Something I think Episode 1 does very right, that I don’t think a lot of people properly appreciate, is how well it introduces the cast.
Even before anyone has even died, these characters all have character - there’s more character substance going around at that point already, than some stories take their entire length to reach. They have personalities, relationships, motivations and motives, and with how much it establishes here, I’m actually more impressed with how comparably short it is than annoyed by the length.