The problem I have is that there was no reason - AT ALL - for them to do only 7 episodes last year and 6 episodes this year. HBO wanted 10 episodes both years and was even interested in more seasons. D&D insisting on only 13 episodes spread out over two seasons has resulted in a rushed mess where logic is out the window and they're clearly more interested in cinematography than good story. With an additional 7 episodes, they could've expanded on a lot of these themes and perhaps actually written episodes which were logical and met expectations.
Exactly. I was pointing out last night, ahead of the new episode, that the real problem so far, through those first 4 episodes especially, is that none of the characters and their relationships make any kind of sense anymore. It's like--OK, they've all been apart for so many years, and have all become
very different people, so when you cram them back together, you do expect some emotion and whatnot...but really none of it makes sense. They are suddenly, thoroughly, emotionally invested in these people that are now very different. After spending multiple seasons developing these character arcs to where they are now, then suddenly mashing them together and expecting them to act in reasonable ways within only a few minutes of screen time, just doesn't make any sense. I honestly don't know why we are supposed to think that people like Jamie and Giant robot walking Knight lady are supposed to feel this sudden attachment to each other. Then of course Jamie goes back to his sister, again, after abandoning her, again, but she needs him, again, and on and on.
It sucks to see them really take their time previously with creating and developing these characters for so many years, to then forcefully limit themselves with a time constraint that more or less makes everything a bit nonsensical in the end.
While it sounds nit-picky, I don't think it really is--but the technical disaster of having those OP instagib scorpions from one episode, that they then didn't use to eliminate the entirety of Dany's army by the end of that episode, as they should have...then watch them get all get instagibed themselves from one dragon the next week is just...tragically weak. At least have a bit more subterfuge in the plan and sneak in a small special forces team to sabotage those things from the inside--neuter them from the beginning. I mean, if fricking Sandor, Arya, and Jamie can all just easily sneak in without anyone GAF ahead of the actual army approaching, then couldn't Tyrion have made that sort of plan all along, you know--knowing exactly how to do this in King's Landing? Hell--he magically had a boat arranged for Jamie to sneak Cersei out, because that makes sense.
Your own fleet is already toast, so why even bother engaging the Iron fleet on the other side of the castle? what can they even do from there? sabotage the Scorpions from the front, deploy the dragon to destroy those walls and the scorpions, out of range of the fleet, force the Iron Fleet to come in and engage on foot from the rear, off their ships, and just decimate them as they do this.