[TV] The Wheel of Time

[Kharadin]

Odd. I felt this episode was terrible, potentially even the weakest of all of them. The people running this show are making some really daft choices on what they are using their very limited screentime (8 episodes for EotW is damn short) for when it comes to progressing the story. Some might disagree, but the ENTIRE bit of the widowed warder is in there to attempt get some easy feels from the audience but to the story IT IS IRRELEVANT.Things mattering in this episode: Egwene and Perryn with the children of the light and basically everybody making it to Tar Valon, Rhand meeting an Ogier and reuniting with Nynaeve, that's it. Half of this episode is fluff that does not belong in a show that only has a very limited time to tell it's story. As a result, the actual story elements feel rushed as hell. IMO, this is the weakest episode so far.

I don't think some exposition on the warder bond is irrelevant, it's actually really important to the story later on.

[Smallfruitbat]

So, Loial's actor absolutely killed it! Whoever designed Loial, what the hell were they thinking? He looks like Vincent from the 1980s beauty and the beast. The wolf attack was just a bit meh. They didn't look in the slightest bit dangerous.

The whole Steppin thing -that was just eating up valuable screen time.

I like them setting up the Siuan/Moiraine enmity, and the whole tower politics thing. I'll be gutted if we don't get a Siuan/Moiraine kiss. Though given the opportunities they've squandered, they'll probably skip it I'm guessing that Elaida is being axed in favour of Liandrin. again a shame if they do. I'd call you a dark friend but even the dark one would be embarrassed by you is a real favourite moment

[Mazza]

I don't think some exposition on the warder bond is irrelevant, it's actually really important to the story later on.

I don't mean they could not have done anything about it but 1) they already did last episode and 2) it felt like they spent half the episode on it. Again, considering how little screen time they get to tell the story that time could be better spent on the actual telling of said story. Because of the focus on it this episode they had to rush other parts that are far MORE relevant and the episode suffers for it.

[jdbond]

I think they removed Elaida. Moraine is enemy of Siuan who is strongest? LOIAL is bit big? 5 episode in and Rand has received as much screen time as Stephin.

They either wrote of the fact that Aiel won't use a sword or they will just pretend Loial didn't know.

Where is this show going? I have zero clue at this point. This is now like how MCU portrays Thor vs one from Norse stories. It won't shock me now if Rand is not declared DR.

I mean to think that 4 feet from WT, White cloaks are grabbing people. Like zero thought has been put into logic of show. Just add one scene here, one there. Sigh.

[Shadowferal]

I suspect that you're not going to get much of Caemlyn..if all this season. Which is messed up.
Caemlyn introduced Rand to basic politics, sets up a love interest and is the first time we saw Logain in the books.

Or maybe Rafe &co. will continue their haphazardly re-creation and dwelling on non-relevant moments and then rush through other scenes that are remotely connected to Caemlyn giving you a glimpse of Morgase, Elayne, et al...

[Kharadin]

I don't mean they could not have done anything about it but 1) they already did last episode and 2) it felt like they spent half the episode on it. Again, considering how little screen time they get to tell the story that time could be better spent on the actual telling of said story. Because of the focus on it this episode they had to rush other parts that are far MORE relevant and the episode suffers for it.

I'll agree that it felt like they spent too much time on Stepin in that episode, but I feel like there was some extra info beyond what we saw in ep 4 r.e. the warder bond and how the feelings persist after the Aes Sedai's death (this will definitely be important later on with Lan/Moiraine).

That said I feel like the first half of the episode was such fan service (in a good way, I loved it), we got a braid tug, a "blood and ashes!", we got a solid almost word-for-word - albeit in the wrong location - intro scene for Loial which included a reference to the Travels of Jain Farstrider.

For sure you can argue if they halved the warder focus they could fit more in and reduce the how they're pacing through the beats of EotW but I don't find that takes away from it for me. I just love this shit.

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I think they removed Elaida. Moraine is enemy of Siuan who is strongest?

They're overplaying the pretend animosity between them a bit, but isn't Moiraine one of the strongest living Aes Sedai at this point in the books? The only other contenders I can think of are Siuan and Cadsuane, the latter of which is presumed retired/dead.

[Smallfruitbat]

They're overplaying the pretend animosity between them a bit, but isn't Moiraine one of the strongest living Aes Sedai at this point in the books? The only other contenders I can think of are Siuan and Cadsuane, the latter of which is presumed retired/dead.

There is very little (if anything) between Moiraine and Siuan as regards to power levels. Cadsuane is stronger than both.

[Kharadin]

There is very little (if anything) between Moiraine and Siuan as regards to power levels. Cadsuane is stronger than both.

Thank you for the clarification.

[UshiNoMimi]

They're overplaying the pretend animosity between them a bit, but isn't Moiraine one of the strongest living Aes Sedai at this point in the books? The only other contenders I can think of are Siuan and Cadsuane, the latter of which is presumed retired/dead.

At the beginning of the books she's probably in top5, not counting Cadsuane, who was said to be strongest Aes Sedai in millennium.

[Xath]

Rafe & co. seem to have deliberately dismissed Lan's history. He's been fighting the Shadow for decades. Lord of the Seven Towers, uncrowned king of Malkier, trained at the sword ever since he could hold one. So skilled he even killed two fades at once. Malkieri, alike Shienarans, keep emotions in check when in public. (Husband and wife won't even hold hands)

Reading what went down, it seems they don't care to have the characterizations that made the characters...at all.

