Book vs Show | The Wheel of Time | Season 2 Episode 4

I casually review and compare the book and the show, noting the impact the differences make to the story and characters. As an editor, this is fascinating to me. As a writer, I am learning a lot.
The Wheel of Time (Amazon Prime)
The Eye of the World (Robert Jordan)
The Great Hunt (Robert Jordan)
The Dragon Reborn (Robert Jordan)
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Timecode:
00:00 Introductions and Thank Yous!
2:14 The Bloody Cold Open
4:42 Moiraine Is Still A Horrible Person
24:14 Lan and Alanna's Fetishes
47:03 Some Boring "Side" Characters
1:01:11 Perrin Meets Some Cute Wolves
1:13:27 The Girls Can't Mop! Or Do Anything Else.
1:34:01 Rand Looks At A View And Tries To Bang, But Doesn't.
1:55:24 That's All, For Now!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

We're Back! Sorry it took so long to get a video up. I got sick...AGAIN (That's 4 times in 2 months, and this time was worst of all). Anyway, as stated in the video, I recorded this in December, which means I was itchy and scratchy from very dry skin. So try to ignore me scratching through the whole thing. Enjoy! Avatar S1 E2 Review comes out at the end of next week.

[@saviourself687]

Ahh bugger, hope you're feeling better! =(

[@kaludgo5811]

It's ok. We don't want you to get sick again by watching this awful show XD. Hope you feeling better and thanks for the video.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I'm feeling much better. Still not 100%, but much better.

[@jeremyvanneman8112]

I'm so sorry to hear you haven't been feeling well, but thank you for the effort of putting this together. I really appreciate your deep and insightful videos!

[@joshuatempleton9556]

i wouldn't bother trying to find the chapters that fit as nothing in these episodes are in the books, scenes in the show are out of order as well.

[@elessarbre]

I thought you gave up on these. Honestly watching your reviews are way more fun than watching the actual show was.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha! Thank you. I didn't give up. Just took a break.

[@infasis]

Lol no kidding... I didn't even finish the first episode, but I like her videos.

[@nimroguegaming4430]

100% she has put way more thought into it than the writers did. Faithful adaptations are possible and can be great but are so rare. Why do the show writers think they are better storytellers than an author with millions of copies sold? Really sad what they have done to an amazing series of books.

[@nyetzdyec3391]

@@nimroguegaming4430 Just one of the *very* many problems with the show, is that the villains are far too sympathetic (so far, at least), while the (alleged) heroes or neither sympathetic nor heroic... and the heroines are... well... brave... but pretty vile. SMH Someone remind me who we're supposed to be rooting for? Ishamael? Oh, okay.

[@Avenus112]

Also amazon posted recurrent false copyright strikes each time she posted one of these.

[@thecornerkid402]

“Next we’ve got a scene that confuses me” could be the name of this video series.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Hahaha 😂😂😂

[@bookcloaks]

Lan not knowing what the Old Tongue poem was about is worse than you think, because “the Daughter of Night” as written in the Old Tongue is literally “Lanfear.”

[@smwad7103]

Lmfao true

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

BAHAHAHA! 🤣🤣🤣

[@TechnicallyMexican]

Still bitter this didn't do better in the March Madness tourney huh?

[@bookcloaks]

@@TechnicallyMexican it was the worst moment

[@jeremyvanneman8112]

9:15 lol, I love that transition there - "I'm far too busy to sit with my sister I haven't seen in decades... I need to gently caress my childhood toys."

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Lol. Ni kidding.

[@SirBlaze75]

i Rofled at the ' Nope Still don't care' near the start lol

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha! I really didn't. I mean, come on! Why should I put more effort into researching the books than the show did?

[@SirBlaze75]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS oh i totally agree, i think i hate watched this dismemberment since episode 5 season 1 lol and i must admit i had been dissapointed when i saw no more on this show from you i enjoy and agree with your sumaries.

[@SirBlaze75]

also Moiraine masked the bond in i think episode 7 season 1 before she and rand went into the blight to stop Lan from following her, and it was still under mask when ishmael did his thang, so Lan is sorta keeping it the truth, but that is the impression i got it was a subtifuge. And moiraine told tother 2 due to her personal need and couldn't hide it.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@SirBlaze75 Yeah. But the ahow keeps avoiding revealing to the audience what has actually happened. It's very confusing.... but not in a good way.

[@dudeguy8686]

Every time the show mentions the bond, the contradictions pile up..

[@xYalahx]

When I first finished watching S2E4, I realized that I was officially halfway through the second season and that the story basically had not progressed in any way. Major story changes from the end of season 1 to episode 4. Rand -> Having lots of sex Mat -> Following Min around "because" Perrin -> Literally lost in the woods Egwene -> Still a selfish bitch, but cleans better Nynaeve -> Still cannot channel, but has 50% more chance of PTSD Moiraine -> Still no powers, but has become megabitch Lan -> Wallowing in self pitty "because" Elayne -> Exists? No development at all Min -> Wot's Gollum. Evil "because" Loial -> Revealed that he is an immortal diety - able to be slain by the most evil weapon ever created and come back without a scratch. Four episodes of stuff happened, but the story didn't actually progress at all. There was no character development. It was here when all hope was lost for this show. 4 episodes of nothing (while complaining about not having enough time to "adapt" the books).

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

This is the best summary of S2 so far 😂

[@briane8627]

It's the complaining about not having enough time that really gets me! So much wasted time! 😡

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@briane8627 yeah. That's an illogical excuse.

[@xYalahx]

You are spot on. The scene with Liandrin comforting Nynaeve might be the best original writing the show has been able to come up with throughout the first two seasons. If you take that scene out of the greater story and look at it as an independent scene, it's great. The way the two women act is realistic, the logic used by Liandrin makes sense, and the reactions are legitimate. Even knowing that Liandrin is secretly evil, you can easily see why she might act, in that moment, with compassion towards a young woman and a new pupil. Additionally, it's a great example of showing how an evil person is still a person. So many other times this show, and other modern shows, make every villain a cartoonish mustache-twirling bad guy. This time they resisted and it was a great scene... Unfortunately, the rest of the show doesn't fit to this standard and that makes this scene awkwardly stand out as something that doesn't fit. You can watch it, think it was a good scene, but then when you step back it doesn't fit with everything else they've chosen to do.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Yes! Agreed! Although I'm not sure modern ideas of villains is mustache twirling. I think that they clumsily try to humanize them or make them sympathetic.

[@xYalahx]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS That's fair. I guess it would be more accurate to say that they often turn out to be mustache twirling, but not that they're always that.

[@TheNightrider88]

Rand midway 2nd book: getting accustomed with being in command and responsible for others. rand midway 2nd season: banging, banging, trying to learn how to channel despite supposedly not wanting to use the One Power due to well-known reason...

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Lol. It's so sad! Why do this?!

[@TheNightrider88]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS do you remember Northrop Frye "literary modes"? See, for a most part most WoT characters can be placed at "high mimetic" level. To quote:" If superior in degree to other men but not to his natural environment, the hero is a leader. He has authority, passions, and powers of expression far greater than ours, but what he does is subject both to social criticism and to the order of nature". Surely, protagonists are moving even higher, but in the series nobody seems to match the desciption. They are "low mimetic" *at best*!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@TheNightrider88 When it comes to deep character role analysis, this show as a subject of study is pointless. As for the books... wouldn't the T'averen be forces of nature, in a sense?

