SPOILERS for episode 5
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What did you all think?
Thoughts on Loial?
Did we see background portal stones? Or were they more like roadmarkers to Tar Valon?
Wow, okay. I found this episode very emotional, it has a very strong focus on themes of love, loss, and grief. I thought it had a lot of strong and nuanced character building. And lots of foreshadowing, worldbuilding, and setup.
First impressions:
Nynaeve holding onto her braid in the opening sequence got me right in the feels.
Maksim kept Kerene’s boots *cries*
Love the tiny detail of longer hair after a time jump.
Rand noticing Dragonmount!
Finally, some book swearing!
Padan Fain’s whistling when the boys first arrive was a nice touch. In fact you can see him in a doorway watching as they enter the inn (I only noticed the latter because of a fortuitous pause lol). You see him once again after that, laughing. Whatever Mordeth did he looks far better for it than poor ol’ Mat.
Odd they cut Gill after mentioning he’s Thom’s friend. Maybe we see him next episode, he has been cast. There were a few times during this ep where it again felt like there should have been a little more that would have made the transition between scenes smoother, but it had to be cut to fit in the 1hr time slot.
I liked that Mat wondered about the little girl, that even though he’s now clearly deep in the dagger’s grip, he still has his good heart. By the way, the extras description for the Grinwells on the official prime page DOES say that it was the fade who killed the family. I am glad to be wrong.
Aram’s comment about accepting that violence is a part of everyone was a bit strange, it felt less like a tinker philosophy and more like a poignant thing to point out to Perrin. Mind you, it always seemed dumb to me that in the books they’re vegetarian since they’re also nomadic. Violence and hunting are separate things, that’s the whole reason Aiel use the spear. I will be surprised if the show tinkers shun those who stray, they seem too forgiving. I did love their defiance to the Whitecloaks, and that we saw pacifism doesn’t mean being *passive*. I really like Ila.
Interesting that Moiraine makes a point of also warning Nynaeve specifically about the sisters they travelled with -- does she suspect Liandrin? Or was it just common sense? Because as she also points out, Nynaeve is now going to be considered a game piece all the AS will want to move.
The scene with Maksim and the other warders was beautiful. I like seeing the warders as a brotherhood and how they rallied around a grieving brother. Melting the ring was a nice touch. Maksim’s grief really resonated with me, and the way his loss affected the others was very well done. Maksim’s later explanation for why he cannot sleep, and Nynaeve’s reply, were spot on.
Jumping from something beautiful, poignant, and sad, to Egwene & and the Whitecloaks made it even more difficult to watch. The added detail of the way they take out her braid and the rough treatment of her hair was a nice touch.
Goldeneyes! I was really ready for the wolves to turn up at this point
I’m going to go ahead and assume that they haven’t just adjusted Valda’s position in the Children but merged him with Asunawa. I don’t think he even particularly thought Egwene was a channeler, considering he left them alone for so long. It just seemed like he had a reasonable excuse for some torture time and took it.
I continue to like Liandrin despite myself, they are doing a very good job of making her relatable. Her trying to be nice to Nynaeve seemed so manufactured I can only credit the actress for her performance. Is there a reason she sent Nyn to the gardens? It’s clearly where she met Loial and was able to reunite with the boys. Is this just Liandrin trying to win trust? Did Padan Fain instruct her? At this point Moiriane still seems totally ignorant that Mat and Rand are in Tar Valon, which seemed a little odd given what she said to Nyn.
Thought it was a bit odd we didn’t SEE Nyn go to the gardens. The skip from her standing in the corridor outside the Hall to reuniting with the boys was jarring. Loial’s roundabout introduction was spot on though.
Oh, also liked that they included the story about Egwene’s breakbone fever and Nynaeve’s certainty that Egwene is still alive. The AS are totally wrong about the cave being the first time Nyn channeled but I liked that this wasn’t made explicit. I also liked that when Mat was surprised to see her, she replied “who else would I be?” After Moiraine’s speech I loved this display of Nynaeve’s strength and pure stubbornness to not let power change her. She is my favourite character at the moment.
Eg stealing the AS rings! Does the girls using these (presumably) to pose as AS later have a different feel to it now we know dead AS rings are melted down as a mark of respect to their passing? We really see Egwene’s beginnings as a leader here. Also, her comment that Perrin might spend his entire life before he accepts Laila was an accident gives me faith they will handle that storyline well, and not just gloss over it.
