Welcome to our spoiler review of episode three of The Wheel of Time. Please be prepared for me to be very, very excited about Lan and Nynaeve’s interactions.
(These reviews might contain some minor spoilers for the Wheel of Time book series. Please note that the comment section may also contain spoilers for those unfamiliar with the book series.)
Recap
“A Place of Safety” opens with Nynaeve being dragged through the forest by a Trolloc. It stops to kill and eat a wounded compatriot, and Nynaeve escapes. The Trolloc pursues her to the sacred pool, where she kills it with her knife. In the present, Lan tells Nynaeve that the Dark One is coming for her friends, and that Moiraine has fought to protect them. He tries to convince her to help Moiraine. They fight, and he knocks her unconscious.
Rand and Mat climb over mountainous terrain as Rand shouts for Egwene and Perrin. Mat wants to go home, but Rand insists on going to the White Tower.
Perrin and Egwene cross a windy plain as wolves howl. They try to light a fire to keep the wolves at bay, but are unsure if Perrin’s knife struck the spark or if Egwene used the Power. Egwene is sure that Rand will go home, but Perrin insists that he will go to the White Tower to find her.
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Nynaeve wakes up tied to a tree. She decides to help, and gathers herbs to make a poultice for Moiraine’s wounds. It helps a little, but she is worried. Lan rides off, leaving her to look after Moiraine.
Perrin wakes in his own bed during a thunderstorm. A figure with burning eyes watches him from outside the window. He finds a wolf eating Laila’s corpse, which looks up at him and whispers “I know.” The red-eyed figure fills his vision. Egwene wakes Perrin from his nightmare to warn him that the wolves are close and they run. Later, they find some wagon tracks heading east and follow them. Egwene suggests that it’s almost as though the wolves led them to the tracks.
Mat and Rand find a mining encampment. There is a corpse in a gibbet cage. They go to an inn, where they listen to a gleeman sing a sad song about the man who caused the Breaking. The barmaid, Dana (Izuka Hoyle) gives the boys wood to chop in exchange for a place to stay. Rand and Mat have a fight, and Mat is depressed and dour. He goes inside to suck up to Dana, who puts him to work serving drinks.
Perrin and Egwene encounter a group of people who ask them if they know the song. Aram (Daryl McCormack) teaches them the ritualistic response to this question, and they are brought to the camp of the Tuatha’an, or Traveling People.
Dana shows Rand to a backroom where he and Mat can stay. He invites her to stay for a drink. That evening, Mat approaches the corpse in the cage. He’s confronted by the gleeman, Thom Merrilin (Alexandre Willaume), who has come to bury the body. He tells Mat that the man is an Aiel, and they discuss myths about that people. Thom allows Mat to search the body for money, then they bury the man together.
Rand avoids answering Dana’s questions about where he’s come from and where he’s going. She talks of all the places she wants to go see, then tries to kiss him. Then she takes his sword and holds him prisoner while she waits for Mat. Rand manages to break through the impossibly strong door to the room. He and Mat flee through the town, pursued by Dana. She corners them and tells them that she will bring the Dragon to the Dark One, and that she’s called a Fade to come get them. Then Thom kills her with a thrown dagger and Rand and Mat leave with him.
Lan returns to take Nynaeve and Moiraine south. After several hours he wakes Moiraine—they have found other Aes Sedai. Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood) tells Moiraine that they have captured a man calling himself the Dragon Reborn.
Analysis
The visuals in this episode are absolutely stunning. Some scenes are a bit darker than I’d like, but those moments are far outnumbered by the lovely way the characters are lit, such as Nynaeve and Lan’s confrontation by moonlight, or Thom and Mat’s torch-lit conversation about the dead Aiel. We get even more sweeping landscape shots (I’m particularly partial to Lan and his horse on that jutting cliff, silhouetted against the sky). I also really like the use of colors; there are a lot of greys and whites in the landscape, but the forest in which Moiraine, Lan, and Nynaeve travel is filled with brilliant green moss that breaks up the monotonous color pallet and brings a sense of vibrant life—which feels especially poignant while Moiraine’s life is fading and Nynaeve is confronting people that she believes to be her enemies. The sacred pool where Nynaeve kills the Trolloc is also beautifully lit.
