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

While the onscreen result of his romantic overtures was as disastrous as the result of his attempts to get Rhaenyra to run away with him, the same cannot be said for the fascinating divergence that Criston Cole is undergoing in his storyline.

It is never established within Fire and Blood what the cause behind Criston and Rhaenyra's sudden enmity is, there are rumors of each rejecting the other in addition to a litany of other reasons but the cause is never definitively stated. As such, this has allowed for greater artistic license for the show runners, who have used said license to paint the knight into a tantalizing character; a great warrior scorned by the woman he loves.

Furthermore, in Martin's canon, Criston Cole never punches a hole in someone's face in an emotional tantrum at a wedding. While he is responsible for Joffrey Lonmouth's death, Criston dispatches the Knight of Kisses in a tourney when he cracks his skull with a morning star, as opposed to attempting to punch his head into King's Landing's foundations. This sequence was likely included to allow for Alicent to save Criston from suicide in the episode's climax as it will make Criston's sudden shift from Rhaenyra's sworn sword to the staunch defender of her new enemy Alicent far more believable; he quite literally owes the Queen his life.

The changes are minor, but the show runners have used them to flawlessly plug the gaps from Ser Criston's story in Martin's book, creating a compelling and diverse character ripe for further development.