Close up of the abdomen of a pregnant woman in red and gold, with an Accepted ring,

01:08 Holy crap, that was fast, Elayne!

A figure approaches from the background, it's a red-clad Shohreh Agdashloo, who steps up to the pregnant woman's side and says, "I told you this day would come, Your Majesty." They are facing double doors, with female halberdier guards, which open to a bright light.

01:21 Because I knew this ahead of time, that is Elaida and Morgase. Holy crap, she looks like a poor man's Nicole Kidman. If you had told me once upon a time, that the same actress would, within a year or so, be playing both Queen Camila and Queen Morgase, I'd have called bullshit. Nowadays, my expectations have been battered so low, I'm basically "meh" on the topic. The actress, for the record is Olivia Williams, who was the voice of the female Ent in Rings of Power. She also appeared in Arnold Schwarzenegger's last major action film (that I saw, at least) Sabotage. It should not be hard for WoT to not be the dumbest production in which she has appeared. Riiiiiiight.

Also, pretty sure that Aes Sedai don't call rulers "Your Majesty" except in a formal public setting. Usually they are very much about not letting anyone think they are superior to an Aes Sedai. Especially one's Aes Sedai advisor, which is supposed to be a more personal relationship.

And of course, female guards are bullshit. Aside from the setting fail, it's another thing taken from a main character for performative token feminism.

Morgase & Elaida enter a large round room hung with Andoran banners, with a caption that says "Caemlyn – High Seat of Andor" and under it, "20 Years Ago".

01:26 You know what, I'm going to give them a pass. The WoT terminology is wrong, but it's not incorrect historical terminology. For a change. Kind of. IIRC, capital cities were a thing in the early modern period, which WoT is supposed to be, but the show does not quite seem to realize. But a "seat" was the actual home base of a lord or king, whereas "court" was wherever he happened to be conducting business, and since those were not always the same thing, they had those terms, instead of "capital." So "High Seat of Andor" does technically work. Except for the fact that Andor has a capital city and always did, Caemlyn was the basis of the realm when it was founded. And in Andor & WoT in general, a high seat is actually a person who is the head of a noble family. So another fuckup in adaptation, but also defensible as something in a different work.

But let's talk about "20 years ago." Is this the same "20 years ago" when Gitara Foretold Rand's birth, or the same 20 years ago when he was actually born, each in a different season, with at least a year between them? One year passed between the beginning of seasons 1 & 2 and several months have passed since the end of season 2 and the beginning of season 3.

Morgase moves straight through the room toward a throne, the crowd parting and murmuring "Your Majesty" (Instead of the traditional Andoran, "My Queen" ) as she passes.

01:41 Boy, they love their round rooms on this show. Because it's the Wheel of Time, dontcha know? And I notice that the lion banners are all devoid of manes. We have to have the symbol of Andor be the White Lioness, because feminism.

She pauses before the throne to greet a toddler and a baby in a nurse's arms. Various nobles look less than thrilled at the spectacle as she ascends the throne. When she sits, the shrill choir music stops, and she addresses the crowd. In front are a girl with a man behind her, a young woman with dreads and a distinctly un-Andoran off-shoulder gown, and an older woman next to her. Morgase talks about how Andor has been fighting a succession war since Queen Modrellan's death, and how it has weakened the country, and they were all rivals, but now the war is over, 'because I won, suck it!' or words to that effect. Another noblewoman in a breastplate looks kind of huffy about that. She offers a clean slate in exchange for swearing themselves to her. She says her only goal is peace and MAGA**. The girl steps forward to kneel and swear House Baryn to Morgase.

**Make Andor Great Again, duh

02:58 Okay, Andorans don't ever acknowledge that their wars of succession are wars, because they maintain the position that their method of choosing a ruler precludes such things. The winner especially adheres to that polite fiction, because she, more than anyone, has an interest in maintaining the perception that she came to the throne by right, rather than force. Military power is NOT well-regarded in WoT, and you don't smugly assert your victory with a cocky tilt of your head to the very people you are claiming you have beaten. By Andoran standards, this is a shit way to approach Morgase's in-character goal of a clean slate and national unity. It's clumsy and ham-fisted, even among a people with a reputation for a lack of subtlety and finesse in politics.

