needs to be accounted for.

[@lelynnmcphee3967]

​@Raven Grey, what does she do? I am confused

[@ravengrey9709]

@@lelynnmcphee3967 The first big one is her sleeping with Cole or arguably SAing Criston. Rhaenyra puts Cole in a situation where he cannot say no to sleeping with her as she could easily decide to toss him back down the ranks should he disagree or displease her. Additionally, if it were to ever get out, Cole would loose his life while Rhaenyra would face no consequences for it, placing him in a permanent debt to her. Then Rhaenyra goes on to share with Leanor that she and Criston are involved together, a life ending secret for Criston now in the hands of other nobles. Furthermore, she assumes that Cole would be willing to be her secret lover for as long as she willed it, forcing him into this role that is life threatening and dishonorable (in Criston's eyes) solely because she wants him there.

[@nathangordon4891]

Let’s face it Swap the genders of Rhaenyra and Criston and suddenly a lot of the people who hate him would change their tune

[@HumairaAfra-qx5tv]

Exactly

[@haywoodjablowmi1427]

Right. I always dislike when people say "well if the role were reversed…" but this is so obviously a double standard here. I saw some people saying " he had time to stop" or "he was a willing participant"…but the thing is, with the #metoo movement, you heard stories of people who were offered a role/job/ promotion by their boss in exchange of sexual favors, they willingly had sex, but it’s still an abuse of power and taking advantage of someone. So yes, Criston was taken advantage of to an extent, I wouldn’t go as far as comparing him to a “metoo victim" but there was a clear power imbalance here. And any guy who talk a woman into sex when she is reluctant just to use her, and laugh at her face ( and offer to her be his booty call at best ) is regarded as a creep…any woman who makes a big sacrifice and try to correct their mistake only to get laughed at by the guy in question would be seen as a victim and people would have empathy… ( well not everyone, but I mean the crowd who seem to believe Rhaenyra’s a feminist probably would "support women" )

[@chigusayamamoto5063]

@@haywoodjablowmi1427this! It was a literal abuse of power against him. He had to follow orders. Imagine what would’ve happened (Rhaenyra would’ve made false claims of him SAing her or say he’s not following orders. He’d literally get in trouble with Viserys). And if he is the one who revealed what happened, Viserys would deny it many ways, and might even go as far as to create a gag order (similar to how he created a gag order regarding Rhaenyra’s sons). Or he’d have him sent to the Knights watch. So regardless if he resisted or not, or said something or kept quiet, it’ll be him who’d be unfairly punished. Rhaenyra would just get a slap on the wrist. And considering how careless she’s been, she could be the one who revealed what happened without any consideration of what will happen. So he’s the victim.

[@maylynbayani]

My husband was not a fan of the show and watched it with me mid way. He thought the greens were the protagonist and that daemon was the villain. When i asked him if he agrees with the green ruling, he basically said "well, they have been ruling and i did not see the realm fall apart. I dont even think the blonde guy with anger issues (daemon) would even like to do the job of the king. He likes chaos too muchc

[@Emma88178]

The white haired guy with anger issues. Lol! That is totally him! Did you have him watch the show all the through a second time? Hope he did.

[@maylynbayani]

@@Emma88178 oh no. He would watch a few scenes in some episodes. He legit thought midway that Aemond was married to helaena when he went to her apartments. I corrected him and he said, "well he's definitely shagging blondie (hel) and the redhead knows (alicent). She's too concerned looking at the babies that suspiciously looked like him."

[@lettuce6749]

IS YOUR HUSBAND SINGLE?

[@himlolo]

@@lettuce6749weird ahh comment..

[@bananawell24]

Girl, the one that is going to rule is Rhaenyra not Daemon, so basically your whole argument fells apart, since the Greens just usurped the throne 🥰

[@Mikael22-18]

The people who call him an incel are confusing to me. He gave up his white cloak, the thing he valued above his own life because he loved her. Only for her to admit he was nothing but a fucktoy she could play with, he's not a hateful incel for despising one woman who wronged him.

[@AyEhm-ii2dp]

Because the average person is a beetle and their opinions were made to be ignored and discarded.

[@CCEkeke]

Most people who call men they disagree with an incel usually don't know what the term "incel" actually means.

[@Thrawn23.]

Should've told the writers that before they decided to undo everything from S1

[@Ava-dx6zl]

Criston is undoubtably seen as very one-dimensional by a lot of people, when that is entirely not the case. Also I find Team Green has characters that are so much more complex than those of Team Black.

[@Okkotsu86275]

I agree. A lot people view Cole has this evil one-dimensional bitter guy, but I think his a little more complex than that. I also agree that Team Green is way more interesting than team Black. But the Greens are the "villains" of the story, so fans don't care for him.

[@HillsAliveYT]

I think that the Greens have had an unfortunately limited amount of time to breathe, but even in the time that they've gotten I think they're really dynamic, dimensional characters, so it's unfortunate that so many people just see them in relation to the Blacks.

[@vitorfreitas1682]

Actually in fire and blood they are really boring and unidimensional, the author really take this decision , the series really improved than as characters

[@Okkotsu86275]

@@HillsAliveYT Yes, looking back on S1, one of the big criticisms I have with it. Is the lack of screen time and focus the Greens got. But the killed and took advantage of the time they did get, which something I’m very grateful for.

[@grimaldus1523]

the fact that Viserys is team black kinda proves the opposite.

[@LadyDreamfyre]

Criston is the father who stepped up and basically everything Daemon stan wish he was. I love my knight ✨💚

[@realhillkell]

One of the greatest warriors in Westeros history but he still never did quite understand honor

[@Thrawn23.]

Do you still love him?

[@Cole_E]

It shocks me how many people think that Rhaenyra would let the Green kids live. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't because they would always be threats to her rule even if only as figureheads for possible rebellion. It's like Mary I with Lady Jane Grey - Mary didn't want to execute Jane but circumstances forced her hand. That's not even taking Daemon into account and Blood and Cheese proves how willing he is to take things to the extreme. Honestly, I don't mind Criston as a character. I sympathise with him and I really like his relationship with Alicent and her children. Granted, I do think he gets a bit too heated about Rhaenyra for there not to be some hard feelings still involved but he's a step up from Daemon at least.

[@kikima258]

yes it seems that many fans don't know much about history whenever there was more than one contender for a throne the answer was always blood

[@Vesporeon]

I think the Daemon point is rather salient. The idea that he wouldn't deal with the Green heirs, regardless of what Rhaenyra thinks, is laughable. And after what he did to Vaemond in public, that fear would only intensify in Alicent and Otto's minds; only the former's affection for Rhaenyra made her overlook this.

[@SaSa-gn3rr]

I doubt that rhaenyra would harm her siblings on her own accord (SPECIALLY helaena), but it's undeniable that daemon is a huge threat to the green kids. but anyways, I do think that peace between them was possible, it would just be needed a LOT of trust and good faith (things lacking in the red keep)

[@Cole_E]

@@SaSa-gn3rr You're more optimistic than I am then 😄. Frankly, I just don't think it's feasible that she would have been able to let them live even if she really wanted to. The moment she does something that the nobles dislike, they'd look to the Green kids to unseat her. I suppose a comfortable exile would be an option but I truly believe that Daemon would off them all at the first opportunity, no matter how it made her look or feel. TLDR: Daemon is a bloodthirsty menace who would be more of a hindrance than a help if she actually managed to hold the Iron Throne.

