The Dragon Reborn revealed.
Last time on The Wheel of Time, we
met the Amyrlin Seat, Siuan Sanche. And learned that she is in on Moiraine’s
mission to find the Dragon Reborn and is also her lover. Moiraine tracks down
her four missing kids, finding Mat and Rand first. She’s able to pull the evil
out of Mat and back into the Dagger. And a short time later finds Perrin and
Egwene. To make sure that Moiraine isn’t forced to stay in the Tower due to Aes
Sedai politics, Siuan banishes Moiraine from the Tower. She gathers her little
group at the Waygate near Tar Valon. The Waygate will allow them to travel the
hundreds of miles from Tar Valon to Shienar and the Eye of the World in only a
few days’ time. With Loial’s help, as the Ogier will need to guide them. They
all enter the Ways, save Mat, who stays behind, and the others don’t notice
until the gate swings shut. Damn. Alright, let’s get to it, shall we?
Episode 7: The Dark Along the Ways
I hope I never see a labor more traumatic than this.
We open on a woman running through
the remains of a battle. This woman is an Aiel, a member of the women only
warrior society, Far Dareis Mai aka the Maidens of the Spear. She seems to be
trying to escape the tail end off the battle, a goal made more complicated by
the fact she’s clearly in labor! Despite this, she kills a LOT of Illianer (the
Golden bees on their armor are a dead giveaway,) soldiers that try to kill her.
She downs five of them in as many minutes. One soldier grapples her and stabs
her kidney, though, before she kills him. The labor pains are clearly getting
more intense as she prepares to deliver on her own. Then one last solider
arrives and holds his heron marked blade at her throat. Uh-oh.
Hell of a cold open, right there,
showing us the Blood Snow. That was the last battle of the Aiel War that was
fought just outside Tar Valon.
We then jump back to the group in
the Ways. The others want to go back for Mat, but Moiraine is for leaving him
behind, believing that the “darkness” in him would be a liability. She starts
walking ahead. The others want to open the gate, but Loial says that will be
too dangerous, as channeling frivolously in the Ways will draw Machin Shin, the
Black Wind, and it will feast on their souls. Rand doesn’t want to leave
without Mat, but Egwene points out that Mat is the one that left them. With no
real good options to get Mat, they follow Moiraine. Nynaeve specifically says
that they’ll find him when this is over. And probably thinking about boxing his
ears when she does, not going to lie.
Episode name is VERY accurate.
Lan asks Moiraine the big “What
if,” if Mat was the Dragon. She believes, due to his tie to the dagger, that if
it IS him, she can’t risk him being within a hundred leagues of the Dark One as
she knows what choice he’ll make. They travel along the dark labyrinth of the
Ways, lightning flashing in the distance. Loial let them all know that the Ways
used to be a much nicer, it’s his coping mechanism, when Loial is nervous he
likes to teach. Lan tries to lighten Nynaeve’s mood by making a joke about
losing five silvers to Moiraine as she was scowling instead of pouting. Perrin
sees something coming, impressive considering he’s in the back of the group,
and they find a guiding stone. The Stone has been defaced, but Loial tries to
figure out the path. Rand asks how Perrin could have possibly seen that, to
which he says he doesn’t know. They’re told to get comfortable and rest while
he works. Lan confirms with Moiraine that something is following them.
Everyone gets comfy, with Rand and
Egwene cuddling for comfort. Some time later, they hear that damn whistling
again in the distance. Egwene wakes up and rouses Rand, they see a Trolloc leap
at them. Egwene channels as Rand tries to shield her with his body and the
Trolloc is flung back into the void. Trollocs in the Ways should be impossible,
but Lan thinks this is how they got to the Two Rivers undetected. The space
around them started getting colder and they realize that Machin Shin is on the
way. Moiraine says Machin Shin will “speak” to them, but they shouldn’t listen.
They run for the Fal Dara gate. We’re shown the path they’d taken and a man
watching them in a lightning flash before he disappears again.
They reach the gate just as the
wind catches them. Machin Shin starks speaking to them in a jumble of
everyone’s voices about their insecurities and fears. The Fears are: Moiraine
that she’s leading them to their deaths, Egwene that she’s not important, Rand
that Egwene will abandon him, Perrin that he killed his wife on purpose to get
her out of the way because he loved someone else, Lan that he can’t protect
“her” and will watch her die, and Nynaeve that she’ll hear them scream as they
die like her parents. Nynaeve, pissed at this, channels a massive shield around
them, forcing Machin shin back and giving Moiraine time to open the Waygate.
