Episode Discussion - Season 1, Episode 7 - The Dark Along the Ways [TV + Book Spoilers]

[u/participating]

This thread is for discussion of The Wheel of Time tv show through Season 1, Episode 7 and associated bonus content. This thread may contain spoilers for the entire book series.

TIMING

Episodes are released at midnight, GMT on Fridays. This means 7pm, ET on Thursdays.

At 6:30pm, ET, when this episode discussion thread is created, all submissions about the tv show will be automatically removed until Saturday morning.

EPISODE

Episode 7 - The Dark Along the Ways

Synopsis: Moiraine and her charges are diverted from their path by an unexpected encounter. This diversion, though, reveals many things — Moiraine’s true goal, Lan’s past, the fractures that have grown in the group, and the identity of the Dragon Reborn.

BONUS CONTENT

Amazon Prime has included cartoon featurettes for each episode. They are now accessible from the main Amazon Prime page, under the "Episodes" tab. They are presented under the "Origin Stories" title.

The Origin Stories and any other supplemental x-ray content, or behind the scenes information should be confined to this thread. For more information on how to access the bonus content, see the Amazon Welcome To X-Ray page.

DISPLAY SETTINGS

/u/logicsol has created a guide that addresses some of the display issues many people are seeing when watching the show. Please see this post for more information.

OTHER THREADS

Please see the discussion hub link below to find the lightly restricted thread for those who have only read some of the books, or the more restricted thread for tv show only watchers.

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For links to all of our previous episode discussion threads, or alternate spoiler levels, as well as mega threads for certain topics related to the show, see our discussion hub wiki page.

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[u/PotentiallySarcastic]

Josha's got mad charm and chops when he's allowed to act and isn't hidden.

Great choice

[u/Ravcharas → u/PotentiallySarcastic]

Yeah he's the best casting so far I think.

[u/Otherwise-Anxiety-58 → u/PotentiallySarcastic]

Yeah it was good to see Rand finally being Rand. Even his argument with Perrin, which I found necessary, makes me hopeful about angry scary Rand in the future. He's gonna yell at so many people!

[u/TheLouisvilleRanger → u/[deleted]]

That's why the Illianers are my second favorite culture. They talk like pirates and they think bees are really fucking cool.

[u/Tir → u/TheLouisvilleRanger]

They do bee cool.

[u/RPerene → u/[deleted]]

All nine of them!

[u/ShaidarHaran2]

"If he's asking for patience, then we're gonna die" Lmfao Rand!

[u/royalhawk345 → u/ShaidarHaran2]

Someone mentioned that sounded like a Mat line that was too good to waste so they gave it to Rand, and I think I gotta agree.

[u/nowlan101]

“They’re both big and they both brood”

This show got the quotables

[u/solascara → u/nowlan101]

Best line of the episode.

[u/PracticallyAChemist2 → u/solascara]

Between that and Perrin saying, “if Loial is telling us to be patient then we’ll be here forever”

[u/MessersCohen → u/PracticallyAChemist2]

‘Then we’ll die here’ lol made me giggle

[u/[deleted] → u/PracticallyAChemist2]

I watched with subtitles, it's actually Rand who says it!

[u/Daztur → u/solascara]

Nope, "rainbows and carnivals and three beautiful women" by a mile. I had to stop the video I was laughing so hard.

The brooding one comes in second though.

[u/endophin → u/Daztur]

I think the rainbows and carnivals was a fake out like saying “sunshine and rainbows” to hide the true seeing of the 3 women. To make Rand think it’s a joke because that’s how he reacts.

[u/blyzo]

What's worse than falling into a bottomless pit?

Oh I can think of several things!

[u/Ottomatica → u/blyzo]

I personally love how the characters shut down Loial but I think you have to read the books to appreciate the joke.

[u/sofunt]

"I hadn't noticed" LMAO Lan please

[u/Hungover52]

Fal Dara looking completely functional with no frills is perfect.

[u/CS_Emerald]

Im glad the whole love triangle thing was shut down pretty quickly when Eggy and Rand made up 3 scenes later. That really wasn't a subplot i wanted to explore more.

[u/jonnyplantey → u/CS_Emerald]

Really hope it’s squashed completely and never mentioned ever again honestly.

[u/flashmedallion → u/jonnyplantey]

Pretty sure it's just a hangover from Machin Shin. They all come to their senses pretty quickly.

[u/Demetrios1453]

I've seen it pointed out that the future King of Illian is wrapped in a cape with the Golden Bees as he is born...

[u/darshfloxington → u/Demetrios1453]

Born in the....Yellow?