[@SaSa-gn3rr]

@@Cole_E as Otto says in the books, Daemon is both Rhaenyra's greatest ally and biggest weakness. He's not a good politician and just too bloodthirsty and ambitious (like aemond is in the books, just too ruthless to be a good king in general). But I believe there could be a peaceful resolution if Rhaenyra tried to be a good sister to her siblings since the beginning (and just not marrying Daemon). If her brothers liked her, I don't think they would be a threat, because they just wouldn't have reasons to depose her, and they could help her rule

[@komal146]

i was told that i'd dislike this character when i started the show. Imagine my surprise at George for including a different and complex dynamic of male sa victim and at readers for hating such a good character. He does seem more complex to me than Daemon's two modes.

[@devorahacts]

I don't really see him as an SA victim, but I can see how people get to that idea. I do believe that she still saw him as a trusted friend and Mentor at that time, so I think he could have definitively said no, but I also think he believed he loved her even if it was only infatuation. So it is a bit more complex than that. I think for her it was a I will take control of my virginity and it's all about me, but it was never all about her and she is at fault for not knowing that.

[@miam2772]

@@devorahacts cmiiw, but I’m pretty sure he did say something like “no, I can’t”. Rhaenyra just kept coming onto him.

[@depgabby]

SA victim is honestly really far fetched

[@devorahacts]

@@miam2772 I do believe he still could have walked away, just simply to the outside of the chamber, and refused to come in. Just because somebody seems to have a moment of persuasion or indecision does not mean that someone's complete and total will is taken away. If it were that easy everyone who tried to persuade someone of something would be guilty of controlling them and they're not.

[@elvisalanbay7443]

agreeing with everything here except the SA part, that's just rly far fetched especially considering actual SA scenes in the GoT franchise, both him and rhaenyra just made a stupid mistake that's it

[@Jaygee517]

Idk if anyone noticed the look of pride on his face when Aemond beat him in the sparring match, was pretty great.

[@jennafox8556]

Ser Criston is more of a father to Alicent's kids than Viserys ever was.

[@normtrooper4392]

It still boggles my mind that people called him an incel. You can call him a brute but he was never an incel. He is for sure the best problematic fave on the show. One thing I would like to highlight is just how good he is as a fighter. Here is a guy who can regularly outclass people who should be much more experienced and skilled than him (owing to his poor background). He's probably the reason why Aemond will become such beast of a fighter in the future. It would be like a guy from a community college outclassing people who went to Harvard

[@HillsAliveYT]

Yeah, the show again doesn't harp on it but a perfect example is when Tyrion points out that the men Jon are fighting at the Night's Watch have probably never held a sword before. Obviously Criston isn't quite as lowborn, but the fact that he can easily take on so many highborn men given his birth status is NUTS.

[@DildoDaggins69]

The most profoundly braindead stupid part about folks calling him an incel is: he joined the Kingsguard, which, among its other tenets, includes voluntary celibacy. I'm reminded of that line from the Princess Bride: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

[@Emma88178]

@@DildoDaggins69 Honestly it's the fault of many misogynist straight men, including those from the U.S. who actually do use that term to describe themselves for the past few years now. And it's because of those men using that term for themselves that's it's now stuck with modern society as a synonym for misogynist a-hole.

[@krcjayhawks]

Imo it's more like a guy that spent a season playing with the national team before committing to a mid major outclassing someone from a power conference

[@Ares99999]

@@HillsAliveYTIt's not nuts. He's got battlefield experience.

[@TimeandMonotony]

Yesss justice for my boy! He's one of my favorite HOTD characters and it irks me that he's seen as this misogynist incel (which he literally isn't, he took a voluntary oath of celibacy) when he actually has valid reasons for hating Rhaenyra and treats every other woman on the show with respect, as opposed to the fan-favorite Daemon, who assaults and murders any woman who makes him feel inadequate. (Also bothers me that the ONE person of color on the show who isn't a doormat is the show's most hated character.) Thank you for exploring what little of his backstory we get, and the genuine love and connection he has with Alicent and her children! Your videos are a blessing in this Team Black/Targ stan-dominated fandom. Also "the Rhaenyra anti-stan club" almost made me spit out my coffee. xD

[@thekage100]

Me two! Brother!

[@TimeandMonotony]

@@thekage100 Sister, but thank you. :)

[@thekage100]

@@TimeandMonotony oh sorry! Sister!

[@TimeandMonotony]

@@thekage100 No prob. :)

[@angelic252]

He killed an innocent, he should've ended it at that point and noone would've hated him. He's hated mostly due to the writing not addressing his actions more.

[@mediocrity1458]

"All of the Green kids." Someone forgot about Daeron, lol. That poor kid, even his own family doesn't remember him.

[@HillsAliveYT]

LOL I'm really dying at the thought that they're going to have to introduce him out of nowhere in season 2, like there is zero possibility of that not being weird as hell and so confusing to the non-book-reading audience.

[@KittyOfChess]

Does he even exist in HotD? There's been no mention of him and everyone acts like Alicent only has three kids.

[@mediocrity1458]

@@KittyOfChess Both GRRM and Ryan Condal have confirmed that Daeron exists in the show, so I'm sure he'll show up eventually. It's still really odd that he was never mentioned a single time; it even seems like the actors weren't aware of Daeron's existence.

[@MrFredstt]

@@HillsAliveYT Or, and I really hope not, they exclude him entirely. Really would be a shame as Daeron is such a good guy and I think he could really become a fan favorite

[@KaiHung-wv3ul]

@@MrFredstt Daeron and Jace are the closest two to being "heroes" in this dumpster fire the Targaryens call a family.

[@wallycola5653]

I really appreciate your nuanced takes on Alicent and Ser Criston. They've given me a much deeper appreciation and admiration for the characters, as well as a better understanding of their flaws

[@helenrose5383]

HBO fumbled with Criston Cole, especially by not exploring the power/ class dynamics between him and Rhaenyra. The coercion element wasn't as pronounced. Calling Cole an incel is harmful and is trivializing male SA. Moreover later they presented characters like him and Alicent a lot powerless than they are.

[@adamglenen734]

Rhaenyra stans are gonna seethe Good work as always

[@jjh2456]

The seething is strong already.

[@greenapples1149]

Let them seethe, then. Their princess ain't no saint and they're blind if they don't see that.

[@jordanhowe188]

Awesome video, Criston Cole is actually one of my favorite aspects of House of the Dragon. He's actually a lot like Jaime Lannister, both want to be the ideal knight, and both end up going down in infamy due to tragic circumstances and their flaws of character. Jaime himself even says "There was a boy who wanted to be Ser Arthur Dayne, but somehow he became the smiling knight instead." That's probably not the exact quote, but you get the idea. Also, I love how all the fans demonize the Greens and anyone who looks at Rhaenyra the wrong way, and here you are defending the Greens as complex characters with understandable and nuanced motivations. I am so here for it.

[@Emma88178]

Jaime is more villain than hero though. They definitely white-washed him in the show, but in the books Jaime is so much more vile.