Morgase places a modest hand to her breast and looks at breastplate lady, who kneels and swears House Anshar and its armies to her. Another look and the older woman, with some help from sexy dress girl, kneels and as Nasina Caeren, swears the fealty of her soldiers and house. Morgase says all their past actions are forgiven.

03:35 Nasin Caeren, hilariously creepy dirty old man from the books, has been feminized as "Nasina Caeren". Also, Lord Lir Baran, who opposed Morgase during the Succession ITB and was still High Seat when he supported Elayne, has been replaced by a teenage girl. And these women are all making a point of swearing the allegiance of their soldiers to Morgase, see above, re: military stuff.

Also, since Morgase is moving onto the pardons, it seems they have decided to confine the opposition party to Anshar, Baryn & Caeren, leaving out the three most important, Elenia, Naean and Arymilla.

Also, also, the golden lionESSES flanking the throne and, on the armrests, combined with the dim lighting making the white of the banners look yellow, combine to make this look like Casterly Rock, not Andor.

Morgase adds a "but…" saying that she doesn't want her daughter (belly tap) to face another succession war. This is a prearranged signal, because the nursemaid covers the toddler's eyes and turns the children away. The people standing behind all the previously-mentioned women grab them and cut their throats. The youngest gets a moment to address her murderer as "brother," who glares at Morgase after stabbing his sister in the neck. Elaida motions for the crown, Morgase says long live Andor, and Elaida crowns her, saying long live the queen, which all the people still alive in the crowd join in, because that's how Andorans roll, with their canonical admiration of ruthlessness and disregard of principles and legalities, in favor of kissing ass of whomever has power, regardless of how they got there.

04:07 Sorry Elayne, looks like you get off easy being changed to promiscuous and a lesbian. Your mom has been character-assassinated into a murderous tyrant. And we have learned the writers don't understand what an oath of fealty entails. I think I have to take back the credit for "high seat".

This is probably all to make Elayne's conflict with her family, which they are clearly setting up, with Siuan's remarks last episode, seem dangerous.

Title shot and we cut to Elayne scrubbing a floor in novice garb. She hears something and goes out in the corridor to look, where Verin & Leane are muttering about trust. They spot her and she darts back to her chores. The two sisters come in, with Verin and not the Keeper of the Chronicles in the lead. She rhetorically asks if some faint music, that is apparently supposed to be diegetic, is Morgase's coronation song. Elayne confirms it and Verin asks if she knows what Morgase is doing in Tar Valon. Elayne gives a big smile and denies all knowledge.

In the halls of the White Tower, women in the livery and headdresses of Morgase's attendents from the prior scene are strewing rose petals in front of a party in uniforms, as Tower people stand to the side watching. Morgase, in a ridiculous outfit with a giant collar that looks like a lace Dilophosaurus frill is on the arm of a man in robes with a sword.

05:37 And monarchs are allowed to make triumphal parades into the White Tower, when they show up unexpectedly. Forget the books, this does not even fit with Siuan's egomaniacal rant about ruling the world in Season 1. In an episode that actually featured the Oath Rod, so they should know she was not capable of voicing wishful thinking or hyperbolic propaganda.

The party pauses outside the doors to the Hall and wait. Morgase and her escort start looking around making faces. In the Hall, the sitters are all in place, along with the Amyrlin. Leane looks to Siuan who shakes her head. Morgase is starting to look exasperated outside.

05:57 Keeping her waiting is good. Although Gareth Bryne should be behind her. Funny how the show too feminist to have male lions on a nation's banner has the queen's subordinate general at her side, like an equal.

Eventually Siuan gives Leane the nod, and she bangs her staff three times, but rapidly, like she's impatient, rather than ceremoniously slow. The doors open and Leane says the ritual words. A dark-haired man in what looks like a Regency era cavalry officer's uniform is announced as Galad of House Trakand.

