The person above me is eating Skittles -taste the rainbow!

The person above me is thinking about rainbows and wondering why.

The person above me has some sort of rainbow obsession ?

I'm not really comfortable calling out individuals and individual episodes. Surely the overall arc was presented to each person as well as a summary of what was to happen in the episode.  They are pretty tight constraints.

Granted, but while you were celebrating having a knife a rogue band of squirrels came in and stole ALL the peanut butter.

I wish the Christmas holiday was just a little bit longer.

He fashioned a a glider out of a mat,

And set his sights on the sky above

Granted but you have run out of things to wish for, making most of them useless.

I wish my neighbour would stop stealing my parking spot.

4 hours ago, Mirefox said:

We are all probably aware of Brandon Sanderson’s role as a (seemingly oft ignored) advisor on the first six episodes but I’m curious as to how all that changes should the show make it to the books that he actually wrote.  Will the snow runners consider him a stronger source?  Will he be more particular about fidelity to his writings?  

It seems pretty clear that both Brandon Sanderson and Harriets involvement is limited to advising on the scripts.  They don't have the power of veto, all they are able to do is make suggestions.  Whether or not those suggestions are acted upon falls ultimately on Rafes shoulders.

I firmly believe Rafe and his team believe they are making a decent show -and there are a lot of people who are enjoying it!  Personally, I disagree and am disappointed that what I thought would be an adaptation of my favourite series ended up straying massively from the source material

Something to warm cold hands

and for those who aren't allowed alcohol I made a batch with apple juice

Personally, I think they would have done better to have written their own original story and marketed it as such rather than trying to tie into a well-known, well loved book series.

I question how the budget was spent, the battle in episode 4 for example was reminiscent of something college students have produced.  I don't know enough about CGI to comment on it, the things I do understand -lighting, directing and acting were inconsistent across the board.  There were some well done moments that were undermined by a lot of misfires.  Rand and Egwene for example -their accents were all over the place.  This isn't an amatuer dramatic production, if someone is not capable of delivering a role they should never have been cast in the first place.

On the whole, the pacing was totally out of whack.  I see some people excusing it as lack of time.  That doesn't sit well with me.  There were characters from later books that could have been held back in order to give some space for the necessary characters to get on screen.  Ideas were put in, half developed and then abandoned.  The most obvious example for this is the White Tower.  They didn't need to get there so soon, the Aes Sedai politicking was rushed and poorly presented.  It took away from the story telling completely.

Rand joins the dark one, concluding this turning of the wheel.

For those who are angry/disappointed -can I offer a piece of advice.  Don't set your picnic up next to a giant dog turd.

If you don't like the adaptation don't give it energy.  Don't watch it, don't argue about it on a forum (you won't change anyones mind).  Unsubscribe from the content creators who are praising it, don't interact with their videos even if you feel like venting.  If you're angry at Brandon Sanderson for liking the adaptation (I've not seen his comments on the latest one, so I don't know) then buy his books second hand and enjoy them that way, if you feel the need to make a stand.

Feel betrayed that you were promised an adaptation and didn't get one.  That's fine, I'm grieving too for the characters I loved.  For your own mental wellbeing, just pretend it didn't happen.  That is the biggest way you can show your anger/disappointment.  If the show loses traction and presence; well Amazon are the ones holding the purse strings and they will want a return for their money.

5 hours ago, Dead Warder said:

They played several games of dice, Scrabble and part way through Monopoly: Blight Edition before the sun rose.

It's a shame they lost the opportunity for a game tie in.  They could have introduced everyones favourite card game "Uno". 

-I'll see myself out!

Loial's actor.  That voice!  It sings in my ears.

I have read, understood and agree to abide by the rules and have filled out the form ?

I wouldn't read too much into the fact Rafe and Sarah are quiet on social media.  Given the depth of some fans feelings toward the show, I'd be inclined to let them blow themselves and move on to something else.

I would suggest perhaps Tamra is going to be Moiraines downfall, by ordering her to keep quiet about what she saw.

