In the books, Toveine (Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah leading the failed expedition to end the Black Tower) knows that you do not need line of sight to weave, but most of the men she's encountered don't know that, so when she's shielded she tries to flee out of sight. In her experience the men (who in the past had nor formal training) would be unable to hold the weave once she was out of sight. But that was just their ignorance lack of training, because it is possible.

I'm not upset with some things being changed, but I do agree a lot of S2E8 felt cringe to me. Part of that may just be trying to translate parts of the books to screen, I find the ending of TGH a little awkward in that respect, but I think a lot of it involved some sloppy writing choices after what I feel was a mostly improved S2. S2E8 didn't burn me the way S1E8 did. I'm still invested. But I'm hoping the quality doesn't peak here. I hope it continues to improve.

Maybe if RoP S2 bombs then WoT S4 can get its budget. I can dream.

I've my criticisms of the series and this last episode, but what they're doing is very standard in the industry. Writers aren't expected to have that level of knowledge of source material and sometimes intentionally avoid it to have fresh perspective or not get biased in how they write. It's frustrating, but it's normal. Usually the main showrunners are in the know.

Okay, I've been parsing it a bit. I think they hit some okay beats with 8, but really much of the plotting for this episode feels like a mess to me. I get some things for cinema need to be done for effect rather than logic, but there are limits to that if it starts breaking people's suspension of disbelief. I am not souring on the series like I did after season one. But I think Ep 8 is probably in the bottom half of S2 episodes for me. Haven't read the topic yet. Immediately after viewing is always mixed feelings. They weren't able to avoid a significant amount of cheesiness, but I still think as a whole we have a much stronger package than season one, and I think Rafe has said that primary shooting on this season was completed before season one even aired. Here's hoping we're still on an upwards trajectory. Gosh the heroes were so corny. There was a nod towards Amerasu. I'm sure that was intentional given Jordan's talk outside the books of how she was a major hero in his mythology. Ishy isn't dead. 99% certain of that. It's just another illusion like he did with Mat. Really weird he'd just stand there and let Rand stab him if it wasn't. I really wanted to see Rand do more, though. I have to hope we're going to escalate to that as we go. Gotta hand it to the power of friendship moment at the end. I think I'm being sarcastic with that. Not sure. Gotta process it. Most of my processing for S2 has resulted in an overall positive opinion. Fresh off watching I'm still stuck on the books. Still, there were some bad choices made in it all. Oh and Hopper's drawn out death was tough. Saddest moment in the series so far.

Finishing up, just paused it, but I feel so bummed that Lan finally gets his moment but I'm sitting her wondering why a squad of random soldiers decided to just attack two people walking on the beach without any questioning.

I can actually see taking Rand's duel with Turak and making it a moment for Lan to shine. Rand is in the duel. Perhaps shielded (?) and Turak toys with him. He's losing. Lanfear swoops in and takes the fight, finally looks useful. Rand realizes he really needs more training, Lan teaches him swordplay between S2 and S3 with some nod to that being made end of this season or start of the next.

Lanfear does not like to share.

I agree the collar design is stupid for exactly the practical purposes cited, I imagine that was far from their mind when they wanted something more visually striking. I wonder if dresses could be unlaced and pulled down, then a clean dress pulled up under the collar. Not trying to be voyeuresque, lol. Just wondering if there is a logistical way it could work.

I had the same impression. I guess they could try to just do the first few books in full, then absolutely just condense/remove much of the back half. But my thoughts are yours. They could do Tear very early next season. Much of the journeys these characters have been on developmentally have incorporated parts of book three, even if the actual plot events have not yet been brought forward. Then dive into the Wastes. Or maybe Callandor will be pushed back quite of bit, out of order, or not see it at all. Maybe merge it with the great sa'angreal so there's only one that Rand uses. I'm just spit balling.

Take the scene from Fellowship with Gandalf researching in Gondor, but substitute Lan in.

There's just little sloppy things like that (Lan having read it in a book) which feels so easily resolved by him being given some comment by Verin. S2 is a step up from S1 in many regards, but there are little things which just seem off.

Do we have a runtime for S2E8? I don't know if those are revealed in advance. I really feel like 60 minutes can't do justice to the remaining plot points.

Lanfear causing chaos and not just creating a gateway to Rand, while I was wondering about why Lanfear was doing as she did, but there is a sense and foreshadowing to it.

People thinking Moiraine was only shielded didn't just get lucky. They could have been wrong, true, but her only being shielded wasn't a retcon pulled out of thin air. There were bread crumbs, some more apparent to book readers, that left things murky. The simplest and most logical resolution to the collar is that there is a secret to it that hasn't been revealed yet that allows its removal, and the people in charge don't want to lower the stakes by just telling us before it's shown. Currently the only way out we've been shown so far is that the wearer dying allows it to be removed. It is consistent with the books that there be a simpler way, but it also just makes the most sense, too, rather than have another seeming healing from death occur. I suppose severing would probably work, too. I don't think the show would make shielding have the same effect, that has weird plot ramifications if it does, but who knows.

In the books it's just a collar and doesn't expand into a shoulder piece, and has a latch that the damane can't touch but which another not wearing a collar who knows what to look for can unclasp. The show... Well, Egwene isn't going to be killed, so there probably is some other trick that the sul'dam can reveal. Though the collar they have was probably obtained from the damane dying.

Motion smoothing?! Vivid picture settings?! Color saturation set to cool?! Give me that remote now.

Whenever I go over someone's house I have the resist the urge to mess with their TV's display settings. Even just to poke around and troubleshoot.

What Siuan did in no way broke her oaths. We see Aes Sedai tie people up with air, pin people against walls with their feet off the ground, switching people with weaves of air, to pick up and toss hard objects at people, all in the books. They don't view these types of things as weapons. Weapon has a much more narrow definition, presumably more along the lines of maiming and killing.

The screenshots and clips I see from other people are all at least twice as dark as what I actually see on my TV. It's weird. I guess I just stealth bragged but it's surprising to me.

Ishy wanted Moiraine alive. Lanfear gave the order to Liandrin to have her killed by Barthanes.

Siuan does just that to Nynaeve in the books.

Gitara's delivery didn't exactly sell me either. Definitely did not have the gravity and momentum it did in the books. Overall I think I liked the episode, though.

Hmm... I like and dislike them leaving with Lanfear. I see how it can work, but it still rankles a bit. Rand had a sort of truce with her at times... Feels like a change for Moiraine to be with a Forsaken. But maybe not. It's just more explicit and direct. She was aware of Asmodean. And Lanfear and Ishy aren't exactly playing the same game. Some of their means may overlap a little. BUT WHAT ABOUT MAT COME ON? WHERE'S MY BOY? Even with these changes, I feel like this show could really use ten episodes a season for pacing and development purposes.

There's our confirmation.