Stark dad, mom & heir were just as traditionally "safe", so you can't pretend they haven't earned their "nobody is safe" culture. I'd say the safest seem to be Tyrion, Daenerys, and the surviving Stark children, but all of them (sans Sansa) have a trait that's proven fatal so far: unwavering honor.

Is it too much to ask for both technical competence and a unique voice? Why are these mutually exclusive now? I may just be too close to 30 to get it, but I don't think this is about traditional vs. original. Both have the same problem: too much gimmick, not enough chops.

"…feels like the show is playing around with tropes and themes it has absolutely no idea how to handle."

This season is about a coven of witches in a New Orleans boarding school and their struggle to survive amid a variety of external and internal forces. It's Harry Potter with better acting and blood.