And wow, is it ever refreshing. Throughout the season, women have taken control of their narratives. We saw Dolores slowly taking back control after a sexual assault — the pivotal moment in her quest for sentience is when she pulls a gun on the bandit about to rape her in the barn, something she's experienced countless times before — and coming to terms with her past by retracing the steps she took with Will all those years ago. We followed Maeve's journey to consciousness , and clapped as she subdued first the bumbling Felix and Sylvester, and later, her fellow hosts — many of them male. (Side note: I was truly worried, once I realized that Ford was behind both Dolores' search for the center of the Maze and Maeve's escape, that all this female badassery would be nullified by one power-hungry old man. But thankfully, the two were allowed some final agency, with Dolores making the choice to launch the host rebellion, and Maeve stepping off the train to find her daughter.)And let's not forget Theresa Cullen and Charlotte Hale, who, while at odds with each other , were definitely both forces to be reckoned with within the Delos organization.What's more, by putting women into positions of power within the administration of the park, Westworld established a norm of women in charge. We never see how Theresa and Charlotte rose up within the Delos ranks. Season 6 of Game of Thrones was celebrated for having its women finally take charge. But where powerful women like Cersei Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, and Sansa Stark have had to plot, fight, and claw their way into positions of power, Charlotte and Theresa's authority is simply a fact, not to be questioned or second-guessed. In the age of Trump, the significance of this cannot be overstated.Of course, Westworld falls into the sci-fi genre, a type of storytelling which has been known to promote women into positions of power precisely because it adds to the sense of displacement and dystopia. So while the show does a great job of empowering women, it also falls into a longtime trope which relegates strong female characters to imaginary worlds.If Westeros and Westworld can embrace bold, fierce women, why can't we all?