I can see why people were so critical towards the ALO arc before it started; it pretty much destroyed the very concept that SAO was built on. No grinding, no leveling, just practice your magic and you're good to go, not to mention that dying merely means nothing, as opposed to it killing you should you fail.
And did they really need to turn Asuna into a Damsel in Distress from the Badass Babe she used to be? And not one, but TWO Deus Ex Machina solutions to let Kirito win? Whatever happened to him relying on his own skills to push through (though I must admit, I loved how he eventually pwned Sugou)?
Fortunately, it also had a lot of good moments, so the show ended up on a high note (though lower than I initially thought it would be).
8/10