Hi all! I know it's been some time since I posted, but I admittedly sort of fell off The Bachelor/ette a bit and got super busy.
But if there is one thing that will never falter it is my love for Game of Thrones.
In honor of the season seven premiere tomorrow I decided to write a "short" blog post reminding you of the awesomeness of the show - in particular the awesomeness of the women of Game of Thrones.
Without the women of this show, the story would mean nothing.
So I'm here to give them some honorable shout outs (in no particular order).
Here are the Queens of Westeros (and you can't argue with me, because you would be wrong).
**BE WARNED - THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM SEASONS 1-6 OF GAME OF THRONES (and maybe some shit from the books but whatever at this point)
Margaery Tyrell
We first meet Margaery Tyrell in season 2 when she's trying to get all up with Renly Baratheon. Renly is vying for king of the seven kingdoms, and Margaery is more than willing to roll with him despite him not having any interest at all in females.
RIP RENLY, GONE TOO SOON
She doesn't really come into play too much until we see her again, this time siding with the terrifying and disgusting Joffrey (seems like forever ago...) who becomes the current king. Margaery knows how terrible Joffrey is, but she knows how to play the game.
Arguably, one of the most cunning and intelligent women to grace Game of Thrones, Margaery can twist and bend people any way she so chooses. Her calculation is her power. She is cunning till the very end. In season six, Margaery manages to trick the High Sparrow (vomit) into thinking she was "a lady of faith" but really she was only trying to save her and her brother's asses from death or walking through the streets naked whilst getting poop flung at them (CC: Cersei Lannister). She manages to trick everyone, it seems, taking very much after her grandmother, Olenna Tyrell. But when it comes to religion and power, people get scary. Marge was outnumbered, and knew it. She warned her grandmother to leave before any harm could come to her...because she knows how things work.
Unfortunately, our Queen's life got cut a little too short. During the season six finale aka the trial of her brother and Cersei Lannister aka yes, the scene with the piano song, Cersei's absence doesn't seem to be a big deal to anyone but Marge - who is one smart cookie. She knows Cersei is up to something. She tries to get everyone the fuck out of there, and basically says "fuck the seven gods" to the High Sparrow and he was #shook about it.
But it's too late. The dumb High Sparrow won't let anyone leave the Sept of Baelor...and sure enough, Marge was right, Cersei was up to something. The sept exploded and killed the High Sparrow, and everyone else inside...including the wise-beyond-her-years, cunning Margaery Tyrell.
What I always loved about her was that she genuinely knew how to play the game, but she was kind to people. She wanted to help. Was it genuine? Who is to know? But she had some great burns during her time. No pun intended.
Speaking of Tyrells...
Olenna Tyrell
We really cannot leave this blog without talking about the forever epic, Olenna Tyrell.
Before there was Margaery, there was certainly Olenna. Much like her granddaughter, Olenna is cunning and wise. You can tell she taught Marge everything she knows. Unlike Margaery, however, Olenna doesn't fuck around. There are no pleasantries or bull shit when it comes to Olenna. She can see through pretty much anyone and anything.
She'll always tell you how it is.
And she'll do anything to protect her family.
We learn later on that Olenna is responsible (along with the pervey Littlefinger) for the ultimate demise of Joffrey.
"Do you really think I would let you marry that monster?" she asks her granddaughter.
And now that her son and grandchildren are dead, she's teaming with #TeamTargaryen to take down the Lannisters - who took everything from her. No fucks are left.
Yara Greyjoy
Say all you want about Yara Greyjoy, but she's a total badass. She's literally the only thing keeping her shitty island kingdom (why is it always raining there?!? Is it the Westrosi equivalent of Seattle?) afloat. Her father is a jerk, and a failure. Her brother is a little shit and gone. With no one to follow, Yara takes matters into her own hands.
She is well-respected by her men. She can fight, she can sail, she can smooth talk.
The most infuriating thing about Yara is how much she is still asked to prove herself. In season 6, after her father's death (aka getting pushed off a creaky little bridge by his brother), Yara claims the Salt Throne (kind of a weird name but whatever, we will go with it) of Pyke. As if she hasn't already done enough, she continuously is interrupted by various men...told she cannot be the queen...Pyke has never had a queen..blah blah blah.
When she finally gets the validation from Theon (that she doesn't need) she is manterrupted once again by her murderous, and frankly huge-jack ass, uncle who wants to take the throne for himself.
Yara and Theon escape the island before he kills them along with a bunch of their loyal followers. Instead of going to hiding in Pentos, Yara decides to go to the Dragon Queen and strike an alliance - something the Greyjoys have never been good at. But hey, maybe that's why Pyke was such a shit hole.
She's already on the right track to being an awesome Salt Queen(?)
