Viewer Log: Wheel of Time ep 15

 The Dragon Reborn meets the Amyrlin Seat.

Last time on The Wheel of Time, Egwene began her time as a Damane. The channeling slaves of the Seanchan are taught by their Sul’dam handlers to think of themselves as tools or weapons or dogs, not as people. Her Sul’dam, a woman named Renna, attempts to break Egwene using a water jug. Damane can’t touch an object they think of as a weapon without feeling pain, so basically, she tells Egwene to pour water and then watches as Egwene basically has a seizure induced by the collar. Nynaeve and Elayne help a Yellow Sister named Ryma try to figure out how to undo the a’dam collar to free Egwene. Ryma coaches Nynaeve into tapping into the Source without Anger, which works, but she draws too much and draws the Seanchan’s attention. Ryma sacrifices herself and is captured by the Seanchan to let the other two escape. Rand gets some sleep and meets with Lanfear. She seems to know he’s trying to play her, but it’s willing to play along for a bit and give him some tips. The big one being that Egwene is being held in Falme. Rand nearly runs off right there but runs into Mat in the Foregate. The two friends’ bond and catch up with each other, Mat being the one to say they need to go save Egwene within the hour. He’s only put off helping when he learns from Min that she’d had a vision that if he goes to Falme with Rand, he’ll stab him with the ruby dagger. Mat bails on Rand. Rand tries to set off on his own but is cornered by Lan, Alana, and her Warders, saying they can’t let him leave. The Amyrlin arrives in Cairhien, having been told by Lan what was going on with Moiraine. Lanfear visits Liandrin with her son, kills the old man to “free” Liandrin from who she used to be and gives her a… department transfer offer. Egwene finally breaks and pours Renna her water. She starts sobbing immediately after, but the woman in the room next to hers, Maigan, a sitter from the Blue Ajah, tells her not to, as Egwene lasted longer than her. Enough recap let’s get to it.

 

Ep 15: Daes Dae’Mar

 

In the Old Tongue, that means the Game of Houses, and Robert Jordan wrote that 6 years before the first Game of Thrones book came out, so I want to hear no complaining about that.

 

We open on a flashback to the White Tower 20 years ago. Moiraine is excitedly telling Siuan about taking her to meet her dad and Anvaere. Siaun seems hesitant to go, despite it clearly meaning a lot to Moiraine to see her family again after the Aiel War. She says that it’s not that she doesn’t want to go but that she’s having trouble processing making plans post war plans. They plan to go do whatever their Blue assigned duties will be for a few years or decades and then retire out into the bamboo hut that Siuan so wants to return to. They kiss and then go to the rooms of Gitara Sedai. They tell the old, blind Aes Sedai that the war is over and the Aiel are retreating. Before she can respond, Gitara has vision. She sees Rand’s mother being stabbed as she fights on Dragonmount and then preparing to give birth. She announces that the Dragon is born again, as baby soon to be named Rand is birthed. She tells them not to tell anyone and then dies right on the spot. Damn.

 

In the present, Siuan is standing in the Cairhien palace and Moiraine is brought to her. When they are alone, Siuan asks why she wasn’t told Moiraine was stilled. And that Lan told her she’d threatened to pass his bond without his consent and that they’d found the Dragon Reborn. Siuan tells Moraine that she’s shouldered the most burdens since their quest began and that it’s time for her to do some of the rowing too. It’s time for her to meet Rand Tamlyn al’Thor.

 

… Yes, that is my head canon for his full name.

 

Rand, meanwhile, is pacing outside the chamber, Lan trying to give him tips on how to present himself. Rand asks if this is going to be a trial, as he knows what happened to the last man who claimed to be the Dragon. Lan asks him if that’s why he ran after the Eye of the World. Rand says that he left to protect the people he loves, and Lan chastises him for being selfish. He was born to defend all, not just the people he loves. He tells Rand that the Amyrlin is smart and comes from humbler beginnings that him, and that there’s one rule above all to being a man, whatever comes, you face it on your feet. He grabs a coat for Rand and tells Rand to give him his sword, but Rand parries him. Lan recognizes the form, Heron Dips the Wing, and says Rand is learning sword forms. Rand says he’s learned a lot. Lan tells him to keep the sword, as the Amyrlin won’t be afraid of that. He advices Rand to use the form “Cat crosses the Courtyard,’ back straight, body loose, to present himself to the Amyrlin. Rand meets the Amyrlin. She recognized Rand’s form and said that Lan must have prepared him. She has questions for Rand, and she tells him to answer truthfully.

 

In the Foregate, Mat is loitering around, clearly trying to figure out what to do next when he’s jumped by a thug and knocked out. He wakes up on the floor of a house. Lanfear welcomes him to Falme. He asks how he got there, and Lanfear says that’s her little secret and that she thought Mat would be more impressive. Mat gets up and goes out to the balcony, where he sees Falme and the Seanchan ships in dock. Damn.

 

Nynaeve and Elayne are dodging Seanchan on the streets. Elayne is shocked to see how well the Falmens have assimilated to the occupation and wonders why they don’t fight back. Nynaeve points out that the standing army might have something to do with it. Nynaeve wants to try to invade the palace directly, but Elayne puts her foot down and says that they’re doing it her way this time. She confirms that an Ogier is in the palace, one that traveled with Nynaeve’s friend and tells Nynaeve to do exactly as she says.

 

We jump to a field outside Falme, where Egwene’s been taken out for training with other new Damane. She’s been outfitted with the muzzle pacifier as well. Th leader of this training exercise, Mulaen, tells them that today they’ll test the Damane’s strength. Renna informs Egwene that if she embarrasses her today, she’ll regret it.

 

Back in Cairhien, Verin and Tomas meet with Yasicca, who brought Verin a document from the Royal Library. Yasicca asks why she needs an Ogier map of the city, but we don’t hear her answer. Ihvon wants to follow Tomas when he leaves but Alana keeps him back, she doesn’t want them separating if there’s a Forsaken in the city. Maksim agrees with Ihvon and he heads out. Maksim says that he’s more concerned about Liandrin and asks where she went.

 

Liandrin is, in fact, at House Damodred. She patently ignores Anvaere when she greets her, staring instead at an oil painting of Moiraine.

 

Lan and Moiraine meet. She says she’s not sure what he hoped to gain from all this and he says hopefully everything they lost. Lan asks Moiraine a question, prefacing before that he hopes she’ll one day forgive him for even asking, if after being Stilled she considered killing herself. Moiraine gives him a look, and he points out that in the Tower records only two women who lost their powers didn’t try to commit suicide, the rest at least tried within a year. Moiraine rather angrily says no, she didn’t, because she knew Rand needed her, that protecting him and guiding him was more important than anyone. She says that telling Siuan puts everything in jeopardy and wants to know what Siuan isn’t telling her. Lan says she’ll need to trust someone, and if not him, then he thought she’d at least trust Siuan.

 

I mean, yeah, betting on your friend’s secret wife sounds like a good play.

 

Siuan asks how many times Rand has channeled, he says not much or at least not intentionally. Siuan tells him that he will keep channeling, it’s his nature, and that he needs to learn to control it, or he’ll die. Rand says that’s not much of a choice, dying or going mad, and asks “What if I’m tired of being a spoke in the wheel?” Siaun counters by saying he’s not spoke, but the water that turns the wheel or breaks it. She tells Rand that by Tower law, she is supposed to cage Rang and keep him from channeling except when they want him too. She says that at the Last Battle, he’ll be the greatest weapon in their arsenal, but not their general. Rand realizes that this isn’t a conversation, and that Siuan had made her decision already. Rand channels, wrapping himself in weaves, but Siuan shields him with a flick of her wrist and yells at him for learning nothing in six months. Siuan says they’d have been better off if he’d been a girl.

 

Back in the field, Renna takes Egwene out to show her strength. As they walk to the center of their training area, Renna tells her that her light will be brighter than the last girl’s and that all of Falme’s channelers will see her power. Renna makes Egwene Channel and fire off a shockwave, the power is so strong it knocks the others from their feet and Loial feels the breeze of it all the way back in the city.

 

Loial, meanwhile, is walking around Falme on an errand when Nynaeve grabs him. He tells her Perrin escaped, before kneeling to Elayne. He tells them what has been happening to Egwene and that only Sul’dam are allowed within a hundred feet of it. Nynaeve tells him to go before anyone notices and when alone Elayne points out that they have everything they need.

 

Over with Mat, he’s in the room with Ishamael, who is whittling something and not talking to him. Eventually, Ishamael asks Mat if he’s ever had trouble sleeping. Ishamael says that he does, that he lays up thinking about the pain of everyone. Mat asks if this is a sex or murder thing, and either way he’d prefer to skip the talking. Ishamael says neither. He says that the world has forgotten much since his time, and not just technology. Ishamael claims that this tea he’s prepared will show Mat all his past lives, all the people he used to be. Ishamael sets an hourglass timer, saying that Mat should take the tea in fifteen minutes. One cup and he’ll know all. Mt asks why he thinks he’ll touch anything Ishamael prepared. Ishy tells him that he thinks Mat has always wanted to know and it was only after drinking that tea that Ishamael got a good night’s sleep.

 

Perrin, Hopper, and Aviendha are traveling in the wasteland when Perrin sees a woman hiding in the desert. Aviendha compliments Perrin, saying that he has good eyes for a wetlander. Aviendha asks her to take her to Jolien. They’re taken to another woman and a grave. One of the women tells her that she took a deep wound and died of infection. Aviendha sign something to the other two. They disarm themselves, take a few steps away and then the two new Aiel pummel Aviendha. They beat her until she drops with a bloodied face.

 

Back at Mat’s room, he’s watching the sand run out of the timer. When it does, he pours the tea and doddles a little before downing the whole cup. When nothing happens right away, he says it’s a load of shit and tries to stand up, but his head starts swimming. He sees his mother, telling him he’s a damn prick. Mat stumbles over to his mirror and sees he hung himself and in other panes are images of him killing his friends. He drops to the ground, turns into his mother, and then a doppelganger of himself appears, lifts them up and says they’re just like him. Damn, trippy.

