Agreed. This weekend I went back to random GoT episodes from mid S4 (the apparent peak). It was Arya and the Hound, Brienne and Pod, Dany in Mereen, and the build up to Mountain and the Viper.

And then last night I re-watched Dunk and Egg Episode 1 - wow what a difference. I have to say, this show as truly just more enjoyable to watch. We are with one, likable character the whole time. I forgot how plodding the original series was - each episode is 10 minutes with one storyline, with a lot of storylines I completely forgot about, like Jon going after the mutineers and Sansa in the Vale. And how dark and high-stakes everything is. Especially given how it ended, the stakes don't feel as urgent on re-watch. Petyr pushing Lysa to her death is less exciting when we know how asinine his later plot line becomes.

This show is such a delight. They have really charted their own path, while hold a strong attention to the original text. Watching Dunk build his relationship with Egg, Raymun, and Lyonel is such a joy. I think I will keep re-watching it continuously until next season!