Season 3 Sneak Peek

[Turin Turambar]

@Wassup, I  agree that the Aiel were not researched very much(or very well). I do mark that as a failure on the Aes Sedai part. You say they considered Manetheren to be the old blood so they needed to look into the even older cultures that still existed in the world. I'm not sure when the Karethon Cycle came about but i imagine they had hundreds of years to look into it, looking at you Browns. I think it would have been possible, even likely that some curious Brown disguises herself with some tinkers and goes into the waste to learn about the Aiel. Even if just for a search for knowledge.  

 

I may be off track here but I think with all the resources available to them they should have had a better picture of their world in general and things considered important like prophecy about the saviour/destroyer of the world.

 

Good point about the 13th depository wall. I would lean ter'angreal or just rule of cool. Because it was cool looking.

[Elder_Haman]

  On 2/26/2025 at 2:42 PM, king of nowhere said:

there was no reason to not finish them

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Perhaps they had been instructed not to. Remember, the Dark One has plots within plots within plots. Often, he likes to break things, wait for them to heal a bit, then break them again. The attack is meant to sow panic and discord and suspicion. That will leave the Aes Sedai brittle and easily led into becoming pawns in the Dark One's later designs.

 

If Siuan is dead, for example, there's no need for her to be deposed. The Tower might unite behind their martyred Amyrlin or their martyred Keeper. 

 

(Incidentally, this may also be the reason for the slow walk to the center - perhaps they were ordered to make sure everyone knew exactly who they were. The remaining Sisters are meant to believe that they know the identities of all of the Black sisters when, in fact, there are more still hiding among them.)

 

Granted if this is the explanation, it would help to make that explicit at some point.

[Turin Turambar]

In that situation it is also tactically sound to move together in order to protect each other, have ability to concentrate firepower (didn't happen) and gain distance from the other AS so you don't get bashed in the head with a staff. The walk was probably because they are just arrogant. 

[Ithillian Turambar]

57 minutes ago, Skipp said:

 

'Or a hidden weave known only by the Aes Sedai who knew of the 13th Depository existence.'

 

 

... maybe it's another one of those magic doors we all thought 'What the heck?' about when we first saw Moiraine create a secret passage into Siuan's room

 

 

 

 

Edited February 26 by Ithillian Turambar

[DojoToad]

  On 2/26/2025 at 4:02 PM, Elder_Haman said:

Perhaps they had been instructed not to. Remember, the Dark One has plots within plots within plots. Often, he likes to break things, wait for them to heal a bit, then break them again. The attack is meant to sow panic and discord and suspicion. That will leave the Aes Sedai brittle and easily led into becoming pawns in the Dark One's later designs.

 

If Siuan is dead, for example, there's no need for her to be deposed. The Tower might unite behind their martyred Amyrlin or their martyred Keeper. 

 

(Incidentally, this may also be the reason for the slow walk to the center - perhaps they were ordered to make sure everyone knew exactly who they were. The remaining Sisters are meant to believe that they know the identities of all of the Black sisters when, in fact, there are more still hiding among them.)

 

Granted if this is the explanation, it would help to make that explicit at some point.

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I can accept this explanation - if, as you say, it is made explicit at some point.

 

It would be just like the DO.

[DigificWriter]

  On 2/26/2025 at 4:30 PM, Ithillian Turambar said:

57 minutes ago, Skipp said:

 

'Or a hidden weave known only by the Aes Sedai who knew of the 13th Depository existence.'

 

 

... maybe it's another one of those magic doors we all thought 'What the heck?' about when we first saw Moiraine create a secret passage into Siuan's room

 

 

 

 

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Except the picture frame she used didn't take her to Siuan's rooms in the Tower; it took her to a hut in Tear (the same hut that she and Siuan talked about wanting to retire to before their lives were upended by Gitara's Foretelling about the Dragon Reborn).

[Ithillian Turambar]

Really?

 

Well that went completely over my head.

[DigificWriter]

  On 2/26/2025 at 7:37 PM, Ithillian Turambar said:

Really?

 

Well that went completely over my head.

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You're not alone in that. 

 

Internally, the locale was referred to as the FFH, but we didn't know what FFH stood for* until we got the flashback Cold Open to the episode Daes Dae'mar.

