tv show spoilers S1E7: The Dark Along the Ways

[SinisterDeath]

For discussing Season 1, Episode 7 titled "The Dark Along the Ways".

 

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[CaddySedai]

So here we go. Will update as I watch as always ?

 

All…Ways? The Ways!!! YAY

 

• So blood snow, love that it leads off here.
• The veil down doesn’t irritate me too much. Since it was during an unexpected attack. It would have been COOLER to see her stop and mask up but hey. Sometimes I forget my mask too ?
• Was a nice emotional scene - love that she jacked his cape lol and then Heron Mark! Woo.
• Rand, stop being a dink. The Aes Sedai are jerks but they are not the DO.
• Loial saying no OP in the ways, because of the Black Wind. A little nod to there must be non OP ways to open it.
• Loial channeling his inner Hagrid with that there lantern. Oops, I should not have said that. I should not, have, said that.
• If we do get AoL movies I’d love to see the green verdant Ways.
• Mat is safer there. Truth.
• Oh hey a guiding stone, damaged by unknown means. Thats a proper nod to the books. 
• Im fine with Machin Shin. I recently re-read TEOTW and it wasn’t that scary… its not until it starts trying to ambush Rand at waygate entrances that I began to have…concerns LOL. 
• I am intrigued that it does not just KILL when it gets to you, it begins to feed. Thats a twist.
• Nyn projecting a shield instead of Moiraine is clearly trying to again hint at her being the DR. I think at this point with two setpiece uses shes in new viewer minds the Dragon. We readers see through it of course - but these scenes aren't targeted at fooling us.
• I would like to petition Elon Musk to build a fully functional livable Fal Dara please. I’ll move in right away, just make sure to have starlink internet ?
• It is nice to hear terms like Tarwins Gap, the Blight, etc. Hooray maps!
• I know who that is through the Waygate. Bwa ha ha.
• Pay Min a visit, huzzah.
• To the Reds? Whaaaa Whaaaaa. I mean thats fine cuz he cant channel but Booo. Send the Greens. 
• The city is less welcoming of Aes Sedai than in the books. Intriguing. Wonder if thats to be more real. Like - there will always be dissent and usually that dissent likes beer? Lol
• LMFAO I mean i understand visions but its funny. Power around the girls, golden eyes. Oh and Rand’s holding a baby. Don’t mind him…hes just a good dude ?
• I do appreciate that in this world the Aes Sedai are so “all knowing” as they are in the books - but unlike the books they are also almost completely wrong - or at least it feels they are wrong. It humanizes them.
• Annnd that will be all the more certain when they go and “those who are not the dragon” dont up and get deaded.
• You take everything as fact. - Nynaeve would be great at CinemaSins.
• ”I didn’t mean - Nynaeve would be terrible at counseling. 
• A semblance of choice you say?
• Aww a cute moment between the Aes Sedai and her Warder. Shame the thing thats gonna happen eventually.
• Not so sneaky anymore huh Nyn. Lan got yer scent.
• Hello everyone!
• I hadn’t noticed - lmao.
• Is anyone gonna teach the redhead how to use a sword? I mean seriously. 
• I waited an hour for you to come and apologize. Uh huh. Theres an attitude I can endorse lol.
• Rand being logical about her becoming an Aes Sedai. Attaboy thats a book moment about becoming her warder..however…
• Warders know how to use swords Rand.
• I am loving all the subtle variations of Lorne Balfe’s music. Another rendition of mashiar.
• I do like the chemistry between Lan and Nyn here.
• FINALLY! The bloody fever dreammmmmmmmmmmm!
• You saw him use the power! RAND HAS THE POWER!!!!
• So ends the bullshit. YOU ARE THE DRAGON REBORN. Thank you Black Wind for doing us a solid right before the eye.
• The CGI baby may be the worst CGI yet tho lol.

Edited December 17, 2021 by CaddySedai

[Meskell]

Immediately m, Blood Snow. Amazing. 
 

killing with the veil down, why make such an annoying change. 

[Ksjh1316]

And here I am stuck waiting like Rainman “5 hrs 40 min till Wopner!”

 

enjoy the show

[Meskell]

Another Nynaeve super show, could really do without that. 
 

Machin Shin was a huge disappointment. 

[lsm]

Tigraine Mantear ?

[Maximillion]

So disappointed in this. The story is just all wrong.

 

Pregnant woman killing that many soldiers. Look I get maiden of the spear etc.. but why go so over the top?