 

Rand is still kneeling before Siuan when Moiraine and Lan come in. She tells Siuan to release him, but she says no. She says that they tried their way, and they nearly lost everything, so now they’ll follow Tower law. Moiraine says the Reds will Gentle Rand, Siuan says not while she’s in power, and Moiraine counters by saying that the Tower is FULL of her enemies and asks if she’s really so confident in her power. Moiraine says that they both had jobs, Moiraine was to find the Dragon Reborn and Siuan was to prepare the Tower. Siuan says she can’t do that now that she’s been stilled and that he’s no more ready than from before Moiraine found him. Siuan says that when Queen Galldrian returns, they’ll announce him as the Dragon Reborn, with 14 sisters to show that he’s under their control. Rand is brought to a dungeon and left with Moiraine and Leane. Rand asks what is happening and Moiraine explains that he’s being Shielded, but when Leane’s shield drops he’ll feel like himself again. Moiraine heard from Siuan that he was leaving and wants to know where he was going. Rand tells her he was going to Falme to free Egwene. When asked, he confirms that’s what Lanfear showed him in the dream. He wants to know why everyone wants him in Falme. Moiraine tells him that that’s where the Dragon Reborn is supposed to proclaim himself, bannered across the sky in fire. Rand realizes that, if the Forsaken want him in Falme, they won’t want him imprisoned in Cairhien.

 

Back at the house, Anvaere tells Liandrin that she’s not sure when Moiraine will return. Liandrin says she’s not here for Moiraine and that she’s tired of waiting. Barthanes asks and then orders his mother to go upstairs. When alone, it’s revealed that Barthanes is a Darkfriend and that their Master ordered him to remove Moiraine from the board. Barthanes says that she’s his aunt, but Liandrin says that’s why she’ll never see it coming. She tells him to do it tonight, that she’s being held at the palace and to kill his mother if she suspects anything. We get a close up of a vent and then the reveal that Anvaere heard everything from a hidden room.

 

Ishamael is cupping Mat’s head in his arms and comforting him. He tells Mat that we relive these lives over and over again and repeat these stories, these mistakes. Even in death they reincarnate and go on suffering. Ishamael says that all he wants is to close his eyes and never open them again. Mat asks how.

 

Rand meets Lanfear in the world of Dreams. He asks for her help to free him. Lanfear says that Moiraine is with her and asks why she’s not doing anything. Rand says she might and that she might not need her. When she plays coy, Rand asks if she can get her out or not. WE then cut to Lanfear walking through the Foregate and causing explosions left and right.

 

We find Maksim looking at himself in a dagger as Alana and Lan join him. He tells Lan that he’s in there. He tells Alana that, what with Forsaken running around, he misses the farm and even her cousins. Alana does her best to comfort him. Lan meets with Logain. He tells Lan that he’s still waiting for his master to fulfil her promise. Or that Lan can run him through now and save her the trouble. Lan puts down a key on the table and says that Logain can see Male Weaves and asks what he sees when he looks at Moiraine. He says she’s a desperate, lonely woman that swore herself to a cause she couldn’t fully comprehend. Lan says that half a year in a madhouse and he’s still a madman, and Logain counters that madness is expecting a straight answer from a man that you helped lock up. Lan grabs the coin and walks away, but Logain says there are weaves on her, from a man. The weaves are there, thousands, but no one is channeling anything into them. Alana comes in and tells Lan about the fires in the Foregate. Logain asks about the key and Lan says he’ll get the key when he’s transferred back to the Tower, as there are two Browns there that want to study him. Damn.

 

What Logain described is a weave that is tied off. In the books, this was a very common tactic, you can set up a weave and tie it off, no longer exerting your own strength to maintain it. This can be dangerous for things like Shields, but a sometime necessary tactic. Looks like that’s something that was lost to time in this turning.

 

Lanfear reaches the gate and sees a bunch of Foregaters trying to get into the city. She mutters that it’s been 3000 years and yet she’s back to this. She explodes the door and walks in.

 

Perrin and company, now including the new Aiel, Bain and Chiad, are walking again. Perrin asks what the hell that was about and Aviendha tells him that was about Ji’e’toh. It’s old tongue for Honor and obligation. Aviendha had ‘toh’ to Joline that she failed to meet with her death, which lowered her “Ji.” The most acceptable way to reduce or eliminate the lowering of one’s Ji is to get the crap kicked out of you. The Aiel are a weird culture. Aviendha asks about Perrin’s ring, saying that she thinks it means that he’s “owned” by a wetlander woman and that means he can’t lie with anyone else. Perrin says “kinda” and Aviendha shrugs, saying that Bain will be disappointed, but Chiad won’t care. The group comes across the ocean and the Aiel are flummoxed by all that water. In the Waster, a stream you can’t step across is all but unheard of, so yeah, I get them being mind-blown.

 

Nynaeve and Elayne ambush a Sul’dam named Seta, Nynaeve showing her the bracelet on her wrist and asking if it looks good on her before slamming the collar on her. Once the shield forms across her chest, Elayne runs up and knocks her out.

 

At the Kennels, Egwene is braiding her hair. No doubt trying to remind herself of home and of the fact she’s never alone because of that braid. See Nynaeve’s speech from the first episode. Renna comes in and tells her to pull up her sleeves. She takes Egwene’s hand and washes it with a sponge. Renna says that she realized why Egwene fights her, that she doesn’t know why she’s here. She says that the Empress, may she live forever, has one charge, to unite the world under one banner to fight the Last Battle. Egwene tells Renna that she will kill her and Renna storms off.

 

Barthanes is led to Moiraine’s room by a servant. He assures Barthanes that Moiraine is inside and that she drank a sedative in her tea. Barthanes goes inside to find an empty cell. Anvaere appears and says she was sure he wouldn’t do it before slamming the door on him. She asks him why he’d become a Darkfriend and he says he did it for them, or did she really not question how they rose so far so fast. He’s going to be king, and he asks her will she really throw that away. For Moiraine? He says she will leave this place and never think of them again. Anvaere says that she knows, but she also knows two things about Moiraine. That she knows the difference between right and wrong, and about how much harder it is sometimes to do what is right. Barthanes begs her to not tell anyone, but she says he already has. Barthanes screams at his mother, and she’s led away.

 

Verin comes into Rand’s cell and tells Leane she has been ordered to help protect Cairhien. They swap shield duties and Leane tells her to not let Moiraine get close to her. When alone, Verin drops the Shield and she says the Dragon Reborn has been in Cairhien long enough. They and Tomas run from the city, Verin saying there’s a Waygate in the city that they can use. Moiraine says that’s just a rumor but they reveal there’s definitely a Stedding there and that the city is built over it. Lan and Alana’s crew arrive, saying they’ll take Rand and Moiraine the rest of the way, Alana saying she’s not alone anymore. Siuan leads a circle and the other Aes Sedai link with her to make a thunderstorm to put out the fires. Leane joins them, and Siuan asks her who’ shielding Rand. She says Verin is, that she told her to come. Siuan orders her to lead with the healing and says Rand cannot be allowed to leave.

 

They reach the Waygate and Moiraine tells Rand to open. Lan says that she’s going to do it and tells Rand to look at Moiraine with the One Power. Moiraine tells him not to, but Rand does. He sees a sphere of glowing light surrounding her chest, saying it’s like a bunch of weaves tied off in a knot. Moiraine says that’s impossible, but Lan says that that is a skill from the Age of Legends that he’d read about since they parted. Lan says that the way Moiraine had been acting had never sat right with him, and that even a Forsaken shouldn’t be strong enough to Still someone alone. It’s a Shield that he tied off. Remember, women can’t see weaves of Saidin, so this was effectively the same thing in a world where there are no Aes Sedai men. Lan tells him to cut the knot, as he doesn’t have the skill to untie it. Moiraine says she trusts him. Rand channels Earth and Fire and reaches out to Moiraine with it. He cuts through it and Moiraine’s powers are back. Lan apologizes that it took him so long to do his duty. Moiraine steps up to the Waygate and opens it. Rand is suddenly grabbed by weaves and shielded, and Lan is tossed aside. Siuan tells her to close the Waygate and accuses her of failing at the Eye of the World. She orders Moiraine to closes the Waygate, using Moiraine’s oath to her to do it. The gate closes, and Moiraine looks at Siuan with utter betrayal. Lanfear joins them. Siuan channels Earth and prepares to attack her but Lanfear knocks her aside. Lanfear goes to kill Moiraine, but Rand stops her, saying if she wants his help, she’ll leave her be. Lanfear agrees, saying Rand is becoming more like Lews every day and that they’re lucky a broken Amyrlin is more useful than a dead one. Siuan wakes up and begs Moiraine to help her, but Moiraine leaves her behind. Damn.

 

That’s a hell of a penultimate episode. We got to see a little bit more of Aiel culture, seeing how seriously they take Ji’e’toh and what is necessary to meet toh. We’re shown that Mat is very much struggling with his identity if he’s maybe preordained to be a screw up and betrayer. I liked hearing a bit from Ishamael about his past, and how he desires the world to stop entirely. That’s a motivation that isn’t revealed until well into the books, I’m thinking around 10 or 11. So getting it this early I think is a good call. The Barthanes reveal was a brilliant reworking of the character. In the books, Barthanes is Moiraine’s cousin who is of age with her, is a Darkfriend and seems to be planning to take the throne via a murder. Turning him into a young man that seems to be doing it only to restore his family for his mother is just a such a better motivation. His screaming for his mother as he’s left in his cell just sent a chill up my spine. I love that, while Egwene is capitulating to Renna and the Sul’dam as much as she has to survive, that she’s not broken-broken yet. She told her captor to her face that Egwene is going to kill her, so she still has that fire in her. Renna is clearly being frustrated by all this, which is perfect. Nynaeve and Elayne have their way in, and they’re going to rock the foundation of the Seanchan empire with how. Seeing Siuan and Moiraine’s relationship start to break down because of their relative positions was depressing. I see the logic, Siuan is scared after learning her love has lost her powers and lied about it for months and the fate of the world is in the balance. I can kind of understand falling back on the Tower tradition when it seems like everything else failed. It especially hurt after seeing the prologue when they used to be so happy before stumbling upon a secret that would change the damn world. Rand using Lanfear to finally get free of Siuan and the Aes Sedai was brilliant. Especially seeing how bored Lanfear was while doing it. Really highlights the strength gap between the Forsaken and the modern Channelers. And I’m glad that Moiraine finally got her powers back. The idea that she’d been Shielded, not Stilled, has been floating around since the season 1 finale dropped and I’m glad that they confirmed it. It puts a lot of things into context, not the least of all why she wasn’t cripplingly depressed like she should be. Strength of will is one thing, but the universality of the suicidal depression that comes from being Stilled/Gentled or burnt out was a thing that seemed to transfer over from the books, and it felt weird we didn’t see that in Moiraine if she was Stilled. So, she’s got her powers back and it only cost her marriage, wonderful. Heavy Sarcasm. Alright, quick summary of the situation. Rand is in Falme, with a repowered Moiraine and Lan. Mat is possibly being tempted by Ishamael to join him, and Egwene is being held by the Seanchan. Perrin is on his way to the city with Aiel, Loial and the Sheinarans are enslaved but I think that situation will be quickly rectified, and Nynaeve and Elayne are going to bust Egwene out. So not an ideal situation but he’ll see worse. We’ll see you in October for the thrilling conclusion. 

