26 minutes ago, ArrylT said:

General question - my wife and I read each of the books when they were initially published starting in 1990 and read the entire series just one time. We can barely remember anything from the books other than the names and characteristics of the main characters - so would you consider us to be non-readers? As we watch the show, we are often saying, " Oh yeah, I kinda remember this from the novels...

I've read them countless times and I clearly don't know all of it.  Based on the details known, I think some of the folks here must have blended the paper pages of the books with Tennessee whiskey, bathed in it and then drank the remains. 

32 minutes ago, Elder_Haman said:

This is the first book. The extent of their romance at this point was - they are now in love. Which is pretty much where we're at in the show.

Agreed.  I just don't love how they got there.

13 minutes ago, Elder_Haman said:

The tv relationship feels 1000% more organic than the one from the books.

Sometimes what we want isn't 1000% organic.  Every girl I know love's "The Sound of Music" How organic is that?  I enjoy the sharp tension between the two in the books much more than what I see in the series.

33 minutes ago, TheDreadReader said:

For Algemar... they have to find a way to show how the general population of the westlands mistrust the Aes Sedai.   Adding in a little mistrust and antagonism from the Borderlanders is pretty easy way to show it.

Borderlanders hold the Aes Sedai in very high esteem.

22 minutes ago, DermidAjala said:

Amalisa was always his sister.

My bad....

Overall, I liked this episode and for me it was easily the best so far.

Blood snow - Awesome.  My non-book reader wife loved it too.  "She's a bad ass".  Tam showed up as a good guy.  Almost all I needed for Christmas.  The folks on here had me convinced he was going to kill Tigraine.

Fever dream - Too short but it filled in a couple of gaps.  Should have been in the first episode.  I've never agreed with the 'who's the dragon' hide and seek game this series has played.

Mat has darkness inside him?  I don't write well enough to share my disgust with that change to his character.  I don't care where they are trying to go with it. 

Algemar - Why is he an antagonistic ass?  Why swap his wife with a little sister?

The Ways - underwhelming CGI but not a huge problem.  The voices were great.

The Triangle - Stupid.  Perrin is a waste so far.  All he does is stumble around with a sad face.

Lan/Nyneave - Too Early.  I still like her in this series but her behavior is muddy in the series compared to the books.  I don't know how to better describe that but an example is her dialog by the lake - something like I've already put myself out there more than is proper....  Here, she follows him and then later goes into his room.  Directionally similar, but not as interesting to me.  Think about Hailey Steinfeld in True Grit.  Very sharp tonged with biting wit.

The blight -  Very disappointing.

Perrin's Eyesight- Glad they brought it up but I like Jordan's version better.  Rust from a distance not only demonstrating eyesight but that a family had been wiped out and their possessions left behind to disintegrate.

Rand- At one point, someone is talking about Rand and my wife says "Which one is Rand again?".....  Glad he is revealed.  His remembrance of using the power was a bit rushed but at this point, they didn't really have much choice.  I would have traded the whole warder death/bond downside/Lan shirt rip arc with Rand and Mat on the ship with Tom.

Rand's Archery- He should have been shooting at a much greater distance.  He should have been better even before he achieved the flame and void.  He should have had to explain what he was doing with the flame and void, maybe in front of Lan.  Lan could have given him a bit of borderland kingly wisdom about duty.

Looking forward to the finale but not sure how they are going to show a HUGE battle given the way they've done things so far.

Fairness in advertising...

RJ described many of the characters as very, very good looking.  It's hard to live up to  the image in my head.  Real life just doesn't work that way.  The actors playing Egwene and Nynaeve were probably both the most attractive kids in their schools growing up, yet they aren't quite up to what I've always envisioned.  I think that's really MY issue to deal with.  A 'Hollywood' adaptation may have gone down my path, this isn't a typical "Hollywood" cast with the exception of Pike.

What about Bella Thorne for Av...

On 12/15/2021 at 3:41 AM, Mailman said:

A young Timothy Olyphant would have been perfect for Mat. Circa 1999 Go

 

Got that real lanky look and we know he likes his hats.

 

 

Best idea for Mat yet.

5 hours ago, Jaysen Gore said:

Siuan had repeated dreams of the DO escaping at the Eye, and getting stronger. Conveyed in Dreamshard section. You were probably distracted ?

Plan to use the ways was off camera, after the scene were Moiraine meets Loial in the WT. I expect Ways backstory in Ep 7

No. And the urgency was greatly undercut by happy fun time before getting back to work.

Yes.  They're trying to skip to the end - Dragon confronts DO, everyone not the Dragon dies, the Dragon defeats the DO. War won at the the cost of 6 lives. The end. Series over. 

 

It's why I love the fact in the books that Logain is moving his army towards Tear to force fulfillment of the prophecies and become the DR. But in the show's case, the AS are trying to have the DR beat the DO without fulfilling  (or even knowing) any. Both scenarios are willfully ignoring the inevitability of what must happen in order to get what they want to happen. The whole Ta'veren have less freedom than normal people thing plays here, hard, and the show hasn't gotten into that yet. 

Thank you to all that helped me fill the holes in my memory without having to go through the red framed doorway...  I don't know if I nodded off during all of that but when the episode ended, I just couldn't figure out the chain of events that had the whole group standing in front of the waygate.

Sincere request.  I haven't had the time to re-watch ep 6 and I just cant remember the specifics of what happened...  What was the justification for going through the ways?