[@TheNightrider88]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS They kinda are! But hell, Rand in the later books is reaching even mythical level for sure. And that's what I like about WoT. Heroes that started as mostly "one of us" are raising up to the most epic levels and it feels... natural?

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@TheNightrider88 That's hard to do. Can't wait to see how it's accomplished!

[@Gunleaver]

Remember in the last season, where Logain had a king among his followers? In the books, they make a point of saying how stilled Amyrlins are kept as prisoners to prevent them from being symbols for their cause or being able to leverage their fame and connections to make trouble. To paraphrase a far superior prestige drama with Lindsey Duncan in the cast, Logain "can be broken like a Dacian catamite and still be dangerous… As long as he can be propped on a horse, he is dangerous!” This is because human nature and politics are (or should be) the same, no matter what setting, unless there are specific reasons otherwise. Logain had a political following. Men, even a king, were willing to attack Aes Sedai in order to serve him! Even without the One Power, if Logain is out of pocket, people could use him as a political symbol or a figurehead. By what we see on the show, Logain is FAR too dangerous to be allowed out of the Tower’s control. He is far too dangerous to be left in a situation where any random idiot can get access to him by beating up his orderly and stepping into the job, or where a woman who can’t channel, with no real power or authority, whose influence and connections in the same city have all been curtailed or stripped from her, can simply waltz in and talk to him, with a sizeable weapon on her person. Logain was sentenced in the same episode where Moiraine was exiled from the Tower in public disgrace. How did Moiraine, out of favor with the Tower authorities, and in exile, manage to effect Logain’s transfer to the Cairhien nuthouse? What influence or power did she have to get it done? What’s more, she supposedly did this to provide Rand with a teacher, but until she read the poem she swindled from Domon, she had no idea he would need to learn. She let Rand go at the end of the last season, believing his mission was accomplished, because she & Siuan believed they were going to the Eye of the World to fight the Last Battle. So she had no idea that Rand would need a teacher until after she lost her powers! But meanwhile, Rand was already in Cairhien working at the nuthouse, having extensive familiarity with at least one patient, in the same episode where Moiraine got the poem. So Logain was already in the nuthouse, thanks to Moiraine’s influence, long before she had any idea he would be needed to train Rand. In other words, Moiraine took an extremely dangerous man out from the White Tower’s supervision, to put him a city where her own ability to keep track of him was reduced, on the off-chance that someday, Rand might need a tutor, even though she believed they had defeated the Dark One. Also, Moiraine’s conversation with Logain is handled very badly on her part. She gave Rand’s identity to Logain, when she could not be sure that Logain knew it already, or whether or not Rand was using an alias. Basically, Moiraine is betting everything on her assessment that Logain will do exactly what she wants for the reward she offers, instead of sabotaging her to be a dick and she gives him way too much information and leverage that he could use against her, by reporting her to the authorities, or teaching Rand badly or any number of shenanigans. Also backing away when he moves toward her, while good acting on Pike’s part, does not help her characterization as someone in control - rather it shows her to be less confident than she might expect. In a real conversation with a dangerous man, this kind of error gives him a psychological advantage.

[@ShoMorphias]

Yep, in a not usually very competent industry when it comes to fine details, logic, and continuity, they excel in making the least amount of consistent sense possible. Cheers.

[@xYalahx]

I don't understand why Elayne, a princess and sole heir to a kingdom, would follow them in the show. She's known Egwene for a few months and considers her a friend, but she doesn't know or like Nynaeve. She doesn't know or like any of the boys. The show skipped her meeting Rand in Book 1. The show skipped her knowing about the intrigue behind him and has had no opportunity to be "captured" by his Ta'veren status. The show has no buildup for explaining why Elayne would put herself at risk like this. Angsty teen stuff? I guess?

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

At the very least.... she's not being written to directly obstruct the heroes. She's helpful.

[@Gunleaver]

Months? More like days. Another change to Elayne, resulting from her being omitted in S1 is how she introduced herself to Egwene. In the books, Rand made an impression on the royal family, so naturally when Elayne meets a second person from Emond's Field, he is going to come up in conversation, which leads Egwene to realize her identity. Elayne could not reveal it, because she has been forbidden to do so. This is a sensible practice, to prevent her from being a distraction to the other students, and to impress on her that her royal status is meaningless in the Tower. But on the show, they don't have any such rules, because they can't be bothered with world-building that might interfere with their plans. So Elayne can tell Egwene who she is, but they don't want to make her a braggert, and also, anti-rich sentiment is fashionable among artistic types these days, so Elayne has to be awkward and embarrassed by her station. So she blurts it put after inadvertently insulting Egwene's room & possessions. Elayne in the books is very diplomatic and skilled in social situations. Even when meeting foreigners for the first time with little or no knowledge of their culture or etiquette, she manages to make a good impression and get the upper hand, verbally. One friend notes that she would try to make peace between participants in a hopelessly bitter feud, and also that she just might be capable of doing so. But on the show, they have made her awkward, entitled and out of touch, with a penchant for putting her foot in her mouth. One of her most important traits, her diplomacy and cooperative spirit, is almost completely ansent on the show. They change the dynamic between her & Nynaeve as well, with her finding fault and demanding Nynaeve do things HER way. And all because they cut her from season 1, so they can give us whole episodes about Dana the Dumpy Darkfriend, and Steppin the Tragic Warder, whose stories were useless dead-ends, had no impact on subsequent episodes, and do nothing to further the plot. I can see the logic, of course. Who wants to watch a main character meet a beautiful princess and her mother, the queen, when they could watch a ... full-figured ... bartender insult him, chase two grown men around town like panicky chickens, whine about her motives for betraying humanity to the forces of Evil, and drop dead b/c of plot armor? Much better TV, the second way.

[@IamVendel]

The story of the show was basically ruined the moment they skipped Caemlyn. So many repercussions already in a season and a half.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@IamVendel I think there were foundational issues with Moiraine's opening monologue. Not a good start 😬

[@IamVendel]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS Well yeah. But the show was putting on a pretense of following the basic structure books up until that point. But after that? Elayne, Elaida? Gareth? Who has time for that nonsense? We have sad warder and hardly knew ye Aes Sedai. I guess a better way to put it instead of ruined would be to say broken beyond repair.

[@Vanbedda]

So many of your "If this had happened in the book, I think it would have gone like xyz" are so spot on! I am so excited for you to read Fires of Heave!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha! Thank you 🥰

[@Vanbedda]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS

[@novanightmare6289]

I'm about 21 minutes in and I'm screaming about New Spring.. lol. Glad to see you continuing the reviews.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha! Thanks. I'm sure I will gett around to New Spring eventually.

[@Gunleaver]

In the Books, it is briefly mentioned that Moiraine is the youngest sister in her family. It was a throwaway line early in Book 4. In the prequel novel, New Spring, we learn that Moriaine had two older sisters, from which we get the name Anvaere for the show character. Again, she is only briefly mentioned, described as having a bad temper & only interested in her recreational pleasures. This was in the context of people speculating about the fitness of Moiraine's family members for the throne. Needless to say, aside from the name, the Show characters has zero connection to the Book character.

