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The show opens with a flashback to Logain attacking Ghealdan. He approaches the King of Ghealdan, and heals a wound that the King sustained. He convinces the King to follow him.
Overall, I like the scene.The taint on Saidin looked cool; it was an interesting representation of that. Logain seems to be hearing voices of who he thinks are previous Dragons talking to him, so he has been taken by the madness pretty early on. I do not recall Logain having that level of madness showing, and the madness seems to start taking men very quickly in the show. My biggest gripe is this is more made up content instead of using content from the books. This is being used to show how powerful Logain is just prior to introducing you to the man capture by the Aes Sedai. I don't recall Logain being able to heal either.
We see Moiraine healed. She gets up pretty quickly and wants to see Logain after a brief conversation.
This scene establishes for sure that healing works differently from the books. Moiraine healed Tam from the same near death wound, and he was going to be in bed for a week at least, recovering. Moiraine is healed after having carried her wound for several days at least. She gets right up afterward and has a quick conversation and then it is off to see a powerful male channeler. She should be physically drained and needing more time to recover. One is also incredibly hungry after recoving through healing, but maybe she has incredible self control.
Scene with Moiraine going into the cave where they are holding Logain. Moiraine starts asking questions about him. Liandrin tells Moiraine the story about how they captured Logain and there is discussion about how strong he is and how difficult it is to keep him shielded. The Aes Sedai are using two sisters at one time to shield Logain, which makes sense. But a comment is made that only four sisters in the camp are strong enough to shield him. Moiraine, having just recovered from being healed from a near death injury, is then strong enough to take over shielding Logain.
I hate this as well. We know that linking exists because it is used later in the episode. This means that the weaker ones could link with one of these three sisters and be strong enough combined to keep him shielded. There is no need for these four to wear themselves out shielding him in a less efficient manner. But instead, two maintain their own separate shields on him at the same time. This shows a willful lack of using or understanding of the mechanics for plot points. Rafe is clearly aware of linking and the benefit that can be gained from this, but chooses to ignore it in this situation because he wanted there to be tension and difficulty shielding this guy to advance plot points.
Lan and Steppin have friendly, familiar comversation while practicing with their respective weapons.
Less to say about this scene other than it is made up. I am not a weapons expert, but Steppin's dual wielding dual-headed axes looks dangerous and dumb. I have heard people better with those kinds of topics comment on them, Shadiversity.
Another scene with Perrin and Egwene traveling with the Tinkers. I have not said a lot about these scenes because largely they are good for me. The Tinkers are explaining the way of the Leaf to Egwene and Perrin. Aram is flirting with Egwene and always seems a little jaded towards the Way of the Leaf.
We have a quick scene where Mat and Rand are talking and the question is thrown out there that maybe Thom is a Dark Friend.
While there is not a lot to this scene, it is a testimate to how much they have changed Thom from the books. At this point, Thom would have been traveling with Rand and Mat for an extended period. They trusted Thom quite a bit by this point and would not have thought that he would be a dark friend. While this does make sense in the show, where Thom just saved them from a dark friend, maybe he could be one, this is such a huge departure from the books.
We then have a scene where Alanna and Moiraine are shielding Logain together and having a conversation. Keep in mind that Moiraine has just been healed from near death. Moiraine reminds Alanna that both men and women have claimed to be the Dragon Reborn. There is a good sense in this scene of the effort it takes to keep Logain shielded, and that he could break through if they let their guard down at all.
I have a big issue here with women claiming to be the Dragon Reborn. While it is clearly obvious that a woman being the Dragon Reborn is a huge change from the book by itself, it was also established in the book that the Tower would take almost any woman that could channel. There are very few women allowed outside the grip of the tower without training by the tower and an association to the Tower, and certainly no one strong enough to consider themselves the Dragon Reborn. I am curious to understand the stories of women claiming to be the Dragon Reborn; this now requires additional world building and lore creation. Were these women Aes Sedai that betrayed the Tower while in their own thoughts thinking that they were in fact helping save the Tower? If they were Aes Sedai, then they were sworn by the three oaths, which could make this problematic. Were these women that were strong with the One Power, but never trained in the tower? The change that allowed for the Dragon Reborn to be a woman has cascading effects, including this, that now requires all new historical world building. And if you are changing the past, present, and future of this world, is it really the same world?
We then have a scene where Thom, Rand, and Matt are discussing trying to sleep in the barn of a farm a short distance off. The farmer gets the jump on them and is holding them at bow-point. Rand points out that had the farmer wanted to kill them, he would not be holding his bow the way that he was. The farmer then nods to his child and wife, who have suddenly appeared behind the three and are also holding bows. They allow the three men to stay the night. Thom, Rand, and Matt being surprised by the farmers seems a little far fetched and I am not a fan of it, but it is not an offensive scene.
This scene is meant to mirror some scenes from the book; however, when Rand and Mat were trying to stay at farms, they had already lost Thom. There is evidence of some condensing here. Further, it would make more sense for Thom to be the one quickly thinking of deescalating the situation claiming to be a gleeman and offering to play for the farmer's family.
Next we have Liandrin try to talk to Nynaeve. There is a stupid line about hearing Nynaeve's accent, and Lan then approaches and helps save Nyneave from the conversation. Nyneave thinks that Liandrin is a snake.
While I like the scene itself, this is more of the coompletely made up content to show politics of the Aes Sedai and women, rather than sticking to the book.
We have a good scene with Egwene and Perrin walking with the Tinkers. It is interesting that most of the talking is being done with Ila. She is explaining the Way of the Leaf and mentions the ax. This is the beginning of Perrin following the Way of the Leaf.
It is now night time and a little girl from the farm approaches Mat while he is outside vomitting up some black stuff and looking super sick. The girl reminds Mat about his sisters at home and shows a more sympathetic and human side of Mat, who needs a little something. We also get to see Thom explaining to Rand that Mat is showing all the signs of channeling, which is the first indication that people that channel early on get sick, though I think Thom is pointing out more the weird way that Mat is acting being like the madness setting in. Thom tells a story about his newphew and how Rand needs to ensure that Mat does not get caught up with Aes Sedai or they will Gentle him. Thom mentions how his nephew killed himself when he was Gentled.
We have a scene where Nyneave has chosen to spend her evening at the Warder's fire rather than with the Aes Sedai. Nynaeve belittles the Warders by questioning how they just serve the Aes Sedai, and they give it back to her about being proud to serve them. There are warders who are obviously in a polyamorous relationship with Alanna and excuse themselves so they can go "get rest" with Alanna. Lan also excuses himself, citing rest as well and there is a sublte look from Nyneave where she wonders if Lan is also having a relationship with Moiraine.
The scene is completely made up content, and does not trace back to anything that was in the books. Additionally, the polyamory, while something that was alluded to, was not specifically displayed. While I do not think that what was shown in this case itself has a major impact on the story or the show, it is a change worth noting as it could become more prominent with other characters later on in the series and shows that the writers are wanting to explore and show that within this world.