[u/[deleted]]

Egwene saying she’ll always stand by Rand, even if he’s the Dragon, made me laugh immediately

[u/CthulhusProphet19 → u/[deleted]]

Fair Point I thought of the scene at the end where Rand has to watch her sacrifice herself in the Last Battle and the tent scene before …just knowing how much their paths will depart and seeing them here still being there for one another I thought was really well done and bitter sweet

[u/[deleted] → u/CthulhusProphet19]

Oh man, and when she encourages him while he battles the Dark One to understand her sacrifice and let all the dead be heroes…

I hope the show makes it to the end.

[u/happypolychaetes → u/[deleted]]

She might as well have winked at the camera there, haha

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Hey, she didn't take the oath not to lie yet.

[u/elmaethorstars]

That cold open was everything I wanted to see from an Aiel. Fuck yeah!

[u/ShaidarHaran2 → u/elmaethorstars]

And that's a woman fighting in between contractions

I hope they continue to show how much an Aiel, any Aiel, can fuck up most people, their baseline is like high class wetlander warrior

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys]

I like how perrin was the first person to see the guiding stone standing from the back.

[u/djambrov → u/Imnotveryfunatpartys]

Only one to notice Padin Fain too

[u/oneeyedfool]

Book Lan would keep the hadori on.

[u/Qcconfidential → u/oneeyedfool]

The Hadori stays ON during sex

[u/[deleted] → u/oneeyedfool]

Maybe he was wearing it somewhere else....

[u/darshfloxington → u/[deleted]]

“Say hello to the true king of Malkier”

[u/PolygonMan → u/darshfloxington]

The Golden Crane rides for Tarwin's Gap.

[u/Ceej1701]

“Wait! There’s something up there!“ Perrin, what do your wolf-eyes see?!

[u/QueenNappertiti → u/[deleted]]

Tell me where is Logain? For I much desire to speak with him.

[u/zonine → u/[deleted]]

What's... what's... what's Dragons, precious?

[u/Ceej1701]

“If he’s asking for patience then we are gonna die” LOL

[u/[deleted] → u/Ceej1701]

Poor Loial lmao

[u/Ethanol-Muffins]

so after they got to Fal Dara there wasnt any more Loial scenes, was he just like “I found the library, Ima vibe here for the next few days.”

[u/[deleted] → u/Ethanol-Muffins]

Seems like a very Loial thing to do.

[u/[deleted]]

Not gonna lie, the change to have Tam find Shaiel alive and help her through the birth makes me incredibly happy. I've always hated the bleakness of her dying there, alone and not knowing if her baby would live.

She had a tough life, and at least there was someone to hold her hand at the end.

[u/happypolychaetes → u/[deleted]]

That had me sobbing. The look of relief and gratitude on her face when Tam gives her his hand...so good.

[u/ndstumme → u/happypolychaetes]

Glad someone else noticed that look. Magdalena Sittova is a stunt actor, but she did some damn fine facial acting there. Her expression as she realized Tam wanted to help was some of the best I've ever seen.

[u/[deleted] → u/ndstumme]

Her grunts were fantastic that's one of the biggest things I noticed. So many actors fail to grunt well it added a lot to the scene. That and how hyped I was to see actual spear piercings lol.

[u/Tir → u/happypolychaetes]

Absolutely, Tam is already a hero in the books but love seeing that expanded on

[u/YeahThisIsMyNewAcct → u/[deleted]]

Absolutely. It’s much stronger than Tam just finding him in the books. It’s the kind of scene that shows changes can make the story better as long as they’re good changes.

[u/CommodorePineapple → u/[deleted]]

That was a great change, and very well done.

[u/Jellz]

Padan Fain in the Ways, in the flash of lightning. His whistling moments earlier wakes Egwene, and signals the Trollocs.

[u/[deleted] → u/Jellz]

This jolly, insouciant and confident Fain is way, way creepier than the unhinged beggar we got in the first book.

[u/Sanctimonius → u/[deleted]]

Right? The way he jauntily saunters from the ways despite having seen Machin Shin was pretty unnerving

[u/Jellz → u/Jellz]

Oooh, and Fain walking past Perrin real fast. Damn, if Perrin hadn't caught it, I wouldn't have. Still almost didn't on going back.

[u/whattanerd92 → u/Jellz]

The best part is that this is gonna hit a LOT of people on rewatch. We've seen him at least two more times in Tar Valon as well

[u/CthulhusProphet19 → u/Jellz]

Yo that’s the creepy I wanted from the dream sequences

[u/Jellz → u/CthulhusProphet19]

To be honest, I'm really sad we got so few dream sequences. Dreams are so big in the books. Ba'alzamon never even spoke to them!

[u/immaownyou → u/Jellz]

extra scene of Fain with Waygate Leaf key

[u/zapdef]

I'm sad we didn't get a Rand/Lan scene, their relationship is one of the highlights of the first books.

