tv show spoilers S1E1: Leavetaking

[Rand the Plumber]

5 minutes ago, Apoc81 said:

Im Canadian, but licensed to practice in Montana and Texas (where I have private hunting land). Im a dual citizen, and went to law school in the US.

 

I'm a barrister.  I started in general criminal law, but quickly discovered an aptitude for fraud, where I have worked quite contentedly for the last almost 20 years - although I'm certainly not the brightest or the tallest bloom in this particular field (cf Maester Pycelle).  I say I don't do criminal law, but there is a criminal element to fraud and I do practise in that area - it's just that people generally think of fraud in terms of the civil law.

 

8 minutes ago, Arthellion said:

Josha  really killed it as Rand in my mind. Was my favorite character among the show. 

 

I wouldn't say Josha was my favourite, but he certainly was very good!  I don't think there was one objectively bad performance in episode one, and it's probably a bit too early to identify my favourite actor.  However, I've always had a soft spot for Rosamund Pike, so I think she is currently at the top of my list.  And, of course, there is Daniel Henney's understated performance, and his... fine... ass-ets.

 

I'll get me coat.

[DaddyFinn]

13 minutes ago, Apoc81 said:

Either way, none of that was a coincidence.

Do you mean that Perrin or the writers did that on purpose because of tragic value?

[Arthellion]

2 minutes ago, Apoc81 said:

I like Lan a lot actually. He's very much how I imagined him. I also love how fiery Nynaeve is. And I think Pike is an incredible actress, who does a great job, but honestly she looks too old for the beautiful  nearly perfect, short, blue dressed witch of my imagination. But thats my own bias  so I try not to judge her on it. My Moraine was always closer to a Lauren Cohan or Vanessa Hudgens.

 

I think my issue with Lan is less t he actor and more the script. He didn't really have any interactions with the EF5 and I wouldn't have had it him announce himself in a tavern. He should've been quiet in a corner...awaiting threats. More Strider-esque. 

[Lurker_Fan]

19 minutes ago, Arthellion said:

Josha  really killed it as Rand in my mind. Was my favorite character among the show. 

I would agree. I have a feeling he's going to nail Rand (not an easy task). Same with Madden playing Egwene. 

[Apoc81]

6 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

Do you mean that Perrin or the writers did that on purpose because of tragic value?

I mean that the events are obviously connected. Either he thinks he killed his wife and unborn child, or he believes that maybe he did it subconsciously because deep down he resented her losing his child. Im guessing its the latter.

Edited November 19, 2021 by Apoc81

[Beidomon]

37 minutes ago, caemlyncal said:

Would love to hear peoples thoughts regarding the stature/image of the characters as I am really loving the calm yet cheeky demeanor Rand portrays.

Rand is basically perfect at this point. I’m really rooting for him to be the DR. All this mystery is killing me!

[Apoc81]

Just now, Beidomon said:

Rand is basically perfect at this point. I’m really rooting for him to be the DR. All this mystery is killing me!

Some of you guys really seem to dislike that this wasn't made specifically for Hardcore fans. More who watch this will not know who Rand is than vice versa. 

[Beidomon]

4 minutes ago, Apoc81 said:

Some of you guys really seem to dislike that this wasn't made specifically for Hardcore fans. More who watch this will not know who Rand is than vice versa. 

I don’t mind that at all. Or even playing up the mystery. But changing the lore so the DR can be a man or woman, and resulting ripples from that - I’ve got a problem with. So now I’m just gonna make jokes about the mystery. Because even most non-fans have already got this figured out, or will pretty soon due to the internet. Even if they try to avoid spoilers. 
 

(Srsly tho, Rand is great. Wasn’t joking about that.)

Edited November 19, 2021 by Beidomon

[DaddyFinn]

19 minutes ago, Apoc81 said:

Im guessing its the latter.

Feels a bit far-fetched but I won't dismiss anything until if we get to know the truth. I just think he killed her by accident and didn't want her death.

[notpropaganda73]

3 minutes ago, Beidomon said:

I don’t mind that at all. Or even playing up the mystery. But changing the lore so the DR can be a man or woman, and resulting ripples from that - I’ve got a problem with. So now I’m just gonna make jokes about the mystery. Because even most non-fans have already got this figured out, or will pretty soon due to the internet. Even if they try to avoid spoilers. 
 

