Entertaining, sure, but palpable dip in quality when compared with previous seasons
I would like to preface this by saying that Game of Thrones is still a very entertaining show, but the reasons for this aren't because the show has retained its superlative quality from previous seasons, but because the previous seasons were so well done, with such well-executed character development, that fans are attached to the characters and eagerly await their resolution.
Perhaps I'm only speaking for myself here, but after watching season 7, it has struck me just how much the quality of the show has diminished. If we compare season 7 with seasons 1-3, it's almost like watching two different shows. From excellent writing, meticulous pacing, fantastic character development, and actions having consequences to average and inconsistent writing, convenient passages of time for the sake of wrapping up plot points, and consequences being resolved with deus ex machina's, sometimes more than once in the same episode.
I know people like the show. It is very entertaining. But if the quality of season 7 were the introduction for the series, I don't think this show would have gotten as much recognition.
My only hope is that once the show ends, the worsening in quality won't overshadow the excellence of the first 3 or 4 seasons.