Because they are missing. Just like they assume Arya is dead. They should've just had Catelyn think her boys are dead before releasing Jamie and there is no reason for it not to have been that way. It ups the stakes for her and also makes all the hatred that they all have for Theon that much more intense. Also, one…

watching that little boy stab the hell out of Jon will also be "hood as hell."

In the book, that is true. In the show, Catelyn releases Jamie with Brienne and Robb freaks out at her in Season 2, episode 8:

And it cuts right back to Ned, who always said he who passes the sentence swings the sword. Hanging is kind of a weak way to die, both for the victim and the executioner.

The thing that the show did that sort of drove me nuts was that Bran and Rickon were never "dead" in the wider show world. Not so much Jon knowing (though that kind of bugs me, too) but Catelyn should've thought her younger sons were dead. It explains her releasing Jamie and makes the Brienne oath that much more…

Given what happens to Jeyne Poole, the idea of Sansa being left with the Boltons at all creeps me out. No one save Bolton Sr. and Jr. and Theon knew "Arya" was fake in the book and Ramsey still tortured her. If the show tortures Sansa, I might just have to quit. I don't mind Sansa having more agency or that whole…

Unless you are Selyse Baratheon, who keeps them in jars as decoration.

Plus, they hauled her corpse out of the river a few days after they resurrected her, so she's kind of soggy and gross. Catelyn Stark as was is still dead so I don't think the Red Wedding's impact is undermined.

I hope so. Theon's part in ADWD is pretty much the best part. And they could really make the whole thing spooky, in the tradition of horror movies in the snow.

No. Lyanna never knew Cersei personally.

I pretty much agree, especially with the first part. Also, if they had Mance screaming he wasn't Mance, it might be too much of a tell for non-book readers. Or Mance is just dead and they cast a pretty known actor for a bit part.

Yeah, totally. It might be mentioned at some point that there's some weird stuff happening in the Riverlands in the Brienne story and she could actually appear later. I don't miss her that much either, I just don't think she's as unimportant or useless as some are arguing.

I always assumed the endgame for Stoneheart in the books is some sort of reckoning for Littlefinger. Sansa is also likely highly involved in the reckoning, but I wouldn't say that Stoneheart doesn't have the potential to be something.

Couple things about the single shot fight, beyond it being awesome. For one thing, it was kind of funny. I think the bit of "office furniture" was actually a microwave. I very much enjoyed it flying through the doorway and taking a guy out before Murdock goes through. Also, guys getting back up and having to be beat…

As pointed out below, Jon gives "Mance" mercy in the book, too, he just orders his archers to do it (as he is Lord Commander at this point.)

Yeah, that's what happened. Stannis was sort of pissed at Jon for it, but Jon might not have been able to tell as Stannis is almost always pissed at Jon about something.

I don't know about the boning (as it was sort of enjoyable to have Mel try to get her claws in Snow in the book and have him resist her) but I could see Tormund being Mance and Tormund taking Mance's burning for him. Mance being changed sort of has to happen in front of Snow, because otherwise it's basically her word.…

"You never told me Ireland was this muddy…..even though I'm Irish!!!!!" I really hope that actually happened if they killed him.

Also, Ciaran Hinds and his giant head need more time.

those eye stones are creepy- also featured in the first ever Cersei/Jamie scene in the whole series as they were scheming around Jon Arryn's corpse. It's a thing for them.