This episode hit it out of the park. I loved nearly everything about it. One of the things that excites me is that this IS the wheel of time- but I am not certain as to what will happen next. I know the beats. The main character points that need to be hit. But how they get there, how they decide to show specific character struggles or accomplishments, is unknown.
Reminds me a lot of the gardener method of writing where you write specific scenes or have specific plot or character elements you want to hit, but grow to that place organically. It's wonderful and has made the wheel of time new for the first time since the series ended.
Specifics:
Tinkers: Loved 'em. They always seemed impractical, clueless- frankly ridiculous. That kind of pacifism in the face of violence being done to you or your children...well, it seemed like ideals had superseded harsh reality. The whole "violence does harm to the person DOING the violence" never sat with me. My attitude was "fuck them!" If they are going to kill my child, I'm not going to let it happen, taking some solace in the fact that the act hurt that person too. I don't care about their feelings. I care about the child crying out to me to save them.
But this...the idea that this was an act of revenge. That this was an attempt to make the next turnings of the wheel better *for* those souls who had been torn by violence was so much better. Not that I agree. But at the same time, I can understand it. And see how, if that is what you truly believe, you could do this, as painful as it is. It was beautifully done.
And I like the exploration of rebirth and how that impacts people's perspectives. Despite the lip service to the idea that souls get spun out again, in the books we never really saw that fact give meaning to a person's life- or an explanation as to why suffering exists or how to escape it (with the single exception of Rand as LTT reborn). Which, in hindsight, is pretty strange as the idea of rebirth, among other things, provides an effective explanation to those very questions. For religions that attempt to tackle those big questions about suffering, its existence, justice and reward, rebirth provides one lens through which to find solace. (Heaven and hell and divine judgment is another paradigm that people gravitate to.)
Seeing people talk about rebirth- with the festival at Bel Tine, by Logain or with the Tinkers- and the meaning and explanation it gives people is a nice touch that, in reality, I think makes RJ's in world cosmology more realistic. Religion feeds people's needs to understand and explain their place in the world. The cycle of rebirth plays a huge role in this world and it should show.
Liandrin- Damn! We know she's a darkfriend...and yet, she doesn't come off as wrong. Her assessment of their abiltiy to shield logain for the entire journey was spot on- especially if, as I strongly believe- he was just biding his time. In the books, Logain is forsaken level strength. Not Rand level but damn high. Two sisters should not be able to keep him shielded. She comments he isn't sweating or straining. Periodically he stretches and it freaks them the hell out.
Add to that the possibility that she purposely let her shield weaken so that she could follow through on her words that if he broke free, they would be able to stop him with the 3 oaths- and she comes across as far more formidable and sympathetic.
I love that the darkfriends are real people. Not ridiculous small minded caricatures, as we saw in many.
Nynaeve- Jesus....what a badass. It's no secret that she and Rand are my favorite characters in the books (despite my initial dislike of her for what I consider bullying). She is driven by love and compassion. And when she explodes....damn. Just damn! It was glorious.
It's curious as to how Logain was able to see it. He shouldn't be able to see saidar weaves. They've not done away with that. Moiraine says she can't see his weaves and there's no reason to think it is only one sided. He can see taveren, but a) we've no indication that she is taveren and b) he saw her enter the cave and didn't freak out. It was only after her scream and healing. Non-female channelers might not be able to see the weaves, seeing the effects of channeling occurs. Skin knitting together as wounds heal. He's healed (the king of Gealdan). He knows what it requires. Seeing Nynaeve do it to literaly everyone (excet Kerene) in the cave all at once, well, that could be enough.
And perhaps being untrained and working off instinct, she included elements of air and fire and whatever that WERE visible to people.
EDIT TO ADD: WOT consultant explained that Logain did NOT see Nynaeves weaves but was reacting to the visible shockwave:
https://twitter.com/sarahenakamura/statu...7lLjA&s=19
Mat- every episode makes me feel the loss that will be Barney Harris as Mat. No aspersions on the new guy, but Barney Harris owns this role. Brilliant the way they muddy the water with the Dragon's role. Rand's channeling to break down the door in the previous episode was subtle. There was not overt comment. Thom's words to Rand bringing the focus to Mat (as the burning sun line of Moiraine and Logain did to Nynaeve) is awesome.
Two things really stand oiut.
