Yes, I had to immediately watch it, yes, it is still good. The characters of "A song of ice and fire" to me are what the characters of "Lost" have been in the last decade - true three dimensional persons who you want to succeed and, in this case, survive.
But in the end, already since the 7th season, for me watching this show is quite an ordeal. It's because it (together with the books which I read in 2011) has done such a great job building these characters so that now, I am watching every new episode with the constant feeling of dread. That tends to get hard, and for me it made waiting for this new season much easier. I really am not looking forward to the emotional turmoil this final season will be bringing me...
So yes, still high quality and certainly a good start to the grand finale. But with all the bad things lurking - the Night King, Cersei, whatever - I certainly will be very happy once this is finally over. And then I hope that someday, Mastermind George R. R. Martin will be gracious enough to finish the books, which have even more danglers than the TV show ever had...
But in the end, already since the 7th season, for me watching this show is quite an ordeal. It's because it (together with the books which I read in 2011) has done such a great job building these characters so that now, I am watching every new episode with the constant feeling of dread. That tends to get hard, and for me it made waiting for this new season much easier. I really am not looking forward to the emotional turmoil this final season will be bringing me...
So yes, still high quality and certainly a good start to the grand finale. But with all the bad things lurking - the Night King, Cersei, whatever - I certainly will be very happy once this is finally over. And then I hope that someday, Mastermind George R. R. Martin will be gracious enough to finish the books, which have even more danglers than the TV show ever had...