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Viewer Log: Wheel of Time ep 14

 The Seanchan are monsters.

Last time on The Wheel Of Time, Rand and Moiraine were on the run from the queen of evil exes. Selene, Rand’s innkeeper and hookup, was revealed to be Lanfear, one of the Forsaken and ally of Ishamael. They distracted her by using a stablemaster to lead her towards Tar Valon while they doubled back to Cairhien. At the city, they met Moiraine’s nephew Barthanes, who seems like a nice lad. After rushing around for a bit, Moiraine’s sister Anvaere has her stop and ask herself the question “does Rand really need protection,” which gives her an idea. Perrin, meanwhile, learns that Elyas was leading him away from his friends and the two break off. Perrin tries to go it alone but Hopper the wolf follows him and shows him through wolf vision that Uno’s body was left on display in the village. He goes to give Uno a proper burial but is distracted talking to a captured Aiel woman and then is caught by a Whitecloak, Dain Bornhald. Perrin hides out for little bit, learning that Dain’s superior is Valda from last season, before freeing the Aiel. The two beat the crap out of the Whitecloaks, but Perrin stops her from killing Dain as Dain had shown her some mercy. They introduce themselves and we learn she’s Aviendha, and that she’ll follow Perrin to fulfill her life debt to him.  Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne are brought through the Ways and given to High Lady Suroth of the Seanchan by Liandrin. But, as a screw you to the Aes Sedai enslaver, Liandrin frees them and gives them the chance to escape. Nynaeve and Elayne escape but Egwene is captured and collared, becoming a Damane. She’s presented to High Lord Turak, the leader of the Seanchan force here in Falme, as a means of Suroth reclaiming some face that she lost after following Ishamael into attacking the small town to get the Loial, Perrin and the Shienarans. Rand is encouraged by Moiraine to finally sleep, as she believes they can draw Lanfear to them and pump her for information.

 

Ep 14: Eyes Without Pity

 

I’ll also add a trigger warning for this, as this episode depicts violence, abuse, and slavery in a very intense light. You’ve been warned.

 

We open with Egwene being dragged kicking and screaming into the Seanchan’s Damane kennels. Yeah, they are very in your face with how they few channelers, with everything associated with them being tied to dog terms, there’s a kennel and mistress of the kennel as well. Egwene tries to punch her Sul’dam enslaver, Renna, but is knocked back by the force of her blow. Renna explains that the a’dam makes Egwene feel twice as much pain as Renna does if she tries to attack her and cannot be removed by her. Renna says she believes in cultivating a friendship between Sul’dam and Damane to get Egwene to tell her name, but she refuses. Renna uses her a’dam bracelet to make Egwene feel pain until she answers. She tells Egwene that she’ll let her keep her name and that she should rest as training begins soon. She takes off the bracelet and hangs it on a peg. Egwene tries to grab it but can’t even get within a foot of it before she’s forced back by the pain. She scampers back and glares at the a’dam.

 

We shift focus to Rand, strapped to a wheel in a desert in Tel’alan’riod. Tel’alan’riod is the World of Dreams, or the Unseen World. Lanfear, dressed in an outrageous outfit, waited for him, and seemed to be gloating. Rand asks what she wants, and when she gives him a non-answer about the importance of names, he wonders aloud how he ever trusted her. She asks why he can’t trust her and when he looks at the shackles holding him, she releases him. She says that she’d been protecting him for months, keeping Ishamael out of his dreams and that he’s acting just like he did as Lews, pushing people away to protect them. When Rand says she doesn’t know him, Lanfear asks where all his friends are. She goes on say that by thinking he’s dead, he left his friends open and vulnerable to Ishamael who will try to turn them to the Dark and enslave him by extension. He says they’ll never turn, but Lanfear counters that she thought that once too. She asks him how he can trust Moiraine, when she so obviously pulled him to Cairhien to keep an eye on him. Rand tells her to prove that she can be trusted and tell him where Ishamael is. She agrees, but under a condition. Rand wakes up and says he needs to get away from Moiraine, that that was Lanfear’s condition. Moiraine tries to tell him not to go. Rand asks if she did in fact send Logain here to Cairhien to lead him there, to which she admits that, yes, she did. Because here he can get near Logain and potentially learn from him instead of at the White Tower where he wouldn’t have been able to get close. Rand storms off.

 

Out in the Foregate, Min and Mat have arrived. Mat is having fun with all the partying but Min tries to convince him that they should move on. Mat gets them some drinks and tries to pull Min deeper into the party.

 

In Falme, Elayne and Nynaeve are stuck in Ryma’s attic. Nynaeve is pacing in frustration, and when Elayne tells her to stop because it might draw attention to them, Nynaeve snaps and asks if they can really trust Aes Sedai right now. They start fighting, but Basan, Ryma’s Warder comes in to tell them he can her them bickering from the market and then leads Ryma up. Ryma has brought up a tonic of elderberry and astragalus, a calming drink to hopefully help them have a peaceful conversation. A conversation about two young women running from the Tower. Nynaeve reveals to Ryma that Liandrin is a Darkfriend and them to the Seanchan. When Elayne confirms she broke all Three Oaths, Ryma seems sick to learn that the Black Ajah exists. She tells them that if what they say is true, all their Sisters are in danger.

 

Back at the Tower, Liandrin is visiting her son and apologizing for leaving him for so long. She hears someone walk up and she throws a fireball at them. Lanfear catches it and extinguishes it, saying everyone gets a freebie but she’ll flay Liandrin if she tries that again. Lanfear says that she watched Liandrin’s dreams to learn of this place and asks why Liandrin works for Ishamael. When Lanfear asks, Liandrin reveals her son’s name is Aludran. Lanfear realizes she swore her oaths to keep her son alive, but this isn’t life, and worse, he’s the last thing tying her to her old life. She lists off the horror’s of Liandrin’s early life, which imply she was an often beaten and abused child bride before coming to the Tower. Liandrin kills Aludran, and offer Liandrin alternative employment.

 

Loial is being held as a Da’covale, a personal slave, to Suroth, who orders him to sing when he brings her food. Loial tries to say no but is ordered to. He inhales and begins to Treesing. It’s a rare talent among the Ogier, it’s a kind of magic that helps plants grow quickly and strong. A bonsai tree basically doubles in size with a short song. He’s dismissed along with Ingtar. Ingtar tells Loial that he’s found that the Horn is being held with other curiosities of Turak’s with virtually no guards as the Seanchan are so fixated on honor in their culture that they don’t think anyone would steal it. Loial asks about Egwene, Ingtar saying she’s being held in the Damane kennels. He says that is more guarded than the horn. Loial is sure they’ll get her out, and that Egwene is strong enough to survive it.

 

We cut to Egwene in the kennel. She has a vision of herself grabbing her water jug, smashing it on Renne’s face and beating her to death. But when she tries to enact that plan, she can’t even touch the jug without being forced double over with pain. Renna puts the bracelet on nonchalantly and says that Damane can’t touch anything that they view as a weapon while wearing the a’dam. Egwene tries to punch her and gets hurt instead. Renna tells her that it must be difficult to have spent her life living as a person only to learn she was Damane as an adult. She tells Egwene to pour her a glass of water. Egwene goes to, thinks about of attacking her with it, and then doubles over n pain again. Renna tells her that this will be their training until Egwene can accomplish this task, as it’ll prove to her she can’t ever hurt Renna. She says that she can feel Egwene’s strength through the a’dam and that custom says that the strongest Damane are the hardest to break. She leaves Egwene. Egwene climbs up to her barred window and looks out at Falme. She’s in a fortress that is being constantly being patrolled.

 

Min is sleeping when Ishamael visits her dream, musing that she could have been a profit or wealthy with her gifts but instead chooses to live with Rats and drunks. She says she brough Mat to Cairhien so wants her payment, but Ishamael isn’t cutting her loose just yet. He tells her that the Dragon is in Cairhien and that if she wants to be free, he needs to make sure Mat leaves with him. He says he’ll take away the visions if she does this, and when she asks if she doesn’t, vanishes with a smile.

 

Lan and co, arrive at a temple for the Forsaken. Lan says that they’ll need the Amyrlin’s permission to return to the Tower, as Moiraine’s banishment applies to him as well until their bond is formerly removed from the records. Alana tells him that the Amyrlin will return from a trip to Caemlyn in a few days. Lan asks if they believe the Forsaken really had powers the Aes Sedai don’t, weaves forgotten in this age, which they all agree that as the Dark One’s generals them most assuredly did. Later, when it seems that Alana and her boys are indisposed, Lan tries to leave but Maksim cuts him off and Ihvon joins them. Maksim asks Lan where he’s going and when he refuses to answer, Ihvon repeats the blood poem to Lan, and they ask if he’s a Darkfriend. Lan tells them to move aside but Alana captures him in Weaves of air. She says that the Amyrlin didn’t banish him, that he wanted to know where she was and asks why he wants to know. He says he needs to find her, that he needs to talk to her about Moiraine. Alana demands the truth and Lan tells them they found the Dragon Reborn.