[@hypeman1021]

​@@Emma88178yea, people tend to forget he almost killed a child just so he could continue to fuck his own sister. If you listen to the casual you could think Ned was the villain in their history together. Cole is somewhat similar to Ned in that sense except he is shown way more greyish thus explaining why he doesn't have that much of a fan base to begin with.

[@hclw3589]

@@hypeman1021okay don’t dumb things down it wasn’t just so he can keep fucking his sister if they would’ve gotten caught death for him and Cersei we’re definitely possibly. Not saying his actions weren’t terrible and that Jaime can’t be an idiot it just was more to it than that.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

​@@Emma88178 I wouldn't say the show white washed him considering he sexually assaults cersei in the show.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

​@@hypeman1021 I wouldn't say Cristion is similar to ned in any capacity. There arguably polar opposites.

[@Okkotsu86275]

I find it interesting and somewhat disheartening on how many people hate Cole. Especially for something that I personally think his justify on feeling some type of way for. Males says his a butthurt fuck-boy and females will say his a bitter nice guy. And they would both say he needs to get over it. Even when they acknowledge that Rhaenyra took advantage of him. Now, I will say I don't agree with how Cole went about everything. But not be that guy, but I truly wonder if the roles were reversed, what the reception of the situation would be.

[@jaybirdjetwings7516]

Agreed, yes he certainly took things too far and is a hypocrite in some regard but I understand his anger towards Rhaenyra. Plus as a knight violence is the way he handles his emotions, and he feels like he's getting his honor by serving alicent the girl who stopped him from Suicide.

[@HillsAliveYT]

Yeah I really hate the whole "well imagine if genders were reversed" thing because that shouldn't be a necessary caveat to distinguish between something right and wrong, but I feel like people would be a lot more sympathetic to Ser Criston and would have a much easier time seeing how badly he has been treated/how justified he is in being bitter towards Rhaenyra if he were a female character.

[@jaybirdjetwings7516]

@@HillsAliveYT Right! Also perhaps there some bias since house of dragons portrays her as the main character. I kind of wish they made her one of the main characters rather than the main protagonist. Plus the game of thrones series is big it attract a lot of fans who don't engage in critically thinking lol

[@Okkotsu86275]

@@jaybirdjetwings7516 Yeah, Cole isn’t this super honorable hero, but he isn’t unredeemable villain fans. His the best and worst of knighthood combined, I also find it a bit surprising and confusing, on why fans are upset or confused about Cole’s devotion to Alicent. She literally saved his life and gave him something to fight for.

[@Okkotsu86275]

@@HillsAliveYT Yeah, I’m not really a fan of “if the roles were reversed” argument. But it does have validity and it’s place in some cases. This situation is a pretty valid one. Because I wholeheartedly believe if the roles were reversed, a lot more people would be sympathetic and understanding of Cole’s treatment and his justifiable anger towards Rhaenyra. But then again a lot people don’t like holding certain ladies accountable.

[@KingSlayer_.]

What people don't understand about the whole situation is just how bad it was for Criston. Should the secret come out that he had sex with Rhaenyra this would have happened: 1.) She probably would have claimed it was rape to protect her honor, or be coerced into doing so by the court. 2.) Criston would be stripped of his white cloak, gelded, tortured for days on end publicly, and then either be executed or be sent to the wall at minimum. 3.) Be written in the history books as a failed knight without honor in a society that values honor above ANYTHING else. Rhaenyra knew all of this and had sex with him anyway. Joffrey Longmouth was playing with some serious fire and he REALLY should not have done that. People say he was being whiny, that he couldn't handle being rejected but he was never upset about any of that. He was upset about the three reasons I just mentioned and its %100 understandable and even justified. I wish the show runners did a better job at explaining just what was going through his mind when he killed joffrey long mouth. Very tough scene, and I really feel for the guy.

[@HillsAliveYT]

I give Rhaenyra enough credit that I don't think she would ever accuse him of rape, I think she would just try to lie her way out of it, but regardless, the power to do WHATEVER she wants is entirely in her hands and the consequences for Ser Criston could be brutal and/or fatal, so to have sex with him because she couldn't smash Daemon when she wanted to is not it.

[@KingSlayer_.]

@Hill's Alive Perhaps she wouldnt have claimed rape although the possibility was probably on his mind. Its happened in the books before with some of the Nights Watch being falsey accused of rape by high born women. But that's besides the point it was still a really bad situation for Criston, and most likely he was completely bloody terrified. He's misunderstood in the sense that people think he was mad about being freindzoned, and it makes my blood boil. I'm glad people are starting to see things differently now.

[@Janary08]

Which adds to his loyalty to alicent because not only did she save him, but she didn't weaponize this information against rhaeneyra and kept their secret because she understood cole's situation 🥺

[@lilchaos9212]

​@@Janary08 Yeah, if you think about it Allicent literally could've ruined Rhaenyra with that information. But she chose to save Criston. They have been loyal and treated one another with honour and respect, even when no one else did. He was the first to treat her like a real Queen, and she saw him for the Knight he was despite his status and his relationship with Rhaenyra. No wonder he is so loyal to Allicent in the future.

[@angelic252]

​@@HillsAliveYTwhy is noone acknowledging her age and her inebriated state? As the more sober and physically capable party it was on him to leave??

[@hed6522]

The writers: Kingmaker who?! Oh you mean the Crownplacer.

[@equusquaggaquagga536]

Kingmaker was the nickname of someone from the Wars of the Roses It's simply too cool a nickname to pass up

[@hed6522]

@@equusquaggaquagga536 In the book, it made sense for Criston to be called the Kingmaker (he convinced Aegon to take the throne, and was one of the active members of the Green Council). In the show, however, people are going to call him the Kingmaker only because he placed a crown on Aegon's head. I agree, the Kingmaker is a pretty cool nickname, but unfortunately ShowCriston doesn't live up to this nickname (and "the Crownplacer" was just a joke, don't take it seriously). I'm still mad at the writers for ruining the Greens' characters and character arcs. The writing of season one was 7/10 at best, and this happened without a "writers strike", so an upgrade seems unlikely to me :(

[@himlolo]

@@hed6522you need strong girl boss to be clearly the hero (rhaenyra) even when she makes objectively the shittiest most immoral actions so of course the greens have to look bad

[@CCEkeke]

@@equusquaggaquagga536 Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick and Salisbury.

[@greenapples1149]

Every time I hear Kingmaker, I remember the Earl of Warwick.

[@khfan4life365]

One thing I love about Criston was how you could tell he was constantly contemplating regicide. You just knew the guy had dreams of pushing Viserys down the stairs. 🤣

[@Thrawn23.]

Was it the scene in episode 7 when Viserys called Alicent Aemma. That scene was funny

[@khfan4life365]

@@Thrawn23.not just that scene but the training yard scene as well in ep 6. When he hears Viserys talking to Lyonel, he gives the Viserys a death glare.

[@cheshirevixen8881]

Your analyses are always so insightful. This is the best breakdown I've seen of Criston, which is nice cause he's one of my faves and he gets written off and excessively hated on a lot. I particularly liked the mention of the kids as well as Alicent. I love the parallels between Cole v Strong and Aemond v Jace.