Liandrin and Moiraine have a past? That would be an interesting twist (Liandrin’s prime description does suggest they were intimate once). It’s starting to seem like Moiriane was a bit of a lady killer in her youth.
Also, the novice dresses are far more stylish than I ever envisioned them.
Forsaken! One of the figurines looked like a squat chewbacca, I’ll bet that was Sammael lol. Did anyone count them?
Ah, so Alanna was planning to offer a bond to Stepin, I’m glad they included this (I wonder if they will merge her character with Myrelle for future plotlines). Discussion of consent now will contrast with what she does later in grief. The way they chatted on the bed was very reminiscent of how they must have been as novices, which I thought was a nice touch. Also loved the “you’ll be around for a long time yet” line. Yikes. Good setup for the Tower split too, though interesting that it’s Liandrin they’re rallying around. The picture in the wall cabinet was interesting, I didn’t know what to make of it though (beyond it being a little heavy on the symbolism).
The Amyrlin travelling back from Caemlyn was an amusing touch. I wonder if that has anything to do with Elayne.
Agh, Stepin slipped Lan the sleeping tea! I wasn’t sure how I felt about his suicide by something like seppaku rather than him trying to take out Logain, though I thought it worked better for the tone fo the episode. What was the symbol on the blade hilt? It felt like the camera focused there, but maybe it was just so we could see he’d killed himself. It reminded me of one of the chapter symbols from the books.
I thought the funeral, and Lan being a conduit for grief no one else could express, was excellent and very moving.
The only negative I had, aside from scenes sometimes feeling a bit choppy again, was the sets. They still felt too much like sets imo (though they were very beautiful). Tar Valon’s background noise just felt like stock sound. The White Tower felt FAR too empty. I know it was a huge place for not many people, but it just felt abandoned. Aside from our main characters, we literally saw two novices wandering about and that’s it. The rooms all felt cavernous and a little empty too. They make a joke about Moiriane’s, but even Stepin’s felt sparse. I would have expected more wallhangings and tapestry at the very least. It looked like it would be cold!
EDIT, oh and I almost forgot, the ending credits music also got me in the feels. It was a sombre version of Mashiara, specifically the bit that speaks about love.
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
What did you all think?
Thoughts on Loial?
Did we see background portal stones? Or were they more like roadmarkers to Tar Valon?
Wow, okay. I found this episode very emotional, it has a very strong focus on themes of love, loss, and grief. I thought it had a lot of strong and nuanced character building. And lots of foreshadowing, worldbuilding, and setup.
First impressions:
Nynaeve holding onto her braid in the opening sequence got me right in the feels.
Maksim kept Kerene’s boots *cries*
Love the tiny detail of longer hair after a time jump.
Rand noticing Dragonmount!
Finally, some book swearing!
Padan Fain’s whistling when the boys first arrive was a nice touch. In fact you can see him in a doorway watching as they enter the inn (I only noticed the latter because of a fortuitous pause lol). You see him once again after that, laughing. Whatever Mordeth did he looks far better for it than poor ol’ Mat.
Odd they cut Gill after mentioning he’s Thom’s friend. Maybe we see him next episode, he has been cast. There were a few times during this ep where it again felt like there should have been a little more that would have made the transition between scenes smoother, but it had to be cut to fit in the 1hr time slot.
I liked that Mat wondered about the little girl, that even though he’s now clearly deep in the dagger’s grip, he still has his good heart. By the way, the extras description for the Grinwells on the official prime page DOES say that it was the fade who killed the family. I am glad to be wrong.
Aram’s comment about accepting that violence is a part of everyone was a bit strange, it felt less like a tinker philosophy and more like a poignant thing to point out to Perrin. Mind you, it always seemed dumb to me that in the books they’re vegetarian since they’re also nomadic. Violence and hunting are separate things, that’s the whole reason Aiel use the spear. I will be surprised if the show tinkers shun those who stray, they seem too forgiving. I did love their defiance to the Whitecloaks, and that we saw pacifism doesn’t mean being *passive*. I really like Ila.
Interesting that Moiraine makes a point of also warning Nynaeve specifically about the sisters they travelled with -- does she suspect Liandrin? Or was it just common sense? Because as she also points out, Nynaeve is now going to be considered a game piece all the AS will want to move.
