My opinion on S1: Got off to an unsteady start and failed to find its stride, face planting at the end. My opinion of S2 so far: It's come out of the gate strong. If season two maintains its quality as a TV show I could move this to my "would recommend" column. It's a quite liberal adaptation. I'd gobble up fourteen seasons of a near shot for shot adaptation of the books. But I've come to accept it. I think there are good justifications for why this is what we get, which helps me accept it. I honestly don't believe he's changing things just for the sake of changing things. I think there are legit reasons in terms of the scope executives were willing to greenlight, budget, actor commitments.... My opinion of Rafe as a showrunner has improved. I know there are concerns about the changes, but putting interpretation aside, and just in terms of "good television" and writing... I had some doubts after season one. Those doubts are starting to be out to rest.

I'm going to put this in spoiler tags as it doesn't just say "expect full book spoilers" but says "expect full book spoilers ON THIS TOPIC". Does that mean full books? Or just all books on these plot poonts?

I've only seen S2E1 so far. How much mileage you get out of it is going to depend on what bothered you (if anything) from season one. I'm very pleased with significant improvements to production, from the writing and cinematography and costuming. There were a lot of complaints about the first season feeling like a young adult CW show, and I did not get that at all from this episode. If your complaints were about how the story is being distilled into episodes, then I think people will be disappointed. I wrote earlier today that ultimately Rafe has to plot this show to fit into far less episodes than it would take to make a high fidelity adaptation. That's just a fact of the matter. I was pleased with the interpretation of characters. Perrin being the one to write letters, and him holding onto his wedding ring both felt very "Perrin" to me. I'm curious how they'll go about reintegrating Mat into the plot. The red ajah/Liandrin capture was predicted, but I wasn't counting on it. I'm excited to see where this goes. I like the episode a lot more than the trailers. It exceeded my low expectations.

As a Catholic I find your comparison to the White Cloaks offensive, but you know...

I haven't seen any of S2 yet, might start in a moment. But I'm going to harp on there being only 64 episodes (optimistically) to tell the whole story, which means conveying the same motifs and general arc outlines of the sprawling book story (in which a significant amount is told through character's internal thoughts) in a relatively very short run time. And this means recapitulating all of the feels, lore, and development into different scenes which make the same point even if entirely original, and sometimes points that were spread out across different books and scenes all need to be made within the same TV scene. The writing decisions ultimately fall on Rafe, but there is a hard truth that this adaptation has to be planned as shorter than it would need to be to have very high fidelity to the books. That's just the reality of the situation, and a constraint Rafe needs to work within. I'd love a more shot for shot version, but this is what we get at this time. And just because what I wrote in my first paragraph is true, it doesn't of course mean the execution will be good. The actual execution is a whole different kettle of fish.

Sorry for the double post. I've now watched the video. Again, I'll comment in YouTube as well, but each point you make is substantive and I agree very much. I especially like what you said about tGH being a better book than EotW. I haven't reflected on this in awhile, but during the run up and early episodes of S1, I did speak to EotW being a more awkward and difficult book to adapt to television. And that had completely slipped my mind until now, but it is absolutely valid. It's certainly an opportunity for a more directed and purposeful TV plot. I haven't watched your channel before, but I'll add that I appreciate this video being focused, substantive, and to the point. It was not long winded like some things I've seen.

I haven't watched the video yet, though I plan to. I definitely think this season can be much better, though whether a person likes it or not will depend on what bothered them about the previous season. My thoughts on why it will be better than season one are: No COVID lockdown issues affecting directing, writing, and visual effects quality. No cast issues (hopefully) A lot of the initial investment is finished and more time and money can be spent on actual episodes. Opportunity to review what worked and didn't work in season one and adjust. More time for script writing without (hopefully) last minute rewrites due to circumstances. Overall I think it'll be a much better executed package. I don't think there is reason for those who disagree with certain changes from the books to expect an about face on that. Edit: I'll add YouTube comments later.

Multiple pedestals with the ancient symbol of the Aes Sedai are standing, and one is toppled. Does this signify the Seven Seals? I'm counting six total. Though they might have just changed the number of Seals. Or maybe one is just harder to find.

I have in my head that Telamon, LT's third name, means Heart of the World/Worldheart. I feel pretty confidently about this from ancient discussions on the forums, but now am having trouble sourcing it. Dragon is aman, not amon. We find "tel" in Tel'Aran'Rhiod for world of dreams, and amon also in Ba'alzamon (Heart of the Dark; this is the Trolloc tongue, but it would have been derived from the Old Tongue). He was given his third name before the drilling of the Bore, the Decline, and War of Power. Dragon, I believe, was a separate title given to him as the appointed war leader for the Light. This was not in reference to his soul, but was just a title. It gained its prophetic significance after the Breaking through many foretellings about his rebirth, and looks to build more of a religious significance in the Fourth Age (according to the little excerpts we get at the beginning and end of books). EDIT: I found a source from RJ that Telamon does not mean Dragon or The Dragon. https://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=183

I can't say I'm hyped by the trailer, but I'm still open to the season. I was on board with most of season one. It wasn't my dream adaptation, but I accepted it. Though it kind of finished on a huge dud for me. Part of that can be attributed to actor and lockdown issues, and last minute rewrites. If S2 can be more of (most of) S1 but higher in quality and at least execute their vision well (S1E8 was not a well executed vision), I'll be okay. I should give the S2 trailer a few more watches.

Pretty sure the Oaths became a thing after the Trolloc Wars, not Hawkwing, due to distrust created from all the Dreadlords.

Brown: Scholarship. Interested in preserving/archiving history and other knowledge. White: Philosophers, logicians, theologians Yellow: Healers, the art of healing. Green: Battle against the Shadow. Red: Preventing another Breaking by gentling male channelers, as no other method has been found. Gray: Diplomacy, mediation, politics. Blue: Devotion to particular causes within the outside world, justice. I'd say a belief that Aes Sedai need to really involve themselves. The Ajahs weren't made by the Tower, so much as they are what are left of the original factions that founded the tower, and their beliefs about what Aes Sedai should be devoted to.

Actually, it was Rand who made the gateway to T'A'R while following Ishy. Rand's narrative is broken up by other POVs. After he beats Ishy he finds himself back in the real Stone with a battle going on around him but the architecture of the Stone restored.

Regarding Rand splitting balefire, it's been a couple years since I've reread the scene, but hadn't they crossed over into T'A'R? Rand believed he could deflect the balefire weave, so he did. Rand did not know about T'A'R, nor was he aware he was there, but I thought they crossed through some type of strange gateway Ishy had created with the True Power between the real world and T'A'R.