Data is Beautiful

One of the things that Game of Thrones did well early was always ensure the payoff was worth it. If you didn't like an episode here or there, it was fine because it advanced the plot enough that you still followed the breadcrumbs and another episode down the line made it worth it.

Season 8 was so bad because many people tolerated elements of seasons 5, 6, and 7 because they were hoping for payoff. When that payoff was underwhelming at best and utterly nonsensical at worst, people tuned out fast. People spent hundreds of hours over a decade watching the show and discussing it with their friends, and in the end, it wasn't worth it. I don't think I've ever seen something disappear so completely and quickly from the cultural zeitgeist.