[@caitlinalthea2470]

not rlly a criston cole fan but i find it funny that most of the fandom has branded him an "incel." incel literally means involuntary celibate, and the kingsguard take a *voluntary* vow of celibacy 😭 also iirc rhaenyra offers to run away with him to the free cities, and he says that he refuses to be her whore

[@Dell-ol6hb]

No he was the one who wanted to run away to the free cities, she obviously refused and then he said that he didn't want to be her whore.

[@HillsAliveYT]

Yeah he is like the ultimate Catholic-guilt self-flagellating volcel.

[@Janary08]

At least In the show, wasn't it criston who offered to run away with rhae and get married and she refuses?

[@caitlinalthea2470]

@@Janary08 oh yeah I forgot it was him who proposed that, it’s been a while since I watched the episode LMAO. But I do remember that he basically refused to be her whore

[@tiabeaniesemotionalsupportdmon]

@@Janary08 exactly. She offered to continue the relationship with Criston and that wasn’t good enough for him. He wanted her to abandon the Iron Throne for him. She said no to running away with him, and that’s where things start falling apart.

[@J1283-s1k]

It's insane how the fanbase collectively whitewashes Rhaenyra while hating on Cole as just an incel/simp 'who raged at being rejected' and miss the intricacies so badly. Rhaenyra abused her power and disregarded Cole's honour, vows and duty entirely to get herself off, using him like Daemon did her. Then, when he tried to restore his honour and give her an out (admittedly stupid but desperate), after years of her whining to him about how 'nobody has ever held my position' when Cole had to remind her what a privileged, well off little royal she was, she then suddenly threw the 'I may chafe at my duties' rubbish at him and happily didn't give one thought to the vows and oaths she had coerced him to break, while then hilariously going straight to using her own duties ('I am the crown') as a get out of jail free card. Imagine if in 2022 a male CEO locked his receptionist in a room, kissed her twice, began undressing her and did so while she said 'Stop' and physically tried to prevent him? Cole got MeToo'd. But no. People just see it that 'he tried to marry her and got salty because she rejected him'. Rhaenyra is more to blame than anyone that she made such a nasty enemy out of Cole. Plus, Harwin was actually intruding, Cole did offer Jace counsel when Aemond smacked his sword from his hand 'Don't stand too upright my prince you'll get knocked down' and then focused on Aegon and Aemond because Aegon was mucking about so he showed them their measure, and it was here where Harwin entered. It's not that he has the issue with the kids, although he is admittedly being unnecessarily cruel and spiteful, it's that when Cole is instructing Aegon to keep hitting Jace, he keeps looking at Harwin to get his reaction.

[@lduddy]

I get a sense of a greater religiosity in Cole. While not as overt as the Hightowers, his planned suicide attempt indicates such. Knighthood is not some simple title, it hold a deeply religious significance in the culture. Knights were made and sworn by the Faith of the Seven in ASoIaF, predating the Targaryen rise. The oaths they swear by are not to some king or lord, rather to the Gods. The Kingsguard takes that to a higher level. While oaths are made to the king, the vows are considered the most holy of importance. Rhaenyra's exploitation of Cole is a violation of him, not just sexually, but religiously as well. Alicent was the saving grace he had in her more overt religious deposition. Alicent offered forgiveness to a mortal sin in Cole's eyes. That is the foundation of their relationship.

[@maylynbayani]

Criston's vow meant that he will never have bio kids but the Hightower-Targaryen children are his children. He loved them and they loved him back.

[@khfan4life365]

The scene where Rhaenyra seduces Criston makes me very uncomfortable. The abuse of power is very clear. I have a feeling if he said no, she’d lie and say he violated her, which would get him maimed or killed.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

He might've feared that happening as well.

[@janellejulianajoy]

Rhaenyra is a lot, but she's not that. The way he spoke about Rhaenrya over the years, including assisting in trying to ruin her character, this should have prompted Rhaenyra to go directly to her father and tell the truth about their relationship. Rhaenrya had nothing to lose, yet she had everything to gain by having Criston removed from the Kingsguard. Yet, she never said a word? Make it make sense...

[@cappuccinoclouds8145]

Kudos for making such a nuanced take even though the character didn’t have that much screen time. Empathetic and fair as always! I personally missed a bunch of things you’d pointed out. Great video!

[@catherinecao4810]

I had a distinct feeling that Ser Criston Cole was a better parent that either Alicent or Viserys, and that’s primarily why I like him. I like how HoTD tackles the difficulty of parenting, but watching the actual parents in action is sickening. Cole is the only one who is actually stepping up and doing the best job.

[@HillsAliveYT]

LOL well I think that all of the children's parental figures are varied types of unhinged, but I think that Criston Cole was exactly the kind of parent that the Green kids needed, if that makes sense. They were not going to have an easy go of things either way, so being raised by someone who alternates between trying to be a good person and turning his enemies into ground beef was really the best that they could have hoped for given their circumstances.

[@momo7989]

If he was a good parent he wouldn't have fostered the hatred of rhanyra's sons. None of the children should've been forced into their parents antics but as a third party, he was wrong too. He taught aegon and aemond to behave horribly and further their hatred. I sympathized with Christian over a lot of his choices but not this.

[@Janary08]

​@@momo7989 I'm sure there is a *strong* reason why they are at odds with the team black boys lol

[@maylynbayani]

​@@momo7989 he knew they would always be on the other side of the war. It is easier to defeat a foe you hate than a friend you love. Also, as long as Alicent's three sons exist, Rhaenyra's claim would always be questioned. She has no choice, they will have to die. All monarchs kill the other claimant ALWAYS.

[@Ares99999]

@@HillsAliveYTTrue. He raises two little monsters. One dies with his uncle driving a sword right through his one good eye, the other dies poisoned because he's too stubborn to quit a war he has by that point lost. And Cole gets shot by arrows and left on the field to rot.

[@ayanna6327]

The only thing I like about Criston is that he was a father-figure to Alicent's children, because Viserys certainly wasn't going to.

[@HillsAliveYT]

LOL Criston really is the father who stepped up though.

[@ayanna6327]

@@HillsAliveYT I love the scene when Aemond bests him in the courtyard and he looks at him with so much pride. That was very sweet.

[@Ares99999]

@@HillsAliveYTYeah, and helped create two monsters. Well done, Criston!

[@higharchbishopofteatasting6217]

​@@Ares99999YESSIR

[@williamnissen5083]

@JaehaeraTargaryen_two goat monsters

[@fancyaristocrat7450]

18:14 holy shit woman, what you said made a tear run down my eye. Thank you for making the video and you should consider writing your own book!

[@dannieandrews]

It's reasons like this that I really wish the build up to the Dance had taken place over a few seasons because I just feel like they rushed through so much to put all the characters on the board but didn't give us time to grow attached to them all. Seeing years of Criston and Allicent becoming friends, seeing Rhaenyra and Harwin's relationship, and her relationship with Laynor, plus Daemon and Layna. It would've actually given us a reason to care that they all died (or 'died' in Laynor's case).

[@satya4234]

I know that we're not supposed to pick sides but I have so much more sympathy for the greens than the self absorbed and entitled blacks.

[@Okkotsu86275]

I do as well. It is just something I naturally gravitate towards with The Greens.