 

We cut to Rand having that nightmare about killing all of his friends with his sword because of the madness. Ishamael joins him, saying this is where he’s headed. Lanfear arrives and tells “Ishy” that if Rand doesn’t want him there, he shouldn’t be there. She seems to banish Ishamael and tells Rand that the World of Dreams is a powerful place, that he can travel through and even communicate with others as if they were face to face. As a sign of good faith, Lanfear offers him a gift of a dream. He asks to see Egwene.

 

Rand finds Egwene slumped on the kennel floor and calls out to her. She gets up and faces him, clearly confused about seeing her ghost boyfriend. Rand reaches out to touch her, but Lanfear pulls them back to the Two Rivers. Rand asks to know where she is, screams at her to tell him. Lanfear tells him Ishamael has her and Rand says he’ll do anything to save her.

 

Egwene wakes up and calls Rand, but obviously can’t find him. She starts talking to herself, telling herself to pull herself together. She hears a voice on the others side of her wall and tries to talk to her but the woman on the other side is just reciting the Sul’dam’s rules.

 

In town, Damane and Sul’dam are searching for them. Ryma tells Nynaeve and Elyane that she’s arranged a ship for them to get them back to the Tower. The news about Liandrin is too important to trust to a Letter or so she thinks. Nynaeve tells her to go, as she’s not leaving without Egwene. Elayne says, respectfully, that Ryma is underestimating them and this situation, neither of them are leaving without Egwene. Ryma tells them if they want to rescue Egwene, they need to figure out how to open a Damane collar.

 

Shifting to Moiraine, she seems to be trying to write a letter to Siuan about being stilled. Barthanes joins her with a sandwich and tries to talk to her but Moiraine is really focused on her letter and is only half listen. Anvaere is watching them from the hall. He leaves, apologizing for intruding. In the hall he tells his mother she was right, but that was worth a try. Anvaere storms in and starts yelling at Moiraine for abandoning the family. Telling her that their father kept asking for her as he was dying. She demands to know what was so important that she stayed away. Moiraine doesn’t answer and Anvaere tells her she wants her gone tomorrow. Moiraine counters by saying as the eldest the house is hers and Anvaere and Barthanes are there on her good graces. Anvaere tells her that she has nothing that made their father good in her and she’s there mother through and through. Moiraine goes back to her letter, an open letter with Siuan’s seal on her desk.

 

Siuan, meanwhile, is traveling when she hears someone calling for her carriage to stop. She weaves knives of air around her head before the door opens and she sees Lan. Lan tells her something happened with Moiraine.

 

In the garden, Logain is setting up a stones board. It’s like Sternhalma… Chinese Checkers. Rand joins him and once again demands Logain to show him battle weaves. Logain says that he spent years figuring weaves out on his own and why would he hand those over for free. Rand tells him that it’s because he wants his life to matter and with him being Gentled, the only way that can happen is through Rand. Logain tells him to embrace the Source, to grab it and make it his. Rand does so, being encircled by white and black light that’s all but blinding. Logain warns him to let go or he’ll burn himself out, Rand does so and throws up. Rand says that there’s not enough time to learn to fight, but Logain tells him with that much power he can fight anyone.

 

Rand goes through the Foregate and stumbles upon Mat trying to win at gambling. The two see each t other and they hug, both crying. Mat tells him he looks bloody awful and asks where the others are. Rand says its complicated, and Mat says it’s a good thing that he has nothing but time. And the first round is on Rand for screwing up his roll.

 

Back in Falme, Nynaeve, Elayne and Ryma are trying to open the collar. Ryma warns them they need to be careful about channeling here, as Sul’dam and Damane can sense them. Elayne feels the collar with a weave and determines it’s got no latch or separate pieces, she dubs it a ter’angreal. Nynaeve asks where Ryma got it. Ryma says there were rumors of strange invaders with enslaved channelers, and strange beasts and a group of Aes Sedai were sent to investigate. It’s only when they got there that they realize they were super boned. She shows them three rings, a blue, green, and gray gem in each. She says two were killed with their Warders and one captured, the Blue. The Blue was a Sitter for the Hall, so she was super important and respected. Ryma says she only has the collar because her sisters paid for it with their lives.

 

In the kennel, Egwene tries to get the collar off again as Renna joins her. She seems perplexed that Egwween is still fighting her. She tells Egwene that a sister from the White Tower made the a’dam. Renna tells her that the Tower wants to hold them back, to make her happy with parlor tricks, and that the Seanchan want to use her to her full potential. Egwene says it’s impossible to be powerful with a collar around her neck. Renna tells her that she hopes the White Tower told her how special she was, and Egwene looks pleased for just a second before looking like she’s going to vomit. Renna tells her to stand up and come with her. Renna has them link, to become “complete” as the Seanchan say. She tells Egwene to reach out to a tree in the courtyard she can see. She makes Egwene burn the tree down with the One Power. She says that this is what it’s supposed to be like, their power combined. Renna tells her to pour herself some water, and that she deserves it. Egwene goes to before being doubled over in pain again. Renna kicks her for still being so willful and then storms off.

 

Back at the house, Nynaeve tells Elayne that if they don’t find Egwene before the ship prepares to depart, Elayne should go to warn the Amyrlin. Elayne refuses as she wants to save Egwene too. When Nynaeve demands to know why she’s trying so hard to protect someone she barely knows, Elayne says she’s her friend, and she’s never had one before.

 

Rand and Mat have a drink and Rand admits to leaving the others behind after the Eye of the World, thinking they’d be better off without him. Mat tells him that’s not true, and Rand says that’s true of Mat as well. Rand tells Mat that Egwene is being held in Falme by Ishamael, and Mat says that they’ve got to go. Mat says he needs to ‘break a lady’s heart’ and that he’ll meet Rand at the gate in an hour.

 

Min is in her room drinking alone. Mat knocks on her door and she invites him in. Mat tells her that he ran into Rand and Min tells him that he can’t go. She tells him he had a vision of him killing Rand. Mat refuses to believe it, even when Min tells him where they’re going. Mat asks her how she knows Rand. He realizes she set him up and that she’s been playing him since prison. Min apologizes, telling Mat that she is his friend and if he loves Rand, he should stay away.

 

Moiraine gives her butler the letter, saying it’s for Aniya Sedai of the Blue. He goes to deliver it and Moiraine goes to speak to Barthanes. She apologizes for how she’s acted, and that she thinks he’ll make a wonderful king, a king to make their house proud. He hugs her and that clearly weirds her out. Anvaere comes in and says the Amyrlin has arrived with 14 sisters and is asking for her.

 

Siuan arrives. Liandrin is in her retinue, and she comments that the last time the Amyrlin came to Cairhien with such a big group it was to install a new ruler on the Sun Throne. Siuan says that maybe this Amyrlin is just being frivolous.

 

Rand waits for Mat outside the gates, while Mat watches from a hidden spot. Rand realizes that Mat isn’t coming and decides to go alone. As he walks out, Rand is stopped by Alana, Lan, Ihvon and Maksim. Lan tells Rand he’s sorry but he can’t let them leave.

 

Egwene is trapped in her cell and pacing about. In town, Ryma and Elayne are still trying to get the collar open. Ryma asks Nynaeve to add her strength, as they need a little more power but if either of them draws anymore, they may draw attention. Nynaeve tries but says she can’t control it like that.  Ryma says to treat it like treating a patient, you don’t decide to help you just help. Nynaeve tries but unleashes too strong a pulse. She says that she feels that the collar needs to be put on a channeler, it’s the only way it can be complete. They get a knocking sign from Basan that the Seanchan are at the door. Ryma decides to sacrifice herself to protect the other two, giving Nynaeve the three rings plus her own to bring back to the Tower.

 

Egwene is visited by Renna again, who tells her to pour the water. Egwene limps over to her but drops again. Renna insists that she pour the water. Basan and Ryma go to face the Seanchan. Egwene is told to pour the water but can’t. Basan and Ryma fight Seanchan taking several of them out. Renna grabs Egwene in frustration and hangs her from a beg by her collar, choking her.  Renna tells Egwene that there’s nothing exists beyond filling her cup. Ryma tells Basan to kill her instead of being captured, but he’s killed before he can. In her fury, Ryma uses her healing weaves to break a Sul’dam into pieces. Ryma is collared while Elayne and Nynaeve watch. Ryma tells Egwene that the water will never be a weapon and Egwene will never leave her, so pour the water. Egwene finally touches the vase and pours, her face showing just how much doing so broke her. Renna pours the water out and calls Egwene a good girl. Egwene drinks from the vase and starts screaming. On the other side of the wall, her fellow prisoner tells her not to cry as she lasted longer than her, and she was a Sitter for the Blue. Yep, her prison buddy is Maigan. … She’s the one that wanted Moiraine to stay at the Tower in her place while she went to investigate what was happening at Falme.

 

Okay, that episode was a lot. Seeing Egwene being continually tortured and beaten is just not a fun time even if this is a necessary plot element to show how brutal the Seanchan are and why Egwene is going to come away from this experience hating this Empire like no one else. In the books, the Seanchan use the mental pain attack on their Damane as they’re viewed as too valuable a resource to risk causing physical pain. That works in the books because we can hear the suffering Egwene is going through, but in a visual media you do just need to see the blood and bruising to get across her suffering. Seeing her break at the end and pour the water hurt on an intense level. I do like that Maigan broke from her chanting to encourage Egwene. Nynaeve and Elayne being forced to work together despite clashing personalities is great and foreshadowing how these two women work together. Nynaeve is the blunt one, she tells it like it is, doesn’t sugar coat things and can come across as a bit stubborn. Elayne is the sensible one, who speaks very politely and diplomatically, but is also a bit stubborn. They’re pretty much what happens whenever you stick two cats in a room, seconds away from fighting, playing, or ignoring each other. I liked seeing Rand and Mat together. It was only for like two scenes but getting to see two friends meet up again after months is just good for the soul. I loved that Mat was supportive the whole way through and was 100% willing to drop everything to save Egwene, until finding out it could potentially lead to Rand’s death. Mat’s going to have a complex about not being a hero pretty soon. Rand doing his best to manipulate Lanfear is good too. I like how it seems like Lanfear knows he’s playing her, at least a little, but is willing to go along with it for now. His scene with Logain was great. Getting a glimpse of how strong he is and hearing the warning that he might draw too much and burn himself out a great scene visually. Logain believing Rand is strong enough to overpower anyone is good but also a sign that maybe he’s still kind of out of it. No one is that strong. Him being captured by Lan to, assumedly, see Siuan is going to be… interesting. I liked that Moiraine apologized to her nephew for being cold, it felt like a bit of character growth admitting that her family means something to her even after decades apart. And I liked Anvaere yelling at Moiraine. As we know what was so important to keep her away from her dad as he lay dying, but that clearly has pained Anvaere for years. We’re gearing up for the finale, and I can’t wait to see it. See you tomorrow for number 7.

