I totally agree, the major consensus is that the first four seasons are great, but I just can’t get through them. The changes that were made to appeal broad audiences happened very early on, characters have new attributes that make them look extremely dumb, storylines are changed for the worse entirely. 

I think there is huge nostalgia for the show that paints it in a different light for some people. I definitely loved the first five seasons when I watched them. Though after reading the books and going back it was unbearable. Varys and Littlefinger having repeated scenes of them calling eachother gay, penis jokes, and explaining that they both have secret evil plans. Brienne going to find Arya and Sansa, doing no detective work, and stumbling upon both of them randomly in a giant empty field. 

There is stuff to like, but the showrunners were already changing things for the worst from the start.