 

* it's an acronym for Fishwives Fxck Hut

[Guire]

I am going with Forsaken and DO orders on Black Sisters fleeing.  Primary objective get out Mcguffin and sow chaos.  Black Ajah in tower probably told defend selves and create chaos but don't kill everyone.  Black sisters still hiding in Tower.  Also need for speed once fight starts.  Lots more sisters in Tower that are about to flood halls.  

[Mailman]

  On 2/26/2025 at 9:40 PM, Guire said:

I am going with Forsaken and DO orders on Black Sisters fleeing.  Primary objective get out Mcguffin and sow chaos.  Black Ajah in tower probably told defend selves and create chaos but don't kill everyone.  Black sisters still hiding in Tower.  Also need for speed once fight starts.  Lots more sisters in Tower that are about to flood halls.  

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But if speedy escape was the goal how did Alanna and her warders get ahead of them again and far enough to be able to just be walking.

Edited February 27 by Mailman

[Guire]

  On 2/27/2025 at 4:48 AM, Mailman said:

But if speedy escape was the goal how did Alanna and her warders get ahead of them again and far enough to be able to just be walking.

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Option 1.  Writers wanted Alana and warders to meet fleeing Black Ajah so Ivhon can die heroically and give more screen time to a popular female character and her surviving nepo warder.  

 

Option 2 . Black Ajah from Hall needed to go long way to secure brown sister with object giving Alana and warders time to get ahead of them.  

 

My guess is a little of both.  Hall should be boiling like a fire ant hill at this point.  Black ajah have to use back hallways to make a clean exit is likely if they want to avoid killing or outing other Black sisters.  

[Mailman]

  On 2/27/2025 at 5:16 AM, Guire said:

Option 1.  Writers wanted Alana and warders to meet fleeing Black Ajah so Ivhon can die heroically and give more screen time to a popular female character and her surviving nepo warder.  

 

Option 2 . Black Ajah from Hall needed to go long way to secure brown sister with object giving Alana and warders time to get ahead of them.  

 

My guess is a little of both.  Hall should be boiling like a fire ant hill at this point.  Black ajah have to use back hallways to make a clean exit is likely if they want to avoid killing or outing other Black sisters.  

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The problem with that is 13th depository was close enough to the hall for them to know a fight had broken out. If it could be felt a long way away a huge number of sisters would have arrived and intervened.

 

Why would you need to use backhalls no one outside of the Hall would know exactly what had happened inside and thus no one would have reason to stop those sisters leaving until those stunned raised the alarm. 

 

And why would you need to collect the black from the depository as no one knows what she has done at all her movement is assured. It makes more sense for her to leave Tar Valon by herself and meet them at a secondary location. The absolute only reason for them to meet up is if her primary objective was to steal something that facilitates the escape.

Edited February 27 by Mailman

[Guire]

  On 2/27/2025 at 6:09 AM, Mailman said:

The problem with that is 13th depository was close enough to the hall for them to know a fight had broken out. If it could be felt a long way away a huge number of sisters would have arrived and intervened.

 

Why would you need to use backhalls no one outside of the Hall would know exactly what had happened inside and thus no one would have reason to stop those sisters leaving until those stunned raised the alarm. 

 

And why would you need to collect the black from the depository as no one knows what she has done at all her movement is assured. It makes more sense for her to leave Tar Valon by herself and meet them at a secondary location. The absolute only reason for them to meet up is if her primary objective was to steal something that facilitates the escape.

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I am going with enough logic to provide suspension of disbelief for audience.  Like I said the giant boom of Liandrin's blast that Moraine saw is going to stir up Warders and Sisters and Guardsmen(if the Tower actually had any).  Sisters are going to question Sitters walking away from Tower what happened. and where they are going.  It's a get out without drawing attention situation.   I could write an essay about everything I dislike about show especially upcoming Two Rivers Battle.  This battle I am not too upset about considering the previous battles.  I cam easily find Hair, makeup, costume, prop, representation, musical episode, gender interviews about show.  I haven't seen any discussion with military consultants or war historians.  So if it's entertaining and at all plausible I count it a win.  RoP battles still give me nightmares.  I am just staying around to support Empress Lanfear.  May her reign be eternal.