I also love when she yells at Theon to snap the fuck out of it. So she gets on this list for that alone.
Brienne of Tarth
UMMMM first of all - this woman is magnificent. She doesn't hold the typical standards of beauty, yet she is beautiful all the same. Her strength and fierceness make her one of the best (knights?) of Westeros.
But there is something more to Brienne. She has heart. She cares about people. She isn't just some mindless killing machine. We see that in her relationship with Jaime. She is tremendously loyal to those she cares for and swears loyalty to (i.e., Renly, Catelynn, Sansa).
Her heart does not make her a weaker character though. It makes her stronger.
Not to mention, she is a total savage when it comes to battle. She's fought a fucking bear (whilst wearing a dress) so we are all inadequate forever.
Sansa Stark
Although all the characters on the show have had quite the arcs/character development, Sansa's story stands out amongst the rest. ((anyone who knows me knows I am a Sansa fan and will defend her always))
Imagine being a little lady of Winterfell, pretty, bratty, and knowing you would marry some highborn, honorable knight in shining armor, THEN getting a prince plopped in front of you. She was excited, she was delusional. Suddenly, Joffrey kills her father...right in front of her and her fairytale turns into a nightmare.
Soon enough, she's abused by the Lannisters and living in total fear and isolation from her family at, like, 12 years old. Here she learns the truth about politics and power from Cersei, the Hound, her reluctant/brief husband Tyrion, etc.
Creepy, Tully fanboy, Littlefinger takes an inappropriate liking to Sansa and helps her escape King's Landing after he assists in the murder of King Joffrey. She's taken to the Vale where she should feel safe and at peace, finally with family (her aunt and way-too-old-to-be-breastfed cousin). Turns out her aunt is a psycho bitch and tries to kill Sansa.
Sansa leaves the Vale and is sold to her brother's murderer, Roose Bolton where she will wed his devil-incarnate son, Ramsay.
In her HOME, she is forced into marriage, then abused and raped by Ramsay repeatedly. Her anger and despair grows. At this point, you're sort of surprised that a gentle character like Sansa hasn't killed herself in this awful world. It seems the tragic ending we would expect out of a story like Sansa's. Yet, there's a glimmer of hope in her, and she holds on to it. With the help of Theon aka Reek aka Theon again, she escapes and is rescued by MY GIRL Brienne.
Sansa isn't broken, she's pissed. She enlists the help of her half-brother/cousin/whatever he is now, Jon Snow to get the Stark loyalists back together again and take down Ramsay Bolton, thus re-capturing Winterfell. Jon's a whiny bitch about it (OK FINE so he had just be resurrected from the dead after being stabbed and betrayed by his brother's of the Night's Watch) but Sansa convinces him with her willpower.
They gather forces, but not enough. Sansa warns Jon not to go into battle without more men. Jon's like "fuck it" at this point because he is unkillable and a little cocky, I daresay. But she knows Ramsay, her husband, and former captor. She knows it won't be enough. Jon still doesn't listen.
Once again, a woman is not listened to.
Since Jon won't listen in time, she takes matters into her own hands and enlists the help of Littlefinger/Knights of the Vale even though she realllllllly does not want to. Littlefinger owes her big, and she reminded him of this - face on, making him admit to her that he sold her to the Boltons for his personal gain and he knew what Ramsay would do to her. As they skirted about the subject, Sansa looked Littlefinger right the eye and told him Ramsay abused and raped her and it was mostly his fault.
Sansa became unafraid to look evil in the eye. Before the Battle of the Bastards, she faces her former captor, despite Jon telling her not to. Her steely blue gaze could kill. As Ramsay's spouting his usual bullshit about killing their little brother, Rickon, etc. etc. Sansa interrupts him - taking her time to speak.
"You're going to die tomorrow, Lord Bolton. Sleep well."
He does die.
She orchestrates his death.
And she is unafraid to watch.
Arguably a more satisfying death than Joffrey's, the episode ends with Sansa quietly walking away as Ramsay's screams from his dogs eating him alive, with a small, ghost of a smile on her face.
She proves here, and in the finale that she is a contender.
It sucks she can't just be a fairytale princess like she always wanted, but she is paving her own way. Hopefully it's an honorable way, and not a sneaky one like Littlefinger's.
Arya Stark
Because obviously.
Arya has been a spunky little badass since episode one. She's outspoken and honorable, usually vouching for what is right. She has quite the adventure from King's Landing to Braavos. She learns to use a sword, she wants vengeance first against Joffrey for having her friend killed, then again against the Lannisters for killing her father, then even more hatred and vengeance builds up inside her as more of her family is killed by the Lannisters.
She has one mission: to get revenge.
