tv show spoilers S1E5: Blood Calls Blood

[Harad the White]

3 minutes ago, Sabio said:

Nazi's make sense.  RJ said one of the groups he based the Whitecloaks from were the Nazi's.  A group that their truth, their way is the only way.

Don't really care what RJ said, either of them. Any fascist group has "their truth, their way is the only way." The Nazi were a nationalist group who believed in racial purity. The Spanish Inquisition were a religious group that wore robes of "holiness" and who used torture as their main tool to terrorize and murder their opponents. What's on the screen is what matters.

[bringbackthomsmoustache]

4 minutes ago, AusLeviathan said:

The whole scene made no sense.

 

He dares her to channel and then leaves her alone. Then he comes back and she starts channeling and even tries to attack him and he still leaves her alone and does nothing.

 

Much like the female Darkfriend in episode 3 his actions don't appear to fit his intentions and he is deliberately putting himself in danger for no reason when he could deal with the situation in an easier and safer manner that would fit his intentions.

 

TLDR: Valda is an idiot.

Unless he is conflated with a certain other whitecloak questioner with occasional POV in the books who would have a sound motive for trying to expose any talents in them and not to kill on sight.

[bringbackthomsmoustache]

2 minutes ago, Dead Warder said:

That was the case in New Spring, many years before The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt. The tower was much fuller after New Spring.

 

That's fine, doesn't matter - in the end I'm just a N&N anyways.

My recollection is that the resurgence does not occur until the novice book is opened to all.

[WheelofJuke]

The good: 

- "Blood and ashes!"

- Loial

- Villainous villains villain-ing. 

- Logain's parts continue to be the best. 

- Turnip- in- ear jokes seem properly WoT, and make me happy. ?

- Interior shots of the white tower.

- Exterior shots of Tar Valon. High point of the episode. 

 

The bad:

- Waaay too much screen time devoted to Stepin, sorry. Some of it was cool. Some of it helped tie some stuff together, I get it, but still. Lan keeps having insanely difficult parts to act, and them writing in new ones isn't helping the actor any. I'm selling hard on that ending. 

- Wolf/whitecloak battle looked cheap, like some larpers in the woods or something. I dunno. 

- Exterior shots of the white tower.

I think the main thing I'll have to keep in mind is that this is going to be a pretty wildly uneven experience. I was hoping for a solid build on ep 4. (far and away the best episode), but ep. 5 seems to lose something in the overall momentum. Not quite disappointing, but not thoroughly satisfying, either. 

[Sabio]

10 minutes ago, AusLeviathan said:

The whole scene made no sense.

 

He dares her to channel and then leaves her alone. Then he comes back and she starts channeling and even tries to attack him and he still leaves her alone and does nothing.

 

Much like the female Darkfriend in episode 3 his actions don't appear to fit his intentions and he is deliberately putting himself in danger for no reason when he could deal with the situation in an easier and safer manner that would fit his intentions.

 

TLDR: Valda is an idiot.

He agreed she was no Aes Sedai, but assumed she was going to the tower for training.  Since he has killed 7 (they seem to want to make sure we don't forget he has killed 7 Aes Sedai), I saw it more of his arrogance didn't see her as a threat.  She was captured so easily and she is on her way for training, what threat could someone like that be to him?

[Sabio]

7 minutes ago, WheelofJuke said:

The good: 

- "Blood and ashes!"

- Loial

- Villainous villains villain-ing. 

- Logain's parts continue to be the best. 

- Turnip- in- ear jokes seem properly WoT, and make me happy. ?

- Interior shots of the white tower.

- Exterior shots of Tar Valon. High point of the episode. 

 

The bad:

- Waaay too much screen time devoted to Stepin, sorry. Some of it was cool. Some of it helped tie some stuff together, I get it, but still. Lan keeps having insanely difficult parts to act, and them writing in new ones isn't helping the actor any. I'm selling hard on that ending. 

- Wolf/whitecloak battle looked cheap, like some larpers in the woods or something. I dunno. 

- Exterior shots of the white tower.

I think the main thing I'll have to keep in mind is that this is going to be a pretty wildly uneven experience. I was hoping for a solid build on ep 4. (far and away the best episode), but ep. 5 seems to lose something in the overall momentum. Not quite disappointing, but not thoroughly satisfying, either. 

Episode 4 was mostly about Logain and episode 5 mostly about Stepin.  For a series that is only 8 episodes long they are wasting alot of screen time.  My fear is now things will go back to warp speed to fit everything in.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Sabio

[Arthellion]

I love the show but waste of an episode.

 

We only have 8 episodes and they spent a whole episode basically on a side character who dies. 

[Harad the White]

4 minutes ago, Sabio said:

episode 5 mostly about Stepin

OK. Next time I watch I will add the minutes for the Stepin thread to prove this great theory.

[Sabio]

1 minute ago, Arthellion said:

I love the show but waste of an episode.