06:30: Galad is not a Trakand, even if you are going to do some patriarchy-busting rewrite to have him take his mother's name. His father was a Damodred and his mother was a Mantear. In case anyone forgot, it's kind of important who his mother was!

Actually the credits give his and Gawyn's correct surnames. So this is an actual mistake in the script.

Gawyn is announced next, as First Prince of the Sword.

06:36 And Gawyn is not First Prince of the Sword until Elayne takes the throne. Also, wow, they have really punchable faces. I suspect they were cast entirely with Mat's quarterstaff fight in mind.

Next, the guy escorting Morgase, whom I thought was Bryne goes in ahead of her, and Leane stumbles a bit on announcing him. As he approaches, she addresses him directly, as Lord Gaebril, naming him Prince Consort.

06:47 My bad! And it seems they are married.

Gaebril makes his courtesies to the Amyrlin Seat and she smiles, and also addresses him personally, where she did not address the boys, saying "a pleasure as always." Leane next announces Elaida, with a distinct note of hostility in her voice and some stirring among the Sitters. Elaida notes damage from last episode's battle as she greets Siuan, both of them being rather more professional than Leane.

07:30 I like Siuan and Leane both being all nice and smiley at "Gaebril", and the fact that Elaida is announced after the princes, with the implication of her relative status to theirs, and also the bit where she notices the cracks in the columns. I am going to cede the show artistic license for the purpose of making that clear to the dimmer viewers (i.e. their truest fans), since if they were patching everything up to put on a good façade, they would have done a better job.

But Elaida and "Gaebril" both being in Morgase's court is kind of a problem.

Finally, Morgase is announced, whose expression suggests she's prepping for a confrontation. She saunters in kind of arrogantly, rather than processes. It's Olivia Williams, so I am going to charitably assume that's a choice, rather than careless direction. Siuan asks to what they owe the honor, and she barks out a demand for her daughter. Siuan demurs that the novices are all doing chores and Morgase asks about the kidnapping, and questions Siuan's promise to protect her, addressing the Amyrlin by name. At which point Siuan cuts her off with a mild "Daughter. You forget yourself."

She goes on to declare that while Morgase wears her ring and stands in the Hall, she will address the Amyrlin properly.

8:13 Something-something, implies there are privileges and status that come with the ring, rather than just a courtesy, and that there are concurrent obligations on Morgase's part, rather than simply a symbol of her relationship with the Tower. The writers suck at words, blah blah blah…

Morgase takes advantage of having to address Siuan as "Mother" to segue into the tedious formula breeders use to berate the childless "You don't know what it's like, blah, blah, blah, if you did, you'd know, I'm done with your bullshit until I'm assured Elayne's okay."

08:42That's actually not bad. I mean, the argument is a fallacy, but it's a thing people would say, and it was a good comeback. Adaptational butchery aside, the writers tend to kick up their intelligence a notch when scripting the Trakands.

Siuan says that leaders are like mothers, and both will defend their own, like a lionfish defends its den.

08:54 Lionfish have dens. 'Kaaaaaay. Add ichthyology to the subjects our brilliant writers fail.

Siuan will take Morgase to Elayne, while the rest of the group gets housed. And then we cut to a mountainside where Aviendha leads Rand, Egwene, Moiraine and Lan. Moiraine has a derpy hat.

09:22 They have walked from Tar Valon to the Spine of the World in…what timeframe, exactly?

Aviendha says they're almost through the Spine of the World, and that while Aiel could make it to the pass that day, they are going to camp here, instead. She conspicuously does not mention their shortcomings as wetlanders, though she does say "on foot" as if Aiel travel any other way.

In a more foresty locale, we see overhead, a Waygate. Branches appear between the "horns" which form a door, that opens. Perrin, Loial, Bain & Chiad exit. Loial replaces the leaf on the main structure as the door disappears, saying it's a much better way to travel than all that channeling.

