Wheel of Time Season 2 Episode 4 Discussion

[halfhand]

Episode 4: Daughter of the Night
Release date: 9/8/2023
Synopsis: Moiraine searches for Rand while Nynaeve mourns her losses.


Daughter of the Night, she walks again. The ancient war, she yet fights. Her new lover she seeks, who shall serve her and die, yet serve still. Who shall stand against her coming? The Shining Walls shall kneel. Blood feeds blood. Blood calls blood. Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.

My own review (to be added, out of town).

[halfhand]

My first impressions.

Cold open. I can see where they're going with the Seals and the Forsaken and I can get with the change (Basically each of the Forsaken is trapped by each Seal).

Moiraine. I think this filler is okayish. The theme of not aging while everyone else, is underexplored in the books. Although I'm glad she's finally getting combined with a main character thread.

Lan. Dull. Why do we need to watch him peeing. Is this going anywhere?

Rand/Selene. It's fine. The fight between him and the Fade is a little too CW/Supernatural (aka, just stare at each other while CGI is painted out). Also, Lanfear was talking about her first love (Lews Therin) and them going up to Dragonmount, which makes no sense (Edit: realize this was actually Kinslayer dagger which makes more sense geographically). The Lanfear/Rand relationship is great, especially knowing the background of their essentially toxic ex relationship status

Min/Mat. Doesn't seem like he has his luck yet. I'll reserve judgement to see where this goes.

Perrin. I think it's getting interested. I do wish they didn't use the same exact CGI for wolf visions, Min visions, etc everything.

The wonder girls. Seems to be most book-accurate. I think this is fine.


Overall, I thought the episode kinda dragged, but it was more expository episode. Not really sure how they're going to fit Book 2 and Book 3 in the rest of the remaining episodes.

[iria]

I enjoyed it more than the previous episodes, think I had to get in the right mindset that this very loosely based on the books. I don't agree with a fair few of the changes, but I chalk many of them up to them having to rewrite Mat's character in season 1.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the Chosen were still afraid of the arrow/knife that would still kill them, despite them being basically immortal. I mean it wasn't a guarantee that the Dark One would bring them back from the dead and the times we saw it in the books it seemed to always come with a punishment. I'm not sure I am completely onboard with Lanfear being stabbed through the throat and then smiling a couple minutes after.

Perrin and Elyas are growing on me, Hopper scene was all around great and brought me around to the way they're doing the sharing. I agree that they should have made it more distinct from Min's viewings.

I was somewhat against what they did with Liandrin's character, but I have summed that up to her trying to manipulate Nynaeve into trusting her and joining her for Falme. Slightly disappointed with her assaulting them in the Tower and not leading them through the ways, but I enjoyed it still and I'm guessing we'll see them showing up in Falme next episode most likely.

Min, I am sort of disappointed with her seemingly doing Ishamael's bidding, assuming she knows who he is.

Overall the show is growing a bit on me after having watched the first two episodes and having sworn off watching anymore of it I still ended up watching the rest of the episode a week later, so I guess I am just glad to see something WoT related as a series. I think as a WoT series it is dung, but as a fantasy show it is starting to be kind of decent

[Kybrin]

My first impressions.

Cold open. I can see where they're going with the Seals and the Forsaken and I can get with the change (Basically each of the Forsaken is trapped by each Seal).

Moiraine. I think this filler is okayish. The theme of not aging while everyone else, is underexplored in the books. Although I'm glad she's finally getting combined with a main character thread.

Lan. Dull. Why do we need to watch him peeing. Is this going anywhere?

Rand/Selene. It's fine. The fight between him and the Fade is a little too CW/Supernatural (aka, just stare at each other while CGI is painted out). Also, Lanfear was talking about her first love (Lews Therin) and them going up to Dragonmount, which makes no sense (Edit: realize this was actually Kinslayer dagger which makes more sense geographically). The Lanfear/Rand relationship is great, especially knowing the background of their essentially toxic ex relationship status

Min/Mat. Doesn't seem like he has his luck yet. I'll reserve judgement to see where this goes.

Perrin. I think it's getting interested. I do wish they didn't use the same exact CGI for wolf visions, Min visions, etc everything.

The wonder girls. Seems to be most book-accurate. I think this is fine.


Overall, I thought the episode kinda dragged, but it was more expository episode. Not really sure how they're going to fit Book 2 and Book 3 in the rest of the remaining episodes.

My thoughts exactly. Only thing I'll add - Isn't the black dots in the eyes a True Power thing? Saa or whatever? Like are they trying to say that Lanfear used the True Power to stay alive? Are they trying to say that was the dark one channeling the true power into her to bring her back? Also feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but that's just what immediately came to mind for me.

[halfhand]

I missed the saa on my watching, but it does seem like that is what happens. So likely all the Forsaken will be able to use the True Source to heal themselves from normal deaths (and not doing the reincarnating new body route), necessitating balefire. At least that makes more sense than Lanfear being randomly immortal for some reason.

[Asandra]

I liked episode 4 overall, but am very disappointed by how the "immortality" is handled.

The common notion that any dagger/sword/mortal wound can kill everyone is a big part of not pushing the world over the edge into weird comic/superhero fantasy imo.

I can understand some things need to be cut for the show, but making the forsaken very scary can be done without this immortal stuff.
Also, why good guys in shows/movies NEVER cut off the head just to be sure is beyond me and makes me furious. She's down. Can't hurt to cut her up some more.

[Aelrena]

Big agree, I think that was my largest gripe myself. The Forsaken being mortal and fallible is so integral to the story and themes, that making them seemingly immortal like this feels very off-base.

[Chloro]

I think they are mortal, however, they have access to knowledge no sedai does. I view them as sort of Bene Gesserit reverend mothers. Capable of feats no Aes Sedai is. Had Moiraine cut the head off she would be gone, but Moiraine not knowing to do so was a good irony to the head popping scene. I guess with age comes wisdom?

[Harker]

I liked episode 4 overall, but am very disappointed by how the "immortality" is handled.

The common notion that any dagger/sword/mortal wound can kill everyone is a big part of not pushing the world over the edge into weird comic/superhero fantasy imo.

I can understand some things need to be cut for the show, but making the forsaken very scary can be done without this immortal stuff.
Also, why good guys in shows/movies NEVER cut off the head just to be sure is beyond me and makes me furious. She's down. Can't hurt to cut her up some more.

I saw it explained that instead of the whole Resurrection thing later on with different bodies which would be a nightmare you know because you have to pay actors and there's contracts and all that dung. That instead of that that was The Dark One shoving the soul back in the body and then she uses the true power to heal her wounds.

[isabel]

More likely they saw wotmud and realised it works best when -everyone- is a zombie who stays dead for exactly 5 mins