We also have heard Moiraine mention that Logain may not be as powerful as Egwene, she is not sure. If this is the case, then Logain's power has been drastically decreased from where it was in the books, as Rand recognizes that Logain is almost as powerful as he is in the One Power, and Rand is more powerful than Nyneave. I think it is interesting that they are talking about the power levels of the channelers, but the comparisons seem to indicate changes from the books.
We get a scene where Aram is teaching Egwene about the song that the Tinkers are seeking while the two are dancing amongs the Tinkers. Perrin is then learning about the Way of the Leaf from Ila. This is a strong scene for the show and shows that Perrin is also a smith that can fix things.
I find it interesting that the role of the Seeker is eliminated in the show and Ila comes across as the leader of the Tinkers, where in the book that role is more for her husband. This is just another change from the books and could indicate a certain view of the writers, or be explained away. While the story is largely unchanged, it is interesting that the change is made.
We then get a dream sequence. Rand is in a dream, seemingly with Egwene, Perrin, and Mat all in the same dream. Rand wakes up with Thom over him. Mat is gone and they go searching for Mat. They find Mat inside the farmer's home with the family dead. It is potrayed that perhaps Mat killed the family, but a Fade quickly jumps out and it becomes clear that it was the Fade that killed the family. Mat's dagger is not bloodied. Thom fights the Fade while Mat and Rand run, again.
The dream sequence is different from the books as it never seemed like they were all in the same dream and Egwene was not in the dreams in the books. The Dark One in the dreams continued to underwhelm in this because he is not saying anything and just performing spooky screams. The scene then becomes the show's version of Thom staying behind to fight the Fade while Rand and Mat run away. In the books, this happened in White Bridge during the day. The three landed, and as they were walking into the square, the Fade attacked. At this point Mat and Rand trusted Thom, who had been with them since they left Emond's Field. Losing Thom had emotional weight; however here, there was little trust between the three. Losing Thom was not very impactful.
We then get a scene of Kerene and Liandrin discussing Gentling Logain right there in the camp. Kerene tells Liandrin that they cannot because of protocol and Liandrin is trying to convince Kerene that if he were break free, they could Gentle him right there.
Another made up scene. In the books Kerene had died in another place, different circumstances. The show did capture Kerene's desire to follow the rules to the letter from the books. What always stands out with these scenes is that the Aes Sedai could have just linked and had no problems keeping him shielded. From what I could tell in finishing the episode, there were not enough sisters in the camp to Gentle him on the spot because it takes thirteen to Gentle a man. I am also not aware of anything within the Three Oaths that would keep them from Gentling Logain on the spot if they had enough sisters there to do so. Once he is returned to Tar Valon, the plan is to try him and Gentle him, even though he would not be free. So what in the Oaths would allow them to Gentle him then if they could not do it now while he is shielded?
We get a scene where Nyneave comes upon Lan praying. This is a cute development scene where we get to learn a little bit more about Lan.
While this is a strong scene between the two, it is interesting that we get Nyneave, again, insulting Lan and telling him that she basically saw him as a lapdog and did not realize that there was more to him than that. Lan continues to like her, despite the insults. He accepts the insults and does not strike back. Also, this is very early for him to begin sharing more about himself compared to the books.
Then a horn blares and Logain's army is attacking the Aes Sedai encamptment. We see Kerene's ward get tripped. Liandrin mentions that no army could get past seven sisters, thus confirming that there are only seven to eight sisters in the camp, not thirteen. The attack looks cool, with men storming through the woods. We get great action scenes where the Aes Sedai are using the power to explode the ground and attack the attackers. The warders are killing many attackers. We also get Nynave killing one of the attackers with her knife. Logain is able to break free of the shield and knocks Liandrin and Kerene out. He then starts to disentigrate the cage with fire.
Moiraine then walks in by herself and confronts Logain. She uses a great stalling tactic and tells him that they do not have much time to talk. She asks him why she should believe that he is the Dragon Reborn. When Logain mentions the voices he hears telling him that he is the Dragon Reborn, she tells him that they are the madness from the taint on the True Source. She also tells him that his power will be but a pin prick next to the raging sun that will be the Dragon Reborn. Liandrin and Kerene are able to wake up and attempt to attack Logain. Logain is then able to fight back and kills Kerene. We get a cut to Steppin, who feels her death while he is away on the battle field, still fighting Logain's army.
While this is a cool scene, it does conflict with the books, and is totally made up. Moiraine could not know how powerful the Dragon Reborn would be in comparison to Logain, because she could know not Logain's true power. We know from Rand in the books that he and Logain are close in raw power. Kerene is killed in this scene by blocking Logain's attack directed at Moiraine and Liandrin, but not blocking the attack directed at her. However, it is interesting that she is even able to see the attack, unless he manifested the attacks physically. And if that is the case, why did she not try to deflect all of the attacks? If the attack was not manifested physically, then this would indicate a change in how the One Power operates, because it means that she was able to see the weaves of Logain.
Once Stepin feels Kerene die, Alanna tells Stepin, Lan, Nyneave and the other Sisters that she will hold the army and they should run to check on Logain. If she was able to hold the army by herself before, why didn't she do that and let them go earlier? Why were they struggling this whole time? Alanna then blows up the ground and her and her warders pose. Stepin enters the cave and sees Moiraine and Liandrin trying to shield Logain. He attacks Logain with his ax, which Logain somehow shatters with the One Power, sending the shards of the blade flying out and striking everyone but Nyneave. Everyone looks to be dying on the ground from the injuries. Nyneave then sees Lan dying, and cradles him in anger and sadness. While crying, she screams and channels, healing everyone from their injuries. Nyneave is surrounded by a bright aura, and Logain makes the comment about the raging sun while it is happening. Nyneave's hair even starts to float because of the power expenditure. Liandrin and Moiraine, now healed, and all of the other sisters that are now in the cave, link and Gentle Logain on the spot. Liandrin tells Logain that the hand of the tower falls on Logain and that they are taking back that which nature does not wish him to hold.
First, this is a pretty cool scene. It really shows off the One Power, both used by a man and by Aes Sedai. The entire scene is made up though, and there is a lot wrong with it, even within the show and the context in which the One Power is now displayed as functioning. First, if the Aes Sedai could link the whole time, why had they not been doing that? Second, less than thirteen sisters link and Gentle Logain, which is a departure from the books as explained several times already. Third, healing from near death would take a lot out of the woman that was just healed, and it would not be likely that they could just stand up right away and Gentle Logain. Fourth, the level of healing that Nyneave demonstrates is far more advanced that someone of her skill level should be able to manage, especially untrained. There are times when people are able to channel weaves without training, thinking of Rand himself, but he has a really good reason why he can channel more complex weaves on instinct while others cannot. Fifth, Logain's comment about the raging sun seems to indicate that he can see the aura around Nyneave and understands that she is channeling more of the One Power than he can, which he should not be able to tell if we were following the mechanics of the book. Sixth, we are also led to believe that possibly Nyneave is a candidate to be the Dragon Reborn. This is a continued departure from the books because she should not be able to be a candidate, and even within the show she is the wrong age. So either the prophecies that are describied within the show do not actually matter, or Nyneave is not a candidate. The show writers cannot have it both ways.
