Season 1 Discussion (Full Book Spoilers) v2.1

[Agitel]

What are they doing with this "if you're not the Dragon you'll die" thing. Obviously as a book reader I know it's misdirection and upping the stakes but also as a book reader it just sounds silly.

[Jaysen Gore]

2 minutes ago, Agitel said:

What are they doing with this "if you're not the Dragon you'll die" thing. Obviously as a book reader I know it's misdirection and upping the stakes but also as a book reader it just sounds silly.

Basically, she's saying "if you're not a demigod like the DR, you are going to get squashed like a Tairen grape in what's to come"

[Agitel]

Just now, Jaysen Gore said:

Basically, she's saying "if you're not a demigod like the DR, you are going to get squashed like a Tairen grape in what's to come"

 

She speaks as if it's a matter of prophecy. But I don't know what book stuff it could be referring to.

 

Now we know the DO is not actually at the Eye so there's no instance of anyone getting between the DO and the Dragon here, but still.

[Hobo]

1 minute ago, Elder_Haman said:

High deserts can be cold and snowy.

Can be and are are two entirely different things. I understand this isn't exactly like the books(unfortunately), but when they reach the Borderlands through the Ways and are heading to Fal Dara, there was snow. I remember RJ describing the difference in building design so buildings wouldn't collapse under snow.

 

I just expected a snowy fortress is all. Just another thing that to add to the list of changes.

[notpropaganda73]

3 minutes ago, Agitel said:

 

She speaks as if it's a matter of prophecy. But I don't know what book stuff it could be referring to.

 

Now we know the DO is not actually at the Eye so there's no instance of anyone getting between the DO and the Dragon here, but still.

 

She said the same in the scene with Siuan. They seem convinced of it. Maybe not prophecy, but simply logic. Anyone getting in between the DO and the Dragon is likely to be caught in crossfire. 

 

But yes, the certainty is a little off-putting and feels very "we must raise the stakes and tell you why this is high tension" rather than just building the tension in the show. We'll see how it actually plays out

[DaddyFinn]

8 minutes ago, Skipp said:

It appears the show has moved Fal'Dara closer to Tarwins Gap. 

Yes. In the books it's several days of traveling from the Gap. In the show it's right next to it. I don't remember if the blight is hot and barren like a desert. There's some vegetation, trees etc. but they are not normal.

[Jaysen Gore]

3 minutes ago, Agitel said:

 

She speaks as if it's a matter of prophecy. But I don't know what book stuff it could be referring to.

 

Now we know the DO is not actually at the Eye so there's no instance of anyone getting between the DO and the Dragon here, but still.

And she's told me that I'm facing Georges St. Pierre, the Tampa Buccaneers and the 82nd Airborne in a fight to the death inside a steel cage. She doesn't need prophecy to absolutely know I'm going to get squashed like a grape if I'm not a god.

[Jaysen Gore]

2 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

Yes. In the books it's several days of traveling from the Gap. In the show it's right next to it. I don't remember if the blight is hot and barren like a desert. There's some vegetation, trees etc. but they are not normal.

The blight they travel through is Fetid Swamp hot, but not as damp. IIRC, they even comment on the transition from the cold clear air around FD to the heat of the blight. And the Gap isn't blighted, just devoid of plants due to being, as has been mentioned, a high desert.

[TheDreadReader]

28 minutes ago, Hobo said:

Can be and are are two entirely different things. I understand this isn't exactly like the books(unfortunately), but when they reach the Borderlands through the Ways and are heading to Fal Dara, there was snow. I remember RJ describing the difference in building design so buildings wouldn't collapse under snow.

 

I just expected a snowy fortress is all. Just another thing that to add to the list of changes.

 

I suspect that this would be one of areas where the 'GOT-like' factor influenced their choice.

 

 

[Raezold]

35 minutes ago, Jaysen Gore said:

The blight they travel through is Fetid Swamp hot, but not as damp. IIRC, they even comment on the transition from the cold clear air around FD to the heat of the blight. And the Gap isn't blighted, just devoid of plants due to being, as has been mentioned, a high desert.

 

Actually;

 

"You must forgive me. Stedding Shangtai is in the mountains, and cool." His broad nostrils flared, drawing in air that was becoming warmer by the minute. "I don't like this heat, and damp."

It was damp, Rand realized. It felt like the Mire in the depths of summer, back in the Two Rivers. In that boggy swamp every breath came as if through a wool blanket soaked in hot water. There was no soggy ground here--only a few ponds and streams, trickles to someone used to the Waterwood--but the air was like that in the Mire.

 

It is damp ?

Edited December 15, 2021 by Raezold

[Jaysen Gore]

1 minute ago, Raezold said:

 

<<snip>>

. There was no soggy ground here--only a few ponds and streams, trickles to someone used to the Waterwood--but the air was like that in the Mire.