(Srsly tho, Rand is great. Wasn’t joking about that.)

 

I was curious to see if there'd be any buzz and if you google "Who is the Dragon Reborn" the answer appears immediately ha, so I hope the show doesn't try to drag it out much longer and leans more in to Rand struggling with the possibility.

[Apoc81]

1 minute ago, Beidomon said:

I don’t mind that at all. Or even playing up the mystery. But changing the lore so the DR can be a man or woman, and resulting ripples from that - I’ve got a problem with. So now I’m just gonna make jokes about the mystery. Because even most non-fans have already got this figured out, or will pretty soon due to the internet. Even if they try to avoid spoilers. 
 

(Srsly tho, Rand is great. Wasn’t joking about that.)

They never  changed the lore. Moraine said they didn't know if it was a boy or girl. Who tf cares? It's a sentence made to keep new audiences in suspense. We all obviously know its Rand, so it's obviously a man. I agree its a dumb comment, but it literally has no effect on the show.

 

Look we are getting a simplified wheel of time. Anything else is unfeasible. The story needs to be cut and combined, or it will never finish.

[Apoc81]

3 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

Feels a bit far-fetched but I won't dismiss anything until if we get to know the truth. I just think he killed her by accident and didn't want her death.

No, film doesn't work like that. You can't foreshadow with a hand on the stomach and say him putting an axe in her stomach next aren't connected. It's clear foreshadowing, we just don't have the full context yet. 

Edited November 19, 2021 by Apoc81

[Apoc81]

5 minutes ago, notpropaganda73 said:

 

I was curious to see if there'd be any buzz and if you google "Who is the Dragon Reborn" the answer appears immediately ha, so I hope the show doesn't try to drag it out much longer and leans more in to Rand struggling with the possibility.

I mean, people avoided GoT spoilers for years, almost to the point of absurdity in some cases. You did a search. People who don't want the suprise ruined aren't going to google it.

Edited November 19, 2021 by Apoc81

[Elder_Haman]

Just now, Apoc81 said:

You can't foreshadow with a hand on the stomach and say him putting an axe in her stomach next aren't connected. It's clear foreshadowing, we just don't have the full context yet. 

Agreed. There's something going on there. My working theory:

• Perrin/Laila was a 'shotgun wedding' - forced by Laila getting pregnant.
• Perrin will blame a 'loss of control' for getting Laila pregnant.
• Laila was in love with someone else and turned to the Dark because she was promised an exit from the relationship.

I haven't seen E3 yet - so please no replies that contradict my theory based on stuff that happens in that episode.

 

[Apoc81]

1 minute ago, Elder_Haman said:

Agreed. There's something going on there. My working theory:

• Perrin/Laila was a 'shotgun wedding' - forced by Laila getting pregnant.
• Perrin will blame a 'loss of control' for getting Laila pregnant.
• Laila was in love with someone else and turned to the Dark because she was promised an exit from the relationship.

I haven't seen E3 yet - so please no replies that contradict my theory based on stuff that happens in that episode.

 

No worries, enjoy episode 3, I thought it was great.

[DaddyFinn]

8 minutes ago, Apoc81 said:

No, film doesn't work like that. You can't foreshadow with a hand on the stomach and say him putting an axe in her stomach next aren't connected. It's clear foreshadowing, we just don't have the full context yet. 

Foreshadowing an accident to make it hurt just a little bit more

[Apoc81]

29 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

Foreshadowing an accident to make it hurt just a little bit more

No, foreshadowing doesn't work like that. Story writing doesn't work like that.  You don't focus on anything in a shot that has no meaning.  If you directly focus on it, that indicates deeper meaning. Those shots are directly framed as important.

 

Just like in books, techniques are used to tell a deeper story than the obvious one portrayed on paper.  Theres a whole secondary language to film making people need to understand if they want to see the things hidden in plain sight in your shows and films.

 

Nothing about that scene otherwise would make me hurt, because I don't know or care about Laila. In fact I expected her death the second I knew she was Perrin's wife.

