12-09-2021, 07:07 PM
The changes to Mat really strengthens his motivations imo (as well as making him more likable early on). Even after Shadar Logoth show-Mat would have 100% still gone home if Rand hadn't been so stubbornly determined to find Egwene, and when the boys argue in Breen Springs he pretty much intends to steal the Aiel's gem and do exactly that. He has a shitty life but also people to protect, and that's an admirable quality that's missing from early book-Mat. It's not until the holes in show-Mat's memory that it becomes impossible for him. He can't know if he's a threat to his sisters now.
Changing his sisters to being little and Else Grinwell to be a child was very deftly done. It works so much better.
I agree with everything you've said. Ep6 has a lot riding on its shoulders.
I think the clues for Rand's struggles are subtle through necessity. Until he meets his goal (finding Egwene) he doesn't have to address them (because things might still work out, this adventure might soon be over) and neither does he have anyone to confide in anyway. We do see him try, but there are always bigger things going on.
Completely agree that a focus on Rand has to happen in ep6 else they have potentially messed up. The dragon reveal won't work without the emotion behind it imo. But I think rather than the focus being on Rand's 'special thing' that puts him in the running for the dragon, episode 6 has to convince the viewer that they actually don't want it to be Rand because it would be too awful. We need to feel empathy for his situation, and I hope the show achieves that. I'm not sure that's the angle they'll go for though.
That's what I was trying to get at about Mat. His character work is all front end loaded of necessity, as not a lot can happen now until he's healed from the dagger (though I'm presuming here that it doesn't happen this season). His last important episode was ep4 and the Grinwells. His only function now may well be as a decoy.
With Rand that quiet spot is in the beginning, and now it should all start ramping up and making sense until it builds up to the dragon reveal. Literally the opposite curve to Mat's. Being stubborn and resistant to change is part of that arc. It feels slow because we know what's coming. It stands out because it's running at a different pace to everyone else.
Rand won't be defined by Egwene but I do think they will use their relationship as a catalyst for him, and possibly as a vehicle/symbol for expressing what he fears losing (and what it is he wants). That's why I think his reunion with her should come before his discovering he's a channeler, personally. It changes the tone. Not that I think it would hurt to drop a few more hints to viewers though. That door bash was a long time ago now, and there's a difference between what the characters know about themselves and the clues we need as an audience to make it all look tightly woven and inevitable in hindsight.
Because you're right on the money, none of that works if you can't look back and see all the pieces that suddenly make sense. In theory it's the Tam reveal that's the piece which puts everything into context (that Rand's identity has been suffering at all). But if it fails it will look like Rand has been quashed as a character just so the show can jump up and yell surprise.
I hope we will see Lan step up and take Rand underwing by the time we get to Fal Dara, and I also hope they keep the scene you mentioned. I'm sure they'll do something about the heron blade then too. It might be another way the Stepin story works; to enforce that theme of brotherhood. It'll feel even more wholesome now because we have some idea of what it will mean to Lan.
Suian and Moiraine's scenes will be to push the core plot forward I think, revealing more about the dragon prophecy and increasing our awareness of Moiraine's personal stakes etc. I bet we'll begin to feel the Tower's fractures too, as well as a bigger glimpse into how weak they actually are right now. I assume it will contain the building blocks for the Eye (well it kinda has to).
I think they will use Logain to talk about how horrendous a male dragon would be as a prospect, show relief that he was false, and discuss who Moiraine thinks it might be (one of the girls; more relief). At this point the viewer will be actively encouraged to consider the prospect of a male dragon because of Mat, assuming Moiraine does not yet know the suspicion because the E5 intend to protect each other.
If they do then have Rand discover he's a channeler, and Moiraine suddenly has five prospects again just when she thought she'd narrowed it down, I guess that could work quite well as an end point.
But there's a lot to fit in.
Perrin's got to face the repercussions of the wolves and the prospect of becoming some kind of shadowspawn (I wonder if they are going to try and tie this into his leg wound, and it won't be until season 2 and Elyas that we'll finally know he's a wolfbrother). If that's the case he's another one the E5 will want to protect from the Aes Sedai. They could probably keep that fairly low key for now though.
I think Egwene will return Valda's rings to the Tower. I'm curious where they are going with that. He's murdering Aes Sedai and the Tower has to react, but it's swerving too much from the plot to dwell on right now surely. Valda is a curious one. He seems to be mixed with Asunawa and Byar but there's got to be a reason he's killing Aes Sedai (his character would have worked without that quirk). I originally wondered if they were going to tie it in with the Aes Sedai deaths in New Spring (the original searchers for the dragon set by the Amyrlin before Suian and murdered by the Black Ajah) but most of the rings look like they're Red so it doesn't work.
In any case, if they can get a well paced mix of scenes that drive the plot forward and a focus on Rand's conflicts I think it'll work out. I'm not sure when they'll introduce the channeling (soon hopefully), but I think ep7 will be the dragon reveal, leaving 8 for the showdown but also some lead-in to plots that will propel us into season 2 (like the dagger theft).
