Lagertha Lothbrok

It has been rumored that Lagertha Lothbrok, from The Vikings, is the strongest female character on prime time television. On the show she started out as Ragnar Lothbrok's wife, mother of his children, a shield maiden, and ended up an Earl, which was extremely rare for Vikings. Her role kind of just sneaked up on viewers. Then all of a sudden we were faced with this powerhouse warrior who fought in major battles and then came home and was tender with her children. 

Not only is actress Katheryn Winnick, who plays Lagertha, a powerhouse on The Vikings but in real life as well. She is a 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo, 2nd degree black belt in Karate, and started her own karate school at the age of 16 years old. By age 21 she owned three martial arts studios. She is also a trained bodyguard with a degree from York University in Kinesiology.

This also passes the Bechdel Test criteria. 

Watch trailer for Season 5-WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT

Sansa Stark

Game of Throne characters have not had it easy, to say the least. A lot of death and despair has ripped apart families and destroyed kingdoms. Sansa Stark started out as a dreamy-eyed whiny little girl who witnessed the beheading of her father, and her life went downhill from there. The tragedies Sansa endured built up a strong undefeatable woman. 

Game of Thrones has created many strong female characters but Sansa is my favorite. She was one that I assumed would not make it out of the first season but surprisingly she has become one of the more powerful female leads. She grew up, matured, and instead of shrinking into her tragedies she used it to become a warrior.

This one passes the Bechdel Test

Click to see video of Sansa Stark

Grace & Frankie

Hollywood tends to create shows with younger female lead characters and often forget to cater to more mature audiences, however, they hit it home with the Netflix Original Grace and Frankie. Not only does this show relate to mature audiences but younger generations as well. The whole cast is charming and hilarious. It's the bond of Grace and Frankie when they join together after they find out their husbands are having an affair with each other, that gives this show depth. Grace and Frankie are polar opposites in character, but have amazing chemistry together and get into some pretty ornery situations. At first, these two seemed defeated by everything but end up realizing they just needed to find the strength within themselves. With this, they created a dream and started working to achieve it.

If I had to choose a favorite character then Frankie would be it! Her creative artistic spirit is the most refreshing character I have seen for quite some time. Grace is just as entertaining with her equally strong, but more frigid approach to life. Regardless of their differences, they are both bold women willing to take on challenges, regardless of their age, to find happiness and security through their own strengths, and not from a marriage. 

This show passes the Bechdel Test with flying colors.

Max and Caroline

At first look 2 Broke Girls may seem far more sexist than feminist, but take a second look and you will find these two leading characters make a strong case for feminism. Max and Caroline are smart hard working women who are building a better future for themselves, and not sitting around as damsels in distress, waiting on their prince charming.

This show is wildly inappropriate with its racist undertones and still has a huge fan base, making it a popular prime time television show. Compare this show to Two and a Half Men and you will find that they both rate high on the scale of sexist propaganda, crude humor, and distasteful jokes.  If Two and a Half Men can get away with the same raunchiness, then feminist gender equality says so should Max and Caroline. Regardless if you like this type of show it still is exciting to see that women are getting breakout roles that compare equally to men and can still bring the ratings. 

This one passes the Blechdel Test!!!

Click to watch trailer

Buffy Summers

Buffy The Vampire Slayer  

Buffy The Vampire Slayer is a fan favorite created by Joss Whedon who says "the main character is based on the archetypal blonde girl who gets killed first in every horror movie.The idea of Buffy was to subvert that idea, that image, and create someone who was a hero where she had always been a victim.” 

Sometimes writers get it wrong but Joss got this one right. It does have it's contradictions between feminist and sexist but a show that runs for 7 years with over 100 episodes is bound to have some creative flaws.  Buffy's character is both strong and gentle. She can be annoying at times but the heroic side always becomes prevalent bringing you back for more. So if horror shows with a strong female lead is your ideal show then this one is for you.

This gem would pass the Bechdel Test!

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Lorelai in Gilmore Girls

How can you not love the Gilmore Girls? This one is one of my favorites. Maybe because my girls and I would stay up for hours in the summer watching these classics. Guaranteed you would always hear, "Just one more" as the credits were rolling. How could you refuse?

Why did we love this show so much? The entire cast was funny and endearing, but what sparked my curiosity and brought me back for more was Lorelai Gilmore. Her character, to me, was spectacular. After getting pregnant at age 16 she escapes her parents clutches and heads to Stars Hallow. Starting out in a potting shed she eventually creates her own bed and breakfast,  while raising her daughter alone. I have learned through watching the development of Lorelai's character what a strong single mother can achieve when she believes in herself. She wanted her daughter to not be a self-indulged rich kid but yet wants her to have all the opportunities the world has to offer.  Lorelai also enjoyed dating but she didn't need a man to find true happiness. Combine that with her love of coffee and she is easily my favorite on the show.

Of course this show is not without flaws and it you do a quick Google search you will see more haters than lovers for this enchanting show. Call me obsessed but this art of chaos will always be alluring in my book.

I would give this a definitive pass in The Bechdel Test!

Click to watch trailer

Major Carter in Stargate SG-1

Major Samantha Carter

"I'm an Air Force Officer just like you are Colonel, and just because my reproductive organs are on the inside instead of the outside doesn't mean I can't handle whatever you can handle."

Scifi didn't always portray their female characters as being intelligent or having powerful positions. Stargate SG-1 made it a point to do just that with Major Samantha Carter's character in SG-1. They showed that intelligence is beautiful in a man's world by creating her character with a PhD in theoretical astrophysics along with being a high ranking officer in the United States Air Force. She also was an engineer and expert in alien technology. She eventually led her own team and commanded the Atlantis expedition for an entire year. After 10 years they sadly ended SG-1 but continued on with additional spin-offs: Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, which also portrayed strong female lead characters.

A definite pass in The Bechdel Test!  

Scene with Sam Carter

Feminism in Mainstream Media

Joss Whedon is one of my favorite writers of all time because his work often portrays female characters for something more just beauty. He creates multi-faceted roles for women and often gives them equal power as their male counterparts. He is often asked in interviews why he uses strong female characters and even though that question has garnered different answers, my favorite will always be..."Because you're still asking that question."  Below are some of my favorite shows that portray strong female lead characters.

 

Television Shows with Strong Female Leads

 

Major Samantha Carter

Lorelai Gilmore

Buffy Summers

Max and Caroline

 

Grace and Frankie

Sansa Stark

Lagertha Lothbrok

The Bechdel Test

The Bechdel Test was created by Allison Bechdel, the cartoonist, and is used to measure the presence of female characters in film. It has three criteria it must meet to be considered a feminist show. The criteria is as follows:

1. It has to have at least two women
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man

Click to see more about The Bechdel Test