Image courtesy of HBO
3. Game of Thrones
I came late to the Game of Thrones party, so I spent a good bit of 2016 bingeing on seasons 1-6 and fretting over the complicated race to the Iron Throne. It’s hard to write about this show because so much has already been said. All I know is that it is still delivering interesting, relevant stories, no matter the amount of folks who write about it.
What I love about this HBO juggernaut is that it really is a show about women. Yes, the women are often victimized for the sake of the narrative, but just as many are written as intricate characters that we have very complicated relationships with. As much as I enjoy the politics of power that has made GoT so addictive, I have also fallen in love with the empowered female characters who find their voice and, often, their teeth.
As you can probably tell from this list, I’m more interested in nuanced characters that I hate as often as I like, and Game of Thrones really scratches that itch for me. It will undoubtedly be on hundreds of other lists and will probably mop up at awards season. So, if you’re not watching this show yet, let me be the first to ask, “What are you even doing with your life?”