They run through, with Lan grabbing Nynaeve and leading her out.
Lord Agelmar , and his sister Amalisa, Jagad.
Outside, they’re in Fal Dara, in
Shienar. Moiraine tells them that the Eye is a day’s walk outside the city, but
they can rest at the keep first. Everyone is skittish from the experience,
Moiraine telling them to put what they heard out of their minds. The enter the
keep and meet several Shienar soldiers, chiefly Lord Yakota and Uno, who greet
Lan as Dai Shan, salute him and welcome him back in Lord Agelmar’s name.
They’re brought in to meet with Agelmar
and his sister, Amalisa. Agelmar greets them. Agelmar believes that they’re
hear because his sister wrote to the White Tower for aid, as the Trolloc raids
are getting worse. He scoffs at receiving this help, believing that Fal Dara
protects its own. Moiraine informs him that Trollocs are using the Ways and
suggests that they wall up the Fal Daran Waygate to keep them out. He sends
Yakota to do that. He apologizes for offending her and lets her know she’s
welcome in Fal Dara for as long as she is there.
Back at the Waygate, we’re shown a
man stepping through it, adjusting his coat and then heading toward Fal Dara.
Amalisa leads Moiraine to her
rooms. She confirms from Amalisa that a woman named Min is still in town and
plans to see her for some answers. Amalisa describes Min as a Seer. Amalisa
asks why they used the Ways, as she figured that out since she hadn’t heard
rumors of Moiraine’s coming. It’s revealed that Amalisa is Tower trained, but lacked
the strength to reach full sisterhood, but that Training is why Moiraine would
trust her with info if she can be discrete. Amalisa can’t promise that as her
loyalty is to Fal Dara, so Moiraine instead asks she send a message to Tar
Valon to the Red Ajah to hunt Mat Cauthon. Guess this is a “if I can’t have
him, no one can,” situation.
Later, the group is walking through
Fal Dara. Rand is still out of it but puts on a brave face for Egwene. Perrin
notices a man walking by and thinks it’s Padan Fain. Fain was the trader that
Mat dealt with in episode 1, the man who first did that whistle we keep
hearing, who had been following Rand and Mat all through episode 5 if you were
paying attention, and who followed them through the Ways. Sorry, I was trying
to be discrete for those who might not have noticed, but this dude is kind of
important and ya kind of must know at this point that he’s been… around, even
if he wasn’t in the foreground. Anyway, saw Fain, but no one believes him due
to the whole… Bel Tine attack. They keep walking.
Hi Min! See any weird Aura's lately?
...
I know she has.
They arrive in a bar and Moiraine
goes to see a woman bartender, as Perrin discusses the finer points of the Way
of The Leaf with an incredulous Rand. He’s apparently too much a carnivore to
go into the Tinker’s vegetarian diet. The woman, Min, can see auras around
people. When she understands the auras, which she doesn’t always do, they let
her know what their future brings. She’s also clearly annoyed that another Aes
Sedai has come asking for viewings but agrees when Moiraine passive
aggressively threatens her. She sees Perrin with yellow eyes and blood running
down his chin, Rand playing with a baby, the girls have a White Flame and Ring
of Gold, and they’re all connect in some way. She sees a bunch of sparks around
them trying to drive back a dark shadow when she looks at all of them. The
visions are very clear, which happens when someone is important to the pattern.
She has a vison of the Amyrlin Seat for Moiraine and warns that she’ll be
Moiraine’s downfall.
That night, Moiraine and Lan join
the others in a sitting room. She lets them know they’re leaving tomorrow. Rand
asks about Min, but Moiraine is evasive, at first. She does reveal Min’s
powers, and her hope that Min’s viewings could tell her who the Dragon is.
Unfortunately, that didn’t work. With no other option, she’s going to bring
them all to the Eye. The Two Rivers folk tell her that they’ll decide for
themselves if they’re going with her, to which she tells them that there is no
running, but she’ll let them “decide” by sunrise.
The face you make when your options are a 1/4
chance of death, or death of humanity.
