The only possible thing that I have managed to come up with is the access keys bringing some form of variation to the equation as every other Angreal that we learn about is used simply by holding the actual Angreal.

I don't know about merging Messana and Moggy. The spider and the black Amyrlin does not feel like a very cohesive mix. Semirhage and Mesanna. Gifted doctor and black Amyrlin to mine feels more natural mix.

It's very much a political move as well. Because Siuan and Moiraine where so strong in the power they were always going to be incredibly influential in the Hall and Tower for centuries to come so engendering some good will or relationship with them would ultimately give Eladia more power

All the forsaken were intelligent and talented. But I think with the exemption of Ishy (the true believer) they all made the move to the shadow for mostly selfish reasons.

Why are people not stopping Alanna then. Who would have any reason to stop the blacks that would not have to apply the same reason to Alanna. There are no warders still standing outside the Hall (including Alanna's) when the doors explode, it is possible some of the sisters warders where elsewhere in the tower though.

I have seen your original post a few times before on this forum and others from other posters nearly as a word for word reproduction. I was not taking it as a direct attack on me. I just find it amusing that changing a couple of words makes it just as valid going the other way. You speak of bad faith actors, and yes there are some that attack the show for incorrect reasons. But then you do not comment on the possible bad faith actors on the pro show side. And if you don't think the industry is buying creator content then you are wrong.

I did not remember that quote, thanks for bringing it up. It still feels wrong to me though as my understanding of Angreal is that they are an amplifier only. So if a sister with half of the power of Siuan would die using it, Siuan would die as well because while her original level was twice that of another sister her maximum level is twice that of another sister. The overall power of the Choedan Kal as described during the cleansing of Saidin also seems to indicate that normal channeling would provide no experience or usage buffer that would be meaningful.

The blacks have 1 incredible advantage as well they can lie. They can tell any Aes Sedai or guards they meet that the Amiryln has ordred them to hold the docks and everyone else is to assemble in the courtyard for example.

Some of those who like the show will invent as many ways as possible to apologize for the show, and also hate on those who dare to give criticism of the show, and insult those people as not real fans, because only they know what the books are truly about, what RJ would truly have wanted, and anyone who does not conform to their worldview is some racist bigoted religious nutjob whose sole mission in life is to destroy the show.

The problem with that is 13th depository was close enough to the hall for them to know a fight had broken out. If it could be felt a long way away a huge number of sisters would have arrived and intervened. Why would you need to use backhalls no one outside of the Hall would know exactly what had happened inside and thus no one would have reason to stop those sisters leaving until those stunned raised the alarm. And why would you need to collect the black from the depository as no one knows what she has done at all her movement is assured. It makes more sense for her to leave Tar Valon by herself and meet them at a secondary location. The absolute only reason for them to meet up is if her primary objective was to steal something that facilitates the escape.

But if speedy escape was the goal how did Alanna and her warders get ahead of them again and far enough to be able to just be walking.

I don't think thats book canon Angreals only amplify the power of the actual user. Weak power channelers simply get less of an upper limit. It could be the broken one but that still does not explain who has the knowledge of what it is and if it's broken why would it be stolen.

But no one who had seen them knows what they are I think. The only logical scenario that does not present world breaking issues is if 1 of the male forsaken had it stolen to deny it to the female forsaken because putting it in the hands of the black sisters or a female forsaken would make them basically unstoppable.

I feel Mesaana is almost certain as she is the direct opponent of Egwene. Egwene gets her fights with the leaders of both the black male and female Towers. I don't think Rafe will want to cut this and I don't think it should be either.

I agree from the comments in here and on the youtube comments it seems to be being received very well. I do wonder if that is because the show has completely lost those that don't like the first 2 seasons and they have officially tuned out. No way to tell yet. I just think it could have been so much better. The CGI was great especially in regards to power usage. Fleetwood has exceptional presence. To see sitters reduced to spectators just feels so wrong to me. These are woman that have been forged by passage through the 3 rings had to complete the 100 weave challenge to demonstrate their control of the power under extreme duress in the knowledge that you can die inside those challenges. Have decades and centuries of experience. It just feels wrong.

