As I’ve previously mentioned, I binge-watch a lot of shows. Gilmore Girls. Friends. Most recently, Younger.
But Game of Thrones has very little in common with many other typically “binge-able” shows.
It’s violent. Brutal. Heart-breaking. Terrifying. Thrilling. Funny, even. But it’s extremely empowering, too. And let me tell you, I’ve watched a lot of Game of Thrones recently. I’ve felt it all. And I love ever bit of it, even when it feels like my heart’s been stabbed, which happens frequently.
After all this time, though, as characters come and go and destroy themselves and each other, my favorite character has remained constant. I love Tyrion, Jon Snow, and Arya, but the Mother of Dragons takes the cake.
Daenerys Targaryen is a rare gem in television. She’s smart, strong, independent, brave, noble. She can be ruthless and slaughter cities, but she is just in each and every decision she makes. She is kind.
And yet, she’s weak too. She is betrayed, almost killed. She seeks advice from others, others who do not always have her best interests at heart. She loses love, has her heartbroken, reveals her vulnerabilities regularly.
But this is why we, the audience, can sympathize with her. This is what makes us want to be her, or feel protective of her; this is why we scream at the TV when something bad is about to happen that she cannot see. This is why, when she does something particularly badass, we appreciate and admire it all the more.
She is the embodiment of “girl power.” She came from nothing and built herself up, with only a little prodding early on. She discovers herself, her own identity, just as she finds her life, her power, her army, and her dragons. She proves those who believe that she can’t success to be unutterably, grossly, and ultimately satisfyingly incorrect.
Take that, male-dominated world of Westeros, full of violence and blood and prostitutes and gore.
Of course, there are many other extremely under-appreciated and inspiring characters, particularly female ones, in this show as well (Brienne, this is for you). When I wrote this, post, however, I had only made it through season three and was high off of Daenerys kickassery. So, for now I will simply nod at Ygritte, Sam, and Maergery.
For now, like I said, I am fresh off the shrieking-with-excitement fangirl train. So I made a list of my Top Five favorite Daenerys episodes/scenes from seasons one through three. Again, beware of potential spoilers if you haven’t seen through season three.
Peonies and Paperbacks 