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Viewer Log: Wheel of Time ep 13

The Seanchan are on the rise.

Last time on The Wheel Of Time, Moiraine is on the hunt for the Dragon Reborn once again. She arrived in Cairhien, snubbed her old lady little sister Anvaere, and started searching. Unfortunately, Rand had been whisked away to the countryside by his landlady and NSA hook up Selene. Anvaere was aware of this and made Moiraine eat crow by forcing her to ask politely for the information. There’s a lot of hostility there from Moiraine having left the house to be Aes Sedai decades earlier. Nynaeve spent time recovering from the PTSD going through the Arches had given her, shunning Egwene just a little to process it. Liandrin informed her that Perrin and Loial had been captured by invaders, which helped kick her out of her funk. She and Egwene headed out of the Tower to help them, Egwene’s new friend and needer of attention Elayne following them, but all three are ambushed by Liandrin who knocks them out with a blast of wind. Perrin began to learn about some of his new Wolfbrother powers from Elyas, befriending a wolf named Hopper. Mat and Min make their way away from Tar Valon. Min has a secret attic meeting which turned into a secret dream meeting with Ishamael. The Forsaken ordered her to take Mat to Cairhien, her part of the deal for him to remove her visions from her. In the mountains, Rand and Selene are attacked by a Fade and Rand has to channel to destroy it. Selene is initially freaked out but accepts Rand and takes him into a cabin to bang him. She begins to reveal that she’s “a monster too,” when Moiraine arrives, stabs her through the heart and cuts her throat. Rand is obviously freaked out by this and goes to choke Moiraine, but she reveals Selene to in fact be Lanfear, another of the Forsaken. She’d been freed by Ishamael some time earlier. The two of them run from the cabin and black specks fill Lanfear’s eyes and she starts to regenerate.

 

Ep 13: Damane

 

We open with the Seanchan in Falme, their ships fill the harbor and surround the city. High Lady Suroth, Ishamael and her Voice Alwhin arrive and meet with the head of their force, High Lord Turak. Suroth tries to make Alwhin talk for her, as a power play, but Turak’s voice orders her to speak for herself. The Voice scolds her for going against orders and invading the village from two episodes ago. She tries to placate by saying she captured a foreign lord and an Ogier slave, but Turak isn’t having it. Turak tells her that they have a mission to unite the world under the Empress, May She Live Forever, to fight the Shadow. A mission that she jeopardized by taking a village outside their current borders. Suroth begs forgiveness but is told she’s barred from the council until she’s once again presentable. She’s forced to kneel and they cut off her like two feet long fingernails. Gonna be a while before those things are the correct length again. She’s taken away. Ishamael calls up Fain and has him present the Horn of Valere. Turak opens the case and announces that with the Horn the whole world will be there’s.

 

Jumping to Rand and Moiraine, they’re running through the woods like they’re in a horror film. He asks why they’re doing it when Lanfear is dead and Moiraine tells him that wound will barely slow her down. Back at the cabin, Lanfear recovers, black flecks surging through her eyes before black threads of power encircle her. She grabs a cloak and heads after them. Rand and Moiraine make it to a stable and Moiraine forces the sable master to saddle three horses and for them to head out. She kills the fourth horses to keep Lanfear from following them on foot. Lanfear reaches the stable and dubs Moiraine clever. A random dude rides up and asks if she needs help, he confirms that the road leads to Tar Valon and she kills him to take his horse, bemoaning that nothing is slower than a horse.

 

Elyas and Perrin are still marching, Perrin asking if his eyes will turn gold like Elyas’. He says eventually, and for his sake hopefully sooner rather than later as Wolf eyes kick ass. Perrin realizes that they’ve returned to Atuan’s Mill, the town from before, and is infuriated to realize that Elyas lied to him and is in fact taking him away from Falme and his friends. Elyas says they aren’t his pack, nor are the humans from the Two Rivers or his wife. Perrin says he doesn’t know anything about his pack. The wolves surround them. Perrin says he’s going to find his friends, and Elyas says he can’t run from what he is.

 

We jump back to Lanfear chasing after Rand and Moiraine, using the One Power as a whip to make her horse run faster. Moiraine and Rand come out of the woods as she passes, revealing they sent the stable master ahead with the horses to distract Lanfear, hopefully giving them a few days to put distance between them. Rand demands to know the truth. Moiraine gives her the short version, they freed Ishamael and they didn’t defeat the Dark One. Moiraine says that if Ishamael releases all the Forsaken, they have no hope of winning the Last Battle. Rand stops and looks back in horror.

 

Perrin is walking by himself when Hopper joins him. The wolf leads Perrin to Atuan’s Mill. He tells Hopper he’s not going back, he’s going to look for his friends, but Hopper shows him a vision of Uno’s body. They left it out to rot. Perrin won’t stand for that and slips into town to give his friend a proper burial. He grabs a hammer and prepares to break the cage, but an Aiel in a cage nearby tells him that’ll be loud and draw attention. Another man joins them, warning Perrin to stay back as the last man that got close to her had his arm broken and nearly ripped off. The man, Dain, gives her some water and Perrin asks what she did. Dain doesn’t answer, saying that there’s a curfew in effect and that he’ll have to stay the night. Perrin follows Dain, the man recognizing Perrin’s wedding ring as Two Rivers work. Perrin asks more questions, but Dain ignores him. They stop at the inn and Perrin asks again what the woman did. Dain says she arrived at the town at the wrong time and that she’s past helping at this point. The innkeepers dog comes out to Perrin and touches her paw to Perrin’s hand. Perrin decides to turn in for the night and as he goes in realizes that Dain Bornhald is a Whitecloak. Perrin follows the barkeeper in, finding out that the man took over from the previous owner as she ran off after the caravan to try to get her granddaughter back, and that the Whitecloaks drove the Seanchan off a few days ago. The innkeeper thinks that they were probably better off with the Seanchan, as after the oaths were swore they leave you alone largely, but the Whitecloak Questioners are less forgiving. Perrin hears a voice he recognizes and tells the innkeeper to keep quite. He goes to the window to see Dain speaking with Child Valda. Valda, the Questioner that scarred Perrin’s back last season, is chastising Dain for giving the Aiel water. Dain sees no harm in it, as it took like 15 guys to disarm and then cage the Aiel, so there’s little chance Valda’s “questions” will do anything. Valda insists that there’s a connection between the Aiel and the Seanchan and that they’ll head to Falme soon to drive them into the sea. Valda hears a noise from the inn, but the dog runs out to distract him, Dain saying that there are no wolves here. Oh you poor fool. Valda says that someday Dain’s father’s name won’t protect him.

 

Lanfear is still riding. She comes across the stable master and asks where they are. She reveals that Moiraine told her to race the horses to the Tower as fast as she could. Lanfear asks who’s idea that was, the stable master says Moiraine, and she shakes her head saying Rand is “still so young.” Lanfear says that Moiraine is ruthless to use this woman as bait, but sooner or later they’ll sleep and then she’ll have them. When the stable master says she won’t say anything, Lanfear says she knows she won’t and uses her powers to fuse her lips together. Dark. Before riding off.

 

At the Tar Valon, Verin rides in and meets with some of her Brown sisters. She pays the two off with some strong liquor to get access to the library. They start chatting about the New and Powerful Novices, under the guise of getting gossip for Adaleus.

 

We jump to the Way, the dark and scarry interdimensional highway, where Liandrin has Nynaeve, Egwene and Elayne held captive. Nynaeve tries to play possum, but Liandrin notices and tells her that she’s bound and shielded, and to not try anything. Nynaeve asks how she could attack them with the One Power, as that shouldn’t be possible. When Nynaeve accuses her of breaking the Three Oaths, she mutters she’s broken more than those. She asks Nynaeve if she knows why the Aes Sedai swore the oaths. She reveals that a thousand years ago, a king threatened the tower with his vast army, forcing them to swear the Oaths to make him back down. She complains that the more the Aes Sedai make themselves seem inhuman, with their rituals, ceremony, predictability, the more they seem like the tides and the more men stop measuring themselves against them. Nynaeve realizes she wasn’t being recruited for the Red Ajah but for the Dark One. She says she’ll never do it, but Liandrin believes that everyone has their price. Nynaeve points out that Liandrin’s son is dying, she betrayed her Sisters and she’s trying to justify herself to a woman she kidnapped and asks if her price was worth it.

 

Suroth enters her chambers and is left alone with Ishamael. He asks if she finished pouting, and she is furious at him for going to that village for the Ogier and pet wolf. She says they should just kill Turok and be done with it, but Ishamael points out that’ll put the Seanchan into a civil war and that’ll be counterproductive. Suroth tries to throw her weight around, claiming that he’s the one that needs her armies and leashes for his war. Ishamael counters by saying he knows why she swore herself to the Dark One. That humbles her. He claims that Tar’men Gaiden will be won in the skies above Falme, and that the Dragon will join them. He promises her a gift will arrive soon.

 

Perrin slips out of his inn and frees the Aiel woman. He tells her to run. She asks why he helped her, and he says people shouldn’t be in cages. She introduces herself as Aviendha, of the Nine Valley’s Sept of the Taardad Aiel, a Far Dareis Mai (Maiden of the Spear). He introduces himself and they try to run. The Whitecloaks corner them. Dain orders his men to attack all at once on his signal, as one at a time she’ll have them. Aviendha pulls up her veil and asks Perrin if he likes to dance. FYI, the Aiel call battle “the dance.” What comes next is a smack down as our desert dwelling red head kicks so much Whitecloak ass, with Perrin’s back up, that it’s scary. Dain comes at her with an Axe but she dodges his strikes and disarms him. She almost ends him, but Perrin stops her, saying Dain gave her water and he helped them. They head out.