Where did the thought come from that the dark one is at the eye?

Where did the plan to use the ways come from?

Was there any real discussion on the danger of the ways and why speed was so needed?

Did they shift from 'shaitan is trying to blind the eye", to "let's deal with shaitan at the eye"?

1 hour ago, fra85uk said:

what they did to Mat is beyond belief.

My favorite character turned into one I can't stand.

29 minutes ago, DigificWriter said:

 

We will see.

I also think this will continue to be the Moiraine show.  Bummer.

Don't get me wrong.  She's a great actor.  I'm just not interested in the continued focus on her or her story.

4 minutes ago, fra85uk said:

"No but look Dumai's well was not so important in the book. The fact that they replaced it with inserit random BS from Rafe - is actually an improvement. I never really liked it from the beginning"

If I was good at making memes.............

If we even get Lini, I'll do cartwheels.  I love the idea of the Rock giving Elayne some much needed, folksy advice that includes "Do you smell what I have cooking"!

18 hours ago, KakitaOCU said:

Spoiler

What does Abell actually do in the books?
He shows up as Tam's follower essentially in Book 4.  Which he can still do.
He mostly follows in Tam's shadows, making a few lines but otherwise accomplishing nothing directly.
He then has a few small cameos where he does nothing of importance.

What does Natti actually do in the books?
Get Captured with her daughters.
Get rescused.
Have a few small cameos where she does nothing of importance.

The change does nothing to the Narrative.

I wouldn't have cared about leaving them out.  Very easy to have Mat talk about his dad being a good horse trader even though he was never on screen.  To fundamentally change the people that they were, and thereby Mat's upbringing is what I have a problem with.  It changed who Mat was as a character.  He went from a scamp to a disillusioned protector.

Siuan's book meeting with him left SOME doubt.  Will he be the type who goes into the fire or won't he?  I won't argue that the first actor turned in a solid performance.  It just doesn't represent my version of Mat.

I love Tim Curry.  What about as 

I didn't get to see this episode until Friday night and was traveling over the weekend so my comments are not timely.  Apologies.....

All that time dedicated to Moraine and Siuan?  Loial is just a prop for who knows what reason.  So many things that have been given short shrift or passed over completely.  His presence at this point is confusing.   Why bother with him at all?  He doesn't help get them into the ways, doesn't really explain them, bah!  I also really like the carved wooden hands they've given him.

Anyhow, I know this ground has been covered by those more eloquent than me.  We are also fairly well dug into our WWI trenches.  I'll keep watching as long as they keep making it but I'm not happy with it by any measure.

On 12/12/2021 at 12:36 PM, Chivalry said:

Caemlyn, Rand goes before the Queen...Elaida declaring that the world will fall into strife, and "this man stands at the heart of it". Gareth Byrne stating emphatically that Rand's heron-marked blade belongs with him, and he with it. That whole scene still gives me goosebumps.

Very sad to have this as well as his interactions with Elayne, Galad and Gwyane.

On 12/11/2021 at 2:27 AM, JaimAybara said:

Perrin -The personality, physique, and the beard of Wes Chatham who plays Amos in the Expanse was my head canon Perrin. I like his vibe, strong acting, solid beard, got that crazy look nailed down from time to time. 

Good pick.  This fits my mental image as well.  

10 hours ago, Lan the Man said:

Rand , Moiraine, and Lan are fine in My book.

Nynaeve grew on me before I gave up on the TV show, although there was no need to change her race. 

I would have had  Alexender Ludwig from Vikings as Perrin and just died his hair black. 

Someone like a younger Ryan Reynolds would be perfect for Matt

Lily James as Egwene - YES!

Adam Baldwin from Chuck and Firely as Tam Al Thor

Angela Bassett as Suian

A younger Amandha Righetti as Avienda - Outstanding!

Kelly Reilly as Morgase

Natalie Alyn Lind as Elayne - I can get there!

Matt Bomer as Galad  - Yes!

Alexandra Daddaroio as Lanfear - She's too much of a 'white hat' in my mind.  Gal Gadot or a young Susan Lucci

10 hours ago, Lan the Man said:

 

That's all that pop right into my head

 

41 minutes ago, KakitaOCU said:

No, we see through it because we know the plot and what's going on.  Most sisters see Tar Valon as home and never want to leave.  Why would anyone want to leave the best city in the world where they have unlimited money and power and authority?  The idea is unthinkable and so they don't see through the deception.  You can see Alanna's tears and Maigan's anger over it.  They see it as a death sentence essentially.

Cadsuane rarely visited the tower.  Many sisters were away for long periods.  Death sentence?

1 hour ago, henfen said:

I'll keep watching.  Sorta like watching a trainwreck.  I do sincerely hope that non-readers are enjoying it.  Episode 4 was the only one I didn't wish would hurry up and end before making it worse.

Best laugh I've had all week.

14 hours ago, phoenixtrinity said:

Edit to clarify: I understand there are many reasons people don't like the show, and I respect that. I am mainly feeling a bit overwhelmed by the number of comments about the little things.

I think folks on both sides of the argument are feeling bombarded by the other side.  Things I feel are big departures are discounted or I'm told they are really the same as what's in the books, or I'm told they help with character development in a shorted format.  Little things that paint a broader picture of tone are discounted as 'pedantic'.

56 minutes ago, Gothic Flame said:

I always had a thing for Audrey Hepburn...

That casting would be dead on.