I am absolutely in love with everything that happens between Nynaeve and Lan. There is a constant interplay over who has the upper hand, and despite their mistrust for each other, there is a lot of chemistry between the two. I like that it ends on a note of Nynaeve being aware that Lan needs her, and the power that gives her in the situation even if she “knows nothing of this world” as he claims. Even if he is an incredible swordsman who can tie her to a tree. She is just such a tough person, stubborn and capable and unyielding… you can see that Lan is as intrigued by her as Moiraine was in episode one.
There’s a bit of playfulness from Lan here, as well. He’s too busy trying to keep Moiraine alive to spend much time on it, but you can watch the subtle expressions on his face as he tries to puzzle Nynaeve out, and there’s amusement in his voice, as well as admiration, when he remarks that Nynaeve actually tried to kill him. Daniel Henney does a wonderful job keeping Lan’s stoic, reserved demeanor while also giving us a lot to work with. Even Nynaeve seems swayed by the tenderness he shows Moiraine as he bends over her, the gentleness of his touch.
We also learn more about the connection between Aes Sedai and their Warders in this episode. Of course Lan doesn’t flinch even if he does feel the pain of Moiraine’s wound, but now we know he feels it, that he knows Moiraine can’t move at all because he is connected to her, can feel what she feels. His care for her is as intuitive as it is studied, or maybe moreso, and one wonders how it feels to have someone you’re connected to in such a way approach death. And yet he treats Nynaeve with surprising care, never raising his voice or threatening her safety, restraining her without harming her.
Although it’s probably not great for her to be knocked unconscious again so soon. That’s super bad for you.
There was something almost holy about the scene in which Nynaeve gathers flowers and bark to make her medicine. The first camera angle places her in a gentle beam of light, framed like an angel in a painting. The green of her coat makes it look like she is part of the forest, connected to the plants she knows so well. Even the chant-like singing in the soundtrack evokes something religious or sacred, and it’s reminiscent of the music that has accompanied Moiraine’s channeling. Let us not forget, after all, that Moiraine told Egwene that the power the Wisdom’s call “listening to the Wind” is the same as the One Power. If that’s true for Egwene, then it might very well be true for Nynaeve, too.
Speaking of soundtrack moments, they are doing something very western with the character of Thom Merrilin. In comparison to the Manetheren song, Thom’s ballad feels very American folk/country, and he has a lot of soundtrack moments that are western inspired, e.g. his confrontation with Mat starts with him stepping into frame to the classic “shootout at high noon” guitar trill, with his dagger framed just like a gunslinger’s holster would be. He even jingles when he walks, like he’s wearing spurs. Honestly, I’m not sure if I like it. It felt a little cheesy, although it does make sense to think of westerns in an episode about two strangers showing up to a mining town that has a dark secret.
This episode has several really great moments between Perrin and Egwene. I particularly loved how easily Perrin accepts the idea that Egwene can channel, with his cute little joke about if she could channel them some food and water. Perrin’s faith in Rand, and Rand’s dedication to Egwene, is also really touching. Of course, it’s pretty understandable that Egwene believes that Rand would only want to go home—much of their conflict revolves around the fact that Rand wants a home and family, and Egwene has chosen a different future for herself. That assessment of Rand as someone who never wants more than the Two Rivers is at the forefront of her mind.
Mat brings up the same thought when he and Rand are deciding whether or not to go on, and I definitely felt for Mat when Rand said the Two Rivers wouldn’t be home without them. It’s a really meaningful moment for Rand, and marks a turning point in this aspect of his journey. But Mat does have people back in the Two Rivers who make it home, and he’s probably as worried about his sisters’ safety as he is about Egwene and Perrin still being alive. Still, there’s a cruelty in the way he suggests to Rand that Perrin and Egwene are probably dead and that even if they are, Egwene wouldn’t do for Rand what Rand is doing for her. It’s the kind of cruelty that’s hiding personal pain, of course, but I think that it’s relevant to note how surprised Rand is by it. He knows that Mat is under a lot of stress—they both are—so his inability to catch what’s happening either suggests that it’s pretty out of character for Mat to turn to this kind of humorless nastiness in times of stress, or that Rand is so preoccupied with his own worry that he doesn’t have the brain space for anything else. Probably it’s a bit of both. However, I think it’s relevant to note that this episode’s “Previously On” opener reminds us of Natti Cauthon’s prediction that her son will turn out to be a “damned prick” just like his father. What exactly does this foreshadow? I suppose only time will tell.