They discuss the situation. Egwene
is for going, but Nynaeve doesn’t trust what Moiraine says. Rand is also iffy
on the subject. Egwene wants to go because if there’s even a chance she’s
right, it’s worth it. She points out the Nynaeve would do it if Moiraine wasn’t
the one saying it and warn her to not let her pride stop her. Perrin asks again
what if it’s Mat, to which Egwene scoffs at. This sets Rand off, as he thinks
she’s being dismissive of their friend and being a bit heartless about him
leaving. Rand calls her the “expert” on leaving. Perrin gets up and tells Rand
to apologize to her, and this sets off Nynaeve who says she’s sick of the two
of them fighting over Egwene like she’s something they can win. Rand gets real
pissed at the idea that his friend might secretly be going after his girlfriend
for years, pointing out that Perrin proposed to Leila the day Rand and Egwene
started seeing each other. Perrin gets REAL mad at that accusation and the two
have a stare down. Rand walks away and everyone seems a tad… disturbed by the
argument.
Moiraine is watching the pass,
Tarwin’s Gap from her balcony. Lan assures her the others will come, but she
doesn’t seem totally sure. Moiraine zones out for a minute, and then admits to
Lan that she worries she’d taken his life from him. When he denies it, she says
that there’s more to life than her and their mission. Lan claims that before
her, he had no purpose, so it’s a fair trade. She sends him off to make some
goodbyes in the city. As he goes out, Moiraine tells him that she likes
Nynaeve. I guess giving subtle approval to Lan’s crush. Lan goes out into the
city, and just so happens to be in the same area as Nynaeve. He goes to visit
with a Malkieri family he knows, and she kind of spies on them through the
window for a second. Lan notices her and brings her in to have dinner with
them. The man in the house, a fella called Zahir, thanks Nynaeve for keeping
the Dai Shan safe and bringing him home. Nynaeve sees Lan talking animatedly
with the child in the house and smiles at him. Later, they chat on the way back
to their rooms. Lan heads off to bed and starts undressing for bed. Once he
gets his shirt off, though, Nynaeve comes in. She asks if he wants her to go.
They kiss, which I would take as an emphatic No to that question.
This is a great nod, had to acknowledge it twice.
Outside, Rand is on the archery
range. He’s firing arrows to work off stress but can’t hit the yellow bullseye.
Egwene comes out, pointing out she’d been waiting an hour in her room for him
to come and apologize, to which Rand counters by saying that his hard-won
experience taught him she’d find him when she’s ready to talk. Rand apologizes
for the remarks about her and Perrin, to which she says there definitely isn’t
anything there, but she’s mad that he thought she doesn’t care about Mat. Rand
admits that he said it because he’s scared and that he doesn’t want to lose
her. Egwene insists they’ll all come back. Rand tells her that regardless of
what happens at the Eye that she should go to the Tower. To not try to ignore
her power as it won’t let her. He promises to go with her and support her. They
kiss.
Eh-hem: "Ccccaaaannnn you feel the love tonight?
The Peace the evening bringggggs"
Back in Lan’s room, Nynaeve is
getting dressed and preparing to slip out. Lan wakes up as she finishes doing
her braid. She asks him what Dai Shan means. He explains that it’s a Malkieri
title, for their future kings. He doesn’t think it matters as his country died
years ago. He explains that Zahir was one of Lan’s father’s arm’s men and is
the one that carried him out of Malkier when it fell. Nynaeve finally realized
why he allowed himself to be bonded to Moiraine. That Lan is a “King without a
Kingdom. A boy without a Home.” But now he belongs… to her. They hold hands.
Lan doesn’t think Moiraine owns him, not anymore than the other Two Rivers folk
own Nynaeve. He asks her to stay.
We cut over to Rand and Egwene,
she’s sleeping but he’s awake and brooding. Rand remembers his father fighting
the Trolloc in their house, but also remembers the trek down from their house
to the village. Oh… crap. While delirious with fever, thinking he was speaking
to his late wife Kari, Tam revealed to Rand that he found Rand. Rand walks out
to the Range and starts shooting, this time hitting the bullseye each time. He
starts having flashbacks to when he escaped Dena’s backroom, to remembering the
Mountain, and to when he tried to shield Egwene from the Trolloc in the Ways.
And in memory one and three, we finally see that he channeled to break the door
down and he was the one that threw the Trolloc back with his weave in the ways.
Damn. We also hear from Machin Shin in that part of the flashback that Rand
knew he was the Dragon Reborn.
He goes to see Min. This exchange
made me chuckle.
Min, “Oh, it’s you.”
Rand, “Did you know I was coming?”
Min, “Yeah, sorta comes with the
territory.”
He asks her to tell him he’s not
the Dragon Reborn, which she does but is clearly just parroting the words.