[@Gunleaver]

The unbelievable thing about Egwene's speech to Nynaeve around the 1:30:00 mark, is because it is utterly false on the show's terms. Egwene claims she is busting her ass in the Tower, because she blames herself for Rand's death. *"If I'd been ready at the Eye of the World, I could have fought alongside Rand and maybe he would've made it back." * This DID NOT HAPPEN. They were told that anyone who went to the Eye of the World who was not the Dragon Reborn would DIE. Egwene was firmly on the side of the argument that this was true! Egwene's readiness and ability were NOT the issue, it was who was the Dragon Reborn (BTW, how did Rand actually realize he was the Dragon Reborn - all he figured out was that he can channel, and so can Nynaeve & Egwene: at that point, Perrin was the only Dragon candidate present who could NOT channel, so that made him unique in the group, so maybe it was him? What it seems to me, is that the screenwriters forgot their own logic and fell back on the books, where the Dragon Reborn was one of the three BOYS, so that the BOY who could channel was most likely to be the one, which was a large part of what convinced Moiraine). Anyway, no matter how good, how ready Egwene was in Fal Dara, she would not have gone to the Eye of the World, because Rand & Moiraine left alone, so that Egwene etc would not die. However, In the Books, Egwene WAS at the Eye of the World, and she DID try to channel at Aginor when he attacked Moiraine. She failed, because she was new, weak & untrained, and Rand, who had been about to flee, came back to shake Egwene out of her futile effort. This drew Aginor's attention to Rand, and the Forsaken pursued Rand when they fled. If Rand had subsequently disappeared after fighting Aginor and then defeating Baalzamon, with only Moiraine knowing somehow, then I could see Egwene blaming herself for not being good enough to fight, that her failure to channel well enough led to Rand's death. As they do in so many other ways, the Show writers seem to have forgotten the details of what they actually gave us on screen. Remember in the first episode, how they found the bodies of the men who let Fain in Fal Dara, just as they did in the books, when we saw last season that it was WOMEN who let him in, and they were immediately killed by the Fades accompanying him?

[@paulrace4339]

You are so right about this. I said above and I've said it again. The writers for the show (and Rafe) believe they are better at creating a fantasy world with rules than Robert Jordan. But they are fundamentally just wrong about this. The lack of consistency and the way they leap from one thing to the next without thinking about the future story is appalling. I don't think they've thought about where this is actually going at all, other than, we've got to make my favorite character (Egwene) look good.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Season 2 is slightly better than season 1, but it requires you to pretend that Season 1 happened differently than it actually did. Lol Who does that?!

[@SWTORLOL87]

I would not mind if they gradually betrayed their own continuity to get more aligned with the books. Would be preferable to whatever cluster of ending they’re trundling towards.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@SWTORLOL87 ☝

[@xYalahx]

A lot of the issues you're pointing out can be laid at the feet of the show deciding to shift who the main characters are and to a lesser extent of when certain characters are or are not the main characters (getting the spotlight). For example, Moiraine is not a main character and much of what she does in the show is not in the books or at least is not shown in the books. This means that most of her scenes are completely from the show's team and, frankly, that team is not good at writing original content.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

This is the most baffling aspect of the adaptation. It makes no sense at all.

[@TheGraemi]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS You already had the right thought, it's fan fiction with a "grain" of culture war.

[@ShoMorphias]

'Not good' to put it mildly!

[@wardog77]

Welcome back to the Wheel of Crime. For a minute there, I thought that, like me, you to have given up on this nightmare cluster of a show. Glad you're back and hope you're done with being sick (I wonder, is it that horrid show that's making you ill?) Keep reading, it gets so much better. Side note: if you ever do give up on that ridiculous show, I'd still hang around to hear what you think of the books as you read them.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thanks! I'll be following through with the show. I kust needed a break. And, it's my niece making me sick. She's started part-time daycare.

[@wardog77]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS those darn kids, plague magnates every one of them.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@wardog77 no joke.

[@thomasciuffreda8783]

So glad you haven't given up on these reviews. Always find your analysis fascinating as an old school WoT fan (I mean the books, of course). I can tell you're struggling, but for my own selfish sadistic pleasure, please finish your analysis of S2

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha Thanks. And yes. I am finishing WoT. I just needed a break.

[@Vincent.E.M.Thorn.Author]

I seriously appreciate you putting yourself through this, I couldn't bring myself to watch the second season, especially after hearing a couple spoilers. The only explanation for why this show does anything is "pure contempt".

[@mgntstr]

they really have woven this plot together with what they thought was an inverted contemptuous weave.. but it is plain for all to see!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I'm not sure about contempt.... more like... "I have an idea I like better!"

[@SchulzEricT]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS I would argue that's at least a form of contempt. "This writer didn't really know what he was doing, not like *I* do." If you respect a writer, his/her stories/characters, then you wouldn't be so quick to dismiss what they wrote. At the very least, you'd understand their original intent and think about how your changes will effect that, and you'll think about how your changes will impact the story down the line. Even if you ultimately decide your changes are better, your respect for the author's original version will shine through in the thought you put into how those changes impact the story further down the line. You need to be contemptuous of the work the author put into the original version to so carelessly change things while being completely oblivious to how your changes will impact the story and characters down the line.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@SchulzEricT these are all excellent points. It really does seem like the writers don't like certain characters.

[@BookedPanda]

So glad you have kept going with these reviews. This is the only way I'm watching season two.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha! You are very welcome. I just needed a break.

[@Kenb3d1]

Welcome back, I worried this series might have finally exhausted your patience.😆

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha! To some degree, it did. I just needed a break.

[@bohort]

seriously "our uncle ruined us"... for context in the books he was king and started a war with the Aiel (the war Rand's dad fought in) thousands died. many thousands... it's called Laman's Folly. it's kind of like saying "remember when or aunt ended the Archduke Franz Ferdinand"

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Oh dang! That's major! Sheesh! And Moiraine supposedly just abandoned her family during that time?

[@bohort]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS she was already at the tower before the war, once Laman Died the Aes Sedai sort of tried to put her on the throne, and assassins tried to kill her, but this was around the time she here the prophecy of the dragon reborn and she sort of ran away from all the other stuff to find the dragon. it's the first few chapters of new spring, the prequal novel

[@elessarbre]

Laman did nothing wrong. He just cut down a tree in his own yard and the aiel attacked him for that. The Aiel are just d-bags.

[@bohort]

also she's like 17-18 at the time

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@bohort oh okay! I gotcha. Dang! With her nearly being on the throne, I get her sister's anger even more!

[@jeffturner2975]

I still haven't watched any of S2 (and won't), so I'm loving working through it from your perspective Amber, thanks🤩🤘🙏

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha! I have a few people who say this. That's why I try to summarize all scenes from the show, So folks like you can follow along.

[@johndunn1625]

Your brief aside early on about Nynaeve and the other Wisdom chatting about medicine and how you enjoyed it i appreciated. She's easily my favorite female character in the books, and her love of healing (and her belief that she can Heal anything short of death) carries her in just about every single moment of her character's arc up until literally her last moments in the series. Welcome back to wheel of prime by the way, genuinely thought you gave up on the insanity xD

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I don't give up easily. I just fall behind, sometimes.

[@Mr_Bacaza]

Literally got a yay!!! Out loud after seeing that another WOT video has *finally* been posted. Much love ✌️

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thank you 🥰 I hope you enjoy it.

[@Seomus]

Thanks for the perserverence!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

You are very welcome! I hope you like it.