I actually did not even think of the possibility that Dana might be a Darkfriend. It feels obvious in retrospect, but I give a lot of credit both to the script and to Hoyle’s acting for getting me so completely engrossed in her character. She’s sharp enough to match Mat quip for quip—who am I kidding, she surpassed him by a mile—and also plays an empathetic vulnerability that pairs well with Rand. Her feelings about being trapped in this small, dirty town with no future are revealed slowly over several conversations with both Mat and Rand, and the viewer connects as much with her as the boys do. Not that I held onto that empathy when she turned out to be a Darkfriend—the show has made it clear enough what kind of threat the Dark One is, and we’ve seen Trollocs and Fades, so we have some pretty intense associations around anyone who would, as Thom put it, swear body and soul to the Dark One.
But that empathy and backstory is still useful context. One can imagine Dana won’t be the only Darkfriend Mat, Rand, or the others encounter on their journey, and she is very clear about why she has turned to him. Dana speaks of the turning of the Wheel and the cycle of rebirth very differently from how Tam did back in episode one. For Tam, the chance to live again and maybe do a little bit better was a comfort. For Dana, it seems like a curse on humanity, dooming them to endless lives of suffering. It’s a big claim she makes, that the Aes Sedai want to kill the Dragon while the Dark One wants him to save humanity by breaking the Wheel.
There was one moment between Perrin and Egwene that I didn’t like, however. He has been subtly protective over her both in this episode and the last, and I’ve enjoyed the way those moments project their friendship and also the way they are all each other has left. But when Perrin demands to go on ahead to make sure the owners of the wagons aren’t dangerous and Egwene insists that he doesn’t have to protect her, she tries to tell him that Laila’s death wasn’t his fault. It hadn’t really registered with me that Perrin might be making Egwene’s safety even more of a priority because of his guilt over Laila, and it reminds me why I dislike the narrative choice of her death. To me, it reduces Perrin’s character, his protective and gentle nature, back to that plot point. Now that we’re here, though, I wish he’d just tell Egwene the truth of why he feels so guilty. It would be more interesting to watch the two of them grapple together with that situation, rather than watching him continue to hide it, while she assumes that he is feeling guilt over not being able to protect Laila, rather than over something he accidentally did to her.
Last week, Moiraine told the four that dreams have power, and asked them to tell her if they had any more dreams of the fiery-eyed man. Unfortunately for Perrin, he doesn’t have that option, but he’s not the only one having dreams. Dana also tells Rand and Mat that she has seen “the five of you” in her dreams, so that’s probably something to keep an eye on as well.
Interesting Notes and Easter Eggs:
- “A Place of Safety” is the title of Chapter 8 of The Eye of the World.
- It is significant that we encounter both the Tuatha’an and the Aiel in this episode, although we’ve not learned enough about them yet for new fans to know why.
- Take note of that name, Ishamael, the last man to bring the Dragon to the Dark One.
- Rand tells Dana that this is the first time in his life he’s given much thought to the Wheel before, and that for the first time he doesn’t know what the right thing to do is. It reminds me of Tam’s speech to him, and I wonder if it’s in Rand’s mind, too.
- Daniel Henny looks so pretty with those little tendrils in his face like that.
- Favorite Quote: “It’s not a demand, it’s a threat.”
- Runner up: “They say all roads lead [to the White Tower].” “That’s not how roads work.”
Check back here next Saturday for our review for episode four: “The Dragon Reborn.”
Sylas K Barrett is a writer, actor, and long-time fan of epic journeys, heroes, and magic. You can find other reviews and op-eds here on Tor.com, including his ongoing Reading the Wheel of Time series, in which he reads the novels for the first time and engages in both critical analogy and a fair bit of fanboy glee.
Three episodes in and I don’t love it. I am not giving up because the trailers seem to suggest a good turn. I feel like it would be a great show if I had not spent the last 30 years reading the series and how much of the world and population has lived in my head that long.
