I wouldn't put it that high up, but it was a return to form that made S5 look like a hiccup. S6 was the hiccup apparently. S5 might not be so bad in the grand scheme of things, but it was the first season where you noticed that something was a bit off in what was up until that point, a perfect show. That was when they stopped doing their big blow off in episode 9, and I think that structure really hurt it. Like the writers got impatient, or something. I know a lot of people liked "Hardhome" or whatever it's called, but to me it was just the beginning of "zombie" fluff that the show really leaned into in it's worst years, and became more concerned with instant action gratification, rather than taking their time to build it up with political intrigue. I think the show runners started reaching for those "Walking Dead" numbers, and they probably succeeded in the short term with ratings, but the legacy of the show really suffered for it, as it turned into the "Dragons and Zombies" show.
I'd personally go:
S3
S1
S4
S2
S6
S5
S8
S7
I think season 7 gets too much of a pass, due to season 8 being the finale. It's such a pointless season that just meanders on nothing. At least S8 had some movement and intrigue, despite it being written pretty badly.