 

 Showing Rand channel in retrospect??? That’s just such a cop out. 
 

Another needless scene when so many have been cut turn the books… Lan bringing home his girlfriend for dinner?? 
 

The love triangle of Rand Egwene and Perrin? Seriously?

 

 Moraine asking for the reds to take Mat?

 

Fal Dara is a keep with hardly any people in it? 
 

 What has Rafe done? I weep.

 

 

 

 

[JenniferL]

Anyways, lots of changes, but still hitting the same beats. I giggled when Min said “I see you with three beautiful women”. Rand and Moiraine off to fight evil by themselves seems very in character. Both of them like to martyr themselves. 

[Maximillion]

Oh , by the way, where did Loial go???

 He just disappeared from the episode.

[CaddySedai]

Honestly some people will love the series. Some will be indifferent. Some will hate it.

 

Lets try not to tell people to “quit defending the show” or “turn off the lights”

 

Its nonsensical and adds nothing of value. That is the same reason I never tell those that hate to “just stop watching” or “why are you here”.

 

It would add nothing and I enjoy spirited discussion - as long as its in good faith. 

 

8 minutes ago, Maximillion said:

 Showing Rand channel in retrospect??? That’s just such a cop out. 

 

 

Eh season 1 is supposed to be from the view of the Aes Sedai. They cant see men channel and weren't looking at Rand at all as a possibility. Their ignorance blinds the audience.

 

We saw the false dragon weaves because everyone and them were expecting and sensing the weaves.

 

There is a lot one can nitpick about the series but that age old alternate perspective of events. Eh, im ok with it. Especially when it twisted stuff in the Ways. The girls felt they were the ones who used the OP and in reality it was Rand.

Edited December 17, 2021 by CaddySedai

[Finfolfin]

6 minutes ago, Maximillion said:

Oh , by the way, where did Loial go???

 He just disappeared from the episode.

It's a different turning of the wheel

[Finfolfin]

Good things

-Rand having some dialogue that doesn't revolve around Egwene

-Blood snow was decent

-Rand flashback wasn't butchered

Bad things

-The forcing of a rand charcter arc so late in the episode! i think Rand's actor is ok just seems forced

-The ways - Took a day to walk it, Loial wasn't really needed except to give a little exposition

-The channelling at the end

-The egwene show *please clap*

-not enough Min

-The cheese romance thats unecessary so soon!

-Moiraine sending the reds after Mat

Edited December 17, 2021 by Finfolfin
Accidentally clicked sorry lol

[JenniferL]

I’m going to have to ask some of the non readers how the reveal landed. I know at our house it was pretty “Finally!” when it happened. 

[Meskell]

Super Sayan Nynaeve really did make me roll my eyes. Basically relegates Moiraine to being a sage guide rather than one of the most powerful (current) channellers. 
 

Egwenes actress has deteriorated the longer the show gives her focus. She is incredibly overwrought and her accent becomes an obvious affectation the more dialogue she has to deliver in a single take. And I know this is hugely shallow and unfair of me but the mole is so distracting. I hate myself for saying it but it just draws my eye so much in every scene. 
 

Perrins actor is pretty awful as well, it’s like he has permanent concussion and doesn’t understand how to form words. 
 

My god the Egwene, Rand and Perrin love triangle was signposted throughout and still a CW piece of nonsense. 
 

Tigraine being able to take out every soldier on the planet despite being literally in Labour and having been stabbed. We get it, she’s a baller but this is going to make the other Maidens look incompetent. 
 

Min definitely isn’t what I pictured her to be like. The playfulness and androgynous look I was expecting. 
 

Fal Dara being hostile and rude to an AS was very odd. 
 

Moiraine accusing Mat of being inherently evil basically due to his upbringing was a bit much. Then sending the red ajah after him, give me a break. 
 

Loial just disappearing, odd. 
 

The look of the Blight, huge disappointment. Looked like the forest from Maleficient. 
 

Nynaeve taking herself into a man’s room just felt so out of character. I get they want to speed up the love story and it has generally worked but that just didn’t feel right. 
 

I really wanted to like the episode but so much of it was just off, wrong and contrived. 

[TheDreadReader]

I suppose it is time for all the takes with hyperbole.  ?

 

Personally, I like the old school memory montage reveal.  

 

 

[Meskell]

1 minute ago, TheDreadReader said:

I suppose it is time for all the takes with hyperbole.  ?

 

Personally, I like the old school memory montage reveal.  