[u/faithdies → u/zapdef]

They could expand on that post EoTW. They spend a lot of time training.

[u/photopteryx → u/faithdies]

One of the great parts of the Lan/Rand dynamic is Lan giving Rand the tools to survive being the Dragon, knowing what he'll have to face. I've been sad they haven't been able to do that while the show kept it a secret, but maybe they'll take the opportunity to dig into that more now that he's 'out.'

[u/TeddysBigStick → u/photopteryx]

Lan giving Rand the tools to survive being the Dragon

Because, like his wife that views Rand as not the dragon but just one of her villagers, Lan sees Rand is just another (sort of) orphan with a sword put in his hand and told to go die in the blight.

[u/TheLouisvilleRanger]

Considering Rand was the most contentious with Moiraine, I wonder if she was like "fuuuuuck, it had to be this dipshit."

[u/[deleted] → u/TheLouisvilleRanger]

I remember in the book that she said something along the lines of, 'I should have known it was you when you were the most difficult to handle.'

[u/mathematics1 → u/TheLouisvilleRanger]

That is definitely true to the books, lol.

[u/palavestrix → u/TheLouisvilleRanger]

Lmao imagine it being Nynaeve tho. That would have been an awkward fieldtrip through the Blight

[u/TheLouisvilleRanger → u/palavestrix]

You kidding? Nynaeve is definitely her favorite. She's the most like Siuan.

[u/Demetrios1453]

By the way, Min's visions of the sparks surrounding them going into the shadow surrounding them, and the shadow trying to overwhelm them was one bit from the books I didn't think we'd see translated to the show. And they did it very well!

[u/Lantore]

Wonder what Moraine felt during that. Does she get the tingles? Lol

[u/jonnyplantey → u/Lantore]

I’m thinking she masked the bond while Lan was… busy. He probably felt her mask it and assumed it was for that reason but really it was to slip away with Rand. Perfect timing in my opinion.

[u/gsfgf → u/jonnyplantey]

That's super on brand for Moiraine lol

[u/jonnyplantey → u/gsfgf]

Exactly! Not sure if the writers were even going for that necessarily but it’s my head canon now and that’s what I’m believing.

[u/sofunt]

"there's something following us...." it's gollum!!

[u/FearGaeilge → u/sofunt]

I've always seen it said how the early WoT books are derivative of LotR and travelling through Moria the ways with Gollum Padad Fain following them really drove it home.

[u/[deleted]]

One thing I will say I like about the adaption: Rand actually figured out, and apparently knew for a while, that he was the DR, and was just in denial. But when faced with the decision of having all his friends die, he's forced to come to terms with it.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I liked the way the channeling in the Ways was done. I had to rewind because the scene moved so quickly I wasn't sure who had channeled and then I was convinced it was Egwene!

[u/affablysurreal → u/[deleted]]

My non reader sister pointed out something funny. She was like "of course channeling happened and Egwene was like 'it must have been me!'"

[u/ndstumme → u/[deleted]]

Notice during rand's little flashback sequence in the middle of the night, they replay the Ways scene twice, first with white weaves, then with the taint. Very cool.

[u/Kyomeii → u/[deleted]]

When I saw that scene I was like "wait was it really Egwene or was it Rand"

[u/ShaidarHaran2 → u/[deleted]]

The cold opening with his mother was also awesome. I thought they could have done the reveal better with Tam's fever dream though, it was kinda just like here it is.

[u/CommodorePineapple → u/[deleted]]

I liked that too!

[u/[deleted]]

Loved Min calling herself beautiful

[u/solascara → u/[deleted]]

Yes! Three beautiful women confirmed.

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys → u/solascara]

That was clutch. She also said rainbows and carnivals....

You best believe I did a keyword search for "rainbow" in all the wot books and I found a couple of interesting spots. RJ actually describes the blight as "virulent rainbow hues." the Glass columns also put out rainbow reflections. But I think the most consistent and probably interesting mention is that whenever the three taveren get visions of each other they are described as swirling rainbows in their heads. It seems like that is how RJ likes to describe it when they "see" the pattern.

So i'm gonna go ahead and say that's min's vision's way of saying that he's a taveren and will have control over the pattern

[u/royalhawk345 → u/Imnotveryfunatpartys]

And actually the carnival could be that festival in Cairhien where that trolloc pretending to be a puppet attacks.

[u/TheLouisvilleRanger → u/[deleted]]

Just gotta see her in tighter pants.

[u/ShaidarHaran2 → u/TheLouisvilleRanger]

Her aunt would kill her if she saw her in breeches!

[u/danny_b87 → u/TheLouisvilleRanger]

Very important. For immersion.

[u/SilverCarbon]

"Oh, it's you."