Without that, and the quest seeing the vision started, Moiraine could have lived a long happy life as a normal Aes Sedai.

Last scene of the show, Liandrin screeching that Siuan has let the super girls go, she marches into her rooms and tells her she's unfit to wear the stole.

The trouble with that is, Elaida ordering Moiraines arrest had very little effect on her.  

I'm going for:

Rand somehow gets his magical cache including the banner, horn and a broken seal.

Moiraine tries to go toe to toe with Balzamon, and gets slapped down.  (see Min's viewing)

We get a showdown between the two but Rand decides saving Moiraine is more important than finishing the job, he gets knocked out.

The wondergirls whisk them to safety somehow.

Season end -cliffhanger -Mo is out of commission, The Dark One is loose.

9 hours ago, themann1086 said:

Ok, in order, Min's viewings and my thoughts. Don't think this needs spoilertext? Anyway:

• Moiraine: the Amrylin Seat in full regalia will be your downfall. Wording matters; this ain't about Siuan

Thoughts?

I'm on the fence with this one.  I wonder if its an allusion to Siuan's dreams being manipulated, because the DO wants the DR at the Eye.

3 minutes ago, dwn said:

It gives Siuan an excuse to chew her out publicly, which helps keep the Hall (and other Aes Sedai in general) from suspecting she and Siuan are working together. They go through a similar (if less obvious) charade in Fal Dara at the beginning of TGH.

 

Moiraine's original plan in TEotW was to take the group to Tar Valon. That only changed in Caemlyn when she learned about a possible threat to the Eye.

 

They were clearly in such a relationship in New Spring; the show has extended that to present day.

Why on Earth does Siuan want an excuse to publicly humiliate Moiraine?  Was it just a set up for the later 'on yer knees' line?  She is supposed to be above the petty squabbles -favouring none.  Liandrin's complaint was petty.  She admits she is on a knife edge in one scene and yet through her treatment of Moiraine is alienating the blues.

The point I'm making is that having any interaction between the two as a focal point is an unnecessary risk.  

Introducing the fact that the Ajah's have their own business and secrets is important -and something widely important.  So, on the prompting of Liandrin -who is trying to deflect attention for gentling Logain, Siuan -the stateswoman, the master manipulator, decides to throw such custom to the wind.  Maighan interjects this is blue business.  Liandrins comment that all business is judged by the hall could have easily been been dealt with an order that the hall is given answers by the end of the day.

Maighan ordering her to stay in the tower may show there is a command chain, but Moiraine by your admission has already disobeyed one such order. 

If you enjoyed the scene -great, good for you.  I thought it was weak and made key characters look incompetent.

11 hours ago, Ralph said:

Sorry maybe I haven't followed, but surely Moiraine used this to create the opportunity for the argument. She let Liandrin think she won (remember even before this someone as close to M as Alanna thought she and Siuan were opponents), and actually she got exactly what she wanted and needed

Why does Moiraine want to have an argument?  Why does she need it?

This precedes her being ordered to stay in the Tower, so at this point she doesn't need Siuan to exile her.

It draws attention to the relationship between the two.  People are talking about them.  If you are trying to hide a relationship with someone, you do not want anyone speculating about it, whether they have the right opinion or not.  If you are trying to persuade people there is some conflict between you and someone else, you don't force it publicly.

Moiraine is on a serious, urgent quest.  Tower politics are at best a distraction, why on earth would she court them?  What Moiraine needed was to not be at the Tower in the first place.  Other than TV being a meeting point for the separated party, what did that location offer that other circumstances didn't.  Taking a potential male channeler into that pit of vipers was a huge risk, with little potential pay off.   

Back to Moiraine and Siuan.  Book Siuan is a master puppeteer and stateswoman.  Why would she want a public confrontation?  If she bites, it weakens her.  Having her publicly humiliate Moiraine because she can't answer a question is not a show of strength.  It comes off as petulance.  Every woman in that room knows that Moiraine has taken the three oaths.  When she says she 'cannot' answer the question she is hinting that she is up to something nefarious.  Why then was she allowed to leave that room?  And this Moiraine is the expert in Daes Demar.

