Let's hear it for the women of Game of Thrones. As season seven is about to hit airwaves, the ladies of Westeros are looking back—and ahead—at their journey's on the show.
"I do think the show has given rise to more of a platform whereby women—the whole notion of womanhood—is being explored," Gwendoline Christie told E! News' Kristin Dos Santos at the premiere of Game of Thrones season seven. "I've always really deeply admired the show ever since it first started because, for me, it's been one of the first mainstream shows to really push women and female characters to the forefront and make those characters incredibly complex and interesting. That's important to me, it's very important to me in my work to be political in a positive way."
While Brienne of Tarth is kicking butt and taking names, Sansa Stark has another battle brewing.
"Well, I'm rooting for her. I'm not rooting for her to be on the Throne. I think her lust for power is long gone. I think she's happy to be home in Winterfell. She's happy to be with Jon and she kind of has a certain amount of respect and power and I think she's quite content where she is. Ish. She'll never be content; it's Game of Thrones," Sophie Turner told E! News.
About that "ish," viewers saw the looks between Sansa Stark, Littlefinger (Aiden Gillen) as Jon Snow (Kit Harington) was crowned King in the North.
"I think, initially he kind of gave her that first kill and the respect she felt she deserved. It almost seemed like that patriarchy and the sexism between them was finally leveling out and finally they were equals. But in that very last scene when he was hailed King in the North and she wasn't hailed as anything and he didn't say anything, I think she felt a little disheartened and there's definitely a little bit of tension still there."
Where does that tension go? You'll have to tune in on Sunday, July 16 when the show debuts on HBO. Click play on the video above for more from the Game of Thrones cast.