I have one other question about the entire premise of the camp scenes. If the Aes Sedai and Warders knew that the army was approaching to get Logain, why did they spend multiple days in the same spot? They were there at least one night and did not appear to be ready to go anywhere. They should have been on the road by the time that Logain's army attacked. It looked like they were taking an extended break, which would not make any sense if they were struggling to keep him shielded and were concerned about being able to keep that up all the way to Tar Valon. They should have been setting an aggressive pace, trying to stay ahead of the army and get to the Tower quickly. That is not what we see.
Back to TopWe start with a sad burial scene after the attack from Logain's army. The Aes Sedai are burying Kerene along with the King of Ghealdan, and other people from the Aes Sedai camp, and for some reason the graves are very shallow and it is now snowing. Moiraine says, "may the last embrace of the mother protect you," over the grave of Kerene.
This is another scene that is completely made up. This is content that is not in the books. Several other things came to mind. One, why are the graves so shallow? Wolves and other predators are going to dig those bodies up within a few days. Also, where does Moiraine's prayer come from and what does it mean? If the Mother that she is talking about means the Amyrlin Seat, typically the Amyrlin Seat is not used in a prayer or viewed as a diety. The Aes Sedai are not worshipful of her. The only religion in this world is to the Light and the Wheel of Time and Dark One themselves. The Light is never referred to as Mother. And the embrace of the Amyrlin, who is referred to as Mother, would not protect anyone in death, which is just viewed as an opportunity for the Wheel to spin one's thread out again as a different person. This prayer makes no sense with the lore established in the books, and was a line created just to sound like the right thing to say at that moment.
We then open the show with everything skipping ahead by one month. The Aes Sedai are approaching the White tower with Logain on a leash and Stepin still looking very sad from the death of Kerene. It is curious when looking at the column of riders because it does not appear that there are enough of them to be carrying all of the tents and other equipment that they appeared to have while they were in their camp. Maybe they just left that all behind when they decided to travel for the next month.
We then get a scene where Rand and Mat are approaching Tar Valon. They appear to be traveling off a standard road, along with a whole troupe of other people making their way to Tar Valon. Mat shouts at a child and then Rand seems to remember seeing Dragon Mount. The two trudge up a cliff and we get a good look at the city of Tar Valon with Dragon Mount behind it. The tower seems to dominate the city, looking almost like as many people could fit within the White Tower as could fill the city. I think that is more a testament to the designers not making the city large enough.
There is a lot to unpack here, even though there is not a lot in this scene. First, the White Tower does not look correct. It was described in the book as having multiple gardens around it, and enough space around it to fit a second tower. In the show, it does not look at all like it has any additional space around it. Tar Valon itself looks much smaller than it is portrayed in the books. Looking at the river, there appears to be one boat out, maybe fishing, though it could be a trading boat. For a large city located on an island in the middle of a gigantic river, it does not seem right that there would be almost no boat traffic at all. Then looking at the surrounding land on either side of the river, and you see nothing but trees. Even when we see the Aes Sedai or Mat and Rand approaching Tar Valon, we only see forest. I would expect to see farms on either side, there to support such a large city with the food the people will need. In the books there are also small towns around the bases of the large bridges that connect Tar Valon to the banks of either side of the river. None of those seem to exist, making the approach to Tar Valon seem like it just comes out of no where in the middle of the forest. All of this together combines to give Tar Valon a very unrealistic feel, and a very different image than what the book portrays.
Another note note I have about Mat and Rand. They appear to be approaching Tar Valon from the east. This means that at some point they crossed the river Erinin. I am curious when this happened. I supposed it could have happened during the month that we skipped ahead, but that is an awfully long way to travel. And why are they not on a road, as well as all of the other people that they appear to be traveling in the same direction. Why are they all off in the wilderness, approaching Tar Valon? It would seem a road would be the best way to get there, but the ground does not appear to even have a well worn path. By changing the city everyone is meeting in to Tar Valon, it has meant that everyone had to travel further, and thus we had to skip ahead a month and miss a lot of the adventure that everyone went through.
One final gripe here, Mat has now been holding onto the Shadar Logoth dagger for over a month. He should be in much worse shape, if not dead. In the books, the travel time seemed to be more a week to get to Caemlyn, and when Moiraine finally finds Mat, he is just laying in bed and in serious condition.
Mat and Rand are then in the city and get a room at the inn Thom mentioned. Mat lays down in bed, being consumed by the dagger. We see Moiraine put Nynaeve into a room within the Tower and tells her not to leave and go wandering. Then we switch to Egwene, Perrin, and the Tinkers. They are also very close to Tar Valon. They are stopped by Valda and the White Cloaks. Valda sees Egwene and Perrin and decides that he needs to take them with him. The Tinkers refuse to let them be taken and link arms to prevent it. The White Cloaks then assault them while Perrin and Egwene attempt to run. The White Cloaks catch them anyway.
There are a couple things here that bother me a lot. The first thing is something very major and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding or care on the writer's part. Why are the White Cloaks operating within a day's walk from Tar Valon? Tar Valon has an army and would more than likely have that army driving the White Cloaks away from the city, given how they treat women that can channel. And yet here they are, harassing people on the road right outside the city. The second part that I do not like is the reason that Valda uses for showing interest in Perrin and Egwene. He claims it is because the Light brought them to him twice. I am sure he has seen many people twice. And other than them having been with Moiraine, who he clearly thought was an Aes Sedai, there is nothing else about either of these two at this point in the show that would make him suspect that they are people he should be concerned about other than this is the second time that he has seen them. In the books, they suspect nothing about Egwene, and it is the fact that Perrin seemed to be working with wolves and killed a White Cloak for hurting one of the wolves. There is very clear and logical motivation behind why the White Cloaks are after these two, unlike in the show.
We then get a scene where Rand is in the library of the inn and meets Loial. He draws his swoard on Loial, and Loial informs Rand that he is an Aielman. Rand has little reaction to that. Rand tells Loial that the reason he came to Tar Valon is he is following Egwene because she wants to become an Aes Sedai.
So many things with this scene are off. I will start with one positive thing, this is one of the few scenes in the show that appears to be pretty close to the books in that it has the same two characters meeting for the first time in a library and Rand thinks Loial is a Trolloc and draws his sword. However, that is about where it ends. I think the most obvious negative part of this scene is that Loial looks terrible. No shade on the actor playing him, he is doing a fine job with what he was given. But Loial looks nothing like how he is described in the books. He is far smaller, his hair is completely different, and his face is nothing like the character. There is no reason Rand should react like Loial is a Trolloc given that he is only slightly taller than Rand and looks more like a person.
This scene is an important one in the books because it is where Rand is told that he is ta'veren. In the books, Rand is very honest with Loial and tells him all about their adventures and how the Trollocs and fades are after them. Loial informs Rand that the events Rand tells him about indicate that Rand, Mat, and Perrin are ta'veren and he explains what that is. In the books, Loial is this great plot device, where he can explain things to our main characters, and we as readers learn about the lore also. In the show, Loial does not talk nearly as much. He does inform Rand that he looks like an Aielman, which Rand has very little reaction to. This is treated poorly because it is helping inform Rand that he was not born in the Two Rivers and that Tam is not his father. In the books, by this point Rand has had several instances where he has received indications that he was not born in the Two Rivers, but then to be told he looks like an Aiel is a big deal.