[@GlueGunsRoses]

@1:32:11 SIDE HUSTLE: Serf Taxation ☠️ I laughed way too hard at this. You, my friend, are my type of funny.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I was wondering if anyone would catch that 🥰

[@chrisf2636]

Her videos have better Easter Eggs than the show. Lan teleporting last season still gets me.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@chrisf2636 Transporter Lan was a lucky epiphany.

[@Gunleaver]

Perrin has urgency to rescue his friends, because the writers are aware they are only halfway through the season, and are planning for it all to converge in the finale, so THEY don't feel any urgency. As long as Perrin mentions his intention to rescue them once per episode, that's what they consider maintaining continuity of characterization.

[@manfrommontreal]

"Somehow Wheel of Prime has returned!" - I fear for your and everyone else's mental health! I am still in denial season two actually happened...

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha! Watch out. We are actually getting a season 3.

[@SirBlaze75]

wow you accept season 1 diaster actually happened too :O

[@manfrommontreal]

@@SirBlaze75 Season 1 was the meme that kept on giving, I didn't not think they could go any deeper. Boy was I wrong!

[@davidwilson6577]

Clever and creative editing, clear effort put in to break down and analyze the story as it's presented, and passion that translates to charisma. You're very good at this.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Aww shucks! Thank you for that.

[@WatanukiProductions]

I'm so glad you're back! I can't express how much I've missed your WoT breakdowns.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thank you 😊 I hope you enjoy.

[@kalaldin9154]

Another small book tie that has been completely left out is the language like the swearing : “Blood and bloody ashes!” Or “Light!”, “Light preserve us!”.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Yeah. This would have been so easy to put in. Just another one of the million small things that would have represented the book so well, and there was no obvious reason to leave out.

[@devseddar2124]

Welcome back - looking forward to the autopsy of episode 8. Though you might need some strong alcohol to get through it.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha. I just watched it again recently. It's so cringe.

[@davidrobertson5996]

"Welcome" back to Prime's WoT 🙂 You've just hit the nail on the head when you said that you now understand why it was so poorly received by the book fans. As you also go on to say straight after, how was it possible for them to mess up something that was overall at worst entertaining and at best excellent. The books do drag in the middle section, but I never wanted to stop. The audiobooks I have aren't narrated by Rosamund Pike, and they're probably the best books I've listened to. For myself, they changed the characters too much from the books, added in lots of extra things that contradicted the books, and then had to write extra stuff to explain the previous needlessly added stuff. Anyway, great content, and glad that you're becoming able to let the lazy show writing and inconsistencies sluice over you like a babbling torrent of sub-par fanfiction!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

You are very welcome! And yeah. I really can't understand why this project was so hard a concept to understand. Just adapt! STOP inventing!

[@GingerBeardedGeek]

Yessss! Thanks for doing these ❤

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

You are very welcome! I hope this one is enjoyable. I feel like it's a bit repetitious, but oh well... Some of the longer "clips" are some of my best, I think.

[@GingerBeardedGeek]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS well the first clip is your face reacting to Lan whizzing on a tree so I'm already positive this will be great 😃

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@GingerBeardedGeek Honestly, I don't know how anyone could have thought that staging was a good idea. 😬

[@timmaughsroll2031]

That scene at least had an arc. I'll show myself out.

[@jeremyvanneman8112]

@@timmaughsroll2031 😂

[@jeffturner2975]

I thought Lan gave her the ring in book on page, he speaks with her at Fal'Dara on the parapets or something like that and gives her the ring and walks away “The Dark One take Rand al’Thor and the Amyrlin Seat both,” he grated, pressing something into her hand. “I will make you a gift and you will take it if I have to chain it around your neck.”

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Oh damn! I remember now! Dude! It was so fast. I forgot!

[@jeffturner2975]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS It certainly wasn't something that was a focal point

[@Gunleaver]

Nynaeve probably has had more time since the Accepted test, since she has new clothes, a new ring and is in a different room. I can't imagine they got all that taken care of in just a few hours after her late-night testing completion.

[@jeremyvanneman8112]

54:22 yup! Rafe is arguably the most incompetent showrunner of our time. The individual writers are sometimes solid at writing individual scenes - but it's the overall coherency that's lacking in absolutely every way - which is his primary role.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I'm trying to learn more about the role of a showrunner. Seems like how involved he is in the scripts is up to him. Maybe he doesn't review all drafts? I dunno.

[@jeremyvanneman8112]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS it's effectively the role of the head manager of the project - head writer, producer, and director. They're supposed to manage the directors of each episode, the writers of each episode, write at least rough drafts themselves and make sure there's consistency between scenes and episodes. They oversee casting, costuming, makeup, locations... They're the one in charge of it all. The primary role is to be sure it's all consistent, well managed, and well executed. It's a LOT of work, and Rafe had only ever been an episodic return writer before this - and did it about 8 years before the show started preproduction. He was so far out of his depths it's not even funny. I can only assume how he got the role - and it has to do with Red Eagle Entertainment (now iWoT).

[@f.carasind4188]

​@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS That WoT has only a very inexperienced showrunner is likely one of the main sources of its issues. More loved shows like Last of Us and One Piece mitigated this possible problem with using a second showrunner that knows a lot more about production.

[@jeremyvanneman8112]

@@f.carasind4188 that would have been super smart - one primary showrunner who focuses on the monumental task of adaptating faithfully while keeping a coherent story, and another to adjust that for realistic production expectations based on their budget and schedule.

[@chrisf2636]

Show runners, “we saw this sword lady who likes Lan in S1, we need to fix that.” “Oh don’t worry we did.” Thank you for doing these. I sincerely hope you’re enjoying the books. These are always the most emotionally positive, negative reviews and very enjoyable still. Likely the best part of my day. Thank you.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Bahaha! You think they changed Lan just for me?

[@chrisf2636]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS feels that way. Look an honest reviewer that likes something consistently about the show. We’ll show her 😂. Side note: I hope you have seen Ironman and Indiana Jones prior to your season finale review.

[@BonDeRado]

Confusion, disappointment, frustration and venting... I missed them a bit by now. :) Edited to add props for the "Kim's Convenience scene".

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Appa FTW!

[@michaelcook2290]

Better late than never. So glad you released this, love your work

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thanks! I hope you enjoy.

[@jeremyvanneman8112]

57:04 lol, the writers had no idea what Ishy's plan was. It was "I'm a big bad with creepy plans, and everything bad is happening because I wanted it to... But I'm a complicated big bad, so we're going to reveal that my plan isn't what you thought it was! Aha!" That's literally the comprehension level of the writers. They don't see that it needs to go any deeper than that. So when he does things there's no reflection of "oh, that's why he did that!" It's more just people who don't look into their stories going "oh look! A twist!" Because I guess every time there's no consistency that's what a "twist" is for them?

[@rafaelfras]

I love that watching this series became a descent into madness series. I am going to book 8 now and as always looking forward to this.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha. Thank you.

[@TheNightrider88]

Logain's mortido is SO HIGH, that he simply can't go out without getting drunk with a very specific wine. Cool

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Lol! I've entered a new word into my vocab!

[@tay-dor7147]

Feels like I've been waiting an Age or two for you to get back to these. So happy to see one. :)

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thank you for waiting 😉

[@gt5.075]

Another spot on video. These are way better than the actual show. Glad you're still doing this!

