It was a significant departure

We've spent seven seasons seeing the various ways that each character developed their mandate for power. And the episode started strong with Dany questioning Tyrion's fitness for hand of the king. She needed a hand that is both instinctual, intelligent, and ruthless when needed.

Jon was anointed king of the north through his battlefield victories over both the wildlings and Ramsey Bolton. Dany came into power through freeing the slaves and having dragons. Tormund's mandate is presumably through being the strongest warrior of all the wildlings. Sansa's and Tyrion's mandate are derived from their political cunning.

In this episode? Multiple men were asked to hide in the crypt instead of fighting. Sansa and Dany, the two most powerful women in the show, passive aggressively argue about a boy. Theon Greyjoy offered to defend Bran and everybody seemed ok with it. Jamie, who can't fight, offers to fight.

How does this army have any credible chance to defeat white walkers? They don't have any plan for the dragon (I'm assuming the dragonglass machete's aren't enough). Their leaders are defeated.

Their best chance has something to do with Bran's mystic energy, which we still know very little. And, he is being defended by Theon Greyjoy who's greatest military victory is conquering a defenseless castle. I don't think he's ever seen a whitewalker.