We then get Rand and Mat siting in a window of the inn while Logain is marched through the city. This is odd, because we already saw that Moiraine was in the White Tower and telling Nyneave no to leave the room she is in. Did Moiraine, Nyneave, and Lan ride ahead to the tower and let the other Aes Sedai take their time and march Logain through the streets? Why didn't everyone march through the streets together? Logain looks up at Rand and Mat and starts laughing. Then there is a conversation where Mat thinks he has been channeling and wants Rand to promise if it is him, Rand will not let him be taken by the Aes Sedai.
We get a scene with Lan and some of the other warders helping Stepin prepare for a ceremony related to mourning the loss of Kerene. Stepin talks about how he was nothing before Kerene. How he was a drunk after the loss of his father and used to go into bars and beat up weak men until one day she came in. For some reason he then challeneged a woman and she put him in his place and then offered to make him her warder. That is when he finally became someone again, because she saw the potential in him.
The scene is more content that was not in the books. It takes time away that could have been spent on content from the books, but instead the showrunner wants to tell his own story. Also, this shows a consistent message that the men in this show are low until women give them purpose and lift them up. Stepin was low until Kerene gave him purpose and helped him be better. Later, Lan talks about how he was low until Moiraine found him and gave him the honor of being her warder. And the then needed to become worthy of her. Rand is a mopy young man who wants to follow Egwene wherever she goes. Mat is given purpose helping his sisters. Perrin is brought low because he kills his wife.
We get a scene where the White Cloaks are undressing Egwene, washing her clean, and then putting her in a different outfit, a loose white gown. She is then tied to a chair. Valda comes in and there is a conversation about her being able to channel. She tells him that she cannot and this is where Valda admits to knowing the Three Oaths and believing that they work. Perrin is brought in and Valda gives Egwene an ultimatum, either she channels and he kills her, or he kills Perrin. Egwene, at first seems scared, but as Valda talks to her, she mentions that if he kills her, she will come back through the pattern, find him, and kill him. Valda also tortures Perrin by cutting him on his back while Perrin is tied to a wooden aparatus. When Valda leaves, Egwene tries to find a way out. Perrin lowers himself by saying that he deserves to be tortured and killed because he is responsible for his wife's death. Egwene reassures him that it was not his fault. Valda comes back in and Egwene does channel. She tries to throw fire at him. While Valda is coming towards her to kill her, she then channels again and gets Perrin free. He stands up and his eyes flash yellow. Valda, who is a solder and holding a knife, is suddenly super scared of Perrin, who is injured and weaponless. However, while the two have locked on eyes, it is Egwene who then somehow had also freed herself and gotten a knife, that stabs Valda to death. The two then flee the tent. Outside the tent, we see wolves attacking the camp of white cloaks.
There is so much wrong with this scene, though this is a scene that at least, in part, is trying to mirror one that is in the books. It just changes too much. First, it inverts the reason that the two were captured by the White Cloaks, and puts the focus on Egwene. In the books, Perrin had killed a White Cloak, and so he was viewed as being a Dark Friend. The White Cloaks were rough with the two, but were not wholy brutal and torturous. They did rough Perrin up, but they viewed him as a Dark Friend or shadow spawn, and it was not sadistic, but specifically described as without feeling. They even offered Egwene mercy if she confessed and showed that she was trying to be in the light. In the books, Egwene is unable to channel enough at this point to do anything useful, and does not attempt to get them out. Perrin, not dealing with the loss of a wife, is willing to stand up to the White Cloaks, and is not wanting them to kill him. They are actually held captive, with plans to be brought to a larger White Cloak camp or the White Cloak city where Perrin can be tried and executed. They are rescued by Nynaeve, Moiraine, and Lan. We get to see Lan be stealthy and sneak in to rescue them. We get to see Nyneave use her skills to sneak into the camp and free the horses so when Moiraine sends lightning down, the horses will run and distract the White Cloak camp, making escape easier. We see a great plan, executed, and everyone comes out looking better.
In the show, Egwene is the focus of this scene. Valda's reasoning for capturing them is because it was the second time he saw them. It would not have taken anything more than some line changes for him to indicate that he saw them with someone he was sure was an Aes Sedai, and he believed that they were part of an Aes Sedai scheme and as a Questioner, he wanted to find out what that was. Further, they continue to show the most sadistic side of the White Cloaks right at the beginning. We get a scene directly intended to make women feel uncomfortable because Egwene is being stripped naked by men and washed as though she were too dirty for these men to deal with and needed to be purified. In the books, at this point, the White Cloaks seem like jerks that hate Aes Sedai and bully people, all because they can in the name of the light, but we do not see the more sadistic Questioners until later on. We see again that women can channel without practice or training. Nyneave, through sheer force of will heals a crowd of people that are close to death. Egwene is able to shoot fireballs and untie ropes prior to ever being taught to do anything with the One Power. In the books, at this point, Egwene has not gained the courage or backbone that would push her to stand up to Valda and defy his questioning the way she does in this scene from the show. And while she shows fear at first, she turns on a dime and threatens to come back and kill him. This sudden change in character to make Egwene strong in the face of humiliation, torture, and death is a deliberate change that pulls this further away from the source material.
My final thought on this scene is the continued damage to Perrin that we see taking place. While with the Tinkers, Perrin starts adopting the Way of the Leaf, a critical change in character away from what we see in the books. During this scene, we see Perrin lower himself in self loathing, suggesting that he deserves the torture and death because he killed his own wife. He does this while wimpering. He does not at any point suggest that he should be the one to die because he is a man, or anything that would give his character honor or courage, but deserves it because he is a murderer and should be punished. It is Egwene who must reassure him that he does not deserve it and encourage him to not give up in the face of danger, which he pretty much already has. Once again, the male character is weak and giving up on life until a woman comes in to encourage him to continue on. Even when Perrin is freed by Egwene and looks like he is about to beserk on Valda, it is instead Egwene who stabs Valda to death and saves them. Perrin can continue the Way of the Leaf. This is such a diminishing of Perrin's character from the books, in favor of building Egwene to be a strong, heroic character, it is hard to consider this entire scene to be based on the source material more than it features the two of them held captive by White cloaks, later escaping. Also, at this point in the books, it was clear Perrin could talk to wolves. In the show, it is still just hinted at that the wolves are helping him, but nothing about being able to directly talk with them.
To break up the Perrin and Egwene scene, while Valda leaves them, there is a scene where Liandrin talks to Nyneave, who has left the room the Moiraine left her in and is walking randomly around the White Tower. She is in a hall with statues of dead Warders. Liandrin tells Nyneave about the warders. She then says a line about how, despite only women being able to use the One Power, men still hold so much power in this world. She also says that men like to use that power against women who show a spark of talent, being greater than the men.
