tv show spoilers S1E5: Blood Calls Blood

[Agitel]

Pretty sure White Cloaks are near Tar Valon during the books. Maybe not this early. But they were harassing the surrounding area.

[Frenata]

5 minutes ago, Agitel said:

I am a bit disappointed we haven't seen any Fades talk, we haven't see ol' ember eyes talk, and we still haven't seen any wolf talk. I want that stuff.

 

Yeah I was expecting a talky Ba'alzamon in this episode. ? I think it's implied that Perrin and the wolf at the end communicated in some fashion though.

[Harad the White]

Do AS rings melt in the Book?

[Agitel]

Just now, Harad the White said:

Do AS rings melt in the Book?

 

I don't recall it ever being mentioned. We never saw that type of ritual in the books. 

[flinn]

 WCs were near Tar Valon when Verin and the girls returned to the tower. Egwene shook the earth.

 

 Also, when Mat wanted to leave one of the gate guards said something about WCs being in the towns on the other side of the bridges.

[Harad the White]

1 hour ago, CaddySedai said:

Child Valda got read like a book. Lol. Still a monster tho.

Looks like he survived to torture another day.

[A Memory Of Why]

Blood and ashes!!

 

A bit to unpack here:

 

Loial!! Anyone else found themselves giggling in his scene?

Liking the look, my only complaint... 

** sad ears ** ?

 

Hopper!! That's our boy hopper right? 

 

Notice when Eg channelled the fire behind her through the tent seemed to represent a certain glow? (Not saying it is, talking about the "imagery")

 

Golden eyes!!

Golden eyes!!

[Harad the White]

10 minutes ago, Agitel said:

We never saw that type of ritual in the books. 

I don't mind making up things, but to force (some of the) audience to flash back to another fantasy series has to be an unforced error. 

[Pandemonium]

Semen Valda, pretty sure he didn't die.  Still not sure if Galad will be in this show later to take care of the honors.  ?

 

Also wonder why Valda is so certain Egwene can channel, but that he let Moiraine off so easily 

Edited December 3, 2021 by Pandemonium

[Frenata]

There's no chance they've done all this work to build up Valda as a villain and let him die that quickly.

[themann1086]

Oh yeah Valda is absolutely still alive. Not a chance he's dead.

 

My dog was ready to jump into the scene by the way. The pack called!

[Mnemosyne]

What I liked:

• Rosamund Pike continues to absolutely embody Moiraine for me. She has more nuance than in the books, yet the nuance is all totally within the book character. Just perfect.

• Really liked the scene between Moiraine and Alanna chilling together, in fact all their scenes together have been great.

• Enjoying Nynaeve's closeness and friendship with all the Warders. Departure from the books but seems in character to me.

• So relieved they put in the Whitecloaks capture scene; when Perrin and Egwene saw the White Tower I panicked that they would skip it. Should have trusted Rafe not to do something so silly ?

• Logain seeing Rand and roaring with laughter was powerful -- though would he have been able to sense that Rand could channel, having already been gentled?

What I didn't like:

• My biggest problem was Loial finding Nynaeve... like, we barely even realize that Rand and Loial have met, and next thing you know Loial shows up like they're already besties... but more problematically, Tar Valon has people from all over, would Nynaeve really be the only woman with a braid? It just seems like a huge plot hole to me.

• Valda's comment about Egwene saying "I can't channel" drove home the weirdness of him not just asking Moiraine "Are you Aes Sedai?"

• This was the first episode where the pacing felt somewhat off to me, with the "1 month later and suddenly everyone made it to Tar Valon." But I understand why they had to do it. I said to my partner, "They cut all the adventures!" and my partner asked me, "What specifically from the books did they cut that is significant to the plot?" and I wasn't able to find much essential stuff... aside from Caemlyn obviously, but that doesn't really count since they are doing some of that in Tar Valon instead, and the rest in season 2.

 

13 minutes ago, Indil said:

I understand plots must be cut for the sake of time, but then they decided to film a bunch of Steppin grief moments instead.

 

This ^ I really liked the scene between Loial and Rand but it was way too short. Could they not have taken off a few minutes from Steppin and given them to Loial who is such an important character?

[Agitel]

So I don't think anyone has said anything yet, but Valda must have a ter'angreal, right? Something similar to Mat's Foxhead medallion? He played off Egwene's fireball as being incredibly weak, but he was not worried at all and has faced more experienced Aes Sedai.

