My only thought is if they are going to bring in an outside force I could see them bringing in an Ogier force based on Loial speaking at a steading or them coming to save Loial. I am not that much of a fan of this but if they were to use an outside force to save the day then I could see them doing this. Alanna going super Aes Sedai maybe? Don't like it though. The fact that the whitecloaks are fighting with the 2R seems to indicate a fairly fundamental shift in that dynamic from the book.

If thats the case it will be interesting to see if they rework his reasoning to move on Tear from proving he is the dragon to something else. Because if they keep it that would put it at the end of season 4 unless they are going to do away with any build up surrounding Callandor and halfway through the series is quite late for him to accept that he is the Dragon. His sense of finding out who he is does not feel like it has been built up massively in the show either.

Possibly it could have done those things I just don't think they ever had the time to develop it.

I already said i find it unlikely that Rand after the training he had should be able to defeat a blademaster. I was simply saying we actually have zero indication of just how good a swordsman Turak is. The only point of reference is Rands POV. If for example they do not use the flame and the void as part of sword fighting in Seachan then I think he would have a good chance as it is an amazing advantage. Turak is certainly arrogant enough to also overestimate himself remember he thinks the armed men in possession of the horn will simply hand it over without question or a fight. And the fact that Rand is being beaten until he enters the void is maybe a slight possible indication that Turak does not use it.

I get that but thats black and white. Trying to convince yourself that you are not killing someone when you push them out a window or causing a fiery serpent to crash down nearly on them is entirely something else.

What a load of rubbish you are comparing a sword fight where they actually fight back and forth with the underdog having been trained by the best swordsman in the world with no indication of the opponents true skill level. To a scene in which 13 of the most powerful Aes Sedai in the world tested and trialled to be resolute to remain calm in the face of unbelievable pressure stand around as useless as pieces of furniture. The equivalent comparison is Turak standing shocked by Mat's dagger killing his guard till Rand walked up and stabbed him. There is no arc so far in the show that is better than the books. The very best arc of the show so far was Egwene's time as Damane. As TV it was good, very very good performance from Madeleine and the arc was strong apart from her using the A'dam to kill. However the book arc for the same section is better. Some of this is having more than just 1 episode to develop it but i also think the decision to leave her stranded in the A'dam is if anything darker and colder than killing her and improves the closure.

I don't know about making the oath that vague could you then say I made the metal explode in the armour but that's armour not people or I used air to push them out the window, but it was gravity that killed them.

The truly important battle in this scene is not actually the fight between swords it is Rands fight with himself. The risk to enter the void and the temptation of Saidan waiting within vs the risk of Egwene and the horn being taken is the true heart of this scene. This is all completely missing from the showthat is why it has no meaning apart from key jangling for book fans. Do i think it likely that Rand could defeat a true blademaster probably not but we never get any indication of Turak's true ability do those in Seachan have different levels for a blademaster, do they use the void. I don't know we have people here arguing Rand got skills from the flicker stone do I know if thats true no, personally I doubt he got skilled up in that. Personally if i was leaning towards a skill or learning advantage i would go for a Lews angle. Even if you say the reworking to use the power in the show solved a potential issue in sword abilities the scene lacks any of the subtext that made the scene in the book fantastic. Turak is not developed enough in the show either.

That scene meant less than nothing in comparison to the books.

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.