S3E7 - Goldeneyes

[DaddyFinn]

About colorism.. I think only PoC have any right to say if the show has an issue or not.

[Scarloc99]

  On 4/11/2025 at 9:25 PM, Mirefox said:

Yeah, I agree completely.  I also felt like they elevated Maksim way too much, which kind of lessened Perrin’s importance to a degree.  /shrug

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I don’t care about the maksim story line, part of me quite enjoys it, it shows the warder bond and if they are going to follow through with the story as is then Alanna is a key pawn in the dark ones final plan. Maybe the key pawn, I personally don’t care about many of the story changes. And Perrin is getting his chance, non book lover friends of mine have said he is one of there fav characters and a proper bad ass. 
 

Like I said, my issue here was the loss of that key emotion, even in my non book lover friends. They never felt any sense of real peril or tension in the battle. There was no emotional output except for a real outpouring when Loial died. 

[Turin Turambar]

My understanding is that the actor who plays Tam was unavailable for this season so Maxsim is shouldering some of that load, as we don't have enough investment into any of the other TR folks. I think it's fine and if Alanna is going to be a central part of the story then males sense. 

There was ample evidence of danger to the entire village in the battle. They were holding but the trolocs and dark friends were gaining and looked like they would eventually wear down the good guys. It was mirroring the last bast for Aemon, but instead of fighting to the last and everyone  dying, Perrin .are the choice to save his people even if it allowed some enemies to get away. 

 

Side question: what do the darkfriends do now. I guess they are stuck following along after Fain as no one will trust them ever again.

[notpropaganda73]

  On 4/11/2025 at 9:12 PM, king of nowhere said:

really, pretty much everything in writing is a contrived coincidence to allow the plot to unfold just right. sometimes, it's masked better than other times.

for example, rand and moiraine are the most powerful group, and they are facing sammael and lanfear, the strongest foes. the girls are in tanchico, where they will face moghedien, who's just coincidentally at the same power of nynaeve. and perrin, without any channeler, will face trollocs without channelers. the main characters and the villains are split in such a way that it gives three very balanced fights. 

what are the odds? if a single dreadlord had come to the two rivers, the battle would have been very short. if egwene or nynave had, the battle also would have been short.

of course, the book has the concept of ta'veren (i really blame rafe for not having used the word anymore after season 1; in season 1 it wasn't properly explained, and now that it would make sense, it's not used). how convenient that mat got a wall dropped on him when he needed to be separated by the other characters. how doubly convenient that he got separated from anyone who could travel. three books of his plot would have been avoided had any of the main character remained with him - or even had anyone bothered to contact him in tel'aran'riod.

 

stories are built like that. sure, they could have had alanna pummel the trollocs for a good hour, then collapse from exhaustion and let the muggles defend. wouldn't it have been equally contrived that there were just enough trollocs to exhaust alanna, with those remaining being just enough to seriously endanger the villagers - but not enough to just roll over them?

 

what i actually blame is the show's lack of consistency with the power. in the books, it was clearly stated that while verin and alanna could kill dozens, they weren't strong enough to hold on their own. in the show, we don't have any clear reference for that.

 

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I’m a bit confused what you’re trying to say. All stories are contrived so why complain about contrivances? Sorry if I’m picking you up wrong. 
 

 

[king of nowhere]

  On 4/12/2025 at 1:18 PM, notpropaganda73 said:

I’m a bit confused what you’re trying to say. All stories are contrived so why complain about contrivances? Sorry if I’m picking you up wrong. 
 

 

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i am not complaining. i was answering to another post claiming that wounding alanna to remove her from battle was a contrived coincidence and therefore bad writing, to which i replied that every plot in every story is a bunch of contrived coincidences

[Joe B]

Not a big deal, but I was waiting for intimidating “Isam! Isam!” chants. 

[Kaleb]

  On 4/12/2025 at 5:26 PM, Joe B said:

Not a big deal, but I was waiting for intimidating “Isam! Isam!” chants. 

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They're definitely pulling forward the whitecloak trial and pushing back the Slayer/wolf dream arcs for Perrin. Would like to have seen some more explicit foreshadowing for those and I do consider it a miss at this point, but I'll be fully on board if they are able to make those sing in future seasons.

[SinisterDeath]

 

  On 4/12/2025 at 6:46 PM, Kaleb said:

They're definitely pulling forward the whitecloak trial and pushing back the Slayer/wolf dream arcs for Perrin. Would like to have seen some more explicit foreshadowing for those and I do consider it a miss at this point, but I'll be fully on board if they are able to make those sing in future seasons.

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The way they're going, of the 3 boys, I can see them Kill Perrin.

[Skipp]

  On 4/12/2025 at 8:08 PM, SinisterDeath said:

 

The way they're going, of the 3 boys, I can see them Kill Perrin.

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I don't see them killing Perrin. 

 

I do see them killing Rand

Memory of Light Spoilers

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I see them killing Rand instead of doing the body swap.  This would also parallel nicely with Egwene's death since their journeys are meant to parallel.  The Dragon's fan and Flame of Tar Valon and all.

 

Edited April 12 by Skipp

[Yamezt]

  On 4/11/2025 at 7:11 AM, JayceDa said:

The wolves have come to help Perrin twice now, why not here? Budget, probably, meh.

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In the books, I think Lord Luc killed the wolves around two rivers - I may be wrong in recalling no wolves helped in that battle in the end  (not really my favourite so my memory may be extra terrible). Though Lord Luc in the show hasn't  really been shown to do anything suspicious that the audience is aware of

[Yamezt]

  On 4/11/2025 at 8:12 PM, Fiona_12 said:

having the power to create a shield like Daise did? No way.