Edited November 19, 2021 by Apoc81

[Apoc81]

1 hour ago, Rand the Plumber said:

 

I'm a barrister.  I started in general criminal law, but quickly discovered an aptitude for fraud, where I have worked quite contentedly for the last almost 20 years - although I'm certainly not the brightest or the tallest bloom in this particular field (cf Maester Pycelle).  I say I don't do criminal law, but there is a criminal element to fraud and I do practise in that area - it's just that people generally think of fraud in terms of the civil law.

 

 

I wouldn't say Josha was my favourite, but he certainly was very good!  I don't think there was one objectively bad performance in episode one, and it's probably a bit too early to identify my favourite actor.  However, I've always had a soft spot for Rosamund Pike, so I think she is currently at the top of my list.  And, of course, there is Daniel Henney's understated performance, and his... fine... ass-ets.

 

I'll get me coat.

I really had a problem with Mat. Both character and actor.

[Rand the Plumber]

11 minutes ago, Apoc81 said:

I really had a problem with Mat. Both character and actor.

 

I liked him less in the second episode.  His accent annoys me, but that's just snobbery on my part.  There's something else, though, that doesn't seem quite right.

[Da Propheti]

17 hours ago, Kilrothy said:

Why did they change Mats family, from one of loving and happy to one of pain.

 

agree. also Perrin Married? and also gave impression that Rand and Egwene were intimate. ? changes the dynamics of the show and characters. 

[Beidomon]

52 minutes ago, Elder_Haman said:

Agreed. There's something going on there. My working theory:

• Perrin/Laila was a 'shotgun wedding' - forced by Laila getting pregnant.
• Perrin will blame a 'loss of control' for getting Laila pregnant.
• Laila was in love with someone else and turned to the Dark because she was promised an exit from the relationship.

I haven't seen E3 yet - so please no replies that contradict my theory based on stuff that happens in that episode.

 

I agree with you about the shotgun wedding part. But I don’t think it adds anything at all to make a fridged character a DF unless Baz uses it to torment him (and he could just as easily be lying anyway). And I think the kicker is gonna be that Perrin went through with the wedding even though it wasn’t his kid. 

[Beidomon]

1 hour ago, Apoc81 said:

They never  changed the lore. Moraine said they didn't know if it was a boy or girl. Who tf cares? It's a sentence made to keep new audiences in suspense. We all obviously know its Rand, so it's obviously a man. I agree its a dumb comment, but it literally has no effect on the show.

 

Look we are getting a simplified wheel of time. Anything else is unfeasible. The story needs to be cut and combined, or it will never finish.

This has been discussed at length, both how is definitely changes the lore and why that matters. I’ll leave it there but we’ve got whole threads devoted to this. 

[DaddyFinn]

7 minutes ago, Da Propheti said:

and also gave impression that Rand and Egwene were intimate. ?

Why is this a bad thing? This and the fact that they are much closer emotionally will give more impact to later scenes with them.

[Elder_Haman]

7 minutes ago, Beidomon said:

But I don’t think it adds anything at all to make a fridged character a DF unless Baz uses it to torment him

I can definitely see this happening. And possibly adding to the drama of Perrin's return to EF. What if they change Luc/Slayer into Laila's baby daddy?

[MaxZorin]

1 hour ago, Apoc81 said:

 You don't focus on anything in a shot that has no meaning.  

I guess that Trolloc attack had no meaning then, because, talk about out-of-focus.  

When the shot is on Mat's "girls" and it just goes up and down and up and down, like they think they are making Saving Private Ryan, and this is cool or special, but it's just nauseating.

 

I've never seen anything so seamlessly combine the visual style of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation with the fantasy screenplay equivalent of an episode of The Monkees.

 

"Rumors of four ta'veren..."

 

I'm sure there were tons of rumors all over Randland concerning the potential ta'veren nature of some random scumbag thief, a girl who just got her hair braided, some boring guy, and an even more boring guy.  

 

 

I like most of the actors, and there were some pretty shots.  

 

I laughed 3 times.  The Liandrin scene, the record scratch Inn entrance, and Moiraine "doing magics".  I don't think I was supposed to laugh at those things, but I did.  

 

Best option may be to lean into the camp.  More Liandrin chewing scenery etc.  Go full Hercules or Xena and they may make something timeless and memorable.