Once D&D ran out of source material they attempted to re-create the same type of shock moments that GRRM excelled at and made ASOIF so successful. Ned's beheading, The Red Wedding, The Blue Wedding, Jaime losing his hand, Jon's Death, the Mountain and the Viper, and Tyrion killing Tywin were all great moments that most people didn't see coming.
The problem is D&D wanted to rush the story and keep the viewer guessing at the same time so logic went out the window. Poorly executed deaths (Shireen, Barristan, Doran Martell and his son), teleporting characters, armies, and navy fleets, and characters who are suppose to be so clever, suddenly being so stupid became the new formula to create suspense.
Really HBO should have removed them from the project and brought in someone else to finish it.
BTW, I gave it a 4. I think it's still my third favorite show behind The Wire and Breaking Bad but a few years ago it was on track for the top spot.
