We'll just have to agree to disagree on that one then. It just felt like a natural evolution of the change they made with Perrin to me. I don't think he even has a crush (though I can see why people think the opposite). It was cliche, but it also came at a point where they were all fraught, and people do squabble about petty things in those situations. It's the lasting touch of machin shin's evil as well, I suppose. They are all fighting to prove their doubts aren't true, and seeking comfort too. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. I didn't feel like it felt particularly shoehorned.
Agreed about not liking information being withheld to preserve mystery. I enjoyed this episode immensely, and like the series as a whole, but if we're being critical I think they leaned waaaay too hard on the 'who is the dragon' angle. But my biggest gripe with that is that they have gone ott on the prophecies being unreliable (which I actually like, to a degree) to introducing a "seer" who sees the future in the penultimate episode, whom Moiraine has known since a child. Why didn't Moiraine take the kids straight to Min? Why not even suggest it as an option before now? I mean we could suppose Moiraine doesn't believe her visions 100% either but it seems kinda weak if she also believes these are legit snippets of the future. Min's vision about Tam raising a baby born on dragonmount wasn't even remotely vague, and corroborated Gitara's vision. Where does that leave any uncertainty? Rand and Nynaeve were the only orphans in the Two Rivers, and Nynaeve's the wrong age. Which doesn't even cover Rand's heron-marked blade.
Unless Min never revealed that vision? Which just seems entirely too convenient, but there we are. If that's the case I think they should have made it clearer that Moiraine doesn't have that information.
I think I would have preferred it if Moiraine was sceptical but did work it out early on, and just evaded ever saying who she thought it was because she wanted Rand to figure it out for himself, and come forward willingly. A willing dragon is more likely to save the world than join the DO after all, and having them all tag along as potential dragons gives her the chance to assess Rand's character (as well as ascertain the best ways to manipulate him before he knows who he is, and give him the grounding of people from home to protect). There were times I thought she did suspect, but then she always refuted knowing so heavily it seems unlikely she really did.
/rant
Rand is visibly the most affected after machin shin, and he's also the only one shown to dwell on it in Fal Dara. I think the viewer is absolutely supposed to assume it's about Egwene until we find out the rest later, but at the same time his reaction is a little over the top for it just being that. In fact it's totally odd. We know Rand and Egwene's relationship is fragile but they also just spent the night curled up together in the ways. He might be afraid that what machin shin said about her love is true, but her behaviour shows different at that point, and should have been enough to reassure him quickly enough once they were out. Like we already said though, it verged on way too subtle.
I'm really looking forward to the finale though. Especially whatever they do with Ishy. My money's on us getting a bigger indication of the Seanchan invading from the west too.
EDIT to address your edit: I don't think they will do that. There's certainly no indication they'll do that. I agree it'd be dumb. Honestly, I don't think it's a triangle at all, just resolution to Perrin's marriage woes.
Agreed about not liking information being withheld to preserve mystery. I enjoyed this episode immensely, and like the series as a whole, but if we're being critical I think they leaned waaaay too hard on the 'who is the dragon' angle. But my biggest gripe with that is that they have gone ott on the prophecies being unreliable (which I actually like, to a degree) to introducing a "seer" who sees the future in the penultimate episode, whom Moiraine has known since a child. Why didn't Moiraine take the kids straight to Min? Why not even suggest it as an option before now? I mean we could suppose Moiraine doesn't believe her visions 100% either but it seems kinda weak if she also believes these are legit snippets of the future. Min's vision about Tam raising a baby born on dragonmount wasn't even remotely vague, and corroborated Gitara's vision. Where does that leave any uncertainty? Rand and Nynaeve were the only orphans in the Two Rivers, and Nynaeve's the wrong age. Which doesn't even cover Rand's heron-marked blade.
Unless Min never revealed that vision? Which just seems entirely too convenient, but there we are. If that's the case I think they should have made it clearer that Moiraine doesn't have that information.
I think I would have preferred it if Moiraine was sceptical but did work it out early on, and just evaded ever saying who she thought it was because she wanted Rand to figure it out for himself, and come forward willingly. A willing dragon is more likely to save the world than join the DO after all, and having them all tag along as potential dragons gives her the chance to assess Rand's character (as well as ascertain the best ways to manipulate him before he knows who he is, and give him the grounding of people from home to protect). There were times I thought she did suspect, but then she always refuted knowing so heavily it seems unlikely she really did.
/rant
Rand is visibly the most affected after machin shin, and he's also the only one shown to dwell on it in Fal Dara. I think the viewer is absolutely supposed to assume it's about Egwene until we find out the rest later, but at the same time his reaction is a little over the top for it just being that. In fact it's totally odd. We know Rand and Egwene's relationship is fragile but they also just spent the night curled up together in the ways. He might be afraid that what machin shin said about her love is true, but her behaviour shows different at that point, and should have been enough to reassure him quickly enough once they were out. Like we already said though, it verged on way too subtle.
I'm really looking forward to the finale though. Especially whatever they do with Ishy. My money's on us getting a bigger indication of the Seanchan invading from the west too.
EDIT to address your edit: I don't think they will do that. There's certainly no indication they'll do that. I agree it'd be dumb. Honestly, I don't think it's a triangle at all, just resolution to Perrin's marriage woes.
![[Image: thal-banner-scaled.jpg]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/thal-banner-scaled.jpg)