I am one of the resident naysayers but never begrudge anyone who likes the show. Anecdotal as it is, I had three friends who read this series multiple times since high school or college, all of which went through all the stages of grief as they watched it, and the newcomers who just read it prior to the show who couldn’t stand it, there was 7 of us total for our watch parties. With that said, if you do/did I envy you and am happy you’re having a good time. I’ll go over the good which I did find some/and the bad from my perspective. Some from season 1 and now that I’ve seen all of season 2, from it as well. Things done well: 1. Egwene’s character development. Great job in covering how channelers are perceived by the Seanchan as well as the horrors of the a’dam. Really solid work. 2. Elayne’s personality and her noble air were fantastic. I think they leaned a little too much into the “privilege” aspect of the high born concept, and made me roll my eyes a bit when she walked into Egwene’s room and and couldn’t figure out it wasn’t already furnished, but somehow could identify two rivers stitchwork on the blanket, it was weird she was so observant and yet oblivious at the same time, but when she stood up to Sheriam and nobly took her punishment, that was done quite well and her personality seems right on the money. 3. The performance from the new actor who plays Mat. Loved the cheekiness he brought to the screen, he genuinely made me laugh and smile, but wish the script helped him more in achieving this goal. 4. Practical Effects of Trollocs were pretty good. 5. Whitecloaks costume design also got a huge facelift from what I remember from season 1 to season 2. Things I don’t think were done very well: Both seasons regularly malign the men to elevate female counterparts or merely focus on them and before people come at me like this is an invention of the mind or made up… 1) Perrin Kills a wife he never had. (Horrible choice and terribly executed Fridging). 2) Rand either severely wounds or kills someone for being mean, and sleeps with Lanfear. He never slept with Lanfear in the series and rejected her as Selene. 3) Mat wounds Rand and even after healing isn’t really helpful. 4) Rand’s big moment in both Eye of the World and The Great Hunt are either given to the women or greatly reduced and he requires saving. The men all come off as incompetent at best or are just kind of there... it’s like they are passengers in their own plot lines. It’s only highlighted further when they spend the majority of the time with the ladies and really only give them the positive screen time. The director even admitted to Egwene to being his favorite, which is fine, but I don’t think there is really any argument to be had that her story wasn’t the best of season #2…while the guys in comparison are all hardly getting any impactful screen time. The men also require being saved when they weren’t in the books, and they kill off characters that never died for a desperate attempt at “dramatic effect.” The Magic system is also extremely inconsistent or not explained well. Moiraine had an inverted weave used on her for a shield, but there’s no reason she wouldn’t be able to sense the source, just wouldn’t be able to access it. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of how the magic system works from the writers. I loved the animated shorts compared to the live action and honestly think 10 seasons of that animation style would have been absolutely incredible. I wish I got 50 min episodes of that. It was done so well. The scale, the lore, the pacing, the artwork, did anyone else feel that way? 17 minutes of animated shorts wasn’t enough. Excuses I see used too often: 1. “We had to cut characters for time.” Yet they had enough time to add entire episodes for characters that weren’t present or stories that they completely invented. 2. “It’s a new turning of the wheel.” Even if I wanted to subscribe to this, it’s not. A new turning would be new lives, potentially having Perrin, Rand, and Mat as distant memories. At best this is a reflection world, or a world of what could have been…which was also something they cut completely from the story. 3. “This was to streamline the plot and create character development,” okay then…how come such techniques for character development weren’t used for any of the women? Why are all the terrible behaviors and horrible parents, and things of the like reserved for the men? Sure, family died for Nyneave, but how come Egwene didn’t have some vice added and her mom wasn’t a thieving drunk? Or how come Elayne didn’t accidentally kill her brothers? These are extremely lazy and negative tropes, that they only felt necessary for the men to experience and this was done with intent. Rand only learned the sword off screen when he should have been taught by Lan, and they added a convoluted story about him being an aid at a mental health facility of some kind, they turned the really cool subplot of the invitations and Daes Dae’Mar into a tepid scene at best, (he should have been with Hurin and Loial), they gave him a throwaway line about “Cat Crosses the Courtyard,” to imply he’s learned the sword, he was easily knelt and shielded by a single Aes Sedai, either extremely wounds or kills someone who although not a good person was out of character for him especially at this point in the story, he slept with Lanfear and needed to be saved by Moiraine when he rejected her as Selene in the book, subsequently they cut the blademaster duel, as well as Ingtar’s redemption arc, and Rand’s shining moment against Ishamael. Rand is proven to be incapable again and the miracle that reveals him to the world is extremely underwhelming. Mat had the introduction to his prowess with the bowstaff literally given to Nyneave. It easily could have introduced Galad and Gawyn, but they needlessly