#also i LOVE moiraine's face in the first scene

[evilphrog]

Watching Wheel of Time without reading the books: Season 2, episode 1

I'm at it again! I know I never posted the season 1 finale review, and maybe I will go back and do that later. But for now, I just finished the season premiere, and I have to say, Perrin is 100% correct. The five of them are much more impressive together than apart. Which isn't to say I disliked it. They are all on the struggle bus, but that is where character development is at its peak, and where we get to see their true inner strength. Which is to say, I LOVED it. Bring on the angst!

The season opener with the round table of evil plotters was a fun and clever way to deliver some exposition without boring us. Having a little girl crawling under the table, disturbing the Very Important Shadowy Cloak Meeting really humanized every single one of them, and seeing the Fake Dark One be so gentle and patient with her gives some insight into how people can become dark friends. They are just concerned parents. I am now calling him Nancy Reagan, since he is their leader. I also definitely want to pet a trolloc. They look much cuter when they aren’t being ordered to kill everyone in sight. Are they tamable? Or...redeemable? I am still not sure of their level of free will/sentience, so I am not sure which word applies.

The first scene post-credits is Moiraine working hard to take her Very Sad Alone Time Depression Bath. Just one woman, chilling in a hot tub, cuz the water gets cold without magic. It was a very good idea to show the first hot tub scene in the recaps, so I could get the full emotional subtext here. Bathing is a communal activity in this culture, but she can’t handle having someone else see her in such a vulnerable position when she already feels so vulnerable all the time. But the longer she spends isolated, the more alone and vulnerable she will continue to feel.

She and Lan are hiding out with their friends, Sassy Twin, Serious Twin, and Tom. Tom is married to one of them, but I forget which one. Without the warder bond, Lan must have lost the rapid healing that allows him to withstand his severe clothing allergy. Good thing the Sassy Twin is there to helpfully point out additional clothes that might be hurting him, and to reassure him it would be fine to remove them in her home. She truly speaks for all of us. I’m glad Lan has these three friends around to support him as he supports Moiraine. This poor man is having to learn, at the tender age of forty-something, to use his words to describe how he feels. He is afraid for his best friend, he is hurt about being pushed away at a time when he would expect to be leaned on even harder, I am pretty sure he blames her for blocked bond because she had put the block up prior to being shielded, and he feels like he is losing his only purpose in life.

And in the face of all that, he has to exhibit so much patience as Moiraine acts like every insecure teenager ever and tries to push him away. His previous experience with teenagers taught him what this behavior is like, but not how to handle it. Her “I am so aloof and do not care at all about the feelings of others” routine was incredibly transparent to everyone except Lan. He really needed his friends to lovingly slap him in the ego and remind him that the only way to truly help her is to let himself be the vulnerable one, so she can see how it' it's done, and realize it's something she can live with.

But now he has to do it the old fashioned way, by walking upstairs to check on her. Good timing, too. Slightly worse timing for Serious Twin, but at least she could handle all the Eyeless. Hopefully one of the twins does healing.

Meanwhile, at Aes Sedai High, Nynaeve and Egwene are in novice training. Egwene is dealing with a bit of culture shock. She accidentally witnesses an actual, honest to Light, bisexual orgy on screen. She is going from being a big fish in a small pond to being a big fish in an ocean surrounded by other big fish, but she is handling it better than I expected. Nynaeve is handling the entire thing exactly as I hoped she would. While Egwene focuses on adding extra challenges by learning to weave with both hands tied behind her back, Nynaeve is semi-consciously stopping herself from doing any magic at all. Polly tries playing on her pride, by saying she is just scared, and Nynaeve responds by drinking dirty dishwater while making direct eye contact. Such a power move, there. Unfortunately, it leads directly to an unwanted face-to-face discussion with JK Rowling, which quickly turns into a surprise duel. I thought JK was torturing Nynaeve by hurting her, but my husband said she was only making the air too thick for Nynaeve to move through. And really, nothing could possibly torture Nynaeve more than placing an unwanted restriction on her. She did end up shielding her, temporarily, and that was described as one of the most brutal forms of assault. Pretty sick, but also pretty consistent with boarding school hazing rituals.

Later, Nynaeve and Egwene read the letter from Perrin, where he hopes they will all stick together. And JK Rowling goes down to her secret Man Dungeon For Men to read a heavily edited version of the letter to her prisoner, New Mat. And, to this I have to say, come on JK Rowling! Why do you go and pull a stunt that the actual JK Rowling also used in her own book? Your name is getting more and more accurate as time goes on, and that is not a compliment. Anyways, Mat responds in pretty much the same way Harry Potter did, by trying to break out of jail. I’m not sure how I feel about New Mat so far. He seems a bit like a soggy bed sheet, but he is also in the exact circumstances that would lead to soggy bed sheet behavior. His puckish attitude was mostly a mask he put on to lift the spirits of those around him, and his private moments were entirely spent dwelling on his own misery. Presumably the only person he has interacted with for months now is someone who actively feeds on that misery. JK Rowling is a cursed dagger unto herself.

We get a brief glimpse of Rand, with his new haircut. He is sad and has no lines. I assume he will be more present in future episodes. He lights a lantern, presumably for his mother, but maybe for the innocent version of himself that will never exist again. Maybe for his friends he thinks he can never see again. They light the lanterns for those they lost, which might not necessarily mean the ones who died.

Perrin, meanwhile, is on a quest to find Padan Fain and steal back the magic horn. He has found another Wolf guy, who seems to be teaching him how his wolf powers work. Apparently he can see the past? Maybe he is smelling the places where things used to be, like Angua does in Discworld? So then, is he a werewolf? This is a very confusing power that has still not been explained at all. I would have liked to see Perrin get a training sequence similar to Egwene and Nynaeve, but the defining trait of wolf guys is that they aren’t a chatty bunch. They find a bunch of bodies of the traitors from the final battle, presumably disposed of once they were no longer useful. The group holds a proper funeral for them, which confuses Perrin. He doesn’t understand how they can go to such effort for the people responsible for the deaths of hundreds. The prince guy responds that if his people spent their time seeking revenge on those who betray them, they wouldn't have time for anything else. It is more helpful to the ones left behind to let it go and focus on the mission. Sort of the way of the leaf, but with a more productive twist. Perrin is really on a quest for a moral philosophy that he can live with, and this one seems slightly more compatible with him.

At Bel Tine, he lights a lantern for his wife. The first time he has to do so. He places his wedding ring on the lantern, but takes it back at the last second. He isn’t ready to let go of his own guilt just yet, but at least he can move forward while carrying it now. Loial seems good for him. And Perrin is good for Loial. He’s way more likeable now that he has gotten used to the wonder of living in the human world, and stopped condescendingly and incorrectly explaining how it all works. They are both figuring that out together. I am not sure how he survived being stabbed with the cursed dagger. By all rights it makes no sense. So I guess… Loial returned somehow. And we are also moving on from it and focusing on the mission, even if we carry our confusion with us.

Other episode reviews

#wot on prime #wheel of time #wot season 2 #wot prime spoilers #wot s2 spoilers #wot s2 #evilphrog reviews

[starkdirewolflove]

The Wheel of Time thoughts

Im really loving season 2 so far, it’s much faster paced than season 1 and we’re digging into the characters emotions and motivations more. (I haven’t read the books so this is show only).

The last episode was brilliant and had so much going on but that was really Egwene’s episode like episode 3 was Nynaeve’s episode. Watching Egwene go through so much physical and mental torture was tough but as Loial said there is steel beneath the sweet exterior and she will survive this. There are also so many of her friends planning to rescue her: Loial wants to break her out of the kennels, Nynaeve and Elayne are working out how to remove the collar and won’t leave without her, Perrin is close by with Aviendha planning to rescue his friends from the Seanchan which will include Egwene once he knows she’s there and Rand will be on his way as soon as he has his meeting with the Amyrlin Seat. One of the scenes between Egwene and Renna I found interesting was after she got Egwene to use the One Power to burn down the tree she seemed so excited and happy like they really bonded so when she told Egwene she deserved a drink but Egwene fell back in agony because she wanted to attack Renna again, her face just dropped. Like she thought they were friends now and when that didn’t happen that’s when she turned physically violent for the first time, Renna said Egwene can’t hurt her but I think Egwene’s rejection in that moment hurt and that’s when she stopped trying to “cultivate a friendship.” There is going to be such a showdown between those two when Egwene gets rid of the collar and can fight back.

Lanfear/Selene has been an interesting new addition to the cast, I knew from the first sneak peek of her scene with Rand when she tells him if he wants something to take it that she was gonna be evil/a villain but she’s a brilliant villain. Love her calling Ishamael “Ishy” and banishing him from Rand’s dreams and the way she won Liandrin over to her side instead of Ishamael. Lanfear is definitely a femme fatale and is gonna stir things up with both sides.

Liandrin seems close to unraveling now. I think she knows it’s only a matter of time before her true nature is revealed, when she said Elayne was a complication she knew her plan was fucked but she couldn’t back down. Selling Nynaeve and Egwene to the Seanchan she could’ve explained their absence by saying Nynaeve left because of what happened to her in The Arches and Egwene went with her because she was so grief stricken when she thought Nynaeve died that she didn’t want to lose her again, but having the Daughter-Heir of Andor go missing too is one lie too many. All it takes is someone to send word to the Queen asking when her daughter is coming back to the White Tower and there’ll be an uproar. We also found out a bit more about Liandrin’s backstory from Lanfear and why she hates men so much, her life sounds pretty fucked up like and then her reward for swearing to the dark was that her son gets to live but as Lanfear said “this isn’t life.” He’s sick, bedridden, too old and can’t even speak and Liandrin couldn’t watch as Lanfear mercy killed him to “set her free.” I actually gasped when I saw Liandrin at the gathering of Aes Sedai in Cairhien because it’s all gonna blow up next week with her being in the same place as Rand, Mat, Min and Moiraine as well as the two Brown Ajah Verin and Yasicca being onto her now. She looked really panicked when she was trying to find out why the Amyrlin was in Cairhien with 14 Aes Sedai.

Moiraine has been through the ringer this season, she’s trying to cope with being Stilled and having an existential crisis that everything she has been doing for the last 20 years has been wrong and only helped the Dark instead of defeating it. Like that is some heavy burdens, but I think she has being going about things so wrong this season by keeping everyone at arms length and pushing away people who care about her. I know she’s trying to protect Lan because she thinks she’s going to die in this fight against the Dark and she doesn’t want him to feel her death through the bond and end up like Stepin but she should trust him more than she has this season, he’s been her best friend for 20 years, always has her back and would literally die for her, I hope they have a proper reunion next week. There seems to be a thaw with Moiraine and her family after she apologised for how she’s been treating them, like her nephew adores her and her sister still loves her even though there’s some unresolved issues between them but they’re still going to support her even if they don’t know what’s going on. Moiraine has obviously been in contact with Siuan since there was a letter with her seal on the writing desk. It was like a scene from some Victorian romance drama watching Moiraine drafting letters to “my dearest Siuan” and then throwing them away because she can’t explain herself properly, then her sister comes in and says “The Amyrlin Seat is her with fourteen Aes Sedai and she’s demanding an audience with you.” Lol that was brilliant, Moiraine’s face was a picture of shock and surprise, can’t wait to see what happens with them next week.

Lan The Man, he’s done following orders and is taking action to protect Moiraine whether she wants him to or not. He’s been tagging along with Alanna and her warders as if they have him on suicide watch but he’s been figuring out his next move in the fight against the dark and how best to help Moiraine. I can’t believe that Alanna, Maksim and Ihvon actually thought Lan was a dark friend but their confrontation helped move things along. Alanna translated the prophecy about Lanfear, Lan found out where the Amyrlin was and got them to go with him to get her for Moiraine but he also had to tell them about Rand being the Dragon Reborn. I loved that Lan showed up at the end just outside of Cairhien to stop Rand from leaving so now everyone can share information and make a plan to fight back against Ishamael and the Seanchan.

#the wheel of time #rand al'thor #egwene al'vere #nynaeve al'meara #mat cauthon #perrin aybara #moiraine damodred #lan mandragoran #siuan sanche #alanna mosvani #min farshaw #loial #renna #ishamael #lanfear #liandrin guirale #elayne trakand #aviendha #anvaere damodred #barthanes damodred #yasicca #verin mathwin #seanchan #maksim #ihvon

[butterflydm]

wot rewatch: 1x1 - leavetaking

Rewatching as prep for season two! These are going to be pretty spoiler-heavy for the books (will note how far) and kinda live-bloggy - I'm briefly pausing to note down thoughts but won't be writing out entire paragraphs. Just little notes as I go on.

Spoilers for the entire first season and some s2 spoilers plus through maybe The Dragon Reborn in the books. Maybe only The Great Hunt.

1. Fascinating how Liandrin's perspective on men and the One Power is the reverse of the truth. It's not men who make the Power filthy but the Power that makes men go wrong (because of the taint). I do think she genuinely believes what she's saying here though.

