Game of Thrones S8 E3 - A well-directed yet disappointing episode (SPOILERS Beware)

We're half way through Game of Thrones' final season, yet as much as I enjoy GoT, I feel the latest episode was quite a let down in some respect.

SPOILERS ALERT!!

To be fair, it's quite a well-directed episode, great acting and reasonably good CG and loads of practical effects. But I was let down by the tactics employed by the defending party aka everyone in Winterfell, but also due to the plot holes and plot armours.

• The Dothraki cavalry charge, yet there's no follow-up in terms of tactics
  ->Everyone else stayed behind watching the Dothraki's flaming scythes get snuffed out
• The cavalry charged before artillery was fired, risking friendly-fire
• The artillery seemed to only have been used once
• Conveniently Ser Jorah survived this charge, returned, just to be killed again later on while protecting Daenaerys.
• When the army of the dead started charging toward Winterfell, artillery fire should not have stopped, but what did we get instead?
  -> It's cool that the dragons rode by Daenaerys and Jon swooped in to buy some time, but once they were gone chasing the Night King, isn't it obvious that artillery and arrows should have resumed?
• I'll give the people of Winterfell the benefit of the doubt for not knowing the Night King is able to raise people from the dead even when they are underground - aka don't know the range of the "Raise Dead" skill
• So many people died in the crypt, yet Varys, Tyrion and Sansa survived 
• The commanding officers in the battle such as Grey Worm, Sir Brienne and Sir Jaime had thick plot armours that prevented them from dying.
• Jon went back to the castle, forsaking his allies such as Sam who are clearly in trouble. Clearly the man had a purpose, yet he's just stuck because of a blue-fire spitting dragon.
• -> The resurrected dragon melted the castle walls in 3 seconds yet the rocks Jon hid behind also had plot armor where they didn't melt
• One of the White Walkers could hear blood dripping in the library, yet all the White Walker generals couldn't hear Arya lurking in the Godswood while she waited for her chance to pounce on the Night King
  ->Did she turn her face into a White Walker and managed to sneak about?
  ->If she could do that, why was she so afraid of getting caught in the library full of walkers?
  ->Sure she had the Faceless Men's training, but overall that's just terrible writing
• The Night King was built up to be this terrible figure that inspired fear throughout the previous seasons, only to be killed by an underwhelming drop knife + stab tactic
  -> Logically, he should have just crushed Arya's windpipe while she was dropping her knife
• Who is Azor Ahai? Arya? Jon? Daenarys?
  ->"He's the lord's chosen, born amidst salt and smoke", "wake dragons out of stones", reforge the great flaming sword
  ->don't think anyone fits all of the above, but it doesn't matter anymore, does it?
• Now that the sub-boss the Night King is gone, we're left with Cersei at King's Landing.
• Is this the ending we deserve? Where is the tension now that we're left with humans at war?
  ->Wouldn't it be better if a fraction of the Winterfell dwellers survived and fled south while the Night King and his merry band of undead marched towards the south to show Cercei how to pee her pants?
  

The episode gave us a tremendous sense of hopelessness - the undead do not fear death, do not tire, numbers only grow as time passes. As we see Winterfell's defense line fall one-by-one, we can't help but search for glimmers of hope. An unexpected hope was foreshadowed when Melisandre gave her short speech about "Brown eyes, green eyes and blue eyes", and it was fulfilled when we saw the Night King and his grand undead army perished by a good stab. 

A huge sigh of relief it was, Bran was not killed, and the survivors of the onslaught survived all thanks to Arya the ultra-silent assassin. Yet this end was unsatisfying. Almost too easy after all the build-up. Now it's just Cersei and her grand army comprising of many ships from Euron and many men from her own house, the Golden Company and Ironborn, likely outnumbering the North's. But take out the Night King, and the tension, mystery and expectation are much less palpable. 

In a way, this is to be expected. The fight for the throne after a common threat is gone. This is, after all, a Game of Thrones.

In an alternate reality, a figure slowly walks towards the Iron Throne, followed by a chilling mist, an icy howl from the wind. The figure turns and faces his men, slowly sits and claims his throne, watching with his piercing blue eyes as the world of men in Westeros is no more.