George R. R. Martin’s epic has never been a personal favorite, but I’ve read all five novels and now I’ve finally caught up to the HBO series as well. Initially, my decision was to stop watching it, as I don’t find much delight in brutally killing off characters I’m fond of; but the hype around these latest episodes turned my head around.

Turns out that they weren’t worth the hype, but they taught me a thing or two about the creator’s integrity.