The 8 most empowering Game of Thrones episodes for women

Season 6, Episode 5: “The Door”

When reflecting back on “The Door,” most Game of Thrones fans will immediately recall the saddening revelation about Hodor’s character that occurs at the end of the episode. But, even with its emphasis on Hodor toward the end, the fifth episode of season 6 holds several crucial moments for the series’ women.

The biggest female-centric moment in “The Door” is the Kingsmoot on the Iron Islands, a scene during which Yara Greyjoy insists on her claim to the Salt Throne. Yara would be the first woman to lead the Ironborn, something that many of the men present for the Kingsmoot point out. And if the Ironborn leader was chosen by bloodright alone, the throne would technically belong to Theon Greyjoy, as he’s Balon Greyjoy’s only remaining male heir. But when the men insist that they’ve never had a queen, Yara reminds them that “there are many things” they’ve never done. She promises to do them when she is queen.

And when prompted to make a claim for the throne, Theon instead defends Yara’s ability to lead their people. It’s a powerful moment, both for their relationship with one another and for Yara’s character in general. During Theon’s speech, he makes it clear that Yara is the best choice for the throne, chronicling her experience as a leader and a warrior as evidence. And even if their uncle eventually steals the show, viewers have to hope that Yara will return to the Iron Islands to lead her people by the series’ end.

“The Door” is also the first episode during which Sansa openly questions Littlefinger’s motives, demonstrating that she’s beginning to trust less easily and put herself first. She tells him what he sent her into when he sold her to the Boltons, and it’s a difficult moment to watch, but it’s also a necessary one. Sansa’s admission to Littlefinger confirms her own strength at surviving her marriage to Ramsay Bolton, but it also alludes to the leader she’ll later become.