[@SWTORLOL87]

Thank you for these. It’s like you’re venting for me so I don’t have to bother the people around me that couldn’t care less about the books or the show. The middle books can drag a bit but they’re still great. Once you finish I think you’ll be shocked at how much they threw off track so early on in the show. You’re already finding so many just with the first three books as reference. It’s really staggering.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

The more you derail earlier in the timeline, the greater the consequences to plot later on. Why can't people understand this?

[@SWTORLOL87]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS I don’t think they care. They’re trying to make it their own but like you said, why name it WoT if that’s the case. The worst part is the source material actually gives them an out for this with just a small addition to the title. Something along the lines of “:Tales from the Portal Stones.” Sorry if that spoils anything but I’m pretty sure you’ve already gotten to the context of that by book 3.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@SWTORLOL87 nothing spoiled 😋 I already got to the part with portal stones.

[@fisherkeltath]

Thank you, I am so happy you are continuing these. Also oooof - the Moiraine/Lan/Alanna stuff consists of plot points they ripped out of later books and puzzled back together here in season 2. As a result, they lose most of the context and character motivations, and then try to make up for that by throwing in some more sex, I guess? Great.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I get the feeling a lot of the stuff I'm seeing that has no setup or payoff might actually be from later moments in the books.... which means the writers don't understand the importance of setup and payoff. Ugh!

[@wordsandletters]

A welcomed surprise!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thank you 😊 I hope you like it!

[@breadbox1357]

I hope you continue through the series. I'm really interested to hear your opinion on book 5. Glad to see these reviews again.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I will forge on! It's just gonna come a bit slower. I'm not going to kill myself to get videos out every week like I was last year. It's just too much.

[@cwesley2005]

I love your reviews so much! Please keep going!!!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Will do. And Thank you 🥰

[@guaire_damodred]

I almost forgot about these reviews - great to see you back!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Good to be back!

[@MrBenaire]

Welcome back I have been eagerly waiting for this I've enjoyed all these wheel of time videos.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thanks 😊 I hope you enjoy this one.

[@galetempus1979]

If I'm right, Moraine in the books is no older than 40. She was an accepted roughly 20 years prior to the first book. Unrelated to that factoid, I just think that having the show revolve around her character was a massive mistake.

[@SirBlaze75]

yeah i think moiraine was something like 42 at the start of the books, I think having it resolve around Moiraine could of worked well but the choices they made, fecked that up as they made moiraine objectively evil .

[@smwad7103]

Yeah they can’t get even the simplest pieces of a character right. Like age.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

The more you change further back, the higher the risk of major consequences to the present and future.

[@briane8627]

It could have worked! It was risky but it could have worked. Unfortunately they blew it immediately.

[@signalnine2601]

A fantasy show should usually be from the point of view of those who know most about the world, not the people who know most. That way you're learning about the world along with the character. Lord of the Rings from Gandalf's point of view would have been far duller because he knows far too much.

[@RobAryeeArc]

17:52 "Just not very well thought out." The overall summary for Amazon's The Wheel of Prime series. Thanks for the video. As taxing as it is for you, I love these.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha. I'm glad you liked it. More to come. But they will be slower to come. It takes about a whole day of editing for me to get through 10 minutes of footage, so I'm just cooling it, a bit.

[@NateMojon]

I've been waiting! Thank you!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Gah! Sorry it took so long. I just really needed a break from this show. But I'll be putting them out along with Avatar, from now on.

[@NateMojon]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS You are so resilient to come back to releasing these. God knows the show doesn't make you want to come back and revisit haha

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@NateMojon It certainly doesn't.

[@BadBird686]

Wow, you're still here eh? Hate to support putting you through this, but your videos really are the best thing about the show. Thanks for trudging through this.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha! Thanks. You make it worth the effort!

[@acelilumelody4445]

What broke me and made me refuse to watch season 2 is when the showrunner said "im just laughing at all those book nerds who are gonna HATE the changes ive made. But its my story now, and i can do what i want with it". He takes pride in how badly he adapted the story.

[@SarahFearnley958]

I imagine in his arrogance he thinks the show is brilliant.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

He said that? Where?

[@acelilumelody4445]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS i have a feeling i fell for some rage baiting because i can only find references to an interview where he said book fans will just have to suck it up that the changes he made are to target a wider audience because the books are too boring to adapt.

[@geryrrs]

That’s not shocking the same way he said that he would love to kill Rand because it would make his favorite character the center of the story cough cough Egwene and we saw how that played out in the last episode of this season.

[@YogiDanananda]

Happy to watch these!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thank you 🥰

[@neib5241]

thanks, love these reviews

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

You're welcome. I hope you enjoy 😊

[@paulrace4339]

welcome back. I've been waiting. Hope you continue to get better. There is just one thing good about the shows. It's gotten me to read the books, again. I started rereading/listening to the books for the fourth time just after the second season started. Middle of book 12 now. At this point of season 2, I'd come to a conclusion: Rafe and the movie writers not only think they are better writers than Robert Jordan, they think they are better at creating a fantasy world than Robert Jordan. And they are fantastically wrong on both counts. I tried (after a profoundly stupid first season) to look at the second season ignoring the books. Remember: "This has little to do with the books. Keep that in mind." But they create rules in the book and then just ignore them when they want. The hero of the book is supposed to be Rand and I don't like him, Morraine, Matt (my favorite book character) at this point, Lan, Alanna etc. My impression is Rafe likes Egwene and Nynaeve. It's like doing a movie on Harry Potter and having Hermione find the Sorceror's Stone and kill the Basilisk.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

The hard work was already done. I dont understand why they had to go and screw it up.

[@paulrace4339]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS All I can say is I'm doing my best to keep my mouth shut waiting until you comment on the last episode this season

[@jeremiahstewart1137]

I always look forward to your reviews of this show. I just got into the book series last year and loved it. Then I watched the show and your reactions sum up how I feel. Lol. Love your work.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thank you 🥰 More reviews are coming... just.... slowly.

[@undertone8367]

Alanna's treatment of her warders might actually be the most book accurate thing in the show.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Really?! I'm not sure I've gotten to the reveals of that, yet. Lol. If that's the case, she is a sick lady.

[@TheRosgath]

​@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS Allana.... isn't Great person. She has good reasons as to why she does what she does, by she certainly doesn't do great stuff

[@undertone8367]

@@TheRosgath good reasons is debatable, especially considering the very first thing she tried to do immediately after the initial bad thing she did.

[@geryrrs]

Oh, she not ready for that Alanna storyline 🥴 hate her to this day.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@undertone8367 lol. So much code talking in this thread.

[@realnickmasters]

I am so excited to watch. I’ve been waiting since your last wheel of time episode

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha! I hope you enjoy!

[@tsenwrath5979]

thanks, enjoy these

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

You are so welcome 😉

[@spacedoyster7686]

About Egwene's motivation seeming off, about why she's working so hard in the Tower, I think it falls flat for a few reasons. First off is that she claims she could have helped Rand at the Eye, but she wasn't at the Eye. Even if she had been at her peak, she couldn't have helped Rand at the Eye. Then there's what she did do in Shinar, which was help to defeat thousands of Trollocs. Not only was she a major contributing factor in the victory, the only personal consequence, Nynave dying, happened by accident after the Trollocs were dead, and was undone anyway. And thirdly, the one time we see Egwene learning to use the One Power, she's failing miserably because she's refusing to follow the curriculum and learn the basics. She's also spent more time complaining about how much better Nynave is than her, rather than trying to improve.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

All excellent points. The show is not great at showing what it means or what the characters are thinking or feeling and why... and I mean this specifically in the instances where we NEED to know these things.