From the reaction I can find online I might be in the minority, but did anybody else think that Thom had a horrendous singing voice? I think I literally rocked back in my chair and was like, “What the heck is that? Are we being punked?” I am a guy that appreciates a good raspy, growly voice. I listen to a lot of rock. But to my untrained ear, that was bad.
Haven’t read the novels and don’t plan to; I’m doing a first read of Malazan Book of the Fallen and currently on Book 4.
I’ve seen the first batch of episodes and plan to watch the rest. So far… it seems ok. There are no resonances from the text for me, so it has to stand on its own. I’m loving the choice of landscapes, which look amazing and mostly natural; maybe there are CGI touchups.
Otherwise, the conflict seems pretty generic between Light and Dark. They call the Dark Lord… Dark Lord? The female mages are divided between Red and Blue? And the chosen one is The Dragon? It all seems a bit basic thus far. The Inquisition types are well done bad guys. I hate them already.
Rand and Perrin are increasingly morose. I’m seeing a darker tone than what I had heard previously about the book series.
I liked the darkfriend surprise in the third episode.
@2. I didn’t like Thom at all. He looks like a 1970s singer/songwriter. No flute, no harp, but a guitar? No flowing white mustache, no gleeman’s cloak, no juggling, no stories? And he actually dips Mat’s wallet and then keeps it? Really? The fact that he gave it back later doesn’t make up for taking it in the first place. Very disappointing depiction of one of my favorite characters.
@austin: plus he’s announced as a “gleeman” (I know it’s a historical term)) and the song is one of the most depressing I’ve ever heard. There’s obviously more to the character than we’ve seen so far, but he needs to hang out with Dandelion a bit to cheer up. There’s some doom and gloom being purveyed there.
I think my main problem with the show so far is that I’m not sure quite who it’s aimed at.
I imagine that people who haven’t read WoT will find it a bit of a challenge because the main characters don’t have much personality. Mat is the only one you can really hook onto, even if he has been made into a rather generic ‘type’. Rand is bland. Perrin is strong and silent to the point of being scenery. In that sense, it feels like the show is relying on our existing knowledge of and affection for these people to carry us through.
Yet at the same time, the characters have in some ways changed quite drastically from the books. The terrible ‘fridging’ decision being one example, Mat being another. So that’s likely to rile existing fans as well.
Thus far, as a past WoT reader who hasn’t touched the books for years, I’ve found myself mostly bemused. There have been little touches I loved – seeing the heron mark on Tam’s blade! The way the blood in the water of the sacred pool made half the ancient Aes Sedai symbol! The way they made the braids mean something! These suggest to me that the showrunners do have a genuine love for the books. It just feels like they’ve bitten off more than they can chew.
But the third episode was the best, I thought – mainly for the Rand/Mat storyline, which at least had some momentum behind it – so I intend to keep watching, for now.
I’m going to reserve my judgement on Thom and his singing and characterisation until we see him perform again. His song was way more sombre than I expected from him (and what I remember him being like in the early books) but if he was matching his performance to his audience, and we get another performance of his later on that is lighthearted and playful, I will be happy.
I really enjoyed Dana and this darkfriend storey – I also didn’t see it coming. Great acting.
I wasn’t entirely sold with the wolves chasing Perrin and Egwene – what was that about? Why were they chasing them towards the tinkers? Had we met Elyas already at this point in the book or is that only after the Whitecloak interaction?
Really looking forward to the next episode to see what happens with Moiraine and Liandrin (who is also amazingly cast!) and where the storey with Logain is going. I hope channeling Saidin looks different and we start hearing/seeing about the differences between the two halves of the Power.
@3 Sunspear
Since you aren’t going to read anytime soon, here is a short explanation without book spoilers.
There are 7 Aes Sedai Ajahs (factions), Red and Blue are two of them. The Aes Sedai you saw being burned by the Whitecloaks (Children of the Light) was from a third faction, the Yellow Ajah. All are recognizable by dress colour.
In short the different factions are:
Red (hunt male channelers), Blue (dedicated to causes), Yellow (Healers), Green (aka the battle ajah, they prepare for the Last Battle), Brown (dedicated to knowledge), White (dedicated to Logic) and Grey (dedicated to diplomacy).
