After reading Fire and Blood, we have to remember what voice Martin is using in telling this story. He is speaking as a Maester, a "supposed" impartial servant of the lords and nobility. It is fitting for such a man to blame the dance entirely on Cole, and leave out the roles, and schemes, the Hightowers played, after all, the Hightowers still had power in Oldtown during the Song of Ice and Fire, and the Maesters would not risk offending the ones who ruled where their Citadel was. Far easier to blame a long dead man of common birth, than the lords that still support you.
This is a really interesting take and I see a lot of value in it but personally, as we’ve seen from other Maesters like Luwin and Pycelle, often times the maesters are not unbiased and as we know history is often written by the victors of a war so potentially that influence is felt all through the boom of fire and blood. No detail big or small can be 100% trusted in fire and blood.
Is it so strange? I know asoiaf is that compelling but this stuff didn't really happen lol, it's a modern fantasy story. Just makes it seem less strange @@Maverick_682
Fabien Frankel is doing a spectacular job as Criston Cole, in the books he was more of a true Knight who denied Rhaenyra, even though there was different tellings of what was going on and unreliable narrators like Mushroom. The hate he is receiving on social media is disgraceful. Yes they are actors in their show, but they are no less people. The actor who played joffrey baratheon during game of thrones face the same type of hate. Everyone let's be cordial and remember these are characters on TV.
Criston Cole is the epitome of failling upwards in the show. He does dumb stuff after dumb stuff and gets promoted for it. Like a bodyguard of the royal household killing in rage a wedding guest and friend of the spouse, should have kicked him out of the guard. Killing a guest, harming people under your charge, failing in his duty as a bodyguard by loosing control and be a danger to those he is supposed to protect etc.pp As kingsguard they are part of the kings household the king, he is making the king associate themselves with this most heinous of violations. Kicking him out of the guard should have been the first thing happening.
yeah, i think this scene in the wedding was one of the worst of the series so far, almost getting the same level as got last season, made no sense, they want to rush so much this, killing jofrey in the tourney like was in the books(but they didnt have time to do another tourney in the same season). At least could say that was a accident
While I agree that I really don't like that scene the way I justified it, is that at this point in history a knight of the Kings Guard has never been dismissed. They've always served for life. Joffrey is laenors consort, but that's rather under the table. He didn't commit treason, just murder, and maybe that's not enough to change tradition
The books are less clear here (as in many other matters), but tv show Cole is more notable for how fierce and brutal he can be than for his actual influence. I think it is plenty clear that some form of the Dance would happen even if he tried real hard to avoid it. If so many listened to him, it was because they all were in social positions that made that convincing easy and very consequential. Truth be told, I don't think there are many in the Targaryen Courts of the time that had much choice on the matter. Cole may be emphasizing for effect, but he is not demonstrably wrong or lying when he says that Rhaenyra's claim might require slaughtering Aegon. As for the complex reputation that he leaves... I think that is mostly a consequence of being remembered at all, as Jaime correctly points out. People will project all kinds of strong and remarkable traits to other people even before they die. Once they are dead, they have no more opportunity for telling the lie of their received reputations. And it is not even rare for conflicting reputations to thrive at the same time.
The show is doing Cole really dirty imo. If they wanted to make him evil they could have done it in a better way. Mysterious amoral actor with an unknown agenda > spurned lover. Personally I think this characterization goes back to mistakes made in S1. Up until ep 5 he is fine, but after he barley seems like a character. They removed the most consequential thing he did, so no wonder he is just sex scene bait so far is S2. There is nothing more for him to do. Tbh even the theory that Cole was a Hightower plant to make Rhaenyra look bad was a better way to handle their relationship.
@@verycool2050Is it really though? I have seen bad break ups, and rejections, but I have never seen someone become a one note villain over a break up. So far there is 0 complexity to tv Cole. Which is fine if that is what you are going for but I expected something else from something based on ASOIAF.
i honestly think that his relationship with Rhaenyra was similar than in the show. let’s remember he was her sworn shield since she was a little girl, then when she was about to marry Laenor he turned to despise her. For him to end up despising her so much, they must have had a sort of relationship. Even book Alicent points out saying something like “who protects the princess from ser criston”
The way they did it in the show made him look pretty pathetic. They sleep together once and he wants to get married, to regain HIS honor. And he's so bereft that he kills Joffrey then goes to take his own life. But wait, the savior of hate and malice shows up at the last minute. They spend the rest of their time together hating Rhaenyra.
Crazy part is I believe Mushroom 50% of time. I 100% believe Mushroom that Daemon & Rhaenyra experimented. I actually believe Mushroom that he rejected her horrified. Cole known her since she was 8 & it echoes Jaime rejecting Cersei. Maybe it was both maybe they had a relationship but she cheated on him with Daemon which he felt betrayed on a personal level & found disgusting giving his dislike of Daemon.
yes , at least in the show's interpretation Mushroom's accounts are for the most part being ignored says a lot ; at least in HotD's perspective. But probably overall as well being GRRM seems quite closely involved with HotD.
Interesting HOTD shows many of the early acts in crowning Aegon II, later attributed by history to Ser Criston, to be part of Otto’s grand plan. Could it be that later claiming these disastrous acts for House Hightower wasn’t in the interests of that continuingly powerful house in Westeros, but could easily be passed to a man whose coat of arms isn’t even recognisable to following Kingsgaurd 4 or 5 generations later? Especially if those histories have been recombined in the Citadel under direct Hightower patronage. Sublimely sly echoing of how true history works, were Ser Criston’s later acts as a battle commander (that he’s killed for) are grievous enough to overshadow the “trivial” actions of Otto, that change the fates of a whole continent to please his overbearing brother.
I don’t think Tristan was wrong in regards to Rhaenyra and her children because even if she did ascend the iron throne after King Viseras’s death the question still remains, “the Strong Boys”? After her death you would’ve still had Lords from all over the realm protesting the bastard ascending the Iron Throne so either way the Dance of Dragons would’ve still happened. King Visaerys is the MAIN REASON why it all happened, 1 for Marrying his daughter off to a KNOWN homosexual 2 not stripping Rhaenyra of being heir to the iron throne and Princess of Dragon Stone and making Aegon Rightful Air to The Iron Throne knowing DAMN WELL his daughter was mothering bastards. You can even make the argument that it was King Jaehaerys who was the one who actually put the wheels in motion for this disaster to happen when he held a Rigged election at Harrenhal strategically choosing Visaerys as heir to the Throne instead of Rhaenys
Yes, but you would have had similar issues had Rhaenys taken the throne. Laenor would've been next in line and he would've had a tough time producing an heir. Either Visaerys or Rhaenys would've led down to a scenario with no clear heir, the difference is that Visaerys had a couple of choices that could've averted war. Marrying Daemon instead of Laenor to Rhaenyra to consolidate their claim would have been a strong move as well as naming Aegon heir once it was clear Rhaenyra's children weren't Laenor's. Unfortunately, he tried to force a happy-family dynamic with his attitude while increasing its dysfunction with his actions.
yes Robert said he is remaking them taking into account new information that has come out since many of the original TG installments released - be it Fire and Blood , GRRM's public statements via various mediums and HotD etc.
Criston Cole seems to personally dislike Rhaenyra, but his speech at the Green Council also denounced Daemon & Laenor. I think the Council-member who seems more decidedly anti-Rhaenyra than pro-Green was Larys Strong, who did a lot to undermine Rhaenyra even after she seized the city he was hiding in, then betrayed Aegon II after Rhaenyra was dead and her son Aegon III was in line to inherit. Loras didn't take KG vows until after the Battle of Blackwater. The Rainbow Guard didn't appear to take similar oaths, which is why there are members that still hold titles to land.