[@jeremyvanneman8112]

52:59 yeah, they're trying to say that Moiraine's "threat of revealing what Min can do" is what she holds over her. Only... Agelmar (who didn't like Aes Sedai) knew about her ability. Amalisa knew about her ability (who was put out of the Tower and held allegiance to her people over the Aes Sedai). The Emonds Fielders knew about her ability and had no reason to keep it secret. Liandrin, who Min knew was a darkfriend, knew about her ability! But beyond all that... She was born and raised in Tar Valon, and her aunts literally marketed her ability! Maybe the escape to Fal Dara was an attempt to get away from people who knew about her ability, but anyone who had seen her would easily recognize her (and she was from a massive travel destination, and in a city where Aes Sedai would absolutely look into any people who could do supernatural things - who are known for also traveling the world). So what Moiraine was supposed to reveal and to whom... I can't begin to imagine - nor how it would negatively impact Min when she's already roaming the world trying to avoid recognition.

[@arleenm7367]

Thanks for the review and welcome back! I actually don't remember some of these scenes (maybe I fell asleep trying to watch). I find your reviews better than the actual show. Perhaps at some point you could watch & review the "Firefly" series? It's so much better than this.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Dude! I love Firefly! I was an OG fan. Heard about it from. My aunt while it was airing. One kf the best shows in scifi!

[@Vanbedda]

So many thought's: Alana's depiction is so confusing and not is a fun way. Min's character is really beyond recognition a this point (and no I don't mean her actress). Also, in the books up until this point in her life, every vision she has seen has come true, she just doesn't always know what they mean and often has to reteoactively look back and draw conclusions. The thing about Perrin is that like Rand and Mat, the inciting incident for his powers was that he left with Moiraine and the gang and thusly found the wolves. It is implied that if he had stayed in the TR he would have lead a normal life as a normal man, or at least for longer. Having Elias say "You've been sending us visions for months" breaks from this completely. Leane would NEVER dare to imply she is the default Amyrlin when Siuan is not there. Wack shit! The fact Rand was barely in this episode is so sad. I don't care about the multiple plotlines excuse. He's a titular character and should be at least 1/4 of every episode. The reason Egwene's speech feels so inauthenric is because it is. A key part of Egwene's character is her ambition. If I recall correctly, in the book Liandrin is tasked with being both Egwene and Nynaeve (and Elayne becomes an enexprected bonus) to Falme, so Egwene is getting explicit permission from a Sister, which she believes to be enough to dismiss the possibilty of expulsion. If Egwene was truly faced with expulsion, it is very likely she would NOT have have gone with Nynaeve and instead had tried something else to help Rand. He's important to her but she has already established becoming an AS is the most important thing to her.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Ypu nailed it on all points. And yeah. Egwene was less whiney in the books. She WANTED to be there. The show implies that she feel like she has to be there to not make the same mistake twice. It's not the same as an eagerness to be powerful.

[@Vanbedda]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS Cool! Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings and respond. You're spot on about Egwene's whininess in the show. In the books her outlook is more 'This will never happen again." while in the show it's more like "I don't want it to happen again." It is a subtle but significant difference.

[@Marwolaeth01]

Not a fan of Lanfear being unkillable. It screams of cheap horror schlock. Why have smart characters when you can just have an unkillable antagonist until, you know, they've served their purpose and you need to wrap things up. Totally agree with Perrin learning Hopper's name, the pause was too brief to serve any purpose at all, and watching him "hopping" around was just out of the blue and looked ridiculous to me. Also not a fan of the wolves, they seem a lot smaller than I always imagined them in the books. I just can't see those tiny little things taking on Trollocs or Fades. I do think this episode was the first of this season that actually held my interest, and not surprisingly it was for Liandrin and Selena's performances. They actually had some good dialogue and delivered it well. I remember pushing the books aside and trying to enjoy the story being told here, despite mourning the changes I could remember. Recently though I have been re-reading them and I am back to shaking my head at how badly they are dropping the ball on this show.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I'm so sad Liandrin is basically out of the show after the next episode. I'm not as big a fan of Lanfear as everyone else is, but I wanted more of Liandrin getting stuff done.

[@mordyth]

Ugh, I forgot how dirty they did my girl Min in her casting . Also, I love watching your (not so slow) descent into madness. The amount of times I've said "that doesn't match anything in the books" is inconceivable.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha. Show Min is just another older woman for one of the boys. Lol.

[@jeremyn8562]

20/10 for the Brannagh Much Ado cut-away. Based

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I've had a few from that film that I've wanted to include. I'm glad I finally found a moment that worked perfectly.

[@YogiDanananda]

Third comment: Love the editing on this vid. Extra laughs all around.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Yay! I was worried there were too many short clips. I thrive in the long clip segments. The Thumbelina Love Triangle was my fav!

[@YogiDanananda]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS Absolutely not too much! I usually oscillate between listening and watching but found myself looking up more with the additional sound effects and editorial clips. Love em.

[@jeremyvanneman8112]

1:13:05 one writing tip I've heard that I really like - all scenes should include energy changes. High to low, or low to high - and there needs to be a plot element that affects a characters perspective that drives that energy change. In this scene, Perrin and Elyas start low energy "we've been walking for hours..." And end low energy "his name is hopper." There's no energy shift, nor any perspective change that correlates to the story. It's just exposition from Elyas sort of informing Perrin about something that could have been covered significantly more succinctly in season 1 even without Elyas. But Perrin was too busy being sad about his wife and repeatedly saying it was all his fault while Egwene kept saying it wasn't to actually delve into an interesting thing about him that expands the world and him as a character. And the writers are too incompetent to show instead of tell - even when they show it's telling, *and* they tell on top of the show/tell, like with the buck. The writing there was meant for 5 year olds not paying attention - who can't comprehend anything unless it's been explained to them over and over while they're trying to do something else.

[@SizerInferno]

You've returned!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I never left 😋 But yes. I'm back to WoT. They won't come out as frequently as before, but they will be on the regular schedule.

[@joshcowart2446]

Alanna’s warders are an example of ignorance or contempt for the source material. She had two warders in the book, owein and ihvon. Yet they keep one name and change the other. I don’t understand the change. Maybe someone on the crew wanted a character named after them and they just said okay we’ll change this name.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

That is a weird thing to do. 🧐

[@harvellt]

Thanks!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Hurray! Thank you 🥰

[@rooksgate5574]

Fun as always.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thanks 🥰

[@wighty5860]

OMG, the cut to Loial's "Why do you want to leave meeeeeeee?" I almost shot bits of my rice bowl all over my desk and laptop. Seriously, a little warning next time please; I could have died.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Hahaha! It just felt so perfect!

[@geryrrs]

I’m glad that you are back with The Wheel of Time content.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha. I was just taking a break. I needed it. This show is so bad. I don't enjoy watching it, really.

[@geryrrs]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS Take all the break you need our mental health always come first and I know is a hard watch so I’m glad you are doing well.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@geryrrs haha. Thanks

[@diegocheva9964]

Missed you! Love your videos

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Awww! Thanks! I hope you like this one.