Their leader is the Amyrlyn Seat, chosen from one of the above and supposed to leave that connection behind and to be ‘of all Ajahs’ .
There was a lot to like in this episode.
Thom is not what I envisioned, but I can imagine that attempts to recreate his cloak may have looked ridiculous on screen. I also wonder if his persona and dress will change to appeal to the particular community he’s visiting.
Dana was fantastic, and a good entry-level philosophical discussion on what Darkfriends actually believe.
There is a character missing, but maybe, like Thom, he will show up later when the audience is ready for the infodump.
@3 – I don’t believe the rings Eamon Valda collected are limited to red and blue. Just a hint that things are more complex than they appear right now,and there’s some drip-feed of information which might otherwise overload the audience.
There was a lot to like in this episode.
Thom is not what I envisioned, but I can imagine that attempts to recreate his cloak may have looked ridiculous on screen. I also wonder if his persona and dress will change to appeal to the particular community he’s visiting.
Dana was fantastic, and a good entry-level philosophical discussion on what Darkfriends actually believe.
There is a character missing, but maybe, like Thom, he will show up later when the audience is ready for the infodump.
@3 – I don’t believe the rings Eamon Valda collected are limited to red and blue. Just a hint that things are more complex than they appear right now,and there’s some drip-feed of information which might otherwise overload the audience.
@Fiddler and @9: thanks for the clarification. That helps.
I quite like Thom’s honorable outlaw thing, but I cannot imagine what possessed him to stand up and play the world’s most depressing song in that bar. He’s supposed to be a gleeman, maybe some glee would be in order? The mood was all wrong for the crowd.
I liked Dana quite a lot until she turned out to be evil, which was perfect. Good reveal. I am finding Mat very annoying at this juncture, so her strategies with him were highly satisfying. Although I do think he deserves something for putting up with Rand screaming Egwene and Perrin’s names to the mountains. What with the various hostiles in the landscape, maybe don’t be so casual about giving away your position. (Also: Rand’s coat is a distracting amount better than Mat’s, which makes sense for their characters – someone needs to equip Mat better or he is gonna die of hypothermia.)
The trolloc poison head injury that prevents Perrin from introducing Egwene to the goodest doggos darkwolves is still in effect. Too bad there are no tennis balls in this universe.
I like Thom. He looks completely different than I imagined, but I loved that. He is a rockstar. And that should feel out of place in Randland, but for some reason, for me at least, it doesn´t. He is charismatic. I´d like to hear him sing more.
Also, I live in Prague, and some of those places were shot in locations I know. It is strange feeling, watching characters from a book series I´ve been reading and rereading for almost twenty years, walk in places I visited. I´m used to fantasylands being New Zealand, not a few bus-stops and a short walking distance from my home.
Thom Waits Merrilin was a bit disconcerting at first but I think I can live with it. He did have a patchwork gleeman’s cloak, he just was wearing it inside out, he flourishes it at the end of his song.
@14 – Thom Waits Merrillin! Perfect! Lol. That is a voice you can’t say is beautiful, but has a certain hypnotic quality to it.
It’s been ages since I read the books so I wonder why Jordan decided that the Ajah should include brown, white, and grey, rather than purple, orange, or uh… pink (I know we’re running out of rainbow colors here). Does anyone know?
I’m excited to see Nynaeve’s reaction to the Reds. If she thinks Moiraine’s attitude is bad, she’s going to love Liandrin. Ahhhh I’m just so excited to see more of this view of Nynaeve since most of her early scenes were from Rand’s point of view, if I remember correctly.
“Although it’s probably not great for her to be knocked unconscious again so soon. That’s super bad for you.”
As someone who have suffered more than one contusion in his life, I wince every time someone is knocked out in a book/movie/TV series and wakes up ready for action.
@16, My guess (and it is just a guess is it’s about what’s commonly available in terms of dyes given their level of technology.
”You actually tried to kill me” is definitely my favourite moment of the episode. That line alone does more to set up their romance than anything in the books imho. The romantic threads have always been the weakest parts of the books I thought.
In Rand and Mat’s argument, Rand called Mat a prick, which is what caused Mat to go back inside. They used that on the “previously on” to highlight why being called a prick, specifically, wounded Mat more than one might think.
