Episode 4: Full Spoiler Review - Wheel of Time Season 2

[@poneill65]

I would have liked to see a scene of the absolute "WTFery" from Liandrin, Sherriam etc when they found out that Nynaeve returned. Seeing the five alarm fire in the tower with unflappable Aes Sedai flapping around, Liandrin discombobulated, Browns flocking to poke and prod. That would have been fun. I was actually waiting for that little scene. Oh well, I guess that's what we get when Amazon won't give us 10-13 episodes 😞

[@JeanPierreLevac]

Indubitably

[@stevenadams9887]

Agreed! Was hoping to see the crazy exclamations of her channeling in the arches, instead we got a warder that brought it up lol. Oh well

[@natedog2508]

Agreed. What a missed opportunity.

[@shazariahl]

Yup. 100%

[@gilian2587]

Agreed.

[@sunbirdsc]

I’ve read the series through twice, and this is my favorite episode so far. I surprisingly loved the Moiraine/ Anvaere scenes, as well as the Liandrin scenes. I’m also digging the Ishamael portrayal… he’s freaky. And Rand was so pitiful after Selene “discovered “ he was a channeler. I really enjoyed this one. The Lan storyline is boring right now though. And I’d love some more Mat!

[@hankharper1229]

Oh i can never forgive Rafe The Betrayer of Hope Judkins for this

[@DeadsySedai]

This better be the last boring Lan shit in the entire TV show

[@MrBellsa61]

They're doing our guy so dirty

[@nathanhartswick9955]

Agree, wasting too much showtime on making a great character boring

[@Faiiltrain]

not as bad as they did abell cauthon though @@MrBellsa61

[@maxsilva11]

I think there are gonna be three tiers of Forsaken deaths: - conventional attacks (ie, knife damage): Forsaken are protected from these, either via an automatically triggered TP healing weave taking them back from the brink of death, or by the DO stuffing them back into their body - highly destructive Power attacks: heroes could use destructive weaves short of balefire (like regular fire weaves) to render a Forsaken's body too far gone for that TP healing and/or the DO putting them back into the same body. So this is a way to "kill" the Forsaken that still gives the DO an opportunity to put them into a new body. (Note, iirc, that Moiraine said SHE couldn't kill a Forsaken if she tried, but she doesn't have her power; she didn't say it was impossible for, eg, Rand.) - balefire: this will still be the only way to kill a Forsaken "for good" like in the books - sending their soul into the Pattern's regular rebirth storage function until they get spun back out naturally BEFORE the DO has a chance to grab their soul and reincarnate them unnaturally.

[@NaeBlis]

Interesting

[@Kylora2112]

That would make the most sense. Also, it shows that the Forsaken are still humans with god-like powers, but also just how powerful their actual god is (and how real the Dark One is). Lanfear isn't bringing herself back from death, she is being brought back from death, and we don't know yet at what cost.

[@devlin76]

Also, the show has already shown that Moiraine is an unreliable narrator since she thinks she knows more than she does. Verin might end up explaining to Rand and the audience the real ways you can kill a forsaken.

[@poneill65]

I, and special forces everywhere, want Morraine's slippers! Sneaking up on a forsaken during coitus is one thing, sneaking up on a fade actively pursuing you, well that's some devilry! When she has her powers back, she will be quite formidable!

[@gilian2587]

Nynaeve told her about her 'tell'. (I made this joke before I noticed what Nae'Blis had on his board; lol -- sorry about that Nae'Blis!)

[@richardtalbot1542]

The thing I think Lan is missing is his feel of presence he has in the books

[@ChristmasLore]

Feels like they completely misread the character. He's got a lot going on, yes, even emotionally, even in the books. It's just not what they made of it in the show, for the sake of a storyline with Moraine that doesn't make much sense, at all.

[@Dooger414]

Agreed @@ChristmasLore . Perhaps if he cries more while Moiraine chastises him for doing his job, he'll find purpose. He should settle down with the other Warders and help pick grapes while they do one-liners about each other while they meditate in Verin's vineyard... who wrote this?!

[@linda42tarot]

I agree 100% about the Lan filler. The season seems like it hasn’t moved enough considering how few episodes we will be getting.

[@Osyrous]

Yet they cut things for lack of time. I went into this season in good hopes too. Oh well, still nice to see the theater of these characters in live action. It's just not the story James wrote. It's quite disrespectful actually. Shrug. You know we're gonna watch every season and complain every step of the way.

[@arimill1045]

The biggest hit with forsaken healing up on demand was it took out the cost of failing the dark one. You were trapped in his grasp and tormented for your failure until he needed another tool so you were bestowed a new body to get the job done. Now they just can't die and there's no impact there whatsoever

[@gilian2587]

Nah... all the Dark One has to do to punish those among the forsaken who disappoint him is to give their immortal form a nasty cavity. A bad toothache would even bring Ishamael to his knees.

[@talmanes4589]

I don't know if we know that for sure. How long does this take? Maybe she suffers for a week in that cabin as the DO slowly and painfully regenerates her. Not necessarily predicting that, but at this time we don't know. We don't really know how long transmigration took in the books either. It was all at his whim I suppose. I understand the need to have the DO be able to bring the forsaken back without needing to hire a new actor every time it happens. So I don't hate this.

[@jameswest0727]

I think it made lanfear much scarier that she didn't die. They don't have the time to just explain over and over again how scary they are like they could in the books. You also don't have the internal dialog to show how scared they are. So making them near invincible was good on my opinion

[@Diggsjp01]

Yeah Lan is a dud so far. Plus he got a Marvel movie nerf, he’s like top 3 swordsman in the books. He is EPIC in the books.

[@tw7998]

Incredibly frustrating that apparently moiraine with a dagger is as effective a fighter as Lan

[@allenwinberg5119]

The fact that you said Lan is a dud..........

[@tw7998]

@@allenwinberg5119 to be fair show lan seems to be hanging out with alanna's warders and not doing a lot. I find it hard to believe he didn't understand the poem as well. I am enjoying the show and think the actor of lan is fine, but not happy with the arc they are giving him.

[@LeeTurnock-zy2dg]

Why is he not galloping to find Rand after finding out he lives? Dedicated to fighting the shadow but does nothing and kicks back eating steaw and filling buckets. A complete misfire to justify actors allocated to minor characters. Rafe, they're not the best choice of narrator pal!!!!