I'm really glad I stopped even skimming episodes after the aoe god of healing bs.

[Nynax]

It's not changing that the DR is male, it's changing whether the Aes Sedai of the current age know he's male. If the DR shows up every 3k years and there are multiple society-levelling events during that time, it's easy to see how information can get lost or distorted and that's before we even throw Ishamael's shenanigans into the mix.

one of the coolest things about the White Tower and the Aes Sedai is how powerfully they represented a pillar of stability. While nations and wars changed around them, it was the White Tower that endured it all. Precisely to be a bastion of information, to stand ready to face the Dark One, to be prepared to aid the Dragon Reborn in the last battle. The White Tower, and all it's traditions, is a symbol that represents the exact opposite of "information easily gets lost."

[Kharadin]

At the beginning of the books she's probably in top5, not counting Cadsuane, who was said to be strongest Aes Sedai in millennium.

Indeed, apparently she's tied with Elaida, Suian and Lelaine for second with Cadsuane a chunk above them all. Kerene is also in second but she's dead, the only others on par or above aren't Aes Sedai yet, or are Forsaken (edit: Aviendha is above too, but she's neither). The fandom wiki's kinda useful even if it looks like garbage.

[Biomega]

At the beginning of the books she's probably in top5, not counting Cadsuane, who was said to be strongest Aes Sedai in millennium.

Ah yes, before power inflation blows all of that out of the water and ridiculously powerful female channelers just spring out of the ground like mushrooms after rain in the last few books...

[Kharadin]

one of the coolest things about the White Tower and the Aes Sedai is how powerfully they represented a pillar of stability. While nations and wars changed around them, it was the White Tower that endured it all. Precisely to be a bastion of information, to stand ready to face the Dark One, to be prepared to aid the Dragon Reborn in the last battle. The White Tower, and all it's traditions, is a symbol that represents the exact opposite of "information easily gets lost."

I think you're missing how much the Aes Sedai have been ever so slightly manipulated by the Black Ajah since (and maybe even before? I haven't actually read the BWB cover to cover) the Trolloc Wars, I believe it's implied that using the Oath Rod was a plot of the Black to shorten the lives of Aes Sedai, among other things. I don't think it's a stretch for a translation of the Karaethon Cycle to be lost or changed or whatever other documents such that the gender of the DR is no longer known, or is believed to be either.

You're absolutely right about the intent and the image of the White Tower, but they're certainly not immune to the plots of the Dark One and his lot.

[UshiNoMimi]

Ah yes, before power inflation blows all of that out of the water and ridiculously powerful female channelers just spring out of the ground like mushrooms after rain in the last few books...

Well, that can be attributed to The Wheel needing strong channelers, so they could stand against forces of Dark One. I mean, there's only Alivia who rivals Lanfear/Semirhage in terms of power on the side of Light.

[Shadowferal]

I think you're missing how much the Aes Sedai have been ever so slightly manipulated by the Black Ajah since (and maybe even before?

The black ajah's activities aren't noted in the books before "New Spring."

I haven't actually read the BWB cover to cover) the Trolloc Wars, I believe it's implied that using the Oath Rod was a plot of the Black to shorten the lives of Aes Sedai, among other things.

That's not anywhere in the books. Indeed, the Three Oaths, as stated by Moiraine and later Egwene, the Aes Sedai need to epitomize the Oaths, to be a living expression.

[Orby]

I am gonna get through this show, at least through Season 1 to say I have watched it. I love the books, but this show isn't doing it for me. Which is a shame because I love the cast and some of the sets and scenes, but for some reason the story and narrative they decided to go with isn't gelling with me. But I am willing to see it through until the end of the season.

[Kharadin]

Well, that can be attributed to The Wheel needing strong channelers, so they could stand against forces of Dark One. I mean, there's only Alivia who rivals Lanfear/Semirhage in terms of power on the side of Light.

Interestingly, as of Lanfear being drained Alivia is the strongest channeler alive.

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The black ajah's activities aren't noted in the books before "New Spring." That's not anywhere in the books. Indeed, the Three Oaths, as stated by Moiraine and later Egwene, the Aes Sedai need to epitomize the Oaths, to be a living expression.

"Although the Black claimed to have been around since the Age of Legends, the truth was that they were formed as a coherent organisation by Ishamael during the Trolloc Wars." https://wot.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Ajah#History

I could well have dreamt up the specific reference to the Oath Rod though, but I'm not sure it's use during and after the books really have much impact on whether or not it was a bad thing for the Aes Sedai of the time to be unwittingly giving away half of their lifespan.

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I am gonna get through this show, at least through Season 1 to say I have watched it. I love the books, but this show isn't doing it for me. Which is a shame because I love the cast and some of the sets and scenes, but for some reason the story and narrative they decided to go with isn't gelling with me. But I am willing to see it through until the end of the season.

I'm sorry you feel that way.

[Shadowferal]

I could well have dreamt up the specific reference to the Oath Rod though, but I'm not sure it's use during and after the books really have much impact on whether or not it was a bad thing for the Aes Sedai of the time to be unwittingly giving away half of their lifespan.

I get the reference to the Kin, but Cadsuane, as her character is written, would likely disagree.

[Orby]

I'm sorry you feel that way.

Don't be, I have read the books and seen loads of good shows this year. so if anythign its giving me free time. Hope whoever decides to keep watching it enjoys it though. Its just not the adaptation I was expecting, or maybe my expectations were too high.