@@.-@ The way I understood that sequence was that some unnamed pickpocket snagged Mat’s purse, and Thom stole it from the other thief, not from Mat. He kept it to hammer home the lesson that Mat needs to sharpen up.
@@.-@ My read of the wallet scene was that the random guy stole Mat’s wallet when he bumped into him, then Thom stole it back by bumping into the random guy. Then Thom told Mat later that he was planning on giving it back to him even before Mat asked.
@@@@@ 22: The cutpurse bumps into Mat and then Thom bumps into him.
I first interpreted that as the cutpurse and Thom being accomplices, but later it becomes clear that Thom had rescued Mat’s purse, particularly because it made no sense pickpocketing him just to gloat about it.
Moderators: Any chance of having a dedicated page for these reviews that we can bookmark, or is that only for re-watches/re-reads?
Re: Thom’s pickpocketing skills
Admittedly as a long-time reader I’m biased, but I thought it was pretty clear that Thom stole it back from the pickpocket and there was no chance Thom was in league with him.
Re. Thom, my displeasure with the character is more around what I’m seeing as an unfortunate trend in the depictions so far: where’s the humor? Thom, Rand, Mat, Perrin are all funny. The banter in the books is missing. The TV series is unremittingly dark. Much more GOT than LOTR and I think that’s a mistake. WOT preceded GOT.
“Still, there’s a cruelty in the way he suggests to Rand that Perrin and Egwene are probably dead and that even if they are, Egwene wouldn’t do for Rand what Rand is doing for her. It’s the kind of cruelty that’s hiding personal pain, of course, but I think that it’s relevant to note how surprised Rand is by it.”
For me, I read the cruelty as start of a cursed item that he has on his person.
My 2 cents.
Jerth
My nonreader wife thought Rand got the power of super strength in the iron wood door scene. Lol.
This felt like the best episode in my opinion, but I’ve seen nonreaders say that it felt boring and a slog. Very interesting.
@27 Same. I was actually looking for a stronger hint that Mat’s behavior was abnormally cruel. Not to come right out and say it’s the dagger, but at least show that *something* strange is going on with him and viewers could potentially draw the right connection.
@13 Now you know how I’ve felt for the last three decades – continually saying to myself “hey, I’ve been there” or “Isn’t that …..” It feels a bit odd to have a fantasy film/tV series that isn’t a/. GoT or b/. Filmed in Aoteoroa (aka New Zealand)
I found myself gradually drawn in to this new series, over the course of the 3 episodes. As a woman, especially as an older, woman I absolutely love the depiction of Moiraine. She looks as old as I expected her to look; unlike so many portrayals of powerful magical women who are all heaving, exposed and unfeasably upright breasts, and over-young over-pretty faces!) Rosamund Pike shows an older, somewhat worn face can have it’s own ingerent grace, dignity and beauty. This version of Moiraine ROCKS!
Liked 2nd and 3rd episodes much more than the 1st (though I think it was because of the changes to our Two Rivers background folks the most in the first episode). Also agree Thom’s introduction shouldn’t have been a sorrowful depressing dirge.
This was one of my favorite episodes, I think. While this version of Thom was a little jarring, I actually quite liked him – I can see the badassery/menace (and competence) that leads him to eventually do something like assassinate a head of state later on.
I really liked the conversation regarding the Aiel and of course the little nod to the hair color.
I actually had a feeling Dana would be a Darkfriend because it seemed like they might be compressing the timeline and so this would be some combination of Four Kings/Mili Skane and their problems on the road to Caemlyn – basically an indication that they are being tracked. That said, I wonder if Whitebridge or the riverboat are going to come into this; Dana did mention that they would need a riverboat to get East. Will Rand have his Power sickness?
I also thought it was interesting that Dana was basically echoing Ishamale’s desires – annihilation. IIRC, that’s not actually what the DO wants. It’s Ishy that wants off the ride.
One last thought . If it’s so important to keep the Dragon’s true identity secret for as long as possible, then why make it so obvious in the 3rd episode? Our Darkfriend barmaid had no problem ecstatically concluding she would be the one to deliver the Dragon to Ishamael. She only had two out of four in front of her at the time. But she had no doubt it was the guy who just burst through an impenetrable locked and barred door like it was made out of cardboard. Slightly more impressive than making a blue stone twinkle, right?
