After an assembly election which saw the DUP and Sinn Féin returned as the two largest parties, there was a temptation to think that not much had really changed, despite the success of People Before Profit and the Greens.
However, the Ulster Unionist Party's decision to stay out of the executive and form an official opposition will certainly change the dynamic at Stormont and ensure it will not just be a case of more of the same.
Former UUP leader David Trimble has described it as a bold move and it is certainly that.
Mike Nesbitt used all his media skills to ensure this decision stole the headlines on the day that the assembly returned and Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness were duly nominated as first and deputy first minister.
It also overshadowed discussions on the programme for government which are taking place with a two-week timeframe.
The focus now will be on the SDLP and there is no doubt new leader Colum Eastwood has a big decision to make.
Does he stay in the executive and be part of the government for good or ill or does he step outside and offer a distinct voice challenging the actions of Sinn Féin and the DUP?
There are clear risks either way but with a falling SDLP vote and decreasing nationalist turnout, sticking with the present position makes little sense for a party in decline.
As for the Ulster Unionists, who only last year entered into an electoral pact with the DUP for the Westminster poll, the real test will be not so much about scrutiny of the executive's spending decisions, but how they deal with issues around parades and flags.
With a formal opposition, the feel of the new assembly will certainly be different and increased accountability in government can only be seen as a positive development.
Mr Nesbitt has taken a bold step but the journey from now on is anything but predictable.