[@HillsAliveYT]

LOL yeah I love rooting for a good lameass loser so the fact that the Greens are basically a full on squad of rejects makes them way more appealing to me.

[@grimaldus1523]

How are the blacks entitled anymore entitled than the greens? Who started a civil war because they thought they deserved a throne because of succession laws which have never really applied to the targaryens?

[@gerardjagroo]

I started out anti-every-Targaryen-character but started to drift a little Team Green especially after listening to all the nonsense Team Black likes to spew However the inclination to take sides must be ruthlessly be crushed as they all end up doing terrible things. One character I really loathed pre-show was Aemond Targaryen, the maniac who firebombed the Riverlands and killed countless of innocent people. I also despise Daemon the child-killer, disdained Rhaenyra for her weakness and Aegon for his corruption. None of them are innocent. The Targaryens of this time period were a bunch of useless depraved entitled incompetents. I greatly prefer the Targaryens of the First Blackfyre Rebellion who had competent members on both sides However thanks to the show's nuanced approach to the characters I'm forced to sympathize with the Greens a little.

[@Dell-ol6hb]

they all suck, the Greens and the Blacks killed countless thousands of innocent people fighting an absolutely pointless war for a throne their family already controls and causing the decline of their whole house, none of them deserve sympathy and they're all entitled, and selfish.

[@bellamaz1972]

It’s fair to defend his character as more nuanced and deep than many see him, but on a meta media analysis level it’s kinda refreshing that a man in a story is largely defined vis-à-vis his relationship with a woman instead of the vice versa we’ve seen way too often. Edit: not just his relationship with one woman but two

[@HillsAliveYT]

Yeah agreed, but I think that his relationship with Alicent is far richer and more relevant and it's unfortunately way too overlooked.

[@nfpb18]

@@HillsAliveYT I agree that his relationship with Alicent is by far more meaningful, but we could also argue that Alicent uses and abuses Criston Cole. In a way, she gave him what Rhaenyra didn't. She connected with him because their situation, their stand in life, was relatable, and probably it was a genuine connection. But we should never forget that Alicent is in a higher position than Criston and Criston, besides owing his life to Alicent, also is sworn to protect Alicent even at the cost of his own life. He chose to stick by the Greens, but he is still subject to the norms and honour code of the Kingsguard. That leaves him at the mercy of Alicent's wishes, and thereafter lets him either be exploited or to follow her blindly.

[@mimid9550]

​@nfpb18 I haven't made it to the last episode yet, is Alicent trying to make Criston break his oaths or proposition him inappropriately? If she is keeping it strictly lord to Knight then I'm a little unsure why the disproportionate power dynamic means.

[@GoldenRose116]

@@nfpb18 By that logic everyone and westros abuses everyone... Alicent never asked anything disonarable of Criston

[@mollytaylor2122]

@mimid9550 @GoldrenRose116 She sorta does ask him to break his vows by cutting Luke's eye out? Across the board, there's something to be said about how the sworn sword institution puts the knight entirely at his lady's mercy. I wouldn't call it abusive per se, but I'd definitely call it medieval in the harsh sense, with power dynamics that wouldn't be permissible today. The closest thing to safeguarding is the lady's vow not to ask the knight for anything dishonorable, and that's… less protection for the knight than I'd prefer.

[@loda223]

Would love to see the Alicent and Cristen relationship fleshed out in s02 one of my favorite dynamics in the show for sure

[@laurelsilberman5705]

This video was extremely insightful and really deepened and enriched my understanding of Ser Criston as a character not just in the show, but reconciling how it kind of conflicts with his seemingly one-dimensional nature as portrayed in the literary source material, like you said, as some spurned ex. Excellent video. Subscribed.

[@minp2001]

I also love the relationship between him and Aemond

[@SoilToSoul]

Another great video to make us think deeper than what we see on the surface, you are so skilled at that. You deserve so many more subscribers! I've mentioned you to anyone interested in ASOIAF world lore. Thank you for the upload ❤🐉

[@HillsAliveYT]

Thank you! 💜

[@thekage100]

Me two! Got a friend to become team Green, through her videos!

[@Mic-Mak]

Once again, your channel so criminally underrated. This is so good! I really hope to hear you as a guest on one of the big ASOIAF podcast one day, because your analyses and commentary are brilliantly sharp.

[@fetchinglydear]

She got a shout-out by Glidus and Alt Shift X in one of their recent videos. It's safe to say our girl is making waves and moving on up!

[@Thrawn23.]

15:14 Before she grabbed Christons arm, her hand was on Aemonds arm for a couple seconds Even though its very vague I think Aemond and Helaena have a similar relationship to Alicent and Christon. Where they fulfill the role of partner but nothing else. It could also be possible that Aemond has been a great uncle to her kids

[@AnarchoCatBoyEthan]

THE “STRONG BOYS”? How DARE you! Out with your tongue! Lol that really caught me off guard. Really fantastic videos btw, trying to comment on all of them to help but I keep accidentally clicking to the next one out of eagerness. The problem with being TOO good.

[@loda223]

Also in regard to the incel label he gets I nvr understood it. He is the one that rejects Rhaenyra "girl boss" Targaryen at the wedding! Its completely spelled out through his actions in that sequence that he saw it as a violation of his vows and was willing to die to uphold whatever shred of honor he believed he had. He and Alecent are very similar in that they believe in great personal sacrifice in upholding the law/order of the realm. He's one of the more morally consistent characters on the show. Even if a knights idea of chivalry and honor will most likely be deconstructed by the end of the series. Great video glad to see I wasnt the only fan of this guy out there!

[@loda223]

ands just to clarify, some people may think that the fact he wanted the two of them to run away together initially then clings to his chivalry/code later as inconsistent but keep this in mind. He wanted them to run away together AND renounce their titles because to him its not fathomable to keep their romance and royal/adjacent positions as that is the true violation of vows from his POV. Which he is consistent in throughout the show IMO

[@lunacascade1125]

I want to show my appreciation for your intelligent and insightful deep dives into HotD & GoT characters. Best on KZbin.

[@danicadjukic9586]

Aww so sweet

[@HillsAliveYT]

Thank you so much!!! 💙💚💛

[@nuclearcrocodilia8475]

​@@HillsAliveYT 1

[@jonsigwanz7993]

Thank you for this characterization of Criston; I always thought there was something more to his relationship with Alicent and now I better understand him as a person who found his family; though he is still clearly a perfect example of how knighthood and honor culture turns frustrated young men angry and violent.

[@LizbetNene]

I think it's really interesting how the reception of the show mirrors the themes that Fire & Blood and ASOIAF try to dissect. One of the major things the work tries to do is deconstruct how mythmaking and tropes influence our understanding of history and politics - "power resides where men believe it resides". Lo and behold, we see the audience reaction to this dramatization warped around the woman presented as it's "heroine". Rather than seeing the ensemble of characters as equal, flawed actors struggling in the inherently unjust and unstable system of dynastic power, instead we see the audience cheering on Rheanyra regardless of if she's breaking or enforcing the rules and booing anyone who so much as complains.

