I was assuming he'd arrive after the wedding as per the books, but I really don't think him being around will make any difference.  He likely won't be back in the Kingsguard (so there will be no stain on his honor in that sense), and will likely just watch the events from the sideline.  My guess is that he will reason…

I'm starting to wonder how Jon's election as Lord Commander is going to play out - if they'll save it for season 5, rush it into season 4, skip it altogether, or if the battle at the wall will come much earlier.

There are a few ways that the series really works very well with the books.  Reading about the wolf-head was kind of eerie, but seeing it from a distance was outright nauseating (in a good way).  It immediately brought about that "punch-in-the-gut" feeling of the RW and set the viewer's mood at rock bottom.

Any excuse to hear someone singing 'The Bear and the Maiden Fair' again!

I think Cat being dragged from the river by Beric will be the final scene - gives the general audience a chance to connect a few dots and wonder if she'll be back.

It wouldn't surprise me if the final scene in the finale is Beric dragging Cat's drenched corpse from the river (alright, the final scene will probably be Dany's dragons).

I love the adaptation and thought they perfectly captured the atmosphere. I thought it was wonderfully orchestrated - especially in the details (the slow realization by Cat, the smirk from Roose, the role of the band).  The changes didn't detract at all for me.  Grey Wind's death was emotional, the wife vs fool…

The book has him getting home after the Purple Wedding and there are no real hijinx between post-bear egress from Harenhall and arrival at KL - so I think (hope?) the Jaime scene is a check in to keep some momentum with him and remind us that he's heading home.

I hope not, too - but I think you're spot on for season 4; there's plenty of material there.  They'll draw out the Jorah/Barristan thread some more and culminate it with the betrayal reveal.  They'll still have some kind of analogous fight for the one between the city champion and Belwas.  They'll probably do some…

Man, I didn't even see what was coming in the book when she DID find the chain mail!  So well done - both the book and the show.  Very happy with how they pulled this off!

As said, this is all Tywin's orchestration - and I bet that will become abundantly clear and directly stated in the first 20 minutes of the final episode.

The first time I watched it, I didn't like it - I wanted the screaming, blubbering Cat that we had in the book.

Nah, way too much set-up to come for that.  Need to marinate a bit and spread out the big plot points.

On another note, an eight year old being thrown from a thirty foot tower window totally wouldn't have ended up paralyzed - TV always gets these things wrong.  Just in case you were wondering.

Boy was it fun to watch the social media shit storm after this one!

Seriously.  The overreaction is very overreactive this time.

So far, in the show, Cersei's animosity towards Margaery is driven by the loss of control of her son.  This episode also fleshed it out a bit more using the Rains of Castamere story to show a bit of political worry with the power gained by the Tyrells through the marriage.  Great stuff, I thought.

I'd make note that while nudity was abundant in this episode, I think it was to make the moment where Tyrion told Sansa NOT to take her clothes off even more poignant.  Just my $.02 though.

I can't think of much reason to drag book 4 out, so I can see the show condensing that with book 5.  I'm hoping books 6 and 7 are good enough to warrant one and a half or two seasons each, though!

My only worry with a 'Battle at the Wall' cliffhanger is the parallels between that and the ending of season 2 (back to back seasons ending north of the wall with armies in the snow).