She seems to lose sight of that in the House of Black and White where she is trained to be an assassin for the many faced god. At first, it seems like she is only following the many faced god's rules in order to get his mystical face-changing powers, making it easier to kill people. Then, it begins to seem like she's forgotten about her family completely.
Will she ever get out of Braavos?
And then. THEN.
After being reminded of her father's demise in a skit of the execution in a play by the traveling theater company in Braavos, she decides it's time to GFTO and go home to Westeros.
She's on a mission. We see this time and time again. But nothing is more satisfying than seeing Arya take down her brother and mother's killers - the Freys.
She literally murders every one of Walder Frey's sons, cooks them in a meat pie, and serves it to him before slicing his throat.
I mean, it's pretty fucking brutal. She's lost much of her humanity, but she hasn't lost her spunk.She is still killing for the greater good - for vengeance. And that's why she's so enjoyable to watch. Through her, we finally get to see the bad guys get theirs.
Cersei Lannister
This bitch.
We love to hate her.
But you've got to respect her.
She's crazy, but she is powerful. She's smart, but often lets her pride get in the way of many things. Cersei plays the game, and she plays it well. Some may argue she has been playing "the game" the best the entire time. From seeing to the murder of her husband, King Robert, and keeping her lion claws in just about everything.
Cersei's weakness is certainly her children. They are the only people she truly loves aside from Jaime (eugh...) yet, she cannot control her kids (e.g., Joffrey's madness, Tommen's religion madness). And you feel for her when she has to bury child after child. It was heartbreaking watching her walk of shame through the slums of King's Landing, naked, being humiliated. It was even more heartbreaking shortly after this when she learns her only daughter has been killed by the Martell Sand Snakes.
Once her children are all dead, she has no weaknesses, and that makes her extremely dangerous. Cersei currently sits on the Iron Throne.
"We will destroy our enemies" seems to be Cersei's mantra. Thusfar, she's only managed to let a few slip away (Tyrion, a few Starks here and there), but otherwise she's kept her word.
Umm, for example, when she blew up the freaking sept with all those people she hated in there with wildfire, which undoubtedly expanded to more damage throughout the city. Did she care? No. Does she care if anyone knows it? No.
She has no fucks left to give. Which makes her more dangerous than ever IMO.
If there is one thing I know for sure, it's that I would not want to be one of Cersei's enemies.
Plus, she is the only person to ever drop the show's title in a bad ass line:
Daenerys Targaryen aka Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons
I could write an entire novel on the majesty of Daenerys Targaryen.
Let's go by timeline, shall we?
We meet Dany, one of two of the (supposed) last Targaryens. She's meek, beautiful, and being used by her asshole brother to get an army. All she wants is "to go home." She doesn't give a hoot about being anyone's queen or having power. She's terrified of the Dothraki and doesn't want to marry Khal Drogo. But her brother sells her to him anyway in return he will get an army. Dany adjusts to life as a Khaleesi, and ends up falling in love with Khal Drogo. She gets a small taste of power and likes it. Drogo teaches her how to be a bad ass. They are expecting a first child - a boy - yay! Dany eats a live horse heart (never forget) and her brother turns crazier and crazier and more jealous.
Drogo is not happy about his threats against his preggo wife Dany and dumps a hot bucket of gold on her evil bro's head. RIP Viserys.
As the season progresses, Dany becomes more confident in herself. She makes a few fatal choices that lead to the death of both Drogo and her unborn baby :( not to mention, all of the Dothraki. Never fear. Soon enough she is born again, and the dragon eggs she was gifted at her wedding. She walks out of the flames unharmed with no clothes and lil baby dragons born. Thus, the rebirth of Daenerys has commenced.
Dany and her small band of rag-tag followers travel through the dessert and come across Quarth. Here, she gets her first taste of the douchiest people ever. It will certainly not be the last she encounters. Her dragons begin to grow, and Dany begins to learn about who she can and cannot trust. The weird warlock dude jacks her dragons and tries to lock her up in the House of the Undying, but the dragons already prove, even at their tiniest, that they can breathe fire and kill a dude. Dany gets her dragons back and locks her traitors in a cell, and takes all their gold and a ship, as well.
Time for Dany to get her army. Dany takes her ship to Astapor and buys (steals) herself an army of unsullied. The master of the unsullied is a REAL douche-nozzle. He underestimates her, Jorah and Ser Barristan question her decision to buy slaves. Dany tells them to never fucking question her again, and proves herself when she fakes out the master by commanding Drogon to burn him and the city. Thus, taking the unsullied for herself.
From here, she moves to the other cities in Slaver's Bay, using both her dragons and armies to garner more forces. She proves herself a conqueror and settles in Meereen for a period of time.