2. We get a lot of info from Moiraine and Lan here: we know there's an active prophecy, we know that the Dragon can channel, we know they should be 20 years old. We also see Moiraine's doubts and her wishful thinking both at play: she doubts/tests various parts of the prophecy but does not let herself believe he was gentled before he could ever be found.

3. The rumors in/out of the Two Rivers are interesting to think about - it sounds like the idea of ta'veren must be fairly widely known -- given that we know in TGH that at least one of Moiraine's eyes-and-ears is Tuatha'an, I wonder if the group of Tuatha'an near the Two Rivers that Egwene & Perrin run into (with Ila & Aram) is also the group that has Moiraine's spy, in the show canon. EDIT: we know from TDR about her spy, not TGH, lol

4. I am So Interested in whether or not s2 will get into the emotional details of Egwene not braiding her hair anymore.

5. It kinda feels like the show went more hardcore egalitarian for the Two Rivers than the books did -- we never hear anything about the mayor or village council and the women's circle is a rite of passage for womanhood as opposed to being a governing body.

6. Wolves! ❤

7. Some people apparently took Rand calling past-him a sap as him being... a Chad now? Very strange. He's obviously not being serious (and he brings Egwene a berry in this very episode).

8. The scene with the three boys is so good for establishing them as friends but also showing Mat is not supernaturally lucky here, and we see Rand and Perrin's concern and affection.

9. Enter our Mysterious Wanderers. It's a great dramatic entrance for our very Dramatic pair. Moiraine taking a good look around trying to clock all the twenty year olds.

10. So we get introduced to all the celebration and joy first... and then after Moiraine's intro, we get into the various emotional turmoils each of our younger cast are facing:

a. Perrin's marriage is somewhat troubled.

b. Mat's parents have created a troubled family life for him and his two sisters and he is basically the one raising his sisters even while having to deal with his drunk mom telling him he's a terrible person.

c. Rand and Egwene's relationship breaks up as they realize for the first time that they have grown into having incompatible life goals (a problem that will not go away even after their individual situations completely change).

Despite the idyllic scenery, the emotional undercurrents in the village are complex.

11. First we have Moiraine specifying that they need two beds and then we get the lovely non-sexual bath scene with Lan and Moiraine. I love how much we get to see Moiraine & Lan being platonic companions.

12. I like that Egwene and Rand truly care deeply about each other but that doesn't make their lives compatible.

13. Love how we go from the whistling background sound over the Fade to Fain actually whistling.

14. The next morning, we get Mat pawning the stolen bracelet -- this helps sets up why he steals the dagger later; Mat has an incentive to need money that isn't about being greedy. But then we also see in the later scene that his friends very much want to help him. And Mat shows deep emotional intelligence and concern with Rand as well.

15. Nynaeve gets knocked out as a Dragon candidate right away, due to being too old to be the prophecy baby. Sadly, in the process of figuring that out, Moiraine burns a bridge with Nynaeve (who already wasn't inclined to trust her).

16. The Wisdom cleaning the sacred pool fits very well with Nynaeve becoming a "servant of all" aka Aes Sedai (just like Egwene surrendering to the river is a mirror of surrendering to saidar). But also the Wisdom is really the only 'leader' that we get introduced to in the Two Rivers in the show.

17. I am very curious about if the issue of the Old Wisdom comes up again when Nynaeve is in the White Tower. Nynaeve does seem aware here that Listening To The Wind is connected to the One Power.

18. Again, I love how the Rand, Mat, Perrin friendship feels substantial here and not just because they're all the same age so they hang around together.

19. Love getting the themes here of rebirth and how the reincarnation aspect of the lore feels present in people's everyday lives.

20. Nynaeve being separate from all the other villagers so they can't see her pain. My heart!

21. Now that we've set up Life As It Is, it's time to break it so that the main story can start. Lan brings the news about the Fade & Trollocs and Moiraine confirms that she doesn't know which of the four kiddos is The One (a good thing, as it turns out).

22. Some good character work during the fight:

a. Nynaeve trying to protect and heal her people.

b. Fain just sauntering off without a care.

c. Mat going back into danger to save his sisters.

d. Perrin doing something to make him terrified of the violence inside hinsrlf.

e. We see that there's more to Rand's dad than meets the eye.

f. Rand defeats the Trolloc but at a cost (his dad getting horribly injured).

g. Egwene & Nynaeve both willing to fight back, even when they just have belt knives.

h. Once Moiraine and Lan are able to turn the fight (and we get some lovely choreography of then working as a team and seeing how Warders aid their Aes Sedai), the villagers take heart and really together against the Shadowspawn.

23. Overall just a good job showing how traumatic an attack like this would be.

24. Anyway, it felt clear to me that part of the reason our kiddos don't argue much with Moiraine after the battle is because they're all pretty shocked and traumatized. None of them have ever experienced anything like this!

25. I hope the implied flashback for Moiraine & Siuan in s2 has us getting the prophecy onscreen but it was still cool to hear Moiraine telling them about it here.

26. There's a great shot here of Moiraine facing Egwene and Rand and we see all three of them in shades of blue. Meanwhile, when we swap to Perrin and Mat, Mat has a tiny stripe of blue but the two of them are more earth-tones. Channelers vs non-channelers? Rand puts on an earth-tone coat as they leave - because he's going to be in denial?

27. Right now, Moiraine is saying they need to get to the protection of the White Tower (meaning Siuan and her attempts to ready the Tower). And that's a wrap on episode one!

#wot #wheel of time #wot on prime #wot rewatch #wot book spoilers #wot s2 spoilers mentioned briefly #the great hunt #maybe the dragon reborn

[shutupineedtothink]

I finally landed on a Siuan theory/analysis re: 2x07! And it works prettyyyy good if I do say so myself. At the least it’s plausible. Probably. No book spoilers because I haven’t read the books, this is a show only theory. Read on at your own risk!

Background: So, at first I was on board the “Moiraine and Siuan planned this whole thing daes dae’mar blah blah blah” train. Mostly in my emotional turmoil after watching the episode initially. But, I was forced to dismiss that pretty quickly in light of some of Siuan’s lines, namely “That boy must not leave this city.” And “You lied to me.” She has to believe both of those things are truths to say them, so her somehow being secretly on Moiraine’s side still and them having conjured up some plan together doesn’t match up with either of those lines. Sadly. So that’s pretty much out. If this ends up actually being the case, I look forward to how they explain themselves out of it.

Second theory is of course that it’s playing exactly as we’re seeing it, which ultimately does work and when I can take the emotional dagger to my heart out of it, is objectively really excellent storytelling and character work. These are two women, trying to do the right thing, trying to save the world, and their love is sacrificed at the altar of duty. Duty over love is a theme that’s absolutely pounded into us with many characters, so it makes sense. (As Lan points out to Rand also in this episode, “you were born to protect this whole world, not just the people you love.” That’s kinda where Siuan and Moiraine are at too.) Plus I love the idea that Siuan comes face to face with the very real if unfathomable possibility that Moiraine has been turned to the dark based on her actions and general cageyness for the last six months, and that’s really what motivates every choice Siuan makes, up to and including invoking the oath rod. Really great stuff, brilliant subtext, two thumbs up.

However. There is a third option. *rubs hands together gleefully*

I heard some people saying Siuan could be under Compulsion, which definitely piqued my interest, because we’ve had those breadcrumbs dropped earlier in the season already and it would be nice foreshadowing for this. But most of the conversation I’ve seen seems to be around Liandrin being the one to do it. Probably because we’ve alluded to that already this season, so we know she is capable and has done it before. A tool in her dark friend toolkit, if you will.

But Liandrin being behind it never sat quite right with me either. Compelling Sheriam to change some logbook is one thing, but controlling the Amyrlin seat, for hours if not days to make this happen, is quite another. Idk what kind of strength Compulsion requires, but I bet it’s not nothing. And as powerful as Liandrin is, I don’t think she’s stronger than Siuan Sanche, or would be able to pull one over on her fast enough to make this happen. Plus, Liandrin is off doing other shit in this episode. If she was really implicated I feel like she’d be at least lurking around the other Aes Sedai. Maybe I’m wrong… but I don’t think I am lol.

So, who does have the power to do this? Who else has the means, motive, and opportunity to make this happen? There’s really only one other person.

The other scene stealer of 2x07, ya girl Lanfear.

There’s several bits of dialogue in this episode that back this theory up, both Compulsion in general and Lanfear being behind it, so let’s run from the top.

First, some general evidence that Compulsion might be happening.

Rand and Siuan meet, Rand gives his cute little introduction, Lan has prepared you I see, what else has he told you about me? Then Rand gives this line:

“That you’re not exactly what you seem.”

Interesting choice of words, writers— I mean Rand. He could have said a lot of things there, even directly repeating some of what Lan told him about Siuan, but no. And if you’re already thinking Compulsion, that’s a pretty strong nudge from the writers to PAY ATTENTION to Siuan Sanche, because maybe what she’s doing is not what it seems, even the person she IS in that moment is not what it seems. (Even if the surface level read totally makes sense and still works thematically!) This also wouldn’t be the first time that the writers seem to use the characters to say something/poke fun that’s more directed at us than the actual plot. So I definitely wouldn’t put it past ‘em.

Second, and this is kind of a throw away, but when Moiraine and Lan come in later, Lan says “this isn’t what we agreed to.” This is pretty easy to explain away, but I think it’s still notable that Lan and Siuan had some kind of conversation earlier, perhaps on their way to Cairhien, about what they were going to do in regards to Moiraine and/or Rand. And at that point Siuan at least implied that she was going to help Moiraine and Rand, not cage him. Again, pretty easy to sidestep with aes sedai truth-lies/evasions, but it’s also possible at that point she actually had no intention to cage Rand. Because she wasn’t under Compulsion yet.

Alright, still going in chronological order here, so now we’re getting into some Lanfear-did-it specifics. And I do love-hate this one.

Moiraine and Siuan are arguing over what to do about Rand, then this:

Siuan: “Can you imagine, Moiraine, if one of the forsaken got their hands on him?”

Can YOU imagine, how absolutely giddy it would make Lanfear to make her say this, to Moiraine’s FACE, knowing full well she’s got her hands all over Rand and then some? Come on, son.

Ok jokes aside, here’s the kicker.

Rand and Moiraine in the cell in the sun palace, Rand meets Lanfear in the dream world, Rand goes up to her and says “I’m in a cell, the Amyrlin’s holding me.”

And Lanfear says, so smug, “I know.”

Um, girl? You know?? HOW do you know exactly? I definitely dismissed this on the first couple watches as oh, Lanfear just knows things, but like, no. The Forsaken aren’t omniscient. Now, could she be teleporting herself here and there and spying on everything that’s going on and that’s why she knows? Sure. But that’s boring and I’m on a roll here so let’s keep going.

She knows, not just that Rand is in a cell but specifically that it’s the Amyrlin that’s holding him there, because she herself Compelled (Compulsed?) Siuan to do so.

Ok so motive. Why would Lanfear do this, why spend the effort?

1. It's definitely fun for her. 2. She sets up this scenario where she gets to “save” Rand from the big bad aes sedai, he has no choice but to ask her for help, she LITERALLY shows up in her white knight in shining armor outfit, and she ultimately hopes this helps convince him she actually cares about him and wins him over to her side. (As she tries to tell him in the finale, I’m the only one who cares about YOU, not just what you can do. Mhm sure girl.) And 3. She gets to actively pit the rest of the aes sedai against Moiraine, who she absolutely hates.

And in doing all of this SHE MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE KNOWN about Moiraine and Siuan! That's just icing on the fucking cake! It works either way, because if she did know by forcing Siuan to tell her about their mission and she somehow gets Siuan to admit she loves Moiraine (however that interrogation goes, idk the specifics of compulsion but the show writers are playing fast and loose with the rules anyway), well now it’s game on baby because Lanfear will absolutely be using that info to wreck both of them. If she didn’t know, and her whole motivation is the first three reasons above, then she definitely finds out at the end of 2x07, because she was definitely lurking around the corner listening to that whole exchange between them and it made her fucking night.

And finally, there’s Lanfear’s last line of the episode (I think): “Lucky for you, a broken Amyrlin is more useful to me than a dead one.” Double meaning alert! Siuan is literally lying broken on the ground in that moment, but maybe she was already “broken” well before that, being under Lanfear’s control. (And there’s your Egwene/damane parallel too, damn.) And therefore Lanfear knows exactly how she’ll be “useful” to her.

This whole strategy by Lanfear could also be forecasted from a couple episodes back, when she asks Ishamael why he didn’t just kill Moiraine at the Eye. He basically tells her the same thing, that Moiraine (I believe he uses the words “aes sedai” specifically) is more useful to him alive than dead. So mayyyybe that gave her this idea to manipulate an aes sedai for her purposes, except while Ishamael is playing the long game, she goes full tilt and mind controls the fucking amyrlin seat.

