There are many reasons to be excited about the next season of Game Of Thrones: it's the penultimate season before the saga comes to a close, it might be the season that the Stark family reunites, and for me, personally, I hope it's the season that Sansa (Sophie Turner) kicks some serious ass.
To say the eldest Stark sister has been through a lot would be an understatement. The character has been shuffled from castle to castle, suitor to suitor, all the time being mistreated by her captors and isolated from her family. One plot point in particular was the subject of much internet controversy: Sansa's rape. This rape was the catalyst for her revenge storyline, but some fans felt it was gratuitous, and others were turned off entirely. Turner addressed this incident, and the ire that followed, in an interview with Time magazine:
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“This was the trending topic on Twitter, and it makes you wonder, when it happens in real life, why isn’t it a trending topic every time?” the 21-year-old told the outlet. “This was a fictional character, and I got to walk away from it unscathed … Let’s take that discussion and that dialogue and use it to help people who are going through that in their everyday lives. Stop making it such a taboo, and make it a discussion.”
Another aspect of the show that got under the skin of viewers was its earlier reliance on female nudity. Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) in particular was the subject of many of these scenes, and she's open about the fact that it wasn't always easy.
“I don’t have any qualms saying to anyone it was not the most enjoyable experience. How could it be?” she said. “I don’t know how many actresses enjoy doing that part of it.”
However, she argues that it was important for the development of her character.
“People wouldn’t give two shits about Daenerys if you didn’t see her suffer,” Clarke added.
Luckily, this season is all about girl power. With these less-than-stellar moments behind them, both Sansa and Daenerys have their eye on the prize — I just don't know who to root for.