Written to make money, it shows and it ought to fail.

Shameless exploitation of a once good idea. Cast of nasty characters doing nasty things in ways that neither reveal nor reflect human truths. Can't even see how this is catering to a "perceived desire" of the actual audience. Not even consistently good production values, it regularly resorts to an almost black screen, and all the incredible make up talents that can age actors seem to have been cast aside creating a ridiculous discontinuity with new actors playing some of the lead roles.

There is gore and violence for its own sake, a kind of violence porn that degrades TV and degrades us, and the very opposite of the kind of realism that was shown in eg. Saving Private Ryan.

In summary shame on those involved. A real disappointment after the first 7 series of Game of Thrones (ignoring the last of course).