tv show spoilers S1E2: Shadow's Waiting

[SinisterDeath]

For discussing Season 1, Episode 2 titled "Shadow's Waiting". 

Book spoilers are allowed, but please keep them to no later than book 2.

[CaddySedai]

I enjoyed it but of the 3 this is def the weakest. They should have spent more time and built up the dread in Shadar Logoth. 1 and 3 clearly outshine tho.

[Maximillion]

1 hour ago, CaddySedai said:

I enjoyed it but of the 3 this is def the weakest. They should have spent more time and built up the dread in Shadar Logoth. 1 and 3 clearly outshine tho.

You are being kind. It was terrible. Just a fast sprint through as much as they could cram into an episode without any development of the story. 
episode 1 was better but only because of the trolloc raid. The rest of it was the same mad rush through the story. I can’t believe non book readers will find any depth to this mess.

[CaddySedai]

1 minute ago, Maximillion said:

You are being kind. It was terrible. Just a fast sprint through as much as they could cram into an episode without any development of the story. 
episode 1 was better but only because of the trolloc raid. The rest of it was the same mad rush through the story. I can’t believe non book readers will find any depth to this mess.

 

3 brings it back. Separating the group somehow slows down the frantic pace. 

Edited November 19, 2021 by CaddySedai

[ManetherenTaveren]

2 hours ago, Maximillion said:

Just a fast sprint through as much as they could cram into an episode without any development of the story. 
episode 1 was better but only because of the trolloc raid. The rest of it was the same mad rush through the story.

Admittedly, watching ep2 felt like I was playing Diablo from 20 years ago. But this 'link episode' did manage to hit on a few points that checked some boxes for me, including

 

1) Manetheren context ? 

2) Shadar Logoth context, and relating it to the Manetheren tale

3) The 3 AS oaths (within M & E's late night convo) 

4) Ruby Dagger

5) A wolfbrother hint

6) Ba'alzamon lurking!

 

I'm fine with the ep, but I agree it is the weakest of the 3 thus far. I wasn't convinced with the depiction of Shadar Logoth/Mashadar either but it served its purpose to split up the group. When Rand was on the balcony overlooking the evil city, I couldn't resist thinking that is the same perspective he will have (foreshadowing) the next time he visits. ? 

Edited November 19, 2021 by ManetherenTaveren

[CaddySedai]

2 minutes ago, ManetherenTaveren said:

Admittedly, watching ep2 felt like I was playing Diablo from 20 years ago. But this 'link episode' did manage to hit on a few points that checked some boxes for me, including

 

1) Manetheren context ? 

2) Shadar Logoth context, and relating it to the Manetheren tale

3) The 3 AS oaths (within M & E's late night convo) 

4) Ruby Dagger

5) A wolfbrother hint

 

I'm fine with the ep, but I agree it is the weakest of the 3 thus far. I wasn't convinced with the depiction of Shadar Logoth/Mashadar either but it served its purpose to split up the group. When Rand was on the balcony overlooking the evil city, I couldn't resist thinking that is the same perspective he will have (foreshadowing) the next time he visits. ? 

 

Love the views. Its by far the weakest of the 3. Cant wait to see you on the ep 3 one XD it good.

[themann1086]

I actually liked the pacing of episode 2 better than episode 1. Seem to be in the minority in that which is fine! Little things I missed from my first viewing:

• The shadow that moves to lure Mat to the dagger. Hi Mordeth!
• Mashadar. Couldn't see it really in the theater (we were the first row, terrible angle) but it definitely looked a lot better on the TV screen

[SinisterDeath]

3 minutes ago, themann1086 said:

I actually liked the pacing of episode 2 better than episode 1. Seem to be in the minority in that which is fine! Little things I missed from my first viewing:

• The shadow that moves to lure Mat to the dagger. Hi Mordeth!
• Mashadar. Couldn't see it really in the theater (we were the first row, terrible angle) but it definitely looked a lot better on the TV screen

Looks like you and I are in the minority.

 

I felt the dialogue was less choppy then episode 1. The biggest thing ep 1 had going for it was the battle.

 

Was ep2 perfect? No.

 

I felt they should have ended ep 1 entering Shadar Logoth, and use 10-20 minutes building up tension and anxiety of this evil city before unleashing terror onto the audience, and culininate in the party splitting up.

 

Also, WTF is Bela?!

[CaddySedai]

I like this Mashadar. 

 

My issue is they built up to the city and did nothing with it. 

 

I dont "dislike" the episode.

 

I just think its the worst of the three sofar - in totality.... tho it has merits like yall call out hehe

Edited November 19, 2021 by CaddySedai

[ManetherenTaveren]

6 minutes ago, themann1086 said:

 

• The shadow that moves to lure Mat to the dagger. Hi Mordeth!

Cool catch!

[SinisterDeath]

Just now, ManetherenTaveren said:

Cool catch!

One of these days I'll just have to write down ever Easter egg I catch, cause that one was obvious to me...

[ManetherenTaveren]

5 minutes ago, SinisterDeath said:

I felt they should have ended ep 1 entering Shadar Logoth, and use 10-20 minutes building up tension and anxiety of this evil city before unleashing terror onto the audience, and culininate in the party splitting up.

 

Also, WTF is Bela?!

This.

 

Bela eats Mashadar for breakfast. She just walked out the front gate.

