WoT on Prime episode 5 SPOILERS

[Mikhail]

In delaying it, and if they play it right, his discovering he’s a channeler could potentially be very devastating for him; not because of the threat of madness, but because it’s the nail in the coffin: he’s never going home.

I think this is very subtle and a deft analysis. Because it DOES track with the other characters in the book. Egwene wanted to leave because she wanted adventure and right away learned she could channler. Old life done. Mat did too, to a lesser extent, and then found the dagger. Ditto. Perrin was duty driven like Rand but the wolf brother was soon after Shadar Logoth and his old life was over. Nynaeve went to bring the others home and suddenly learned she could channel (but was blocked) and that if egwene didnt learn, she would die.

Rand was the only one who still wanted his old life and at least potentially had that possibility- we saw in a flicker world that he even lived it out until Egwene died of a wasting sickness. All the times he channeled it was unknown to him. Tam's fever dreams shook him to his core, but none of that meant that he wasn't Tam's son. When Lan first heard, he told Rand that in the borderlands, whoever "has the raising of a child" is the father, end of story. So even that didn't mean his old life wasn't possible.

Everythign we've seen of Rand in the series tracks. The only issue (and given that they gave Perrin a wife to kill specifically because they wanted to make his internal struggle obvious) is that the clues are subtle enough that they could *almost* be imagine. That we are reading too much into it because we are searching for those elements that show a depth that is not very clear.

But, on the other hand, the fact of the Perrin addition is an indicator that they know internal stuff needs to be more visible and they have been playing their cards close to their vest, that very soon we will see all this bubble to the surface. And by "soon",  let me be frank- if it doesn't start in episode 6, I will go ahead and say that I think they pulled a Jordan-shara situation and left it to the last minute and so didnt earn it. You can't do character development at the last minute. 

Obvious example is Ingtar. The clues to his DF status were liberally sprinkled and- even during reading- they were noticeable, not necessarily as clues OF THAT, but that he was a man of depth, bemoaning the loss of humankind, and for whom the search for the horn was becoming an obsession. Loial and Perrin even commented/noticed it more than once. When we learned the truth, all the pieces fell into place and it was a beautiful "blacksmith's puzzle" of clues that suddenly fit. 

Think of how that would have looked to have Ingtar's clues be much more subtle to the point that no one noticed or batted an eye or could almost be imagined. Then him suddenly being revealed in a way to make him a sympathetic dark friend would have felt forced, unearned. Because that was the goal. To show a good man who, for reasons that sort of made sense, had made bad choices and was trying to figure out how to work his way clear. There is a clear character arc.

Rand's arc is EXACTLY as you describe. But it's only hinted at in the series. Character arcs don't happen at the end. They start at the beginning (thats why everyone else go theirs in the 1st 3 episodes). Rand's is still beneath the surface.

I am torn because I believe the bulk of this should begin in this episode. At least something to make it clear what his story is (and it is NOT being defined by his relationship to egwene- that is merely an symptom it), And that this episode should make clear the ideas of the dragon and of male channelers. And knowing that Brandon said this was his favorite episode- and that this episode is a new version of the chapter in book 2 where Moiraine and Siuan secretly met and we learned how they were all tied together in this- well, I feel like I am investing too much expectation into it. That it will need to be a load-bearing post of an episode. 

But frankly, it should be. The way the season has been designed, the heavy lifting will need to be in the next (and final) 3 episodes. 

Do I think they can do it? I suppose I will say I am hopeful. I haven't been disappointed yet despite a few missteps. They seem to have an idea of what they want and are willing to take the time to focus on what needs to be focused on, to build carefully. So...I am hopeful.

Because your analysis is spot on. That is EXACTLY Rand's journey in the 1st book, his arc. And whatever the changes to the story, the characters need to be clear and stay the same. 

(and now who's rambling?)