On Siuan’s side of things, every bit of dialogue she has/action she takes makes sense under the assumption that Lanfear is influencing her, because she would “believe” everything she’s doing. Now I don’t know exactly how Compulsion works (in case you couldn’t tell), if it’s like someone else actually making you believe/do things you wouldn’t normally do, or if it’s more of a you’re trapped in your own head and not in control of your body sort of situation, but it works either way. And boy let me tell you, if this theory is correct, that makes Sophie Okenedo’s performance even more impressive than it already is, because it really works either way: Siuan is genuinely doing what she believes is right for the fate of the world and has her stone cold face on to do it (until the very end) OR her “real” expressions/feelings are mostly being masked/faked by the Compulsion and what she’s being forced to do by Lanfear. It tracks! Either way! Insane!!

The other big reason I think this theory works is because of what we find out in the finale — we learn from her conversations with Bayle Domon and Ishamael that Lanfear has been pulling the strings to make this whole season happen all along. (Cue It Was Lanfear All Along music lol). She sold the bits of cuendillar (although I don’t really get why… just for the money?), she seduced Rand, she played Ishamael, all of it. So why not this too? Why not control the Amyrlin seat, if she has the capability and means to do so, especially if she means to take Ishamael off the board and sort of become the de facto leader/strongest of the forsaken. Not really their leader, I know, but it’s a good power play for her is what I’m saying.

Finally, I think this could put us in a REALLY fun place for season 3, with stuff happening at the tower. We could have scenes with Lanfear, Siuan, and Liandrin. We could have Siuan acting increasingly more malevolent or just off somehow, and while most sisters are going with it, Alanna or Leane maybe starts to get suspicious (more Leane please!). We could have Moiraine send the wonder girls back to the tower, ostensibly to continue their training but also because she needs informants to know what Siuan is planning now (which kills her obvs), and because I would love to see them Scooby doo their way through some shit, the three of them figure out what’s going on and somehow (with Alanna’s help?) free Siuan from the Compulsion. Idk but it could be so much fun you guys.

Or, I could be totally wrong. Maybe this is totally not how Compulsion works. I don’t mind either way. This was a super fun thought experiment. But man, if this theory is in any way correct, this will be some of the most twisty TV/dialogue writing I’ve seen in a minute. And, you know, I’m trying to make fishwives happen here! Cmon!

Shout out to the Post Show Recaps podcast deep dive of 2x07 for questioning how Lanfear knew that Siuan had Rand captured and finally clicking this all into place for me. If you’ve got any other pulls from the episode or the season in general that back this theory up, please share in the comments!

#seriously rewatch the episode with this in mind the pieces just fall into place #the drama of it all! #wheel of time #the wheel of time #wot #wot season 2 #wot 2x07 #wheel of time 2x07 #siuan sanche #siuanraine #fishwives #lanfear #the absolute euphoria I will feel if this ends up being correct #only 2 years to find out

[onaperduamedee]

Thoughts on episode 4

The post-cold open scenes with Anveare putting on her armor for a day of political intrigue was beautiful. I love the way this world comes off as cruel and ruthless, and how often characters talk about it being broken.

Perrin, Elyas and Hopper scenes were the most enjoyable to me. I'm really digging their energy together and the Wolf language is cleverly, beautifully shown. Perrin and Hopper were adorable, and Elyas "adopting" Perrin makes them the first healthy mentor/mentee relationship of this season. There isn't enough of them though.

So Moiraine is 70-80... I don't know what to do with that information. I understand why they did it story-wise, but you remove A Lot of Moiraine's motivations by doing that. I'll have to WAFO. I'm very attached to the parallel between Siuan, Moiraine and Lan, and the EF5 when they started out: cutting it for the sake of a point already driven home by Liandrin's son seems wasteful.

I like that Liandrin works so hard to gain Nynaev'es trust because it makes Nyn's taking her "help" at face value much more believable than in the books (where she was frankly gullible). Nyn's rejection of the White Tower is leading her straight into Liandrin's arms and thus playing into the Dark One's hand. Nynaeve is going to feel so betrayed and her distrust of every AS will grow tenfold. The show hasn't made clear yet except in bonus material that Liandrin is specifically a DF which is confusing.

Moiraine's machinations are fun, as are Liandrin's, but the latter work better for me because we're getting so much more insights into hers. I cannot fault Alanna for believing Mo may be a DF because Mo, I love you, but you are at your shadiest here. That said, the Logain and Moiraine scene was a lot.

Where the hell is Siuan? At this point, I am assuming that two scenes in her empty study and multiple characters mentioning her absence are significant details enough for her to be doing something really important off screen. Is she on a secret mission? Is she trapped somewhere? What in the Light is going on?

I love Egwene with my whole heart. I love Nyn with my whole heart. I find their relationship fascinating but I'm really not sure about how they are being written. I like that the estrangement is paralleling Anvaere and Moiraine but Egwene and Nyn's relationship is different and it's bugging me. It's keeping with the books' theme of communication being the characters' greatest foe.

Egwene wanting to protect her friends and feeling like she failed Rand at the Eye... Yeah, that jealousy angle is BS and Elayne misread the situation through and through. Egwene is feeling useless not jealous, which is why she makes rash decisions at every turn to go help her friends.

Extremely unsure about this Min/Mat business. I like that Min is unwittingly embroiled in DF business and promised something she truly desires by Ishamael. I like less that Mat seems not to have an arc at all. They do have fantastic chemistry though so the writers hit jackpot.

The visual of Lanfear getting stabbed and replaced by Moiraine... Perfect. Between the colour schemes, the choking, and the location, they are really driving home that Lanfear is a dark mirror to Moiraine. I'm looking forward to Moiraine unearthing Lanfear's twisted teachings of Rand.

I really enjoy meeting Alanna's family and the dynamic between Maksim, Ivhon and Lan. I love seeing that Aes Sedai can have a fulfilling family life outside of the Tower because that was one of my greatest points of frustration in the books.

The Lan plot is really not doing it for me though. The incertitude about Moiraine's status is making it difficult to embrace this storyline as the characters are always dancing around whether or not Mo and Lan are indefinitely severed. I was curious about Lan getting a storyline outside of Moiraine, but he really isn't? I also dislike the idea that Lan just apparently doesn't care about their mission outside of Moiraine? He learns that Rand is alive and goes "not my problem"? If Mo and Lan were really fighting in lockstep, why is he abandoning their mission now?

As much as I love Moiraine getting to sleuth around Cairhien and avoid her terrifying sister, her storyline is dragging as well. We really need to move forward with the power thing or at least get an insight into what she is thinking because she's losing the general audience's sympathy and I cannot fault them.

The episode was tied by the theme of family in its various forms, biological, adopted, packs, sisterhood, with the biggest parallels between Nyn and Eggy, and Moiraine and Anvaere. Funnily this also sets Rand as part of the Forsaken pack. I suspect that unfortunately Lanfear did a lot of damage to his psyche and the fact that he has more bursts of anger, one ending in him choking Moiraine, is telling. It's exciting.

Overall, I'll have to wait to see how certain plots will resolve to judge whether or not their execution was satisfying here because I'm very unsure about them.

#The wheel of time #wot show spoilers #wot s2 spoilers #wot season 2 spoilers #Wheel of time season 2 spoilers #wheel of time s2 spoilers #Remblai #Wot S2 review #Minor spoilers for New Spring and elements from TGH covered in the show

[markantonys]

I haven’t read the books but I do know what they have done with Moiraine and Siuan’s relationship is way more than it was in the books. On the one hand they developed it fully, have given them a very clear and deep 20 year relationship. And on the other hand, they also destroyed it fully by the end of season 2. Where do you think they are taking this? Will they stick to the books and give them their other relationships or will they weave them back together. It’s anyone’s guess but am interested to hear what yours is. I like the theory that their fallout was preplanned and part of the reason the episode was called daes daemar. But me liking something does not equal logic and fact to be sure

imo there's 0 chance that either of them will have their book relationships, that's just not happening and i find it a little silly when people (not you! but i've seen others doing it) immediately panic and think the show broke them up for that purpose haha of course i can understand why people are worried and upset! but it feels so SO unlikely that either character would ever have a romance with anyone but each other in the show, so that is one worry i think it's pretty safe to set aside altogether. (for time constraint reasons if nothing else; giving moiraine and/or siuan a brand-new love interest and having to develop that relationship would be far from the best use of the show's limited time. plus, i remember rafe outright called moiraine a lesbian in an interview once, so i highly doubt he's got plans for her, at least, to have a male love interest at any point.)

this got a little long so putting a read more!

personally i don't buy the preplanned fallout theory because i think the waygate scene doesn't work with it. if their goal was to make rand trust moiraine, then they accomplished that with their scene in the throne room; there was no need for siuan to chase them down to the waygate, she could've just let them leave if she was in on moiraine's plan here. the only time this theory felt plausible to me is when someone suggested they were in on it together UP UNTIL siuan saw moiraine channeling after moiraine had told her she was stilled, and so everything before that point was an act but everything after was genuine. but even then, it's tricky to explain why siuan would have even chased them to the waygate in the first place - unless she just wanted to make sure they got away successfully and/or wanted leane & co to think she made an effort to stop them, but then catching moiraine in an apparent lie made her change her mind and actually try to stop them? but yeah, imo there's no way the waygate scene was not genuine, but it's possible (but still unlikely; again imo) that the scenes before it were part of a scheme.

and to me, that's okay! to me, as a queer person myself (but ofc i'm just speaking for myself, not for All Queer People), giving queer characters and queer relationships the same narrative weight as het ones also means letting them be flawed and have conflict, rather than keeping them up on a pedestal of perfection and ultimately relegating them to the background of the story because you won't let them face obstacles or develop. i understand why others don't feel that way and were upset by the way things went down in 2x07, but that's just my personal feeling and that's why i personally wasn't bothered to see siuan and moiraine have major conflict here (especially since, unlike the Queer Traumaporn in so much media, this conflict had nothing to do with them being queer - it just felt like a natural conflict that arose from the two characters' specific personalities and life circumstances, as opposed to feeling like they were being punished by their world or by the narrative for being queer, you know?)

duty is a huge theme of WOT and here we saw how moiraine and siuan are both so committed to duty above absolutely everything else. they are both willing to sacrifice anything for what they each see as the greater good, and here, when they realize they have different ideas* about what best serves the greater good, they sacrifice even their relationship with each other because they feel they have no other choice, because they've spent 20 years training themselves to think that the greater good is more important than their personal happiness. to me it's so beautifully tragic! and to me it felt like the best kind of tragedy, one that's rooted in the specific characterization of the individuals involved and on all the previous choices they've made that built up to make the moment of tragedy an inevitable outcome.

*and both are reasonable and in-character ideas that were set up last season. we saw how in their discussion of "can the prophecies be trusted?" in 1x06 that moiraine is skeptical of tower tradition/protocol because she's been out in the world and largely cut off from the tower for 20 years, whereas siuan tends to trust tower tradition/protocol because she's been in the tower leading it for 20 years. and now in s2, from moiraine's perspective they need to break with tower protocol because the tower is too fractured and they have too many enemies within it, but from siuan's perspective they need to return to tower protocol because they tried going rogue and doing so freed the forsaken and was a huge mistake.

all this being said, i do not by any means think the relationship is 100% dead and over for good. like you say, the show put in work to make their relationship much deeper than it was in the books, and i don't think that was for nothing! i think that siuan in particular has been set up for a really meaty character development arc and that this is only the very beginning for her, and that by the end of the show we'll see the two of them reconcile and come back together. maybe i'm totally wrong and maybe it'll turn out that i shouldn't have given the benefit of the doubt, but as of now i don't feel there's reason to worry the show has completely trashed their relationship for good. but season 3 will be a make-or-break season, so by the end of that, depending on how certain book events play out, we should have a much clearer idea of their long-term plans for siuan and siuaraine!

#again not trying to invalidate anyone's differing feelings on this topic! just sharing my own #anonymous #answered #wot show spoilers #wot book spoilers #(mildly so)

[moiraineology]

Hi ❤️ I was wondering, how did you like New Spring if you've finished reading it?

Personally I think it was a great choice to read it even before getting into the Eye of the World and I enjoyed all the details about Moiraine, Siuan and Lan's backgrounds/relationships. It made reading EotW even a little easier to me. The only complain I have is that it was too short 🥲

BTW do you have any favorite parts that you'd like to see as flashbacks on the show?! I would love to get a scene of Moiraine and Lan meeting for the first time or their first bonding!

Oh no! I am so, so sorry for not replying sooner. I really didn't mean to leave you hanging. I was excited to receive this question, and then neglected to respond for...two weeks? Oh boy. I apologize.