I enjoy reading your thoughts, rambling or not, you know how much I love discussing stuff like this
Changing his sisters to being little and Else Grinwell to be a child was very deftly done. It works so much better.
I agree with everything you've said. Ep6 has a lot riding on its shoulders.
I think the clues for Rand's struggles are subtle through necessity. Until he meets his goal (finding Egwene) he doesn't have to address them (because things might still work out, this adventure might soon be over) and neither does he have anyone to confide in anyway. We do see him try, but there are always bigger things going on.
Completely agree that a focus on Rand has to happen in ep6 else they have potentially messed up. The dragon reveal won't work without the emotion behind it imo. But I think rather than the focus being on Rand's 'special thing' that puts him in the running for the dragon, episode 6 has to convince the viewer that they actually don't want it to be Rand because it would be too awful. We need to feel empathy for his situation, and I hope the show achieves that. I'm not sure that's the angle they'll go for though.
Quote:Rand's arc is EXACTLY as you describe. But it's only hinted at in the novels. 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.
That's what I was trying to get at about Mat. His character work is all front end loaded of necessity, as not a lot can happen now until he's healed from the dagger (though I'm presuming here that it doesn't happen this season). His last important episode was ep4 and the Grinwells. His only function now may well be as a decoy.
With Rand that quiet spot is in the beginning, and now it should all start ramping up and making sense until it builds up to the dragon reveal. Literally the opposite curve to Mat's. Being stubborn and resistant to change is part of that arc. It feels slow because we know what's coming. It stands out because it's running at a different pace to everyone else.
Rand won't be defined by Egwene but I do think they will use their relationship as a catalyst for him, and possibly as a vehicle/symbol for expressing what he fears losing (and what it is he wants). That's why I think his reunion with her should come before his discovering he's a channeler, personally. It changes the tone. Not that I think it would hurt to drop a few more hints to viewers though. That door bash was a long time ago now, and there's a difference between what the characters know about themselves and the clues we need as an audience to make it all look tightly woven and inevitable in hindsight.
Because you're right on the money, none of that works if you can't look back and see all the pieces that suddenly make sense. In theory it's the Tam reveal that's the piece which puts everything into context (that Rand's identity has been suffering at all). But if it fails it will look like Rand has been quashed as a character just so the show can jump up and yell surprise.
I hope we will see Lan step up and take Rand underwing by the time we get to Fal Dara, and I also hope they keep the scene you mentioned. I'm sure they'll do something about the heron blade then too. It might be another way the Stepin story works; to enforce that theme of brotherhood. It'll feel even more wholesome now because we have some idea of what it will mean to Lan.
Suian and Moiraine's scenes will be to push the core plot forward I think, revealing more about the dragon prophecy and increasing our awareness of Moiraine's personal stakes etc. I bet we'll begin to feel the Tower's fractures too, as well as a bigger glimpse into how weak they actually are right now. I assume it will contain the building blocks for the Eye (well it kinda has to).
I think they will use Logain to talk about how horrendous a male dragon would be as a prospect, show relief that he was false, and discuss who Moiraine thinks it might be (one of the girls; more relief). At this point the viewer will be actively encouraged to consider the prospect of a male dragon because of Mat, assuming Moiraine does not yet know the suspicion because the E5 intend to protect each other.
If they do then have Rand discover he's a channeler, and Moiraine suddenly has five prospects again just when she thought she'd narrowed it down, I guess that could work quite well as an end point.
But there's a lot to fit in.
Perrin's got to face the repercussions of the wolves and the prospect of becoming some kind of shadowspawn (I wonder if they are going to try and tie this into his leg wound, and it won't be until season 2 and Elyas that we'll finally know he's a wolfbrother). If that's the case he's another one the E5 will want to protect from the Aes Sedai. They could probably keep that fairly low key for now though.
I think Egwene will return Valda's rings to the Tower. I'm curious where they are going with that. He's murdering Aes Sedai and the Tower has to react, but it's swerving too much from the plot to dwell on right now surely. Valda is a curious one. He seems to be mixed with Asunawa and Byar but there's got to be a reason he's killing Aes Sedai (his character would have worked without that quirk). I originally wondered if they were going to tie it in with the Aes Sedai deaths in New Spring (the original searchers for the dragon set by the Amyrlin before Suian and murdered by the Black Ajah) but most of the rings look like they're Red so it doesn't work.
In any case, if they can get a well paced mix of scenes that drive the plot forward and a focus on Rand's conflicts I think it'll work out. I'm not sure when they'll introduce the channeling (soon hopefully), but I think ep7 will be the dragon reveal, leaving 8 for the showdown but also some lead-in to plots that will propel us into season 2 (like the dagger theft).
I enjoy reading your thoughts, rambling or not, you know how much I love discussing stuff like this
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