[@thewheezingdead]

I think they're not doing the forsaken's transmutation because changing actor and leaving it the same character will increase costs and confusion. I think I read a different Lan to most people, cause in the books he kinda seemed pretty slow on the uptake at times on anything that wasn't fighting, the blight and Nyneave, he questioned Moiranine and sometimes flat out failed to understand her methods. That said he is weaker atm in the show than I would like, though I do think he knows what the poem is he's just not decided on the correct course of action. I imagine we'll move much faster on the Nyneave Lan story in the show too.

[@TheLloydChannel]

Re: the Lan plan... I think that it was to show that Alanna et al didn't know that Moiraine has lost her power. They are guessing all around that Lan is no longer bonded to her--that M has masked the bond--that M has let the Bond go... but the reality is never revealed to them, and Lan does not reveal it either. Moiraine is *acting* as though she still has her power, and that is essential to the plotline.

[@TheLloydChannel]

and btw, wolves in RandLand are just different...

[@phnome123]

I'm along time book reader, but this had me on the edge of my seat for most of the episode. I don't mind the deviations from the books but I'm tensed because I never know what's coming next, and I love it.

[@JohnnyJay81]

Bot

[@ryanheinrick5049]

I am the same way. I read the books a long time ago and waited for each one to come out with suspense. Its a TV show, and its different. They cant make it exactly the same. It is still great television. I've come to find that this channel is just more and more negative and is getting annoying.

[@Dooger414]

@@ryanheinrick5049 It truly feels like a different series! I thought to myself, "I love these books but what if... not?" you know? Robert Jordan is great but what if Wheel of Time took the books... and just idk... didn't? Sure, only haters who liked the books would be mad, but you can't expect a series on Amazon to be staying true to the source material. Why would fans want to see that? When I go into The Wheel of Time, I am fascinated at how daring they are keeping the name! Rafe, you sly dog. Now Rafe can write whatever and anyone will watch it! Even avoid criticism if you point out it is Robert Jordan's name on the books!

[@djdizzy185]

I agree with you on Lan’s plot line so far. I can get behind the show wanting to give him more character development and emotion than he has in the books, but this ain’t it so far.

[@SHADOW1414]

Agreed, they've really botched his character. Lan was never just "stoic badass" in the books and while I don't blame the show for dropping the extreme stoicism, they missed the complex character underneath. The fact that he didn't recognize the poem was about Lanfear is the perfect example of this. Book Lan is intelligent and stubborn, he would be obsessing over that poem. Show Lan is as dumb as a box of rocks.

[@WHlSKYtx]

Y’all are impossible 😂

[@ChristmasLore]

If one pays attention, and reads a bit between the lines (as the author kind of intends you to do): even in the books, Lan has actually rather a lot to say (despite his silence), and is full of different emotions, regarding an array of different people. He's not as one dimensional as some seem to read him, "the silent stoical warrior"- there's way more to him than that, yes, even in the books. Thing is.. this is tv, and time is short, so probably not the best choice of their use of screentime. (In many ways, in the books, Moraine herself is way more secretive and mysterious than Lan.) This storyline is simply a waste of time, plus, it doesn't make a lot of sense. At all.

[@neils.9846]

Yes it's TV and the whole reason for the expanded plots is to give the top actors more to do than their book counterparts do. I just don't think they are doing justice to Henny as actor and the crazy lack of clarity of exactly what condition the bond is in is extremely frustrating

[@ChristmasLore]

@@neils.9846 , personally I do not think "giving " top actors" more screentime" is a valid reason, or does any good to storytelling... rather the opposite. Moraine is ridiculously cold (and sensitive when alone?)-when in the books she's more "focused"; and Lan...well... that's been going nowhere since season 1. Lan is actually a character with quite a lot going on in the books, including emotionally, for anyone paying attention, it's just not the emotions they're depicting. They simply got him all wrong.

[@D3G4355]

Man, Anvaere must have put a tracker on Rand or something. Moiraine sure did find him fast. Almost like she teleported or something.

[@TheDesertSpear]

For real... htf did she know they went to a remote cabin in the mountains?

[@TheDesertSpear]

@@minigiant8998 so the private conversation between Rand and Lanfear got back to Moraines sister? Hahaha

[@tren133]

@@TheDesertSpear The Damodreds literally have spying running in their veins, and Anvaere spent decades building up her own eyes and ears network. They may have not heard Rand and Selene's conversation, but they know that these two are doing it, Selene's inn just burned down, the couple have left town, and she's got a cabin nearby(ish). I'm sure these two very wily women can put two and two together to figure out where Rand and Selene mostly took off to.

[@TheDesertSpear]

@tren133 how long has Selene been in Cairhien? How would she have a cabin or them know she has a cabin? Just admit it's shitty plot writing and makes no sense

[@tren133]

@@TheDesertSpear Selene could have been released months to a couple of years ago. I think she was already out between 1 to 2 years by the time Rand met her in the books. Enough time to set up this inn in the foregate. Since she is a commoner living in a HIGHLY transient part of town, the info you can glean about her will just be what the nearby residents of the foregate knows about her, including the fact that she owns this inn, and also has an additional property nearby. Speaking of shitty plot writing, Rand waking up one day in an eerie parallel universe which is completely empty of ALL LIFE, and then a super hot woman suddenly shows up being chased by 3 eyed monsters who calmly tries to get him to use the one power to roast those monsters, and then calmly suggests he could channel their way back into the real world, and then this NOBLEWOMAN is all my hero, I'm never gonna let you out of my life. I mean I love the books, and the books are better, but Selene/Lanfear's intro makes even LESS sense than what they came up with in the show. A show-only watcher would have to be very careful to pick up hints about whether Selene is good or bad, but book Selene was super sus right from the get go.

[@LGJM83]

I'm now watching the wheel of time completely through you and Daniels reviews :D Thanks for keeping me in the loop !

[@YourStylesGeneric321]

My biggest problems as someone who lovesss the show... Lan doing nothing at all half way into the season, wolves being nothing but dogs, Rand having zero sword training, Lan losing to the fades, and lack of Matt screen time.

[@albertaguy4817]

Even in the books you could only permanently kill the foresaken with Balefire. The timber wolves here in Alberta, are not that large, certainly not like a dire wolf. They are more like a german sheppard with a slight variance of colors 85-100lbs, a little larger then Labs and Golden Retrievers.

[@Kylora2112]

Agreed on both counts. Having Lanfear come back with Ishamael or Moiraine commenting on how this shows the strength of the Dark One is good enough. And most people don't understand how much bigger wolves are than an average larger dog, so there's easy suspension of disbelief.

[@oxigen85]

One thing I didn't like is how Moirane could sneak up on Lanfear like that. There's no way she wouldn't have alarms in place.