1)Mat and the little girl. Only cements his good heart and concern for children. Birgitte was amazing. But the foreshadowing too. "She watches over me while I sleep." "She wants to see the world." And teh fact that Mat and Birgitte have a special bond- damn! This is deep and brilliant stuff. I am excited to see when she shows in Telaranrhiod, as stuff like this seem to point forward to.
2) "I see you hiding." So creepy on so many levels. One things particularly intrigues me. We know how the Myrdraal even fear Fain's dagger. How he used it to cow one at the two rivers. He killed one and nailed it to a door in a town in the borderlands.
I wonder if the fade is hiding from him because it can sense the danger of the dagger. Maybe that is why it "circled" around the boys by killing the people too. Or maybe it killed them and when Mat was drawn to the evil (the people of shadar logoth hated the shadow and rooted it out, birthing a new evil int he process). Aginor called the dagger and the evil in Mat an "old enemy, an old friend".
The idea the fade might have been holding back because of Mat's dagger- at least at first- is intriguing.
I noticied too that Rand appears to have sensed the Myrdraal. Channelers can sense the DO's evil., Rand had that dream and woke up immediately to find Mat gone. We don't know if Mat had a dream or if it was one from Ishamael or was his own senses warning him.
Egwene- I continue to love this Egwene. Her smile and joy- especially after the fear of the last few days- is real. But she hasn't forgot everyone. Neither did book Egwene. I like that she spoke of Rand. Again, I like that this Rand and Egwene had a relationship- and that it was not to be. That tearing (which, truthfully, didn't become clear both to her and to others until book 2, when she realized she didn't love him anymore. Remember, Rand was obsessed with saving her from the Seanchan.)
RJ didn't do great with setting up relationships, For every Rand and Aviendha or Rand and Min, you had a Thom and Moiraine, Rand and Elayne, or even Lan and Nynaeve (in book 1, at least) that just came out nowhere and existed by authorial fiat. Seeing the existing relationship that feels like a relationship makes the ending of it more painful. And seeing what develops between Nynaeve and Lan- how organic is was- is beautiful.
It's nice to see how this show has fleshed out or made clearer things RJ only hinted at or didn;t really bring to logical or organic fruition. the characters are much more sharply drawn here (as are the implications of his cosmology and world) than in the novels. It's very cool. Which gives me hope for how- should be get there- they handle the whole Demandred/Sharan thing.
I love it.
Reminds me a lot of the gardener method of writing where you write specific scenes or have specific plot or character elements you want to hit, but grow to that place organically. It's wonderful and has made the wheel of time new for the first time since the series ended.
Specifics:
Tinkers: Loved 'em. They always seemed impractical, clueless- frankly ridiculous. That kind of pacifism in the face of violence being done to you or your children...well, it seemed like ideals had superseded harsh reality. The whole "violence does harm to the person DOING the violence" never sat with me. My attitude was "fuck them!" If they are going to kill my child, I'm not going to let it happen, taking some solace in the fact that the act hurt that person too. I don't care about their feelings. I care about the child crying out to me to save them.
But this...the idea that this was an act of revenge. That this was an attempt to make the next turnings of the wheel better *for* those souls who had been torn by violence was so much better. Not that I agree. But at the same time, I can understand it. And see how, if that is what you truly believe, you could do this, as painful as it is. It was beautifully done.
And I like the exploration of rebirth and how that impacts people's perspectives. Despite the lip service to the idea that souls get spun out again, in the books we never really saw that fact give meaning to a person's life- or an explanation as to why suffering exists or how to escape it (with the single exception of Rand as LTT reborn). Which, in hindsight, is pretty strange as the idea of rebirth, among other things, provides an effective explanation to those very questions. For religions that attempt to tackle those big questions about suffering, its existence, justice and reward, rebirth provides one lens through which to find solace. (Heaven and hell and divine judgment is another paradigm that people gravitate to.)
Seeing people talk about rebirth- with the festival at Bel Tine, by Logain or with the Tinkers- and the meaning and explanation it gives people is a nice touch that, in reality, I think makes RJ's in world cosmology more realistic. Religion feeds people's needs to understand and explain their place in the world. The cycle of rebirth plays a huge role in this world and it should show.
Liandrin- Damn! We know she's a darkfriend...and yet, she doesn't come off as wrong. Her assessment of their abiltiy to shield logain for the entire journey was spot on- especially if, as I strongly believe- he was just biding his time. In the books, Logain is forsaken level strength. Not Rand level but damn high. Two sisters should not be able to keep him shielded. She comments he isn't sweating or straining. Periodically he stretches and it freaks them the hell out.