[@thalmoragent9344]

Crazy to think of all the fans who were once smitten with Cole, all suddenly turned against him after the situation with Rhaenyra didn't go the way they wanted. Now, that being said, changing one's opinion on a character isn't necessarily always a bad or a two-faced situation regardign fans, but I mention it because it's interesting how Daemon was treated in comparison. 4:50 Solid point 👉🏾 The last time a skilled knight (Braxton Beesbury) slept with a Princess (Saera Targaryen), well, it didn't end so well for the guy... got killed by the King Jaehaerys himself

[@Shenanakins]

Rhaenyra is Dennis from Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia😂😂 Rhaenyra : Well dude, dude, think about it: he’s a lowborn dude out in the middle of nowhere in KL with some royal family he barely knows. You know, he looks around and what does he see? Nothin' but dragons. "Ahh, there's nowhere for me to run. What am I gonna do, say 'no'?" Alicent : Okay. That... that seems really dark. Rhaenyra: Nah, no it's not dark. You're misunderstanding me, bro. Alicent : I'm-I think I am. Rhaenyra: Yeah, you are, because if the guy says "no" then the answer obviously is "no"... Alicent : No, right. Rhaenyra: But the thing is he’s not gonna say "no", he would never say "no" because of the implication. Alicent: ...Now you've said that word "implication" a couple of times. Wha-what implication? Rhaenyra : The implication that things might go wrong for him if he refuses to sleep with me. Now, not that things are gonna go wrong for him but he's thinkin' that they will. Alicent : But it sounds like he doesn't wanna have sex with you... Rhaenyra: Why aren't you understanding this? he-he doesn't know if he wants to have sex with me. That's not the issue... Alicent : Are you gonna hurt members of the kingsguard?? Rhaenyra: I'm not gonna hurt these men! Why would I ever hurt these men? I feel like you're not getting this at all! Alicent: I'm not getting it. Rhaenyra : Goddamn. [notices Larys staring at them] Rhaenyra: Well don't you look at me like that, you certainly wouldn't be in any danger. Alicent: So they are in danger! Rhaenyra: No one's in any danger!

[@Adam-TheLiftedKing]

Some people are claiming it’s far fetched to call the Criston Cole situation assault . it’s far fetched if you don’t get power dynamics, I understand why people don’t view it as such, personally I am a Male SA victim and my experience was much more directly non consensual. In this case it’s a bit more complicated seeming cause Rhaenyra is younger, and in your head you think Criston can say no. Technically he could say no and I personally don’t think Rhaenyra would’ve done anything malicious, though Criston does not know this. He experiences his boss making moves on him and even when he says he wishes not to she continues, again he could’ve technically stopped. And said no at any point he’s older, he’s bigger, stronger than her. But she is his boss, and she literally holds one of the highest positions in the realm. In that moment yea a part of Criston may have wanted to join Rhaenyra but this doesn’t change the fact, he also was probably going through alot of other thoughts to, “this is the best position I’ve ever been in my life, I can’t risk upsetting the princess” Perhaps in the moment that thought never entered his head, but if you’ve ever worried about losing a good job I’m sure you can relate. So why can’t anyone else?

[@samwinchester1326]

I don't exclude the possibility that Criston's suppressed emotions (his trauma, his sexual confusion) towards Rhaenyra are a strong catalyst for his actions. However, it is just that, a catalyst. He acts and assumes the positions because of the things you mentioned in the video.

[@GardensAndGames]

Kinda refreshing that a complex and capable character being reduced to merely a love interest is happening to a man for once.

[@factoryofdivisiveopinions]

14:16 I never noticed this. Incredible detail. I lov your videos.

[@Domefossil]

Fantastic video, its so good I was literally going to make a video essay with this exact take.

[@pg1448]

One of the most misunderstood characters imo. Most just view him as this bitter manchild who can't handle rejection and that he is solely driven by petty hatred of Rhaenyra. It think just like Alicent he is someone who adheres to traditional Westerosi values and beliefs of virtue and honor. Rhaenyra and the Blacks are in many ways a complete negation of his value system, whereas Alicent embodies it. I think he not only turns to her because she was his savior at his lowest point but because he saw that she is similarily betrayed, exploited and undervalued by the royal family despite her virtue and kindness. He wants to defend and protect her and her royal children more so than avenge himself against Rhaenyra. And I don't see how that motivation makes him any more loathsome or vile than Daemon's for example. They are both violent attack dogs for their respective queens. In some ways Coles motives are more pure even because Cole doesn't act from self interest or expect any favours for his service, he just wants to be the loyal knight to his queen and king. People just hate him because he sided with the Greens over the protagonist Rhaenyra but he had understandable reasons.

[@maylynbayani]

I love Criston Cole. How people thinking Daemon as some man wife is beyond stupid. Criston cole raised Alicent's children. He was their only father figure. In the show, Aegon raised him to be the hand of the fucking king. Aemond trusted him so much that he freely shares his feelings of discontent about his lot. Helaena feels comfortable with him as shown on the Green council. He is basically Alicent's partner in life. Hence limiting all his actions just because of a petty break up a decade ago is stupid. We all had break ups when we were young. Did you make all life decisions based on that afterwards?

[@BlazingSteel]

There are a few things that the show did not cover that add a bit more layers and ambiguity to Criston Cole: There was a tournament during Rhaenyra's wedding, and Criston demolished the competition, and his morning star cracked the skull of Joffrey, the favourite of Laenor Valaeryon, Rhaenyra's husband, and Joffrey died six days later. Criston also fights Harwin Strong in this same tournament (and he was already smitten with Rhaenyra), where Criston again uses his morning star, this time to break Harwin's collarbone and elbow, both of which are much easier to either feign as accidents or for Criston to take his frustration out on someone, considering how violent the tournament was in episode 1. The show changed this to Criston pummeling Joffrey to death in public and removing the other tournament(s), which is considerably less sympathetic and feel a bit more one or two-dimensional.

[@hclw3589]

Okay here’s a little crackpot theory I’ve had for a while cole didn’t mean to kill Joffrey in the books his death was an accident. Cole was reeking havoc at the tourney was letting out anger on his opponents fucking them up but death wasn’t the objective for him. Afterwards allicent saw knight free to join her side and scooped him up into her service. I see it like aemond situation at the end of season 1 he didn’t plan on killing but was wholly irresponsible in his actions.

[@BlazingSteel]

@@hclw3589 Aye. Morning stars are incredibly dangerous, even to a knight in plate armor, and a hit to the head from one of those is going to rattle anyone. They are anti-armor weapons for a reason. Joffrey died six days after Cole struck him in the head, which must have been agony.

[@hclw3589]

@@BlazingSteel Yes but it’s a weaopon he’s used before idk why they’re allowed in tourneys but they are.

[@BlazingSteel]

@hclw3589 in tournaments, death was more, I guess "acceptable" to be generous, because competing in tournaments was dangerous. It wasn't until quite late in the Middle Ages that blunt weapons were more widely utilized in tournaments to limit casualties.

[@Sophie-wq6eo]

If Cole knew that Aegon was a rapist who enslaved his own children to be in underground child fight club (just like Alicent does) and still killed honorable men to get him on the throne, hes automatically a bad person in my book. He could have advised Alicent to make Aegon take the black and put Aemond on the throne, especially given how faithful they act towards the seven. Both of them are holier than thou despite their claimaint being the worst person in the whole story. Aegon watches Blood and Cheese like events all the time but instead its his own children murdering each other with their bare hands. They both want to stop Rhaenyra's reign so much that they dont even consider how awful of a person Aegon is. If Criston was really Aegon's father figure and he is apparently so honorable, why is Aegon such a piece of shit then??