As I've said, the conflict looked forced and served no other point than for the viewers to worry about what the Amyrlin was going to do to Moiraine for a few minutes. 

In my opinion, the writing for this scene failed.  Liandrin's excuse for having Siuan question Moiraine was paper thin.  Moiraine forced Siuan into a corner.  Siuan took the bait and acted like a petulant child 'my world' indeed they are the sort of words that would come from a tyrant not wise leader of the Aes Sedai.  

I would have preferred they used a different reason to start the conflict.  'She didn't tell us about the Trollocs' was not sufficient.  Moiraine could have quite truthfully said she didn't know about the Trollocs but was chasing down the answer.  The scene with Maeghan ordering her to stay was unnecessary.  If you want to show some apparent conflict between the two -have Siuan order Moiraine to be birched, then have Moiraine slink off in a sulk with the EF5 after.  It's not difficult to come up with something that actually makes sense.

Going further, I liked the tenderness between the two and while it was not something that was explored in the books and could have further reaching consequences it did give some depth.  I always read their relationship to have been a very deep bond -I think they genuinely loved one another but circumstances made a relationship of any sort impossible. I thought it was good to show a non-hetrosexual relationship to be something with depth and longevity.  

The problem  is these people -Siuan and Moiraine in particular are smooth political operators and this scene plays like a school playground.  Liandrin appeared to have pushed Siuan to the point where she got the reaction she wanted.  Not only did it weaken Siuan and Moiraine, it also damaged the Blue Ajah -effectively having one of their own turn on them.  Having a leader who appears to be that easy to anger is never a wise move.  You never know who they're going to turn on next.

Yes, Liandrin is trying to deflect the attention '-I screwed up but look at her, she hasn't been home for two years!'  She didn't even have a strong case in her complaint and yet Siuan -who is sitting on a knife edge bites and for what?  To make it look as though there is bad blood between her and Moiraine.  If anything, this draws attention to anything that happens between them.  If I were trying to deflect attention from a relationship, I would not want anyone scrutinizing it.

With reference to Nynaeve's arrival and strength, again it should be a non issue.  If word got round about her being in the Tower, it would surely have reached the Amyrlin's ears or are we trying to make the Aes Sedai look incompetent?

Liandrin appears to have won was a cheap point with the pay off for the audience to get the reveal that Siuan and Moiraine are lovers.  It's not really earned, it didn't feel like the massive reveal they appear to have been aiming at.

I bring up the Angreal as we see it in the opening scene of episode 1 but never find out what it is.  That would have been a means to introduce it and also give Liandrin a legitimate complaint.  In the books, the Sitters were aware Moiraine had it and wanted it returned.  

My issue with the writing is they are missing opportunities for world building and instead using poorly constructed dialogue to try and manufacture conflict.  Even the exile was weak -Moiraine is being punished for wandering around the country doing as she pleases by sentencing her to, well walking around the country doing as she pleases.  The scene with Maeghan ordering her to remain at the tower, something that didn't need to be introduced.

What they wanted. clearly was a reason for Moiraine to leave the Tower and her lover, for a big emotional beat and to allow her to continue but it makes no sense -unless of course Siuan is trying to appear incompetent.

In my opinion, introducing the the Tower at this point didn't work.  It would have been cleaner for them to meet Siuan and her entourage in Fal Dara, which then gets rid of the problem of Egwene and Nynaeve having escaped the novice book and surely that has repercussions further down the line.  

1 hour ago, MasterAblar said:

Problem is there’s unlikely to be any opportunity for Moiraine to return. She basically stays by Rand’s side until her “death”, because her life purpose is to ready the Dragon Reborn for the Last Battle.

They've already shown that Siuan has the ability to travel to an undisclosed location in Tear!  Let this romantic have her dreams ?