For some reason, I think you’re meant to feel this way. They are all really just beginning their respective heroic journeys. Seems like the writers have really made a point of leaning into the characters’ weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Now we’re meant to see them grow.

They actually did in E7 where Rand is practicing archery. When Egwene is around he is not on target. Then he focuses and there was a little visual effect signifying his concentration which I took to be their effort at depicting Rand finding the void.

This is the lesson Rand needs to learn above all, yes?

Having him learn about the Void from Logain would be pretty cool. He could be training both with the sword and the power as he travels toward Falme. Logain teaches him the Void to control his urges and then he puts two and two together during his fight with Turak.

Or a long time jump. You can make a lot of mileage showing a scene of him beginning training. Cut. Time jump. New training scene where he is greatly improved.

I'm not "blanket defending nonsense", thanks. People jump into rivers from great height. These are villagers who have lived near this particular spot for generation upon generation. They would know the river, it's currents, and when it would be safe to have a ceremony such as this one. It's not like they wander up to some random place and are like, YOLO!!. Okay. Accepted. This community's coming of age ceremony is sometimes dangerous and possibly fatal. Why is this so hard? You can accept that there is a world where people can channel the One Power and where Trollocs exist, but the thought that there would be a potentially fatal coming of age ceremony is a bridge too far? No. First of all, I didn't say "train in cliff jumping". I said training to be "calm and collected". The training is of a spiritual nature - the importance of stillness. Allowing yourself to be carried on the current etc. I can "make these things up" because I can infer things from the scene. Such as the fact that this is obviously a traditional ceremony that has been done many times before. From that fact, I can further infer that they are aware of the dangerous nature of the ceremony and have taken steps to mitigate those dangers to the best of their ability and that Nynaeve's words to Egwene are tied to the lesson meant to be taught by the ceremony. She's surprised that she got yeeted, not that she was going to jump.

No. They take them to a specific location where they know that you can jump into the water and survive if you are calm and collected. Probably because there is a training period (like Catholic confirmation classes) where you learn about the importance of stillness, etc.

In the show, he kept Mat going while he was poisoned by the dagger leading them both to Tar Valon, he saved Egwene from trollocs in the ways, faced Ishamael in the dreamworld at the Eye and made the 'correct' choice to reject the false visions. He faced down a fade and burned it to ashes with the power. He will be meeting with the Amyrlin soon (given what we've seen from the trailer) and will soon face down Turak and have a "battle in the skies" over Falme. He has been bold and heroic at points and sensitive and kind. All just like Rand in the books. Perrin struggles with violence and his strength because he killed his wife in the show. He is conflicted about the way of the leaf, understanding instinctually that violence is sometimes called for and part of nature (dialogue with Aram about the Tinker's dogs) but struggling over his trauma at killing his wife. He has been "weak" in that he hasn't been able to find the resolve to join the battle. But he has been strong in caring selflessly for Egwene. Strong in agreeing to die for her in Valda's tent. And as he spends more time with the wolves, he is beginning to grow into his power. All just like Perrin in the books. Mat is a travesty because of who his dad is? He's different, sure. But he's not a travesty. He has a journey to go through to make it to the Mat who leads the Band. In the books, he had to overcome the dagger and its influence. Here, the evil he has to overcome is more personal.

Are these titles mutually exclusive in your mind? The titles apply, given RJ's established lore about the nature of the Ages. The change is simply that the people of the world also know about and believe in these cycles, to an extent. It's religiosity. Jesus is known interchangeably in the Bible both as the Son of God and the Son of Man. Same here. LTT is both the Dragon and the Dragon Reborn. It's a minor linguistic change.

Unreliable narrators exist. Every word out of a character's mouth does not reflect truth. Moiraine believes that the breaking was caused by men's arrogance. But as the cold open for S1E8 showed, it was also caused by women's reluctance to believe that LTT's plan was worthwhile. So Moiraine's view is not entirely wrong, nor is it entirely right. Liandrin probably believes that she is superior to everyone else. She certainly has acted that way in the show, hasn't she? Despite your deep desire to make these into fundamental changes in the lore, they just aren't.