[@diegocheva9964]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS it's always interesting to listen to someone so brilliant, able to understand characters and provide examples regarding how a scene could be better. I'm a fan of the books and find very engaging to listen to someone who is having a first view of the story. Keep it up, can't wait to see your impressions on the rest of the books. (and sorry for my english, not my main language)

[@EmberAwoken]

No the Forsaken aren’t supposed to be able to revive themselves like that 😂… but another creator here posited they did that change to get around recasting actors to portray the Forsaken who’ve died (because the Dark One has power over death).

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

This regeneration power of Lanfear's is going to cause problems further down the road. I just know it.

[@tay-dor7147]

The thing with Lan being given to Alanna is a clumsy stupid way of doing what the book does. Moiraine (through something I woon't spoil) learns that she will die at a specific time. So she makes arrangements for the bond to immediately pass to another Aes Sedai caretaker (Myrelle, not Alanna) who will eventually pass him off to Nynaeve when she is raised to Aes Sedai. The reason she does tis is because Lan's only goal in life is to ride into the Blight and die fighting the Shadow. So the forceable trading was an attempt by Moiraine to keep Lan from throwing his life away, since Lan keeps refusing that he could have a life with Nynaeve.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Does this mean they will skip this pass off in the show. Since they've already done it? Probably not. Lol. It'll just feel repetitive.

[@tay-dor7147]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS Who the heck knows what the writers are thinking at this point. LOL. I mean I can see them substituting Allana for Myrelle, but that's gonna make for something even more interesting down the road. (Something in a later book that Alanna does).

[@walterott8228]

Stop watching the show because I don’t like it. However, I keep watching your reviews because I like those.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha. I've gotten a lot of comments like this. For that reason, I will be sure to finish the series off and keep all you non-watchers posted on what they do.

[@duaneswab3420]

Mother Guenna is one of my favorite tertiary characters, introducing Juilin Sandar to Egwene and Nynaeve.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I certainly enjoyed her interactions with Nynaeve. I want more of Nynaeve being cool.

[@joshuafears4123]

One of the reasons the scene with nineve and eguane doesn't work is because eguane helped to destroy an entire army. But also it was stated that whoever want the dragon would have been killed. By the shows logic eguane was saying if she was the dragon rand would be alive. But also at no point during season one does it seem believable that they are all a family, characters say they care about the group, but it never seems like it. I think this is a consequence of ageing everyone up. There is no reason for nineave to be protective of the group and think of them as children, so when she acts protective it just seems off.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Ypu nailed it. Especially the part about them not feeling like a family. That really killed a lot of this.

[@SheLovesUnited]

I have been waiting.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thank you 🥰 I hope you enjoy.

[@joshuafears4123]

I've been waiting for so long for you to continue reviewing. Finally, and it was worth the wait. But i do have a question, is the problems with the show the result of bad writers? Or the consequences of changing characters? Or trying to do new things and not being able to make it fit in the story?

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

It's the last thing you said. The writing did improve for S2.... but S1 screwed up so much and they made so many weird role changes, it's just impossible to build on such a broken foundation.

[@joshuafears4123]

I just don't understand why they did all that. I've listened to Sanderson talk about it, and he tried to warn them. I've heard him mention some the things you have, and yet they didn't listen to him

[@A76noname]

Regarding whether the Forsaken are immortal or not, this is a slight spoiler, but in the books the Dark One can grab their soul when they die and reincarnate them by putting them into a new body with their memories intact. However, you still *can* kill them like anyone else. The kind of regeneration the show did with Lanfear, where it seems that the body they currently have is invulnerable, is a show invention, which they don't even keep consistent themselves, considering the finale of season 2.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Maybe only Lanfear was gifted that self-resurrecting ability in the show? Lol. I'd be surprised if they were thoughtful enough to limit it like that.

[@Uhlbelk]

Spot on this review.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thanks 😊

[@claudiaspircu3686]

I just finished the whole book series and without spoilers I can say, it's absolutely epic, profound philosophically and makes sense. There is such a progression in the caracter development for all the main characters. The movie is just bullshit, nothing makes sense. I wish you would be able to read all the books and comment on them.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I'm making my way through them. I just took a break 😜

[@CalebMcCartyA.A.P]

I may have mentioned this before, but the funny thing with Moiraine's age is...Many keep putting her at being much older than she really is. According to the books, if you've read New Spring it confirms, she would only be in her mid 40's at MOST during this time. So, her younger sister would probably be about 5 years younger, tops..SO, in her 30's...Why did they make her such an older woman? Just to push that "Agelessness" Aes Sedai have, I think.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Seriously.... what a lame reason to do that.

[@Gunleaver]

Everything about Rand's channeling reveal with Selene is stupid. "You know me" - the whole point is that the madness from channeling overrides who you are. The dead lady in the Prologue to Eye of the World knew her husband too, and look what happened to her. Rand, after a channeling accident, resists and invitation to go out into the wilderness with only one other person around, preferring to stay in the city, with lots more innocent bystanders and collateral damage. Now, it could be this is because of his underlying motivation to stay near Logain and learn from him, but if that is the case, why did he let Selene drag him off anyway? Seeing Rand "as a man" is borrowing an expression from the books, where Rand thinks of love interests that way, but it is in contrast to all the people who see him as his role, as a figure of prophecy, as a man with great power, or as a potential threat or monster. Basically he is drawn to women who see him as just a man, and not a hero or a monster or a powerful entity. Rand at this point, has never met anyone who sees him differently, aside from Moiraine, because Moiraine is the only person who knows about him, and he asked her to tell everyone he was dead, to which she agreed, while bound by the Three Oaths, so he believes her. No one but Moiraine and Selene and Logain know that Rand can channel. The other way he uses that phrase is comparing several women in his life, noting that only one of them had ever looked at him as a man, meaning showed any romantic/sexual interest in him. And that doesn't work on the show, since Egwene and Dana the Dumpy Darkfriend have both looked at him sexually. I fully agree and share the view that Rand should not succumb to any of the blandishments of the Forsaken or the Shadow. However, there are a lot of fans who like the idea of Lanfear, because she's so gorgeous and powerful, and fantasize about a good version of her to be Rand's ultimate love interest, so they are probably pandering to the 'shippers. I think they intend Lanfear's romantic advice to be positive, instead of gaslighting him.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

To me... her advice WAS good. You habe to have open honesty on a relationship for the love to be full. I just wonder if a forsaken would ever say that and truly mean it.

[@Gunleaver]

Lan's ring-giving was NOT off-page. "...pressing something into her hand. 'I will make you a gift and you will take it if I have to chain it around your neck' "...In her hand was a signet ring, heavy gold and worn with age, almost large enough for both her thumbs to fit through. On it, a crane flew above a lance and crown, all carefully wrought in detail. Her breath caught. The ring of Malkieri kings. Forgetting to glare, she lifted her face. 'I cannot take this, Lan.' "...there are those who would know it when they saw it. Show that, and you will have guestright, and help if you need it, from any lord in the Borderlands. Show it to a Warder. and he will give aid, or carry a message to me.'"

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Yes! I was reminded of this in the comments. I completely forgot about it.