It's clear that the show writers have a bias towards the dragon stone faction are are doing everything they can to make the High tower faction look bad.
I fully disagree. You're the only one I've seen feel this, everyone else feels they've made an equal argument for both. I mean, shit, the blacks, killed a child, look at the comment sections.
They made both factions less problematic. Before the show Aemond was a psychopath and Rhaenyra was a cruel spoiled hoe, they also gave Alicent an actual personality that wasn't beefing a 9 years old. Cole was mysterious in the books. We didn't know his motives, he just seemed to be more cunning.
@@jerichoroad5814I seen it a lot on Reddit people accusing the show of being pro-Black and anti-Green, instead of just making both sides just be bad period.
YES! Characters on both sides got a face lift in the adaptation. In the Queen and the Princess, Alicent is much more of a wicked stepmother to Rhaenyra and ten years older while both Aegon and Daemon are child predators known to sleep with underaged girls. They literally made Alicent a child bride in order for her character to be more sympathetic because the age gap between her and Viserys in the book is like ten years.
Thank you, Robert, for bringing the quotes from Ice & Fire into this video. It really does show just how amazing the books are. What could very easily have been throwaway charachters and lines in actuality knit together perfectly. GRR Martin is a genius.
I think his role as Kingmaker in the perceived history is because of his unimpressive background. The Hightowers, who were largely responsible, and the Lannisters wouldn't like to be known as the start of treason. He was an easy scapegoat to keep the realm together. Imagine Aegon the III. going after those houses. To keep the peace, Cole was portrayed as the main culprit.
Thank you for making a video about that great chapter in AFFC! That very dialogue between Loras & Jaime actually ends the entire chapter with those exact lines, making it feel impactful, which is why I found it so perplexing. I was originally unsure as to what Jaime was trying to convey to Loras; I have not read F&B or WOIAF so I often wondered whether he mentioned him in a positive (semi-admiring) or as negative/cautionary way, or even whether it was directed to Loras or Jaime himself. You’ve made it clear that the answer of course is likely all of the above (though mostly negative, as I suspected, now that I know how he was spoken of in F&B). It highlights perfectly the internal conflict Jaime is undergoing. Overall, I find him to be one of the more realistic villains, which is likely why it makes so many of us disgusted with him. I love the concept of his character as a historical “echo” of infamy. Great job, Rob!
Do you think there are any parallels or juxtapositions between Cole’s storyline and that of the Kingbreaker, Barristan Selmy? Feel like the name was chosen for a purpose, especially because Barristan was also involved in a coup. Hopefully things work out for Barristan the Bold when we get Winds.
I personally like the show changes that diminish Criston's impact on the war. A single person starting a war is, after all, a quite unrealistic and rare thing. Diminishing him to a supporting character who nonetheless makes the situation so much worse than it needs to be through his petty revenges and blame deflection fits him better and can be more easily portrayed to a modern audience.
a power abuser, scorned lover, and, much like the second king he serves, an insolent pup. I certainly hate his character in the show, but I have to give huge props to the actor Fabien Frankel, who brings such life to the character. Much like Jack Gleeson as Joffrey, Criston is a character the audience is supposed to despise, and the actor portrays that wonderfully.
Which is so realistic it’s very scary. I mean, he looks like many of the “nice guys” who thought that the girls they like owe them relationship and became bitter that they didn’t get their feelings reciprocated.
I think it’s more complicated. She pursues him when she is basically his boss, so he can’t really say no but he also can’t say yes (because of his oaths). I think that Rynerea basically raped him. He was not in a position to freely consent to a relationship between. Of course he is angry. She stole his honor and then dismissed his attempt to redeem his honor by running away. I don’t think that Rynerea intentionally set out to rape him, but she didn’t think through the power differential between them. Probably because the sex ed she received was really bad and didn’t cover the importance of consent.
@@venomousspecifics45 Yeah, but his response is that he’s gonna put the whole continent through war thanks to her rejection. Millions will die because of him. Is that a healthy thing to do? I don’t think so.
Criston Cole: If there is to be battle here, many of your own will die as well. Roderick Dustin(Commander of the Winter Wolves): That's why we come. Winter's here. Time for us to go. No better way to die than sword in hand.
I think that since Fire & Blood is written as a historical account, they had the gift of hindsight. It’s easy to assume that Criston used his influence to slowly egg on (not an Aegon pun) Team Green, starting with Criston confessions to Alicent.
It is pretty obvious that everything he does he does to get back on Rhaenyra for refusing him. His obsession is elevated by his imaginary honourable man status, a picture of himself before he fell in love with her. For his “moral downfall”, meaning falling in love and offering her to elope with him, he blames her, thus his hatred has no limits. He is intimate in the show with Alicent mostly because of her status as a former friend; this way he feels closer to Rhaenyra through some twisted level of subconscious thinking. Alicent has many motivations to be with him, some connected to her former friend as well.
@@RW77777777 incel is modern term. If you applied it to medieval settings knights and men in general, probably 80% would be categorised as such. So, no. He is not incel, just deeply frustrated and bitter man. But yeah, no one disputes being paid for the role, if that is what you alluding to.
@@brianb152 we are analysing the reasons he hates Rae. It is not nuclear science. It is quite obvious. If his every sentence related to her is about how she is whore or bitch, etc, it is obvious who lives rent free in his mind, and would doubt his intentions with Alicent. Her being attractive helps though.
I feel like the Kingmaker monkier is a Maester/Hightower retcon to try and obscure their anti-Targ meddling. Even if it happened as it did in the show those factions could still blame Cole in the histories.
Criston Cole is basically everything that Jorah Mormont was accused of being, and wasn't: a self-centered, spoiled child who demanded love and threw tantrums when he didn't get it.
It's entirely possible that Jorah was exactly like that in his younger years and learned from his mistakes at somepoint. The entire time he's w Dany he clearly feels some shame/regret about how things ended between him and his dad. The difference is Cole never got humbled.
Another great explainer. Have you ever explained in a video why you pronounce "Viserys" differently from all the adaptations (and differently from how you pronounce the same syllable in "Visenya")?
It seems to me that Cole's portrayal in Fire and Blood and the history lessons is a result of Hightower (and thusly maesters) pulling blame from themselves and placing it at the foot of a man equally involved but notably incapable of defending himself after the fact. To anyone complaing his character has been "ruined": he is exactly what everyone says he is. He placed the crown on Aegon's head, he violently supported the Greens and fought Rhaenyra and we have yet to see how he uses his new influence in the show to continue to be a villain. He is the Kingmaker, but he's also a man. There are no "perfect villains" in any ASoIF plotline. He is flawed and the embellishments placed on his character over a century and a half later are surely reflective of his importance, but also the influence of those who he supported (and survived). As always, fantastic analysis, and great video!
Also, the parallels to Jaime in the video have me imagine that calling Cole "Kingmaker" demonstrates as much involvement in causing the Dance as calling Jaime "Kingslayer" demonstrates his involvement in Robert's Rebellion. Each moniker is very interesting to reflect on
No, he's not "exactly what everyone says he is" on the show. He exhibits none of the "best" qualities of the KG, he kills Joffrey at a dinner instead of a tourney (where they'd both be competing with each other while wearing opposite favors), he's never shown defeating Harwin Breakbones in a contest, he's not named Lord Commander by King Viserys, and his affair with Alicent is entirely invented for the show rather than GRRM's writing. Not only does that contradict his own earlier rejection of being a queen's paramore, if he had actually been in Alicent's chambers during the night of Blood & Cheese he would have been able to prevent it because that's precisely where B&C went in the text to tie up Alicent & wait for Helaena!
