My thoughts after finishing the series last night (spoilers)

[fionwe1987]

 

At the time the bigger problem with Nyn was the block and lack of temper control. It doesn't do much for the Rebels if their Amrylin can't channel at will and only when she's angry :)

 

The biggest problem with Nynaeve was that she butted heads with Siuan, and Siuan knew there was not a prayer in the world that would let her control Nynaeve. And she couldn't possibly imply otherwise to any sane Aes Sedai.

 

Egwene worked because in her time in the Tower, she came across as polite and eager to learn, but otherwise playing second fiddle to Nynaeve. When Siuan confronted them about being led astray by Liandrin, Nynaeve flared up. Egwene was silent. All those points led Siuan and the rest of the Rebels (especially Sheriam) to think they could install a puppet. Someone strong enough in the Power that she would be seen as a credible alternative to Elaida. Someone associated with the Dragon Reborn, and destined for the Green Ajah, setting her as a polar opposite to the Red Amyrlin. But most of all, someone seen as nice and obedient, so Siuan could market her as a puppet to Sheriam, Romanda and Lelaine, while also be convince she herself would be truly pulling the strings.

 

The people who wanted Cadsuane were going for the polar opposite. The Last Battle had shown them how close a shave they had had with total disaster. It also proved to the Hall that a strong Amyrlin was much preferable to a puppet. Added to that, picking someone who was the Dragon Reborn's chosen advisor, and also respected by the Wise Ones and the Sea Folk, someone who was already a legend, and who had no ties to any of the recent conflicts, was the best choice. Plus, she's of the same Ajah that the former Amyrlin would have chosen.

 

Apart from her weakness in the Power, Moiraine was closely tied to Siuan, and at the current point would have been seen as something of an unknown quantity. Sure, she's a legend. But her greatest deeds aren't exactly too well known. I don't get the feeling Egwene had gotten over her "death" enough to talk of her achievements far and wide.

[BFG]

 

At the time the bigger problem with Nyn was the block and lack of temper control. It doesn't do much for the Rebels if their Amrylin can't channel at will and only when she's angry :)

The biggest problem with Nynaeve was that she butted heads with Siuan, and Siuan knew there was not a prayer in the world that would let her control Nynaeve. And she couldn't possibly imply otherwise to any sane Aes Sedai.

 

Egwene worked because in her time in the Tower, she came across as polite and eager to learn, but otherwise playing second fiddle to Nynaeve. When Siuan confronted them about being led astray by Liandrin, Nynaeve flared up. Egwene was silent. All those points led Siuan and the rest of the Rebels (especially Sheriam) to think they could install a puppet. Someone strong enough in the Power that she would be seen as a credible alternative to Elaida. Someone associated with the Dragon Reborn, and destined for the Green Ajah, setting her as a polar opposite to the Red Amyrlin. But most of all, someone seen as nice and obedient, so Siuan could market her as a puppet to Sheriam, Romanda and Lelaine, while also be convince she herself would be truly pulling the strings.

 

The people who wanted Cadsuane were going for the polar opposite. The Last Battle had shown them how close a shave they had had with total disaster. It also proved to the Hall that a strong Amyrlin was much preferable to a puppet. Added to that, picking someone who was the Dragon Reborn's chosen advisor, and also respected by the Wise Ones and the Sea Folk, someone who was already a legend, and who had no ties to any of the recent conflicts, was the best choice. Plus, she's of the same Ajah that the former Amyrlin would have chosen.

 

Apart from her weakness in the Power, Moiraine was closely tied to Siuan, and at the current point would have been seen as something of an unknown quantity. Sure, she's a legend. But her greatest deeds aren't exactly too well known. I don't get the feeling Egwene had gotten over her "death" enough to talk of her achievements far and wide.

 

I was about to point out that Nyn actually showed more political 'acuteness' early on; when Siuan pulled Elayne on using bad language and Eg flared up, but Nyn caught on to what was really going on, then started wondering if that would be a positive or negative from their point of view. Nonetheless, at the time they chose Eg, they couldn't have chosen Nyn even if they'd wanted to.

[Sabio]

As Aziz said with them being heads of state pretty much rules them out as taking over the tower.  Moiraine was too at the heart of the white tower split to of been chosen.  Cas I think is just what they need to rebuild the tower after the last battle, tough, favorable view of the Asha'man, respected, and won't put up  with the Aes Sedai nonsense that lead to the split.  They still might want someone for a time who wasn't in the tower when it split. So Cas would meet that requirement. 

[Moggy]

Yeah, I didn't like that Lan survived either. That scene was excellent, and Sheathing the Sword was a great way to take down Deman, but Lan just kind of getting back up afterwards was... I don't know, anticlimactic. Going out with a bang, taking a badass like Demandred with him would've been a better ending for his arc IMO. That death would have had a lot more impact for me than, say, Siuan getting roasted by an errant blast of fire.

 

I liked Androl. It was important to build up a few other Black Tower guys, since otherwise it would just be Logain's Tower instead of Taim's Tower. Although, Logain should've had more of a presence, not just in AMoL but the series in general. 

 

I enjoyed RJ's Egwene more than Sanderson's. I liked how her rise to power was mostly a ruse to raise a biddable puppet, and how she turned this around and justified her rule with Siuan's coaching and her own cool head and cunning. But this went too far in TGS. She was too perfect. There wasn't even the slightest hint of ambiguity left, she was just objectively the best thing ever while Elaida was depicted as a one-dimensional monster for contrast.

 

As for Shaidar... I'm not sure. I feel like he was established as the DO's vessel so he and Rand could have had a straight fight if it came down to it, but for whatever reason RJ/BS decided to scrap the idea and go for the cosmic mental war angle instead. I didn't really mind. I was hoping his "marking" of Alviarin would come into play before the end, but eh.

[mb]

Lan had predictions that to me seemed unfulfilled.

-the Viewing of a babe with a sword

-the Viewing of 7 towers

according to Robert Jordan, Viewings are always about the future and never about the past.

 

that first one I interpret as one of Lan's kids becoming a warrior and/or one of them inheriting his sword.

that second one I interpret as Lan getting his kingdom again.