[Water and shade]

It was not terrible it was a little crammed but it hit some great points and felt like wheel of time. I think they are slowiy feeding lore and the changes mostly work. this episode was good the other two were amazing. Looks like it’s time for another reread.

[Skipp]

Absolutely loved episode 2, better than 1 by far in my opinion.  I thought the pace slowed down alot, I loved that the group just started to sing.  Got alot of nice 1 on 1 interactions among the EF5/4?.  The Whitecloaks were lovely in a terrifying way.  Loved that the Shadow got Mat to find the dagger.

 

Freaking solid episode

[CaddySedai]

Whitecloaks were def  the highlight.

[Agitel]

Hell yeah Nynaeve 

[Beidomon]

Thoughts in order…. (and remember I really LIKED Epi 1)

 

Whitecloaks seem menacing. Is cutting off the hands supposed to signify something? Can you not channel without hands “in this turning?”

 

Oh so that’s the title sequence. Sorry all…. that’s pretty lame. And the music is extremely meh. That’s no GOT - not even close. 

 

Trolloc effects aren’t always that good.

 

So wait did Moraine just kill the ferryman with the OP?

 

Campfire exposition was forced and lame. Man so far Epi 2 stinks.

 

Matt has a good moment with Rand. 

 

That’s how you pronounce ManETHeren? Okay. It was a fine monologue in the books but it doesn’t work here. 

 

Why’d they make the Aes Sedai rings look like something out of a crackerjack box?

 

This is Matt’s episode. He gets all the good lines.

 

Shadar Logoth was beautiful but the action sequence was extremely underwhelming. I expected so much more. It was over in a few minutes. That’s what she said. 
 

I’m not as upset about super ninja warrior Nynaeve as I thought I’d be. 

[Seraphine]

(New to this board, but long-time WoT reader.) Did anyone else catch the whistling in Shadar Logoth?!? That was one of my swearing moments. (There's also whistling in episode one.)

 

Also, I'm in the camp of liking episode two better than one.

[Deadsy]

34 minutes ago, Beidomon said:

So wait did Moraine just kill the ferryman with the OP?

 

 

If an Aes Sedai starts a forest fire and someone walks into it and burns to death an hour later did she break her oath?

(i.e. no)

[CaddySedai]

If anything the ferryman killed himself with Moraine. 

 

just sayin *innocently whistles* 

Edited November 19, 2021 by CaddySedai

[DaddyFinn]

I didn't have any issues with this episode. It's better to not analyze every scene. ?

[Starganderfish]

Huh, I agree with the minority here - episode 2 was better than the first. It was a little disjointed, the expositional dumps about Manetheren and Aridhol were pretty forced, but the dialogue was a little less cheesy.
The Whitecloaks... were good. Really good. I was sure they'd suck from the leaked costume photos but they had that right feel of chilling zealotry. Still not sure how they managed to kill 7 Aes Sedai though? Given even one should be able to wipe out their whole contingent, for them to subdue 7 just makes the Aes Sedai seem weak (I got the same sense in episode 1 - for all that their power is talked up and "one AesSedai could wipe out an army", Moraine was actually pretty ineffectual against just a few dozen Trollocs). And Whitebridge, as the Fade road up to the dock, all I could think was " gee, what a shame none of them have a bow... oh wait."

Perrin's brush with the wolves was fun, but if it means no Elyas, I'm gonna riot. We need the proper Wolfbrother backstory!
Shadar Logoth was good. Nice and creepy, the massive wall, the empty streets. Had a nice eery feel, though they rushed through the city much too quickly. Could have done without Rand and Egwene's lover's quarrel in favour or proper Mordeith and Matt. Mashadar was a major disapointment. Wish they'd spent some of that budget on a nice rippling fog that crept and roiled instead of a black paint spill on the ground.

The dagger was pretty un-inspiring - they could have done so much more with such a chillingly evil and infectious prop. EVen the Cats-Paw dagger from GOT was more interesting than that.

Honestly, the props have been singularly uninspiring so far (Tam wielding a Katana, and no discussion of it or  the Heron mark? sheesh; the boring dagger; there's been nothing about Perrin's axe (I briefly glimpsed it in the fight when he killed his wife, but I have no deia if he's even carrying it anymore?) and don't get me started on how they've allready decided to replace Tom's harp with  guitar. LAME!

Nynaeve returning was dull, woopty-doo moment - she's an annoying character in the books and she looks to be worse here - really not buying her actor - simply lacks the fiery uncrontrollable temper.

All told, its still massively rushed, charcter development has been sorely lacking and the acting continues to uninspire. The scenery is good, the music is still decent, but the special effects are pretty ho-hum. Everyones sayong that no.3 is where it really picks up so fingers crossed it gets better. Still not seeing much potential for a long series run with this, but I may be wrong.

[Starganderfish]

46 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

I didn't have any issues with this episode. It's better to not analyze every scene. ?

But where's the fun in that??

[DaddyFinn]

2 minutes ago, Starganderfish said:

But where's the fun in that??

Better for me, to be exact. Overanalyzing ruins these things pretty quickly. For example in episode 1 Liandrin could have just stopped the man with channeling instead of destroying the passage and in this episode Moiraine could have destroyed the raft easily instead of creating a massive whirlpool

[Seraphine]

1 hour ago, NightWolf said:

I did and I thought it was some prelude to the old-man form Mordeth who I figured Mat was going to run into at the treasure room... but umm, no.

 

Nope. ? It was one of my favorite easter eggs (in addition to the sheep/dragon's fang moment).