ONly for you, dear Robert, would I willingly subject myself to a /Crispy/ video.... yes, there are limits to my 'play nice, everyone has character favs' demeanor.
I’m wondering what you and most other people think about some of the changes from the book. In the book he seemed more decisive, cold and cutthroat. I honestly don’t know if I enjoy some of the changes the show made, not because I don’t enjoy villains, but because he seems so cartoonishly evil, like a bitter jealous ex-boyfriend.
Cole is 1000% worse in the show and it's not even a debate In the book he is Kingmaker, in the show he is an incompetent, pretty boy puppy dog who fails upwards. He is not a man of will and action like the book version. In the books he is a schemer and a player of the game, while in the show he is a reactionary; he doesn't really DO anything in the show for the most part They took a villain who could have been Darth Vader and made him into a joke
@Captain_Insano_nomercy you're saying that just as he's coming to power in the show. I'm hopeful we'll see more of that cold and calculating come out as he is now Hand. We started to see it in S2 E2 with his assassination plot, but he's only just coming to his full strength politically.
@shanesalyers5433 unfortunately I think too much damage has been done to the character already to turn it around, but we may at least get some shadow of what could have been
@shanesalyers5433 oh no, trust me, I hope I'm wrong too. I want the character to be good, I just don't have much hope. I would think they would have made him that way by now if that's what they had wanted to begin with
Christon Cole: Ser Bitterlot Lord Larys = Mr Feet Alicent = Ms Eternal Victim Rhanerya = Ms I am the queen. There is not a single morally good character in this series, and I love it.
@@noblegalifreyan4551 Sir Acts like an Incelot doesn't roll off the tongue the same way, people do know what an incel is, you just don't know what a joke is.
Criston Cole deserves the name Kingmaker, because as Captain of the Kingsguard his choice to support Aegon's claim was decisive. If he had not, the Green council would have been in an untenable position, because it's unlikely the others in the Kingsguard would have gone against him. He is probably in a position to order most of the castle guards as well. He could have thrown Otto, Alicent and her children in prison. His support was the linchpin that everything hinged on. It's Vary's parable again - Cole was the man with the sword, and power lay with whoever he chose to support. But yes - he was far from the only one to blame. Otto and Alicent are the most culpable, for deciding to go against the king's chosen heir.
To be honest, I think people hate Criston Cole so much because he’s very realistic that anyone could become like him. Joffrey and Ramsay might be over the top evil but they are still very cartoonish that we barely find people like them in real life (most of the times, people like them are serial killers). Meanwhile, many of us had gone through rejection from someone we liked. It’s up to us to fixate ourselves in bitterness and spite and respond negatively like Criston or let go of it and become more mature, and many people just can’t let it go. Also, how many of the politicians in real world didn’t fail upward like Criston?
Totally agree. I think he's really a person who started out with good intentions. I think his sin was being born too good looking. We ordinary guys envy him, but what if he's desired by the wrong girls who he's not allowed to want? What if one of them manipulates him into congress and he begins to have feelings? That she doesn't feel at all? What if your entire training in life is to end lives? I very much sympathize with him.
Any institution or concept created for a fiction involving very strict rules of conduct and behavior specifically exists to test characters and isn't meant to be something that realistically exist. Jon breaks his vows as a Night's Watchman, and all the other King's guards break their vows.
My man was minding his own business, doing his night shift duty of guarding her, when that woman seduced him and caused him to break his oath. This innocent, simple guy thought it was love, only to later realize it meant nothing to her and that she had greater ambitions. He subsequently successfully ruined it and caused the downfall of the entire dynasty. A hundred years later, another man, Robert Baratheon, was minding his own business and enjoying his life when another Targaryen (descendant of the same woman) hurt his feelings. He finished the job that Cole started.
Except it wasn't Bobby B. that did the real work finishing Cole's job. That would be Ned Stark, the guy in whose name everyone fought. Lyanna was his sister, after all.
I think it’s pretty obvious that George did not have a clear idea of the events of the Dance of Dragons when he wrote the last book. Then when he wrote the “World of Ice and Fire” and later “Fire and Blood” he had to reconcile how much he had built up Cole’s impact with his new lore that very much has him as one of many important figures during the war.
I hope the Dance of the Dragons teaches all of us important lessons of the heart and mind. Criston Cole ia a disgusting piece of work. Complex and fascinating, but horrid. The moment he had murdered Lord Beesbury at the small council, a feeling of horror came over me as I saw him snap in the heat of dominance. I'm still disturbed by that brilliant bit of tv.
I wonder if they call him the kingmaker to also hide as much of the hightowers involvement in the war and pushing that blame of honor into someone else.
Frankly, I'm enjoying the change for Criston. He always came off as a petulant, short-sighted jackass with anger issues so it's good that the show is leaning fully into that instead of puffing him up as some sort of Machiavellian figure
IMO, Cole (in both the book and the show) decided to betray his Knights vows, allowing personal desires and vengeance to either neglect or alter his duty. He was an oathbreaker and was emotionally tainted by it ever since. Loras Tyrell seemed ambitious. Whether for Renly, his house, or himself, idk for sure, but it seems every decision he makes is in pursuit for advancement in some way. His story is cut short to see how his ambition would corrupt him and his knightly duty. Jamie Lannister is also an oathbreaker. One might forgive him for killing the mad king and saving the people of King's Landing, but he still had a relationship with his sister and fathered her children. We see his willingness to betray the truth and his vows to protect, to allow war to prevent his and his family's dishonor from becoming known.
Jaime was planning on violating his KG oaths with his sister from the beginning. She convinced him joining the KG would permit them to be together, so that's actually the reason he joined!
@clownpendotfart was it? I thought the mad king named Jamie to the kings guard when Jamie was very young because Jamie was Tywinn's heir, and the king wanted to embarrass Lord Lannister by taking away Tywinn's preferred son from the line of succession.
@@Tim_with_Tomes_and_Tales From Jaime II in A Storm of Swords: Jaime, meantime, had spent four years as squire to Ser Sumner Crake-hall and earned his spurs against the Kingswood Brotherhood. But when he made a brief call at King's Landing on his way back to Casterly Rock, chiefly to see his sister, Cersei took him aside and whispered that Lord Tywin meant to marry him to Lysa Tully, had gone so far as to invite Lord Hoster to the city to discuss dower. But if Jaime took the white, he could be near her always. Old Ser Harlan Grandison had died in his sleep, as was only appropriate for one whose sigil was a sleeping lion. Aerys would want a young man to take his place, so why not a roaring lion in place of a sleepy one? "Father will never consent," Jaime objected. "The king won't ask him. And once it's done, Father can't object, not openly. Aerys had Ser Ilyn Payne's tongue torn out just for boasting that it was the Hand who truly ruled the Seven Kingdoms. The captain of the Hand's guard, and yet Father dared not try and stop it! He won't stop this, either." "But," Jaime said, "there's Casterly Rock . . ." "Is it a rock you want? Or me?" He remembered that night as if it were yesterday. They spent it in an old inn on Eel Alley, well away from watchful eyes. Cersei had come to him dressed as a simple serving wench, which somehow excited him all the more. Jaime had never seen her more passionate. Every time he went to sleep, she woke him again. By morning Casterly Rock seemed a small price to pay to be near her always. He gave his consent, and Cersei promised to do the rest. A moon's turn later, a royal raven arrived at Casterly Rock to inform him that he had been chosen for the Kingsguard. He was commanded to present himself to the king during the great tourney at Harrenhal to say his vows and don his cloak.
