Precisely- so why did it happen at all?

No, god no.

Things like this, Barristan's death, the Cersei/Jamie rape, the whole "Bronn poisoned" thing is just for shock value, and I'm not liking it.

Very well said. I feel on whole the people throwing that statement around are people who haven't read the books.

I don't understand how the groundwork was laid. The only groundwork they laid for that this season thus far was his tender heartwarming story to Shireen and his basic "stuff you you evil cow" to Melisandre when she suggested it last week.

Honestly take a good look at that comparison. Brother happy to slaughter armies in all out war for a claim he openly knows holds no ground because "no one likes you Stannis?" Rejects an offer for peace? Compared to Shireen, who, what, had Grayscale? Stannis made it pretty clear in the SHOW he didn't even care about…

I thought it was a little strange Tyrion didn't even think of the Martells when he was labelling her allies in Westeros. Sure, they haven't openly granted their allegiance in the show with the fire and blood reveal, but they were Targaryen supporters who hate the Lannisters and Tyrion knows it. Surely they or House…

I think the mentality "you can't criticise stupid story decisions you're just a butthurt book fan" is a ridiculously stupid one.

Potentially, but I suppose in his eyes it's no more than ceding the first contact of them both to a fanfiction. It still hasn't happened in the books and I suppose to him that's what matters.

Forget Sansa, it's Dorne that's been stuffed up.

Please please please please D and D do the Greyjoys and do them well next season. I can't believe Balon is still alive at this point.
DON'T turn them into another Martell scenario is all I ask.

I love that there's still a "If John Snow dies we riot" (sic, because, yes, it says "John," not Jon) meme and people who genuinely don't know Jon is going to die. Genuinely, I love that, because there's nothing better than seeing the shocked faces and broken internet after such a thing.
But they've been pretty blatant…

If they can salvage Doran I can forgive them.

Don't forget expositional speeches to people who have known you for your whole life about your outlook on the world!

It's so very different now anyway that I don't see why everyone's so terrified of it being 'spoiled.'

They've done some bloody stupid stuff admittedly but they made up for it here. Wish people would see things on a greater spectrum than just "this sucks" and "best thing ever," particularly in a show which has so many different stories running simultaneously.