[Mailman]

  On 2/27/2025 at 12:26 PM, Guire said:

I am going with enough logic to provide suspension of disbelief for audience.  Like I said the giant boom of Liandrin's blast that Moraine saw is going to stir up Warders and Sisters and Guardsmen(if the Tower actually had any).  Sisters are going to question Sitters walking away from Tower what happened. and where they are going.  It's a get out without drawing attention situation.   I could write an essay about everything I dislike about show especially upcoming Two Rivers Battle.  This battle I am not too upset about considering the previous battles.  I cam easily find Hair, makeup, costume, prop, representation, musical episode, gender interviews about show.  I haven't seen any discussion with military consultants or war historians.  So if it's entertaining and at all plausible I count it a win.  RoP battles still give me nightmares.  I am just staying around to support Empress Lanfear.  May her reign be eternal.

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The blacks have 1 incredible advantage as well they can lie.

 

They can tell any Aes Sedai or guards they meet that the Amiryln has ordred them to hold the docks and everyone else is to assemble in the courtyard for example.

Edited February 27 by Mailman

[Wassup]

They were heading towards the docks, but may have had a designated rendezvous point for the brown sister.  They may have been trying to draw as little attention as possible while going through the city.  I know, it would be hard not to draw attention given their appearances after the fighting.

 

The AS in the tower would be rushing toward the explosion to see what happened not imagining it was a fight or attack.  There should be some berserk warders running amok up there.

 

I can just imagine Alanna running through the city trying to get to the docks as fast as she can.  She was faster than her warders! 

[Mailman]

  On 2/27/2025 at 2:23 PM, Wassup said:

They were heading towards the docks, but may have had a designated rendezvous point for the brown sister.  They may have been trying to draw as little attention as possible while going through the city.  I know, it would be hard not to draw attention given their appearances after the fighting.

 

The AS in the tower would be rushing toward the explosion to see what happened not imagining it was a fight or attack.  There should be some berserk warders running amok up there.

 

I can just imagine Alanna running through the city trying to get to the docks as fast as she can.  She was faster than her warders! 

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Why are people not stopping Alanna then. Who would have any reason to stop the blacks that would not have to apply the same reason to Alanna.

 

There are no warders still standing outside the Hall (including Alanna's) when the doors explode, it is possible some of the sisters warders where elsewhere in the tower though.

[Ithillian Turambar]

There's another new scene just been posted on YouTube on the WoT Up channel.

 

Gawyn and Galad are training in the warder yard and there's some serious sass going on

[Mailman]

moved

 

Edited March 7 by Mailman

[Jack sjacki]

  On 2/21/2025 at 12:38 PM, DojoToad said:

I think that the CGI used for the magic battle was very good.

 

What I can't understand is the end of the battle.  Whether the Black should have won the battle given the numbers is debatable.  But they are the Black.  They had defeated the most powerful women in the Tower and they were all laying on the ground defeated and helpless.  Finish them off quickly with a quick slice of the power?  Nah, let's retreat to the docks so we can fight them again another day.

 

Retreat was prudent after the battle but at least clean up the low hanging fruit that will only take a millisecond to destroy.

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[Jack sjacki]

  On 3/11/2025 at 9:07 PM, Jack sjacki said:

The one thing I did notice was two yellows {Black} left the Hall of the Tower with Liandra but only Chesmal was in the street to face Allana 

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[MatsLuck]

A broken Amrylin is more useful than a dead one.

[Mailman]

  On 2/23/2025 at 3:26 AM, Ithillian Turambar said:

Alannah is a Green they are the Battle Ajah. They train in attacks to be able to fight the last battle. She'd be well practised at shielding and attacks.

 

Shielding is a defence not an attack. Regular Ajah members would have no reason to learn attack weaves. Saying they are quick at defense has no bearing on whether they have learned and practised attack weaves.

 

Black Ajahs can use the One Power to attack so they learn and practise how to do it.

 

I'm just saying, using the TV show only, regular Ajah people take AGES to attack.

 

Apart from the Greens (battle ajah), the Reds (who were excluded but were well used to taking down male channelers) and the Amyrlin who has that instant 'gonna spike you if you get too close' weave

 

But a weave has to be learned and practised. None of them ever expected to be attacked. Most of them are just doing admin. 

 

I mean. Even cleaning water took ages!

