And now our big finale...

HBO took a break from Veep and Game of Thrones to show Behind the Candelabra Memorial Day weekend.   This Sunday, we're back to Westeros in time to see the last two hours of season three.

There's a formula developed from the first two seasons and it appears the third is taking the same route.

1. Establish/check in with characters
2. Give an early, minor payoff
3. Build action in the mid-season episode, move pieces into place
4. Episode 9 includes huge payoff, climax
5. Episode 10 includes rapidly falling action, immediate  repercussions and starts threads into the next season

So let's see where our favorite four (really, like thirty though) lines, all waiting * show stands going into

Coincidentally, May is sweeps time and sweeps time traditionally means babies are born and weddings occur.* **  There are three weddings on the docket and the first happened in episode eight here, Sansa and Tyrion.  Two episodes remain for a match made in heaven of the terrible longbowman Edmund Tully and yet to be seen but likely hideous and terrible Frey girl, taking place at the Twins, and the royal wedding between Joffrey and his better Margarey at King's Landing.

* Be careful here.  I recommend reading the definitiion at the top and not delving into the many examples listed below it for fear of spoilers on dozens of works of fiction.

* Far from a ratings grab in this case though. 

** If all television existed in the same alternate universe it'd be near impossible to book a venue for May.

Checking in with each of our lines we have:

• Jaime, adjusting to being a southpaw, coming off his recent heel-face-turn is at Harrenhal, but not as a prisoner.  Likely to return to Kings Landing
• Tyrion, married to Sansa Stark.  Growing tension between him and the oft-slapee, Joffrey
• Cersei, brooding about the Tyrells and her upcoming betrothal to them
• Tywin, de facto king who sure is pissing off his kids a lot lately though

• Bran, Rickon and the Reeds, making their way to The Wall to see Jon
• Jon, making his way over The Wall and through the North, undercover, with the wildlings
• Sam, making his way back to The Wall with Craster's daughter and her son, killing Others

• Arya and the Hound, on their way to the Twins
• Brotherhood without Banners, in the Riverlands doing their thing

•  Stannis, cursing the other kings.  Seeing visions in the fire
• Davos, let out of jail finally

• Theon, weiner-less, getting tortured by, apparently, Roose Bolton's men

• Robb, making babies, on his way to the Twins for his uncle's wedding and to secure the Freys, then to attack Casterly Rock
• Catelyn, concerned that the delay in reaching the Twins will further insult the Freys and risk their tenuous relationship

When the show concludes next season what are roughly the first three books, it will be interesting to see how they meld the simultaneous events of the next two books.