The scene with Maksim and the other warders was beautiful. I like seeing the warders as a brotherhood and how they rallied around a grieving brother. Melting the ring was a nice touch. Maksim’s grief really resonated with me, and the way his loss affected the others was very well done. Maksim’s later explanation for why he cannot sleep, and Nynaeve’s reply, were spot on.
Jumping from something beautiful, poignant, and sad, to Egwene & and the Whitecloaks made it even more difficult to watch. The added detail of the way they take out her braid and the rough treatment of her hair was a nice touch.
Goldeneyes! I was really ready for the wolves to turn up at this point
I’m going to go ahead and assume that they haven’t just adjusted Valda’s position in the Children but merged him with Asunawa. I don’t think he even particularly thought Egwene was a channeler, considering he left them alone for so long. It just seemed like he had a reasonable excuse for some torture time and took it.
I continue to like Liandrin despite myself, they are doing a very good job of making her relatable. Her trying to be nice to Nynaeve seemed so manufactured I can only credit the actress for her performance. Is there a reason she sent Nyn to the gardens? It’s clearly where she met Loial and was able to reunite with the boys. Is this just Liandrin trying to win trust? Did Padan Fain instruct her? At this point Moiriane still seems totally ignorant that Mat and Rand are in Tar Valon, which seemed a little odd given what she said to Nyn.
Thought it was a bit odd we didn’t SEE Nyn go to the gardens. The skip from her standing in the corridor outside the Hall to reuniting with the boys was jarring. Loial’s roundabout introduction was spot on though.
Oh, also liked that they included the story about Egwene’s breakbone fever and Nynaeve’s certainty that Egwene is still alive. The AS are totally wrong about the cave being the first time Nyn channeled but I liked that this wasn’t made explicit. I also liked that when Mat was surprised to see her, she replied “who else would I be?” After Moiraine’s speech I loved this display of Nynaeve’s strength and pure stubbornness to not let power change her. She is my favourite character at the moment.
Eg stealing the AS rings! Does the girls using these (presumably) to pose as AS later have a different feel to it now we know dead AS rings are melted down as a mark of respect to their passing? We really see Egwene’s beginnings as a leader here. Also, her comment that Perrin might spend his entire life before he accepts Laila was an accident gives me faith they will handle that storyline well, and not just gloss over it.
Liandrin and Moiraine have a past? That would be an interesting twist (Liandrin’s prime description does suggest they were intimate once). It’s starting to seem like Moiriane was a bit of a lady killer in her youth.
Also, the novice dresses are far more stylish than I ever envisioned them.
Forsaken! One of the figurines looked like a squat chewbacca, I’ll bet that was Sammael lol. Did anyone count them?
Ah, so Alanna was planning to offer a bond to Stepin, I’m glad they included this (I wonder if they will merge her character with Myrelle for future plotlines). Discussion of consent now will contrast with what she does later in grief. The way they chatted on the bed was very reminiscent of how they must have been as novices, which I thought was a nice touch. Also loved the “you’ll be around for a long time yet” line. Yikes. Good setup for the Tower split too, though interesting that it’s Liandrin they’re rallying around. The picture in the wall cabinet was interesting, I didn’t know what to make of it though (beyond it being a little heavy on the symbolism).
The Amyrlin travelling back from Caemlyn was an amusing touch. I wonder if that has anything to do with Elayne.
Agh, Stepin slipped Lan the sleeping tea! I wasn’t sure how I felt about his suicide by something like seppaku rather than him trying to take out Logain, though I thought it worked better for the tone fo the episode. What was the symbol on the blade hilt? It felt like the camera focused there, but maybe it was just so we could see he’d killed himself. It reminded me of one of the chapter symbols from the books.
I thought the funeral, and Lan being a conduit for grief no one else could express, was excellent and very moving.
The only negative I had, aside from scenes sometimes feeling a bit choppy again, was the sets. They still felt too much like sets imo (though they were very beautiful). Tar Valon’s background noise just felt like stock sound. The White Tower felt FAR too empty. I know it was a huge place for not many people, but it just felt abandoned. Aside from our main characters, we literally saw two novices wandering about and that’s it. The rooms all felt cavernous and a little empty too. They make a joke about Moiriane’s, but even Stepin’s felt sparse. I would have expected more wallhangings and tapestry at the very least. It looked like it would be cold!
EDIT, oh and I almost forgot, the ending credits music also got me in the feels. It was a sombre version of Mashiara, specifically the bit that speaks about love.
![[Image: thal-banner-scaled.jpg]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/thal-banner-scaled.jpg)