 

 

I was happy with that. It was the only way they could do it if they wanted to introduce a mystery, which most shows need to try and hook new viewers. 
 

Same with Tam’s fever dream, seeing Tigraine etc. It was dropped into a show telling at about the right time. 

[JenniferL]

Yeah, normally I love reveal montages. I guess since I already knew the secret, it didn’t work for me.  But I did like the reveal that it was Rand who knocked the Trolloc off the bridge. 

[Frenata]

Best line of the episode: "If he's asking for patience, we're all going to die."

[pyrusmole]

Thought the reveal was solid, but currently think that the show is displaying Egwene in too positive of a light.
At the end of the day, Rand is right that she kind of doesn't like Mat. The show might be genius for bringing it up this early since it'll add so much color into their interactions later. However, knowing that it's at least largely accurate makes Egwene's "How dare you say I don't care about Mat" turn into "How dare you imply that I might not be a perfect person" which while a very Egwene thing in the books isn't really that sympathetic. I think they need to show Egwene being a little more self righteous and do a little more to display the slightly selfish aspects of her character (or at least show that the selfish actions she is taking are in fact selfish).

This isn't Egwene hate btw. I think she's a strong, good but reasonably flawed person and that's part of what makes her a great hero. It's my opinion that the show is making her do flawed things but failing to show those things as flawed.

Edited December 17, 2021 by pyrusmole
Mat name correction

[Finfolfin]

*teleports behind you* heh nothing personal Nynaeve

[pyrusmole]

Also, I'm absolutely shocked that we haven't gotten a lot more mentions that we finally got some braid-pulling from Nyn. It took long enough and I hope it continues on.

[MasterAblar]

Overall I thought it was pretty good. Some thoughts:

 

- They probably went a tad over the topwith Tigraine slaughtering soldiers 3v1 while in labor, but I can accept it for purposes of showing the Aiel (or Aiel trained people whatever) being very deadly

 

- Machin Sin talking in to everyone in their own voices was pretty cool I thought

 

- They're cutting corners with Nyneave being able to do what she's doing there but let's see where it goes particularly concerning her block

 

- Agelmar not so nice with Aes Sedai. Not sure what that's about but alright

 

- Loved everything about Min to be honest, thought she was fantastic

 

- A love triangle.....of course there's a love triangle. Perrin is supposed to be Rand's go to guy come on man

 

- Egwene being on one hand very self sacrificing and brave, but on the other overly sure of herself and stand offish is one point

 

- Lan flash stepping behind Nyneave. I like I like.

 

- Lan is much more open with Nyneave than in the books. I'm interested to see where they go with this. I'm hoping the fact that Moiraine got away from him is gonna cause him to push Nyneave away a little at first until finally his barriers break down a bit

 

- Reds going after Mat ?. I'm very sad that Mat can't be a part of the Eye. But on the other hand I think they can do some really interesting stuff with Mat seeing as how everyone but Rand is doubting him. Huge redemption arc incoming

 

- Yay finally Rand is revealed to be the Dragon Reborn! Called him being the one to channel in the Ways.

 

 

Overall my only big complaint in the episode is the whole Rand, Perrin, Egwene triangle which....yuck. I'm not even sure what the point of that drama is considering there's plenty of tension already. Only thing I can think of is to give Perrin something to work with for now. But meh I don't like it.

Edited December 17, 2021 by MasterAblar

[lsm]

10 minutes ago, Finfolfin said:

*teleports behind you* heh nothing personal Nynaeve

 

did she faze out and not notice Lan leave the room? that was weird

[TheDreadReader]

5 minutes ago, MasterAblar said:

- Reds going after Mat ?. I'm very sad that Mat can't be a part of the Eye. But on the other hand I think they can do some really interesting stuff with Mat seeing as how everyone but Rand is doubting him. Huge redemption arc incoming

 

 

My first thought after this was when Mat asks the 'finn for something to keep the Aes Sedai away from him (I forget how he phrased it in the book).   Having a couple run-ins with the Reds would go a long way towards setting that up.

 

[MasterAblar]

Just now, TheDreadReader said:

 

My first thought after this was when Mat asks the 'finn for something to keep the Aes Sedai away from him (I forget how he phrased it in the book).   Having a couple run-ins with the Reds would go a long way towards setting that up.

 

 

Didn't even think of that but yes for sure. Just generally it ties into so many people thinking the worst of Mat but then him proving everyone wrong by being a hero. It has a lot of potential I think.