@13, @30, I feel like New Zealand is over-used since LoTR, it was a nice change to see landscapes that are just as gorgeous and vibrant, but still different. I’m in Toronto, so I see familiar places more in superhero stuff like Shazam and The Boys.
@28 I think that Rand may have supplemented his regular strength with some one power; like in the book where he exploded the door to get out … but he could not just do that here otherwise “who is the Dragon Reborn” would have been answered.
@27 Agreed, I think that scene is intended to show how Matt is being taken by the dagger
@12 – not sure we will get Elyas anytime soon – but if you combine the wolves scene in Ep 2 and the wolves shepherding Perrin and Egwene to the Tinkers, you get the sense that Perrin is going to have to figure out that affinity on its own.
As to Thom – the song he sings is about the Dragon (Lews Therin) so it would certainly be dark. As to his voice, yeah, not as silky as I expected but it fits with Thom’s decline from Court Bard to Gleeman. And his cloak is patched, just on the inside. He is certainly different in looks than the book, but I like it so far.
Sorry to all non-book readers for the spoilers, but what can you do?
I do think it was an excellent decision by Amazon to drop the first three episodes at one time. After the first episode, I was bored and disappointed with an adaptation that strayed too far from the book. However, episodes 2 and 3 went a long way to finding what I hope will be the future direction of the series, and also in being more true to the source material. I’m realistic – what works in book format doesn’t always work on screen, and I certainly realize that changes are inevitable. The good news is that after three episodes I see a series that is changing some specific items and scenes, but staying fairly true to the overall storyline.
I also need to say something that’s like to be unpopular about the “fridging” of Perrin’s wife, and comments from others about it being lazy storytelling. I totally disagree – in a screen adaptation of books that have hundreds (and later thousands) of pages there are going to be times when long pages building motivations and reasons for characters actions need to be replaced with clearcut and short plot development. In this case, these events have in only a couple minutes of screen time gotten us to some important places where Perrin winds up in the books – conflicted about violence and using weapons, and overprotective of his future wife. Is it perfect writing or an ideal storyline? Absolutely not. is it better than a lot of other alternatives for something not integral to the main story? Definitely.
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Long time lurker here. I love SO many things about the show. Gotta agree with everyone that Perrin’s wife insert and instant fridging was a horrible writing choice though.
The scenery and cinematography is stunning. I had chills at so many moments.
Also while the previous song about Manetheren was beautiful, Thom’s song didn’t work for me. I’ll hold judgement on the actor’s otherwise amazing portrayal of the character til we hear more from him. Tbh though my thoughts were along the lines of “What is this bullfrog voiced nonsense”!
I hope for better down the line singing-wise from a Bard, but I do love the acting chops of Thom.
I was looking forward to Sylas’ take on Dana teasing Rand about his boyfriend Mat. A welcome change from the more hidebound gender structures.
Watching the show with the wife who hasn’t read the books. She seems to be getting more interested after episode 3, so good choice that they dropped three right off the bat. She did say the episodes are too slow in the first half, which is true enough, but when I told her we are already close to half of the first book, she was surprised.
Overall, love the landscapes and my two favorite characters – Lan and Nynaeve have great chemistry.
@39 – I found that a little clunky/forced, actually, because I am not a fan of the trope that any men travelling together/showing a modicum of closeness must be romantically/sexually involved. I actually don’t love it in opposite gender relationships either! Mat and Rand just struck me as two travelling friends; I didn’t see their chemistry quite that way.
I get what they were going for – a way to telegraph that gay people exist here and it’s not seen as a big deal. I think a smoother way to do it might have just have been for her to nonchalantly ask if they wanted a couples room or not, or to just point out that it was suitable for couples if that’s your jam, without the wink wink nudge nudge assumption that obviously they are a couple.
One other thing I meant to mention there – the other reason it felt awkward to me was that she had just had a conversation with Mat where he was talking about how he had reasons to go back and Rand did not, so unless she took that for some kind of lovers’ quarrel, it just seemed like an odd jump to make.