This is another made up scene that takes time away from content from the book. Also, this scene seems wholy designed to insert modern politics into this story and world to make a statement. While the line about men still having so much power could just be explained away by Liandrin hating men, ok. And there is her line about men using their power against girls that show a spark of being better than those men, combined with her look where perhaps the show is trying to insert a back story for Liandrin where some man abused her when she was young and showed a talent for channeling. If I am being generous, that could then be used to help explain why she turned to the Red ajah and hates men. But this also closely mirrors a modern feeling that men hold too much power in the world today and have historically. And since that is inconsistent with the world of Wheel of Time, it does not seem to fit. In Wheel of Time, there are many female and male monarchs, to the point that it almost seems evenly split. And even where there are male monarchs, there are often ways where women have control and influence there also. There is a council where women sit as headsof powerful families, there are alliances with powerful houses, headed by both men and women. For the Aiel, there are the leaders who are men, but then there are the Wise Ones. Women control the trading in Tanchico, are the captains of the ships for the Sea folk, and even in Saldea, the wives seem to be just as in charge and powerful as the King or the Lords. And behind it all are often Aes Sedai advisers who help guide events in the name of the White Tower, which is ruled exclusively by women with magic. What Liandrin says does not make sense in the world in which it is said, and screams of modern politics making its way into this world, and any back story they try to use to explain it is there to justify the message being inserted.
So there have been some scenes that were minor peppered in throughout that I likely skipped, but I will catch up now. We got a scene where Stepin put Kerene's ring into some molten river of gold in a ceremony. Then, we saw Stepin get some herbs for a sleeping tea from Nyneave. He talked about the pain of loss is all he has left of Kerene and every time he drifts asleep, he feels like he is losing that pain. He is clearly drunk and holding a bottle of alcohol. Nyneave gives him the sleeping tea herbs. We at some point get a scene where Lan and Stepin are drinking and talking. As we catch up, we get a scene where Lan is waking up to find Stepin had used the tea to get Lan to fall asleep. I am assuming Lan was on suicide watch, and Stepin knew he needed to ensure Lan did not wake up. Lan gets up to find Stepin dead by suicide.
We had a scene and one point where Loial brought Nyneave back from the Tower to see Rand and Mat. Nyneave decides not to inform Moiraine and will help Mat with his sickness herself. And we had a scene in there where Moiraine and Alanna discuss Siuan is coming back and she is upset and looking for blood. She is upset about the Gentling of Logain.
These were minor scenes, and while I am addressing them at this point, they were scattered throughout the episode. Nyneave finding Rand and Mat is completely made up and does not really mirror anything from the books. Nyneave was not at the White Tower, just aimlessly walking around and Loial never went to the White Tower nor would he have been wandering around random halls there. When Nyneave found Rand and Mat, it was with Egwene, Moiraine, Lan, and Perrin all as a group showing up in Caemlyn. The scene with Alanna and Moiraine is also wholy made up and there to inject Tower politics when there was none. Rafe has admitted that he wanted Tower politics in the first season, even though it was not there in the book.
We end the show with Lan and a lot of other warders and Aes Sedai, plus Nyneave, all dressed in white and part of a ceremony for dead Stepin. Words are said and then Lan begins beating his chest. All the men begin beating their chests. Lan gets extra emotional and begins screaming in anguish, and Moiraine and the other Aes Sedai there also begin lightly beating their chests as well, looking very stoic and holding back tears. Lan begins to pull his shirt off and howls in grief.
This scene is completely made up content, and not in the books at all. It is completely made up lore, showing burial practices that were never shown in the books. It further makes little sense in that, why would Nyneave, someone that is not directly affiliated with the Tower, be invited to Stepin's funeral? Because they have traveled together for a month and she is a good friend now? Maybe because he did go to her for tea, rather than getting it from anywhere else in the Tower or the city they are now in. I am sure there were herbalists in that city he knew of. This is also a serious departure for the character of Lan. Lan was always very stoic, and did not show much emotion. The show now has him screaming in grief over the death of someone I assume was a close firend? If that was the case, that too seems to be a departure from the book, but maybe I am forgetting something. Lan talked about always facing things on your feet like a man. He never once seemed like he was the type to scream in grief over a fallen warder, who committed suicide. And instead, the show gives us a more emotional Lan; however, the women in the scene are the ones holding back emotions and being stoic. If men holding back their emotions and being stoic is considered toxic, why it is strength when women do it?
My final thoughts on this episode is that most of the content is made up and not at all based on anything from the books. How can someone say that there is too much material in the books and some of it must be cut, but then have whole episodes where almost everything is made up and changed from what is in the books. This episode has some powerful scenes that are designed to appeal to a certain audience that likely has not read the books or does not care that the source material is being completely ignored. It actively harms characters and includes so much content that is portraying a modern polictical message that was not in the books at all and often does not make sense in the world in which it is set. Honestly, I think so far I have shown that we have gotten that the whole way through; however I think this episode is a turning point where the changes and subversion of the source material is more evident, more agregious, and more damaging.
Back to TopEpisode 6 starts out with another flashback, this time introducing us to Siuan Sanche as a child. She is with her father and they leave their house to go fishing. While on the boat, Siuan demonstrates that she can channel. When she does this the father admonishes her for doing it so close to the house, fearing that people could see her. Then we see them return to the house, but it is on fire, and mostly burned to the ground. As they approach, the father tells Siuan that now was the time for her to leave and go to the White Tower, by herself. He decides to stay behind and when Siuan asks him about it, he said he could no more leave than a fish could touch the moon. Siuan then sets off on her own, heading down the river.
While this is a good scene to give some back story to the Siuan Sanche that we are about to meet and it does give a visual story to what is just mentioned, but never really shown in the books. This whole scene is made up. The books referenced her past adn talked about where she came from, they never did a flash back to focus on this. Also, the scene makes little sense. If there were not too far away from the house while fishing, then how would they have not known that people were burning down the house? Once the house was burned down, what is keeping her father there? Why is this guy sending his young daughter on a dangerous journey, thousands of leagues, to the White tower. One would have to imagine that she could be abducted, would have little to no money, and need to forage for herself. This would have made a lot more sense if he had gone with her. Tar Valon is on a river and there would have been plenty of space for him to have a fishing career. This scene makes the father look like a terrible person, calls into question how Siuan was able to make it to the White Tower, and is completely made up.
Then the show proper kicks off with Siuan Sanche entering the Hall of Sitters. Moiraine, Alanna, and Liandrin are there and Logain is brought in before the Amyrlin. At first, he is insulting and mentions fighting off nine sisters. He talks about how the world views the Aes Sedai as weakening because he was able to get an army to follow him to march against the tower. While this seems like a man in this series actually standing up for himself, Siuan claps back at Logain, telling him that she is not going to fall for his ruse. She tells him that she knows he just wants her to sentence him to death and that instead she will let him live out his days as an example of what happens to men that falsely claim to be the Dragon Reborn, and eventually let the madness take him, all the while being alive when he really wants to be dead. Logain then breaks down and begs for death, but is taken out of the Hall instead.
