Criston Cole’s final stand in House of the Dragon Season 3 was shaped not only by the showrunners but also by actor Fabien Frankel himself. In an interview with Vulture, Frankel revealed that he pushed for one of Cole’s most iconic lines from Fire & Blood to be included in the episode. His insistence on honoring the source material gave the scene a sharper edge of authenticity, blending book canon with the show’s interpretation of Cole as a more controversial figure.
Frankel’s push for book accuracy
Frankel explained that he wanted the death scene to reflect the spirit of George R.R. Martin’s text:
“The scene we shot is very accurate to the book, and that’s what I wanted. There was a line in the book that I really liked: ‘Three of you against the one of me; will that be enough to make a fight of it?’ We changed it to, ‘Two of you against one of me; will that be enough to make a fight of it?,’ but that wasn’t in the original draft.”
By insisting on this line, Frankel ensured that Cole’s final words carried the same honor and defiance that defined him in Fire & Blood.
Credit: HBO
Alternative line considered
Frankel also mentioned another line from the book that could have been included:
“It was either that, or it might have been my line, ‘If I strike my banners, will you spare my men their lives?’ Those were great lines in the book.”
Both options reflected Cole’s complexity — a man torn between honor and pragmatism, not simply the villain he is often portrayed as in the show. Frankel praised Ryan Condal and Sara Hess for being open to his suggestions:
“Cole in the book is a gray character — he’s not necessarily as controversial as he is in our story. I thought there was an honor to what he was saying in the book, and Ryan Condal and Sara Hess were very adaptable. As soon as I mentioned it, they threw it in.”
Their willingness to adapt highlights how collaboration between actor and showrunner can elevate a scene, grounding it in source material while still serving the show’s narrative.