[@DeadbeatShadows]

Glad to see you back on WoT. Hope your health keeps!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Thanks. Me too. 😊

[@TheMissLid]

I really struggle watching every scene with Perin. He just presents as sullen and a little petulant. It's like that's the only facial expression the actor has. I was stunned to see how nice his smile is when i glimpsed him in an interview.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I think it's poor directing. He does seem talented. I think he's being told to do what he's doing.

[@SaikoDeMoN]

Damn, almost forgot this travesty existed.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

Haha. Season 3 is on its way. Though. Amazon will remind you.

[@pyrojones5394]

I thought the censors and copyright fiends had smothered this. Glad to see you back at it!!

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

I actually managed to figure out a few tricks for this. I'll be employing them more in future videos.

[@Gunleaver]

A problem with the adaptation of Moiraine's story is that Moiraine has almost nothing to do with her family. She loved her parents, who are dead, and is not close to her siblings, because her family is horrifically toxic and she left for the Tower as a teenager. Remember, House Damodred, Moiraine’s family, included the King who offended the Aiel and started the Aiel War, and the lord who was secretly a Darkfriend in Book 2, who gave shelter to Padan Fain & his entourage of Darkfriends & Shadowspawn, so that Rand & co had to go to a party in his house in order to follow Fain’s trail to the Waygate. Note as well that Lord Barthanes, or one of his Damodred kin, built their palace on an Ogier holy site, just because they could, so the Waygate in Cairhien is only accessible through this guy’s manor. For some fairly intuitive reasons, Moiraine does not have a lot to do with these guys. I do not think there is a single point in the whole series where she ever identifies herself as Moiraine Damodred. It’s not a spoiler here, all the information is in the first 3 books, but Elayne’s father was a Damodred, making her rather closely related to Moiraine. This relationship is never acknowledged in the books, at all, in dialogue or either woman’s stream of consciousness, or even other characters’ when Elayne’s Damodred relationship is a minor issue at one point later in the series. For all practical purposes, Moiraine is not a member of the House. The importance of Moiraine’s Damodred backstory is how impressive she is, that she became a heroic character despite this upbringing, and also to show how their mindset of scheming and plotting has affected her. The major problem the Two Rivers folk have with Moiraine is how untrustworthily she behaves, keeping secrets, manipulating them, and doling out information only when she has to. And then there is the fact that in the aftermath of the confrontation at the Eye of the World, Moiraine casually reveals that she gave the boys tracking devices that make them amenable to her! She also gave Nynaeve this datum when Nynaeve was badgering her about her claims to be able to find the boys. And surprise, surprise, Rand & Nynaeve are the two who are least trusting of her and least willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Mat, who was near-fatally infected by a dagger he found in the alleged place of safety to which Moiraine brought them (again, revealing none of the dangers until after the fact) is another who is highly suspicious. But Egwene, to whom Moiraine is the most open and gives the most information, is the one most ready to believe her, and trust her. Perrin, whom she shares a lot of information with in tDR also retains a positive impression of her. Sharing information and honesty is the best way to work with the Two Rivers folk and it takes Moiraine quite a while to figure this out, because she was raised in a horrible scheming family, who were all about political machinations and -treachery- intrigue, and then, as a teenager, joined a horrible scheming organization that was all about political machinations and intrigue, and as a young adult, joined the subset organizations that was most about political intrigue and machinations (note that Siuan mentions how many recent Amyrlins have been from the Blue Ajah and that their political approach is starting to piss off the rest of the Aes Sedai as the signs of the apocalyptic times begin to multiply). For the record, Moiraine & Anvaere’s uncle ruining the family and their fall from glory, refers to, in the books, Uncle King Laman mortally insulting the Aiel, resulting the end of Cairhien’s lucrative silk trade to the east, and an invasion by the Aiel expanding into a war involving nearly every nation, only ending when Laman was killed. As a result of their casualties, and this rather catastrophic policy, the Damodred family was passed over for the crown and it went to their arch rivals instead. The Damodreds remained wealthy & powerful, because they still had extensive estates and income-deriving property, and were connected by marriage to the royal family of Andor. They were, however, pissed off about losing the throne, and have been scheming to get it back for 20 years, resulting in the current state of affairs, where the nation paralyzed by political intrigue between the Damodreds and the throne, with lesser Houses jockeying for position. They are nearly as powerful as the king, they almost certainly were never reduced to begging for leftovers. And in that light, getting the right to marry the ruler when they held the throne themselves a mere generation before, is not exactly the win Anvaere makes it out to be. The show has reduced the high-stakes political drama of the book series to some Jane Austin/Downton Abbey level bullshit. However satisfying, Anvaere’s rant about Moiraine’s spies makes no sense. A. These are informants, not dedicated agents. They take money to pass along news. There is absolutely nothing to stop them from also reporting to Moiraine what they report to Anvaere. For Anvaere to utterly coopt their loyalty so Moiraine can’t get anything from them, would require strenuous and conveniently unexplained efforts. B. Anvaere attributes Moiraine’s loss of her informant network to her absence from Cairhien. What the hell is the point of having spies in a city, if you have to hold their hands? Aes Sedai, including Moiraine, maintain spy networks all over the world, precisely because they cannot be everywhere all at once, and need to know what is going on in places they are not. C. The show seems to be implying this loss of power and influence in Cairhien is due to Moiraine’s dedication to her mission of finding the Dragon Reborn or else possibly a result of her current (unexplained) channeling status. Except these are things that SHOULD have Moiraine absolutely motivated to maintain her spy networks. She needs to learn of phenomena that might indicate a male channeler or ta’veren present (which appears to be how she knows to look in the Two Rivers on the show), and once she is unable to channel, she needs every tool at her disposal if she’s not going to give up and retire (but then, the same thing should apply for Lan’s services - if she can’t channel, she would need Lan more than ever). Anyway, her visitor at Verin’s house suggests she IS keeping in touch with her spies, so, again, this really makes no sense. And Moiraine making amends over tea would have required the ability to write good character dynamics. I have zero faith in the show’s writers to script that conversation. It would also require the writers to see Moiraine as at fault and needing to make amends, and I strongly suspect they see this exchange as her sister picking on her with petty bullying because she Just Doesn’t Get how important Moiraine’s mission is. In any event, they are Moiraine fans and they are Not Here for witnessing Moiraine’s humiliation, unless they can make her turn the tables, or show her heroically enduring her tribulations.

[@jeremyvanneman8112]

58:05 they also could have written Mat out of the remainder of the first season (very easily with no reshoots, and without making him into a horrible selfish coward). Then they have him interacting with Egwene and Nynaeve in the Tower as he recovers (with a big reveal at the end of episode 2 that he's going to be alright, but is still tied to the dagger). Then Min could interact with the girls more, and there's less convoluted side stories to drag on the runtime. Then Liandrin could simply bring Mat along with the girls to Falme. There's no need for him to have this romantic getaway with Min.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

So many other options. I still say recasting on the spot was the best option, and don't understand why it wasn't done.

[@jeremyvanneman8112]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS I agree with that. I'm just trying to come up with a solution that would stick with what they already shot assuming there was no way to adjust the production schedule.

[@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS]

@@jeremyvanneman8112 There are so many ideas that could have worked. They chose the worst.

[@jeremyvanneman8112]

@@TheSwordAndThePenREFLECTIONS agreed. That's something that just keeps happening in this show. I've decided after you're done with your season 2 reviews I'm just blocking out any online information about the show. I'm done with it.