The Stannis thing is bothering me, which is a huge point of contention between readers and non-readers. We are all pretty much pro-Stannis, maybe not want him on the Iron Throne, but he's principled and just. Show watchers don't seem to like him at all. On the show he's some asshat infatuated with Mel and her fire god. They make it seem like Mel told him to go North, instead of Davos! They are playing the good/bad between Davos and Mel, but they better redeem Stannis in short order. While he can be gruff, the overall character is fair. The character assassination with Stannis bothers me much more than any other character in the series, even Cat wishing she could've loved Jon Snow. They whitewashed the hell out of her, but I get that more than Stannis.
“Lord Seaworth is a man of humble birth, but he reminded me of my duty, when all I could think of was my rights. I had the cart before the horse, Davos said. I was trying to win the throne to save the kingdom, when I should have been trying to save the kingdom to win the throne.”
Also, no Coldhands? You don't have to cast anyone since all you have to do is dress them up and put them on a mount. A mysterious figure North of the Wall, guiding Sam to the Nightfort, would have been a great way to leave people talking. Then Coldhands taking Bran, Hodor, and the Reeds would've been another element next season, especially when they have a famous delicacy beyond the Wall...crow.
You could've even had Balon bite the dust yesterday and then recap with the leeches. There were so0o0o0o many options and instead went for some **** Dany scene. Maybe I'm bitter from Mereen, but ending the season with Dany like that was ****. The episode was good, but I was expecting a great ending, and the lack of one really ruined the entire episode.