show Nynaeve fighting with a sword instead and keep Mat locked in the basement forever... Instead of having him locked up it would have been a perfect time to show us he’s gained luck at taverns…fighting Galad and Gawyn, meeting Hammar…having a flashback to his dad teaching him. Etc. The female characters already have amazing moments, but every single one now for the men in two seasons have been either given to the women, watered down, or flipped it into they need to be saved. I think you would be hard pressed to say the most impressive stories in both seasons didn’t involve Egwene, Nynaeve, or Moiraine. As for Perrin…his entire character was gutted in the first episodes of the show, he is more depressing of a character now than he ever was in Winter’s Heart or the “slog” and they haven’t even begun to show us how he is going to climb out of his mental hole, and I’m not sure they can. Two entire seasons to barely touch a weapon…hell he hasn’t even been depicted as an effective blacksmith yet really. I remember his wife working the forge more than he did, and maybe he was looking around a bit in Fal Dara at forges? Also, when he saved Gaul in the book the cage it is depicted as many feet up in the air that took multiple men to set into place. In the show it’s not even a foot off the ground and it’s Aviendha. He should have killed whitecloaks in season 1 when they were captured and should have been the one that broke them out, not Egwene. Also, it would have been perfectly fine for the actual struggle he had to be killing whitecloaks and not a fake wife he never had…that was seriously unforgivable and was advised against by Sanderson…and his character has been so lost ever since due to that creative choice. Unlike some, I’m not always opposed to fridging if done well…but this was not only an invented act of fridging that didn’t move the character forward, it completely changes the character. If anything, he has been the most stagnant character in the entire show now, barely even touching an axe that he could have had the entire time had they just told the story as it was written in the book. other characters that were done dirty in both seasons: (side note, any time something is critiqued for the ladies I’ve seen, it’s because they were given an ability or do something that they didn’t have/do. It’s a negative due to an additional trait or action, whereas the men’s negatives are always due to either a negative trait being given to them or a skill being nerfed or completely removed). Uno: the character that was arguably the most faithful to the books in the entire show gets curb stomped on a horn… Ingtar: A subplot about redemption is completely forgotten nor is he even given memorable lines as a character. Bran: You wouldn’t know he was the mayor of Emond’s Field or that the village Council is the male counterpart to the Women’s Circle. Hurin: A Great tertiary character who is just a servant/Normal dude who when told by the heroes of the horn there is no shame in not fighting pulls out his weapon to ride with Artur Hawkwing and the heroes of old…and beams* with pride when Artur says something to the tune of, “we sometimes add to our ranks,” Such a cool moment. (This couldn’t happen because we didn’t introduce Elyas when we should have, and we had to have Moiriane’s family drama that never happened eat up time). Elyas: Introduced late and should have challenged the way of the leaf in season 1 in order to push Perrin’s character development way earlier. It would have also given great discussions to be had as a viewer reader or not. Violence or non-violence? Instead of hearing two great arguments from different sides, we got a monologue from one perspective. Loial: Literally had all of his purpose given to Moiraine. Hardly ever lends knowledge to the viewer especially regarding prophesy when he would be perfect for it. He Looked to be stabbed with A Shadar Logoth dagger but apparently is okay now. Agelmar: Season 1) killed. One of the Five great captains, and in the book was deeply respectful of women and revered the Aes Sedai, was reduced to a sexist and arrogant fool. Abel: Season 1) Went from being a father who taught Mat about horse trading, Bowstaff fighting, and walking to Tar Valon with Tam to find their boys…to a Drunken, cheating, coward, who left his daughters to be eaten by Trollocs. Yes, he didn’t have a ton of page time, but this was just another example of character assassination that wasn’t necessary. If anything, showing him use a staff at Bel Tine earlier would have explained Mat’s skills more effectively later. Tam: Season 1) Went from taking on multiple Trollocs by himself at the farmhouse to not even being able to take on 1 without help. He’s a blademaster, expert archer, and competent Bowstaff fighter…but not made to be on screen. Tigraine on the other hand, takes on 7 assailants while giving birth… nerfing of the men, elevation of the women. Lan: Season 1/2) Gets bested constantly in combat, has Nynaeve sneak up on him and get a knife to his throat, then has to ask her how to track Moiraine…because “she has a tell,” has his speech ruined by immediately having him sleep with her after he gives it, has his tea drugged by his friend who he was supposed to be guarding who then kills themself…this guy is supposed to be one of the best warriors in the world and it never comes off that way. Anyways, I hope this articulates some of my grievances, as well as show some of the things they did do well. I do think Rings of Power is worse, “I aaaaaaam Gooooooood!” Lolol, but they didn’t have the Silmarillion to work off of directly, this show literally had all the books to draw from. At least Rings of Power has that excuse. Regardless, may you always find water and shade, enjoy yourself with the show, and if not, dive back into the books or audiobooks. Cheers.