Season 5 is sure-footed and unafraid with its divergence from George R.R. Martin book

[TMC]

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/...eason-5-review

Last season, says Richard Lawson, it "seemed like the show was spinning its well-built wheels, unsure how fast and how far it wanted to steer away from the books to truly become its own thing. But now, in the first four episodes of the fifth season, it's clear that the show has made its decision, and is asserting itself fully as its own entity, keeping Martin's intricate framework intact, of course, but now unafraid to tell new stories."