Then Liandrin, Moiraine, and Alanna are held to account for gentling Logain before he stood trial and was sentenced to be gentled. Because Moiraine, Alanna, and Lieandrin were the senior Aes Sedai in the camp at the time, and because Liandrin was in charge, she is the one that gets the punishment. The punishment will be decided later. Liandrin then throws Moiraine under the bus by asking what she has been doing out of the Tower for the past several years. Liandrin brings up Nyneave and how Moiraine had the most powerful channeler seen in generations and could have been using that to challenge Siuan's athority. She mentions that Moiraine should have known about the Trollocs and about Logain's army. When the Blue Sitters claim that Moiraine's mission is Blue Ajah business, Liandrin speaks out of turn and lobs an insinuation at Siuan about her not wanting to ask because Siuan came from the Blue Ajah herself.
Siuan questions Moiraine and demands that Moiraine reveal what her missions has been. When Moiraine refuses, Siuan demands that Moiraine get on her knees and explain what her mission has been. Again, Moiraine says that she cannot say and Siuan claims that Moiraine has contempt for those she considers beneath her. Siuan claims that it is her Tower, her city, and her world. She mentions that Moiraine will beg for mercy. They are dismissed from the Hall.
Where to begin. First, Logain begging for death and going from finally looking like a man with a spine in this show to a sniveling, defeated man who is just antagonizing Siuan so she will grant him death is sad to see. It is out of character for Logain, though in the books, he was sad about losing his connection to the One Power. However, when he was being marched through the streets of Caemlyn in the book, he continued o give off a regal air; in the show he seems pathetic. The scene of him groveling and wanting to die was also made up and not resembling anything from the books.
What Siuan sentenced Logain to in this scene was cruel and seems out of character for the Aes Sedai. I also don't know that the madness would continue to progress now that he has been gentled and no longer feels Saidin. This scene makes Siuan, and by their silence, every other Aes Sedai in the Hall look cruel.
The injection of Tower politics in this scene seemed clumsy. First, Liandrin bringing up Moiraine's actions outside of the Tower should not have generated so much controversy. The Blue Ajah take up causes and are gone from the Tower frequently. In the books, many Aes Sedai are gone from the tower pursuing personal goals for decades, example: Cadsuane. Finding Nyneave as a seriously powerful channeler should have been a positive, and not something that would be seen as challenging Siuan's authority. The Tower looks for powerful channelers and all of the Ajahs would have been happy to have Nyneave join their ranks. The accusation that Moiraine should have known about the Trollocs and Logain's army also does not make sense. Unless that was her mission to know about that, why should she have known? And Liandrin and her group seemed to be out in the same general area tracking down men that could channel, as seen at the beginning of the show when Liandrin gentles another man on the spot. Which, by the way, Liandrin has not gentled two men that can channel without bringing them to the Tower for a trial. Why didn't Liandrin know about Logain and his army since she seemed to be out in the world in the same places as Moiraine, actively looking for and hunting men that can channel?
I also take issue with Siuan questioning Moiraine. Since this is Blue Ajah business, as all Ajah's have their own business, Siuan had an easy out in telling liandrin that this is a matter for the Blue Ajah, and she would respect the Red Ajah the same and allow them to have their own business. Further, when Liandrin questions the loyalty and motivations of the amyrlin seat in front of the Hall of Sitters when she herself is not a Sitter, she is vastly out of line and should have been further punished and been the key target of Siuan's ire. But even if questioning Moiraine was the correct thing to do in this situation, Moiraine could have easily dodge the question by claiming that she was out looking for the most powerful channeler she could find, and of course, she found Nyneave. She is done there and didn't even have to lie. The clumsy Tower politics displayed here shows that the writers do not understand the world that they are writing for. What Siuan did in this situation would actuall firther damage her reputation within the Tower. And when she then goes full on tyrannical and claims that this is her Tower, her city, her world, it destroys the character of Siuan entirely. Siuan never viewed herself as the ruler of the world, and given the mission that she and Moiraine were on, she would not have ever positioned herself as such. The Siuan we see in this scene is so completely different that the Siuan from the books that she is virtually unrecognizable.
I have one other small gripe about this scene. Here we have a full sitting of the Hall, a highly formal occasion, where the Amyrlin Seat is going to sit in judgement of other sisters and Logain. If there was ever a time when the Aes Sedai would have been wearing their shawls, this would have been the time. However, none of them are wearing them. In the books, the shawl is a key feature of the Aes Sedai. It is always worn at th emost formal of occasions, such as this scene. Siuan, in the show, even mentions being raised to the shawl to Liandrin, in this scene. Siuan herself is dressed in a golden dress that looks ultra fantastical and unpractical, which is the opposite of Siuan's character, given where she came from. She was someone in the books that would forego the frills. Also, the Amyrlin Seat wore a shawl that has all seven of the ajah colors on it as a symbol that she is of all Ajahs and none. However, Siuan is not wearing a shawl, and the seven colors are integrated into the weird looking color of her dress. Changes like this bring up questions. Was it too expensive to have more normal looking dresses and shawls? Why was this design change made? This scene could be have been exactly the same and had the clothing be more accurate to the book and been better simply because it would feel more like the book, but no, even here the show runner decided that changes needed to be made. Little things like this could easily be overlooked if the show were follwing the source material more closely in other areas, but since almost every scene throughout the show has been drastically differemt, the characters are all drastically different, these costume details are more aggrivating because it is one more little detail that makes this show not feel like the books.
We get a scene where Moiraine is locating Rand and Mat, eventually walking into the inn where they are staying. She sees that Mat is suffering and goes to heal him. Rand thinks that she might be trying to gentle him and starts to draw his sword on her until Lan stops him. Moiraine immediately understands that it is the dagger from Shadar Logoth and uses the One Power to pull the taint of the dagger from Mat. She calls Mat a fool boy for taking the dagger. After she heals Mat, she approaches Rand, who thanks her for the help. She tells Rand that the dagger was feeding off a darkness inside Matt as much as Mat was feeding off of it. Moiraine also admonishes Nynaeve for having found Rand and Mat and not telling Moiraine immediately, especially when she saw how sick Mat was. She tells Nyneave that for having the title of Wishdom, she should start using some.
Moiraine finding the boys in the inn and healing Mat is somewhat similar to events that happen in the book; however, it is very different. In the books, Moiraine was unable to heal Mat entirely from the dagger. She heals the sickness and does what she can to slow the effects, but it takes a group of Aes Sedai at the Tower to completely sever the connection. Since they are already in Tar Valon in the show, this could easily have been done; however Moiraine is still trying to keep the presence of the boys secret from everyone I presume, so the writers decide to make it so Moiraine can sever the connection herself. There is some additional character assasination done here for Mat. By stating that the dagger was feeding off an evil inside of Mat, Mat as a character is now inherently evil. While I am sure that the writers could write their way out of this, Mat generally has been written to be a bad person throughout the entire season and this is a huge change. The dagger was terribly evil in the books and Mat was generally a good person.
We then get a scene with Moiraine speaking to the leader of Blue Ajah, Maigan, while naked in a bath house. Maigan is telling Moiraine that the Ajah needs Moiraine to stay in the tower becuase Maigan has business that she needs to attend to outside of the Tower. During this scene, Maigan also brings up the sinking of the Tarren Ferry and how the Tower is now having to pay for that.