I feel like the worst thing the show did in regards to ignoring source material is taking away criston Cole’s moniker as “kingmaker” it’s so important for his character. Bit sad
ser cole seems to be able to see the future. he claims the realm is doomed when they sit a bastard on the throne. and in game of thrones the realm goes to shite as soon as robert dies and joffrey becomes king
in the books both the fcking authors said bro didn't sleep with the princess show writers: yea we gonna make him do it anyways like wtf they even took away bros kingmaker speech like why
He isn't even a kingmaker in the show, he is just a pretty boy idiot who failed up. The kingmaker is a schemer and architect, a ruthless social climber; show version Cole is one tenth of the character that the book implied
@@verycool2050 so if two authors on opposing sides write that an apple is red then they make a movie about an apple and make it green does this make sense in your head. I'm guessing you never even read the damn books why did I even reply to this sigh
I like Ser Criston. I thought his story was very interesting and when he showed up in the TV show he looked cool. Then he turned out to be a snake, but my damn loyalty runs deep. Damn 😅
Suggestions: 1) Can you make a tier list of the best fighters in The Song of Ice And Fire? 2) Can you make a character study of Areo Hotah? For some reason I can't explain he is my favorite character. I like his calm confidence. Thanks!
I never understood why King vicerys kept criston around when he killed a man at the princess weding party with no provocation and he draw a sword at the king daughter yet the king never bat an aye
To be fair (in the show at least) he had ample reason to hate her. Imagine if Aegon had bedded a young septa, despite her repeated refusals, citing her vows of chastity, and then afterwards refused her plea to marry her to save her from shame, only laughed and said she wasn’t good enough for a Prince…. We would have been cheering for her to take him down. But because it’s a woman using her authority for force a man, everything is totally fine, and he’s being unreasonable. The double standard is disgusting.
It's like the whole story is just a painting in the gray area. Nothing definitive in any way. Which is cool. But you know. It gets predictable after awhile.
I could look on with detachment at Joffrey's shenanigans. Even Ramsay Bolton could be understood as as straightforward sadist. However Criston Cole is the first fictional character to invoke a visceral hatred in me, and I can't wait for him to meet whatever grisley end is coming.
It's like - Joffrey is just a little cunt basically, he's evil in a way that... for lack of a better word makes him more annoying than infuriating? Ramsey is a sadistic monster, y'feel scared for the people around him more than outraged by what he is. What they are is clear, direct and wholly evil, and as result being angry with them feels like... being angry with a rabid animal. It doesn't really fit, even if the rabid animal is doing some messed up shit. But Criston Cole pretends to be something better than that when literally from the start, he was operating at a double standard. He didn't want to forsake his honour - no, he just wanted Rhaenyra to completely give up her birthright and live the rest of her life in poverty in a foreign country with him as the wife of a sellsword. Y'know, so no biggie. She says no because obviously not and pitches a compromise, which he immediately rejects and is outraged by, which in and of itself is bullshit - and then goes on to completely forsake his honor with someone else essentially out of spite, and is willing to burn down the entire realm because he feels spurned. What makes Criston Cole so maddening is that his motivations right from the start were shitty and hypocritical and his betrayal was even MORE shitty and hypocritical. Basically - Joffrey and Ramsey are sadistic monsters, but Criston Cole is a fucking 'Nice guy' - who is also a sadist, just more quietly.
After reading Fire and Blood, we have to remember what voice Martin is using in telling this story. He is speaking as a Maester, a "supposed" impartial servant of the lords and nobility. It is fitting for such a man to blame the dance entirely on Cole, and leave out the roles, and schemes, the Hightowers played, after all, the Hightowers still had power in Oldtown during the Song of Ice and Fire, and the Maesters would not risk offending the ones who ruled where their Citadel was. Far easier to blame a long dead man of common birth, than the lords that still support you.
This is a really interesting take and I see a lot of value in it but personally, as we’ve seen from other Maesters like Luwin and Pycelle, often times the maesters are not unbiased and as we know history is often written by the victors of a war so potentially that influence is felt all through the boom of fire and blood. No detail big or small can be 100% trusted in fire and blood.
First of His Name, Breaker of Oaths, Stainer of Sheets, Muncher of Carpets
Snort….giggle…cough….BWAHAHAHAHAHA
You won the internet today🏅
Ha 🤣that's funny
@danyf.1442 YEP💯
You act like you wouldn't get a chance to be with Alicent
Robert, this channel is excellent. Thank you!!
Wholeheartedly second this notion!
Love tuning in!
Hear, hear!
it's true. he's got such a great voice, too. much better than other hosts of similar channels.
I love the sentence "he takes it out on her husband's boyfriend" so much
made me chuckle xD
It's strangely applicable to our modern times.
Is it so strange? I know asoiaf is that compelling but this stuff didn't really happen lol, it's a modern fantasy story. Just makes it seem less strange @@Maverick_682
@@Maverick_682 Joffrey Was Being Caviler, Basically Rubbing The Dishonor In His Face & He Also Knew Cristons Secret so criston snapped
Fabien Frankel is doing a spectacular job as Criston Cole, in the books he was more of a true Knight who denied Rhaenyra, even though there was different tellings of what was going on and unreliable narrators like Mushroom.
The hate he is receiving on social media is disgraceful. Yes they are actors in their show, but they are no less people. The actor who played joffrey baratheon during game of thrones face the same type of hate. Everyone let's be cordial and remember these are characters on TV.
He's a good actor if we hate him. Joffery for example. Anyone that attacks him as a person is a damn idiot🙄 IT'S PRETEND
And good storytelling
Jack Gleeson has stated that he did not receive hate in person for playing Joffrey. This is an urban myth that keeps getting repeated 😂
and lena got hate too. hopf soon the visceral reaction people are having will be seen as his good work and good writing
@@Spongebrain97 I'd never heard that before. I heard he got lots of hate
Criston Cole is the epitome of failling upwards in the show. He does dumb stuff after dumb stuff and gets promoted for it. Like a bodyguard of the royal household killing in rage a wedding guest and friend of the spouse, should have kicked him out of the guard. Killing a guest, harming people under your charge, failing in his duty as a bodyguard by loosing control and be a danger to those he is supposed to protect etc.pp
As kingsguard they are part of the kings household the king, he is making the king associate themselves with this most heinous of violations. Kicking him out of the guard should have been the first thing happening.
yeah, i think this scene in the wedding was one of the worst of the series so far, almost getting the same level as got last season, made no sense, they want to rush so much this, killing jofrey in the tourney like was in the books(but they didnt have time to do another tourney in the same season). At least could say that was a accident
While I agree that I really don't like that scene the way I justified it, is that at this point in history a knight of the Kings Guard has never been dismissed. They've always served for life. Joffrey is laenors consort, but that's rather under the table. He didn't commit treason, just murder, and maybe that's not enough to change tradition
The books are less clear here (as in many other matters), but tv show Cole is more notable for how fierce and brutal he can be than for his actual influence. I think it is plenty clear that some form of the Dance would happen even if he tried real hard to avoid it. If so many listened to him, it was because they all were in social positions that made that convincing easy and very consequential.