[@talmanes4589]

Lanfear always seemed more the impulsive type than the careful planner and Lews Therin just told her he loves her. This is the greatest moment of her life.

[@Faiiltrain]

and her wards would likely be placed to trigger from use of the one/true power. not a 100lb white lady with a stabby stick during happy clappy times

[@cyanbloodbane1]

Lanfear was not incompetent. Wards don't only detect channelers. And how the heck did Moriane manage to find Rand in a cabin in the middle of the forest? Wasn't like anyone in the city would have known who she was or anything about where she would have gone. Plain silly

[@ItaintEZbeingBZ]

I loved how Rand and Lanfear fell asleep outside and then there was a cabin when they woke up. Seemed like a little Easter egg for book readers.

[@Dooger414]

Yes, they sure have stayed true to the books... perhaps a teaser on Mat getting the One Power and Perrin learning of his Aiel ancestry before Rand gets stilled? That would be about as lore accurate as it has been thusfar!

[@jimdgrousedogs]

I completely agree with you about the "wolves" and their size. I've seen wild wolves while out with my dogs bird hunting and they are massive compared to most dogs. The dogs in the show do have that grandeur and do not feel as impressive as real wolves and definitely have taken something away from Perrin's story for me. That said I still enjoyed the episode overall and did like some of the other changes from the books similar to what you mentioned. I think episode three was better and would put this on par with episode 2. I really want to see more of Mat in episode 5.

[@ianohlander]

Pretty much agree with your review. Especially in regard to Lan, well, it honestly makes me sad. You are 100% correct that a stoic Lan would be tropey. And also for a series to go through as much story as it needs, it would simply be difficult to show the subtle subtext of Lans stoicism. So a more emotional lan is fine. What broke my heart, ultimately, was the last nail on the coffin of the Bukama-style storyline that tied up Lan and Moiraine. The NS story beaitifully showed a Lan and Moiraine both fighting the same battle, making sacrifices and realizing that they were better together. Lans loss of Bukama as his last family, his willingness to join her when he learned of the vileness and why Bukama died, how tied up in the dragon rebirth was beautiful And moiraine and lan were equals. They both had experiences and strengths the other didnt. Now, moiraine has been cold since BEFORE lan. Something that happened 20 years ago- presumably the same vileness. But now Lan is cut out. The story is all Moiraines and the question is (or appears to be) how Lan will fimd peace and acceptance that their time together is at an ending. Lans story agency has disappeared. He is now Maksim and Ivhon- following out of love to devotion- not out of a shared mission with shared sacrifices. This season has been a huge step up from 1. But the main taveren characters still suffer from only incidental characterization. Lanfear made Rands story more meaningful of course. And it was nice to get a bit more from Perrin. But over all, it seems that mat, rand and perrin are still mostly side characters. The tripod nature ofntheir taverenness doesnt seem to show at all. Or that they ARE taveren except for Rand. Which makes you wonder what role they are supposed to play? Still early. And ive enjoyed this season mostly. But i do feel like lan and the biys have been shortchanged. Lest this seem some men's rights screed, knownthat i want the stories for nynaeve and egwene and moiraine to be strong. But i want the stories of lan and mat and perrin and rand to be strong too. The futzing around ofnLan with Alannas warders feels like a waste of characterization. It would have been better used showing lans own agency and reason why he chose to follow moiraine and join her fight.

[@armandog3335]

I want more time with the super friends. All this added time spent on Moraine and Lan....it's filler. If we had a ton more episodes, then no biggie, but we are losing valuable time with the main characters. Time where they could show their struggles and character nuilding moments. Lana and Moraine are not main characters. More famous actors maybe..... we've spent almost no time with Mat and given much more time to Perrin. Should be other way around.....

[@Faiiltrain]

mat didnt get any love from RJ until book 3 onwards. He was filler until *the thing* happened. Then he takes over as the badass #1 hero. Give Nyaneve some spotlight for a spell so she dont come across as a nagging hypocite for 3 seasons like she seemed the 1st time i read through them ;)

[@SHADOW1414]

Seriously! Rand is barely in book 3, Matt gets zero POV chapters in book 2 and Perrin is not in book 5, at all. I agree the Lan storyline sucks, but frankly the boys aren't doing much at this point in the story.

[@cyanbloodbane1]

​@SHADOW1414 Yes Rand was barely in book 3, however the show is not book 2 or 3. Rand was the main story in book 1, and we didn't get that in season 1. All the development in book 1 for Mat Rand and Perrin never happened.

[@ChristmasLore]

Also, their storyline (Moraine /Lan) makes zero sense... it's really a waste of time, customer service for big celebrities- and not much else. Same (almost) goes for Alana and her warders...screen time for the boyfriend, advertising for a way of life- got nothing against it on principle, but with only 8 episodes, time is short, precious even...

[@ChristmasLore]

​​@@cyanbloodbane1, also, this is tv, not books, and they've got fewer seasons than books, so... Rand, Matt and even Perrin reduced screentime really is a big problem. (Not from a political pov, just frop a storytelling one). I don't get another WoT channel pov, insisting on not comparing the show to the books, but then using books allegories for speaking of the show (chapters, etc). Just weird.

[@HallyVee]

Quick note, the red border on thumbnails prevents people from seeing the bar showing their progress through the video. Maybe a slightly different red.

[@catc8927]

Yes this! A red bordered thumbnail means KZbin’s watched bar blends in. Can’t tell if I’ve watched a video or not sometimes. Same problem with all CNN videos.

[@stewartryable]

Loial was a lot smaller in Season 1 - maybe they can adjust the wolves in the future

[@naeblisss]

They are dogs.

[@JeanPierreLevac]

One Loial... several wolf-dogs = ca$hing

[@stewartryable]

@@JeanPierreLevac True - and very little Loial at that. I thought maybe Gandalf-y forced perspective and other in-camera methods might not strain the budget as much

[@gizzad]

God, i woulda been SO hyped for an episode called Daughter of the Night, if the show was anything like the books

[@gilian2587]

The names are the same; but the people and the places are all different.

[@Dooger414]

Your fault for expecting Wheel of Time to be a faithful adaptation. You think they'll tackle Saidin and Saidar appropriately? Um, the One Power only has two genders??? Scrapped.