[@momo7989]

Exactly. He knew aegon was a horrible person and someone who shouldn't be on the throne. Yet he makes the decision to keep aegon in king's landing instead of running away or taking the black.

[@Janary08]

Well there's also aegon's children they need to protect who have a claim too. Better to push that awful aegon to the throne to protect his family than leave his heirs vulnerable and shunned. That could be a reason why the greens are doing this because it doesn't just stop at aegon, but the whole green family too Also idk if the fancy ass nobles cared enough about fighting pits happening in flea bottom to drive them to crack down on it and shun aegon for it- is there a law in westeros against kids fighting pits? Cuz idk... I hope there is tho

[@equusquaggaquagga536]

Erryk Cargyll certainly had no doubts

[@maesmydog6691]

Sis, I have not come across a creator, whos defending my most misunderstood man, Criston Cole, like you did! Clear and rationally from his own perspective. And I praise you for that!

[@zeetuslupeedus]

It's like people think Rhaenyra has to be either a victim or a villain and the same for Cristin. The reality is that Rhaenyra is a young girl who wanted to experience sex on her terms, and instead of thinking it through, she acted impulsively, not responsibly, and unfortunately, it ended up hurting someone. Power dynamics matter, of course. But again, she's a young person who did a young person thing. Instead of people appreciating the fact that young people do these things (across all kinds of classes and gender etc) they either make her someone who has no responsibilty in how she affects the people around her and who work for her, or they make her a person who has malicious intent and a cold heart for not accepting his proposal. The fact is that she was horned up, he's hot, likes her, and has to do what she wants. Hes horned up, hot likes her and WANTS to fuck her, and even if he didnt...couldnt..not fuck her. Coming from his background, and then being treated how he was, creates trauma. Period. If it were the other way around, there would be no questiom nor much of a debate on this. Its absoluteky absured, as you said. And im not even in his fan club tbh.

[@HillsAliveYT]

Yeah, I mean I think especially at that point Rhaenyra is far more ignorant than evil, but I find it very strange that everyone acts as if Ser Criston is out of line for loathing her when he literally could have been killed because she was horny.

[@zeetuslupeedus]

@Hill's Alive right. And again, the fact that this would be a completely different conversation were things were reversed, is what bugs me. People have a hard time talking about women who abuse power. Even in fictional settings.

[@maylynbayani]

The problem with Rhaenyra is she continued to make stupid decisions even on adulthood. She had sex with the Strong dude and it got him killed. She basically exiled her husband. It was that or he gets killed. People were applauding her for making laenor escaped. As if the man had a choice.

[@zeetuslupeedus]

@@maylynbayani another great point !

[@Emma88178]

Exactly, they were both hot looking people who wanted to have sex. No one was evil in that scene, just ignorant and horny. More from her side of course. But he was definitely more of the victim being of lower class.

[@Janary08]

Criston cole a fatherly mentor to the kids and alicent's protector and friend 💕 love this video for the positive criston cole analysis 😭

[@theduxabides9274]

3:00 Considering he's from the 7K side of the Marches, I don't know how far I'd go with the Dornish ancestry aspect, at least from a book vs show perspective. The 'Stoney' Dornish that live in the Marches are considered culturally closer to the First Men and Andals; heck, the Yronwoods even supported Daemon Blackfyre despite the fandom belief that the Blackfyre cause was motivated by anti-Dornish racism (which it was in part, but not wholly). It's definitely something the show should have touched on more; but having the White Hart anoint Rhaenyra as the chosen one clearly took precedence over better developing the other characters in the show

[@radioslave5307]

i've always thought Cole's i've always thought Cole's relationship with Rhaenyra had interesting and obvious parallels with Mysaria relationship with Daemon. both Cole and Mysaria were lowborn who got to thwir positions by their own efforts instead of their family names, both were in relationships with members of the most powerful family in the country, both relationships were initiated by their royal partners and had little to no ability to say no without a reasonable fear of retaliation, both were used by their royal partners as plaything/distractions with no consideration for their wants, both were placed in direct and imminent danger by their relationships only, both walked away from their royal partners in the end, and both carry disdain and hate for their royal exes for years after. used by their royal partners as plaything/distractions with no consideration for their wants, both were placed in direct and imminent danger by their relationships, both walked away from their royal partners in the end, and both carry disdain and hate for their royal exes for years after.

[@catherinethefantastic8882]

I live for your videos- thank you for this amazing contextualization of Criston, he's so misunderstood by the fanbase.

[@KittyOfChess]

Ser Criston Cole is a better fatheer than Viserys, and I will die on that hill. People need to stop acting like his life revolves around Rhaenyra. His life is about Alicent and the children, and Rhaenyra is just a side character in his story, not even important enough to be in the main cast.

[@mariadimitroulia645]

Hope they do him justice in the next seasons. Love your analysis.

[@elijah5182]

Criston the goat love this hills alive 🔥🐉🐉

[@gustavowillian119]

I revisiting this video one year after its release and i came to the conclusion, after watching the first three episodes of season 2 of HOTD, and seeing the making offs of this season (the writers commenting the series is a fucking delusional show), that the writers and Ryan Condal just failed to create interesting and complex characters. The writing of the show itself treat Alicent and Cole just bitter hypocrites who whishes low vendetta against Rhaenyra. Everything dubious and criminal is pinned on the Greens, especially these two characters, and all hatred is directed solely at them. We don't get any screen time to really develop these two characters, what we get is sex scenes and deplorable attitudes without any internal counterpoint, the counterpoint is always external. This is GOT writing from the sixth, seventh and eighth seasons in disguise. I'm not surprised that most of the audience thinks that GOT ended in the eighth or seventh season when in fact the series died in the fourth. Thanks for the video btw, you are one of the few content creators who can capture the societal structure of this universe and properly interpret the characters who live in it, your video about Otto Hightower is peak content

[@maylynbayani]

How could you blame Criston for loving alicent? My girl have luscious curls and Bambi eyes. Poor lad had no chance.

[@ptptpt123]

this missed me completely, it was right there. he is family now, real family.

[@DarkKing009]

RIP Ser Criston Cole the Kingmaker. My favorite psychopathic peacock and one of the most deadliest Knights of his time.

[@lizetcacho5799]

Another great video! Go off queen!

[@Emma88178]

Love this video! I also find it interesting that the show decided to make him a Dornishman, even though in the books he's just a Stormlander.

[@jefftharnish2170]

Obviously had Criston given a "hard no" then the answer would obviously be no but Criston would never say no....because of the implication

[@minp2001]

I already liked the video before watching him. He’s one of the most complex characters in the show with one of the clearest motivations yet Team Black fans paint him as a one dimensional incel

[@croatiawarior]

Notice how in episode 6 during the training scene Criston tells Aegon not to let Jace up and to press the attack to avoid him getting up and hitting him in the back like he did to Daemon in the Tourney.

[@equusquaggaquagga536]

Also an omen of how Jace dies

[@Thrawn23.]