Truth be told, I don't think there are many in the Targaryen Courts of the time that had much choice on the matter. Cole may be emphasizing for effect, but he is not demonstrably wrong or lying when he says that Rhaenyra's claim might require slaughtering Aegon.
As for the complex reputation that he leaves... I think that is mostly a consequence of being remembered at all, as Jaime correctly points out. People will project all kinds of strong and remarkable traits to other people even before they die. Once they are dead, they have no more opportunity for telling the lie of their received reputations. And it is not even rare for conflicting reputations to thrive at the same time.
"The books are less clear" because both narrators in the books are unreliable
The show is doing Cole really dirty imo. If they wanted to make him evil they could have done it in a better way. Mysterious amoral actor with an unknown agenda > spurned lover. Personally I think this characterization goes back to mistakes made in S1. Up until ep 5 he is fine, but after he barley seems like a character. They removed the most consequential thing he did, so no wonder he is just sex scene bait so far is S2. There is nothing more for him to do. Tbh even the theory that Cole was a Hightower plant to make Rhaenyra look bad was a better way to handle their relationship.
spurned lover is real life. we see it all the time. only it's usually a guy who works at the post office not a guy in charge of the military
@@verycool2050Is it really though? I have seen bad break ups, and rejections, but I have never seen someone become a one note villain over a break up. So far there is 0 complexity to tv Cole. Which is fine if that is what you are going for but I expected something else from something based on ASOIAF.
i honestly think that his relationship with Rhaenyra was similar than in the show. let’s remember he was her sworn shield since she was a little girl, then when she was about to marry Laenor he turned to despise her. For him to end up despising her so much, they must have had a sort of relationship. Even book Alicent points out saying something like “who protects the princess from ser criston”
The way they did it in the show made him look pretty pathetic. They sleep together once and he wants to get married, to regain HIS honor. And he's so bereft that he kills Joffrey then goes to take his own life. But wait, the savior of hate and malice shows up at the last minute. They spend the rest of their time together hating Rhaenyra.
The show really seems to be saying Mushroom is straight up lying about most things instead of just embellishing
The show throws many things right put the window
Crazy part is I believe Mushroom 50% of time. I 100% believe Mushroom that Daemon & Rhaenyra experimented.
I actually believe Mushroom that he rejected her horrified. Cole known her since she was 8 & it echoes Jaime rejecting Cersei.
Maybe it was both maybe they had a relationship but she cheated on him with Daemon which he felt betrayed on a personal level & found disgusting giving his dislike of Daemon.
@@darriusbethea2373 GRRM already spoke about this. In short: there is no truth. He makes sh*t up 🤷♂️🤷♂️
@@Captain_Insano_nomercyHahahHa put. I love auto correct.
yes , at least in the show's interpretation Mushroom's accounts are for the most part being ignored says a lot ; at least in HotD's perspective. But probably overall as well being GRRM seems quite closely involved with HotD.
Interesting HOTD shows many of the early acts in crowning Aegon II, later attributed by history to Ser Criston, to be part of Otto’s grand plan. Could it be that later claiming these disastrous acts for House Hightower wasn’t in the interests of that continuingly powerful house in Westeros, but could easily be passed to a man whose coat of arms isn’t even recognisable to following Kingsgaurd 4 or 5 generations later? Especially if those histories have been recombined in the Citadel under direct Hightower patronage. Sublimely sly echoing of how true history works, were Ser Criston’s later acts as a battle commander (that he’s killed for) are grievous enough to overshadow the “trivial” actions of Otto, that change the fates of a whole continent to please his overbearing brother.
Your voice is so calming. Thank you Robert
I don’t think Tristan was wrong in regards to Rhaenyra and her children because even if she did ascend the iron throne after King Viseras’s death the question still remains, “the Strong Boys”? After her death you would’ve still had Lords from all over the realm protesting the bastard ascending the Iron Throne so either way the Dance of Dragons would’ve still happened. King Visaerys is the MAIN REASON why it all happened, 1 for Marrying his daughter off to a KNOWN homosexual 2 not stripping Rhaenyra of being heir to the iron throne and Princess of Dragon Stone and making Aegon Rightful Air to The Iron Throne knowing DAMN WELL his daughter was mothering bastards. You can even make the argument that it was King Jaehaerys who was the one who actually put the wheels in motion for this disaster to happen when he held a Rigged election at Harrenhal strategically choosing Visaerys as heir to the Throne instead of Rhaenys
Yes, but you would have had similar issues had Rhaenys taken the throne. Laenor would've been next in line and he would've had a tough time producing an heir. Either Visaerys or Rhaenys would've led down to a scenario with no clear heir, the difference is that Visaerys had a couple of choices that could've averted war. Marrying Daemon instead of Laenor to Rhaenyra to consolidate their claim would have been a strong move as well as naming Aegon heir once it was clear Rhaenyra's children weren't Laenor's. Unfortunately, he tried to force a happy-family dynamic with his attitude while increasing its dysfunction with his actions.
The Targaryens may ride dragons but queen Alicent rides Ser Criston Cole
Ayuh, she's riding the white steed apparently.
And dragons breath is hot, but I wonder what his is like 🍣🐠
You're being smug, and losing friends again.
Based True Queen. Maegor with tits could never
Love these character profiles! Do more!
Robert! What happened to your Traveler's Guide To Westeros videos?!?!
Yes, what happened to the Travellers Guide???
I believe he said before that he is re-doing them with new info.
He’s remaking them
yes Robert said he is remaking them taking into account new information that has come out since many of the original TG installments released - be it Fire and Blood , GRRM's public statements via various mediums and HotD etc.
Criston Cole seems to personally dislike Rhaenyra, but his speech at the Green Council also denounced Daemon & Laenor. I think the Council-member who seems more decidedly anti-Rhaenyra than pro-Green was Larys Strong, who did a lot to undermine Rhaenyra even after she seized the city he was hiding in, then betrayed Aegon II after Rhaenyra was dead and her son Aegon III was in line to inherit.
Loras didn't take KG vows until after the Battle of Blackwater. The Rainbow Guard didn't appear to take similar oaths, which is why there are members that still hold titles to land.
I like the show interpretation of the dance as a tragic misunderstanding and loss of control of the dragons tbh.
Cole was the westerosi equivalent of Richard Neville, Earl Of Warwick during the wars of the roses.
It's clear that the show writers have a bias towards the dragon stone faction are are doing everything they can to make the High tower faction look bad.
I fully disagree. You're the only one I've seen feel this, everyone else feels they've made an equal argument for both. I mean, shit, the blacks, killed a child, look at the comment sections.
They made both factions less problematic. Before the show Aemond was a psychopath and Rhaenyra was a cruel spoiled hoe, they also gave Alicent an actual personality that wasn't beefing a 9 years old.
Cole was mysterious in the books. We didn't know his motives, he just seemed to be more cunning.
@@jerichoroad5814I seen it a lot on Reddit people accusing the show of being pro-Black and anti-Green, instead of just making both sides just be bad period.
YES! Characters on both sides got a face lift in the adaptation. In the Queen and the Princess, Alicent is much more of a wicked stepmother to Rhaenyra and ten years older while both Aegon and Daemon are child predators known to sleep with underaged girls. They literally made Alicent a child bride in order for her character to be more sympathetic because the age gap between her and Viserys in the book is like ten years.
