After last night’s ep of Game of Thrones, I must admit to having a multitude of feelings, primarily for my personal fave, Brienne. From the moment she showed up on screen, Brienne was known as the proverbial “strong woman” — an ultimate warrior. And it’s true, she is; she’s powerful, and will kick your ass and the next guy with no problem. The thing is though, that isn’t all she is limited to.

Rumors swirled within the GoT fandom after she was knighted, that she would be one of the mains to die, her story arc now complete. To say that I was confused would be an understatement. While becoming a knight was indeed important to Brienne and her story, there was so much more that she wanted in life, and so much more she deserved as a character.  It was evident to me the depth of Brienne’s emotions from the start; she was never a robot. Gwendoline Christie is too much of a fine actress to play a character as one note. That being said, the idea that all there was to her was the fight wasn’t surprising. Despite the fact that Brienne is both fair and blonde, she is also a “large” woman, who isn’t seen in makeup, or softened by silken and lace gowns. She sits tall in her armor, wielding a sword. Due to that, she was instantly friend-zoned by the audience (and to an extent, whoever directed last night’s ep). The fight is important to Brienne, and loyalty. But she isn’t consumed by it; it’s not all that she is.

This has been evidenced in nearly every scene she has shared with Jaime. Her like for him, and eventually her love of him, her desire to be with him, has been overt for some time. There are just many who didn’t care to see it. I, however, wasn’t surprised, as I’ve been here before. Take a hop, skip and a jump to another TV series on a different cable network, and you’ll find another sword-wielding warrior who was expected to not have emotions, or love, or end up with the [ever so good-looking] leading man, despite the fact that the show spent seasons leading up to it, much like GoT.

Spoiler: It’s The Walking Dead, and the character mentioned is Michonne.

Brienne’s tears this Sunday have been criticized heavily. She’s been described as weak, or out of character, and that her being with Jaime was fan service. Fan service? Let’s keep it real: We didn’t even get to see their love scene (not the first time, or the night after), and it had nothing to do with lighting issues. Either it’s on the cutting room floor, or the filming stopped after that initial kiss. And that’s, forgive my French, bullshit. That decision, to let Brienne’s first time be a casualty to screen time, going into a jump-cut into the next scene, was due to, I think, bias. The writers let Brienne experience love how she wanted to, but opted to not actually show it to the audience because, lol who wants to see that?

Other Spoiler: Me; it’s me. I wanted to see that, and I felt cheated in a big way. In a show with gratuitous sex scenes left and right, aunt’s with nephews, brothers with sisters, and everything in between, we couldn’t get this one, special moment? A moment that’s been built up for seasons? A pivotal moment in Brienne’s life? And Jaime’s too, in a way, as one of the healthiest things, and definitely the most healthy relationship, he’s ever had.

Why not show the audience Brienne having her face caressed gently with love, or her laughter of joy being with the man that she loves, or the quiet moment where they just look at each other, taking it all in, or the immediate after glow, where Brienne got to be the little spoon? Why. The hell. Not?

At any rate, Brienne is so much more than a warrior, even with the prestigious title of knight. She wants a life with someone that loves her [Jaime]. Her emotions do not weaken her; they give her the strength to go on, and the hope of wanting something more.

Put some respect on her name.

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