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  On 2/23/2025 at 5:04 AM, Elder_Haman said:

Correct. This is book accurate. 
Aes Sedai are not used to combat in general. The Greens are the battle ajah. The Reds have to be able to go after men who can channel. And the Black are the Black. 
 

To this point, the other ajahs have no reason to learn battle magic. And they obviously would be taken completely by surprise by that level of violence in the heart of the Tower. 

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  On 2/23/2025 at 3:36 PM, expat said:

A couple of points:

 

The yellow, grays, whites would have been terrible fighters since their whole reason for existing was anathema to violence.

 

The browns and blues had people who went into the world and might have needed to protect themselves, so individual sisters would have been proficient in self-defense, but again there was no call for projective attack weaves for either ajah.  

 

Bottom line, it is not unreasonable that the sitters from these ajahs were not accomplished fighters able to handle the pressure of a surprise firefight. 

 

I find the time to get off weave question focusing on the wrong issue.  Several times in the books, it was noted that the AS were trained to unnecessarily wave their hands during weaving.  While they could have done the spell much quicker, they waste time making physical gestures. So, by book logic, it would take noticeable time to cast the weaves.  Someone trained not to use the hand gestures will get the spell off much faster.

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  On 2/26/2025 at 1:47 PM, Turin Turambar said:

As to the Sitters, I'm wondering how long it had been since they did those tests. I've never seen where any Aes Sedai undergoes ongoing training or recertification. Skills  diminish over time.  I trained to do things when I was younger. I doubt that I would be able to do them now even if my life defended on it. 

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Any change in feeling now we know that Daise Congar a first time channeler can insta cast a shield as her very first use of the power. Surely experienced channelers would be better than a woman who found out she could channel the day before and had never embraced the source by herself before that day.

[Turin Turambar]

  On 4/11/2025 at 8:09 AM, Mailman said:

 

 

 

Any change in feeling now we know that Daise Congar a first time channeler can insta cast a shield as her very first use of the power. Surely experienced channelers would be better than a woman who found out she could channel the day before and had never embraced the source by herself before that day.

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Is that true? Do we know this as a fact? For all we know she has had the ability but chose to hide it. Maybe that led to her drinking problems. Yes this is wild speculation but the fact is we don't know. It seems to be a constant in the books that wisdoms, wise women, etc..  generally are women that have some latent ability channel, and use that subliminally to do their jobs. Also a reason why they say wisdoms rarely marry as they would live longer than most. People might not think about the.wisdom that's "been here forever" but if she outlives her children people definitely will sense something is odd.

 

Plus she's just been told her life is on the line. Protection is probably a priority.  

[SinisterDeath]

  On 4/11/2025 at 8:09 AM, Mailman said:

Any change in feeling now we know that Daise Congar a first time channeler can insta cast a shield as her very first use of the power. Surely experienced channelers would be better than a woman who found out she could channel the day before and had never embraced the source by herself before that day.

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Rand, an untrained channeler, used a shield and lightning at the same time because of "need".

 

Nynaeve, an untrained channeler, used "healing" because of "need".

 

The "twins" used "fire" on Valda because of "need".

 

Knowing the weaves, isn't important as important as Aes Sedia believe it is. "Needing" something, allows the "weaves" to form themselves. When you believe you have to know what the weave looks like, in order to for channel that specific weave. That limits you. You get stuck and you're no longer able to do new things. You're locked out of the ability to create new weaves based on need... And that's why Aes Sedai hate Wilders.

 

There is precedent for this in both the books and the shows.

[Mailman]

  On 4/11/2025 at 2:05 PM, SinisterDeath said:

Rand, an untrained channeler, used a shield and lightning at the same time because of "need".

 

Nynaeve, an untrained channeler, used "healing" because of "need".

 

The "twins" used "fire" on Valda because of "need".

 

Knowing the weaves, isn't important as important as Aes Sedia believe it is. "Needing" something, allows the "weaves" to form themselves. When you believe you have to know what the weave looks like, in order to for channel that specific weave. That limits you. You get stuck and you're no longer able to do new things. You're locked out of the ability to create new weaves based on need... And that's why Aes Sedai hate Wilders.

 

There is precedent for this in both the books and the shows.

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However that does not account for why the sitters failed to be able to make shields which many attributed to the fact that they had not been trained to do so in relation to the tower battle scene.