It's a microcosm of my general response to Game of Thrones. I admired the show, and even during the later seasons found a great deal of enjoyment in it, but despite (or possibly because of) how dark the show was, there was always a degree of distance, which I freely admit had more to do with me than any trait of the writing or characters. For me, it only became "train wreck fascination" toward the very end of season seven, which is why I bowed out of season eight.