@@jerichoroad5814no they have not lmao and no he isn’t
Thank you, Robert, for bringing the quotes from Ice & Fire into this video.
It really does show just how amazing the books are. What could very easily have been throwaway charachters and lines in actuality knit together perfectly.
GRR Martin is a genius.
I think his role as Kingmaker in the perceived history is because of his unimpressive background. The Hightowers, who were largely responsible, and the Lannisters wouldn't like to be known as the start of treason. He was an easy scapegoat to keep the realm together. Imagine Aegon the III. going after those houses. To keep the peace, Cole was portrayed as the main culprit.
"Nobody remembers Ser Criston Cole"
*Ser Brokenbones of Harrenhal cries in the corner*😢
Thank you for making a video about that great chapter in AFFC! That very dialogue between Loras & Jaime actually ends the entire chapter with those exact lines, making it feel impactful, which is why I found it so perplexing.
I was originally unsure as to what Jaime was trying to convey to Loras; I have not read F&B or WOIAF so I often wondered whether he mentioned him in a positive (semi-admiring) or as negative/cautionary way, or even whether it was directed to Loras or Jaime himself. You’ve made it clear that the answer of course is likely all of the above (though mostly negative, as I suspected, now that I know how he was spoken of in F&B). It highlights perfectly the internal conflict Jaime is undergoing.
Overall, I find him to be one of the more realistic villains, which is likely why it makes so many of us disgusted with him. I love the concept of his character as a historical “echo” of infamy. Great job, Rob!
Do you think there are any parallels or juxtapositions between Cole’s storyline and that of the Kingbreaker, Barristan Selmy?
Feel like the name was chosen for a purpose, especially because Barristan was also involved in a coup. Hopefully things work out for Barristan the Bold when we get Winds.
I personally like the show changes that diminish Criston's impact on the war. A single person starting a war is, after all, a quite unrealistic and rare thing. Diminishing him to a supporting character who nonetheless makes the situation so much worse than it needs to be through his petty revenges and blame deflection fits him better and can be more easily portrayed to a modern audience.
a power abuser, scorned lover, and, much like the second king he serves, an insolent pup. I certainly hate his character in the show, but I have to give huge props to the actor Fabien Frankel, who brings such life to the character. Much like Jack Gleeson as Joffrey, Criston is a character the audience is supposed to despise, and the actor portrays that wonderfully.
Cole was the saltiest ex ever to ex. Homie decided to destroy a family and a country out of spite.
@@kineticstar he wasnt even a ex. They were just fuck buddies.
Which is so realistic it’s very scary. I mean, he looks like many of the “nice guys” who thought that the girls they like owe them relationship and became bitter that they didn’t get their feelings reciprocated.
I think it’s more complicated. She pursues him when she is basically his boss, so he can’t really say no but he also can’t say yes (because of his oaths). I think that Rynerea basically raped him. He was not in a position to freely consent to a relationship between. Of course he is angry. She stole his honor and then dismissed his attempt to redeem his honor by running away.
I don’t think that Rynerea intentionally set out to rape him, but she didn’t think through the power differential between them. Probably because the sex ed she received was really bad and didn’t cover the importance of consent.
@@venomousspecifics45 Yeah, but his response is that he’s gonna put the whole continent through war thanks to her rejection. Millions will die because of him. Is that a healthy thing to do? I don’t think so.
@@venomousspecifics45Perfectly said!
He is the goat of his time and one of the best fighters in my opinion.
I don't know if you do series that are just books, but i would love to see you talking about Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight archives
Criston Cole: If there is to be battle here, many of your own will die as well.
Roderick Dustin(Commander of the Winter Wolves): That's why we come. Winter's here. Time for us to go. No better way to die than sword in hand.
Your literary commentaries and choice of words are a thousand miles better than those of other reviewers and fans. Great kudos and keep it up!!!
As usual phenomenal video Robert thank you .. Cole wasn’t solely responsible. He was mostly responsible.
Robert would you do a video giving your own opinions what happened during the Dance?
I think that since Fire & Blood is written as a historical account, they had the gift of hindsight. It’s easy to assume that Criston used his influence to slowly egg on (not an Aegon pun) Team Green, starting with Criston confessions to Alicent.
I love Ser Criston. 🤬 the haters!
He's unimaginably based and the only reason people hate him is because he is a commoner with royalty level scandals to his name.
It is pretty obvious that everything he does he does to get back on Rhaenyra for refusing him. His obsession is elevated by his imaginary honourable man status, a picture of himself before he fell in love with her. For his “moral downfall”, meaning falling in love and offering her to elope with him, he blames her, thus his hatred has no limits. He is intimate in the show with Alicent mostly because of her status as a former friend; this way he feels closer to Rhaenyra through some twisted level of subconscious thinking. Alicent has many motivations to be with him, some connected to her former friend as well.
lol at this armchair psychologist examination of his reasons for sleeping w Alicent.
No it’s because she’s a very attractive queen 😂
I'd love to be paying 300 bucks an hour to a shrink just to be called an incel
@@RW77777777 incel is modern term. If you applied it to medieval settings knights and men in general, probably 80% would be categorised as such. So, no. He is not incel, just deeply frustrated and bitter man. But yeah, no one disputes being paid for the role, if that is what you alluding to.
@@brianb152 we are analysing the reasons he hates Rae. It is not nuclear science. It is quite obvious. If his every sentence related to her is about how she is whore or bitch, etc, it is obvious who lives rent free in his mind, and would doubt his intentions with Alicent. Her being attractive helps though.
I feel like the Kingmaker monkier is a Maester/Hightower retcon to try and obscure their anti-Targ meddling. Even if it happened as it did in the show those factions could still blame Cole in the histories.
Criston Cole is basically everything that Jorah Mormont was accused of being, and wasn't: a self-centered, spoiled child who demanded love and threw tantrums when he didn't get it.
It's entirely possible that Jorah was exactly like that in his younger years and learned from his mistakes at somepoint. The entire time he's w Dany he clearly feels some shame/regret about how things ended between him and his dad. The difference is Cole never got humbled.
@@Dennis_The_PeasantCole got humbled for sure, when Pate denied his single combat and got a few arrows instead
Another great explainer. Have you ever explained in a video why you pronounce "Viserys" differently from all the adaptations (and differently from how you pronounce the same syllable in "Visenya")?
our pet peeves are interesting...
It seems to me that Cole's portrayal in Fire and Blood and the history lessons is a result of Hightower (and thusly maesters) pulling blame from themselves and placing it at the foot of a man equally involved but notably incapable of defending himself after the fact. To anyone complaing his character has been "ruined": he is exactly what everyone says he is. He placed the crown on Aegon's head, he violently supported the Greens and fought Rhaenyra and we have yet to see how he uses his new influence in the show to continue to be a villain.
He is the Kingmaker, but he's also a man. There are no "perfect villains" in any ASoIF plotline. He is flawed and the embellishments placed on his character over a century and a half later are surely reflective of his importance, but also the influence of those who he supported (and survived).
As always, fantastic analysis, and great video!
Also, the parallels to Jaime in the video have me imagine that calling Cole "Kingmaker" demonstrates as much involvement in causing the Dance as calling Jaime "Kingslayer" demonstrates his involvement in Robert's Rebellion. Each moniker is very interesting to reflect on
@@shanesalyers5433 Somehow a “kingslayer” is much more honorable than a “kingmaker”. Classic GRRM subversion.
