House Of The Dragon Episode Six Review - 8 Ups & 2 Downs

10. Down - Criston's unresolved storyline

As things usually go, punching a gaping hole into the face of a royal wedding guest (let alone the secret lover of the groom) is likely to land one in hot water, even at a celebration taking place in Westeros.

It was somewhat baffling therefore, to witness House of the Dragon casually skim over this rather contentious point from last week. While it is clear that Alicent intervened on Criston's behalf - and the ruling families of Westeros have the power to pardon or condemn with a flick of a finger - the unanswered questions behind his extremely public (and bloody) meltdown remain.

Criston's murder of Joffrey was utterly appalling to watch; it is hard to recall a more brutally gruesome murder on television that did not involve weapons. Fans were left feeling the emotional impact of such a harrowing scene and were anxious to find out how Criston would avoid the executioner's sword, let alone retain his position in the Kingsguard.

Indeed, when one considers that Harwin Strong's beatdown of Cole was deemed to be worthy - at least on paper - of being sent home to Harrenhall in disgrace but the sadistic murder of a guest beloved by one of the most powerful houses in the country only merits a rap on the knuckles, fans cannot help but notice a minor hole in the plot.

The shame is that the resolution to Cole's conflict didn't even have to take place onscreen; a simple explanation would have sufficed. Viewers can but hope this point is expanded on in further episodes.