I did truly love New Spring. Ripped through it in a couple of days over my reading break (a highlight!). I actually totally agree with you re: reading order. I'm not particularly stringent about that in any case, but I say, if you most ardently adore enjoy a character, just dive in and read everything ever directly written about them :D

It has now been a while since I read it, but I think that most of all I appreciated these very flawed, smart, and funny characters it brought to life. I've mentioned this before in a post, but I'll say it again as many times as possible: I love (love! LOVE) Mo's social ineptitude. Or at least that she treats most social interactions like a dramatic performance, where she has to put on a certain face based on her training and her upbringing. I find the part of the book where she learns about power structures in the Blue Ajah, and the fact that she picks up on this complicated dance of deference and authority that someone (Eadyth?) must then explain verbally, to be incredibly moving. Who among us hasn't felt the temperature of an intricate web of social relations, not natural but cultural (or maybe a combination of the two, where difference is felt and ostracized accordingly, sometimes in a very insidious and subtle way) and been utterly confused, and wished that someone would just explain what the fuck is going on between people? All of this says a lot about her background: culture, class, and also her particular brand of neurosis. I find it very endearing and more relatable than I care to admit (outside of this space). Yeah, also I think she's autistic. I'm nd as all hell and I think so, so it must be true.

Also, I love that we get mean Mo. Impatient Mo. Stubborn, obstinate, and immature Mo. She really did grow up with Lan. I think that's gorgeous. These two are actually kids when they meet, and then it's just them for 20 years on the road, and they learn to be PEOPLE, and to not communicate, and to fulfil the roles that are required of them/all that their duty really entails/how to navigate the politics of their world. Just the two of them. I would kill for flashbacks to times after they initially bonded, and how they were able to grow so close after a rather sticky beginning. I think the answer lies in the empathy that is inherent in a bond. Lan sees Mo as a stubborn child, but when he finally feels the fear and doubt and uncertainty she struggles with every day... a child doesn't normally feel those things. She struggles with the weight of the responsibility that has suddenly been thrust upon her, a responsibility that, to her great credit, she approaches bravely and willingly. Mo, too, can't stand Lan at first (I personally think she is jealous of his gravitas and his calm: we know she wants to be that way, but can't yet. Not until she grows up a little more), but she will soon meet the man who has been raised from birth to be the king of a nation that no longer exists. And what that does to a person. And exactly why Lan must be the way that he is (and how much she can learn from him). Also, I actually cried laughing and just gleefully clapped and giggled when Mo was pranking Lan and her inner voice was just...so conniving and sneaky and clever. "He would meet the wasps in perfect health." I genuinely think it's the funniest line ever written (perhaps that says more about my dumb sense of humour than RJ's comedic ability, but to his credit, he is really fucking funny sometimes).

And I can't end my little rant without talking about Siuan. I so appreciated the chance to get to know this character, who is introduced so beautifully to us in the show at the height of her power. As someone who is more than a little bossy, strategic, and clever, and who is very accustomed to being in control of a room. I love seeing what that looks like in a young person. She has the confidence, personality, and work ethic, but not yet the experience to be an effective leader. However, she leads Moiraine. And Moiraine likes it and she lets her. Again, relatable. More than I care to admit outside of this space. I also am fascinated by the cultural and class differences between the two women. The qualities they share (curiosity, drive, ambition, and so, so much integrity) are almost outweighed by those differences (Siuan is measured where Mo is impulsive, Siuan is frugal where Mo spends lavishly, Siuan is irreverent and unconstrained by the expectations of her rank, while Mo is and has always been bound by them). It's cool to see how they change one another. And the ways in which they remain unchanged into adulthood. Right up until we meet them together in the show. Also I think it's really fucking cute that Moiraine wanted to sugar momma Siuan so bad that she tried to buy her a horse. Who?? among us?? hasn't lived that fantasy?? No? Just me? (I would love to sugar momma my baby girl, if only I had the means).

Will you tell me what you thought about it, too? I would love to hear all of your thoughts. What would you like to see explored in the show?

Thank you so much for your thoughtful asks. I love answering them, even when I take too long.

#wot book spoilers #moiraine damodred #siuan sanche #lan mandragoran #fishwives #siuanraine #wot on prime #moiraine x siuan #moiraine and lan #new spring spoilers #wot meta #i guess?

[hxans]

A hero of the bloody horn, I love that so much for Uno. I hope fans who were big mad about his death are satisfied.

It is morning, and my thoughts may be disjointed, but ahh, I really loved the finale and I wanna watch it all again because I'm sure I missed stuff because I was too busy flailing.

Obviously, as a Mat fangirl, I loved him in this episode. We got to see him be clever! He had his moment, the desperation to blow the horn, and then we find out he is a hero of the horn, I love that for him! "Dovie'andi se tovya sagain" HE SAID THE THING ahhhhhhh omg it was beautiful.

And then he fucked up, but it was fated and also not his fault and it delivers great angsty moments for us and a meet-cute for Rand and Elayne so we can't be mad.

Also, I don't know if it's their intent, but I do hope they're sort of setting us up to have Padain Fain be Mat's biggest antagonist aside from the Forsaken, like Dain/whitecloaks will be Perrin's. It would make their eventual confrontation at TLB make more sense if, like, they've been cat and mousing each other across the continent for a while there. Especially with that dagger connection.

Also, is Mat going to lose the dagger again? Or will it be entrusted to Aes Sedai and Fain nicks it again, idk. I do absolutely love baby's first ashandarei, but I hope we'll still get the upgraded one from Rhuidean (and everything else he gets there).

Poor Egwene getting her braid cut! That was an unexpected bit of violence, but I also love that she still had to be threatened into doing what Renna commanded. And how she went from being marginally okay with wreaking violence on whitecloaks to horrified at civilians caught in the crossfire and literally spitting the dummy. And I know the books emphasize like, be the bigger person Ewgene and let Renna (& Seta) face the justice of being discovered by their fellows, but yeah that scene was incredibly satisfying anyway.

It does make me wonder for future storylines, having two of the three sul'dam that were used getting killed off, will we still get Bethamin, or will that be cut, idk. Maybe they will cut Edesina, Joline and Teslyn to just one of them.

Also, uhhh, Nynaeve in sul'damn get up and being full of wrath awoke things in me that has me feeling less straight than I thought I was. Um. (r.i.p. tumblr user mogehdien I can only imagine how much you're not coping with that plus the epilogue)

I didn't even catch about Lanfear blasting Moiraine through a doorway until others noted it, but that was a beautiful touch.

I very much liked how the beginning of the season talked about how separated they're weakened, together they form a shield wall, and how true that showed in the final confrontation.

Rand vs. Turak had me cackling. Boy was like, we ain't got no time for that and shot him.

Are we for sure that Suroth is dead? I saw bodies hitting the water but there's always the possibility someone could retrieve her and she was not as dead as we thought...

Also, Moghedien, oh she looks so fun. I love her already.

I wonder if her warning Lanfear off Rand will inspire a certain disguise? Hiding not only from him but them while trying to keep an eye on things.

#wheel of time #wot on prime #wot show spoilers #wot s2 spoilers #wot book spoilers #an incomplete reaction but some flaily thoughts I had to scream out

[esterzach]

So there goes nothing. “I like her, you know. The Wisdom.” In answer to @poohsticksbridge

To me, the whole scene was a manipulation. Now that I know why, it makes sense. It's just I don't know if this line is true, as in if it's a genuine admiration and warm feelings towards her, or if she means something more. Or, she somehow managed to twist herself in order for this to pass as truth. Because... the previous experience suggests a not-so-great relationship between the two. And I don't think Moiraine is at fault here, although she had started with the left foot with her, albeit on purpose. Also, Moiraine regrets doing that to Lan. It's evident on her face. Before she says that and after Lan leaves. She looks like she feels guilty for doing this. Why do I doubt it was genuine?

I mean here comes this young woman, who is far greater than her in her power, who saved their life, more so - Lan's life, also she managed to take over Lan's attention even before that. Moiraine is human after all. No matter how much the logic says Moiraine has to be grateful, that she understands where Nynaeve's fear comes from, the attitude of the young Wisdom doesn't help a lot. 

She tried to test Moiraine's patience even with that first conversation in Tar Valon. The whole episode Moiraine is down, depressed, sort of defeated. I understand she is at home. But there is so much that she has to worry about. She found the DR and managed to lose him. She comes back to a place where everyone is suspicious of her and looks as if she is a stranger. Or, like Stepin, they probably think she is the odd one. Linadrin has that attitude toward her, and you wonder, is she in love with her or hates her guts or both... I don't know - I don't understand humans. She also senses Lan's worry. After Kerene’s death implications are clear as day - one day this will happen to them.  

On top of that, some feisty young girl threatens her! She tries to speak with her. She tries to explain. And Nynaeve threatens her. Then she goes with Liandrin's advice, Moiraine probably knows that they met, because why else would Liandrin gloat in her face like that. And The next day, not only is the fiasco in the Hall, not only they still mourn Stepin, the Wisdom, in her wisdom, has fucked up again. 

And dares to snarl at Moiraine "Of course". Kid, can we NoT!?

Moiraine has just healed Mat, who by the way, tried to kill her, she is exhausted so much that she stumbles after whatever was crawling over her face ... (properly disgusting, great work!), and Nynaeve is like You again!

I mean, no matter how zen you are... just...

I don't know, I understand I am not neither as mature nor as calm and composed a person as I have to be, considering... but keeping a good demeanor and good attitude after that... It would be hard for anyone. Moiraine is a bigger person than most of us I guess. 

Then there is more. Things are piling up. And as hilarious as it is for us... and no matter how Moiraine would see through her, Nynaeve insults The Amyrlin throne. Twice. Now... if it was anyone else, it would have been sorta kinda “whatever” for Moiraine... But just imagine a random woman, a stranger comes into your home and insults someone you love. A partner, or a relative... She is supposed to be an adult, I get she is young and defensive, but ... Plus the famous line: "Siuan Sanche waits for only one woman. And it's not you!" Yet again it was a reaction to Nynaeve casually insulting Siuan, dismissing her as she is not that important "Let her wait!" It shows at least two things, that most people caught. That is Moiraine being absolutely confident in her relationship with Siuan. She puts Nynaeve in her place - she can not talk about The Amyrlin this way in front of her. But in order to get from Moiraine being nice, all smiles, expecting both girls to be grateful and happy with the surprise, to her being so irritated that she loses control and lets that slip in front of two people who have NO CLUE about her relationships with Siuan, this has to strike a nerve. She is mad! Not that Nynaeve gets that not-so-subtle hint. Because only minutes later, she does it again! This time, thankfully for Nynaeve, Moiraine follows Siuan's reactions and just smiles.

At the Waygate "Why should we trust you?" I mean this was within reason I guess... But still, it adds up to the pile of what Moiraine takes from her. And this is maybe a few hours after the Oath Rod event.

And then there is Fal Dara. 

So finally I am getting to the “I like her, you know!” My initial reaction: “You do? Since when?". Because it comes right after "You forget, girl, that I can not lie!" Her tone so obviously says she is done with her behaviour, that it almost doesn’t allow other interpretation. She turns to her with "girl". OUCH! That was on purpose. Nynaeve craves for people to take her seriously, and Moiraine knows it since the village and their conversation. People commented on her previous line about the wisdom being a sick burn. I think this one is actually worse.

Moiraine just said to her you are nothing but a little girl, a child who thinks that she can play in the world of the adults. And that was in front of Lan.

So I don’t know if have a good enough explanation for her next line, MINUTES later. If it was phrased in another way, maybe... But it takes quite the jump from her previous behaviour, to be taken as clean truth. Now, I understand why Moiraine had to say that she likes Nynaeve and possibly it has to be true. It was part of her plan. She had to push Lan to her, to have him out, she needed him to be distracted that night, so she could release the Bond. Moiraine needed a reason to mask the Bond. And I think the masking before in Tar Valon was done with the same purpose - to have the excuse to make Lan ( and us) NOT question her or run to her when she does it again. Lan is outraged the first time she does it- he immediately goes to her. This is not something she usually does. She says It’s been two years. I thought you would appreciate the break. The thing is we all assumed Moiraine and Siuan hadn't seen each other in two years. That might not been the case at all. Maybe it's been two years since she masked the Bond. They may even share … the fun times. But she needs a reason now for Lan to think this is something she does. "Hey, I am letting you have privacy tonight."

Plus, Lan already sensed something was wrong. He asks her and Moiraine tells him. She practically leads him to get to the answer himself later on, just not right now. She does the same thing before she sends him away in S2. She explains to him her motives for her next actions, so when he thinks over it later on, he has all the answers. "Nostalgia. The air reminds me of the night we met. (that statement is a bit shaky, I think she was trying to lie here) I feel like I’ve taken everything from you. There is more to life than me, than this mission. (There is absolutely no hesitation in those, so this is her telling her absolute truth and regret).  And the last push - “I like her, you know. (a pause) The Wisdom." A push toward Nynaeve. She has given him approval. This is her saying goodbye. It doesn’t matter who is the Dragon at this point. That is before Rand reveals what he knew.