But more to the point, later on she talks about how she shouldn’t have braided her hair like Egwene’s so it’s clear she KNOWS some of their history from the dreams, which makes her comment make even less sense in retrospect. Unless this is another change the story is making. Or maybe, story wise, it was meant to be a really clumsy flirting attempt?
@41 I would say less “clumsy flirting attempt” and more “manipulative tactic to steer the conversation”. Her A plan was to seduce Rand; overt imprisonment was plan B.
@42 – oh right – when I say ‘flirting’, I meant with the obvious aim of ultimately turning him in to Ishy.
I haven’t read the WOT books but I do read epic fantasy and I like the show so far. The scenery alone is wonderful.
Thanks to Fiddler for the info on the Aes Sedai factions.
As for telegraphing who is the Dragon; it looks to me like it has to be Rand. And Mat has gathered more than just the evil dagger. What was that purple crystal and the little animal figure he took off the dead man. It seems like he is ripe for being turned to “the dark side”.
I didn’t get the wolf licking at Perrin’s wound. At first, I thought they led the Trollocs to the group but now they led them to safety maybe? If it’s poison to Moraine it seems like Perrin should be much sicker than he is.
We like the show quite a bit in our house
But where did the healing vials come from? How was Nynaeve suddenly wearing a coat?
The other two in my house have read none of the books, but they knew from moment one who the dragon was.
Anyway, my suggestion that will be ignored…. Enjoy the show for what it is, rather than comparing it to the books. If you can, you’ll be happier.
It’s a minor thing, but it annoys me to no end that Rand’s bow is sitting in his quiver *strung* in every single scene of this episode. It shouldn’t be that hard to hire an armorer that knows how bows work to work on a fantasy series.
Another Easter Egg? — Mat going through the dead Aiel’s things and found a Stone Dog figurine?
Where did this sacred pool come from?? Aiel have pockets?
I too am frustrated by the fridging, how they did the Cauthon family dirty, and turning WOT into something grimdark. But it’s beautiful, with good acting, and hopefully it will find its stride (I’m looking at you, scriptwriters).
@44 – Welcome! I would be very careful however, as our Wheel of Time comments sections are full of spoilers for the books, and likely the show. You’re probably better off just reading the article and not commenting, or commenting but not reading comments.
@45 – I assume Nynaeve went back to her house after she killed the trolloc, before she hit the road. No reason not to. Good advice about enjoying the show for what it is though. I can already tell, the show characters are not replacing my mental pictures/constructs that have lived there for 20 years.
I can see the dagger starting to affect Matt, but I don’t think they did enough with him being his teasing, scoundrel self before making him sullen. It just makes him seem like a jerk from start to now. I’m super pleased with the casting and settings and just getting the story out there as close to source as it is but DAMN hate the Perrin backstory. And Perrin, close your damn mouth, you’re gonna catch some flies in there if you keep mouthbreathing!
The fridging was tough to handle… but I don’t mind Mat’s characterization. Think about how much needs to be packed in here. There aren’t going to be 14 seasons of this show, and even if there were, 8 episodes couldn’t cover everything from each book. What do we know about Mat that will be important to his character later on? Aside from his sense of humor, he’s the “follow you to the ends of the earth, grumbling all the way type”. He loves his family even if he hates the normalcy of their life.
So the show establishes that while he’s a bit of a gambler, and a rake, and is willing to steal to fund those pursuits, he also loves his sisters dearly and will go to any lengths to protect them. I think it’s important for his character that we get that his parents aren’t capable of raising their daughters, because it gives him more impetus to go home and gives his character more internal conflict. His sisters need him.
Perrin has been done very poorly by. I get the point of him not wanting to use violence, because in his rage and killed his wife, but… well, everyone seems to agree what a shitty shortcut it was, so I won’t pile on. Also, he doesn’t seem methodical and quiet, he seems oafish. He stands there with his mouth hanging open and it doesn’t come off as if he’s brooding or thinking things through, but rather that he doesn’t have a single thought in his head.
Aside from that I think the show is doing a damn excellent job adapting a very tough source material. And now that they have a third season, it may give Rafe Judkins the breathing room to explore characterization and plotting at a better pace, rather than driving an exciting story forward to keep eyeballs on the screen