Delete this shit opinion.
absolutely
No, he's not "exactly what everyone says he is" on the show. He exhibits none of the "best" qualities of the KG, he kills Joffrey at a dinner instead of a tourney (where they'd both be competing with each other while wearing opposite favors), he's never shown defeating Harwin Breakbones in a contest, he's not named Lord Commander by King Viserys, and his affair with Alicent is entirely invented for the show rather than GRRM's writing. Not only does that contradict his own earlier rejection of being a queen's paramore, if he had actually been in Alicent's chambers during the night of Blood & Cheese he would have been able to prevent it because that's precisely where B&C went in the text to tie up Alicent & wait for Helaena!
ONly for you, dear Robert, would I willingly subject myself to a /Crispy/ video.... yes, there are limits to my 'play nice, everyone has character favs' demeanor.
I’m wondering what you and most other people think about some of the changes from the book. In the book he seemed more decisive, cold and cutthroat. I honestly don’t know if I enjoy some of the changes the show made, not because I don’t enjoy villains, but because he seems so cartoonishly evil, like a bitter jealous ex-boyfriend.
Cole is 1000% worse in the show and it's not even a debate
In the book he is Kingmaker, in the show he is an incompetent, pretty boy puppy dog who fails upwards. He is not a man of will and action like the book version. In the books he is a schemer and a player of the game, while in the show he is a reactionary; he doesn't really DO anything in the show for the most part
They took a villain who could have been Darth Vader and made him into a joke
@Captain_Insano_nomercy you're saying that just as he's coming to power in the show. I'm hopeful we'll see more of that cold and calculating come out as he is now Hand. We started to see it in S2 E2 with his assassination plot, but he's only just coming to his full strength politically.
@shanesalyers5433 unfortunately I think too much damage has been done to the character already to turn it around, but we may at least get some shadow of what could have been
@@Captain_Insano_nomercy I mean no offense by this, but I hope you're wrong lol. Regardless, the show is entertaining and I'm hyped to see more.
@shanesalyers5433 oh no, trust me, I hope I'm wrong too. I want the character to be good, I just don't have much hope. I would think they would have made him that way by now if that's what they had wanted to begin with
Christon Cole: Ser Bitterlot
Lord Larys = Mr Feet
Alicent = Ms Eternal Victim
Rhanerya = Ms I am the queen.
There is not a single morally good character in this series, and I love it.
😂😂 and Daemon : sir oh shit I fucked up
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
@@SuperbatmanbroI don't think he cares😁
People really don't know what incel is anymore. It's just used as catch all term
@@noblegalifreyan4551 Sir Acts like an Incelot doesn't roll off the tongue the same way, people do know what an incel is, you just don't know what a joke is.
Greay character study.
What happened to your Robert's Rebellion series?
Criston Cole deserves the name Kingmaker, because as Captain of the Kingsguard his choice to support Aegon's claim was decisive. If he had not, the Green council would have been in an untenable position, because it's unlikely the others in the Kingsguard would have gone against him. He is probably in a position to order most of the castle guards as well. He could have thrown Otto, Alicent and her children in prison. His support was the linchpin that everything hinged on. It's Vary's parable again - Cole was the man with the sword, and power lay with whoever he chose to support. But yes - he was far from the only one to blame. Otto and Alicent are the most culpable, for deciding to go against the king's chosen heir.
To be honest, I think people hate Criston Cole so much because he’s very realistic that anyone could become like him.
Joffrey and Ramsay might be over the top evil but they are still very cartoonish that we barely find people like them in real life (most of the times, people like them are serial killers).
Meanwhile, many of us had gone through rejection from someone we liked. It’s up to us to fixate ourselves in bitterness and spite and respond negatively like Criston or let go of it and become more mature, and many people just can’t let it go.
Also, how many of the politicians in real world didn’t fail upward like Criston?
Totally agree. I think he's really a person who started out with good intentions. I think his sin was being born too good looking. We ordinary guys envy him, but what if he's desired by the wrong girls who he's not allowed to want? What if one of them manipulates him into congress and he begins to have feelings? That she doesn't feel at all? What if your entire training in life is to end lives? I very much sympathize with him.
Any institution or concept created for a fiction involving very strict rules of conduct and behavior specifically exists to test characters and isn't meant to be something that realistically exist. Jon breaks his vows as a Night's Watchman, and all the other King's guards break their vows.
My man was minding his own business, doing his night shift duty of guarding her, when that woman seduced him and caused him to break his oath. This innocent, simple guy thought it was love, only to later realize it meant nothing to her and that she had greater ambitions. He subsequently successfully ruined it and caused the downfall of the entire dynasty. A hundred years later, another man, Robert Baratheon, was minding his own business and enjoying his life when another Targaryen (descendant of the same woman) hurt his feelings. He finished the job that Cole started.
"I didn't break my oath. She made me break my oath!"
Except it wasn't Bobby B. that did the real work finishing Cole's job. That would be Ned Stark, the guy in whose name everyone fought. Lyanna was his sister, after all.
The way he chastised and berated Sir Erryk about guarding the Heir... makes me want to see the Butchers Ball
An excellent character analysis, great job
Excellent work with this video!
I think it’s pretty obvious that George did not have a clear idea of the events of the Dance of Dragons when he wrote the last book. Then when he wrote the “World of Ice and Fire” and later “Fire and Blood” he had to reconcile how much he had built up Cole’s impact with his new lore that very much has him as one of many important figures during the war.
Should Cole be named The King Maker? Should Jaime be named The King Slayer? It seems much like many monikers neither are truly appropriate.
Jaime indisputably killed King Aerys II.
On broad terms, The Kingmaker started a civil war, and the Kingslayer ended one.
I hope the Dance of the Dragons teaches all of us important lessons of the heart and mind. Criston Cole ia a disgusting piece of work. Complex and fascinating, but horrid.
The moment he had murdered Lord Beesbury at the small council, a feeling of horror came over me as I saw him snap in the heat of dominance. I'm still disturbed by that brilliant bit of tv.
Can not get over that this man, who was a footnote in ASOIF, is now the most hated character in the franchise.
thank you
The Butcher’s Ball is gonna be the next Purple Wedding.
Is he better in the books ?
Yes.
He set brother against sister, and brother against brother.
all for a woman. very mark antony
I never thought that it would be possible, but theres a GoT Character that i hate more than Joffrey
I wonder if they call him the kingmaker to also hide as much of the hightowers involvement in the war and pushing that blame of honor into someone else.
I can't love this video enough for being the most real 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I hope he gets strong presence next season be the main player in the war
I think there's a lot of guild in Criston.
I think he found it easier to hate Rhaenyra than to accept his part to play in their affair.
This show tho. Man it is really good
I have a feeling that show Christian is going end up taking the fall for Team Green more than actually do anything himself.
Frankly, I'm enjoying the change for Criston. He always came off as a petulant, short-sighted jackass with anger issues so it's good that the show is leaning fully into that instead of puffing him up as some sort of Machiavellian figure
Lets go cole
IMO, Cole (in both the book and the show) decided to betray his Knights vows, allowing personal desires and vengeance to either neglect or alter his duty. He was an oathbreaker and was emotionally tainted by it ever since.
Loras Tyrell seemed ambitious. Whether for Renly, his house, or himself, idk for sure, but it seems every decision he makes is in pursuit for advancement in some way. His story is cut short to see how his ambition would corrupt him and his knightly duty.