That pause though is slightly suspicious. Maybe I just started to read too much in every word, but her speech patterns matter, and what she says often can be interpreted in more than one way. She makes connected statements, they look like a flowing monologue, but the connection between them is placed there to create a suggestion, that this is what she means. It sounds like one thing leads to another, and separately they are truths, but sometimes there is more hidden in them, and they actually stand alone as separate information. The person who listens hears what she says but receives an overall message or conclusion from her last words, that may not be the actual meaning of her words. (Right before the scene with Lan, Rand argues with Agwene. She says: "Moiraine can not lie" and he answers: "That doesn't mean she cannot mislead." It feels like they make a point with this, a hint to prepare the audience that something will happen in this direction). They did that in S2 E2 with her, but because we already heard other Aes Sedai using elusive language to hide or obscure truth, we started searching for it in their speech and it became more obvious. The writers use that trick, like the magician's hand - look here, not there. It shouldn’t work, but it does, because like Lan, we are not used to it, we are not expecting it. And we are focused on something else. On the one that doesn't matter that much. It's why most people thought the Bond was masked even after S2E8.

Lan doesn’t expect Moiraine to actively manipulate him. In his mind their relationships are clear. He knows Moiraine can do that. He is perfectly aware that he has an intelligent woman trained on two fronts to be very precise with her words and is able to play with them. He knows she is capable. But using it on him? She has no reason to do that. So she uses manipulation to make him go outside and spend some time with his people. Counting on Nynaeve she will somehow follow - she is curious, she tends to go around and she is interested in Lan. The rest is maybe sheer luck.

The music in the background is the same as when she was saying goodbye to Tar Valon and Siuan. Even the setting is similar- she watches from a high place. If Tar Valon represents her connection to Siuan, Fal Dara is Lan. And she is saying goodbye to Fal Dara and to Lan. The other option is that Moiraine actually really thinks that. There are after all two big moments, where Nynaeve saves everyone. Both times Moiraine turns toward her and gives her a look. She has seen exactly how Nynaeve reacts when the people who she cares about are in danger. She also knows that Nynaeve's behaviour is dictated by fear and jealousy, by insecurities, but this is only a surface level. If one manages to ignore her big mouth and the constant jabs toward Moiraine, the core of her personality is the instinct and the desire to protect. She saves everyone the first time by pure instinct, in her rage and desperation, refusing to accept the reality of the situation. Moiraine even says it to Liandrin - The healer who saved the dying with her first channeling, choosing Red? Get outa here.

The second time though, in the Ways, Nynaeve hears her own fears in the words of The Black Wind. That she will watch them all die and do nothing. And is like "Fuck that". She is the one who steps in front of everyone and creates a sort of shield. She is pissed, but she is choosing it. She actively steps ahead and seeks for her power. It is not a surprise to her this time. Two people refuse to give up on The black wind. Everyone else is paralyzed on the ground trying to survive. There is a moment, while Moiraine is channeling to open the gate when she turns around and sees what Nynaeve is doing. Lan is there, trying to pull her back so they can leave. Moiraine awaits until everyone is out.

Once outside, the group is trying to process what happened. Everyone is crying. Even Moiraine has red eyes from whatever she had heard in there. Nynaeve looks quite composed though. Angry, but overall she seems fine. Moiraine turns to her and says "Well done." Then she adds "Everyone". Nynaeve is the first to speak. So Moiraine already saw her saving everyone, standing up to a magical power that took over your mind and was enough composed to think clearly after the whole mess. That probably wins her quite the respect of the Aes Sedai. So from Moiraine's perspective, if she is to leave Lan, if he ends up with a powerful, overprotective stubborn woman, whose first instinct when they are in danger is to get over herself - every fear, every insecurity, even barriers built up for years, who on top of it has feeling for him - that might not be that bad.

#wheel of time #moiraine damodred #lan mandragoran #nynaeve al'meara

[thewholedamnboulangerie]

oh it's episode 5 time

ishamael waiting until suroth's already been punished BEFORE whipping out the horn aka the thing that could have justified the diversion... either he wanted to see her get punished or he is in fact not a smart man (it's the former)

OUUUGHHHHHHHH I LOVE HOPPER SO MUCH I WILL CRY I WILL SCREAM I WILL REND GARMENTS

we can and will feel normal about perrin picking up the hammer [nodding] (lying)

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH SHE'S HERE

OMFG AVIENDHA IS THE AIEL IN A CAGE FUCKING HELL I LOVE ADAPTATIONAL CHOICES

DAIN BORNHALD OH WE ARE FUCKING BITING

Lady 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

oooooohhhhhhh the fact that the ep is called Damane and it's the last plotline we're getting (...well. unless Mat or Lan - or Verin i GUESS, though I suspect she's more likely to pop up via Moiraine than by herself - shows up even later) idk idk i have thoughts about it i have feelings about it!!! idk what they are but i have them!!

AAAAAAHHHHHHHH I STAND CORRECTED VERIN MY BELOVEDDDDDDDDDDDDD

omfg Katie Leung???? now that's a face i have not seen in a hot second

Suroth calling Perrin Ishamael's pet wolf really is. hm. yes. yes.

THE ABSOLUTE MAGNIFICENCE OF AL'DIVAL FADING INTO AVIENDHA'S THEME OOOHHHHHH IM KISSING EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS SHOW ON THE MOUTH

PERRIN AYBARA DO YOU LIKE TO DANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE EMOTIONS THAT I JUST FELT!!!!!!!!!!!

IS IT A COINCIDENCE THAT TEL'ARAN'RHIOD IS GETTING NAMEDROPPED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THIS EPISODE SPECIFICALLY??? like. Egwene sure does have two (2) major character development arcs in book two and this episode is literally named after one of them AND NOW THE SECOND IS BEING MENTIONED??? hhhrrr.

(if it's been namedropped before and i've just forgotten don't tell me)

Barthanes... gdi why is my memory of this guy so full of holes. i shall huff and puff about it most grumpily i think

why do I also have zero recollection of Sheriam being Blue Ajah

GAWYN NAMEDROP GAWYN NAMEDROP

Verin's detective society of hot librarians oh i am eating this with a spoon holy FUCK i am truly not used to being catered to THIS SPECIFICALLY AND OFTEN AND VARIOUSLY

okay okay who had Suroth/Liandrin on their bingo card

LIANDRIN SETTING THEM FREE I WILL EAT THE ENTIRE SUN MOTHERFUCKER

ELAYNE THE STRATEGIST OOOOOOUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHH BLORBO BLORBO BLORBO BLORBO BLORBO BLORBO BLORBO BLORBO I CANNOT EVEN EXPRESS THE EXTENT TO WHICH I FUCKING ADORE HER

VERIN AND LIANDRIN IN THE SAME SCENE IM GOING TO. FUMKIN. ESPLOTE.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA VERINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

MMMMMMMASKLDJFASKLFGJSLDKGJDFLH ISHAMAEL/RAND FOR THE BINGO BABEYYYYYYYYYYYY

WAIT STOP THAT WAS EVEN MORE FUN ASKLFJSDLKGJLKSFGJDFLKHJDFLGKHJFLGKH okay absolutely fucking obsessed with every single choice they've made about Portraying The Forsaken. they are so so evil and so so scary but most importantly they are SO SO FUCKING FUNNY

"Mat was born mine" ESPLAIN? ESPLAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LANFEAR'S DOMINATRIX OUTFIT I AM BUT A SIMPLE LESBIAN HELLO????????????????

#wheel of time

[sapphoshands]

okay so the anon the other night asked me for thoughts about moiraine and/or siuan and i really only gave them thoughts about moiraine, but tonight i am having some thoughts about siuan!

there have been a lot of gifs of siuan looking at moiraine on my dash today, and so that is what i am thinking about. that first moment in the hall when she enters in front of everyone and sweeps past alanna and moiraine and liandrin without apparent notice, climbs the throne and seats herself and only then does she raise her gaze, slowly, slowly. how much control that must take! after two years! to look at moiraine in front of the entire hall and not show anything! the more so because moiraine is clearly not in control of herself to the same extent. and we have been shown just how unflappable moiraine is from the very first episode! and here is siuan, outdoing her in stoicism!

because she has to be. so much of herself forced down into 'nothing but the seat.' she has to be unimpeachable, unreadable. has to be.

and we're shown how much of a toll it takes on her when she does the same in the hut - pauses at moiraine's entrance and takes a moment to collect herself before she looks up all the way. she can't quite shake that persona, even here in this place that is only for them!

it takes time, and effort, and it's so, so slow. the way she reaches for moiraine's face, still looking at her with that particularly shuttered mask, only for it to begin to crack as she touches moiraine and understands that they're truly together again. all that sorrow and love just comes pouring out. and then she can't look at moiraine without showing it! and she can't stop looking at her!

and i'm not talking just in the hut, with the adoring amusement of 'you little pufferfish.' moiraine looks away as she paces the room, but siuan never, never does. she only closes her eyes when she's talking about her dreams, because she knows what they mean. she can't get enough of looking at moiraine, because it happens so rarely.

but also, the next morning, when they're with egwene and nynaeve. she can't help herself! she looks at moiraine and giggles! she shares meaningful glances! she's lost that habit of control, and she needs to get it back.

and she does, before they meet in the hall again. she puts the amyrlin back on and she pulls herself together and she is so fully in control. except for when moiraine is leaving. when siuan breaks completely from the rest of the aes sedai and not only looks at moiraine, but - in a wonderful reversal of that first hall scene - turns her head to watch her go. at first she didn't look until the last possible moment; here she keeps looking until the last possible moment.

she can't get enough of looking at moiraine. because. well. she thinks she'll never have the chance again.

#so! there's a corresponding thought about siuan! #have a good evening! #(i just love them did u kno) #please bring me s2 and more siuan i am begging the universe #siuan sanche

[lionesswisdom]

Season 2 Episodes 1-3 Thoughts

So this will be all my thoughts on the first three episodes of season 2:

The pacing this season is so much better, we get to sit down with these characters and the scenes are allowed to breath. It adds so much more depth and I’m glad the episodes are longer

The Moiraine and Lan scenes hurt so much but god Rosamund and Daniel are doing phenomenal with these scenes.

Now I’m terrified that the bond passing will happen but with Alanna

Also don’t like them mentioning the Carniera thing. Especially with the smiles of their faces. I need to rewatch it again and see what Lan and Moiraine were thinking

I love what they are doing with Perrin’s arc and I am looking forward to him learning more about his connection with the wolves and his relationship with violence. As well as seeing more of Perrin Golden Eyes!

Donal is amazing as Mat. I am enjoying his performance so much. And that scene where he tried to go to Egwene to comfort her but decided not to. My heart.

I love how they are handling Nynaeve’s relationship with the one power and her block. You can see that her trauma from the s1 finale is affecting her. And oh the accepted test. I cried at throughout it. I love that it showed why Nynaeve really is in the tower and how she’s scared of being powerless to protect the people she loves without the one power.

And Egwene!! I really like that they explored her jealousy of Nynaeve and her insecurities. Madeleine did such a good job with her facial expressions at any time the Aes Sedai wanted Nynaeve. But as Elayne said it wasn’t a good look on her and I liked that Egwene realised that. Also so curious about the using the one power without her hands they are doing with Egwene.

Oh and where to begin with Rand. Those scenes we got of him and Selene were just wow. But Rand honey I need you to realise that you cannot trust Selene! I really liked his scenes with Errol and we got his red coat!! So happy we got that and I like that we are already getting into Daes Dae'mar and people showing interest in Rand.

Ceara Coveney is Elayne. She made me love Elayne even more. I really loved that she looked out for Egwene and how fast friends they became. Also her thinking Egwene was a servant was hilarious and assuming that Egwene just got here cause her room was a mess. Love that she soon got a reality check but took it with pride and acceptance her punishment.

The channeling also looks so much better! I loved the coloured weaves and exploring more of the one power. The vfx on the show has also improved as well as the set design and costumes which I loved seeing. You can tell they got a budget increase.

Also other stands outs were Verin and Adeleas. They were fantastic and I loved them the moment I saw them.

#the wheel of time #wheel of time #wot on prime #wot show spoilers #wot spoilers #wot book spoilers

[torashisama]

Why why whyyyyy?!!!! I stayed far away from any spoilers or media about 2x07. Wanted to give myself time to savour it without work distractions. I thought I so loved Moiraine and Siuan in the episode in the first season. Can’t wait to see them in 2x07. I haven’t read the books so I was totally clueless going in.

And WHAT THE HELL?! I did not see that coming at all. This better be a planned thing between them because what? Though that last scene, the betrayal on Moiraine’s face and pain on Siuan’s seemed real. But whyyyyyyyyy. I have since checked to see which way they may go in the books…..only to find out it wasn’t this deep of a relationship there so everything is new for the show. Unhelpful since they can go anywhere!!!!!! Keep my fishwives together!!!!

I refuse to believe they are not working together all evidence going against my own head cannon is out

I haven’t read the books so I was totally clueless going in.

-> I feel you on this one, I didn't either, and apparently in the book it didn't happen either, anyway. I was deep in my feelings during the episode.

This better be a planned thing between them because what?

-> I think it was and the super long theory i'm working on is near i just have to figure out a way to add the vids as it's 1 vid per post and it's good to go. You'll tell me what you think ?

only to find out it wasn’t this deep of a relationship there so everything is new for the show.

