House Of The Dragon burst its own bubble

How to deflate a much-anticipated character death: Three arrows and a lot of waiting.

By Saloni Gajjar  |  July 27, 2026 | 1:32pm
Photo: Theo Whiteman/HBO
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House Of The Dragon burst its own bubble

This article discusses plot points from season three, episode six of House Of The Dragon, “Faceless Men.” 

Criston Cole’s annihilation is the moment every House Of The Dragon viewer has been waiting and loudly wishing for. Ever since he displayed his true colors after Rhaenyra’s rejection in season one—after he broke his Kingsguard vows, no less—Criston became a certified Westerosi incel. Devastated that a 16-year-old princess wouldn’t abandon her crown to run off to Essos with him, Criston swiftly switched his allegiance to Alicent Hightower in order to bring down his former lover. Criston’s anti-Rhaenyra agenda continued for decades—which leads us to season three, “Faceless Men,” and a highly anticipated death that now feels deflating in hindsight. 

How did we get here? It didn’t help that the character was looking forward to meeting his maker: For a long time, Criston had been confessing that he awaits death. (No wonder Gwayne Hightower, despite his complicated feelings for the guy, jumped ship from the Riverlands and his commander’s suicide mission.) Criston predicted his end was near, considering his men and supplies dwindled and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) was a no-show to assist him with Vhagar. He was also away from Alicent, his so-called “beacon,” who has enough problems to deal with to spare him a thought. HOTD has taken its time setting up Criston’s demise—practically ever since he left King’s Landing in season two to march toward Harrenhal. But when it finally happens, it’s nothing more than the show swatting an annoying fly out of the way as unceremoniously as possible. 

Mere minutes into “Faceless Men,”  the realm’s self-proclaimed greatest warrior is felled by three arrows from the bow of Alysanne Blackwood. It should be a victory not just for Team Black, but also for the audience, who’ve patiently waited for years to see Ser Criston get his comeuppance. There’s no big swordfight, no honor, and no hero moment. Unfortunately for him, nobody is going to sing about his valor and misguided righteousness—certainly not in any way that will reach a wary Alicent’s ears. House Of The Dragon doesn’t give much weight to the depiction of Criston’s death—the Butcher’s Ball, as it’s called in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. Heck, Aemond stabbing a vulnerable Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale) three episodes ago evoked a stronger reaction from me. 

Criston’s anticlimactic exit mostly stays true to the source material. But it’s emblematic of a larger problem that has plagued House Of The Dragon from the start. In season one, the show frenetically (and often pleasantly) rushed through plot, introducing a young Rhaenyra as King Viserys’ chosen heir and ending with Emma D’Arcy’s older, jaded rendition of the princess grieving her dead dad and lost throne. Multiple time jumps meant the show’s primary roster of characters was established through timeline-necessitated recasting and some haphazard relationship- and world-building. Still, HOTD maintained momentum because of its electric pace. Season two was a confusing drawl in comparison, whether it’s Daemon’s (Matt Smith) drawn-out visions at Harrenhal, Criston’s very own long walk, or, crucially, a reduced episode count that bumped one major event in the story, The Battle Of The Gullet, to season three. 

At least this season compensated by launching with the fiery sea battle and Rhaenyra taking over the Iron Throne at last, leaving Team Green further isolated. But HOTD continues its extremely uneven focus on its protagonists—too little attention to some, like Rhaena after the intriguing changes to the Gullet; and too much to some, like Ormund’s in-depth scheming. The writers struggle with characters spread out across the realm, unable to bring equal urgency to them all. 

It’s why a watered-down Butcher’s Ball doesn’t have nearly the same level of catharsis as Joffrey Baratheon choking on poisoned pigeon pie, Ramsay Bolton getting hunted by his own dogs, or Littlefinger’s throat being slit. Unlike Game Of Thrones‘ prolonged build-up to these deaths, House Of The Dragon doesn’t make the end of Criston’s watch a well-earned celebration. There are too many extraneous storylines taking up time—no offense meant to Baela and Alyn, or whatever it is that Mysaria is up to—to give a huge development like this the proper amount of consideration! 

And all that with nearly two years of preparation for those arrows to hit their mark. In the season two finale, which aired on August 4, 2024 (practically a lifetime ago here in our world, where time doesn’t pass quite as slowly as on HOTD), Criston revealed his nihilism to Gwayne, saying, “To die will be a kind of relief.” At least he got what he asked for, even if the show’s audience did not.  

Saloni Gajjar is The A.V. Club‘s TV critic.

 
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