 

Rand and Moiraine arrive in Cairhien. Moiraine tells Rand they need to gather food and supplies for the road. Rand wonders when they’ll get to sleep and Moiraine says that’s the worst thing they can do right now. Why? Lanfear was known for two things among the Forsaken, casual cruelty and being a Master of Tel’alan’riod, the world of dreams. Rand asks if she can keep them awake with the One Power, but Moiraine says no. They arrive at the Damodred house and meet Anvaere and her son Barthanes. Anvaere is still cold to Moiraine, but Barthanes apparently remembers his aunt fondly and tries to chat with them. She introduces Rand to them, and asks for horses. Barthanes invites them to the wedding and jokes that as her king she expects subservience. Moiraine goes to clean up and Barthanes offers to get Rand some clothes for the journey.

 

Verin enters Sheriam’s study and the two chat. She wants to speak with Egwene and Nynaeve, but Sheriam says that they’re busy doing their chores. Verin says they aren’t cleaning or in their classes and that Elayne seems to be missing as well. Sheriam checks her notes and sees they were checked out a few days ago as part of a trip to Caemlyn. Verin notes that’s unusual enough to remember, and that it’s odd Sheriam forgot, and Sheriam agrees but continues that they left with a company of Queen Morgase’s soldiers. Verin asks about a book Sheriam checked out from the library, Meditations on the Kindling Flame. Verin asks for the book, just for a short passage she’s researching. They head out of her office and a moment later one of the Browns, Yasicca, from before slips in. She checks the Novice Book. Later, she tells Verin about what she read, saying that the girls were checked out to see Elayne’s brother Gawyn’s nameday celebration, but there was a slight tremor in the notation. She notes that Sheriam seemed to write more slowly about that, as if someone was trying to copy her handwriting. Verin disagrees, believing that Sheriam remembered writing this, but then asks if she might write like this if she were under Compulsion. Compulsion is a forbidden/lost weave that can control minds. Its utility varies from making a person forget a conversation to breaking a person’s mind utterly and turning them into a living puppet. Yasicca realizes that that would break the Three Oaths, and thus proves the Black Ajah exists. Verin tells her they need to get a list of every Aes Sedai that left the Tower over the last few days.

 

We cut to a tropical jungle Waygate. It opens and Liandrin comes out leading her captives. The girls are grabbed and removed from their horses as Liandrin meets with Suroth. Liandrin is disgusted with the Seanchan and what they do to Channelers, saying that maybe they need to learn respect for the One Power. Suroth says they do respect it when it’s contained. Claiming that the Sul’dam trained for years to control their Damane. Suroth says that their master’s needs may change, and she’ll be the one to collar Liandrin, but Liandrin counters that Suroth will kneel to her when his needs change. She weaves quicky and frees the girls before entering the Waygate. Elayne and Egwene perform weaves to help them escape while the Seanchan follow. Nynaeve and Elayne make it out, but Egwene is captured.

 

Aviendha and Perrin have a meal with Hopper. Perrin tells Aviendha that he thought Aiel never left the Waste, she corrects him and says it’s called the Three-Fold Land to the Aiel. A shaping stone to make them, a attesting ground to prove their worth and a punishment for the sin. They don’t remember what that sin is. She is looking for the Car’a’carn, the Chief of Chiefs. Perrin wonders where she’ll go next and she says she goes where he goes, as he saved her life, and she owes him a life debt. He tells her they’re headed to Falme.

 

We jump to Falme, as Nynaeve and Elayne slip in the cover of night. Elayne tells them they’re thousands of miles from the Tower, and that Falme on Toman Head is where Perrin and Loial are being held. She says they’ll need to stay under cover, since the Seanchan will be looking for them. Elayne notes the Seanchan are invaders, but Nynaeve isn’t interested in where they’re from, she just wants to find her friends. Elayne makes her stop and says they’ll need to change their clothes, as the Seanchan will be looking for women in white not locals. Nynaeve says she won’t take orders from Elayne, just before they’re both jumped by a local man. Dammit.

 

Liandrin slips back into the Tower, but crosses paths with Verin. Verin says that she thought Liandrin was in Jurene hunting a man channeling. Liandrin says it was a false alarm, but she brought back white asparagus, a local delicacy that just so happens to be in season right now and only found in Jurene. Verin says she’s at the Tower wanting to meet Egwene and Nynaeve, and how strange it is they aren’t there, but are on their way to a Nameday celebration in Caemlyn. Liandrin says that she heard on the road and Andoran force was attacked by bandits or Whitecloaks and rushes to tell Sheriam. From Verin’s face and scoff, she doesn’t believe a word of it.

 

In her room, Moiraine cleans herself up and does her best to not feel tired. Anvaere comes in to tell her the horses are ready, and asks how she and Rand got into this state. Moiraine doesn’t answer, but Anvaere helps clean Moiraine’s back of blood. Moiraine asks why she isn’t downstairs interrogating Rand. She says Barthanes encouraged her to leave it alone. Anvaere says she knows her sister and that she’s always known what she wants to do next, but now clearly doesn’t and that concerns it. Moiraine says that Rand needs protection and she’s not sure she can provide it. And that all of Cairhien could be in the crossfire if she chooses wrong. Anvaere says that she should have stayed away and Moiraine agrees. Anvaere tells her advice Moiraine gave her years ago, ask a simple question, if something is scaring you or threatening you, ask yourself if it’s true. Does she know beyond any doubt that Rand needs her protection? Moiraine agrees it’s good advice. Anvaere admits that regardless of everything, it means the world to Barthanes that she came even if she can’t stay.

 

We jump to Rand asleep. Ishamael is in bed with him, getting uncomfortably close to Rand. But then he asks if Lanfear is playing in his dreams again and Rand’s face melts into hers. She asks how he knew, and he says subtlety was never her strength. She claims to be biding her time waiting for “someone” to get some sleep. Ishamael says that they’re still being blamed for the Breaking, but points out how silly it is that the rest of the world never picked up the pieces. Three Thousand Years later and they’re still fighting with queens and swords. They toast to the past and future. Lanfear reveals that Moiraine revealed herself to Rand and asks why he didn’t kill her outright. Ishamael says that a dead Aes Sedai gets them nothing, but a desperate one might be open to possibilities. She asks if he’s worried that she’ll betray him, he asks fi she will and she says obviously. He asks her why she thinks that he’s being shown so much favor by the Great Lord. She responds “Moghedian is insane, Graendal is a vain idiot, and the boys couldn’t execute a plan even if they were under Compulsion.” He says it’s because he’s the only one that really believes in the Dark, that the only way to stop pain is to break the Wheel of Time. And he reveals he released her because he knows what she wants, making an image of Rand manifest in the bed. He asks how the current Dragon compares to his predecessor. Lanfear says he’s softer, less proud or strong. She asks about his collection. He claims to have just collected the girls, one that craves power and the other that fears it, that Mat was “born his,” and that Perrin will be more wolf than man soon. He asks what she thinks Rand will do with all his friends lost, and she’ll say he’ll break.

 

Ishamael wakes and a Da’covale (slave) tells him Turak wishes to speak with him. Ishamael reveals that he’s not from Seanchan or “The Blood” (the royal family) when asked. Turak reveals that it was Ishamael that read the omens and said it was time for the Seanchan to begin the Return. Ishamael says that he is too low to see the omens, it’s only the Empress who can interpret them. Turak says that because of the Horn, Ishamael will be allowed to ask one thing of him. Ishamael instead says that he has a gift from High Lady Suroth and that he hopes he’ll accept it in good faith.  

 

Nynaeve and Elayne wake up in a room in town. They’re joined by Ryma and the guy that knocked them out, Basan. She’s of the Yellow Ajah and he’s her Warder. She tells them that Suroth is looking for them and asks what these Seanchan do to women who can channel.

 

Back at the court, Suroth comes in with her gift, Egwene in a golden hood. She reveals that Egwene was a Novice at the White Tower and is stronger than any Damane than they’ve found in a long time. She’s ordered collared. They tick a small gold collar on her neck that reforms into a large shield across her neck and shoulders like the Mighty Morphin’ Power Ranger’s Green Ranger. The shield forms a connection to a bracelet on a Sul’dam’s arm and Egwene drops in pain.

 

Rand meanwhile is playing card with Barthanes. Moiraine comes down and tells Rand they’re staying. She takes Rand up to her rooms and tells him to sleep. When he points out this is the opposite of what she said to do the last few days, Moiraine counters by saying that Lanfear had been with him for two or three months, so if she wanted to hurt him she would have. She wants to draw Lanfear to them to figure out her plans. Rand says that before a few days ago, he’d have said she wanted him. Moiraine reveals that all of the fragments that remain pre-breaking agree that Lanfear loved the previous Dragon and swore her oaths to the dark as part of a plot to get him back from his wife. Moiraine wants him to pretend to love her to get information about Ishamael. Rand says that whatever she is, he’s not sure everything between them was a lie. Moiraine says it’s his choice. Rand goes to sleep and Moiraine promises to watch over him. He comes to consciousness in the dream strapped to a wheel in a wasteland as Lanfear watches him. She says finally as the credits roll.

 

I want to start off by giving props to Meera Syal who plays Verin. Verin is an interesting and difficult character to play, but she found the perfect sweet spot for Verin. In that, most of the things she says are completely unassuming and yet ever so slightly threatening when you realize how much she’s not saying. A perfectly pleasant little woman that you can chat with for an hour and then only after realizing she knew stuff you didn’t tell her. It’s a special kind of threat and she does it masterfully. Also props to Ayoola Smart, the woman playing Aviendha. If you told me that she was really a desert dwelling Red head ninja, I’d believe it. Also, fun fact, she is black and a natural red head. I actually didn’t know this until her casting, but red hair is naturally occurring in all human ethnicities, but it’s just more common in white people as our lack of melanin makes it stand out more. Think 1% of white people vs. .04% of other ethnicities. So, if you see anyone complaining about “Ginger Erasure” with her casting, what they’re really upset about is that she’s not white. Aviendha is a major cast member going forward, so get used to seeing her. Perrin’s arc is shaping up nicely, with him bucking against being a Wolfbrother, while Hopper trots beside him trying to help him see the better parts of it. Him freeing an Aiel from a cage is a nice nod to the books, even though it’s a different Aiel. Hopefully his buddy Gaul will show up some time. Nynaeve, Egwene and Elayne being turned over to the Seanchan only for them to escape but Egwene getting captured in the confusion is straight from the books. We don’t get much of it, yet, but Nynaeve beats herself up hard for that one. And, no, Egwene is not in for a good time. And finally, Moiraine and Rand’s story is interesting. Running from Lanfear was the correct response as that lady is scary as hell, but Moiraine concluding that they can use her for information is brilliant. In the books, Rand largely kept his connection to that specific Forsaken a secret and Moiraine would possibly have been too intimidated by her to risk it. But to use the very simple fact that Lanfear wants her man back, even if he’s in a new body, is brilliant. Rand waking up strapped to a wheel isn’t great, but maybe he can spin this. We’ll see. Have a good night!

