Thrones finale could be bloodiest

Fans have threatened to riot if Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) is killed off.

Don't expect everything to be resolved when Game of Thrones 4 ends tonight

If you visit the water cooler today, prepare to be asked whether Jon Snow can save Castle Black from the marauding mammoths, giants and cannibals.

You might need an answer ready for whether Arya will cross the Mountain off her "must die" bucket list, or if Sansa has crossed to the dark side with Littlefinger for good.

Do you think Daenerys' dragons have grown big enough to take on the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros? And, most importantly, will troublemaking dwarf Tyrion lose his head?

They're the biggest questions hanging over The Children, the fourth season finale of Game of Thrones which is set to come to a climactic, potentially Twitter-breaking end tonight.

It's an episode that the HBO show's stars and producers are talking up as their best yet, and it comes with an extended running time of 66 minutes.

According to two Emmy Award submissions made for the episode -- for writing and prosthetic makeup -- it could also be the bloodiest Thrones so far too.

But according to one of the show's stars, not all of Thrones' intricate story threads will be resolved.

"It leaves a lot open," says Kit Harrington, who plays Jon Snow.

As always with Game of Thrones, death is just around the corner, and the character with most at risk in this episode is Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage).

Fans have threatened to riot if Tyrion gets killed off.

In a poll on nzherald.co.nz that asked: "The death of which Game of Thrones character would upset you the most?" Tyrion came first by an overwhelming 76 per cent from 1800 votes -- beating the immobile but all-seeing Bran Stark (10 per cent), battle-axe babe Brienne of Tarth (4 per cent) and cute cat Ser Pounce (3 per cent).

Surely producers wouldn't kill off the show's most compelling character -- especially after Dinklage's Emmy-baiting "I"m guilty of being a dwarf" speech during episode six?

That scene was one of this season's finest moments.

But this is Game of Thrones, and ever since Ned Stark's beheading in season one, viewers know anything can happen.

"It's the best finale we've ever done, bar none," showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss have said of the finale.

"We're a little intimidated by the episode because now we have to get back to the business of season five and figure out a way to top it."

It's big talk. We can only hope our favourite characters survive tonight to be involved in it.

What: Game of Thrones, fourth season finale
Where and when: Sky TV's SoHo channel, 8.30pm, tonight

- Staff reporter, AAP, Independent