-> Yes they were just best friends in the main serie but the prequel revealed that they were "pillow friends" basically they were a thing just not supposed to be in a serious long term relationship with Siuan. So if you want to read them together + Lan. You should read New Spring. It's the only book i'm going to read as I intend on staying a show only fan until the last season at least.

I refuse to believe they are not working together all evidence going against my own head cannon is out

-> My theory will disapoint you on this front, I don't think they did but it is still going our way ( siuaraine shippers). It's built on the assumption that Liuan ( Lan+ Siuan) did. You can take a look at the short and outdated (but still relevant ) version here if you want, if you're wainting for 10k + words version as many others here and on twitter.

Also, VOTE FOR SIUAN!

#torashi's answers #the wheel of time #siuanraine #daes dae'mar #theory related

[butterflydm]

wot rewatch 1x8: the eye of the world

I made it before the new season started! <3

spoilers for the first season of WoT and for most of the s2 teasers that we've gotten. For the books... um... honestly mostly stuff from Eye of the World that didn't end up in the show, lol. Oh, and for New Spring, I guess.

@apocalypticavolition mentioned that Perrin's original plot was probably helping Lan track Moiraine - that makes a lot of sense! It would have given Perrin a chance to flex his heightened senses and it might have even given Lan a chance to name-drop Elyas.

Okay, wow, yay! Our Completely Old Tongue scene from Age of Legends. When this first opened and they were just... talking in the Old Tongue... I was so blown away. I was not expecting it. I think they've hinted that we might get more Old Tongue scenes in s2 as well, which would be fantastic.

I'm glad that I read The Strike on Shayol Ghul short story -- they really did pull a lot of the info from that story for this scene, so that was very cool to see.

There is definitely a lot more focus on "Dragon as father" here than in the books (and I wonder if the tragedy of him murdering his family is going to focus more on killing his kids and not solely about killing his wife, once we get into that)

And the reveal at the end that '3000 years ago' was actually futuristic and we're living in a post-apocalyptic landscape, which is a great reframing for anyone who didn't already know.

Love all our Moiraine & Rand ~bonding time~ here (for various values of bonding time, lol). Definitely curious about where that relationship is going to go over the course of s2.

Egwene and Perrin checking in with each other is a sweet moment. Yeah, things Got Weird last episode due to stress and Nynaeve accidentally telling a secret that wasn't hers, but it hasn't wrecked their friendship.

And if Perrin is the one helping Lan here (supernaturally), then Lan and Nynaeve's scene would have just been the romantic goodbye.

Ishamael notes here that he didn't think that Rand was the Dragon Reborn. It sounds like he was expecting Rand to look more like LTT did. I really do love him calling Rand "Lews Therin", poor Rand. The identity issues are only going to get worse, bb. Love that Rand starts their conversation with an arrow to the face.

"Ever since the day I channeled, I hear nothing [from the wind]" is our first allusion to Nynaeve's block, I believe.

Moiraine tapdancing around the truth as hard as possible so that she doesn't have to admit that she physically can't teach Rand channeling. She's even willing to share one of her traumas with Rand in order to avoid admitting it! Also, I do think that Elaida's willingness to turn to violence is going to stand out a lot more in a world where teaching isn't always accompanied by brutality, as it is in the books.

haha, I totally forgot about this scene with Min and the others. Maybe because it doesn't really tell us anything we aren't going to learn immediately even without her (a nod to how pointless Min's viewings mostly are in the books? lol) but it does prompt Min to get out of the city on the wagons, I'm guessing.

Apologies to all the people who worked hard on the battle scenes but I don't ever have much to say about things like that.

Rand already getting memories (and Moiraine seeing him remember) plus Rand trying to protect people from getting hurt because they're standing next to him. (and Rand trying to give an order that Moiraine immediately ignores lol)

yeah if Lan had a companion (like Perrin) then his scenes here would have actually had some dialogue - they may have even given Rand the line about Malkier because they wanted to get the info out but it was originally supposed to come out in dialogue between Lan and Perrin.

Aww, family moment between the Agelmars. It's sweet. I honestly barely remember the Agelmars from the books, so this was an improvement. "Buy enough time to stand a chance" is going to be a big theme, too.

We also kinda get confirmation here that Darkfriends have been more effective in the show-verse than they were in the books-verse (it seems like more knowledge has been destroyed).

18. So, given what we've seen in the teasers of Ishy getting Lanfear from a seal, it seems like this specific spot is where LTT sealed Ishamael in particular (half-sealed?) and he released Ishamael fully when he cracked the seal. Before this, we only see Ishy working in people's dreams and then, in s2, he gets to actually exist in the waking world.

19. While I do see the effects of the covid shutdown and new rules in the battle scenes (and am looking forward to seeing them pop off without those setbacks in s2!); the scenes with Rand in the dream and Rand against Ishamael are perfect and I will hear no arguments against them. Rand is, ultimately, a philosophical hero and not a battle hero. He gets that wrong a lot in the books! But things tend to backfire on him when he tries to force himself into the battle hero position.

20. And we have ~the temptation~ here, with Egwene and little Joiya (and the mention of Mat, which was fascinating at the time and remains utterly fascinating; that fake!Egwene makes a point of mentioning Mat in Rand's temptation dreamworld).

21. The imagery for what Ishamael does to Moiraine is pretty much exactly like the shielding on Logain and not anything like when Logain was severed later in the episode, so I will (one last time before the new season lol) put my bet in that she was shielded. Ishamael is just able to do a lot faster than the Aes Sedai. Also when Moiraine is right behind Rand like this, you can really see how similar their shirts really are in color.

22. Min is jetting out of Fal Dara as fast as she can -- show!Min actually seems aware that she's not a fighter. #goodforher

23. But they did use needing to have Perrin in Fal Dara to give him a nice little scene with Loial that fed into the violence vs peace conflict.

24. Ishy really put in the work here (I'm assuming that it must have all been drawn from Rand's memories which, again, makes Egwene mentioning that Mat is saying he's going to make Joiya a lantern just incredibly fascinating). Ishamael waits until Rand falls for the trap to reveal to Rand what's going on (sorta). And both Ishy and Rand are working the angles here -- Ishy pretends that he wants Rand to pick the dream world and... you know, that would be useful but... he still wins if Rand fights him because that surge of Power will break his seal. And Rand pretends that he's falling for the temptation but actually is looking for Ishy to give him some clues on how to access the Power on purpose.

25. Ah, s2 setup is happening: Perrin learns that the Dragon needs the Horn at the Last Battle; and Fain was given the password to get into the fortress, which means there's a Darkfriend who knows the passwords.

26. I 100% approve of the show making joining a circle dangerous. In the books, circles are so completely underused and it feels silly because they are very low risk. People should be in circles all the time; especially when things get dangerous.

27. Lots of emphasis on fatherhood this season -- Rand's struggle about Tam being his father; Rand's desire to be a father (expressed both in ep1 and here with Joiya). We also had Siuan's relationship with her father being a key element of her character.

28. Rand loves Egwene enough to know that their paths have diverged and it would be wrong to try to force her onto the same path as him just because he loves her.

29. Very cute that Rand thinks he just defeated the Dark One. I want to give him a pet on his fluffy (currently sweaty lol) head).

30. Perrin gets the infodump from Fain instead of it being Mat. It's a good infodump, from someone who definitely, obviously has an agenda.

31. Rand thinks he's succeeded, so he leaves on his own so that he won't hurt the ones he loved. Baby. Off he goes, into the big world of Making Bad Life Choices, bless him.

32. And the poor little girl who, at least, probably died quickly? The show did such a good job with the Seanchan. Both here and in what we've seen so far in the teasers for s2. They are gonna be extremely creepy and heartbreaking and scary. You can definitely see tear-tracks on the face of one of the damane here.

#wot #wheel of time #wot on prime #wot rewatch #wot book spoilers #wot s2 spoilers #wheel of time s2 spoilers #wot prime spoilers #wot show spoilers #new spring

[killldeer]

what was meant to be liveblog

lotta yelling and caps in this one. consider yourself warned

- alright let’s see how well i can take notes while probably also geeking tf out

- the jolt of fear when I read “3000 years ago” that we were abt to see the eotw prologue oh my god

- WAIT UH OH

- this is so insane

- CINEMATIC INTRODUCTION JUMPSCARE FUCK YES

- dain’s armor 😍

- dain in silver and geofram in matching gold,,, father son armor set

- hello beach waygate from all of the promos <3

- i love how explicitly lanfear reveals layers of her Schemes to ishamael. like obviously this is a visual medium so it’s kind of necessary, but natasha o’keefe delivers it in such a delicious teasing way

- OH SO WE’RE GOING FULL FANTASY CATHOLIC CULT HUH. like what are the little holy water swingy things called. i can’t believe the whitecloaks just have these things.

- watching the whitecloaks and seanchan kill each other with unbridled glee and a bowl of popcorn

- NOOOO NOT CHARACTERS WITH PERSONAL AND CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS TO THEIR HAIR GETTING IT CHOPPED OFF AS A PUNISHMENT THAT’S THE TROPE I’M SENSITIVE ABOUT

- “I know who kills [rand], and what he uses to do it”. I mean yeah but like. you don’t have to rub it in

- HM. DIDN’T LIKE THAT TRANSITION

- angry nynaeve. ANGRY NYNAEVE.

- “i’m not gonna touch it :)” sigh. this is the face of a man who is probably going to touch it

- moiraine and lan re-bonding forehead touch event leaves 8 dead 29 injured

- oh boy it’s Ingtar Reveal Time methinks??

- turak posturing himself to get into a Proper Blademaster Duel and rand just immediately killing the entire squad with saidin bullets. THAT’s how you fucking deal w the seanchan baby

- the tension of egwene being forced to channel to kill but also knowing that she’s doing it against the whitecloaks who tortured her is so thick i could cut it with a knife. ooouuughh

- suroth’s fucking azula lookin ass

- mat baby boy you can do it. i believe in you buddy

- ARE YOU MAKING A FUCKING SPEAR

- MATRIM CAUTHON I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IT HURTS

- haha holy shit. holy shit. they’re gonna do the Sul’dam Can Channel reveal with egwene and renna.

- “Pick up your weapons! Fight with us! Send these slavers back where they came from!” Heartbreaking; The Worst Man You Know Just Made A Good Point

- mat perrin reunion 🥹

- KICK HER FUCKING ASS EGWENE

- “you abandoned [egwene]. you made her a killer.” oh fuck OFF man c’mon. please please do not let this be the jumpstart for rand’s Weird About Women spiral please

- THE HORN OF BLOODY VALERE BABY

- I like that it looks so goofy and futuristic. it’s even got a mysterious little shimmer effect. I of course love the aesthetic of it being a funny little French horn as much as the next books fan, but lbr this is much more the speed of the age of legends ppl

- oh god. oh god i did get so caught up in the plot that i forgot the reason hopper spends most of this series in tel’aran’rhiod.

- hopper’s last sending being him soaring into the sky :,(

- kill geofram bornhald. kill geofram bornhald. kill geofram bornhald.

- YEAHHHH

- CMON BABY BLOW THE HORN

- THE GRAVE! IS NO BAR!! TO MY CALL!!!!

- “I… I remember.”

- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

- ohhh man the SCORE. the fact that it sounds kinda like a “regular” fantasy score is so fun

- UNO IS FUCKING HERE

- birgitte!! hi!!!!!!!!

- DOVIE’ANDI SE TOVYA SAGAIN

- HOLY FUCKING SHIT

- I would like to submit to the record. for posterity’s sake. that the above notes for this scene were written only after i rewatched it for the third time. because the first two times I watched it I was literally in tears almost the entire time. like as soon as i started to see the heroes of the horn materializing behind him I was gone. just pointing at the screen sobbing “that’s my fucking boy!”

- “I’m not sure I’ll be able to channel when I get there.” hey so why are we not letting nynaeve channel at all now!! how is she not furious about at least some aspect of the situation she is currently in??? i’m not even the biggest nynaeve stan but this one is even pissing me off

- egwene holding her shield alone against ishamael ohhhh my god

- well at least we still get the “rand meets elayne while she’s patching him up” meetcute or whatever

- the gang’s all here :)

- hm the big fiery dragon seems a little goofy. not sure what exactly i’m feeling about it

- YOU. MOGHEDIEN.

- the show shares my moggy pronunciation

- moghedien looks like a teen lesbian. I mean this in a tone of utmost praise. look at those crazy bangs and long dark skirt and huge chunky boots that still only take her up to Lanfear Tits Height

- “Light help you, rand al’thor.” lanfear seems aware of this but she’s literally gonna need that luck as much as he does if she’s gonna survive the average Daily Forsaken Squabbles without killing someone

#scheduling this one to post at a reasonable time lol #sorry for missing liveblogs for eps 6 & 7! I started them but got too engrossed in the eps/explaining them to my roommate to finish lol #wheel of time #wheel of prime #wot show spoilers #wheel of time spoilers #personal

[horridporrid]

A Place of Safety: (58 min)

An in-depth look at Wheel of Time s1e3. Spoilers for all of season one.