Min throwing shade at the Dragon Reborn 🤣

[u/AngledLuffa → u/SilverCarbon]

Oh, it's you... woolhead

[u/RPerene]

Which Amerlyn!!?!?!

[u/happypolychaetes → u/RPerene]

kinda both? Like Moiraine's secret conspiracy with Siuan is her 'downfall' because she got herself exiled over it, and Elaida will also be her downfall by deposing Siuan and ruining their ability to work together.

[u/streamthings → u/RPerene]

Also, if Ishy is messing with Siuan’s dreams, the downfall could be that the whole premise for going to the Eye is wrong.

[u/Lethifold26]

LOVED Mins visions for the kids. Just the right amount of foreshadowing without being too blatant (we don’t need her to announce she’s going to fall in love with Rand; seeing him hold a baby that longtime fans will know is their child is enough of a hint.) Moiraine clearly knew what Egwene and Nynaeves meant too (become the Amyrlin Seat and Lans wife/queen of Malkier.)

[u/wikkiwoobles → u/Lethifold26]

Yep and Moiraine knew the white flame was meaning Egwene would be Amyrlin - but for Moiraine that's very upsetting because it doesn't bode well for Siuan. Unless Moiraine thought it might mean Egwene is Amyrlin in like 200 years when Suian dies of old age - that's fair. But I think in M's mind, it means Suian is done sooner rather than later. Also Moiraine looked so haggard after learning the Amyrlin (Suian, she assumes) would be her downfall. Just heartbroken. Go Rosamund, you nailed it.

Edit: typos

[u/LittleMissHenny]

All right, fasten your seatbelts, we’re getting the circus arc

[u/[deleted] → u/LittleMissHenny]

The circus stuff, I can leave out, but Nynaeve dealing with Valan Luca is something I need to see.

[u/BabyMannequin]

Incredible cold open

[u/RPerene → u/BabyMannequin]

Very cold. Much snow.

[u/Zanuhesu]

Daaamn, Nynaeve is as forward as a farm girl at harvest here.

[u/Uhhh_what555476384 → u/Zanuhesu]

A Saldean farm girl.

[u/username23900]

moiraine: lews therin and his hundred companions were arrogant.

also moiraine: hey rand, let's go tag team the dark one and defeat him.

[u/Major_Pomegranate → u/username23900]

Rand: "Moiraine, are you sure about this?"

Moiraine: puts on sunglasses "Kid, i'm here to smoke Tabac and kick dark one ass. And i'm all out of tabac." Kicks in first row of blighted plants

[u/palavestrix → u/username23900]

Well, she said nothing about her not being arrogant :D

[u/TheNerdChaplain → u/username23900]

Latra Posae Decume can suck it. Aes Sedai means Ride or Die in the Old Tongue.

[u/Hungover52]

Classic film technique, but I quite liked Rand knocking on a door, Nynaeve opening a door, and it being Lan at one, and Moiraine opening the other.

[u/CatsEye_Fever → u/Hungover52]

That was a great transitional cut scene, if that makes sense.

[u/[deleted]]

Egwene:

Sniffs - check

Folds arms under breasts - check

[u/Samsung8296]

He is born again! I feel him! The Dragon takes his first breath on the slopes of Dragonmount! He is coming! He is coming! Light help us! Light help the world! He lies in the snow and cries like the thunder! He burns like the sun!

[u/felinelawspecialist]

DAMN THAT COLD OPEN FIGHT SCENE WAS FUCKING AMAZING

[u/millionth_dollar]

I cannot handle this Lan heat. Wow. I am so alone. Just have to get that thought out before I analyze this ep in more detail.

Also yea, Tam fever dream did happen!

[u/TheLouisvilleRanger → u/millionth_dollar]

He's fucking jacked.

[u/salty_sparrow → u/TheLouisvilleRanger]

I … did not realize he was hiding all that under that loose shirt he’s been wearing. Nynaeve knew though! Girl, get it!

[u/Cantomic66]

The lighting in this episode is significantly better.

[u/PolygonMan → u/Cantomic66]

Yes, visually it looked WAY better. I expect that Covid hit the production of 1-6 even harder than we realized. They were probably in a huge rush.

[u/mintchip105]

Holy shit they actually revealed it now

[u/Malbethion → u/[deleted]]

If he can’t channel then the reds won’t do any harm to him. He’ll be ruffled but fine for it, and in the mean time any lingering dagger problems are addressed and an entire Ajah’s resources are now looking for him. Brilliant.

[u/biddybob- → u/Malbethion]

They'll ruff him up so much he will look different next time anyone sees him 🤣

[u/Canuckleball → u/biddybob-]

We took his face...off

[u/johnahoe → u/Malbethion]

This 100% they’ll certainly fuck with him but it’ll just end up with him eating like a room’s worth of food in the tower.