Jamie Lannister is also an oathbreaker. One might forgive him for killing the mad king and saving the people of King's Landing, but he still had a relationship with his sister and fathered her children. We see his willingness to betray the truth and his vows to protect, to allow war to prevent his and his family's dishonor from becoming known.
Jaime was planning on violating his KG oaths with his sister from the beginning. She convinced him joining the KG would permit them to be together, so that's actually the reason he joined!
@clownpendotfart was it? I thought the mad king named Jamie to the kings guard when Jamie was very young because Jamie was Tywinn's heir, and the king wanted to embarrass Lord Lannister by taking away Tywinn's preferred son from the line of succession.
@@Tim_with_Tomes_and_Tales From Jaime II in A Storm of Swords:
Jaime, meantime, had spent four years as squire to Ser Sumner Crake-hall and earned his spurs against the Kingswood Brotherhood. But when he made a brief call at King's Landing on his way back to Casterly Rock, chiefly to see his sister, Cersei took him aside and whispered that Lord Tywin meant to marry him to Lysa Tully, had gone so far as to invite Lord Hoster to the city to discuss dower. But if Jaime took the white, he could be near her always. Old Ser Harlan Grandison had died in his sleep, as was only appropriate for one whose sigil was a sleeping lion. Aerys would want a young man to take his place, so why not a roaring lion in place of a sleepy one?
"Father will never consent," Jaime objected.
"The king won't ask him. And once it's done, Father can't object, not openly. Aerys had Ser Ilyn Payne's tongue torn out just for boasting that it was the Hand who truly ruled the Seven Kingdoms. The captain of the Hand's guard, and yet Father dared not try and stop it! He won't stop this, either."
"But," Jaime said, "there's Casterly Rock . . ."
"Is it a rock you want? Or me?"
He remembered that night as if it were yesterday. They spent it in an old inn on Eel Alley, well away from watchful eyes. Cersei had come to him dressed as a simple serving wench, which somehow excited him all the more. Jaime had never seen her more passionate. Every time he went to sleep, she woke him again. By morning Casterly Rock seemed a small price to pay to be near her always. He gave his consent, and Cersei promised to do the rest.
A moon's turn later, a royal raven arrived at Casterly Rock to inform him that he had been chosen for the Kingsguard. He was commanded to present himself to the king during the great tourney at Harrenhal to say his vows and don his cloak.
@clownpendotfart all true. It was still the king's decision, though.
I feel like the worst thing the show did in regards to ignoring source material is taking away criston Cole’s moniker as “kingmaker” it’s so important for his character. Bit sad
ser cole seems to be able to see the future. he claims the realm is doomed when they sit a bastard on the throne. and in game of thrones the realm goes to shite as soon as robert dies and joffrey becomes king
To be fair, there's a self-fulfilling aspect to it. A civil war occurs because Ned asserts Joffrey is a bastard who cannot be king.
in the books both the fcking authors said bro didn't sleep with the princess
show writers: yea we gonna make him do it anyways
like wtf they even took away bros kingmaker speech like why
He isn't even a kingmaker in the show, he is just a pretty boy idiot who failed up. The kingmaker is a schemer and architect, a ruthless social climber; show version Cole is one tenth of the character that the book implied
I fucking hate modern Hollywood.
Yep. It sucks.
it's the histories that are slanted buddy. figure it out
@@verycool2050 so if two authors on opposing sides write that an apple is red then they make a movie about an apple and make it green does this make sense in your head. I'm guessing you never even read the damn books why did I even reply to this sigh
Only Robert could make a video about Cole interesting!
So they took a male character who had a very important role from the original story and made him less in the show? Why am I not f*cking surprised 🙄
Ten whole years and he didn’t get over his failed relationship.
I like Ser Criston. I thought his story was very interesting and when he showed up in the TV show he looked cool. Then he turned out to be a snake, but my damn loyalty runs deep. Damn 😅
Criston didn't cause the dance Viserys did
The way I hate Criston Cole is the same way he hates Rhaenyra or Kendrick hates Drake
Very informative, thanks. I hate the character in the show but I suppose that's by design.
Cool cole
They called the praetorian guard king makers or emperor makers rather
Criston Cole, the bushman of the kalahari
Whatever happened there.
@@PrometheanRising he was whistling through the weatfields
Ser Chiponmyshoulder of House Getoverit
I wonder how the story would go if Ctiston agreed to being Rheanyras paramour and her kids would be with him
Yeah where was he when poor little Jaharys lost his head…
Suggestions:
1) Can you make a tier list of the best fighters in The Song of Ice And Fire?
2) Can you make a character study of Areo Hotah? For some reason I can't explain he is my favorite character. I like his calm confidence.
Thanks!
I never understood why King vicerys kept criston around when he killed a man at the princess weding party with no provocation and he draw a sword at the king daughter yet the king never bat an aye
To be fair (in the show at least) he had ample reason to hate her. Imagine if Aegon had bedded a young septa, despite her repeated refusals, citing her vows of chastity, and then afterwards refused her plea to marry her to save her from shame, only laughed and said she wasn’t good enough for a Prince….
We would have been cheering for her to take him down.
But because it’s a woman using her authority for force a man, everything is totally fine, and he’s being unreasonable.
The double standard is disgusting.
How petty and self-serving Cole is blows my mind.
I D G !!!!!!
Hello Dan the Dog!
It’s funny that Criston’s coat of arms are the colours of the original Targaryen banner only turned inside out: black on red instead of red on black 😏
That’s the blackfyres Cole’s are ten black pellets
@@AegonTargaryenthesecond3096 yep, that’s the point
Oh you were joking
@@AegonTargaryenthesecond3096 kinda… I prefer the term sarcasm 😄
Sorry I’m not good at reading into that
That is one helluva spoiler warning. I like it.
It's like the whole story is just a painting in the gray area. Nothing definitive in any way. Which is cool. But you know. It gets predictable after awhile.
I could look on with detachment at Joffrey's shenanigans. Even Ramsay Bolton could be understood as as straightforward sadist. However Criston Cole is the first fictional character to invoke a visceral hatred in me, and I can't wait for him to meet whatever grisley end is coming.
It's like - Joffrey is just a little cunt basically, he's evil in a way that... for lack of a better word makes him more annoying than infuriating? Ramsey is a sadistic monster, y'feel scared for the people around him more than outraged by what he is. What they are is clear, direct and wholly evil, and as result being angry with them feels like... being angry with a rabid animal. It doesn't really fit, even if the rabid animal is doing some messed up shit.
But Criston Cole pretends to be something better than that when literally from the start, he was operating at a double standard. He didn't want to forsake his honour - no, he just wanted Rhaenyra to completely give up her birthright and live the rest of her life in poverty in a foreign country with him as the wife of a sellsword. Y'know, so no biggie. She says no because obviously not and pitches a compromise, which he immediately rejects and is outraged by, which in and of itself is bullshit - and then goes on to completely forsake his honor with someone else essentially out of spite, and is willing to burn down the entire realm because he feels spurned. What makes Criston Cole so maddening is that his motivations right from the start were shitty and hypocritical and his betrayal was even MORE shitty and hypocritical.
Basically - Joffrey and Ramsey are sadistic monsters, but Criston Cole is a fucking 'Nice guy' - who is also a sadist, just more quietly.
I feel the exact same way about you. It's okay, you can come out of the closet.
Criston Cole is proof that Hell hath no fury like an incel scorned
Cole is no incel, he was clapping Alicent’s Lowertower. 😂😂😂💀💀💀
Obv meister/fed agent