 

It is damp ?

Muggy and humid yes, but not a swamp, not a mire, not the Dead Marshes (TM LOTR).  Just really oppressive.

[Skipp]

44 minutes ago, TheDreadReader said:

 

I suspect that this would be one of areas where the 'GOT-like' factor influenced their choice.

 

 

As much as I hate the thought they the writers have to constantly think about the GoT comparisons(Bear brothers anyone?) you might be right.

[MasterAblar]

To be fair I don't think its a uniquely GOT thing that when you go really far north, it tends to get cold...

[Reader]

GoT rules - in battle scenes only important characters don't need helmets...

 

[Jaysen Gore]

A thought occurred to me - what if Moiraine knows who the DR is, and she's just using the other EF5 as bait to make sure the DR does what they're supposed to do to protect their friends?

 

Would "explain" why she's not concerned about Mat.

[Kudzu]

49 minutes ago, Jaysen Gore said:

A thought occurred to me - what if Moiraine knows who the DR is, and she's just using the other EF5 as bait to make sure the DR does what they're supposed to do to protect their friends?

 

Would "explain" why she's not concerned about Mat.

 

Interesting, I think she certainly had a strong suspicion in the books. But wouldn't she have said so to Suian?

[Jaysen Gore]

1 minute ago, Kudzu said:

 

Interesting, I think she certainly had a strong suspicion in the books. But wouldn't she have said so to Suian?

She may have; they certainly left a bunch of stuff on the cutting room floor in addition to their clothes...

[ArrylT]

Probably not too many will agree but if part of the intent with Ep 5/6 was to build the anticipation of seeing the EF5 back at the centre of things (obviously the loss of Matt being unexpected) then I would say they really succeeded.     I will be curious to see the updated tally of screen time / word count after Ep7 but I fully expect all of Nynaeve, Perrin, Egwene and Rand to zoom up.    I would say that, excluding the cold open, at least 85-90% of the screen time had one or more of them involved.     

[Weird_Old_Lady]

On 12/10/2021 at 6:58 PM, Gothic Flame said:

Others have made better responses, however it's something else to me anyway.

My exposure to lotr was in the 70s with the Rankin-bass cartoon, and then the Bakshi attempt. None of which hit that...aviance...the overall feel of high fantasy. It's only when Jackson's lotr that we see and feel it. The...music that begins in the opening scene that evokes an almost sorrowful note of something...lost, or perhaps forgotten. A world that doesn't exist, but we long for it..it's a gut punch hitting us where we, readers of fantasy, dreamers every one of us, live.

 

*blinks*

Sorry...I was gone for a minute. I'm back now.

I can't figure out what "aviance" means? I tried looking it up but none of the definitions fit here .

[bringbackthomsmoustache]

1 hour ago, Weird_Old_Lady said:

I can't figure out what "aviance" means? I tried looking it up but none of the definitions fit here .

Ambiance 

[Gothic Flame]

2 hours ago, Weird_Old_Lady said:

I can't figure out what "aviance" means? I tried looking it up but none of the definitions fit here .

What ^he said.

I did define it however.

[Hobo]

Well okay. Ep 7 was pretty good. I mostly enjoyed it.

 

Spoiler

See if Mats in the in 8 but if not you can tell that he left after ep 6. Maybe he didn't like edgy dark Mat either??

The Ways had a good feel, not how i had envisioned it but ill let it slide.

 

I dont like that they made Lord Agelmar so disrespectful and dismissive of Aes Sedai as that is a complete 180 on his character and i dont believe his sister could actually channel in the books but whatev.

 

Now.. the Blight.. UGH.. it looked kinda cool with the skull in the wood and all.. but that WAS NOT the Blight.

[Quiksilver]

Leaked dialog from s01e08 script

 

Quote

Evil character: "Where is the rest of the dragon?"

 

 

Thoughts on 07,

 

Pros

 

Coherently written, the logic and pacing felt professional, unlike the amateur hour episodes from most of the season. 

 

Cons

 

More character assassination of Mat and Perrin

"Its Rand" infodump

 

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by Quiksilver

[Gothic Flame]

2 hours ago, Quiksilver said:

Leaked dialog from s01e08 script

 

Quote

Evil character: "Where is the rest of the dragon?"

 

I suppose you'll see how accurate that may be soon enough.

It would indeed fit in with how things have been going so far.

[WOTReader2]

3 hours ago, Quiksilver said:

Leaked dialog from s01e08 script

 

 

 

Thoughts on 07,

 

Pros

 

Coherently written, the logic and pacing felt professional, unlike the amateur hour episodes from most of the season. 

 

Cons

 

More character assassination of Mat and Perrin

"Its Rand" infodump

 

 

 

If that leak is true, it looks like they might be going for a multi-dragon. I really hope not.

 

That would probably be the nail in the coffin for me. That would not be Wheel of Time.