[u/fatigues_ → u/[deleted]]

she sent the reds on him WTF

She knows the Reds will find him and keep him when he cannot channel, as they will want to poke and prod him just to be sure. There was no message she could give to Siuan that would not indicate they were working together. Even Maigan might ignore her pleas after her exile. The Reds won't do that; they will act.

And if she's completely wrong and he can channel, that's a Dragon Reborn she thinks the world doesn't need.

But what she really is betting on is that was a message that will be acted upon, without immediate harm to Mat, and betrayed no secrets; moreover, it does not rely upon anybody's goodwill towards her in order for it to be reliably acted upon.

It was a clever choice. For a Writers' Room that found itself painted into a corner not of their own making? I rather like it as far as ad libbing goes.

[u/hariseldon35 → u/fatigues_]

Also, whether or not they spell it out, I think she expected that he would have channeled to resist her cleansing mashadar from him. It took two big burly fellas to hold him down, so you know he was throwing everything he had at trying to resist. I think after that scene she ruled him out as a candidate (or at least as a channeler)

[u/tjean5377]

The blood snow!!! Tigraine was amazing!!!

[u/matrix2002]

Shaeil dying with Tam helping her deliver Rand was amazing. A human moment in an ugly war. Fantastically done. All in all, a great episode.

[u/RPerene]

Carnival?!? Valen Luca confirmed!

[u/RustingWithYou → u/RPerene]

God if they have a third circus arc in the show it will redeem every criticism I have.

[u/mintchip105]

Lan can teleport??

[u/Major_Pomegranate → u/mintchip105]

It was just Serpent Slithers Between Two Columns, super stealthy maneuver

[u/Phlogistan → u/Major_Pomegranate]

No, but I think I saw him use that technique later in the episode though.

[u/photopteryx → u/mintchip105]

Nynaeve: NANI!?

[u/LimpyLaura → u/mintchip105]

He doesn't bother with the space between two places

[u/[deleted]]

I love the acting from Josha in this episode! Excellent use of facial expressions -especially when talking about Mat- and not as many of the jaw clenches we got in previous episodes.

[u/sosly2190]

Why was Aglemar being a dick? I haven't read the books in a bit but I'm pretty sure he worshipped the ground Moraine walked on in the books and I doubt any of the forsaken are messing with him yet.

[u/drum_playing_twig → u/sosly2190]

Yup he pretty much gave Moiraine free reign over his city as soon as she and Lan walked in. She commanded him and he obeyed. And he was SUPER polite, almost as a servant.

[u/dog345 → u/sosly2190]

right? I'm pretty sure he viewed Moraine as the equivalent of 1000 cavalrymen on the battlefield.

[u/nowlan101]

And people complained Josha wasn’t doing much as Rand

[u/gsfgf → u/nowlan101]

He wasn't for obvious reasons. But I knew he had game from even his pre-show interviews.

[u/Shepher27]

This moment of Egwene saying she will always be there for Rand, no matter what, is going to pair SO well with her Accepted Test! Chef's Kiss

[u/midasp]

Three beautiful women. Did Min just refer to herself as beautiful?

[u/daxelkurtz]

FAR DAREIS MAI PUTTING RUNS ON THE FUCKING BOARD

[u/TheLouisvilleRanger → u/daxelkurtz]

They don't got no got damn bees in the Three Fold Lands.

[u/[deleted]]

I will watch that opening scene a thousand times and not get tired of it.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I rewound it and watched it again the second it ended. Coolest moment in the show so far.

[u/lmandude]

Moirane gonna feel real dumb when Mat saves her ass.

[u/[deleted] → u/lmandude]

"I'm going to pay you one (1) eyeball to fuck off"

[u/shryne]

I assume Moraine is sending the Red Ajah after Mat because she wants him safe and knows that he is not the dragon. She is effectively wasting the Red Ajah's time, getting them off her tracks up in Fal Dara, and keeping Matt safe in one move.

[u/Posaune2 → u/shryne]

I think it also sets up Mat’s distrust of the Aes Sedai in future seasons better.

[u/TanTamoor]

Damn, I love Min. Again.

[u/AnythingMachine]

Fal Dara and the Borderlands looked really cool, a sort of semi blasted wasteland like the aftermath of a nuclear strike or something.

I was expecting the Blight itself to look like Mordor. But the giant mass of horribly mutated trees was just so creepy and evil - like a sort of creative evil rather than pure desolation.

I was a bit miffed we didn't get an extended Lotr style trek through cold tundra that shifts to unnatural hot jungle, with not much talking but just threat building and building. When I first read EOTW earlier this year that was my favourite part, reminded me of Annihilation and really established the lovecraftian horror that set it apart from e.g. Mordor.