Prologue:

We're back at the Bel Tine battle, Nynaeve's perspective, picking up shortly after she was dragged off by a Trolloc. It's the sound design working their magic again as we hear a muted version of Egwene screaming Nynaeve's name as battle sounds go on around her. That muted sound and the dazed look on Nynaeve's face suggests she's either just come to or has been floating close to unconsciousness.

Excellent use of editing and pacing in the scene between the two Trollocs. There's a long enough pause when the big Trolloc looks over the wounded Trolloc that you kind of expect the big one to help the wounded one. So when the killing and cannibalism does come it's shocking.

And of course, it's an anathema to Nynaeve, our healer. Shocks her all the way to awake and she takes the opportunity to run the fuck away.

I love both how fast Nynaeve moves and the leeway they give her before the big Trolloc pulls himself from his meal and gives chase. It means the Trolloc pops into screen high off in the corners, like a boogeyman. And it means the Trolloc's own speed can be seen as threatening. (Even with that much lead time, the Trolloc is hot on her heels.)

I also love the little pause when Nynaeve enters the cave and you can see her think, "okay, now what?" Like she ran here on instinct (this is her safe place) but now she has to really think her way to getting out of this trap.

Once again, the practical effects and CGI people really did a great job on the Trollocs. And I'm glad they went practical. I don't think this scene would work with purely CGI effects.

And! I love the homage to... I think it's a scene from "Preditor" when Arnold Schwarzenegger's character creeps out of the water to take down the alien?... Letting the viewers know that Nynaeve is about to do something pretty badass. (Intertextuality!)

Which, of course she does. This was a one chance move that required precision and strength and she did it. That's our girl. And now we know how she got the Trolloc knife she used to threaten Lan.

The bit with the Trolloc's blood forming the dragon fang struck me as cheesy when I first saw it in a trailer clip. But in-show they use the image very sparingly. It's barely formed when Nynaeve comes splashing up through it and that saves it, imo. Instead of a heavy-handed lampshade it's more an easter egg.

Credits and...

We're back to Nynaeve holding her Trolloc knife to Lan's throat demanding he take her to her friends. I notice (because I'm really looking out for these things) that both Lan and Nynaeve are kind of dirty and he's getting scruffy.

This scene is all about negotiation. They both want different and at this point, apparently opposing, things. Nynaeve wants her people back. Lan wants help for Moiraine. Lan cannot give Nynaeve what she wants and therefore she has no interest in giving him what he wants.

Nynaeve appears to have the upper hand, being armed. And first Lan tries to say she's just bluffing, that she's not the violent type. Which, he's wrong (which I love!). But, he's also better at the whole violence thing so even though Nynaeve's willing to use both her Trolloc knife and her teeth, Lan wins this round.

Cut to mountains...

It's early morning and we're with Rand and Mat in the mountains overlooking Shadar Logoth. The view gives us a nice look at the differing typography surrounding the city, depending on which side of the river you're on. So viewers interested in orienting themselves regarding our three different storylines can see the forest and plains stretching out beneath the mountain range Rand and Mat are climbing.

Well, Mat's climbing, Rand is hollering for Perrin and Egwene. Which leaves Mat as the voice of reason (things are chasing us, maybe not a great idea to be loudly advertising our location). And then we have another set of negotiations with a bonus reveal of the two character's current driving motivations.

Mat wants to go back home. It seems the cynicism he'd expressed in the last two episodes was honestly felt and he's surprised that Rand doesn't agree with him in distrusting Moiraine. But of course, Rand's motivation is to find Egwene and Perrin. He cannot allow himself to believe they're dead and he cannot go home without them. So, they're going to go where Rand knows Egwene will be going: east to Tar Valon.

I don't think this is the dagger talking. There's some actorly business that Harris uses to signal when the dagger is coming out and he doesn't use them here. Plus, he's kind to Rand. Easily agreeing that Egwene and Perrin must have made it, gently stopping Rand's panicked hollering, giving up on the idea of going home with very little push back. I think it all comes down to Mat's most driving need being caring for his sisters, so of course, his choice will always be to get back home unless something specific interferes. (In this case, his love for his friends. Mat wants to find them, too.)

This also suggests that Mat believes that neither he nor Rand are serious contenders for the Dragon Reborn. (Which, I'm pretty sure if you took a poll of our four at this point, Egwene would win.)

This is where we get that perfect exchange, "They say all roads lead to Tar Valon." "That's not how roads work." that signals the beginning of the Rand and Mat comedic duo portion of the episode. I relish every moment of it.

Meanwhile, on the plains...

Winning the "worst time ever" award, Perrin and Egwene are stumbling across what looks like freezingly cold and windy plains. We can hear wolves hounding them. When they huddle in the covert of a dead tree and Perrin uses Mat's dagger to try to light a fire I'm already cringing for him expecting the knife cut to come. It is so hard to do anything when you're freezing and he looks like he's freezing.

Fortunately, Egwene is a quick study and channels the fire alight. The camera work is clever here. We're not quite sure if what Egwene was obviously trying to do worked or if Perrin succeeded in getting a spark (the scene is Perrin's POV, so no weaves are seen to give us a hint). I like the slow burn aspect of what Egwene is or will be capable of.

And I love that Perrin is so supportive of Egwene being able to channel. He might not be sure if she was the one to light the fire but he shows that he's comfortable with her having that ability by joking about her getting them food and water as well. Which you can see is a big relief for Egwene.

For these two, there is no negotiation. They both want to find their friends. So the only discussion for them is the direction to take. West to back home or east to Tar Valon. Egwene is sure Rand will go back home. Perrin knows Rand will go where he thinks Egwene would go. Neither of them worry about what Mat would want. (Because both of them know Rand will be the one to make the call? Or do they not think Mat has a strong opinion one way or the other?) Anyway, Perrin's certainty prevails and we're saved from a Gift of the Magi, journeys edition. The two snuggle in for some rest.

The next day, in the forest...

The cut to Nynaeve bound and gagged will never not be funny to me.

Lan is back to being clean and groomed, every hair in place. This is the group that is the most well off, camping-wise. Lan got out with both his and Moiraine's horses, so they have whatever supplies are in those saddlebags. Nynaeve has her own horse and supplies as well (her portable herb kit!!). And they're, all of them, used to being out in the woods. The only down side is Moiraine dying of Trolloc poison, but even then, they've got a trained and equipped healer.

Which, we get to see that training and equipment in action as Nynaeve gathers and mixes and does her best to help Moiraine.

What struck me on this rewatch is that, while it appears that Nyaneve has the upper hand (she gets the last word in all her interactions with Lan and seems to feel like the one in control), I think Lan is using a bit of negotiating jiu jitsu. She's not asking for anything Lan and Moiraine wouldn't be willing to eventually give and Nynaeve is doing everything Lan is asking of her.

Of course, it helps that Nynaeve is a healer to her bones. Moiraine is truly ill. There's no way Nynaeve wouldn't help her no matter her words.

Anyway, lovely forest scenes, gorgeous music. Lan carefully watching Nynaeve's every move and you can see him getting more and more intrigued. And then that little bit where he finally asks Nynaeve how she tracked him and she says, "I said you could ask. Not that I'd answer." It's so petty and unexpected and you can see Lan is amused despite himself. I love all of this!

Very interesting that it's Nynaeve who explicitly let's us know that Lan is Moiraine's Warder and that they have a magical bond and can physically feel what the other feels. A late in the game confirmation of all that was visually shown to us from the moment Lan and Moiraine appeared on screen.

It's something I think the show does really, really well. They visually share information or lore with the audience and then confirm what the audience has probably already figured out with dialogue. (Like the hierarchy of the Fade and the Trollocs, last episode.) This strikes me as a really organic way to work in a lot of world building and lore.

More excellent practical effects with Moraine's wound. Totally gross and painful looking.

This also marks a moment of change in how Nynaeve sees Lan. As she watches him tend to Moiraine, you can see her register how much he cares. For the first time Nynaeve speaks to him as someone worried about their sick loved one. Patient and gentle and empathetic.

Break for dream sequence:

Perrin's dream is spooky. Very atmospheric with the storm and the glowing eyes in the window and the tinkling of the various wind chimes but...

Is it bad that I'm a bit bored by it? I mean, there's not much too it, really. It keeps us guessing as to who's the dragon, with the baddie obviously keeping an eye on Perrin. And it tells us that Perrin is still upset about Laila's death and there's something odd going on with him and wolves, but... We see Perrin carrying his guilt and grief regarding Laila in an upcoming scene with Egwene that hits much, much harder, imo. And the way the wolves herd Perrin and Egwene throughout the first third of this episode already tells us something is up with Perrin and the wolves...

I think I'm probably a bit annoyed because the issue within Laila and Perrin's marriage (his love for Egwene) should've been handled a ton better on the front end. If we knew Laila was worried about Perrin's affection for Egwene, than we'd be in on the extra guilt driving Perrin here. And that could be interesting. But since we don't know, this just adds fodder to the Laila was a darkfriend false-lead (that I know the show did not mean to set up).

I mean, I guess that Laila's cryptic "I know" has something to do with Perrin being snuggled up with Egwene at this moment but especially as I don't think Perrin has anything remotely romantic going through his head at the moment (too exhausted and freezing and scared for those sort of thoughts) it seems a bit... forced. Or something.

Anyway! The important bit is that the wolves have come in close enough to alarm Egwene and get her and Perrin moving in a very specific direction as we see with the multiple course corrections as they run through the woods.

I will say, I think Perrin and Egwene are the worst off of the three groups. They're both town kids who probably have little experience fully roughing it in the wilds. I'm sure they camped and such and are tons more experienced than the average person today: see Perrin knowing how to light a fire using a rock and a knife. But getting thrown into the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on their back (and the knives on their belts) has left them in pretty dire straits. Not like...

Meanwhile, on the mountain:

...our comic duo with Rand on hand. He's in his element. Not only would Rand have a ton of experience being out in the wilds with the sheep, he was quick enough to grab up his quiver and bow (and his dad's sword!) when things went sideways in Shadar Logoth. So the biggest complaint with this group is that it's cold. (Or a little chilly. Depending on who you ask.)

Rand really is in a good mood as he and Mat make their way over the mountain. Best he's been in since Egwene dumped him. I think it's because he and Egwene got things settled between them and he's on his way to find her (and Perrin). He's got a goal and it's something he can totally do and there's no one trying to run his life or making him question himself.

But of course, happy characters don't make for good stories so our two stumble across a mining town. I love the twangy bass guitar theme for the town. Foreshadows a character we're about to meet but also sets up the "16 Tons" vibe the town has going for them.

If you're looking for worn costumes, dirty faces and hard-lived sets... welcome to Breen's Springs! Don't let the dead guy hanging in a cage throw you off. (Or you know, do. I don't think Breen's Springs is dependent on tourist dollars.) I will also note, neither Mat nor Rand stand out too badly compared to the town residents. Rand's coat is a lot nicer but it's very much travel stained.

Discerning viewers might have noted the four totems just outside the bar they're entering. Carved with the likeness of four kings, one might ask? (Nice little easter egg for viewers but a light enough touch that it's easy to miss, allowing for a fun surprise later on.)

I love how subtly they build Dana's character. She definitely clocks them coming into the bar but it reads more like the barkeep making sure they know to come and buy something.

Both Rand and Mat are so wet behind the ears when it comes to the big wide world and we see it on display here. Rand's taking Dana's word that the soup is actually good. Bless him.

I love the idioms the show has introduced for various locations. Two Rivers had, "down mountain," to describe people and activities that don't concern them. Breen's Springs has, "fresh one," to describe people new to town and boy doesn't that layer on implications about this place.

The only other fresh one being the gleeman. *excited gasp* Thoooom!!! I love everything about this moment. From the way he gets up onto the stage, to the light flick of his coat showing off the gleeman colors of its lining, to the way he owns the room from the moment he starts tuning his guitar.

And then he starts to sing. That gravelly voice... Oh my God... that voice.

Mat is immediately entranced, which Rand clocks. The whole room falls into the sadness of Thom's song but it hits Rand particularly hard. He actually has tears in his eyes. Interesting that it emphasizes dead children ("little graves that had no warning"). I predict this is going to be the specific Dragon-grief direction the show will take.

Anyway, the listeners are deep in the throws of the grief catharses Thom tossed them into but Dana easily lifts the mood by reminding patrons they can still drink. And Mat is such a fresh one himself he's victimized by the town pickpocket.

Which Thom notes and rectifies and he gives Mat a chance to notice he's down a coin purse but Mat is more interested in throwing Thom some shade. "Too depressed for charity." Rude! Insulting the song choice and the singer. So Thom engages and Mat is still a little prickly pear. Which is interesting because he really was enthralled with Thom's singing while it was happening.

Is this the dagger? Some of it, probably. But I think you could also point to Mat's issues with his dad. They spin him in a different direction later on in the episode but it makes sense to me that he'd start off in a more guarded mode.