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Actually, I quite like that Daise shield just had holes and was shredded by arrows and she didn't reform the shield as it stayed torn.

 

Egwene when she was finally faltering against Ishy, you can see holes in her shield where the fireballs blew them open  but she reformed the shield to cover the holes (presumably because she has been more trained by the tower or sul'dam)

 

I don't really have an inherent problem with Wilders former a physical shield. Imo it seems less complicated than healing or compulsion and Wilders tend to do those two according to the tower (granted healing in the tv also seem a lot less complex)

Edited April 12 by Yamezt

[Skipp]

  On 4/12/2025 at 9:06 PM, Yamezt said:

In the books, I think Lord Luc killed the wolves around two rivers - I may be wrong in recalling no wolves helped in that battle in the end  (not really my favourite so my memory may be extra terrible). Though Lord Luc in the show hasn't  really been shown to do anything suspicious that the audience is aware of

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I believe you are correct that there were no Wolves to the rescue in tSR.  While Lord Luc may not have been responsible in the show we did see the dead wolves at the Whitecloak camp.

[Kaleb]

Praise for this episode and especially for the whole show in this review: https://www.polygon.com/impressions/557477/wheel-time-episode-7-battle-episode-fantasy

[Mirefox]

  On 4/12/2025 at 8:39 PM, Skipp said:

I don't see them killing Perrin. 

 

I do see them killing Rand

Memory of Light Spoilers

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I see them killing Rand instead of doing the body swap.  This would also parallel nicely with Egwene's death since their journeys are meant to parallel.  The Dragon's fan and Flame of Tar Valon and all.

 

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I’d put money on

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The show keeping Egwene alive.

 

[SinisterDeath]

  On 4/12/2025 at 11:57 PM, Mirefox said:

I’d put money on

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The show keeping Egwene alive.

 

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What's the over under on Maksim making it to the series finale with Alannah?

[DreadLord31]

  On 4/13/2025 at 12:28 AM, SinisterDeath said:

What's the over under on Maksim making it to the series finale with Alannah?

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 They’ve used up only 3 of their 9 lives … (it’s season 3 and at best there is 8 seasons) so I think the odds are good! 😉 

Also, I think my enjoyment of the show increases exponentially when watching “with” other “superfans”. Seeing Daniel Greene react to the episode made me like it more. 

 

[Mailman]

  On 4/13/2025 at 12:28 AM, SinisterDeath said:

What's the over under on Maksim making it to the series finale with Alannah?

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High I think. I think they will want to explore the relationship with Alanna and Maksim and a new warder/lover.

[Gary Again]

Maksim is going to fight Moridin while Rand fights the dark one and if Rand needs any help or guidance Maksim will be there instead of Tam.

[Mirefox]

  On 4/13/2025 at 12:28 AM, SinisterDeath said:

What's the over under on Maksim making it to the series finale with Alannah?

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It depends on Rafe’s real life relationship with the guy because that’s the only reason the role even exists.

[Skipp]

I think Maksim dying might be a solid motivator for Alanna's big book plot. 

 

Along the same subject I wonder what the plan for Lan is.  Will Alanna take that role as well, it seemed to be hinted at in season 1.

[Jaysen Gore]

  On 4/13/2025 at 2:56 AM, Skipp said:

I think Maksim dying might be a solid motivator for Alanna's big book plot. 

 

Along the same subject I wonder what the plan for Lan is.  Will Alanna take that role as well, it seemed to be hinted at in season 1.

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it almost has to be; Alanna's the only sister not involved in the War in the Tower arc who's been built up. Sending Lan to a sister we've never met won't fly

 

and then we get to see Lan and Maksim together and watch the book fandom explode in flames.

[baalsmistress]

  On 4/10/2025 at 11:09 AM, Irvyne said:

* I really like Faile. Loved how she grabbed Perrin by the beard at the end of the episode.

 

* OMG, are they seriously impaling Alanna AGAIN?? And she's being healed by the Cauthon girls AGAIN?? Are they actually serious right now? I can't even.

 

 

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Your other points I have little strong opinion on. 

 

About Faile - damn, but they could not have found a better casting for her. She is absolutely great.

 

On Alanna, what bothers me most about her in the show is the tactical ineptitude she displays. She's a Green. They are supposed to be the battle Ajah and she again went into an unprotected forward position with 2 children and a wilder as support. Nothing to detect or counter being attacked.

 

It just jars with my memory of her from the book striding into the middle of a Shai-do force with her warders and kicking the hell out of them.

 

 

[CaddySedai]

Im just hoping we get more seasons for the inevitable "Main character is now Cadsuane" energy. Its gonna happen. Just wait. My time is nigh.

[SinisterDeath]

  On 4/12/2025 at 11:57 PM, Mirefox said:

I’d put money on

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The show keeping Egwene alive.

 

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I'm just going to put this here.

Pay attention to who the camera focuses on when Moiraine mentions Children, and Queen Eldrene.

 

So if you're really going to put money on that... Consider the Season 1 foreshadowing that they laid into this episode just through Moiraine's speech, and their camera work.

[Mirefox]

  On 4/14/2025 at 9:43 PM, SinisterDeath said:

I'm just going to put this here.

Pay attention to who the camera focuses on when Moiraine mentions Children, and Queen Eldrene.

 

So if you're really going to put money on that... Consider the Season 1 foreshadowing that they laid into this episode just through Moiraine's speech, and their camera work.

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I don’t have enough faith in these writers to foreshadow the next scene, let alone the end of the series.  I’d say time will tell but also don’t have much faith in this show going another season, so we will probably never know.