But the whole appeal of aSoIaF, and the early seasons of Game of Thrones, is that actions have realistic consequences. Like how going north of the wall cuts you off from easy rescue because it's so far away from everything. Which the show spent several episodes establishing very well in the leadup to Mormont's death.
The early seasons were light on the magic/fantasy aspect of it though. As the seasons progressed though, Magic became a bigger part of the show. I think that if this season had been 10 episodes then some of the problems with time/transportation might have been non-issues. It does feel rushed. In last night's episode my favorite moments were the interactions between The Hound and Tormund and the interactions between Sansa and Arya. But that is my own personal preference speaking since I find more than 30 seconds of battle to be annoying and mind numbing.
Ultimtately, Game of Thrones is what it is. It has won awards for Best Drama but I wonder how people will think of it decades from now. It is not like it is The Crown or The Sopranos, or Six Feet Under, or Breaking Bad or Mad Men.