WOT on Prime- Episode 1-3- Spoil Away!

[Thalia]

1) Perrin's wife. Dumb dumb dumb. I get that they needed to SHOW that Perrin's berserker mode is dangerous. That he is terrified of hurting people accidently. We have to SEE that, not just have it said. But giving him a wife introduces a whole new set of emotional trauma that is unnecessary. Brandon Sanderson said he tried to convince Rafe and the writers that the PTSD from killng his wife was too big to introduce into the story when they didn't need it. He wanted it to be MAster Luhan or someting. I think they wanted to shorthand a relationship and marriage is quicker to understand than apprentice- but the trade off in horror and guilt is too great.

I know I've already said, but I feel pretty much the same. I think they chose Laila over Luhan to mirror Faile in some way. It makes his resistance to her advances more understandable for tv than if he'd killed Luhan I suppose. I still don't like it much, but I'm willing to see what they do. As you said, the changes to Mat's backstory have already shown relevance in a way Perrin's haven't yet. It's only been 3 episodes though.

The other reason they may have used Laila is the symbolism. In that scene she has the hammer (a tool of creation) and he has the axe (a weapon only meant to destroy). Male/female, yin/yang, that kinda thing.

2) "There are rumors of Taveren in the 2 rivers". WTF is this? How can this even make any sense? It seemed a pathetic way to put them in the 2 Rivers. In the books, Moiraine had a list of names of families who had babies near TV during the battle of the shining walls. She had been running them down for 20 years and finally his the 2 rivers. But Taveren? How can there be rumors of taveren if no one in town is commenting on all the taverenness in town? Where did these rumors come from? This is stupid stupid stupid. They coulod have added a prophecy or played up the "old blood" prophecy to put Moiriaine in the 2 rivers. But this makes no sense from a book or tv show perspective. How do you have taveren rumors when nothing about the 2R folk indicates they are taveren yet?

It was another thing that made me wonder if Moiraine had an informant at some point in the two rivers. Rosamund has mentioned in an interview that at some point we do find out more about her network. It could be that. We also know that recognising ta'veren is a talent, they might have adjusted how that works so that perhaps Suian knew. I also thought it was a bit strange that she knew very definitively that the man the Reds caught was not the DR, despite being a channeler the right age, but she doesn't know which of the E5 it is. They didn't even explain what ta'veren are for viewers. You're right that it would have been far easier for her to declare the two rivers their next destination because of its strong old blood. Lan doesn't look remotely satisfied with her answer, just decides to trust her. I think we will find out more about what exactly Moiraine knows and how later on. Most of the episode descriptions make it clear we don't know everything about what she's doing and why. Using the word ta'veren that early on without context must have had a purpose. I don't know what that purpose IS mind you. And if it doesn't, I agree it's stupid.

that's husband thinking its egwene.

Oh man, he's so convinced. He was really pleased with himself too. It's been really nice listening to his guesses and impressions.