I think this show needs a few extra episodes to really explain everything right and fish out some of the battles. I mean they completely shafted the mountain and viper battle.
Slow season, even given the body count, but one that left me all in for Season 5!
This was, however, the first season that got me wondering how well people who haven't read the books can follow it. Did they get that Oberyn is Danaerys' brother-in-law? Did they get that the Brandon who Lysa Tully-Arryn was talking about to Sansa, was Ned Stark's older brother, who was betrothed to Catelyn until he died horribly at the hands of the Mad King and Ned stepped up to honor the betrothal in his big brother's stead, and later named Sansa's younger brother Brandon after Ned's older brother? Whatever: lemon cakes! So many lemon cakes in this season! Sansa should have alll the lemon cakes!
It might have been confusing, but it was mostly somewhat...boring...or feeling like it's aimless. Except for Joffrey's death and Tyrion's trial, and maybe the siege of castle black. Still: Sansa's going places (dressed like Maleficent for some reason), Tyrion's going places, Varys is going places, Arya's going places....bleh on Season 4, but hurrah for Season 5!