I do note that Thom pays for his drink with his own coin, then pays for Mat's food with Mat's coin. Which is when Mat finally realizes his purse is gone and Thom drives the lesson home. Which, it's a good lesson to be learned and Thom did give Mat a couple of chances to not be a colossal dick.

Mat seems ready to actually throw down (which again, dagger? or Thom pushing his daddy-issues buttons? why not both?) but fortunately Rand is there to read the room and keep Mat from getting thrown in the lake. At best.

Back to the plains

The wolves are still herding and Perrin and Egwene are still walking. His coat is filthy. Her coat hides the dirt a lot better but the fleece lining of the hood is looking pretty sooty. They stumble across some wagon tracks and this is either a good thing (merchants) or a bad thing (White Cloaks). And off of Egwene's very visible gasp at the idea I wonder, did our Two Rivers crew always see the White Cloaks as baddies? Or were they more, "down mountain," folk that they didn't really think about until their recent encounter and Egwene's learning she can channel?

Egwene suggests the wolves herded them here. Perrin thinks about it. (This is the slowest storyline.)

Back to the bar

Rand continues to be in a good mood and Mat continues to be sour. They head off to chat with Dana about night lodging and Mat steps in for a charm offensive that falls incredibly flat. There's an edge to his demeanor that means either Mat isn't actually that good at being charming (which I don't believe) or he's not really on his game (which I do believe). Again, this could be down to circumstances (just got robbed, etc.) but I think the dagger is warming up.

More humor bits: That close up of Rand's face as Dana pours all the customer leftovers (food, drinks) into the soup pot. Confirmation that Mat goes for older women (which leaves me wondering, a bit of a mom-complex, or is it more targeting women of means who'd tend towards older?)

Anyway, they end up out back chopping wood for their lodging and this is where the dagger really kicks in hard. Mat sniffs, winces, rubs his nose. All little actorly bits throughout the scene that point to his being off kilter. I also love how when Mat says things he knows will hurt Rand (Perrin and Egwene are dead), you can see him instantly regret and feel guilty about it. And yet, the dagger keeps him digging into sore spots. (Egwene wouldn't go out of her way for Rand.) And Rand finally hits back, calling Mat a prick and sending him away.

Does Rand realize what a loaded word that is for Mat? Could be he does. You always know how to hurt the ones you love.

I do love how diabolical the dagger's influence is. It's getting Mat to act in a way that's off but not entirely out of character. He's still got his instinct to charm but now he's not as good at it. He's not the guy to voluntarily offer hard labor but this time the suggestion actively angers him. So he winds up turning on Rand after he'd spent all last episode doing his best to keep Rand's spirits up. Which means Mat will be left wondering if the dagger tapped into something within him rather than merely turning him into a different person.

Anyway, Mat tries once more to charm Dana and she's having none of it (love the easter egg of the horse trader bit). I think he's also subtly offering sex as a payment method with that crack about the sheets. Dana doesn't bite but she has softened towards Mat and they end up having an honest conversation as Mat starts waiting tables.

Again, I love the subtly of Dana. She's deftly probing for information here but not pressing too hard. Mat lies, a bit awkwardly, but she lets it go. We also get our first inkling of Dana's motivations. She hates where she's from and who she currently is and dreams of getting out. (Love watching how the idea of completely reinventing oneself lands so hard on Mat. Foreshadowing!)

A power shift in the forest:

Nynaeve admits she's at her limit with Moiraine. Lan totally calls Nynaeve's bluff and heads off (to go look for Aes Sedai as we later learn), leaving Moiraine entirely in Nynaeve's care. She's not thrilled that he's so right about her, but what's she going to do? Their dynamic is so fun to watch and now it's Lan with the upper hand.

Into the fog:

Perrin and Egwene are about to head into some thick fog so their cautious approach is no longer viable. And this is where the emotional fog Perrin has been under starts to thin. I love that he and Egwene know each so well she's immediately able to cut through what he's saying on the surface to the underlying motivation.

And Perrin finally verbalizes that Laila's death is his fault. A massive step forward in healing! But of course, Egwene isn't actually a mind-reader so she's assuming it's a "I didn't protect her like I should have," not an actual fog-of-war thing. Still.... baby steps.

Also, I do appreciate that Egwene knows the first rule of survival in a potentially horror level situation: do not split up. (Which, I'm mostly joking but the show does tell us she enjoys adventure stories. Maybe that trope is still around?)

Perrin gets to show off some super-human perceptive abilities in realizing they've got people behind them before Egwene notices them.

And then the Tuatha'an proceed to act extremely sketch. The fog is a big assist as is their weird, "Do you know the song?" greeting tradition. The camera work also sets us up to be wary of these people as it comes at them at a slant. It's only after Aram fills Egwene and Perrin in on the custom and Ila moves into the finishing bit that the camera comes straight in on her and her crew and we get to see, oh this is just a sweet, hippy grandma. (And compared to the Tuatha'an, Egwene and Perrin really do look awful. Dirty, frizzy-haired, very hard traveled.)

Along with the shift in camera angles we're shown laughing children, a bunch of potted plants (which, clever way to assure steady greens as they travel), and tasty home cooking to show us that these people are safe. (In contrast, there were no children and no greenery in Breen's Spring.) Perrin and Egwene have just leaped-frogged into being in the most comfortable storyline.

I like the set up that Aram is the only one of the Tuatha'an who gets that their opening lines are a bit... odd, to the uninitiated. I also like the set up that the Tuatha'an aren't used to running across people who don't already know who they are. (They may have thought Perrin and Egwene were interested in joining them? Or maybe scouting them for some nefarious purpose. We'll later learn they use numbers as a safety measure.)

Interesting that the Two Rivers aren't familiar with the Tuatha'an. It's not until Aram shares the slur-word, Tinkers, that recognition flickers with Egwene and Perrin. (A subtle reinforcing of the Two Rivers isolation.)

Meanwhile, at the woodpile:

A very sweat-stained Rand (seriously, there's a sweat stain all down the back of his shirt) is chopping wood and throwing shade. Mat will return, "when the work is done." And no, he and Mat aren't a couple. If Rand wanted a man, he could do better. I die laughing. Rand gets pissy when he's angry.

Dana does not own the bar/inn and she does not get great pay. Which, going by everything she says throughout the episode I have to wonder, who owns this town? Because I'm strongly suspecting that my "16 Tons" reference early on was more apt that I'd realized. People get stuck in this place when they've nowhere else to go and have made some really bad decisions. I'm guessing people either have to work here in the first place (paying off a debt) or once they start are quickly trapped into not being able to leave (a debt is manufactured, company-store style). Probably a combination of both. The economics of this world are not rosy, in other words.

Dana's let down her hair, sort of, and pulled open her blouse and Rand is very sweet and picking up on none of it and I'm not all that surprised she thought he and Mat were a couple. But then he swerves right into asking Dana to stay and drink with him. (And we know he doesn't mean it the way it comes across and this is going to get him into trouble one day. I mean, regular trouble.)

Gorgeous man rides gorgeous horse through gorgeous scenery:

Pretty much all there is to Lan's searching and finding montage. But... it's enough. :)

I will say, it makes sense that Lan was able to so easily find the Aes Sedai. He knew, via the White Cloaks, where they were heading and/or coming from and there probably aren't too many routes between Ghealdan and Tar Valon.

Moiraine whispers Siuan's name!!1!!1! I couldn't make it out without the help of the subtitles but it's there!

Nynaeve is very tender to the injured Moiraine. She's a big softy at heart and everyone who knows her knows that. Lan now counts as one of those people.

At the dead man's cage:

The second showdown between Mat and Thom!

And now we get a very rare example of the show giving us some world building exposition prior to any visual work. Thom tells us a few things about the Aiel, including their unusual to this world, red hair. It's an interesting choice to show us a dead Aiel and then explain a bit about their culture before we ever meet a living one. A case of wanting their reputation to proceed them?

If you're going to do a verbal exposition drop, Thom's your guy. (The viewers are cued into seeing Thom as someone who knows things because he knew exactly where Mat was from. Proof of ability, then ability activated.) And it gives him a chance to bond with Mat.

You can see how hungry Mat is for a father-figure in this scene. Just a few moments of patiently answering Mat's questions and he's earned Mat's trust enough that Mat goes for total honesty. And then Thom repays Mat's honesty with a tender level of understanding (we all have our desperate moments) Mat probably isn't used to receiving.

Despite his quickness to pull his dagger on Thom in the scene's opening, this is the real Mat we're seeing. And the real Mat does not shirk from hard labor when asked. He stays to help Thom bury the body. (Though he does have a long glance towards town because he knows Rand will be wondering where he is.)

In the sound-proof room:

Dana's coming off as trustworthy as Thom, dropping easter eggs all over the place as Rand wisely keeps some information back (where he's from, where he's going, why) but drops some emotional honesty, admitting that his world's turned upside down on him. (I don't know shit, really.)

There's an interesting contrast in their views of the Wheel. Dana feels it's trapped her where she doesn't want to be. Rand sees himself as making his own decisions without the Wheel taking a hand in his life. (Though, he is starting to wonder about that one.)

Rand continues to really throw out the wrong signals (leaning right into Dana's space as he opens up emotionally) so it's not weird or forced that Dana makes a move. That Rand pulls back and that they're both immediately apologetic about reading the other wrong is also not weird or off putting. But Dana has played her hand. There's no good reason for her to stay anymore but she does need to stay to make sure she gets Mat. So she closes the open door (with epically ominous door-closing sound design) and proceeds to act creepy as fuck.

That, "get back on the bed," line. O.O For a moment I thought the scene was going to go in a completely different direction. But it's just a capture and hold move. She needs to make sure Mat walks into the trap Rand's caught in.

I love how easily Dana is able to take Rand's sword from him. He's a fresh little innocent and Dana's been around rough sorts her whole life.

I also love that she genuinely seems to like Rand. I think everything she told Mat and Rand has been true. She just failed to share how far she was willing to go to get out of the situation the Wheel has put her in.

Meanwhile, at a fresh grave:

Mat has fully imprinted on Thom, baby duckling style, by this point. And he shows off for his new dad-figure by demonstrating his own pickpocketing skills. Thom, being a good guy, acts suitably pleased at Mat's skill and then drops that super ominous (especially since Dana made a similar quip), "don't let me find you hanging in a cage." [Why has the show suggested this might happen to Mat, TWICE!!]

Thom guitar-themes his way out. I'M SURE WE NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN.

Back at the, oh... now I think on it, a sound-proof room is actually kind of creepy, room of realization:

Dana tells Rand it's impossible to break down the door. ... Rand breaks down the door.

(Good sound-design, here. Again. Cues us that something beyond panicked farmer strength is going on.)

Then it's Mat and Rand running while Dana chases them Terminator-style and I do like that they completely drop the humanity of Dana for this chase scene. It's how the boys would be seeing her: an inexplicable threat/monster. Especially as she's able to use her knowledge of the town's layout to cut them off.

And then the learning begins: We learn Dana (and all of her ilk) are looking for five (5!) different potentials via info fed to them through their dreams.

We get the first Big Bad name drop: Ishamael. (There's so much I love about how Izuka Hoyle played this role, but the way she delivers that name: *chefs kiss*)

And in direct contrast to Tam's philosophy of the Wheel back in episode 1 (the Wheel is a mercy and gives us a chance to try again, to do better this time), Dana lays out the view of the Dark (the Wheel is a trap forcing good people to live through bad things again, and again, and again. Stopping it would be the mercy). And we learn that the Dragon Reborn has the power to break the Wheel itself.

Knife in the throat! (Great special effects here.) Thom and his guitar-theme are back and Mat's imprinted hard enough that he's given up on home (he's also been given definitive proof that Moiraine was right and his name is on a list) and is very willing to travel east with Thom. Rand's had a hard lesson on trust and is not as eager to go with Thom, but Mat prevails.

Dana's blood transitions us to...

A road in the forest:

Nynaeve has her own horse! I figured but we see it for certain here.

I love the Aes Sedai riders just sort of appearing on the cliffs. They're being framed as highly competent soldiers with that sort of introduction. Which, it's Red and Green Ajahs we're seeing so, they're not wrong.

Also, first planned shot of Liandrin, I'm sure. Hair filled with tiny braids. Brilliant red outfit contrasting with Moiraine's blue. And then the way she and Moiraine greet each other. Just title and name but this is Rosamund Pike and Kate Fleetwood so there's all sorts of history and conflict in their tone alone.

First shot of Logain as well. And with Alvaro Morte in the role, all we need is a look. A man who can channel. A man thought to be the Dragon Reborn. And the viewers are left wondering, is this candidate number 5?

tl;dr I adored this episode. Mat and Rand's journey was my absolute favorite as we got to watch them be the best comic duo and introduced us to Thom and Dana. I do love a good enemies-to-lovers dynamic, so everything the Lan/Nynaeve scenes gave us was golden. (With a bonus Moiraine/Suian foreshadow!) Perrin and Egwene had the dullest storyline but what time we did spend with them was short and built towards their story yet to come.

#wot on prime rewatch #wot on prime season 1 spoilers #wot on prime deep dive #episode deep dive