No it's not. If Moiraine could only take one of the boys it would probably have been Rand. However all 3 boys were attacked specifically by the shadowspawn. Why on earth would she take the risk and not take all 3. I don't think we ever get the story from Moiraines perspective in the first book except during the final page. So we never get her inner monologue as to her beliefs. She continued to question Nynaeve when she arrived in Baerlon about if any of them were born outside. So could still not be 100% sure she had the right person until she could have that certainty it is not only prudent to retain all three but not doing so would be stupid. In the books she plays her cards close to the chest never mentioning the Dragon to them at all and her reasoning for taking them to the eye is putting 3 tav'veren at a crucial place in order to hopefully effect the outcome. They are also separated after Baerleron and only reunite at the near same time as the warning in regards to the eye is revelaed. Expecting Moiraine of the books to solely bank on what could be interpreted as young woman not married is insane. Aiel maidens were forbidden from combat as well so why you would assume that one of them would give birth on the mountain is a big question.

Yes the seachan tested all girls at 14. It has nothing to do with the Black Tower though as no one ever recruited for them so all men with the ability to learn remained in the population for ever. So when Black tower recruitment began they could test the whole population. Seachan was also a 100% unified continent with a Monarchy\dictator that was in charge of all the channelers. Unlike Randland which was many small divisions. If you remember the story in the books of the Seachan Royal family occasionally for cruel entertainment putting the collar on men at court chained to a Sul'Damane and most of the time nothing happened but occasionally both would die screaming that was collaring a man who could learn.

Again if you want to enjoy the spectacle and not think about how the characters react then thats fine. I like things to make sense within the world that has been built. If you want the sitters and sisters of the tower to freeze in the face of danger and be incompetent with the power then that's the showrunner choice ( i dont like it but can accept it). However I think what we will see is the level of competence and power bend to the requirements of the story rather than having it be consistent to the actual character. We have already seen this in show from Moiraine when she is unable to defeat a Fade and around 30 trollocs yet at the end of season 2 is able to destroy 18 ships that have Damane on board. Yes we could go back and forth and I am happy to do so especially if it makes me realise an issue I have missed. And all I have done is provide factual responses to the things that you consider issues and I think where either explained in world or in the case of Mantherens queen potentially poor writing.

Nothing said that the Dragon had to be Aiel. That is why she questioned Nynaeve on if any of the boys were born outside the Two Rivers. You have 3 boys born at nearly the exact same time (when because of Gitaras foretelling the date is your best bit of concrete knowledge) why would you risk leaving 2 of them behind. Especially after all three are targeted by the shadowspawn. He is also only half Aiel the other half is Andoran. Egwene initially travels alongside Moiraine with the Aiel and also during the initial stages they have Kaderes wagons with them. The Aiel also do not travel at maximum speed all the time. They then always travel with the wagons until they return to the wetlands. I think there are always horses with them as Moiraine and Lan are either walking with the wise ones or mounted. I never liked the OP death channeler moments sure maybe you could draw a little too much and could do an extra kick but to wipe out every enemy channeler across an army was bad. The only thing that could explain it is the unreliable narrator. It's possible in the 1000 years since that her counterattack has been exaggerated in handed down stories.

As I have said many time I love the books ( i have probably reread the entire series nearly every year since its release) and I was incredibly excited when it was announced that it was coming to the screen. That excitement soon evaporated when confronted with the quality of the show delivered. I don't remember the scene in the books where 13 Aes Sedai basically stood useless while three of their sisters battled 5 black sisters.

I'd go for Mesaana as she is set up as basically the direct opposite of Egwene as Amyrlin. Demandred is a lock.

Okay thats just not right. The trainable channelers can be drawn from every single age group from approx 14 years old till death. You can only draw inborn spark users from around 14 to maybe 20 to 21 age group at a stretch. So out of 1000 Ashman you have maybe 100 to 150 at most who are in the target age group and only 20% of those would have the spark inborn. So the true number is maybe 20 to 30. So if those 30 say had not gone to the Black Tower 22 of those would have died from power complications leaving only 8 to be neutralized by the Reds.

You do realise that you are agreeing almost point for point the things I have been arguing for while you claim I have it backwards.

Geabril could be any of the other forsaken or a combination of a few of them does not have to be Rahvin

It's getting a big airing because it's a large chunk of content in a barren new season landscape. Its not the worst thing I have ever seen. It's much better than the end of season1 for a start. But it's got issues a lot of which could have been addressed with very little effort to tighten it up. Don't make it so overwhelmingly outnumbered. Don't have all the good guys except the major characters being absolutely useless. If this remains the level of the average (sitter above average i would think) Aes Sedai going forward in the show I will accept that as the showrunners vision (wont like but accept) but my gut feeling is this is not what will happen. I believe we will see the competence of the Aes Sedai vary to suit the script rather than the character.