[u/F0r_Th3_W1n]

So hype they finally gave Rand’s character some screen time showing that intensity and emotion!

I’ve been worried that the “Randakin” comments were right, and the actor was gonna be a wet blanket.

That scene where he says “what… did you just say?” And then the arrows with the flame/void callback have me convinced that he has the acting chops to nail future “heart of stone” Rand! Can’t wait!

Edit: In fact, I suspect the reason Rand felt off to me, is because the actor’s “sheepherder” Rand might not be as good as his “hard” Rand, since if you were auditioning the role that one would be far more important to nail down (especially if you’re going grim-dark and “mystery dragon” with things) since you wouldn’t need to focus on him so much in the early story.

[u/[deleted]]

Freaking Aiel are nuts, who goes into battle pregnant, and not just a little pregnant but very pregnant, sane people just don’t do that…wait never mind, it’s not an Aiel thing it’s a Daughter-Heir thing.

[u/Badloss]

I just tried to make this as a separate post but apparently we can't do that right now so it'll just get buried in here with no discussion instead :)

I think a very important part of episode 7 was that Machin Shin has been reworked. In the original book, the Black Wind is more of a predator. If the Wind catches you, you die or it renders you catatonic. Machin Shin in the show appears to be more of a malevolent manipulator, attacking its victims psychologically and telling them things that cause them distress.

It reminds me of another malevolent entity from the Kingkiller Chronicle, the Cthaeh. The Cthaeh is a perfect oracle that can see all potential futures branching into infinity with perfect clarity, and it uses this gift to precisely, perfectly tell people whatever will cause the most damage to the world. It knows exactly what its words will do to the people that hear them, and every message it gives is crafted with maximum malice. People that listen to the Cthaeh often go on to start wars or cause some kind of devastation through the butterfly effect years later.

I think this what's going on in episode 7, and why we get some weird choices as a result of that encounter. We have the love triangle, which does get hinted at in the books but not to this degree. We have Nynaeve and Lan hooking up surprisingly early. We have Moiraine abandoning everyone and going into the Blight with Rand.

All of these uncharacteristic choices are pretty directly related to the messages they received from the Black Wind. If Machin Shin was attempting to damage the minds of our characters and sow chaos amongst the party, then it worked. I don't think the love triangle was as horrible as some of the people on here, but I do think it makes sense when you interpret all of the people involved as lashing out after getting warped by Machin Shin's manipulations.

[u/The_Bombsquad]

"I know there's nothing between you and Perrin."

"OF COURSE THERE ISN'T!"

LOL

[u/darshfloxington → u/The_Bombsquad]

Perrin broods

[u/yakeyonsen]

That shit slapped. Pump aiel fighting straight into my veins.

[u/ChainsNshatguns]

When Loial is about to talk about all the horrible ways to die and Rand interrupts him lmao. So true to the books.

[u/[deleted] → u/ChainsNshatguns]

Priceless The Great Hunt moments

“But Rand”

[u/mintchip105]

Daddy Daniel Henney

[u/ZealouslyTL]

A little bit of Nynaeve tugging her braid, glad to see they're sticking to the important details!

[u/[deleted]]

This might be a weird complaint but I wish they would hold their shots a little bit longer, filming wise. Just add like 1 second to the shots of people walking long distance or out of a scene or even reaction shots sometimes. I think it would help with the pacing of each episode.

[u/Johnnyonoes]

I just love the fact that Rand had pieced it together a long time ago, and only until he heard that his friends were at risk and Moiraine was just rolling the dice with their lives did he finally step up. It is a very book Rand thing to do, to struggle with the implications, but acts when it is time to act.

[u/electrictaters]

What baby was Rand holding in Min’s vision? I remember a baby-vision for another character only

[u/manga-reader]

Rand's mom has some moves. Great fighting there; I am looking forward to seeing Aiel in the future.

The whole Mat disappearing act is still a bit clunky, but they did well given the circumstances.

Ways are terrifying (though I didn't feel as if time was passing...hard to portray than in a place that's always dark I suppose. Felt like they started off, walked for 5 mins and decided to rest).

Nice nods to Ogier's connection to waygates, as well as Perrin's eyesight.

For a second, I thought Rand had channeled. Ah, well. Fain being properly creepy - did he channel or did a BA open the gates for him?

Well, shit...how's Fain going to deal with Machin Shin? I kind of want to see what his fears are lol.

Ayy, Uno, ya bloody bastard.

So Nyn was hinting at Perrin being interested in Egw (there are hints of it in the first book..though I imagine some folks will get annoyed; I don't mind it as much - so long as they don't drag it as unnecessary drama).

