5 New Things That Were Just Revealed About Game of Thrones Season 6

"The women are rocking this season," said HBO programming president Michael Lombardo. "Daenerys always does, but also Brienne, Arya, Sansa, Cersei, Margaery, and other characters too, like Yara. They power this season. It's organic to the storytelling, yet a radical shift. It's the women that are the hope that we're watching as the chess pieces move this season, and it's very exciting."

While Game of Thrones begins as a male-dominated society (miss you, Khal Drogo), they've all but destroyed themselves seeking power. It's unclear whether the same tragic fates will befall the women, but we'd like to think they're smarter than that.

The benefit of living through the rise and fall of the men is that the women have learned what missteps not to take. "One by one, these strong and commanding men have suffered tragic turns of fate that have cleared the way for a fleet of heroines who have learned new strategies to survive and conquer in a brutal world," reports EW.

"What's beautiful about Game of Thrones is its depiction of women in so many different stages of development," star Emilia Clarke said. "It shows the range that happens to women, and ultimately shows that women are not only equal but have a lot of strength."

Of course, there's the big question of Jon Snow's livelihood, but showrunner David Benioff asserted that "this is the best [season] we've done."