As usual, thoughts are below the cut to avoid spoilers:

Castle Black:

– it was really, really good to see Sansa comprehensively smackdown LIttlefinger. 

– OTHO, while trusting LF is a bad idea, so is turning away 30,000 knights. Although I think I know why they’re doing that and I feel kind of meh about it.

– Well, the Boars, Gore, and Swords guys are very happy right now!

– And I’m happy that Brienne is going to the Riverlands, because that means LSH!

– I’m more happy that I think Davos is going to White Harbor!

House of Black and White:

– seriously, this much stick fighting was not necessary. 

– I did like the backstory of the Faceless Men coming into the show.

– GRRM did “Mercy” better, and their more farce than Shakespeare version was ironically self-critical, but I think I know where they’re going with it. Batman doesn’t join the League of Shadows, after all. 

Kingsmoot:

– I liked Asha and Theon together, Euron’s speech was not as cool as in the book, and I missed the horn.

Dany: 

– while I don’t really care about Jorah, that was a nice sendoff.

Meereen:

– I thought the discussion with the R’hllorites was very interesting, although I don’t like the Rh’llor = burning unbelievers reductionism.

– I especially liked seeing Varys shaken by the High Priestesses’ knowledge.

Beyond the Wall:

– Well, that was eventful. I still think I’m right about the White Walkers – this version has some major sequencing problems, like the War between the First Men and the Children, and the Pact that ended it, coming before the Long Night, and the Children fighting against the White Walkers during the Battle for the Dawn. However, evil magic turning against its masters is still evil. 

– Bran getting the mark of the Night’s King was interesting, although the whole not ready/dead mentor thing was very very Hero’s Journey in a way that GRRM is more deft with. Hope he’s learned everything he needs, because he’s not getting another chance. 

– Bran causing Hodor’s condition through time I could definitely see; the whole thing about Hodor being “Hold the Door” seems a bit small potatoes.

– Meera killed a White Walker!

– Benioff and Weiss must be tired of dealing with the animal wranglers, because they really are on a direwolf-killing rampage. 

– the whole staging of the zombie movie sequence was very dark and confusingly staged on the TV I saw it on.