In Meereen, she faces struggles. Her brash decisions catch up to her, and she learns quite a few lessons on diplomacy - and that, HEY you really cannot please everyone.
Her dragons are also huge now. She's got a big group of loyal followers, but everything is not peachy-keen. There is much dissent in Meereen which leads to a violent uprising where Dany must escape on Drogon into the abyss.
Drogon lands, pretty tired because he's a big ass dragon who was just in battle. He leaves Dany to go get some food and as soon as he leaves she is captured by...none other than the Dothraki. Right back where she started.
She is taken back to Vaes Dothrak where she is ridiculed and questioned until they discover she is the deceased Khal Drogo's wife. All former Khaleesis must live in Vaes Dothrak as "Dosh Khaleen" where they reside as permanent residences. It's like the First Wives Club, but more miserable.
Daenerys is not one to be contained. She manages to plot her way out of Dosh Khaleen by gathering all of the great khals in the temple of Dosh Khaleen and telling them they are "weak men," and "not fit to rule the Dothraki"... but she is so she will.
But I am...
This pisses them off, OF COURSE. And they threaten her, claiming she will never even be Dosh Khaleen but that they will rape her till she is dead. Pretty bad. But we all know Dany by now. And we know she has a plan.
Since she has proved herself untouchable by flame, she burns their temple to the ground with all of the khals inside. She is figuratively, and pretty literally, burning the patriarchy of the Dothraki - thus releasing the crones of Dosh Khaleen and gaining the thousands of Dothraki as followers.
When she returns to Meereen, all hell has broken loose with her new allies Varys and Tyrion. When diplomacy doesn't work against the masters of Slaver's Bay, who have come back seeking revenge, she shrugs it off and hops on Drogon in an epic scene. Her other two dragons break free from their dungeon and they decimate the slavers' forces/ships.
There's not much left to do at this point. She has the entire Dothraki at her side, she has the Unsullied, Meereen is free from terror... Dany knows it's time. And we as viewers do too. We all sigh a collective "FINALLY" as the final scene of season 6 shows Dany leading hundreds of ships across the narrow sea, as promised.
She is scared though, which makes her more human. What now? Well, now she has a whole lot of people on her side (Tyrion, Missandei, Varys, the Tyrells, the Martells, the Greyjoy siblings...) - and at her own merit, too. It's been a constant uphill battle filled with lessons and loss for Daenerys. However, her time of destiny is upon her.
In the beginning of the second season when they are almost refused entry to Quarth, Dany makes a promise: "When my dragons are grown, we will take back what was stolen from me and destroy those who wronged me. We will lay waste to armies and burn cities to the ground."
She surely will uphold this promise in the episodes to come.
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There are so many awesome ladies on this show! I always say they are the strongest of them all. I just can't write about them all here or this blog would be longer than it already is. I just want to give a shoutout to these other amazing ladies/queens.
Catelyn Stark - Mama bear, would do anything for her children, literally fought off an assassin after Bran with her bare hands and sliced a bitch's throat right before her own death.
"On my honor as a Tully, on my honor as a Stark, let him go, or I will cut your wife's throat."
Shireen Baratheon - The sweetest and smarted bookworm in the land. And arguably the worst death on the TV show.
"It's all the choosing sides that's made everything so horrible."
Meera Reed - Bad ass and loyal, always dragging Bran's ass around because she knows it is her duty to make sure he is safe.
"Some people will always need help. That doesn't mean they're not worth helping."
Osha - Again, another total badass and loyalist to the Starks. She's an adaptable survivalist who isn't afraid to fight her own battles.
"I tried telling your brother, he's marching the wrong way. All these swords, they should be going north, boy, not south. The cold winds are rising."
Lyanna Mormont - Very small, very mighty. Isn't afraid to call old cowards out on their bullshit.
"House Mormont remembers. The North remembers! We know no king but the King in the North whose name is Stark. I don't care if he's a bastard. Ned Stark's blood runs through his veins. He's my king from this day until his last day."
Missandei - Smarty pants, loyal, and caring.
[To Tyrion] "How many days were you a slave?"
Tyrion: Long enough to know.
"But not long enough to understand."
Ygritte - A little crazy at times, but a fierce fighter and ultimately a big softie.
"Don't you ever betray me, or I'll cut your pretty cock of and wear it around 'me neck."
Ellaria Sand - Cold, hard bitch, but seeks vengeance and goes after what she wants without permission.
"Weak men will never rule Dorne again."
Melisandre - Controversial callout, I KNOW, but she is literally, like a thousand years old and can thwart anyone to do anything she wants. And she also brought Jon Snow back from the dead. I say that is pretty impressive.
"There is only one hell princess, that's the one we live in now."
OK I am done.
Enjoy, and thanks for reading :D
