Gwendoline Christie's Brienne of Tarth is one of the characters in Game of Thrones who has broken the female archetype ever since her first episode in the hit HBO series. Well, during the show's sixth season, fans will witness Brienne's having a more active story arc than the past season.
Christie sat down with EW and spoke of her character's development in the upcoming season. She said:
After season 5, people would come up on the street moaning about why wasn't Brienne wasn't doing more. I'd say, ‘I'm terribly sorry, I'm not really in charge of that.' I got the scripts for season 6 and I thought the story was so fantastic. It's really exciting to see Brienne burst forth again.
As Game of Thrones season 5 was ending, Brienne's time on screen mostly consisted of the character sitting and waiting around for a distress signal from Sansa. But from Christie's statement, Brienne will no longer be doing just that. However, in the world of Game of Thrones, more time on the screen doesn't necessarily mean a merry turn of events for its main characters, who all seem to face grim deaths with just one wrong move.
Brienne has mostly relied on her battle skills for survival, but Christie says fans will see a different side of the character evolving in the upcoming season. She explains:
Brienne is so unique and unconventional and so strong, and I love the writing hasn't allowed her to just rest there. [Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] are so terrific about how they develop characters. We see her develop like the way a human being might through life.
The actress adds other exciting developments in Brienne's journey as well:
So many characters for so long had their isolated storylines and as a fan of this show as well, I've been wanting and dreaming — ‘I wonder what it would be like to see this person interact with this other person?' And that's what starts to unfold.
Christie also gave her thoughts on the role of her character in shaping Hollywood's depiction of women in society:
Women talk to me about how Brienne is important to them and they're really happy it illustrates an unconventional side of femininity and womanhood compared to what we're used to seeing.
There's a shift in the kind of things people want to see in entertainment, and I hope this breeds in people's minds and we see more different incarnations of women.
She's not the only Game of Thrones star who thinks the show is helping showcase women's strength. Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen, recently claimed that the portrayal of women in the show is "what's beautiful about Game of Thrones."
From the looks of it, women will run the show this upcoming season and I'm excited to see how that unfolds.
Game of Thrones season 6 will air on HBO on April 24.
Read: Alfie Allen Reveals Sansa and Theon's Fate in Game of Thrones Season 6
Read: The Women of Game of Thrones Respond to ‘Is Jon Snow Still Alive?' in Different Ways
Read: How Game of Thrones Season 6 Will Feature Sansa's Best Story Yet
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