I opted out of GoT after trying to watch S1 too. I could tell it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Then around season 5 the hype got so intense that I caved. Ended up binging seasons 1-5. And I have to say…even despite seasons 7 and 8 (and somewhat season 6) it was worth the watch. When it was good, it was really good.
I do think that bingeing seasons 1-5 really highlighted how bad the writing had gotten even in season 6. I tried to warn my friends that the outlook was not good but I wasn’t able to convince them. Some of them wouldn’t even admit it until season 8. Some as late as the last handful of episodes. But they all eventually came around.
That’s good to hear. I have given it a second watch some years back, but couldn’t get through The first season again, but it was such a phenomenon I imagine I’ll try again at some point