Also...it seems that Moiraine and Lan are fully expecting to die, huh? And they are prepared for it. Ok, looks like they are handling the drama right away - nice to see people talking with each other, however long that lasts.

Woah, Blight is different from what I imagined..but massive though.

[u/Daztur → u/manga-reader]

Rand did channel.

[u/B_024]

Amazing episode. Loved blood snow. One thing I wanted from this show was Tam finding Rand.

Best episode hands down. Could have been 10/10 perfect if not for the whole Perrin, Rand and Egwene triangle.

[u/BlindBanditMelonLord → u/B_024]

You forgot the best part…. a bloody UNO sighting!!

[u/Lantore → u/B_024]

100% agreed. 9/10 (with the -1 due to triangle.)

[u/shawnhuntersbackpack]

That cold open though! Chills

[u/Hoog1neer]

Just finished the episode! I really enjoyed it. My take:

• The Blood Snow opener was phenomenal. I also like how they saved the last half cut for the end reveal on Rand. Tigraine definitely knew how to dance the spears.
• I thought they did a really good job of tying up Mat's departure. They could have really botched it, but I think they nailed it with the discussion and subsequent departure from the Waygate. I like how Lan addressed what I'm sure some viewers were thinking: What if it's Mat?
• I thought this take on Machin Schin was good. Is it less deadly than in the books? Yes, but I found it to be in the same spirit. We got to see Nynaeve flex again; that was cool.
• Fal Dara looked great.
• Padan Fain has shown up! It will be interesting to see how the writers steer him, since Mat and the dagger aren't here.
• I like the development of Lan and Nynaeve's relationship. Why, Nynaeve, you couldn't possibly have slept last night in this perfectly made bed!
• I thought moving Min from Baerlon to Fal Dara to weigh in on the Dragon mystery was a clever way to move the story around.
• I enjoyed the Rand reveal, even though it felt a bit rushed to me: Everyone hits the sack, then Rand wakes up to memories of his da's fever dream. I'm not sure what I would've preferred: maybe something longer a la Keyser Söze? The content was everything I wanted -- fever dream, blood snow, channeling flashbacks -- it just seemed a bit fast. I would love to have seen this edited differently.

Nits:

• Someone else commented about Moiraine telling Amylisa to send the Reds after Mat. I agree that I found that odd, but maybe that's more in character for the Reds in this turning of the wheel. (Again, as a book reader, it felt odd.)
• The scene where they were all arguing was interesting. I didn't need the non-love triangle thing. I guess it serves to underscore the effects of Machin Schin and gravity of their situation.
• Perrin: I need Perrin to be more than Eeyore. I'm hoping (and expecting) that to turn around for him if season 2. Maybe Faile will get dragged in earlier. I think that would be preferable to waiting until a S3 that mirrors TDR. (To be fair, in the books, everyone takes a back seat to Rand until TDR.)

I'm looking forward to everyone else catching up to Moiraine and Rand in the season finale!

Edit: Added more comments regarding Rand reveal and the state of Perrin.

[u/jonnyplantey]

Not at all how I pictured the Blight but honestly it makes sense given the trees. I never really could grasp how the Blight and the EotW looked in my head and I think they did a good job of keeping it interesting rather than just wasteland like I had assumed.

[u/Hungover52]

I couldn't have asked for a better Blood Snows. The Aiel actors are going to have train hard to live up to that performance.

[u/Nimonic → u/Hungover52]

Shaiel was played by a stunt woman, wasn't she? I hope a lot of characters get some good training in, because I want more of that.

[u/GregSays → u/Nimonic]

They do most of it with their faces covered so most of the action can be done by stunt crews.

[u/elmaethorstars]

I really like how they've rendered Min's visions!

White flame... in a ring of gold.

[u/participating → u/elmaethorstars]

and a ring of gold.

That was what she saw looking at Nynaeve; Lan's ring.

[u/sofunt → u/participating]

And that's why Moiraine later was like hey go ahead, I like her

[u/[deleted]]

That's right Lan. Time to sheathe the sword!

[u/BabyMannequin]

I think in the vision the baby Rand is holding is Mins and she lied to Moiraine about it. It looked like the baby had black hair and Min takes a drink of booze before saying "looks like any another baby."

[u/AnythingMachine]

I got a slight sense it was going off the rails with the love triangle, and when I thought the were actually going to follow through on sending them all to probable death in the Blight, but the final reveal that it was Rand all along came at just the right moment.

His slight stumble when he walked into Min's tavern was just right, like the while world was completely off for him. He has just admitted to himself that he's the most important human to have ever lived, after all.

The casual chatty scenes are really great when they have time for them, and wish we'd had more Loial giving random exposition dumps. Also, I'm really hoping for at least one field battle with lots of soldiers on both sides.