​​@@equusquaggaquagga536Not really Jace dies in a different way that's not comparable to them training in the yard

[@equusquaggaquagga536]

@@Thrawn23. Jace was also not allowed tp get up when he was shot by those crossbows

[@Thrawn23.]

@@equusquaggaquagga536 True he tried but failed. Hope they don't change these characters death scenes

[@eric2500]

The class dynamic is a huge part of every bit of this story and ASOIAF and this whole universe George has created. You see that when the lens expands to other cultures, like the mercantile cultures of Bravos and Pentos, the insanely calcified class structures of Qarth and the slaver cities, and the relaxed and freewheeling cultures of the Summer Islands....and maybe even the freeBOOTING cultures of the pirates of the Stepstones...!

[@darimamitypova6964]

Even though I am not much happy about Criston and Rhaenyra affair in hotd. I think, Criston is capable to refuse Rhaenyra, then she might threaten him to voted out of his position. But it clearly would display Rhae as a bitch in the show, producers couldn't do that. But despite of it, in the seduction scene imagine Criston and Rhaenyra with reverse genders, it would be male boss assaults his female subordinate and it would give different reaction from fans, though male Rhaenyra was younger than Cole.

[@thekage100]

Aaaaaaand he is hot! Never forget! No, but what I truly love about HOTD is the nuanced look one can get from different perspectives! Just like in the books! And the intersectionality of the characters! Really amazing take Hills!!

[@NadaOQ96]

Your videos are a balm for the soul 💚💚

[@eric2500]

Our author loves complex characters, true, but he also keeps using various kinds of heartbreak and their consequences for the heartbroken people's lives, then and in the present of the story.

[@scottanthonyweidner8692]

I think his main motivation in the book was an inner sense of propriety and righteousness. If we accept that the show’s retconnings are legitimate due to the unreliable nature of the narrators (which in many instances I think is clearly baloney in terms of how far afield the show goes), then your take holds more water for sure. I think it’s a balance of hate and love for him.

[@mollieyyxy]

I always look at your video titles thinking mmm I don't think I'm going to agree with that and by the end I'm completely convinced 😂😂

[@eric2500]

Rhaenyra is course a victim of her power hungry uncle, who is out to teach her she can do whatever she wants, but also wants to "spoil" her for marriage to anyone else. he marries her later, of course, with an eye to power via pure Targ babies.

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

My main issue is how they changed the situation where he kills Joffrey, then never explain how he got away with it apart from "Alicent protects him". Killing someone at a tourney can be written off as a sort-of accident, but he kills him under the king's roof, where Joffrey is a guest. Not only does he murder someone, he also brings shame to the king and violates guest right. I know it was probably for budget reasons, but this kinda hurts the plot, and the time skip didn't help. I do love him and Alicent having a genuine friendship, though. She doesn't expect him to break his oath, he can be a surrogate dad to the kids, and they protect each other.

[@GeeNoniGee]

This aged badly, lol.

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

@@GeeNoniGee Yeah, idk why they fuck now. They could have at least showed how it started?

[@jdgoesham5381]

You give him too much credit. His whole personality in the book was of him being a jilted lover. Even down to him being with Alicent. It's just a dig at Rhaenyra.

[@darriusbethea2373]

It crazy because-Alicent they gave a lot of nuance in tv show yet removed said nuance from Criston Cole and Larys Strong two of the most mysterious characters in Fire and Blood.

[@drparadox7833]

Viserys maybe their father, but Criston is their Daddy.

[@ucnguyenanh9414]

4:00 If he didn''t consent, Rhaenyra could scream and accuse him for trying to assault her. If someone caught them either redhanded in the middle of the action, she'd get a scolding and he would be severely punished. We know that Rhaenyra wouldn't do it, but did Criston? And even if Criston knew this, should he bet his life on it?

[@omednazari5573]

Very Good Video

[@burningboy14]

Kristen is one of the most underrated characters in terms of tremor I mean the showrunners acknowledge it but the character in the world ignores the trauma this man suffered. And some of the views don't acknowledge or don't care.

[@allinoneallinone8850]

I think the show definitely showed his discomfort with the whole thing atleast for me that’s what I saw and he only did it cause he couldn’t deny her

[@soup8900]

I adore your videos so much, I use to try and defend/explain cristons character (he still sucks lol) but its so hard when ppl dont see the depth the writers put into how its all working together!

[@Myrathosghost]

As someone who is autistic....I am uncomfortable with the Dragon Dreamers being considered neurodivergent...when they are literally supposed to be magic people with cryptic dreams.....which is what she is...not neurodivergent....also did you ever think MAYBE She shys away from being touched...because her husband/brother literally physically abuses her and that some victims of physical abuse don't wanna be touched??

[@Janary08]

Well we know that aegon is a piece of shite but we don't know for sure if he is the reason why helaena hates being touched. All we know is that he can only get it up for her if he is drunk because they are siblings forced to make heirs together lol. She said he mostly ignores her Edit: plus, helaena is a precious daughter to alicent and otto so they would never allow aegon to hurt her

[@kjellduteweert9262]

Also, removing Daeron was a mistake; he and Helaena would be the line, and the general viewers would be the good greens, so to speak. Also, not giving Criston his moments from the books was a mistake. But we will see what they will do in season 2.

[@GeeNoniGee]

At this reading, they have STILL not even cast Daeron yet, and only mentioned he and his dragon ONCE. Otto effed off to Oldtown when he got canned as the Handfather.

[@d.n.martell]

Okey, I'm gonna watch house of the dragon just because of this video essay

[@anarchakatty5438]

They really did Ser Criston a disservice by not aging him in the time jumps. It's visually jarring and confusing and makes it a lot harder to take his character seriously

[@momo7989]

Yeah I really think they should've had a younger actor for both Cole, daemon and several other actors. It's hard to know their age.

[@TiagoSanSou]

Ser Criston is Basically a way more brutal version of Sor Jorah Mormont.

[@KingSlayer_.]

Ok thats just not true. Jorah wanted to marry Dany for love, Criston never loved Rhaenyra the same way and wanted to marry her to restore his broken vow. He was angry at her for the following reasons: What people don't understand about the whole situation is just how bad it was for Criston. Should the secret come out that he had sex with Rhaenyra this would have happened: 1.) She probably would have claimed it was rape to protect her honor, or be coerced into doing so by the court. 2.) Criston would be stripped of his white cloak, gelded, tortured for days on end publicly, and then either be executed or be sent to the wall at minimum. 3.) Be written in the history books as a failed knight without honor in a society that values honor above ANYTHING else. Rhaenyra knew all of this and had sex with him anyway. Joffrey Longmouth was playing with some serious fire and he REALLY should not have done that. People say he was being whiny, that he couldn't handle being rejected but he was never upset about any of that. He was upset about the three reasons I just mentioned and its %100 understandable and even justified. Very tough scene and I really feel for the guy, even more so that so many people saw him as an angry simp who's butt hurt that he got rejected when that's not what he was mad about.

[@hightower19]

Absolutely not because criston isn't a pedophile holding feelings for someone he used to refer to as a “child!”, jorah on the other hand? yeah..

[@Emma88178]

Jorah is also a pedophile creep in the books. The show white-washed the hell out of him.