There’s kind of a tense moment where he apologizes and then Min tells him that
he needs to tell her he WANTS to hear what she has to say, as there’s no
turning back from the knowledge. They have a drink, and Min explains. The first
vision she ever had was when she was in Tar Valon traveling with her family.
She saw a man in armor carrying Rand’s heron marked sword. She saw snow and
blood when she looked at him, and a baby born on the slopes of Dragonmount. The
man took the baby home and raised him in a village surrounded by two rivers.
This narration is over the visuals of the man, Tam, planting his sword in the
ground and helping the Maiden, Rand’s mother, birth him. She dies right after,
and Tam takes him. Rand asks what she sees now while looking at him, and she
says, “Rainbows and carnivals and three beautiful women.” Min also sees the Eye
of the World, and Rand asks if he makes it back. She doesn’t answer, which is
kind of an answer.
Way more trees than I pictured in the Blight.
That morning, Egwene goes to talk
to Nynaeve, to discover her room empty and her bed not slept in. She smiles at
that and sits to wait. Nynaeve comes in a moment later and teases her friend
about the obvious night out she had. Nynaeve apologizes for accidentally
“stirring” things up, just before Perrin comes in. The three there agree they
should go, just before Egwene asked where Rand is. Lan comes to the room and
reveals that Moiraine masked their bond. We see Rand going to Moiraine’s room,
probably a few hours earlier but the blocking is vague, and him reveal to her
that he is the Dragon Reborn.
We cut to the two of them
approaching a tangled, chocked forest. This is the blight, and they must pass
through it to get to the Eye. They enter as the credits roll. Damn. Just Damn.
I really enjoyed this penultimate
episode of season 1. The travel along the Ways was the right level of creepy,
with the darkness and the unseen man following from a distance. Very spooky.
Although, considering Moiraine channeled to get out, I’m curious how Fain did
too. Since he can’t do that. We got to see how each of the characters handle
being faced with a situation where they have a high chance of dying. Egwene
believes in fate, Nynaeve and Perrin deny, and Rand… well, tries to shove
people away since he knows what he must do. Yeah, Rand is the Dragon Reborn.
Sorry to anyone who’d hoped that it would be one of the others. But at least
you had the fun of speculating, as I said in my character profile, the identity
of the Dragon Reborn in the book was incredibly obvious from the moment they
establish that reincarnation is a thing in this universe. I liked how they used
the archery targets here. See, in the books, for Rand to access his power, Saidin,
he needs to enter a meditative trance called the Flame and the Void. He
pictures a flame in his head and feeds all his emotions into it. Once he’s
empty, the power is there, though it doesn’t always come to him when he wants
it. This is a trick he picked up from Tam, who used it to win the archery
contest in the Two Rivers every year. And in the books, there are several
instances where Rand has difficulty doing something at first but gets
significantly better at it when he uses the Void. They obviously couldn’t show
this mental technique in the show without it being super clunky, so I like this
nod to how it worked in the book. It was also nice to see Lan and Nynaeve make
some headway in their relationship this early on. I kid you not, the books
don’t even have the two have an onscreen kiss until the fourth one, and they
don’t… eh hem, enjoy each other’s company, until much later. Side note, thank
the Light that the show stuck to Jordan’s preferred “Passionate kiss, fade to
black,” for romance scenes. I know that the graphic sex and rape on Game of
Thrones is what drew a fair number of people in, but I’ve always found sex
scenes in shows kind of boring. At the end of the day, it’s just two people in awkward
hunched positions making grunting noises, mostly. Not my cup of tea. I would
say the only real negative for me was the fight in the sitting room, mostly
because I’m not a fan of love triangles of any kind, least of all this of
Perrin, Rand and Egwene especially when they invented a character to Fridge
before that ball started rolling. Ugh. Oh, and shout out to Kae Alexander who
played Min. There are some viewers that read the books that weren’t a fan of
her look. These people are idiots, as Min being a woman who dresses in
traditionally men’s clothes and being so androgynous that Rand wasn’t totally
sure when they firsts met if she was a man or woman is 100% how it went down in
the books. Kae Alexander did an excellent job showing this obviously burn out
Min. And her general annoyance with Rand showing up and messing with her life.
Yes, she’ll be around quite a bit in later seasons, so this bleh attitude
towards Rand specifically will be explain. Next time, we travel to the Eye.
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Twitter: @BasicsSuperhero
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