Amanda Peet — who currently stars in Togetherness and is married to Game of Thrones co-creator David Benioff — has commented on the recent accusations of misogyny against the wildly popular HBO fantasy series. “I think it’s really misplaced,” said Peet in an interview with The Wrap. “They write some of the greatest female characters that are on television.” Critics have contended that the recent rape of a main female character—Sansa Stark (played by Sophie Turner)—on the show, plus a recent, naked “walk of shame” by another main female character—Cersei Lannister (played by Lena Headey)—are enough to quit watching the series. (Senator Claire McCaskill also thought so.)
“It’s a misogynist world, this world that George R. R. Martin created, but we have to experience it without thinking that people are condoning this,” responds Peet, highlighting that the series’ plot more or less follows the bestselling high fantasy novels created by Martin. “It’s much more insidious to have middling, ancillary female roles where the women are not part of the plot — where they don’t advance anything.”
Fans of the show have pointed to the strong, female characters who have consistently played important roles in Westeros and Essos—Danerys, Catelyn Stark, Brienne, Arya, Margaery, Lady Tyrell, and, yes, even Cersei Lannister (who remains unbent and unbroken after her walk of shame).
“Wife roles, girlfriend roles, there are very few of those in Game of Thrones. If someone takes their clothes off and it’s a massive part of the plot? So be it,” said Peet.