...the D&D analogy is perfect. I used to DM campaigns. I was always the DM. The reason I was always the DM was because no one had a good time when other people tried to DM. It's because I realized something that all the other DM wannabes never did: the dice are there for (1) the little things, and (2) big things at the right times.

One example of bad DM-ing came when my first level assassin managed to move silently and hide in shadows until he was behind the major adversary of the adventure (at the very start of the adventure). A lucky roll on the assassination table spared the party a great deal of grief (and experience). It ruined the entire adventure.

It doesn't really matter that I created a fully plausible time/distance analysis that would allow for the situation (and still complained about the chains). Really important people die in really important ways at really important times, and at no others. Even in Martinworld. In fact, it's amusing because everyone who talks about how Martin "kills people off" seems to be ignoring that he doesn't really kill off the most important people, and anyone confused about who they are wasn't really good at reading comprehension. It was clear from the start that Jon Snow, Tyrion, Bran, Dany and Jaime were really fucking important. They aren't going to go anywhere until the very end.

Cersei? I think she can die at any time now. Sansa? Sure. Arya? Probably not. I didn't know if she was one of the five-star (as opposed to four-star) characters but it seems like she is now. Sam? Sam can die at any moment after he tells the world who Jon Snow really is. Jorah? Jorah can die. So can Tormund (preferably with Brienne to give it the emotional bang). Littlefinger is as good as dead already.

But knowing that, why are you at all surprised? Jon and Dany had to make it out. They lost a dragon, though, which is a big fucking deal, and not only because it showed the dead carry around chains with them (though I guess that makes sense - ghosts like chains). Zombie dragon will ensure the dead get past the Wall, which they need to. I'm sure the final battle will be at Winterfell because everyone's moving that direction.

And I'm fairly confident good will win. Does that surprise you? Does that give you another reason to complain about the series? It's neither more nor less predictable than the decisions made in the last episode.

And on one last note, I'm very happy that the showrunners didn't feel constrained in the same way Martin does to show us every step of every major character. It's a waste of our time.