10:41 Okay, if this is "a much better way to travel than all that channeling" why did they channel to use the Ways in the other seasons? Why couldn't they have just done whatever Loial did? He was with them on that first trip. And this goes back to what I said about time frames. A. Perrin & Loial are emerging from the Waygate, at the same time Rand's party have reached the far side of the Dragonwall. What ARE travel times? B. Why are they taking the Ways? Perrin is just going home to rusticate and I guess Loial wants to see the Two Rivers? Have we had anything about his motivation? Why Perrin, instead of the Dragon Reborn? But there is no urgency, like concern for a threat he knew had manifested in the books, so there is no need to risk Journey of Destruction or the Black Wind of Lies That Are True. Also, if Loial is capable of ensuring safe passage through the Ways, why didn't he take Rand's group as close to the Three-Fold Land as the Ways go, since that IS important, and they want to outrun the Forsaken?

Perrin sees tracks of a man and a woman who had come before them, and smells ash. Ogier says that only Darkfriends would brave the Ways without an Ogier.

11:07 Why do Darkfriends brave the Ways without an Ogier? Are they braver?

Loial takes several deep breaths and Perrin says they should have gone to a stedding first. Loial says the Longing won't take effect for a while, and then explains the Longing to Bain & Chiad, and says it's good to feel the Longing, because it reminds them on home.

Elayne bursts through a door with a big smile, canonically not knocking, and it's most of the family, sans Mom, inside. She hugs Gawyn, who picks her up and spins her around, teasing her about her chores, she affectionately calls him an idiot, and then exchanges greetings with a beaming Gaebril, who says it's good to see her again. She greets Galad in a more restrained fashion, he also says it's good to see her again, and comes in for a double-cheek kiss which she perfunctorily accepts. Galad says he, and all of them, were worried about her. She conspiratorially asks Gaebril where Morgase is and he tells her with the Amyrlin. He warns her that Morgase is pissed, and Gawyn adds that she was furious on learning Elayne had gone missing. Galad says they should have been there, and does not trust the Aes Sedai, and Gawyn wishes they could have started their warder training along with Elayne. Gaebril laughs off the notion of Morgase letting all of her "ducklings" out of the house at once.

13:13 Gaebril's dynamic with the kids is hilarious when you know he's a Forsaken. Assuming he is, of course. And we're going to start getting some questions about the point of his plans. Anyone remember Varys from Game of Thrones? Without referencing some utterly irrelevant novels, anyone want to tell me what his agenda was, and how the things he did on-screen were intended to achieve it? When you learned ITB that he was plotting to undermine the realm and bring in a foreign threat to trash the place and then bring home his prepared claimant for the throne, everything made sense. Not so much when he mostly wanders around hyping Tyrion, and has no claimant being prepared. So how does being the fun stepdad to the Trakand kids help Rahvin's plans? These people, and Elaida, are all extra variables to keep under control while he turns Andor into a force for the Shadow.
Funny you say "stepdad". There's nothing really stating that he's not their father. In normal circumstances, I would approve of letting us infer it from the context, such as Elayne addressing him by name and his absence from the coronexecution scene, but they are all about their unconventional feminism, so for all we know, men are such cucks in Andor that they are considered superfluous at such events, and are not entitled to filial respect.

Galad is skeptical that the warders could teach him and Gawyn all that much, but he does agree they could have kept Elayne out of trouble. He thinks Morgase is too easy on Elayne, and her ignorance of the world makes her vulnerable. When he turns his back, Elayne stage-whisper asks Gaebril if he's actually gotten more irritating. Gaebril & Gawyn seem to agree with her. Elayne points out that they are here now, so maybe Morgase will let them stay. The men get all awkward, and when Elayne asks why, Galad asks if she knows why they are there.

Mat is lying on a divan as three Yellows channel at him while Nynaeve watches. The weaves blink out and the lead sister goes to talk to Nynaeve, who addresses her as Ryma.