 

According to the behind the scenes for this episode, they intended it to be bookended by two funerals to emphasize the relationship between Aes Sedai and Warder. And they had Alanna do a special kind of song only a woman's voice can do, and a nameless warder do a special kind of singing only a man's voice can do. Also, they intentionally modelled the Warder funeral on traditions that have a single designated mourners who takes on and expresses everyone's grief. So there was definitely a ritualistic component in Lan being the designated mourner.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Agitel

[Harad the White]

2 minutes ago, Mnemosyne said:

Logain seeing Rand and roaring with laughter was powerful

At least it wasn't "roaring with madness." ?

[CaddySedai]

Honestly though it wasn’t the most exciting episode. 

 

I feel this episode Wheel of Timed harder than the prior ones. 

 

We got curses and we got begging for the light, we got ogier and prophecies, we got false dragons laughing at ta’veren, we even has Rand feeling like he’s been somewhere. Maybe a past life? We got Tower intrigue and discussions of the cost of an inn. 

 

It may not be the books but i feel this is the episode the gatorade jug of Wheel got dumped on the series. 

 

[AusLeviathan]

It's amazing that for all the talk about how stuff had to be cut they were able to dedicate so much of this episode to a minor character with no importance to the plot.

 

That hilarious quick cut to a wolf attacking a Whitecloak out of nowhere and then the quick cut to after is probably a good sign that the work with the wolfdogs didn't go well and the wolves are likely going to be very downplayed as a result.

Edited December 3, 2021 by AusLeviathan

[Harad the White]

3 minutes ago, Agitel said:

According to the behind the scenes for this episode, they intended it to be bookended by two funerals to emphasize the relationship between Aes Sedai and Warder

It was part of slowing the action down. I'd like to see one confrontation after another, but that's probably not good filmmaking.

[Agitel]

Just get a wolf sitting still and looking serenely at Perrin and make it talk telepathically. COME ON RAFE 

[Mnemosyne]

1 minute ago, AusLeviathan said:

That hilarious quick cut to a wolf attacking a Whitecloak out of nowhere and then the quick cut to after is probably a good sign that the work with the wolfdogs didn't go well and the wolves are likely going to be very downplayed as a result.

 

Not sure, I think that might be reading into it a little too much. At any rate I hope so!

[Mnemosyne]

36 minutes ago, Agitel said:

I don't recall it ever being mentioned. We never saw that type of ritual in the books. 

 

In general they are leaning heavily on ritual for the show, inventing lots of new ceremonies -- Bel Tine, Lan's, the funerals, ring melting. Clearly a very conscious choice, I guess trying to give the show some spiritual depth and a way to slow the show down. As well as integrate some of what we learn at the very end of the series.

 

My partner (who hasn't read the books) feels it's over-the-top and not realistic that everyone in that world would be so spiritual with reincarnation and the Wheel. I personally don't mind the tone except insofar as it takes up maybe a little too much plot time. But it's an interesting choice for sure.

[Harad the White]

9 minutes ago, AusLeviathan said:

work with the wolfdogs didn't go well

Yes. The wolf attack was underwhelming. This was the weakest episode, sadly, but still advanced the plot. Catching its breath, we can hope.

[Windigo]

1 minute ago, Mnemosyne said:

 

In general they are leaning heavily on ritual for the show, inventing lots of new ceremonies -- Bel Tine, Lan's, the funerals, ring melting. Clearly a very conscious choice, I guess trying to give the show some spiritual depth and a way to slow the show down. As well as integrate some of what we learn at the very end of the series.

 

It does feel a little over the top, but I guess it is a way to eliminate longer discussions, and world building while needing  a lot less The wheel weaves, and light be with you comments. 
 

[phoenixtrinity]

Quote

• Logain seeing Rand and roaring with laughter was powerful -- though would he have been able to sense that Rand could channel, having already been gentled?

I may have to rewatch, but I thought Mat was looking at Logain, then Logain started laughing while grabbing at the front of the cage and leaning up against it-- but when it cuts back to Logain notice he is dejectedly slumped against the back of the cage again as though nothing happened.

 

I thought maybe this was implying Mat was seeing things, but also hinting that Logain could feel Rand if he hadn't been gentled.

[themann1086]

Oh yeah one other thing that jumped out at me: the conversation between Rand and Mat after Logain goes past hit pretty hard. "Promise you won't let me get like that". Oof.

[Windigo]

55 minutes ago, Frenata said:

1 hour ago, pyrusmole said:

Having Egwene's hair unbraided for her looses the character meaning

 

It didn't occur to me in the moment, but yeah it's a loss of that mark of ambition.

It does, I had not thought of that, though unlike the books, her ambition and strength are being shown earlier and in other ways.