I liked it, but it wasn't 9.5 great by any stretch (maybe a 7.5).

And you can tell this isn't Martin's story anymore, sadly. There's no courage to drop a central character, like a Ned or Rob Stark. It's now more or less typical Hollywood, epic-hero story telling where you don't have to worry the good guys might lose. Shock and fear for the characters you're rooting for is what made this show. It's disappointing.