DreadLord31

Alright … you convinced me … these writers are definitely not that good to have written such character depth that subtly into a scene 😉 If it’s there … it’s just cause Ceara is awesome and understands her character and slipped it in! lol

I think that’s a pretty big IF … I think they’re going to use Matt and the to oust Rahvin. I do hope we get TvThom and more Elayne though.

This was well done if you ask me ... very ... "spirit of Elayne from the books" performance. Drinker, swearing - kind of wants to be "one of the boys" - but really, she's a bit naive and sweet and innocent - a princess. She "knows history" but hasn't "experienced the world". Again, here's a case where I'd say the show is Improving upon the Books. I didn't like Elayne in the books. Especially her whole pregnancy plot was suuuuper annoying. Ceara Coveney is a fantastic Elayne and is super talented and pretty and sweet. Love it.

It's subtle. But it's definitely there. Look of surprise when audience woman makes ... gesture. Looks at Thom, he gives her the "you asked for it" look. And then she "gets it" and goes for it. The Wheel Of Time | “The Hills of Tanchico” - Elayne Trakand featuring Thom Merrilin. Stream it now on WOTify. | Instagram

Ok. I’m back to 5 out of 10. It happens pretty fast but she does fall asleep. And … there’s reasonable doubt that they’re fire spears. Still bothered that they Definitely Did have a fire spear through the chest in Sammael one moment and he’s fine the next and a Shaido slice Egwene and she’s fine the next moment … Lot of that kind of stuff makes my confidence that they’re gonna execute the battle of the Two Rivers well … not high. And that would be a major bummer cause I’m pretty sure if this season is a flop they’re done …

Ok - I thought he was in the real world and that would be a dealbreaker (didn’t they watch their own Season 1?! lol). Seriously? I watched it like 10x and in slow motion and every time I thought they were swords. So it’s not … obvious. And that would be a dealbreaker for me (didn’t they watch their own S3? lol!)

Ok … then I give it a pass. But that didn’t seem to be the case the first two times I watched it (but I wasn’t paying close, close attention because though I like Liandrin and Kate Fleetwood I’m pretty tired of someone who was a very minor book character being the main antagonist.)

Oh also … I’m like 100% convinced now that Sammael is replacing Asmo. I really don’t think he’s dead. Oh and also - the reason my opinion dropped so much is because now my confidence level that the Battle of the Two Rivers next episode is gonna be good … has dropped to like 2% It’s gonna be crazy dark. It’s gonna be unrealistic. And Id bet you (even if you were Matt) that someone (Faile probably) or a whole bunch of people (all the main characters in the TR) seemingly “die” but not really! Lol

I thought the show tied the black fingers to making Grey Men and sucking their souls out of them? Maybe I misremember.

Upon further further inspection and reflection … I bump this episode down to a 1 out 10. lol Why, you say? That’s a huge reduction?! Well, Because (as someone else pointed out I think) the Cold Open says “Tanchico 95 years ago” … And ends with Ishy helping Liandrin. Ummm… if Ishy was free 95 years ago that raises a bunch of questions… and plot holes. Also, as someone else pointed out - I rewatched it like 10x in slow motion… those are definitely flaming swords they gave Avi. And … Sammael was stabbed from behind through the heart one moment - perfectly fine the next? And they had an Aiel slice Egwene and her fall back onto the bed and then fine the next moment to run out and then fine to watch the attempt at healing death. Sooo yeah… at this moment … man, the lack of ability to write/execute a good fight without someone being massively injured one moment and then fine the next… that’s really really bugging me now.

I’m not a Rafe defender (I’ve criticized the show and writing plenty) but I think many of the terrible changes were pushed, not by Rafe, but by Amazon people & writers who (honestly I don’t think have read the books) who want to appeal to the wider non-reader audience. I think this season Rafe has had more free rein & it is better. Even the people on here who don’t like it. You have to admit, this season is better! Upon a rewatch … I’ll bump this episode up actually to 7 out of 10. Dialogue between Rand & Moiraine was good. Still love the Tanchico stuff. Thom is my fav protagonist and all the antongists are all better in this turning of the wheel. I’ve softened on my Perrin/Faile thoughts - why drag it out - let’s all just forget about Laila and move on. Still think the amount of time spent on the Alanna stuff and the healing is poor…

I’m probably going to have to rewatch and think about it before I have much of an opinion on this episode. My initial reaction was … an 6 out of 10 rating. And my initial thoughts are: I totally disagree with @Mirefox about TvThom. I like the shows version of Thom a whole lot better. It never made sense to me that a Gleeman was a BA warrior in the books. This Thom is darker, weathered, has great lines & makes Gleeman a lot cooler (IMO). So I loved seeing him back … I just wish we got as much of TvThom as we do TvLiandrin (but yes, I do agree with you @Mirefox that neither of them are very much like their book counterparts at all - but I think both are improvements!) This Moggy is sooo creepy …and kind of gross. I like it. I liked the “interview with a Spider” scene a lot. Felt like the book scenes in that regard. I liked all of the Tanicho stuff. Especially Elayne singing. I liked most of the Cold Rocks hold stuff. When Sammael showed up as Lanfear’s “surprise” and Rand seemingly killed him? I went “whaaaaat?” And then I went, “hmmm… well, I’m ok with it as long as Sammael isn’t really dead or if he “comes back”! Sooo we’ll see… I’m either ok with it or really hate it. If you have a Forsaken who is trying to fight who is that easily killed and incompetent then I hate it. So we’ll see I guess… But I also had this thought: I disliked all of the Two Rivers stuff. Very CW level writing - like watching Arrow. Didn’t like any of the Perrin/Faile lines or how that is happening - fridges his wife and is now making out with someone he just met because (honor the dead by making out with the living?) Faile’s mother a darkfriend - bleh. I do like the theory that Faile is a vampire though!🧛 Vampire/Werewolf vibes for sure. I agree with what the majority of people have said. It’s lazy and poor writing to stick Alanna full of arrows and then have teen girls heal her because you need her healed. Totally disagree with @DigificWriter there. They’ve ruined any “stakes” because they average a “fake-out death” per episode (see above thoughts on Sammael!) I’ve contended for awhile now that GoT was widely popular as books & Tv because the stakes were real. I remember reading the first book and when I thought … I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the only character in it that I actually liked … actually died at the end.GoT had real stakes. And most shows and writers don’t really kill main characters because of … contracts with actors and because they get attached to their characters. But it’s actually more believable because in real history and life - people, good guys, heroes - die. WoTTv has no real stakes. Neither did the books though. Unless you’re a side character that they introduce for the very purpose of killing. And even then they might bring you back (I’m looking at you - Uno!) So if your season finale is Now you’ve lost all that punch… nobody believes that they won’t just “be back” … somehow … soon.

Moggy needs to instruct her Grey Men to go for the throat … I mean (this is pretty much spot on with the books) can’t a souless assassin catch a break?!

Honestly, I think the show should just go all out with their strengths - the Chosen win in this turning of the Wheel? 🙂 I mean, did you see that Darth Lanfear force choke? 😉

I find it interesting too. EDN reaction videos are kind of fun for this very reason. My point was simply that one can’t really critique a book-lovers disappointment in the show due it’s changes from the books if you’ve never read the books and don’t have a reference point for why they feel the way they do! Because as a book fan, when your expecting a Tv show that was more like Episode 4 of this season (not a 1 to 1 adaptation, but as close as possible with the time-constraints) but you mostly get episodes like S3E5 (I don’t think any of the scenes were from the book?, but it had a WoT-ish feel I’d say) … You experience some loss - even if you accept/like the show for what it is.