Season 7 has pulled back the curtain on George's greatest magic trick No one important ever really dies in George's universe, it was always sleight of hand. Jon, Dany, Tyrion, etc...were always going to be safe until the final chapters of the story. Whereas George uses feints and misdirection to hide who the main cast really is, this season made it all too clear that main characters are the ones with names in the show, the ones we care about.

Think about Jon's story arc. How many tales begin with a low or bastard born orphan, alone in the great big world, looking for his identity, only to later reveal he's really a prince? George's trick was to start the story before Jon was alone or an orphan, whereas most stories would start with Jon's story post Ned's death. Ned is our first lead, followed by Robb, etc..we feel the surprise and tragedy of Jon's orphanhood despite the fact that it's a trope. All the markers are there: a bastard? Check. Dead dad? Check. Reason to reclaim family honor? Check. But by beginning the story a generation early, George made it feel like anyone could die, even the supposed lead who was never a lead at all.

Compare this to the fact that no one was shocked by the exposition of the brutality of Ned's father and brother surprisingly dying at the hand of Aerys, despite the unexpected twist it must have been in the moment. I never would have guessed Davos would stick around this long, I felt the same about Theon and Reek. Yet Quentyn seemed important, so did Beric, is Arianne gonna last? Victarion? Lady Stoneheart? Mance Rayder? Jon Connington? In the books, George introduces heroes, villains, and cannon fodder with equal care. Each has a fleshed out story, weight, and purpose.

But in the show expediency is here. World building is done and so is time with doomed characters we care about. By streamlining the plot the show has cut out the magic. No more feeling like Westeros is populated by more than our main cast.