"Game of Thrones" Season Six - Now Available on DVD and Blu Ray!

Since its inception, Game of Thrones has become famous for pulling no punches, killing main characters, and giving us villains we love to hate.

But in season six, it became known for a different reason – feminism.

Yes, that’s right. The show that started out as a pissing contest between men vying for the throne, the show that included gratuitous on-screen rape of major female characters, and the show that gave us misogynistic villains like Joffrey Baratheon and Ramsey Bolton, has evolved into a story about women taking charge.

And I am 100% here for it.

The epic fantasy genre is notorious for its mistreatment of women. From all-male questing teams to prevalence of sexual assault, it’s a genre that’s often been a boys’ club. But that’s slowly changing.

From season one, Game of Thrones has been praised for its dimensional and plentiful female characters. Forget the token woman, Game of Thrones gave us a variety of strong women with agency and layers. From the vindictive queen Cersei, to the victim-turned-dragon-master Daenerys, to the young Arya Stark who just wants to fight, to the tomboy knight Breanne, to the intelligent and sometimes misguided Sansa, to the manipulative but kind Margery, to her cunning and lovable matriarch grandmother – among others – we’ve seen lots of strong woman take the stage, in a way that’s often missing from the fantasy genre. We’ve seen women who embrace femininity and women who despise it. Women who fight for their families and women who fight for their own self-interest and power. We’ve seen women help each other, and women screw each other over. Game of Thrones has given female characters the chance to be, first and foremost, human.

But if you’d told me three seasons ago that Westeros’ leadership would come down to a fight for the iron throne between a bunch of women, I’d never have believed it. Season seven can’t come soon enough!

*Mild Season Six spoilers coming!*

In season six, there are no niceties left in Westeros. After murdering his father, Ramsey Bolton stakes claim on the north – but he’s not willing to let his wife, Sansa, go without a fight. Finally out of Ramsey’s clutches, Sansa Stark heads to the wall, under Breanne’s escort, and is finally reunited with her resurrected brother Jon – one of the most emotional moments of the season. Young King Tommen’s reign is threatened by the cultish religious leader, the High Sparrow, who is holding Queen Margery prisoner. Arya Stark, her vision restored, continues her assassin training with the Faceless Man, concluding a too-drawn-out storyline in Bravos. Daenerys continues her quest to free slaves while making an unlikely alliance with the Greyjoys. We also finally got some answers to the highly regarded fan theory “R+L=J.”

Known for having epic ninth episodes, season six includes the highly cinematic “Battle of the Bastards,” in which Jon Snow’s army battles with Ramsey Bolton’s for control of the north.

By the end of the season, we are left desperate for the next. With Cersei putting herself on the iron throne, Daenerys and Yara joining forces to fight for the throne themselves, the (all female) Sand Snakes vowing their revenge, Arya finally making progress in her own revenge quest, and Sansa proving she’s not some weakling, the next season promises a battle of epic proportions – entirely led by women. That’s not to say I’m not eager to see what happens with my favorite Westeros men. Between Jon Snow kicking ass on the battlefield, Jaime Lannister growing hesitant to support his ruthless sister/lover’s quest for domination, and the reappearance of another character we’d presumed dead, I can’t wait to see what happens next. I for one am hoping Daenerys and Jon finally meet and join forces. Season Six has twists and turns all the way through episode ten – which left me shocked.

The season six blue ray / DVD comes with some great special features including a section on histories and lore from Westeros. There’s an in-depth look behind the filming of the famous “Battle of the Bastards” episode, audio commentaries, and lots of behind the scenes footage with the cast and crew.

Fans of the show should definitely pick up season six – in my opinion, the best season yet!