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Viewer Log: Wheel of Time ep 12

Moonhunter has returned. That's what the wolves call her.

Last time on The Wheel Of Time, Rand approached Logain. The Dragon Reborn tried to get the False Dragon to show him how to control his channeling. Logain told him that he’d help, but only in exchange for a wine from Ghealdan. With the help of Selene, his innkeeper and NSA hook up, he infiltrated a fancy party to get his hands on the wine, and inadvertently attracted the attention of some Cairhien nobles. He brought the wine to Logain, only to find that Logain is unstable, his advice is to just let the power flow, and that he still believes himself to be the Dragon Reborn. He leaves, heads back to his room, and loses control of his powers, burning down the inn. Not a great night for Rand. Nynaeve entered the Three Arches to take her Accepted Test. She passes the first two tests, leaving her parents and then the Two Rivers in their time of need, but ends up getting stuck in her third. She lives a fantasy life of simple pleasures with Lan back in the Two Rivers. Everyone outside the Three Arches assumes she’s dead when she doesn’t come out. Liandrin, seemingly in a rage, releases Mat and tells him to do whatever he likes so long as he’s out of her sight. He almost goes to comfort Egwene, chickens out, and then frees Min so they can both escape. Min, it turns out, is working for Liandrin and is leading Mat somewhere in exchange for something. Egwene pretty much spends the episode in mourning, but refusing to believe Nynaeve is gone. Perrin is forced to watch as Uno is executed by the Seanchan and forced to swear oaths to them. He’s being taken to Falma, their home base on this side of the Aryth Ocean, but he’s freed by Elyas and the Wolves. Nynaeve’s happy dream is ended when Trollocs attack, killing Lan, Perrin, and Mat. Nynaeve kills the Trollocs, grabs her daughter, Elnore, and tries to escape the Arches with her. She gets out but her daughter evaporates in her arms. Dark stuff. Enough Recap. Let’s get to it.

 

Episode 12: Daughter of the Night

 

We open on Ishamael entering a canyon. He finds a particular spot and begins to chant a prophecy in the Old Tongue and he channels. Some people were mad and thought that the chant was part of the unsealing… but… no, Elan Morin Tedronai aka Ishamael the Betrayer of Hope is just extra. Case in point, his evil name. Anyway, he finishes his dark prayer and breaks the seal, freeing a woman literally coated in blood. “Blood feeds blood. Blood calls Blood. Blood is, blood was, and Blood shall ever be,” he says as he reaches out a hand to her.

 

We shift to the home of Anvaere, the noble woman we met last time at the party. She dresses, including heavy makeup to hide her wrinkles and a wig, before putting on a robe and sitting in a chair in her art room. She’s roused by her butler saying that her older sister has come to see her. Turns out that’s Moiraine. Yep, this is Anvaere Damodred. Moiraine is lead into the dinning area to see her sister. This is a small but significant change that I was unaware of until this episode. See, in the books, Moiraine started her quest to find the Dragon Reborn within days of being Raised from Accepted to Full Aes Sedai. She was on the younger end of the spectrum to do so, so she was in her early 20s. Flashforward to the events of the books and she’s only about 45 or so, despite the ageless air she puts on. For the show, they’ve aged her significantly, implying that she didn’t get the mission until she was already a seasoned Aes Sedia. Hence why her little sister is played by Lindsay Duncan, age 72 at time of writing, instead of a woman in her 40s. Moiraine tries to control the situation, steamrolling over her sister to get access to her old rooms and some wine for her journey. Anvaere is quite livid with this, as she shouts at Moiraine that it’s been decades, so they really should catch up. Moiraine tells her she can do lunch, as there’s someone she needs to meet with this morning.

 

Rand, meanwhile, is helping with the clean up of Selene’s inn. She tells Rand that she’s hired some men to rebuild the top floor room for her, and since it’ll take them a week to finish it, she wants to take a trip. She says her family has a cabin in the wilderness near Kinslayer’s Dagger and invites Rand along. Rand is in a bit of a foul mood after the accidental arson and says he’s not in the mood, but Selene insists.

 

At the Tower, Nynaeve isn’t doing so hot. Sure, she’s got the nice Accepted rooms with a view now… but the whole “watch my friends and the love of my life die before my daughter melted in my arms” thing is… traumatizing. She hears a knock on her door and gets out of bed to see who it is, she stops part way there to slip her Great Serpent Ring on. It’s Egwene, she brought her a honeycake. Egwene tries to talk to her but, again, traumatized, so Nynaeve is kind of cold to her. Egwene hugs her and insists it wasn’t real, which clearly doesn’t get through Nynaeve’s head or make her feel better.

 

We jump over to Lan, who is with Alana, Ihvon, and Maksim in the country with Alana’s family. Her relatives tease Alana at now having 3 warders over lunch. Lan steps away to take a piss, Alana coming over to check on him. He admits to having figured out that they’re all keeping an eye on him due to fears that he might be suicidal after his bond to Moiraine broke. He breaks down their formula, jokes about his hair or age, warm memories, things to live for etc. Alana decides to skip all that and asks him what he wants to do. Lan isn’t sure. She reveals they’re going back to the Tower tomorrow and that Nynaeve is going through the Arches soon. Lan is clearly interested when it’s pointed out that Nynaeve might be looking for a Warder soon, but he gets stone faced and says he’s not looking to repeat his mistakes. Alana waxes nostalgic about how Moiraine “used to be,” saying that she changed suddenly 20 years ago, “the way water becomes ice.” He asks if she was happy then, and Alana says she’s not sure.

 

Getting back to the woman in question, Moiraine pulls the dust covers off her old things. There’s a picture amongst the things of Moiraine as when she looked to be in her late teens, a sun themed headdress on her head with Anvaere, who is like 10. Damn, time makes things weird for Aes Sedai. Moiraine leaves her room, sees Anvaere talking with the butler, grabs the wine and leaves. She visits the mental hospital and asks about Rand. The head of the place said he didn’t come to work today. She asks to see “that” Ward. She finds Logain in the garden, and he says he should kill her. She plays it off and asks how he’s doing. He accuses her of sending him here, which she confirms, saying that the Yellow and Brown sisters wanted to study him and that she doubted he’d have enjoyed that. She asks if he started training Rand yet, he scoffs and says that after everything he’s lost, does she really think he’ll play ball for a bottle of wine? She switches tactics and offers him what he really wants in exchange for information, a knife. Logain clearly wants to that knife, and is willing to answer questions. He tells her he’s staying at an inn called the Cresent in the Foregate, and he’s as strong as Logain ever was. Moiraine tells him that he’s going to train Rand, show him everything that Logain knows and when she’s satisfied, she’ll let him die.

 

At the Tower, Elayne and Egwene are mopping badly as Egwene tells the other girl that she feels like there’s something different about Nynaeve since she came back. She wants to help Nynaeve, but Elayne asks why she feels that she needs to. Egwene says that Nynaeve helped her last year after losing someone important, and she wants to return the favor. Also, BFF. She complains that since coming to the tower she just feels smaller and smaller.

 

When I say they’re moping badly, I mean they’re moping away from themselves. You’re walking on clean floors, ladies! Elayne, you have an excuse because royalty, but Egwene, you’re an innkeeper’s daughter!

 

Nynaeve enters the Warder training ground looking for Ihvon and Maksim. Another younger Warder tells her they’re out of the Tower and… okay, it’s like he’s flirting with her, but specifically for choosing him as a Warder. Like, nothing romantic or sexual about it, but he’s definitely hinting he’d serve her if she wanted. Apparently Nynaeve channeling in the Arches is rumor now and it’s impressed everyone. He tells her she has time to figure it out, and that he just hope she doesn’t choose Red. Liandrin is watching her and smiles smugly. She gets a report and storms off.

 

She goes to see Leane and demands to know why they aren’t sending Aes Sedai to the west. They’re just now getting reports of the Seanchan invasion. Leane says they’ve sent sisters to investigate and for her to pay it no mind. Liandrin asks her if the Amyrlin is aware and Leane rather huffily says that when the Amyrlin is away, the Keeper fills her shoes, so the woman in charge is very aware of the situation. Liandrin heads out, warning Leane that when the Amyrlin falls, she’ll fall with her. Cryptic.

 

Perrin is currently traveling with Elyas and the wolves. He’s anxious to find the others and questioning if Elyas knows where they’re going. He says wolves don’t get lost, when Perrin questions this, Elyas finally tells him what they are. They are Wolfbrothers, people who can communicate with wolves and inherit some of their strengths. Perrin asks if he’s going to turn into a wolf, and Elyas tells him not to be stupid. They get a vision of a deer, Elyas saying that this sort of mental image is the Wolves language, and that the rest of the pack is showing them where food is. Perrin asks how it’s done and Elyas says instinct. They stop to eat, Perrin cooking his hunk of deer and Elyas telling him that he’ll lose the taste for cooked food soon. He tells Perrin that one of the wolves likes him, as that wolf also lost his mate. Perrin asks what his name is and Elyas says he’ll tell him when he’s ready. He reveals that he and the wolves have had an eye on Perrin for a while now, having been the one to lead Perrin and Egwene to the tinkers and save them from the Whitecloaks. He says that Perrin’s nightmares about his wife were like screams to them. Elyas reveals that he and the wolves stayed back from Perrin for so long because they avoided Aes Sedai. Humans don’t trust what they don’t understand. Perrin has a vision of the wolf beside him leaping in the air and realizes that he’s named Hopper, or close enough to it.