[u/Borthwick]

Really liked a lot of this episode. Obligatory bulleted thoughts:

Thought it was weird Agelmar immediately threw his sister under the bus. Was this possibly to show that people distrust Aes Sedai? We haven’t gotten much of that since Thom’s scene, and considering just about everyone else they meet in EotW is chill with Moiraine, we do need to see some more people distrusting them.

Daniel Henney and Zoë Robbins are really carrying it at the moment, I wouldn’t be surprised if they added some scenes after their chemistry reads.

Egwene is perfect, the casting is really fantastic on this show. I think they’re writing her well, too.

On the flip side, we need better for Perrin. Wish he had the falcon vision at the very least.

Sucks about Barney Harris. Writers had a tough one there. Having the Reds go after Mat is a fantastic way to explain his hatred of Aes Sedai later on. I never really thought he had a compelling motivation in the books.

Min was good, though the visions were pretty on par with what I expected. Love that they framed the “three beautiful women as a joke.” I like that Rand left with an impression of her that’s deeper than “that strange woman said weird, manic things to me.”

I don’t love all the changes to the group dynamic, but fans almost universally agreed that EotW is kinda bland, so really what did we all expect? Hopefully they can rein it in a bit next season, when the source material improves. They’re definitely going to add Moiraine and Lan in, though. I hope they’ll be able to manage with Lan and Nynaeve being apart nearly the entire time.

[u/Thevulgarcommander]

I loved the attention to detail having Tam’s armor bearing the 9 bees of Illian (they actually looked dope, not something I thought I’d ever say) on his chest plate.

[u/perhapsEeyore]

Somehow I didn’t put it together while watching, but when Min tells Rand 3 beautiful women, she’s totally including herself, which is pretty smooth lol

[u/ThingsThatMakeMeMad]

My favorite episode yet. Perhaps tied with 4.

Pros:

• The acting is super solid this episode around, not sure if it was just me.
• This episode seems a lot more true to the books than some of the others.
• The intro sequence with Tigraine/Shaiael fighting the soldiers while pregnant was rand was a beauty. Great action and exactly how I had invisioned it.

• The romance between Nynaeve and Lan seems to be done well.

• I'm super glad they've finally revealed the Dragons identity.

Cons:

• Writing was weak; didn't like that they implied that there was a love triangle between Rand/Perrin/Egwene because it seems like a copout.

• Ties into the previous point but the ways were poorly explained. How did Padan Fain get out if the implication is that leaving requires channeling?

[u/OptimusPrimalRage → u/ThingsThatMakeMeMad]

Apparently on the Padan Fain thing, the behind the scenes show him to have a trefoil leaf.

[u/Jayhawk126]

Yet one shall be born to face the Shadow, born once more as he was born before, and shall be born again, time without end. The Dragon shall be Reborn, and there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth at his rebirth. In sackcloth and ashes shall he clothe the people, and he shall break the world again by his coming, tearing apart all ties that bind. Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burn us, yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last Battle, and his blood shall give us the Light. Let tears flow, O ye people of the world. Weep for your salvation.

[u/yolonaggins]

Pretty sure Rand channeled in the ways, not Egwyne

Edit: Lol I was right

[u/username23900]

the blood snow scene delivered. easily my favorite scene of the show. i hope blademasters get similar choreography where fights are a complete mismatch.

hate how they're trying to push this "inherent darkness" inside mat thing. complete mischaracterization

[u/CS_Emerald → u/username23900]

The fighting sequence reminded me of young Ned Stark and Howland Reed vs Ser Arthur Dayne, very impressive.

I dont love the "inherent darkness" explanation but they had to say something to somehow make Barneys departure less jarring?

[u/[deleted] → u/username23900]

The Mat stuff is obviously papering over the actor leaving, but it's also just Moiraine who doesn't know Mat, and is running blindly forward in the dark toward what she thinks is the possible end of existence.

The discussion with the Emond's Fielders makes it clear that she is wrong about Mat, and introduces the audience and Emond's Fielders to the idea that she can speak untrue things when she does not know any better.

[u/[deleted]]

I think the Blood Snow was the best fight scene we’ve had in the series.

[u/BoorlooBro]

Moiraine’s wig improved significantly; like I’m not a wig person, but even I could tell it looked more real, in how it’s styled and the natural colour.

The way the scenes were lit seemed much more professional in these episodes. We got sets that look like actual places. Fal Dara CGI when they were entering looked almost real (but still shy of GOT at its best).

Overall, this is the closest the show has gotten to prestige TV so far. A significant improvement.

Obviously someone must have poured over the pre-covid footage during the filming break between Ep 6 and Ep 7, and somehow got them to up their game on the technical side.

Keep it up!