I had a theory more based on hope than anything, which will never be proved either way, but my theory was the show started so clean and simple becuase that is how the early books were written, simplistic fantasy with characters with fairly basic stories......theres many theories as to why the books got so much better as they progressed and im not here to discuss them, but my theory was that as the show progressed, it would get deeper and darker as per the books doing the same....
it started to head in this direction in season three and i was secretly hoping it had found its feet around the same time Jordan did in the books.....
it was just a theory and im not trying to say Jordans books were as simple as the show, just a progression into a deeper told story...
hence why the sets looked so clean, to Mimic that 'simplistic' world view...