heh… I feel much the same - BUT - one thing they keep getting right, and I think I even noticed in Season 3 (right when I was SUPER mad at the downturn in writing/storytelling): the show still has moments of greatness in cinematography (or maybe art direction, or maybe direction of photography. A few times in Season 3 when all hell at broken loose and I kept asking my wife "why are we still watching this drivel" I had to pause the show because it was literally a moving painting. Once scene I remember - and only for it's visual appeal. It was just a beautiful shot. The Dowager was sitting in a chair near a window. The way the light fell across her and her costume was nothing short of a masterpiece. I should have pulled a screen grab.

I have continued to watch, and just finished the most recent season. I think I keep watching because there are still some great visuals, interesting set, and some humor I enjoy. I gave up on the characters. Some of their actions are so contradictory to their nature that the show is just too jarring to believe.