[@johnnyp6202]

4/10 Rafe is just not the guy. He clearly has things he wants to show that quite honestly are among the least important aspects of the entire story. The story has spent an uncomfortable amount of time on the whole warder bond thing. Most of an episode last year, and quite a bit in this year. It is certainly a thing but the entire concept could be handled in a few pieces of dialogue and a couple scenes. Also WAY too much Alanna. I simply do not care about her and her warder. And yet we get scenes about her and her warders instead of important things from the books. The only saving grace is that they seem to be definitely headed towards the book ending in Falme which could be epic. I hate the way they are handling Min. I don't hate the TV character but she is so far from the books. I do like the way they are handling Liandrin. Elayne is maybe the closest to the books of any character in the show. So we get these scenes of Lan being all pointelessly broody yet not even a scene to show the reaction to Nyaneve making it out of the rings after so much time. I like the Selene Rand relationship, but Lanfear would never recoil from him like that. Even to manipulate him. It may work for TV fans but do not like the fake killing of Lanfear, nor that she is unkillable. I really liked the first 3 episodes for the most part under the umbrella of "loosely based upon" instead of adaptation, but this one was a mess. One thing i really like though is the investigation of what being close to immortal while everyone else dies around you would be like. Jordan somehow never really even dealt with it at all.

[@SHADOW1414]

I don't mind the extra time spent on Alanna, necessarily. She should theoretically bond Rand later on, they are clearly using her to consolidate a bunch Aes Sedai, and she will probably have even more screen time in future seasons, so it's not a bad idea to have the audience meet her early then they don't need a ton of exposition later on. However, they are doing a very poor job of it. They are hitting the audience over the head about the warder bond, but they're doing it with a pool noodle.

[@fantasyfanatic6038]

Hopper is the goodest boy! I love how they’re handling Perrin and the wolves! 🐺

[@carolflepp9326]

I don't understand why they give Alanna and her 2 warder (and 1 actor is the boyfriend of Rafe🤔) so much screen time. They should focus more on Lan and Mat

[@devlin76]

One reason is probably because one of Alanna's warders is going to be killed off next season. It will be very impactful because we know them all so well.

[@pskarnaq73]

The dumpster fire that is this show got a teaspoon of water thrown on it this week, but also a bit of kerosene.... doubtful if it can be saved at this point. This show was totally entrusted into the WRONG hands.

[@rapTorfx4]

I think the whole Lanfear reviving thing is going to take one of the best fights in the whole series and make it irrelevant, unless they retcon this ability

[@TheCasualTrippy]

1. I agree 100 with Lan. If this would have happened with M he would have just rode north and flung himself at the blight. 2. Transmutation opens up a lot of avenues for the Great Lord that this death is no barrier to the Dark One in the show offers

[@talmanes4589]

It's more or less the same thing except you don't need to hire a new actor to use it.

[@SHADOW1414]

@@talmanes4589 It would have a small impact once you get to them using the gender swap to hide, but they could probably drop that plot or find a different way to get the swap to happen.

[@rickhogan1600]

It does make me a little sad knowing that we won't get the transgender Aran'Gar.

[@jasonfarley9025]

Anvaere Damodred may be my new favourite character.

[@101Waylander]

The biggest way to confuse non readers of the books would be to kill off Lanfear, then bring her back as a completely different actress. I feel they made the right decision by keeping the actors of original Forsaken and just having the Dark One resurrecting them in the same body instead of the way it’s done in the books. It makes sense to me as it avoids confusion for the casual viewer.

[@talmanes4589]

Same for Ishamael as well. Those two characters are too important to the story for you to want to switch actors. Definitely a change I understand them making.

[@e.h.4933]

I agree. I think that it's valid to not like the change, but I believe they do try their best through characters w knowledge sharing world rules w the less informed, but the changing of actors for a semi prestige show, I don't see that as working for the medium.

[@tren133]

Forget confusing the non-readers, the IN BOOK characters were ALSO confused. The in book forsaken were all squabbling over who is going to be Naeblis now that Ishy got wacked, and then this Moridin guy walks in and is like I'm Naeblis! And it took a bit even for the forsaken to eventually reason out that Moridin must be the reincarnated Ishy.

[@rickhogan1600]

I agree, but it's sad knowing that the show won't have the fascinating transgender character Aran'Gar.

[@BinaryHedgehog]

@@rickhogan1600That could still happen and I’d like to see it happen.

[@gr1mace717]

Thumbs up for your efforts and thoughts. This episode was about having a hand (perceived fate - a shackle/rigid rule) and making due (making the hard choice to get out) with what they got for every character. So, even Lan was faced with his dilemma (being told he was useless and losing his bond which would normally result in suicide), but he was thankfully provided an out; having learned that the previous warden was able to be phased out (I forget the word - cancelled? Blocked?) and then back in, gives him the inertia (purpose) to leave and find Nyaneve. I am just saddened by the fact that he needed this "help" (He is diminished) whereas in the book, he was competent enough to figure it out on his own. I have noticed that the past 2 episodes have had themes therein and the characters are all facing the same theme somewhat.

[@seyi8206]

I’m starting to lose faith that they will adapt the Battle of Dumai Wells, the “Storm of Light” scene, or the Cleansing of the Taint well, let alone the Last Battle. And I will never forgive Rafe for it.

[@jeremysweat8957]

GET LAN TO RAND AND GET SOME SWORDS IN THOSE BOYS' HANDS!!!!!

[@gilian2587]

Rand *IS* getting sword training in the show; but it's of a substantially different variety from what it was in the books.

[@Captainpigraven]

Three thoughts: 1. Biggest disappointment by far is Mat. It’s frustrating because I like Dònal Finn in his four episodes much more than Barney Harris in his six. But the character has not been around as much as he should. This was an opportunity for the writers to do what Jordan mostly failed to do until midway through the third book-make Mat genuinely interesting. Halfway through this season and Mat is still feeling undercooked. He should be a fan favorite by now. 2. I think the Forsaken need to be shown as vastly superior to regular Darkfriends. Making them immortal is definitely a choice, one which may or may not be welcomed. We shall see how it plays out. Regardless, this is something that MUST be directly addressed in the show, and pretty early into episode five. Viewers-both book readers and none-book readers alike-will quickly lose interest if the show continues to lean on “fake out” deaths, regardless of the situation. While the book series itself actually presents plenty of opportunity to embrace such ideas conceptually, in a show like this it just gets boring the more repetitive it is. Given the Saa in Lanfear’s eyes & Moiraine having spent an episode doing research, I’ll be shell shocked if there’s not an early explanation drop when we pick up with them next episode. Why can’t she be killed? What’s the alternative, etc., etc? 3. I can’t decide if I like DarkMin better than BookMin. The former makes more sense sense, as she can actually be a more interesting character this way. But the latter was just such an uplifting spirit and really worked as a beacon of positivity and hope.