Add to that the possibility that she purposely let her shield weaken so that she could follow through on her words that if he broke free, they would be able to stop him with the 3 oaths- and she comes across as far more formidable and sympathetic.
I love that the darkfriends are real people. Not ridiculous small minded caricatures, as we saw in many.
Nynaeve- Jesus....what a badass. It's no secret that she and Rand are my favorite characters in the books (despite my initial dislike of her for what I consider bullying). She is driven by love and compassion. And when she explodes....damn. Just damn! It was glorious.
It's curious as to how Logain was able to see it. He shouldn't be able to see saidar weaves. They've not done away with that. Moiraine says she can't see his weaves and there's no reason to think it is only one sided. He can see taveren, but a) we've no indication that she is taveren and b) he saw her enter the cave and didn't freak out. It was only after her scream and healing. Non-female channelers might not be able to see the weaves, seeing the effects of channeling occurs. Skin knitting together as wounds heal. He's healed (the king of Gealdan). He knows what it requires. Seeing Nynaeve do it to literaly everyone (excet Kerene) in the cave all at once, well, that could be enough.
And perhaps being untrained and working off instinct, she included elements of air and fire and whatever that WERE visible to people.
EDIT TO ADD: WOT consultant explained that Logain did NOT see Nynaeves weaves but was reacting to the visible shockwave:
https://twitter.com/sarahenakamura/statu...7lLjA&s=19
Mat- every episode makes me feel the loss that will be Barney Harris as Mat. No aspersions on the new guy, but Barney Harris owns this role. Brilliant the way they muddy the water with the Dragon's role. Rand's channeling to break down the door in the previous episode was subtle. There was not overt comment. Thom's words to Rand bringing the focus to Mat (as the burning sun line of Moiraine and Logain did to Nynaeve) is awesome.
Two things really stand oiut.
1)Mat and the little girl. Only cements his good heart and concern for children. Birgitte was amazing. But the foreshadowing too. "She watches over me while I sleep." "She wants to see the world." And teh fact that Mat and Birgitte have a special bond- damn! This is deep and brilliant stuff. I am excited to see when she shows in Telaranrhiod, as stuff like this seem to point forward to.
2) "I see you hiding." So creepy on so many levels. One things particularly intrigues me. We know how the Myrdraal even fear Fain's dagger. How he used it to cow one at the two rivers. He killed one and nailed it to a door in a town in the borderlands.
I wonder if the fade is hiding from him because it can sense the danger of the dagger. Maybe that is why it "circled" around the boys by killing the people too. Or maybe it killed them and when Mat was drawn to the evil (the people of shadar logoth hated the shadow and rooted it out, birthing a new evil int he process). Aginor called the dagger and the evil in Mat an "old enemy, an old friend".
The idea the fade might have been holding back because of Mat's dagger- at least at first- is intriguing.
I noticied too that Rand appears to have sensed the Myrdraal. Channelers can sense the DO's evil., Rand had that dream and woke up immediately to find Mat gone. We don't know if Mat had a dream or if it was one from Ishamael or was his own senses warning him.
Egwene- I continue to love this Egwene. Her smile and joy- especially after the fear of the last few days- is real. But she hasn't forgot everyone. Neither did book Egwene. I like that she spoke of Rand. Again, I like that this Rand and Egwene had a relationship- and that it was not to be. That tearing (which, truthfully, didn't become clear both to her and to others until book 2, when she realized she didn't love him anymore. Remember, Rand was obsessed with saving her from the Seanchan.)
RJ didn't do great with setting up relationships, For every Rand and Aviendha or Rand and Min, you had a Thom and Moiraine, Rand and Elayne, or even Lan and Nynaeve (in book 1, at least) that just came out nowhere and existed by authorial fiat. Seeing the existing relationship that feels like a relationship makes the ending of it more painful. And seeing what develops between Nynaeve and Lan- how organic is was- is beautiful.
It's nice to see how this show has fleshed out or made clearer things RJ only hinted at or didn;t really bring to logical or organic fruition. the characters are much more sharply drawn here (as are the implications of his cosmology and world) than in the novels. It's very cool. Which gives me hope for how- should be get there- they handle the whole Demandred/Sharan thing.
I love it.
"Good and ill.
We're like the wind,
we blows both ways."
- Mad Sweeney, American Gods
- Mad Sweeney, American Gods