You know ... I'm just, gonna do my best to just take the show as it's own thing ... and think of it as "loosely based on the WoT"; and then I'll just be happier. LoL Did you watch the clip above? That's exactly what we get -- but we have Logain dialogue where he says, "I can see when another man can channel".

I don't understand the question? In the scene (Logain has already been gentled when he's in the cage in Tar Valon), and he sees Rand glow. Which then begs the question, why isn't he currently seeing Rand glow? Unless Skipp is right and it's really that Logain has a talent for seeing Taverene & he's mistaking that for seeing men who can channel; I.E the writers are so brilliant they're playing mind games with us -- having characters say things that aren't true, but their perspective ... and the audience has to figure that out.

Yeeeah, I think one just needs to "gird their loins" more. These writers don't know which end is up. The way that dialogue reads makes it seem (especially if you have no book knowledge) that male channelers can see other male channelers glowing (and how strong they are, based on how bright they glow) -- even after being gentled? Your explanation is a whole lot more reasonable -- but do you think they're gonna explain that in the show? Heck no. They're just going to piss off book readers and confuse everybody else. LoL But. Brilliantly acted. And paced well, and I too liked the flashback to S1 with explanation. It's just a magic-system and lore mess -- which was the same thing with S1 right? I mean, opening scene was "we don't know if the Dragon was reborn as a man or a woman". Ok? Yeah, we bloody do. The actors are doing awesome, the writers tick me off!

I don't think your "loins are girded" enough, my friend (referring to what the book consultant, Sarah Nakamura said about how book readers will feel about S2). There are a number of points that I can already prove to you your wrong. #1: We've already gotten their version of the Dark Friend social. You can go to the last episode of S1 and they added a 4-minute scene at the end. Be interesting to hear your revised thoughts after you've watched that. #2: The actor for Matt, Donal Flinn, has said in an interview that in the first episode his main co-actor is Kate Fleetwood (Liandrin) -- episode one will definitely have Matt locked in the White-Tower as a prisoner and Liandrin dialoguing with him. We have a still of "sad Matt" locked in a room in the WT, that is from Ep1. #3: Neither Rand or Matt will be part of the horn hunting. It's just going to be Perrin and Shinaran soldiers and then they'll meet Avi, Bain, and Chiad (and maaaybe Gaul, but I doubt it). The most recent interview I've seen of Perrin even gives away that "Perrin gives an impassioned speech about how they need to kill Fain ." Interviews have noted that Rand will be in Cairhein hanging around the mentally insane, he'll meet Selene there who is an Innkeeper, he'll talk to Logain in Cairhein when Suian brings him there -- and she'll meet with Rand in Cairhein as well. #4: I can just about guarantee you that Falme will be episode 8 due to pics released in an article that had episode stamps -- the one of "Jedi Rand" facing off against Turok is episode 8. #5: Based on the most recent interview with Daniel Henney, I know that Lan will fight two Fades at the end of Episode 1; and based on that info, I would guess that Lan is trying to follow Moiraine/protect Moiraine as she hunts for Rand/heads TO Cairhein. #6: Based on the most recent interview with Zoe Robbins, we know that her Accepted test will be in Episode 3. And I can just about guarantee you that Ep3 is going to end with Liandrin taking them through a "Gateway" in the WT -- and Suroth with Damane being on the other side -- fighting the girls, CGI battle -- Nyn and Elayne escaping, but. Egwene being captured. https://winteriscoming.net/2023/08/22/the-wheel-of-time-cast-spills-season-2-details-talks-the-one-power-changes-and-more/

unless you think Moiraine is stilled, she literally can’t “tell them” that Rand is dead. She can mislead them into thinking that’s the case … I think it very unlikely that Moiraine is stilled, they’ve been very careful about using the verbiage “she’s been cut off from the OP” - much more likely that she’s shielded and Suian is going to help her untie the shield in this season. Do you think she’s stilled?

I like that prediction. I do think that Hurin with be cut and replaced with Elyas & we’ll get some Wolf Training pretty early on. Ep3 maybe?

Yeah, I did. Sort of; because they aren’t really waygates (they’ve been changed to include portal stones/maybe all of the ways someone might travel?). I mean, we saw them in S1 they’re nothing like the Waygates of the books. And the show completely botched it (with this change) in that they didn’t give any explanation whatsoever of why Loial should go with them. Yes, I think Liandrin is going to be quite manipulative in her “working” with Nynaeve on the block. But I also think we’ll get more … backstory/motivation with Liandrin. And perhaps, jealousy? Of Nynaeve’s power. And Donal telegraphed in an interview that in the first episode he got to work quite a bit with Kate. So I (think I know) that there’s a Matt/Liandrin capture scene in Ep1. I think @Pandemonium is spot on, we’ll get Rand in the crazy house in Cairhein in Ep1 and meeting Selene as an innkeeper. But I don’t think the scene with him talking to Logain is until Ep2 when Suian comes to Cairhein. I think we’ll see Moiraine/Lan traveling to try to find Rand in Cairhein in Ep1. I think in Ep2 Rand will accidentally burn down an inn in the Foregate crazy house and then you’ll get Moiraine finding him and Suian coming and Rand talking with Logain about how to control the power. And Logain eating some (lucky charms?) lol

Yeah, I think Gaul is cut; but I don’t think we’ll get a cage scene. No, I think Liandrin is gonna “help” break her block and they are gonna do it this early (need to fast track a lot of story-lines). And then she’ll take her Accepted test; I think Liandrin will then forge 3 rings & take her, Eg, and Elayne through a gateway and into their capture by the Seanchan & that’s basically how Ep3 will end. But that’s all speculation from clips and interviews and other people’s speculations.

We know it begins (you can watch it at the end of season 1) with a version of the Dark-Friend social. I think we’re then going to have a scene of Matt going into the Tar Valon, and are gonna pick up with what we didn’t see of Matt from last season. I think Liandrin “captures” him, and that still-shot of sad Matt is from episode 1. I also think the shot of him looking at the dagger on the table is from episode 1 & we’ll see him “healed” in Ep1. And I think I think we also get a little time with each main character to “catch up”. Rand shaving head and trying to hide. Moiraine in a bad place and Lan frustrated with her. Girls go to the tower to train. Perrin hunting for the horn. Episode 2: I think we’ll get Perrin hunting for the horn, freeing Avi from a cage, Avi fighting White Cloaks, training with Elyas, Hopper, really a focus on Perrin. Also something with the Seanchan. But I think we’ll get a little of Rand/Moiraine in Cairhein too. Episode 3: I think we get Nynaeve, Egwene, Elayne in the WT and Nynaeve’s block being broken and her taking the Accepted Test. But I also think we’ll get (yes this early) the girls going through a gateway and fighting Seanchan and Egwene being collared. I think Egwene in captivity is how the Ep3 will leave us on a “cliff-hanger”.

We’ve gotten a lot of new content in the form of interviews, posters, trailer … We know on Sept 1 we’re going to get 3 episodes. What are we gonna see? Let the predictions roll…

I had been doing a re-watch like 3 months ago? And posting on here, trying to catalogue all the “changes” and speculate on why they might have decided to go the way they did… I ended up having a lot of sympathy for Rafe and the writers and enjoying it a bit more. There’s SO much material, and much of the material doesn’t translate that well to a TV medium (EotW is almost all in Rands head, for example), and they only get 8 hour-long episodes and have to figure out how to majorly fast track certain story-lines. An example of this would be: I was highly critical the first time around with having Perrin be married and fridging his wife; but it does actually fast-track his internal struggle with the violence within. Overall on the rewatch I would say that, other than episode 8 (which was bad no matter how you slice it), it was at least as good anything else that’s come out recently (other than perhaps some MCU stuff). But, my main complaint is still the writing … my brother, who wasn’t a reader, who I got to watch with me last year (but has said he won’t watch this year) said it like this, “Seems to me like this is just another ‘men suck and girls rule’ agenda driven story; none of these guys DO anything.” On my rewatch that did stick out to me even more. Sooo y’all who watched a bunch more than I did, would you disagree? What was the big “man that guy is awesome” moment from S1 for you??

