Game of Thrones finally got it right

GAME of Thrones copped a lot of flak for this but in season six, the writers finally got it right. And it’s so much better for it.

SPOILERS. SO MANY SPOILERS. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.

LAST year on Game of Thrones, Sansa Stark was abused and raped in a horrifying scene that led to accusations of sexism and misogyny against the show and its writers.

Sansa wasn’t the first female character on Game of Thrones to be brutalised and she won’t be the last.

But her character was treated in such a savage fashion that all the years of female nudity and disposable prostitutes being killed as part of perverse sex games finally snowballed and became unacceptable.

There were plenty of defences rolled out to justify this treatment, namely that life in the fictional world of Game of Thrones is nasty, brutish and short. Certainly, loads of men in the show didn’t fare better. But on balance, the women had it worse.

Until now.

Season six of Game of Thrones will go down in the show’s history as the year the sisterhood finally got some. And by some, I mean power and agency.

There were so many episodes this season where women won and the dynamics of the series and between the characters became more interesting and compelling to watch.

DAENERYS (PLUS YARA, OLENNA AND ELLARIA)

The finale was the perfect example of all this female empowerment. The last shot with Daenerys (finally) making her way to Westeros, standing on the bow of her ship, flanked by her massive fleet and those genuinely loyal to her was an incredibly significant moment.

President of the sorority.

Among her fleet were ships and soldiers from the Tyrells, the Martells and the Greyjoys, three clans she has formed alliances with. Three formidable groups with women at the helm.

Daenerys’ partnership with Yara Greyjoy is particularly symbolic because these are two women who, as they said themselves, want to be better and do better than their flawed fathers. And they’re women who have or had older brothers that were above them in the line of succession. They ended up in charge anyway, precisely because they were better suited to hold power.

Ballsy.

Daenerys may be guided by Tyrion’s counsel and the alliance with the Martells and Tyrells may have been orchestrated by Tyrion and Varys, but, as we have seen over and over again, she doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to.

She’s not the ingénue of season one, aspiring to take the throne with Khal Drogo’s forces, they’re her forces now. All of them.

CERSEI

Cersei’s path to ultimate power was one paved with tragedy. Cersei may have been ruthless and relentless but she always loved her children. And now, in part because of her own manipulations and schemes, she’s lost them all.

She’s always tried to exercise power through male de factos — her husband, her father, her sons. Now, she’s finally alone and with the crown on her head. It’s almost as if she needed to be stripped of all her close connections to really get the measure of herself.

Heavy is the head.

(Yes, Jaime is technically around but by the look on his face at her coronation, he may not be sticking around, love be damned.)

How she climbed up to that uncomfortable throne is also through her own cunning and her willingness to wipe out all her enemies in one swoop, including the High Sparrow who so comprehensively humiliated her last season. Important to note that the only person who saw through her plan was the clever Margaery, whose chance at survival was foiled by the hubris of a man.

Cersei’s claim to the crown is tenuous and her reign is likely short-lived, especially without an heir, but, at this point, the person most likely to knock her off is another woman, Daenerys.

SANSA

Sansa is one of the most transformed characters on Game of Thrones. From preening adolescent to perpetual victim to strong, pragmatic woman, season six really feels like the moment Sansa Stark finally arrived, that she really is the daughter of Ned and Catelyn.

From the moment she reunites with Jon, she’s the one that tells him to put his butt into gear, pulling him out of the ultimate mopefest and rallying him to do what needs to be done. Without Sansa, Jon would’ve slunk off south and rolled into a foetal position in some cabin, rocking back and forth.

Could stare off JBish.

She’s the one that saved them all from certain slaughter at the Battle of the Bastards by sending for Littlefinger’s army.

And she was right to withhold that information from Jon and his war council who weren’t interested in her insight, the only person to have spent time with Ramsey. Her cries about how Ramsey likes to play games and hurt people fell on deaf ears and in the heat of battle, Jon did exactly what Sansa warned against, he stuffed up, letting Ramsey manipulate him into a colossal mistake.

Jon acknowledges it as such this week and his gesture of offering her the master bedroom shows he knows he owes her everything.

Jon may be the King of the North for now but we all know it’s not necessarily going to stay that way, especially as that rousing scene took place directly after confirmation that Jon is not Ned Stark’s son, illegitimate or otherwise.

That glance between Sansa and Littlefinger implies that she may not be content to play second fiddle for long. After years of being passed around like chattel, Sansa is finally taking control of her own fate.

ARYA

Not no one.

Arya has spent the past two seasons in Braavos, training to be a nameless, faceless assassin. After years on the run and watching her family members being cut down, the instinct to run and hide is understandable.

But no amount of hard training by an authoritarian and secretive organisation could beat what she always knew, that is she Arya Stark, not “no one”.

Arya was always the precocious child, besting her brother at “ungirly” activities like archery, and refusing to follow the example of Sansa. She was never going to be just “a girl”.

They tried to suppress her, strip away her identity and demand she relinquish everything unique about herself (sound familiar?) and they couldn’t.

Arya’s reclaiming of her name and her purpose is a triumphant, powerful moment.

Everyone on her list should be terrified.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Young Lady Lyanna Mormont was the most standout new character this season. Despite her age and gender, she ruled her house with confidence. She didn’t suffer fools and she couldn’t be intimidated. But she was also wise enough to listen to reason.

She showed considerable chutzpah speaking out for Jon Snow in a room full of grizzled, older men, addressing them directly and pointing out their weaknesses. More importantly, those same men respected and responded to her rallying cry.

Wednesday Addams 2.0.

As always, Brienne of Tarth is just marvellous. She’s fierce, no-nonsense and undyingly loyal. Enough said.

Never change, Brienne. Never change.

Game of Thrones season six is now available for download from iTunes.

Continue the conversation on Twitter with @wenleima.