Rand hasn't been "lessened". Perrin hasn't been "lessened". Mat hasn't been "lessened". Rand is, at this point in the show, the same person he was at this point in the books. Confused, naive, hating the idea of being able to channel, and soon to be in Falme. Perrin is, at this point in the show, the same person he was at this point in the books. Cautious to the point of seeming slow, brooding, afraid of losing control and unclear about what being a wolf-brother means. And soon to be in Falme. Mat has been changed somewhat, but I don't think "lessened". It's just that (as I've said elsewhere), they've inverted his morality. In the books, he is always loyal to his friends, despite the fact that he really doesn't want to be. In the show, he isn't loyal even though he really wishes he was. (And, in the books, Mat really doesn't do anything until after Rhuidean anyway - plenty of room for growth.) The only character I find that criticism valid for is Lan. I agree that they haven't allowed Lan to be the badass he was in the books, to his detriment.

So WAFO. The arc has been set in motion. Clearly, they are going to pay it off. You seem invested in assuming that they won't be able to do it well. If you've been paying attention though, Mat is struggling with his cowardice. Liandrin's little speech had the opposite effect of what she wanted - it got him thinking about what kind of man he wants to be. He almost talked to Egwene. (Progress) And now he has formed a bond with Min. (Emotional hook) I suspect that finding one or both of them in danger will be the catalyst for him to finally do something.

He is leaning into the matriarchal aspects of a series that has a matriarchal edge to it. Why is that so bothersome? If he is "injecting his politics" into the story, I appreciate that he's at least trying to be subtle about it. I have watched plenty of TV shows that are nothing but poorly disguised political polemics. They are literally everywhere. Wheel of Time is not that. The only way it becomes that is if you're emotionally invested in finding it.

As demonstrated when they came out of the ways, Liandrin was knocking the girls out and draping them over their horses. Why is that hard? Especially when you can use the OP to accomplish all the lifting.

Why? He's traveling right now.

Critiquing is not the same as ad hominem. You're a smart person. You know this. So can I. For just about any show you give me. What does this prove? Then do that. And let's have a conversation about it. But I guarantee you that every example of "amateurish" writing that you give me, I can find an example of the same sort of "amateurism" in other popular television. The problem is that complete adherence to the source material is your lodestone. You are bound to be disappointed. For example, you acknowledged liking the actor who plays Masema in The Last Kingdom. Was that show "amateurish" by your standards? How well does it match the source material?

So, what you’re saying is that Perrin is a person who spent most of the series this far frozen by indecision because of a horrible trauma he experienced and that he now shows signs of being able to rise above that trauma? It’s almost as if the writers are trying to, you know, develop him as a character. Weird.

Did I say beyond reproach? I don’t think I did. And I’m getting really annoyed with all of the ad hominem such as “amateurish”. The writing was weak in S1. It has improved considerably in S2. If you think you can do better, let’s see your script.

You owe it to yourself.

Agree to disagree. They're doing fine with Rand so far (and Josha Stradowski is killing it, IMO).

The lead up to EVERYTHING will be more detailed in the books. Cause they’re books.

I wonder if they will project the battle into the sky via shadow puppetry techniques. Large light source on the ground. Rand and Turak/Ishy battle above the light source. That battle is then reflected as shadow on a sky of grey clouds.

Or we can stop trying to compare two inherently different things and simply enjoy each for what it is and try to worry less about what it is not.

He was a mysterious outlander who showed up with a beautiful, mysterious woman at a party. In Cairhien. I'm not debating whether the book was "superior" - these are different media. I'm saying there is nothing at all illogical about the way the show did it.

No. The writers expressly structured season one for Moiraine to be the central figure. Her story is just one of several that are ongoing in S2 and she has not received substantially more screen time than the others (though I'll admit I haven't put a clock on it). And I still have the very strong feeling that Rosamund Pike is the type of person who would be happy to take a break for a season or two to try out other projects and then return to finish off the show. If they choose to go a different route with her, it will probably be because they aren't sure what to do with or whether that story works on screen.