 

Back with Lan, he is reading the poem he swiped from Moiraine. He stows it in his bag when Maksim comes to ask him to help fill water buckets for dinner. Maksim says that he’s doing well, that a broken bond is usually messier. Lan reveals that he’s had practice, as Moiraine kept the bond masked for the six months before it was transferred to Alana. Maksim is impressed, saying he thought he was the only one that could go that long. He reveals that, he figured out early on that he hated having someone in his head, even Alana, and they agreed to keep the bond between them masked outside of battle… and sex. He tells Lan that the others will tell him that he can’t go back to Moiraine, but that he’s proof that Lan can, if he wants to.

 

Moiraine, meanwhile, explores the Foregate. She finds the guard that Rand goes through and asks about the Cresent Inn burning down. She asks where he is now and the guard shrugs.

 

Rand is meanwhile in the mountains with Selene. Rand asks if her family built the cabin they’re visiting. Selene explains that she lied and that she really came to the mountains with the Man she was with before Rand. Rand reminds her they agreed no past, but she continues, saying he was the first man she ever loved. Rand says he sounds a bit boring. She says that they joked about never coming back down from the mountains, but they always did. She hugs Rand, and he says that he grew up in and loved the Mountains. When she asks why he didn’t go back, Rand says the wheel never give people what they want, least of all him. She tells him that if she wants something he has to take it.

 

Mat and Min are relaxing in an inn. It seems that Mat’s luck hasn’t improved since his imprisonment. He flirts with Min for a bit, but Min turns him down. She goes to pay for their drinks for the night and their rooms. She tells the innkeeper that she’ll need the attic room and that someone will be coming to meet her there. She doesn’t know who, but he should send them up when they arrive.

 

Back at the Tower, Liandrin finds Nynaeve sitting in the Three Arches’ chamber. She says that most Aes Sedai refuse to step foot in there ever again. Nynaeve asks if it was real. Liandrin says the pain was real but even that fades. She asks who she lost inside. Nynaeve says her daughter, and that how insane it is that she’s expected to forget. Liandrin reveals she’s kept her son a secret for the better part of a century. She told herself it was to protect him, but that she kept him here in Tar Valon for her. That she can’t risk losing the only thing that has ever been hers. She says that the men who can channel are curse by the Dark to kill the ones they love, but the Aes Sedai are cursed too. They’re cursed by watching the ones they love wither and die. She tells Nynaeve that the way to keep going is to find something to hold onto, something that’s hers, and keep it until it fades and then they’ll find another. Liandrin reveals about the invasion in the west and that Perrin and Loial were captured by them.

 

We shift to Lan, Maksim, and Ihvon meditating. Or trying to. Maksim gets up and walks off, Lan saying that he lasted ten minutes this time, they’re wearing him down. Ihvon asks Lan about the thing that Moiraine said, the “one cut” that has turned into a thousand in his mind. He reveals that Moiraine said she never considered him an equal. Ihvon laughs, saying that they were never supposed to be their equals.  The rest of the world sees their power, they see their weaknesses. Lan says that he’s surprised that Alana needs reminding. Ihvon laughs and says that she doesn’t as all three of them want the same thing, the triumph of the Light over the Dark and dessert after. He asks Lan what Moiraine wants, and Lan says that he doesn’t think he knows anymore. Inside the house, Maksim and Alana search through Lan’s bag and find the poem.

 

Moiraine returns to the Damodred mansion and finds her sister waiting up for her. Moiraine tries to get her to leave, but Anvaere isn’t being put off. She admits that she probably would have left like Moiraine did if she could channel. There were nights, she says, where she tried desperately, after their uncle ruined them, after Moiraine left and so on. She says their father believed she’d always come back. Anvaere reveals that she’s worked hard to restore their family’s honor, that her son is going to marry the queen and that she’s finally decided that she doesn’t care about Moiraine’s approval anymore. She wars Moiraine that this isn’t her house, city or sister anymore, that she’s taken control of Moiraine’s spy network and that she’ll give Moiraine information on Rand if she asks her very nicely over tea. She offers Moiraine the cup.

 

Egwene and Elayne are staying up drinking. Egwene says that it must be nice knowing what she’s going to be one day, and Elayne says that she has wondered what it’s like to choose her fate, but that she wouldn’t trade Egwene if she could. Nynaeve comes in and asks for the room for a moment. Elayne points out that this is her room, but Nynaeve gives her a look and she goes. She tells Egwene that Perrin and Loial have been captured and that she’s going to save them. She tells Egwene that she doesn’t have to come with, and that if she goes with her, Egwene will be expelled. Egwene realizes that Nynaeve doesn’t understand why she’s working so hard here, she felt that if she’d been prepared last year, she could have gone with Rand to the Eye of the World and maybe saved him. She vowed to never fail any of their friends again. The two slip out through Liandrin’s passageway, saying they’ll think of a plan on the ride. Elayne catches up to them, saying she wants to know why they’re sneaking out. Liandrin arrives and says that Elayne is a complication. She says she’s sorry for this and hits all three with a wind bursts that throws them to the wall and knocks them out.

 

Min is sleeping in the attic and has a nightmare about her aunts forcing her to be a fortune teller and seeing death from everyone that comes to see her. Ishamael arrives and tells her to open her eyes. She doesn’t see anything, and he says it’s wonderful to not see anything or be a carnival attraction anymore. He reveals he’s a Forsaken and Min freaks out. She made a deal with Liandrin, she didn’t know a Forsaken was involved. He says that there’s somethings only the dark can do, he’s the only one who can take her visions away. She says she won’t help him hurt anyone and he says she will. She says she won’t let him hurt Mat and he says she might. He tells her to take him to Cairhien. Min starts crying but asks what’s in Cairhien.

 

Rand and Selene are sleeping out under the stars when he wakes up. There’s a cabin nearby and he goes toward it, sword drawn. He’s attacked by a Fade from behind, Selene warning him with a shout at the last second. Rand gets disarmed by the creature, and they’re forced to the cliff’s edge. Rand Channels and kills it, turning it to ash. Selene freaks out for a bit. Rand says that he hasn’t gone mad, but from her reaction he knows he’s scaring her and says that he’ll leave her because men who can channel hurt the people they love when they go mad. Selene says she accepts him, that she once tried to hide parts of herself for ‘him’ and that it worked for a while until he looked too hard and saw the dark parts. She pulls him toward the cabin.

 

Maksim, Ihvon and Alana meet and talk about the poem. It’s a prophecy in the old tongue. They realize it’s about Lanfear and that her seal is broken. The poem is about how Lanfear is back and that she’s hunting for the Dragon Reborn and that the Shining Walls will kneel.

 

Back at the cabin, Selene ties Rand to the Bed and says that there’s something Rand should know, she’s a monster too. She arches her back and straightens, it mirroring the movement of the blood covered Lanfear before. Selene starts to channel, Rand only seeing ripples in the air. Suddenly, she’s stabbed through the heart and gets her neck slit by Moiraine. She frees Rand saying they have to escape. Rand starts to Channel, throwing her back and demanding to know why she killed Selene. She says she hadn’t and couldn’t, and that Selene is Lanfear, the most dangerous of the Forsaken. Rand denies it, but Moiraine says she lied to him, something Moiraine could never do. And then they need to run. As they run, black dots fill Lanfear’s eyes and she begins to regenerate. Well… shit.

 

Well, that’s a lot to process. It’s good to see Perrin finally beginning to understand some of his new powers. He struggles the most with his abilities in the books, as he feels that embracing the wolf inside will cause him to lose his humanity, but his powers are just so cool and useful that I want to see more of them. Some folks complained that the wolves they used seemed rather small, and I think they had unrealistic expectations. The breed they’re using are Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs, they’re only about 28% wolf genetically, but they’re much easier to train and control than other breeds (according to the internet). They’re around average size for a wolf, being around 90 pounds, but they seem a lot smaller than Marcus Rutherford because that man is huge. So yeah, they’re bigger than they look, and they went with a breed that’s reasonable to control and train, if you have an issue with that, sucks for you. Nynaeve having lasting trauma from her trip through the Three Arches is good. There’s speculation that the real aim of that test is to cut people off from their friends and loved ones, to indoctrinate a channeler to the Tower, and I think you can see why. Not an issue for me, I’d be gentled if I showed up to the Tower looking to learn to channel but being forced to walk away from loved ones would mess anyone up. Liandrin suddenly attacked the trio is good. In the books, this betrayal was much, much more obviously coming a Liandrin basically screamed “I’m evil” from minute one. Kate Fleetwood’s version of the character has been much more subtle and having her reveal a secret son and seemingly always encouraging Nynaeve makes it much more shocking when she lashes out at them. Min in the inn’s attic I think was really well done. As I think has been well established before, Ishamael loves coming into people’s dreams to have meetings, it keeps them off balance. The choppy editing them do, where maybe a frame or two is out of place, like Ishamael is jittering in place is a simple but brilliant way to show off the unreality of the dream world. The fact he’s twisting her arm is, well, heartbreaking. Some folks wonder if this makes Min a Darkfriend, but I argue that no, she’s being manipulated by one. She assumed Liandrin was on the up and up Aes Sedai wise when she made the deal, she clearly was not expecting a Forsaken to show up. Glad we got that Selene is Lanfear twist out of the way. This version of the character was more subtle than her book counterpart (within minutes of Rand meeting her, she was telling him they could rule the world together) but the red flags from this woman were popping up all over the place. She just has this… possessive vibe to her that feels unhealthy. I obviously knew going in she was going to be a Forsaken in disguise, but I’m honestly shocked Rand didn’t pick up on a single red flag. Crazy ex-girlfriend vibes were strong. Her being stabbed but getting over it is new, but tracks. The Forsaken of the books were just as vulnerable to mundane death as anyone really, stab them and keep them from getting healed and they’d bleed out like anyone. But, as they’re servants to a guy who’s got the divine epithet of Lord of the Grave, it’s not a huge leap in logic that his servants get a get out of death free card. I’ll explain the black dots when the show does, I promise, just know that yeah, those are probably tied to her Wolverine impression.  So yeah, good episode, I enjoyed it. 

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