 

We only have 8 episodes and they spent a whole episode basically on a side character who dies. 

Well for a side character to die and to make sure we know Nyn loves Lan.

[WheelofJuke]

2 hours ago, pyrusmole said:

 

• Liandrin talking about how men control so much of the world. I've always thought of the Randland as rather female privileged but this is technically true I guess. There are a few kings floating around. I've always thought it was an interesting aspect of the world that I was hoping the show would play up but looks like they might down play it (unless that's just a character thing of Liandrin as a man-hater).

I took this as foreshadowing of the forsaken and dark one being her master. As if she were talking about herself as the little girl, not Nynaeve. 

[Harad the White]

6 minutes ago, Sabio said:

We only have 8 episodes and they spent a whole episode basically on a side character who dies. 

And on Loial. And on Perrin/Egwene/WC. And on Rand/Matt/Logain. And on TV politics. And on Nyn. Right...only on Stepin. I must be dreaming the rest.

 

[quote should say Arthellion but the quote in a quote utility sometimes bonks]

Edited December 3, 2021 by Harad the White

[Vosha]

Four pages and no one has mentioned the fact that we got to see portal stones???!!!

[WheelofJuke]

2 minutes ago, VinceO'Shea said:

Four pages and no one has mentioned the fact that we got to see portal stones???!!!

Towards the beginning, by the Tinker wagons, right?

[Sabio]

Just now, WheelofJuke said:

Towards the beginning, by the Tinker wagons, right?

Mat and Rand were near it first.  You saw rand walk near a stone with alot of odd writing then suddenly turn around to go back to Mat.

[Vosha]

3 minutes ago, WheelofJuke said:

Towards the beginning, by the Tinker wagons, right?

Yup!  I think the Tinker procession went by one as well. 
 

edit:  replied to the wrong post. You’re both right!

Edited December 3, 2021 by VinceO'Shea

[WheelofJuke]

Just now, Sabio said:

Mat and Rand were near it first.  You saw rand walk near a stone with alot of odd writing then suddenly turn around to go back to Mat.

I missed that!

[Canukistani]

I think there's one thing about the funeral scene that we can all agree on. 

Throat singing was great!!  love it!!

[AusLeviathan]

Also is it me or did they unintentionally imply that Stepin killed himself because he'd have to be in a relationship with two men, probably shouldn't have put that conversation so close to his death.

[Canukistani]

10 minutes ago, VinceO'Shea said:

Four pages and no one has mentioned the fact that we got to see portal stones???!!!

I was wondering if it was a portal stone or just one of the ancient ruins.

Like where Perrin and Egwene run past what appear to be ancient carved (Ogier) faces in the rock outcrop.

[qlorin]

- Short Loial doesnt bother me... Fast talking Loial bothers me... 
-Liandirian/Eladia... Okey but needs good writing (I didint see in this show still)
-Yellow flashing eyes... I am on board so far...
-Very bad ediiting... Nynave is in the tower one scene... 10 seconds later she is in the Inn with Loial...
-Valda is a cartoon character now... Stupidly evil has no zealousness... His reactions even weird... A monster coming at you why do you drop your knife out of fear...
-I supported a little bit emotional Lan.. Pure stone face would be poor on tv series... But this is absurd even for a casual character... Stepin's Aes Sedai died , he didnt react this much...
-Padan Fain cameo... Loved it...
-Like prior episodes too much "misdirection about identy of Dragon"... It is too much... Everybody sees the misdirection as a misdirection...

Edited December 3, 2021 by qlorin

[ArrylT]

I am a little sad that Stepin did not get to meet Perrin.   Then they would have formed a band with Thom called StepinWolf.  ??

[Harad the White]

1 minute ago, AusLeviathan said:

Also is it me

Yes

[Canukistani]

Just now, AusLeviathan said:

Also is it me or did they unintentionally imply that Stepin killed himself because he'd have to be in a relationship with two men, probably shouldn't have put that conversation so close to his death.

I think it was unintentional.   

[Harad the White]

4 minutes ago, ArrylT said:

band with Thom called StepinWolf. 

Medieval Mick Jagger would be the lead singer!

Edited December 3, 2021 by Harad the White

[Arthellion]

13 minutes ago, Harad the White said:

And on Loial. And on Perrin/Egwene/WC. And on Rand/Matt/Logain. And on TV politics. And on Nyn. Right...only on Stepin. I must be dreaming the rest.

 

[quote should say Arthellion but the quote in a quote utility sometimes bonks]

But they weren’t the focus of the episode. If this was a serial series where we had 14-18 episodes I’d have had no issue with it. 
 

It’s not. It’s basically an 8 hour movie and there are so many important bits that need to show up and they wasted it on a character we will barely remember in Season 5.

 

I love every scene we got with The Emond Fielders…just far too little time spent with our protagonists. It’s bad story telling.

 

I like the show but this is the weakest episode by far. Still a lot of good elements, but meh.