This scene is made up content and not in the book at all. Moiraine was never in Tar Valon and never was told that she needed to return in the first book. It is a scene there to show Tower politics that the show runner wanted to insert into the first season. One thing that was a bit of a positive here is that nudity not just being there for sexual purposes, but just something that the people in this world experience at times is in line with the book. The fact that Maigan brings up the sinking of the ferry but not the death of the man that ran the ferry is disappointing. I guess the man's life was not really worth much. This scene is here to set up the need for Moiraine to later ask to be exhiled.
Moiraine then enters a room where Perrin is laying in a bed recovering. Egwene and Moiraine talk. Moiraine does not tell Egwene that she already knows where Rand and Mat are, or that Nyneave is there. Egwene tells Moiraine that she took the rings of the dead Aes Sedai that Valda had. Perrin is either needing healed or is recovering from healing. Egwene mentions the wolves and Moiraine seems to know what Egwene is talking about and tells her to tell no one else. Moiraine tells Egwene that there are no better healers than the Yellow Ajah and it will be like nothing ever happened and then leaves.
This scene is complete different than anything that is in the book. Not only because of where they are, but the interraction itself. In the books, Moiraine, Nyneave, and Lan from the White Cloack camp and all show up at the inn Rand and Mat are at. Here, I cannot tell if it is an inn or at the Tower itself. Moiraine seems to want to keep everyone separate, but later lets Nyneave and Egwene meet. Perrin was not this out of it and I am left wondering what the situation was here. If Perrin was needing healed, why did Moiraine not heal him? She has healed worse earlier with Mat, or Rand's father. Why would Moiraine not have healed him on the spot and wait for the Yellow sisters handle it? If he was already healed, why was he not up and around? We have seen Moiraine get up immediately after being healed and shield Logain. I am assuming that recovery from healing is nothing because we have seen this be the case for many people already. But now suddenly Perrin is barely awake from being healed from cuts on this back?
Lan comes in that evening while Moiraine is getting ready for bed. He asks about masking the bond and they talk about possible dangers within the Tower and how he cannot protecter her as well if she masks the bond. After Lan leaves, Moiraine then uses a ter'angreal that is hanging above a fireplace. The ter'angreal appears to be a portal to either Suian's personal bedroom or the World of Dreams. Siuan acuses Moiraine for the scene she caused in the Hall that day. The two show that they are lovers and Moiraine tells Siuan to get on her knees, looking like it is a little bit of a role reversal thing going on in private. During the scene they talk about every town seems to have their own version of the prophecies. Moiraine mentions a multi-headed dragon, allowing for all five of the Emond's Fielders being the Dragon at once. Siuan only asks if the Wheel of Time would even do that. Siuan then tells Moiraine of several dreams that she has had that the Dark One is at the Eye of the World, currently weak. She says that now is the time for them to strike, before he gains too much strength. Moiraine asks to be exhiled the next day because Maigan was trying to keep her in the Tower.
This entire scene is completely made up content and was not in the books at all. Moiraine and Siuan being lovers is not inherently bad in itself and there is a case to be made when reading New Spring that they were lovers as they are mentioned to be "pillow friends"; however, having them be lovers in the show is a huge change from the books and impacts relationships that are made later in the books. This is definitely a change that is done to please a certain desire for a type of diversity that appears to override following the source material. The show runner has even admitted that because of his own sexual orientation, he felt it was important to show this relationship Siuan blaming Moiraine for the incident in the Hall does not make sense. Obviously it was Liandrin and Siuan's own fault for bringing up the question and then following through with the question. The mention of a five headed Dragon Reborn opens a huge change from the books and is ridiculous.This is a fundamental change from the books, where it was known that the Dragon Reborn would be a man. Suggesting that a soul can then be split into five different people and spun out again is not a concept in the books at all. I have heard from a recent interview the show runner did that Amazon was the one that really wanted to push the mystery angle, which if true suggests that Amazon actuvely wanted the source material ignored, not just the show runner. Finally, Siuan being the one that has dreams about the Eye of the world and the Dark One being weak, so now is the time to strike is a large change. Siuan was never one in the books that had dreams that were foretelling that I remember. In the books, the knowledge of the threat to Eye of the World comes from three different sources that three different people hear about and when all three are communicated to Moiraine in Caemlyn, she determines that the threat is real. The threat is something nebulous and they are not sure of what it is, just that it should be stopped. However, in the show, this is now an opportunity to stop the Dark One, so why would they not send a lot of Aes Sedai to try and help? They are literally suggesting that this could be the last battle, yet it is just Moiraine, Lan, and the kids.
We get a brief scene where Moiraine is asking Loial a favor, presumably to come with them to the Eye of the World so he can help lead them through the Ways.
Next is a scene where it is suggested that Mat was drinking all night. Liandrin approaches Moiraine and tells her that she knows all about the companions that Moiraine has brought from Emond's Field. Liandrin is implying that she will expose Moiraine, but Moiraine says that she knows about some man down by the docks that Liandrin has been seeing and will expose Liandrin.
Liandrin is inept at tower politics. I am curious why her seeing some man down by the docks is such an issue here. Either the man is able to channel, is a dark friend, or Red Sisters are not allowed to associate with men at all. If the man can channel, why would Moiraine let him continue to remain free, knowing that he will go insane and hurt someone? If he is a dark friend, why would she not turn Liandrin in for being associating with someone like that? That could have serious implications because it would indicate that the Black Ajah exists, which is a major thing in the books. And if it is just that he is a man and Red sisters are not allowed to have relationships with men, that is a wierd and anti-man change to the Red Ajah where they are required to hate men and not associate with them. Because this has just been suggested and nothing more made of it, it just seems like something slipped in to inject politics into the story without real thought to the implications it would have. Also, this is completely made up content and is not in the books anywhere.
We get a scene where Moiraine is showing the Hall of Sitters to Egwene. Nyneave then enters and embraces Egwene. Moiraine tells them that they are going to meet the Amyrlin Seat. Nyneave tells Moiraine that the Amyrlin can wait and Moiraine, while striding out, says the Amyrlin will only wait for one woman, and Nyneave is not that woman.
First, this is a made up scene. It was nowhere in the books and also makes the Hall of Sitter look a little touristy. The Hall of Sitters does not seem like a a rooms where Moiraine should be giving tours through. This is a serious place and I cannot recall the books ever showing someone give a tour through it. I am also wondering why it was ok to bring Egwene and Nyneave to the Tower, but Mat and Rand had to be kept away. Perrin apparently could be known about for healing. Mat, she had to heal, and Rand just had to be kept away. If any of these five could be the Dragon Reborn, and the mission of finding the Dragon Reborn is something so serious that Moiraine could be stilled for treason against the Tower, then why is it ok for everyone to come to the Tower or be seen by healers except Mat and Rand? Why couldn't she have everyone meet and see each other right away? This just makes Moiraine look manipulative and mean. I do not understand the reason for keeping them apart the way that she did.
We then get the scene where Moiraine introduces Nynaeve and Egwene to Siuan. Siuan seems awkward in this scene, like she does not totally know what to say to them and like she is trying to appeal to them rather than seeming like she is the one in charge. Nyneave is typically stubborn and does not show that she is impressed.