14:28 Ryma? She died last season! Actually, she was just collared. My bad. But they never showed her getting free, so what's up there? And Mat just tells Aes Sedai about his memories so they can Heal them away? Hey, Elayne's a lesbian and she's easy, anything can happen. Actually, I suppose if she then got free as a result of the Heroes of the Horn and whatnot, she'd probably feel indebted to the gang, and be one they'd be most likely to trust. Great stuff to not put on screen, guys.

Ryma tells her that the weaves wouldn't work, and there is not much they can do about mental problems. Nynaeve is worried, and Ryma sells they'll keep an eye on him, but Healing his condition is no more likely to work than trying to bring him back from the dead. She also addresses Nynaeve as Wisdom.

14:59 She's an Accepted, not a Wisdom. At the very least, the Aes Sedai would not and should not respect the title.

Siuan and Morgase, sans Dilophosaurus collar, are alone in the smaller corridors of the Tower. Siuan apologizes to Morgase, and they are talking less formally, or at least more like regular people with typical TV character rectal sticks. Siuan goes on about the importance of Elayne and their alliance. Morgase says that if she's trying appease her it's working. Siuan says their previous argument was for public consumption, and reiterates her apology and admission of error but insists that Elayne is still safer in the White Tower. They knock on a door, and Elayne answers, because it's her room. She curtsies to Siuan, calling her Mother, and then Morgase pops out from around the doorway holding out her arms, leaning into the wordplay. They hug and Siuan leaves them. Mother-daughter reunion dialogue, Morgase comments that the room is bigger than she remembers from her novice days. Elayne says it’s the first time anyone has ever accused the room of being big.

16:26 I also accuse the room of being big. Though, admittedly, not by the show's standards. For a stone bedroom of a low-status person, as this very dialogue indicates, it's enormous. It's hard to heat big rooms with pre-industrial methods, especially if they are stone. Both for realism and book compliance, it should be not much bigger than a prison cell.
That being said, we have time frame issues. If Morgase was with the Amyrlin, while Elayne was visiting the rest of the family, what were they talking about, since Siuan & Morgase appear to have only begun their discussion. Elayne is clearly the most important item on their mutual agenda, and she has had time to leave her brothers and be back in her rooms before the Mothers get around to talking about her.

Elayne asks about the meeting with Siuan and Morgase says she's hiding something, along with the rest of the Tower, and she observes that Elayne is in on it, asking her to tell Morgase what has everyone in the Tower so shaken. Elayne says she's been ordered not to, claiming it's internal Tower business. Morgase wryly notes that at least she knows where she stands in the pecking order.

17:11 Elayne has just done more to establish the Tower's supremacy over the crown of Andor than all of Siuan's dialogue, when that should have been the primary goal of the Amyrlin.

Elayne starts to apologize, but Morgase understands that she has to obey orders while under Siuan's authority, and she can wait until tomorrow. When Elayne will get her honorary Great Serpent Ring and they leave, with Elayne, and she can tell Morgase everything, once she's no longer under Tower law. Elayne objects, saying she's barely had any time studying, and Morgase reassures her that she's proud of her, Siuan having mentioned her power, and the fact that she survived her ordeal without help from the Tower. (Nynaeve and Moiraine don't count, I guess? ) Morgase thinks Elayne would be glad to get out, but Elayne states forcefully that she wants to stay and be an Aes Sedai. Morgase condescendingly wishes she could give Elayne what she wants. Elayne argues that Morgase herself has said it would be a strategic advantage for Elayne to be the first full sister on the Lion Throne. Morgase points out that as her only heir, they can't take any risks with her life, and she should bid her friends goodbye.

Egwene is playing with her ring while Rand & Lan work swordforms and Moiraine gathers firewood.

18:42 Cue Egwene's demand to train with a sword? BTW, Egwene & Aviendha's trip to the Three-Fold Land ITB should have provided as much shipper fodder as anything we saw from Elayne & Aviendha in their early books together.

Schwing, schwing, schwing.

19:00 What is that sound the swords are making? Are air molecules in this world noisy when you slice through them?

Lan says Rand's mind is elsewhere and asks if he wants to talk about it. