I was always reading  darkfriend as darkfiend.  LOL I was the same with Emond's Field, until I heard an audio book and thought for sure they were saying it wrong.

The Fade with fain was acting differently because I assume its was in Fain's presence a long time, not to mention Fain was torturing it.  It was afraid of Fain yet was too afraid to try and flee.  We need a brown to study if shadow spawn can be affected by being around Fain like human's are.  I would suspedt since trollocs and fades are part human that they should be affected.  That would be important work but Verin had to waste her time trying to expose the BA.  Pffffff

ROFL the flicker idea would of been amazing.  At the end we discover Rand was simply having a vision and was using the portal stone to get to Toman's head still.  Man I bet people would of been pissed.  I love unexpected endings so I would of been YES.  I always thought would of been great had at the end of Return of the Jedi Luke was all I AM THENEW EMPEROR.

I know looks wise they all look the same the BWB describes them as "like the others as if poured from the same mold."  It also says "it has been said all myddraal are virtually alike"  I think they each might have a little personality differences here and there but like trollocs their nature has been probably been breed in them.  Shaidar Haran was said to be different in size and  personality.  It was  several feet taller, its demeanor was one  of arrogance  instead  of  servitude,and  has envinced a definite dark  sense of  humor,  something  previously unknown among Myrddraal.  I don't remember any myrddall having  a different personality except Shaidar Haran.

So Myrddraal are for the most part the same with maybe a little personality difference here and there.  Independent thought isn't  something the DO wants. There probably are no myrddaal wishing for something like a different purpose for its life.  

Egwene died at least imo to sort of make her the equal of Rand and to make her a legend, which I felt was a bit unnecessary.  As Azrayne said it added to her quick rise to power, seemingly singlehandedly holding back the Sharrans, and not just dying but taking out a forsaken and all the enemy channelers with her. Was a bit much imo. 

I agree ElSalvador Semirhage should of had a lot more screen time.  I do sort of like the way she died because it sorts of fitting in the end she was betrayed by the DO.  Really shows how naive the forsaken were to think the DO really thought they were special, but it shows if the DO thought it was in his best interest he wouldn't hesitate to toss them aside. In the end they were just tools to be used.

if RJ had come to you and said you could make 1 change to the series what would it be?

For me I think instead of Semirage simply causing Chaos in Seanchan imagine if she did  like Demandred did and took over.  It would seem sort of fitting for a nation so use to fighting each other to see them face off at the last battle.  Also would help counter the feeling I got that the Seanchan jut seemed too powerful  and really would of showcased Mat' skills of trying to hold off shadowspawn/Sharran/Seanchan.  Not to mention Egwene getting some revenge on the Seanchan by getting to fight some.  A gate opening one side of the Aes Sedai army with Sharran's coming out then they look behind to see another gate opening with Seanchan pouring out.  Egwene' army getting battered but pulling out just in time to avoid total disaster.  I think it would also of done a great trick of making Rand's forces  have extra cause to  distrust the Seanchan.  For me this would of given the last battle more of the epic feel I felt it was missing.

From one of the forsaken's pov It said in any other company Graendal would be considered stunningly beautiful, but in Lanfear's company she was simply plumply pretty.  So look wise she probably was top of the list, but when people figure in attitude, they way they use their sexuality etc..  others might top her for hottest.  But for pure looks I doubt anyone came close.  Rand even thought (when she was Selene)  how he had seen beautiful women before Moraine, Elayne, Ny, Egwene, and Min but this was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he only thought she was hotter when she showed her true form to him in Tear.

What was this topic about again?

Almost every scene involving Gawyn was unnecessary. 

Sort of pointless as BS stated, there was simply not enough to even think about making the series.  But for the off topic stuff, I don't see BS work as being anymore bloated then RJ work was towards the end.  Both are guilty of it.

Don't see how her having  child would be RJ's way of saying no spinoff.  The Mat/Tuon series was going to be about retaking their homeland.  So  it easily could of been 5/10/15 years in the future.  After the last battle the Seachean (even though I felt they were made too powerful) aren't in any condition to launch a quick invasion off their homeland for awhile anyway.  Even though with the new technology they have such as gateways you would think they would have a great advantage over their foes bacj home.

BS pretty much said in the River of Souls prologue that it was the last WOT story.  RJ simply didn't leave enough to work with even BS and Harriet wanted to write about it.  From some of the things BS has said it didn't sound like even had RJ left enough to consider writing the series that he was really interested in starting another WOT project.

But again Moraine called it foretelling, maybe a word would need to be created in regards to a vision at the exact time its happening.  But both Moraine and Siuan were content with calling what happened as foretelling.  The words she used made it clear it was happening as she said it.  So is it accurate to call it foretelling, I think foretelling for the Aes Sedai just covers "visions' wether it happens at that moment or at a future date while awake, where a dreamer has visions but when asleep.. 

That was another foretelling, basically she was told to go into the waste and seek out the maidens.  She wasn't to return until the maidens went to tar valon.  The foretelling she had which I still don't understand was telling Luc he had to go into the blight.  Was that simply to take him out of the Andor rulership equation to ensure Elayne mom could take the throne?.  Seems all she did was send him to his death when he encountered Isam.  I don't see how his going to the blight helped, beides leading to the creation of slayer.

We have seen this many of times that just because the Aes Sedai believe something doesn't mean its totally accurate.  Moriane called it foretelling, it could be that foretelling the exact moment something happens is just extremely rare. 

Exactly, I doubt when anyone read "He will be of the ancient blood" thought Aiel before it happened not even sure after he was born if any of the Aes Sedai knew for sure it was an Aiel woman who gave birth to the Dragon.  Moraine even commented there were many places the old blood still run strong, the two rivers being so far from any place was probably an after thought to look.  I must say I still find it odd a woman 9 month pregnant is in any condition to be fighting in a battle.  Most by the stage struggle just to get out of bed let alone running into a fight.

Gitara had a  foretelling but she had it at the moment it happened not before, she specifically said "He is born again, I feel him! The dragon takes his first breath on the slope of Dragonmount!  He is coming!  He is coming! Light help us!  Light help the world!  He lies in the snow and cries like the thunder!  He burns like the sun!"  So she had the foretelling at the moment Rand was born.

In the great Hunt Moriane tells Rand nearly 20 years ago the Aiel crossed the spine of the world, and in the BWb is in the late spring of 976 the aiel swept over the dragonwall.  The battle of Tar Valon happened the morning of the day before Danshu in the year of grace 978 and the trollocs came in 998.  So seems Jack is right, Rand is probably a few months older then 19.

In the great hunt Moraine describes finding Rand as :There were many fatherless children after that  battle.  But we found a story that one man had found an infant on the mountain.  That was all.  A man and an infant boy.  So we searched on.  For years we searched, finding other clues, pouring over the prophecies.  'He will be of the ancient blood, and raised by the old blood', That was one, there were others.  But there are many places where the old blood, descended from the age of Legends, remains strong. 

Considering how much mistrust there is concerning Aes Sedai there were probably many women who didn't announce they gave birth to have aes sedai seek them out not to mention living in such a remote part of the world its possible Kari and Tam never even heard of the bounty.  Tam especially I could see not wanting any aes sedai coin.   Basically it came down to following rumors that lead Moraine to the Two Rivers there was after all a lot of people to track down and the BA killed the other Aes Sedai looking for the dragon reborn.  Not to mention "accidents" were befalling men of a certain age so that complicated things, she also had to becareful and take things slow so she didn't attract the attention of the BA who didn't know she had been tasked with this.

The 18 20 years thing I think is a contradiction depending where you look, I thought RJ had said Rand was 18.  So some sources seem to point to 18 while others to 20.  The way they were in Two Rivers they seem immature for 20.  I always assumed late teens.

Took me until  AMOL came out when I did a reread of TOM and casually flipped through the glossary to even notice it was there, I stopped paying attention to the glossaries after Lord of Chaos.  RJ and even BS are good for giving the information but never directly saying it in the book.

@Rose, In the glossary in TOM it states under Graendal:  A ruthless killer; she as responsible for the deaths of Asan'gar, Asmodean, and for the destruction of Mesaana. 

The point I was trying to make is sure some things are planned, hence the prophecies, the pattern forcing ta'vern into certain actions and deeds etc.  The pigeons flying up could of been a result of the pattern.  But if everything that happened was planned by the pattern then there would be no free will.  Every thing that happens isn't the pattern interceding.  Hence why Moraine told Rand he had to be careful if he died that's it.  Her being a coward I would say added to her survival but it also meant if she thought there was any risk to her she would bail on a plan quickly if She thought she could get away with it.  Like at the cleansing she wasn't going to lift a finger to help the others go after Rand.  I consider the Brigette moment not planned by the pattern since Brigitte broke the rules about helping people when the heroes are waiting in the world of dreams.  So for me Brigette getting spun out and becoming Elayne's warder wasn't the work of the pattern but the consequences of her using free will.

The pattern doesn't make you good at your job or not, if you are incompetent its not the patterns fault. 

  Only way off hand I can think of her being really beneficial to the light was when she was captured. But in the end like when I mentioned once how the plan to trap Rand in Tear seemed needlessly complicated and elaborate.  I was told that's how RJ wrote it and if they just appeared by Rand and killed him it would be a very short series.  So I doubt the pattern was ruining moghi's plans and schemes.  She attempted some things like I am pretty sure it was her that impersonated Sam to send trollocs after Rand but her biggest failing is she was a coward.

The pattern didn't give rand access to the TP, either the DO did as a way to try and tempt Rand or it was because of his link with Moridin.  I believe the DO set Semi up then allowed Rand through his link with Moridin to get the TP and kill her in hopes the seductive nature of the TP and wanting revenge would be what makes Rand join the shadow.  The pattern didn't allow Rand to suddenly access the TP in order to save him.  The pattern is about balance but as we saw at the end with Rand's perfect world, the pattern also is about freedom of choice.  If Rand had joined the shadow the pattern couldn't suddenly spin out a new champion.  In some cases yes by being tav'ern the pattern will force him along a certain path and may provide things here and there he might need.  The pattern didn't try and save Rand when semi fired off a fireball at him and it didn't save him from Semi capturing him. 

Same method Ishy used at the beginning of The great hunt if I remember right, blocking each persons hearing.  Why take chances, for one its intimidating and another is there is no way to betray the others.  Verin did say darkfriends can betray each other and even turn against the chosen if they can justify it.  Moggy simply took no chances and also is there a circle of silence weave?  With that there is a risk of the circle being off and someone hearing.  Moghy way there is no way any of the BA there could betray anyone if captured, another forsaken grabs them, or they decide to grab power.  I think she was just being extra cautious. 

well Asan'gar was manipulating Egwene, but besides giving her headaches doesn't seem like she did much.