Criston Cole's Descent Into Villainy Was Even Worse Than We Thought
Criston Cole, once the loyal sworn protector of Rhaenyra, became arguably the most hated character in House of the Dragon when he turned against her and became hell-bent on ruining her life.
But it turns out that a deleted scene could have made the breakdown in the relationship between the pair even more unbearable and (if it's possible) increased fans' hatred of Ser Criston.
When we first met the pair, Rhaenyra's youthful infatuation with the suave knight was clear to see. But honourably, he turned down her advances. Ultimately, though, Criston broke his Kingsgaurd vows when he slept with her.
But wracked with guilt, and following her rejection of his proposal, Ser Criston turned. First, he viciously killed Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, then he joined forces with Queen Alicent Hightower, becoming her sworn protector and setting out to destroy Rhaenyra.
The deleted scene would have shown Ser Criston being personally anointed by Viserys and Rhaenyra, strengthening the emotional bond between him and them (in particular Rhaenyra) and making his eventual betrayal even harder to take.
It's bad enough that we see this once noble figure, who famously demonstrated his strong loyalty to Rhaenyra at the hunt in episode 3, turn on the girl he had sworn to protect. Intensifying the bond that we all believed to be lifelong and binding, would have made it even worse.
The deleted scene would have enhanced our understanding of the esteem in which the young princess held her protector. It would have strengthened the emotional connection between them and (by keeping the interaction non-sexual) enhanced the nobility of Ser Criston.
But maybe it wasn't that the scene was eventually left out because it was likely to ramp up the hatred directed towards Criston Cole. Maybe the omission was more strategic than that.
Had that scene been included, while it would have deepened the bond between the two, it would have also introduced the suggestion of sexual chemistry between them even at that point in their relationship. In that respect, it may well have almost set up the later scene when the two end up in bed together and hinted that Ser Criston was perhaps not whiter than white after all.
So, while the betrayal may have felt worse by the inclusion of this scene, it might just have taken the shock factor away from later storylines and lessened the hatred felt towards the knight that turned.