[@wegrata]

Honestly I think they're missing on Rand, Mat, Perrin and Lan. Perrin came along in this episode, but there's some many things wrong, just give him an axe already. Rand isn't really recognizable , neither is Mat or Lan. Too many inconsistencies in the show for no reason. Skip the extra BS and focus on the plot.

[@twig8523]

He's acting a lot like Rand when he was running towards Tear & away from his friends, if you ask me. I anticipated he'd be something like this with the way the 1st season ended, really.

[@talmanes4589]

I think Rand and Perrin are fine but they don't seem to know what to do with Lan or Mat.

[@ChristmasLore]

​@@talmanes4589, they might be fine, thing is we barely see them on screen. And that is a problem, given there's only 8 episodes: this is tv, not the books, they can't afford to have main characters disappearing for episodes on end (or almost, like Rand in ... episode 1, 2, 3 and 4, same for Matt and to a lesser extent, Perrin)

[@talmanes4589]

@@ChristmasLore Mat has been largely absent all season. I've already accepted that it's going to take this entire season just to get Mat anything close to back on track after the fuckery that was the ending to s1. Rand was only largely absent in ep1 and I feel like Perrin has gotten plenty of screen time. Definitely happier with Perrin at this point than the other two but I don't think Rand's problem is time. Part of the problem is it takes more time to see each of them because they aren't together like the books. In the books most of the time you had one of them, you had all three, in the first 2 books anyway.

[@selinabeth4346]

My husband (non book reader) had no idea about selene being a darkfriend and thinks liandrin knocked the girls out so they could leave elayne behind. Perfect lol

[@cynthialong4514]

I keep watching this series thinking maybe the next episode will be more like the books, then I'm disappointed. ugh

[@randyaquatoad8975]

Agree about the Lan plot just being bad TV, although i felt the whole sequence was more about Moiraine's character than his. What you're saying about non-book readers enjoying it more is also probably true. I binge-read all the books over the course of a year, so i wasn't pouring over every detail. I found RJ's world both highly compelling and and highly confusing. As a result, i dont mind any changes so long as it feels like it's set in the same world and caries similar themes for the characters. So far so good.

[@BethDomon]

I am with you 100% on your thoughts on Lan’s arc in the show! I also caught the saa in Lanfear’s eye at the end. Great video, as usual.

[@hannahpreece3651]

I’m pretty sure without being certain that it was implied in the books that the DarkOne could raise the forsaken from the dead and repair their bodies, if they weren’t too badly mangled. After all there wasn’t time for permanent brain death to occur. She was only mostly dead.

[@jburns9285]

Should have doused her in something flammable and torched the witch. Let's see the dark one resurrect that. 😆

[@jonahdav9589]

Rafe penned a hate you letter to Robert Jordan. This is not the Peter Jackson treatment nor even anew turning of the wheel. It a poorly put together darkfiend version of WoT.

[@gilian2587]

At least Elayne looks like she was perfectly cast.

[@karenholmes6565]

Book spoilers I think that the scenes with Lan and Alanna's tribe are more about Alanna than Lan. Alanna is going to bond Rand. Since bonding is so intimate doing this without Rand's permission is tantamount to intimate assault. They do not want us to hate Alanna because she's in the story until the end. So they will show her attachment to her Warders before they kill one of them, which will give Alanna the motivation to bond Rand. They are establishing a few rules for how the world works. Now, perhaps you are right, and these scenes feel like filler, but I think they are trying to do exposition without seeming to do exposition. That can come off as filler. I also think that when Moiraine told Lan he was not her equal she was doing tricky Aes Sedai wording. At the end of this season she will tell Lan that he is better than she is. As far as talking about the bond continually, I think that it shows Lan has not shared with Alanna that Moiraine lost access to the Source. Lan is being loyal to Moiraine by telling them that Moiraine unbonded him or masked the bond. I agree it is completely unclear. I think this entire story is more about Alanna bonding Rand later this season or the beginning of the next.

[@nancyrogers1228]

In S1, there was an obvious effort to show how close Lan and Moiraine were. Even now, when the bond isn't there anymore, the two have been together for the last 20 years. They should have developed at least a close friendship in that time, bond or no bond. Would Moiraine ("selfless to a fault", according to Liandrin) really become so hateful to her faithful companion and defender? I didn't like how she treated him at the twins' house in TGH, and I don't like what she did here. In the books, their relationship never recovered after they were separated for a year. I hope that status isn't going to be the template for their show relationship now.

[@gilian2587]

@@nancyrogers1228 Given a choice between thoughtfulness and drama -- drama will always prevail in this show's writing. Some will argue that this is necessitated by the change in medium from book to film. I would argue that those who use this argument have never seen 'Good Will Hunting'; it was filmed, and it's writing was quite thoughtful.

[@vegetattack]

The fact that you didn't even bring up Mat/Min (or did I miss that?) speaks volumes...

[@jennychan6165]

I don't know how believable it is that Lan wouldn't understand the prophecy even though his kingdom was destroy by the Dark.

[@jawbreaker9240]

Also, I totally agree with you on Lan. Give us some king of Malkier! Additionally the Forsaken being “immortal” is so that they don’t have to recast the actors so often. I’m not against this and it may add depth later of if they show Rand cutting them off from the true source as he did with asmodean in the books. Maybe that will be a way for him to kill them other than with balefire.

[@Kylora2112]

It's also a simple way to show how powerful the Dark One is.

[@venkatramcharan999]

I agree Lan being as stoic and silent as he is in the books might not translate well. But presenting his character as someone who is unsure and confused as to what his purpose might be is way worse. I think I would have been happier to see a generic calm and killer kind of character than this confused Lan. I agree with the wolves as well. But I think this episode overall shows a lot of improvement from the previous seasons episodes. No lingering on idea for too long. No childish dialogue. Overall everything seems improved. If the following episodes stick to this level of filmmaking I would consider this a decent adaptation instead of being extremely disappointed like the last season.

[@carolbriscoe9337]

Did Rafe inadvertently get himself in a quandary when Ishmael severed Moraine's contact with The Power in the finale of S1? What to do with Lan this early in the series once he's cut off from Moraine? There's no source material to use in this situation. And with all the wigs the actors are wearing, why is Lan's so obviously ill fitting?