While this scene does seem to be an adaptation of a scene from early in book two, it is very different. It takes place in a different city all together, and is very different in its makeup. I do not really count it as the same scene.
We then cut to Moiraine mentally preparing herself to stand in judgement before the Hall. She is standing out on a balcony, and tells Lan to make sure that everyone is there where they agreed. He promises to do that and leaves. Moiraine continues to look out over the city and the river.
This scene is more made up content, and at this point I think that is pretty much the standard. My biggest concern with the scene here is that, when looking at Tar Valon closely, there are no boats on the river fishing or coming in with goods to trade, and both banks are heavily forrested. Where are the farms and fishing that would be needed to support a city this large? While this seems like nitpicking, it is something that is often described in the books and is a detail that can make or break realism. It is attention to details like this that shows the people making the show are really paying attention and know what they are doing.
Moiraine enters the Hall of Sitters to face judgement. Siuan exhiles Moiraine as they discussed and then tells Moiraine that she needs to swear on the Oath Rod to obey the exhile. Moiraine knees down in front of Siuan and swears on the Oath Rod that she will obey the Amyrlin Seat and will remain exhiled from the White Tower until she is told that she can return. She throws in some loving compliments about Siuan while making the oath. She then stands and leave the Hall, the Sitters turning their backs on her as she leaves. As she walks out of the Hall, all of the Aes Sedai turn their backs on her, including her friend Alanna.
There is so much wrong with this scene that it will take a while. Let's get the obligatory, this is completely made up content and was never in the books. It is not based on anything that happens in the book. I will start with something I think is the most aggregious, using the Oath Rod to make Moiraine swear an oath of fealty, even if it is just to obey the exhile. First, if you trust Aes Sedai to obey Tower Law, this is unecessary. Moiraine would follow the exhile, and if she did not, she would face further penalty. By feeling that an oath on the Oath Rod was necessary, it speaks to the lack of trust Aes Sedai have in their sisters following penance handed down to them. Further, making a Sister swear and oath like this was later portrayed in the books; however it was an abomination and risked bringing Elaida down. Using the Oath Rod to compel another Aes Sedai was against Tower law and that Siuan is doing this in front of the Hall of Sitters without any outrage or repurcusions shows a deep misunderstanding of the books and what the writers were doing. That Rafe said in an interview that he was showing the Oath Rod being used in season one and that he thought fans would appreciate how it was used shows that misunderstanding sits with him at least. The fact that Siuan throws in language into the oath of darkness consuming Moiraine's soul if she breaks the oath is so over the top and unecessary. Something like that would be used to compel someone with a normal oath because he/she could break it and the pledge of darkness consuming the sould is meant to deter. Using the Oath Rod would make Moiraine breaking the oath she swore impossible. Again, misunderstanding the Oath Rod itself, and adding language like this just because it plays better for the audience as an oath like this is more familiar I suppose.
Let's look at the next issue I have, that Moiraine is swearing this oath and throws in intimate words about Siuan and her feeling for her. It was silent in the Hall otherwise, so I have to assume that the other Aes Sedai could hear her. That means that their relationship should now be known or at least suspected. Since she is not lowering her voice significantly from the earlier part of the oath that I assume everyone could hear, I have to assume everyone heard.
Why is her punishment public, but Liandrin's is not. And while I accept that she is being exhiled based on her own request to Siuan, if Siuan is going to exhile someone for not asnwering her questions while in a public forum, then I assume that worse infractions now have to carry the same or more serious consequences. Liandrin as gentled at least two men without a trial. When we see season two, will she be exhiled too? Or perhaps stilled for treason? When Moiraine is walking out, why are the Sitters turning their backs on her? She is not kicked out of the Aes Sedai, just exhiled from the Tower. She is still one of them and still carrying out their business. This action was done for visual impact, but does not make sense. And how is it that all of the Aes Sedai right outside of the Hall also know the decision rendered and know to turn their back too? Why were they even there? Were they told to be there and knew of the decision before hand? Was it announced to them at some point? Were they just waiting there because they are nosey? That seemed like a very formal procession, standing to either side. All of this was done for the visual, but does not make sense for the situation when one thinks about it.
Moiraine then rides out to the Way Gate. She is the first one there, and then Lan approaches with everyone, though they seem to approach in the groups that they arrived to the city in. They all start hugging and being happy to finally see each other again. As they are hugging and talking, Perrin somehow knows about the dagger. They send the horses away and Loial states that the horses would not survive the Ways. Moiraine then tells them that they are headed to the Eye of the World, which is the Dark One's prison. She tells them one of them will destroy the Dark One, the others may all die. She told them that when they left the Two rivers, she did not tell them everything because she could not trust them. She tells them that that if they fail, the whole world will turn to darkness. She then turns and has to channel to open the Way gate. Everyone enters the Ways except Mat, who stays behind.
This scene is an adaptation of a scene in Caemlyn where the group does enter the Ways, though it is massively different. In the book, the Way Gate was in Caemlyn and was a stone door built into a cellar within the city. The door had a munch of leaves on it and a particular leaf had to be manipulated for the door to open. Everyone went in, along with the horses. In this scene, the gate is outside on a hill and is just two stone pillars. It requires channeling to enter. Mat stays behind as do the horses. For some reason the horses will not survive the ways, though that is not explained.
A question I have is, if Lan was busy gathering everyone and getting them to the gate while Moiraine was being exhiled, why did she get there before all of them? Maybe it took a while for Lan to gather everyone, except they all show up separately in the groups they arrived to Tar Valon in. So, if he was not getting them all together, why would not some of them have already been there after he told them where to go? It just doesn't make sense. Neither does them all arriving separately. Why wouldn't Lan just gather them all together and make sure they all get there since he knows where it is? The don't know the area, so he could guide them. I understand they wanted a scene where they all meet up and hug. How did Perrin learn about the evil dagger unless Nyneave or Egwene heard about it and then told him? And if they knew Mat was there and had an evil dagger, why didn't they go see him? This is reading too deep into this, but it is just inconsistent writing. And if you are going to make so many major changes from the source material, the writing should not introduce these inconsistencies because the books did not have them. So the writing that produced the changes is fundamentally worse, which means the writers should have stuck closer to the books.
Two final things. One, the change to the Way Gate is detrimental. By requiring channeling, that means that these can no longer be something that the male Aes Sedai could not have made as a gift to the Ogier because the Ogier could not have accessed it without channeling. It also makes it impossible for Trollocs to be using them unless they have someone channeling nor can Padan fain use them without someone helping him. But it is shown later that he does and there is outside material showing him with a leaf. but if a leaf can be used, where was it on the gate and why didn't they use it? Two, Mat staying behind further assasinates his character. Him being too much of a coward to go with is not his character. And while I recognize that Barney was not returning to the show, there were other ways to write him out. Had they made recovery from the dagger the same as in the books, then he could have still be recovering. It did take him days to recover in book three. And since we still don't know at this point whether he is the Dragon or not, and neither does Moiraine, I sure hope he isn't. Because if Mat is the Dragon, she is sentencing everyone else to certain death and ensuring failure at the Eye of the World.
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