I've realized that a long time ago, but the show can still at least follow some logical consistency, right?
Sam was thrown out around the time Dickon was growing up and yet he's almost as old as Sam

Gathering up Northern houses is gathering up Northern houses, the story is the same even if the houses are different.
Again, Stannis had his storyline practically wiped out, he didn't attempt to recruit ANY of the North

About what?
The books still have a lot more plot lines to develop, like the Dorne conspiracy, Aegon/Griff, Euron invading the Reach, Stannis still fighting the Boltons, etc, etc

Because Stannis already united a great deal of Northern Houses in the books, in the show he bought a few mercenaries and charged straight at the Boltons when they mostly abandoned him.

This has nothing to do with Martin, he's already given D&D a rough outline of the ending, its their choice to keep retreading plot lines with their preferred characters

Everything about Randyll Tarly is weird.
Its weird that he lives in some kind of indefensible palace, that he doesn't let his daughter hunt like the rest of Westerosi women, that his son is suddenly ten years older than he logically should be, etc, etc

… And then Jon and Sansa retreading Stannis' gathering the Northern Lords plotline…

I think the casting call for Euron was for someone who looked like Alfie Allen, but they went too far and cast a guy who looks like a teddy bear, nothing at all lie the character in the book. And that speech is great, the guy is a world-traveler, he can be a little worldly

Everything about the Iron Islands scenes made it seem like they didn't care. It could have had a nice set piece with Nagga's bones, a more sinister looking Euron, actually including Victarion, etc, etc

I like the meta commentary on the play/show writing.
"Where are my niece and nephew? Let's go murder them!"
-Emmy-winning writing is not synonymous with quality writing anymore…

So when people defend the show's adaptation changes and omissions they usually say its to streamline the story and make it fit the ten episode structure. But this excuse ignores the issue this show has with pacing.
Every story line of this season could have been handled in half as many episodes. Even when something…

Nor defensible in any way as these castles are supposed to be

Someone needs to tell the art designers that Horn Hill is a castle not a palace and then mention to the writers that women do hunt in Westeros…

Compared to the rest of his recent stuff this movie is almost watchable, but what's with the country soundtrack?

Except in the books, when it does happen, people generally make a big deal about it. And Robert is a bit too distantly related from Rhaegar to be considered kin. Alton Lannister is kin to Jaime, which is why killing him wouldn't have merited such little response in the books

Its much more of a cultural taboo in the books, the show almost seems to ignore it

Stannis. Is. Fighting. The. Boltons!!!

Yes it does, hat good is taking the Iron Throne without an heir? Do you actually think to what you're about to type?

Stannis is busy leading Northern houses to fight the Boltons, he specifically left Shireen at the Wall so that she wouldn't be in harm's way.

Stannis has made it clear he considers Shireen his heir, he even made his people swear to put her on the Iron Throne if he were to die against the Boltons.
Nice attempt, though