Game Of Thrones: 12 Ups And 4 Downs From Season 6

5. The Women Taking Over

Throughout Game of Thrones, the show has come under criticism for its depiction of its female characters. In part this is because of the work of George R.R. Martin, and the series' depiction of a fantasy Middle Ages. Still, as a TV show, the concerns were certainly valid, especially when it came to the depictions of rape and other abuses, the use of women as objects, and the gratuitous female nudity.

Season 6 set about correcting that, and on the whole rather succeeded. This was the year when strong women came to the fore, not just in Brienne being a total badass or Daenerys unleashing her dragons. There were various scenes of female empowerment, and of the women of Westeros seizing back control over their destinies.

One of Dany's best moments of the season came when she killed the khals, and then emerged from the flames triumphant. Yes, she was naked in this scene, but she owned it; the point was to empower Daenerys here, and it worked. Sansa got to escape from Ramsay, and then go back later and confront her tormentor, smirking as she walked away after inflicting on him the sort of horror he took so much pleasure in. She also, in conversation with Littlefinger, berated him for giving her to the Boltons, and delivered a hugely powerful, devastating line about the effects of rape.

Yara Greyjoy stepped up to be a leader in the Iron Islands, and was the strong one in her relationship with Theon, the one he was relying on for strength and support. She was also revealed to be a lesbian, or at least bisexual, the first time the show has openly revealed a female character to be such. The scene in the brothel is one that previously would've had a man in that role. The series hasn't solved all of its problems, but it has shown that it's aware of them and can manage to depict this world without the complete brutalisation and/or objectification of its female characters.