I just saw on WoTUp that there is also text/descriptions that go with the posters that are very “spoilery”. interesting…

On the other hand, Elayne — is the spitting image of how I pictured book Elayne. I think it’s funny that Rafe said her personality is Elayne’s too…not exactly a compliment… “You seem like a snooty, entitled princess with a foul mouth…” 😂

Anybody notice the little faded battle at the corners of each poster? I think it’s a Shinaran fighting a Seanchan! also. I’m surprised there hasn’t been a bunch more complaining about the Avi appearance/casting. Dreads? Ok, go… 😉

Also:

Also:

Bunch of new interviews I just saw yesterday. For example,

Really? I would say that being put in a box and being taken out only to be beaten would cause quite a bit of mistrust 😂 And Elaida was shady from book1. And I think book and show have done a decent job of showing the nuance to: not all Aes Sedai are alike. Liandrin has got the RBF down. Alanna has warned Moiraine about the dangers of the WT. Tv Thom was the best part of the show & he definitely, albeit briefly, warned the boys not to go to Tar Valon. I guess, for me, I didn’t like RJ’s obsession with WT politicking. Wish the show would cut most of that. But I think Rafe has said that, that’s one of his favorite parts — so I can be disappointed without being able to complain “it’s not like the books!”

yes. I’m very hopeful (even though my loins are girded) that S2 is gonna be good Tv. I love the books. But I’m not a book purist, there are a number of things the show can improve upon and from what I’ve seen they are leaning into those potential improvements in this S2. For example, in the books - very few, if any, of the antagonists were well developed or relatable. It looks to me from the Dark Friend social scene that was released and is at the end of S1 now, that they are developing Isha’mael. He doesn’t see himself as evil, he’s just acting according to his nature. “He’s hungry.” The show can lean into developing Isha’mael as the main antagonist to Rand, Lanfear to Moiraine, Liandrin to Nynaeve, Seanchan to Egwene, Fain to Matt, Whitecloaks to Perrin, ect… The pacing that Henney mentions - yes, S1 had weird pacing and really none of the characters (or male characters anyways) had great development IMO. But the Books had pretty terrible pacing on occasion too. Every experienced reader gives a warning to their new reader friend about “the slog”. The romantic relationships…let’s be honest, wasn’t RJ’s strength. Show will give more time to Siuan/Moiraine, Nynaeve/Lan, Rand-Egwene/Elayne/Min/Avi … yeah, spoiler, Rand has his moments with all the younger ladies… And, since S1 had a moment or two of action brilliance, really hopeful what he says is true and S2 has more Dragonmount-esque scenes!

I really hope the casting people find this and actually cast Halle Berry as Tuon & Tyra Banks as Semirhage; that would be legit! The rest - are kind of impossible because even at the time, you can't cast a younger version of a person without a lot of CGI enhancement - lot of cost - and just not practical.

Hopefully! But those probably wouldn’t be named actor roles, just extras… But that one article did say that there’s a “Gladiator-esque” type battle in this season. Which I’m assuming is Falme season finale.

Was that even a real person/actor? I guess my point is that casting wise we haven’t seen that any Aiel men are cast. I think in S2, Aiel wise, Avi Bain and Chiad will be the only Aiel we see. Hope I’m wrong…

I doubt they cut Gaul. His arc is too tied into Perrin’s. There’s some circumstantial/speculative evidence they cut Gaul already (but forgive me for not including links - I don’t have that kind of time today, maybe @SinisterDeath can do it?) 1) They showed Avi, Bain, and Chiad cast for this season but nothing I’ve seen about a Gaul casting. 2) There’s a recent article about how Avi joins Perrin and helps him hunt for the horn [Avi replacing Gaul - more support for my “all about girl-power” argument]. 3) As to my knowledge, I don’t think we’ve seen any male Aiel in any promos, teasers, photos, or casting lists. And it makes sense budget and actor wise to expand Avi’s role in This Season. How to do that? Replace Gaul with Avi… If we do see Gaul this season, I will be so surprised and pleased. I’ll come back on this thread and recant. Even about my all about “girl power” comment. I just doubt it.

Do you have a link to this? I would LOvE to read who RJ would have casted…didn’t know such a thing existed. Your larger point I agree with. RJ just wanted to see his work expand, he wasn’t a “I must have control & it must be what I pictured” kind of guy. I also agree, we will have to wait and see. Funny to me though, I thought @Guire would jump all over my dislike comment & that the show is all about girl power & gonna cut all the crap women did to men in the books. Seems he completely agrees though. I like the comments about the “old soldier” perspective. That’s spot on. And I don’t know what S2 will give us, but I hope even a self-identified feminist can recognize the larger world truth that RJ brilliantly wrote in and someone on here accurately described as “people are the problem and the solution.” My addition to that would be, I think RJ subtly brought out the truism that “power corrupts”.

The show is all about “girl power”. So yes, they’ll cut Gaul. But Bain and Chiad were already cast, so no, they’re not cut. watch this video: