No, I'm listening to the audiobooks that address this at the moment, neither Rand nor Elayne thought they were a couple, Elayne wanted to be but was flirting with Thom because she didn't "know" and Rand was confused as hell because of her 2 differently toned letters, one saying she loves him and one calling him a scoundrel and worse. The only person who thinks, and says, that Rand and Elayne are together is Avi herself.

I have my own personal hatred of people, and this does indeed translate over to characters in stories that I read, who cheat. Rand never did that in the books, it wasn't even hinted at, he had his own internal emotional struggles regarding his feelings for Min, Elayne, Avi and Egwene, but he never cheated on them. Egwene and Rand ended their relationship, which wasn't really a relationship just a form of "promise" to each other, amicably and maturely. In the show his relationship with Egwene ends because he "has lain" with Lanfear, not because they weren't right for each other and needed to go their own separate ways, destined for different things. Now they get to hold this over his head, as per the comment from Avi that he "has lain with a shadow-souled" with all the scorn that she could add behind those words. That one minor detail has really put me off.

Well said. I like the show and have watched all three seasons at least twice, but the biggest disappointment for me has been how Rand has been screwed out of his defining moments. Moments that shape the character. Instead these moments are taken from him and given, mostly, to Egwene and Moiraine, for no good reason that I can see. I really don't like how they dealt with ending his and Egwene's relationship, in the books it was mutual with both of them being relieved that the other wasn't horribly hurt by the decision, with Egwene even then "handing" him over to Elayne, but in the TV show he is just a two-timing p.o.s. that has "lain with a shadow-souled", I did not enjoy that. Although I would continue to watch, hoping it continues to get better, I now also find myself not being particularly bothered if it ends here, which is a real shame. Some other thoughts: When Moiraine walked into the cave where Sammael was held she seemed a bit off to me, the way she spoke and acted almost seemed like it wasn't Moiraine but someone who simply looked like her. I half expected to see her face change to Lanfear's when she left the room, but that didn't happen. I watched the scene again and she still seems a bit off in that scene, though that feeling continued with all of her scene's after that, so I guess it was just something not character related, maybe the actress had something happen to cause a slight change in these scenes. When Elayne used the balefire rod she did it differently to the BA sister. The BA sister channeled into the end that fired the balefire, whereas Elayne channeled into it from the back of the rod. I wonder if that is why it was unstable for the BA sister and fine for Elayne, or if that was coincidental. I missed that Matt was hanging from a spear in the first watch and caught it in the second, so hopefully this means he will have his Ashanderai, I was looking forward to that. I have read some people consider that Min might take the role of Jain, I also wonder if Min is also going to take over the role that Birgitte played with Elayne and Salidar?

The number of times Perrin said "Maksim, now!" was a few too many.

I liked them way more than I did the in books, Aram is a much more likeable character here than he ever was there.

I think Faile is getting better. I must admit I wasn't sure about her when she first appeared, but in this episode the facial features, like the slight smile when Perrin tells her to kill the ones he misses, makes her feel a lot better to me. She was a very sly character in the books and it is starting to look like the actor is playing her like that, I hope it will continue to get better. I'll add, and this has really made me feel a bit 'meh' towards this episode, that there were no wolves. None, not a one. No howls in the distance, no mention of feeling them, nothing at all except the line from Faile about how Trollocs fear wolves to explain the banner. The wolves have come to help Perrin twice now, why not here? Budget, probably, meh. At the end of season 1 I honestly thought they had killed Loial off, I know that there is a budget and with all endeavours like this they have to merge characters and reduce the amount of "names" on screen, so it didn't seem that bad a choice as Loial doesn't really do a lot. But then, he was instrumental in the closing of the ways, not just at the Two Rivers. So him doing this and then getting the drop, as it were, that feels like a better ending for him.

The books are so much cooler! I am yet to watch this episode.

That is awesome to hear, thank you for that

I love the book scene for that Matt vs G&G fight, precisely because it is public, a large audience, the betting on the fight, the old trainer putting up for Matt if he was to lose and the lesson to G&G about how the best swordsman ever was defeated by a farmer with a staff. None of which was in the show, sadly. I really wanted to see the scene where Rand fall's into the palace gardens in Caemlyn. I'll put the rest in spoiler tags, just in case: So many more!

I just found the games board and saw that thread, I'll have a read through, thank you.

I'm listening

Thank you for the welcome. All we need now is a Druss the Legend movie!

I liked this episode though I have some of the same disappointments that others have expressed here. Reading through all of this there have been multiple people comment on Ishy and how he recruited Liandrin 95 years ago, but couldn't have as he was bound, etc. I'm going to put this in spoiler tags, just in case I am about to violate something I am unaware of (or haven't read yet) as I am newly registered and because I am going to quote the books: I also wonder if Ishy finding Liandrin in her dream was actually more a case of her need bringing him to her rather than his need seeking her out?

I have read these books multiple times over the last 20 years or so, they are amongst my favourites (up there with Game of Thrones, Sword of Truth, Druss the Legend and many more). I have visited these forums many times too, though I have never registered to post anything I find myself wanting to now, hence registering. Although I have not ever seen a requirement for people to post here first to introduce themselves I have seen people berated for not doing so in previous forum visits/reads. So, hi! I have been enjoying the TV show, moving between sadness for the things they've had to change or drop and happiness for the fact that the show is improving and encompassing more of the story as it goes on. There are a small list of scenes I personally like and hope to see, as I am sure every fan has their small list too, so we'll see how that goes.