[@cacheman]

My immediate reaction to the last minutes of the episode was... "this is nonsense". Full agreement on the wolves. Understand it, but that doesn't change the fact that it looks and feels bad. The scene with Perrin and the "wolves" frolicking through the forest was borderline cringe. I felt myself making a face. The whole Lan B-story with the bond, and why he ended up with the prophecy in the first place is just baffling.

[@athomenotavailable]

I imagined the wolf sendings could be the background fading to black or becoming dim when the visions start to appear.

[@darrenschiminski7060]

I'm okay with Lanfear being brought back by the Dark One(?) because in the books with people who die being put into new bodies, doesn't work very well for tv. I would rather the Foresaken can be killed like a regular person, but if not, I prefer what they did in the show than what was done in the books. So far I've loved season 2. I don't get too caught up in the book changes and just enjoy what I'm watching.

[@Kylora2112]

I've been doing the same. I remember how much people HATED changes in Peter Jackson's LotR adaptation until the whole thing came together. It's really hard to judge changes until we see the payoff, or lack of payoff (for one, I'm loving how good Liandrian's character is...I was indifferent to her in the books, and she's pretty much the highlight of the show 19% of the way through [assuming 8 8-episode seasons]). I'm enjoying the show and liked the episode. "Killing" Lanfear and having Ishamael or Shai'tan bring them back with the True Power sets up for just how powerful the Dark One is, that even death isn't an escape from his service, and that the Forsaken (outside of Ishamael until his time comes) are still humans simply weilding god-like powers, and that extraordinary measures must be taken to destroy them (hehe, Balefire go brrrrr). Also cool with them keeping the same body and just appearing somewhere else with a new alias could still work (give the protagonists a sense of deja vu when they meet later, but the viewer has that character continuity that readers would have); the world is big enough that a new hairstyle and wardrobe would be enough to have a new life in another distant city. They just need to make Lan a bit more of an imposing character (Himbo Lan just isn't working for me), which hopefully they do when he bonds with Nynaeve.

[@disusemage]

The reason Moiraine said she couldn't kill Lanfear, is because she cant use the One Power at the moment. I'm sure if she had the ability to channel it would be a different situation.

[@Jenaldin]

Alana is such a cool character, both Nynive and Egween decided to be green after seeing her and now she's made like... Like the Aes Sedai that takes warders so they do not die... It is strange for me... Also, if they change Min to go with Mat not Rand that would be a major no no. Also, Ishamael is showing up way to much way to early, he's everywhere, which annoys me a lot. But for non-book fans it is probably quite enjoyable :)

[@rbtsubs]

First I don't think there are many " Nonbook fans" Second those fans would be much more excited by the series if it stuck closer to the books . The writers I believe think they can do better and are failing at every turn of their "adaptation"

[@gorgonzolastan]

​@@rbtsubs🥱 blah blah yes you think the show is bad 🥱

[@poneill65]

@@rbtsubs Perhaps there's a better life for you somewhere, you know, one not centered on hunting out opportunities to bitch and moan in other peoples discussions in forums giving you an audience of tens of people! But hey, you really showed 'em didn't you stud muffin!

[@Jenaldin]

@@rbtsubs I care to disagree, the campaign to promote it is strong and I do believe a lot of non book readers are fans now. As a standalone it has good plot hooks and the pace is not bad. And for what exactly would they be more excited - the non-book ones - if it was more to the books? They would know nothing of it. As for the book fans, yeah, I miss the Dream world sequence too, and new Selene is not to my liking, but I do understand what they are trying to do and why (probably as someone who has learned film making). "Adaptation" is a word that can have many meanings, no where does it say when you do an adaptation how close it has to follow the original. As for "better", let me just remind you that the favorite Sanderson (who I do not like and I do not like the way he ended things) was quite involved in the making in the beginning.

[@KnittyElf]

@@JenaldinWhat do you mean you “don’t like how he ended things”? Robert Jordan had the ending all planned out before his death. Brandon Sanderson used his extensive notes to write it. Also, just because someone is involved with a show, that doesn’t mean their opinions were listened to. With the CW-level writing in episode 4 that’s starting to mirror the shitty second half of season 1, I doubt they listened to Sanderson much.

[@tr_vmi4844]

Good bud of mine, a non-book reader, LOVES this season....he can't believe I have mixed feelings. lol

[@ArthurSullivan-cq4uw]

Long time book reader and I absolutely love this season. It's fantastic TV.

[@tr_vmi4844]

@@ArthurSullivan-cq4uw I hear you...reader since 1991...and it's decent TV, IMO. Definite mixed feelings.

[@gregoryJdykes]

I will say this about The Wheel of Time TV show. It is not The Wheel of Time. I have no idea where this story came from but it wasn't from anything Robert Jordan ever wrote

[@jf6822]

I would be fine with the Lan stuff if they had already established how badass he normally is. But they haven't, so he just comes across like a guy who's girlfriend just broke up with him

[@kayhaich]

"One of thr most dangerous forsaken" - allows an aes sedai who cant even use the one power to sneak up on her in a cabin in the middle of nowhere and slit her throat lol

[@Saa_la]

Almost word for word my thought about Lan. I agree he needs more emotions than the books, but his character is not well portrayed in the show. As for Lanfear, that's a win imo. Almost everything about it. Rand definitely needs more development, but that's what he is getting so that's good. I am surprised about your thoughts on the wolves, that's a definite win for me as well. Their size don't really matter all that much. It never even occurred to me that they could be bigger. I liked the depiction of Cairhien though Moiraine's family. Finally a Moiraine win! Alanna's warders are great (their dialogues with Lan), but Alanna's motivations and her warders aren't great. Lots to say about this episode, but overall I think it's pretty good! Please be careful (the comments as well) about spoilers, when we talk about someone or multiple someones being dark friends, it's definitely spoilers for books ahead. Or when we talk about someone NOT being a dark friend.

[@TheDesertSpear]

They turned Lan into an emotional sissy boy. Such a shame.

[@isaaccolyar1379]

Was I the only one that thought that the dream sequence with Min and Ishamael was very well done? The fisheye lens and the sudden cuts made the whole thing extremely unsettling.

[@taliefer16]

I am having a hard time coming to grips with the series. we are in full blown re-imagining instead of adaptation IMO. but, this is the only wheel of time show we are going to get in my lifetime, so i'm in for the long haul. its still...OK overall. its not bad. not sure its actually "good" either tho.

[@Ancalagon76]

The problem here is that is NOT a wheel of time show. It is a show that happens to be called "The wheel of time" with characters that happen to have the same names as the characters of the book "The wheel of time". That's it. The story is unrecognizable fan-fiction, written by people who think they are authors. How can one be satisfied with this? It's like being served a moldy steak and saying, well this is the only steak I can have, so I eat it anyway.

[@cogitokayla8070]

I agree. I was telling my SO that I feel like I’m watching a tumblr fan fiction of wheel of time. I hate it too because it robbed us of a chance to see an actual adaptation. I may have liked it more if I didn’t love the books so very much.

[@kristiandonchev2641]

For me this episode was painful to watch!I only liked some moments with Perrin ,everything else felt forced or too coincidental. 3/10 and I never imagined I would give a rating so low

[@jca66]

It’s such a shame how badly they butchered the wheel of time for tv. This show didn’t deserve a second season.

[@JeanPierreLevac]

I agree that book-accurate Lan would not translate well to screen though the screen version still needs lots of tweaking. They are missing out on his stoicism and he passes off more as a whipped dog than a strong silent type. Nothing wrong with showing passion and emotion, he should be more like a sleeping volcano ready to erupt and this is not the vibe he is giving. I do trust that they'll get to that and Daniel Henney is more than good enough of an actor to pull it off.

[@rogaineablar5608]

Liandrin “chewing.” I see what you did there. She has that Iron Giant jawline. 😂

[@hoffix1690]

Agree with everything you said about Lan. He doesn't feel like the last king of Malkier on a death mission against the shadowspawn. Has he even said tai'shar to someone yet?. Would be really cool if we could somehow get a look at what happened in New Spring (was mentioned in the previous episode). I am okay with the forsaken being unkillable (until balefire is presumably rediscoevered). It helps explain why they had to be imprisoned rather than just killed off. On the flip side, Moiraine should have no way of knowing if what she did would kill a forsaken (she probably should have assumed it would).

[@Dragonklus]

I'm enjoying that they stopped the dancing around to use the one power.

[@jedsterdfw]

I'm hoping Moiraine figured that without being able to channel (anything, not just Balefire), she wouldn't be able to kill Lanfear. The Fades are super-resistant to blades, but susceptible to weaves so it makes sense to me the Forsaken would be too.

[@isaaccolyar1379]

The whole immortal forsaken thing is something I'm not a fan of as well. Mainly because there are some super badass moments from the last few books (no spoilers) that, if the forsaken just can't die by normal means, would simply be impossible.

[@kevindenelsbeck7444]

I'm guessing that the newfound regenerative ability of the Forsaken is done for short-series narrative purposes: 1) makes the Forsaken more godlike, and thus more distinctly challenging characters for the main characters to arc against for their own godlike development 2) since the number of TV Forsaken appear reduced vs the books, allows easy antagonist reuse and saves on casting $$$ and story "scorecardedness" (trying to keep track of a lot of characters) 3) makes dealing with them more of a TV-friendly all-or-nothing moral choice; either balefire or run like hell. No halfway mitigations likely.

[@rebeccapacey]

I agree this episode didnt hit the mark for me. I was expecting the story to move along a bit, considering we only have 8 episodes. I didn't like Lanfear coming back either, i was racking my brain to figure out by what mechanism she was coming back in the same body. The confusion of the bond is annoying me too. Lan is being super boring. Although I'm enjoying Alanna and her warders and am actually looking forward to her taking over some of the other Aes sedais roles from the books.

[@caseycrom3121]

If the show is making the Forsaken basically immortal to avoid transmigration and hiring a new actor, how are they going to handle Rand's death at the end of the season? Assuming they make it that far.

[@jonahdav9589]

would bet my house that this non adaptation series is canceled next season.

[@gilian2587]

@@jonahdav9589 Don't actually make that bet. I'd at least give it 50/50.

[@danhenley9495]

I really don't like Min as a potential Dark Friend.

[@NaeBlis]

I don’t think that’s the implication. I think Liandrin promised her something and she had no idea

[@Echidna23Gaming]

​@@NaeBlisI agree, Min is def being manipulated in a somewhat similar way as Ishamael is to Perrin

[@epluribusunum1460]

And I hate Min’s haircut. 🫣

[@mikelawrence30]

It's blackmail/manipulation. Not darkfriend material.

[@SujeetRaj711]

​@@epluribusunum1460same here. Life is hard with this adaptation

[@joncoish]

I haven't really thought in depth about what I've liked or not liked about season 2 so far, but my overall feeling is this has been a definite step up from the first season, and I've really been enjoying it. It's been a long time since I read the books so a lot of the details I forget, so I feel I'm almost in a perfect position to enjoy this show. I've read the books so I have some familiarity with what's going on and the characters, etc, but because I forget many of the details I think changes probably won't bother me so much. With the first season I felt like I had to get through the episodes because it's a tv show based on a series of books I loved so much when I was younger that I had to watch the show, but with season 2 I want to watch, I'm looking forward to the episodes and what will happen.

[@taoofcraft554]

The dog breed is Alaskan Malamute, and it bothers me too, but I get it too. A super friendly breed that also does not match the wolf theme.

[@cairhieningent]

Each time the Lan scenes came on my first watch through I fast forwarded because I knew it was likely to be filler. When I rewatched the episode though they were better than I thought they would be although they were still the weakest parts of the episode. Book readers I think are predisposed to not liking the Lan parts because we know Lan doesn't play much of a role in this part of the series.

[@stevenadams9887]

I'm hoping Moiraine is simply just shielded by some tied off Saidin and next episode (maybe), Rand can see it now that they're back together and he removes it!

[@gilian2587]

That would be good.

[@paf7992]

I have a feeling they’ll use her to have Nynaeves stilling-healing breakthrough, maybe next season?

[@stevenadams9887]

@@paf7992 yeah thought about that too! I'd say if she isnt shielded than what you're saying will probably 100% happen. Speaking of healing stilling Where the hell has Siuan been this season?

[@gilian2587]

@@stevenadams9887 Wherever she is... I'm sure that there are fishing puns.

[@JohnnyJay81]

Less Moiraine please

[@twig8523]

No hand can stop the turning of the Wheel & the 3rd Age has played out in infinite variation, & shall continue to do so. As suggested by the Saa in her eyes, she was reanimated with the Dark One's True Power, a gift from the Dark One that comes with a heavy price (supposedly anyways, that's stated explicitly in the books but we're never down that to actually be the case). & there's no reason to think the Dark One didn't or couldn't stretch out the moment of her death into a torturous infinity, like in a vacuole/bubble of evil. & yeah Hopper looked so small next to Perrin as to be distracting from the moment. So was the vision of Hopper hopping, when it looked like he was doing the same trick that I taught my family's Golden Retriever when I was growing up. My take on Lanfear & the changes is not me making excuses for the holes in the show, though. It's my imagination getting sparked by the adaptation, & engaging with the concepts from the Wheel of Time through a new lens. My initial reactions will be different from my settled feelings, but for now I'm enjoying the show.

[@leonardhollerbach9806]

Pan was a huge character in the early books but then gets put on the back burner after he’s done teaching Lan UNTIL HIS EPIC MARCH AT THE END. They can add to Lan IF they do it right

[@jawbreaker9240]

I’m not overly okay with them aging Morraine for the fact that she and Siuan were accepted at the time they received the fortelling of the dragon reborn’s birth by Gitara Moroso (New Spring), 20 years prior. That would mean Morraine was an accepted in her 40’s? Doubtful. I do like the fact that they are showcasing the “slowing” moreso, as a way to intro Cadsuane sooner but for timeline continuity, I feel this was sloppily done.

[@Halfling1968]

It is insane to me that moiraine can just go in and kill lanfear. It would be traps al around the cabin. So my question are if you cut her head off, will she die or will she jump in to another body? Thanks for a great breakdown

[@gilian2587]

Remember that alien from Men in Black who grows back his head, Jeebs? Lanfear is kinda like that. (None of these previous statements are sound from the perspective of the books, by the by)

[@Halfling1968]

@@gilian2587 i remember. It would have been fun to see that in the show😀

[@gilian2587]

@@Halfling1968 lol, it would be something :)

[@cyanbloodbane1]

I had the same thought. Lanfear would never have been caught off guard like that. She would have set wards all around. She is a forsaken and they are always paranoid about other forsaken. They are schemers and planners. Having Moraine sneak in behind he and kill her makes the forsaken appear incompetent. Moraine was only able to face Lanfear by knowing the future. She never would have faced off with Lanfear without an edge and even then it cost her dearly

[@gilian2587]

@@cyanbloodbane1 The forsaken of the books could die. The forsaken of the show can't die; so why worry?

[@thinggood1435]

Spot on review. I'm right with you on all this (except the wolves. Sure, they're smaller than they should be, but it's fine. I'd rather have more of these fluffy guys than fewer more expensive versions). I'm also curious to watch some non-reader reactions. To add: I always found Moiraine's age strange in the books. She seemed older than she was, so I liked that story here.

[@kevinzeringue524]

I personally think that Lan was miscast. In the books, Lan is a huge, hulking man who towers over everyone!

[@lordgino4163]

I agree about Lan. I don’t even think he’s mentioned his one man war against the Shadow. He would’ve walked to the Blight by now.

[@Simon-kt2lx]

I really enjoyed episode 4. Like i said before, i still see a build up and progression in S2 and i think the plot is well driven by the characters. From my point of view, each episode make me want to see more and that is enough to make me think that at one point, the show will become truly satisfying for me. I still leaning toward S3 for it. As for Lan, if Aes Sedai truly mean Servant of All, i think we can understand why Lan have devoted the last 20 years to Moiraine and her goal. My intuition is that the Lan you want will appear in S3. He will have a stronger persona in S3 because of his crisis in S2 and the clarification of his goal (to Serve like Moiraine). P.S. Each time i finished an episode, i get a good feeling of excitement. But when i think again about it (or watch it again), i like it but i'm not yet totally in awe. But i'm more confident now than ever that i will reach this point sooner than later and probably with S3 or maybe the last episode of S2.

[@michaelsweeney5958]

The Lan scenes let us know that Lanfear was freed and that the Warder bond is not set in stone When Maksim asks Lan "Is every marriage the same" sets a tone about the bonding impacts. It gives Lan a choice and choices have consequences as Moraine states earlier on.

[@Dooger414]

My favorite was when Moiraine tells him to skirt his duties as warder and he takes it. And then she leaves in the night and gets saved by Lan yet still scolds him for not listening to her. And then Verin saves Lan after he is shown failing again. They really set the tone for stupidity and ineptitude for Lan and Moiraine while telling the audience differently. Moiraine taking out a Fade makes the Fade lose their menace now... so it is no longer impressive to kill one. Yet Lan gets owned by two of them... which makes Lan look pathetic. I'm not sure what the writer's room looked like or if they just Skyped on bad internet and took the first draft and ran with it...

[@MattGarZero]

I liked this one a lot. I finally feel like I'm watching a WoT adaptation.

[@flamingosedai1820]

I wonder if the mostly invulnerable Dark Hounds are getting mixed in with the Forsaken? Dark Hounds cannot be killed by normal weapons....

[@hathawyn]

For future reference: it's Maksim, like mack-sim, not Mask-im.

[@oh3eleven748]

I quit watching this season when Bale Domon showed up.

[@MrBdl32]

It's better visually if they can't be killed by normal means, so they don't have to recast continually the same character just to explain it

[@cyanbloodbane1]

I agree the recasting would have been a nightmare. However they removed the cost associated with a forsaken dying. It was never as trivial as simply being put in a new body. Forsaken would have done everything they could to not be reborn. Just seems trivial now.

[@MrBdl32]

@@cyanbloodbane1 Let's hope they add something like a penance they have to endure by the dark lord or Ishy, to address it properly.

[@athomenotavailable]

Moiraine's scenes with her sister was pretty dope, but Lan's seemed too long and mostly pointless

[@akrkwood]

To be fair, it depends on the breed of wolf. For example, Mexican grey wolves average the same size as my two 65 pound Staffordshire Terriers aka lickbulls. FYI.

[@artos607]

"I couldn't kill her if I wanted to" seemed mainly like a foreshadowing line to me. I do think this is replacing DO resurrection, which is fine to me because most of the DO resurrection stuff in the books likely shouldn't be adapted to the show(looking at you Aran'gar), applies to forsaken they likely won't adapt(Osan'gar?) Or are easily written out(Hessalam/Cyndane).

[@enderrbl5026]

Lan was always for me a version of Aragorn, in the TV show he is a human version of Aragorn. Hard to believe he is going to ride alone into the blight or kill alone a foresaken in the last battle.

[@retiretosomething9868]

I can't help feeling that the only reason Lan is separated from Moiraine was for Nynaeve's test. Then they just had to write a story around it, and it's only useful for a couple of minutes until Nynaeve sees the arch and we realize it's not real.

[@Adamdidit]

Not just that. It's also driving home that Moiraine is super obsessed with her oncoming death. She has been hinting at it since s1 and I bet money it's gonna be her explanation for using Lan away.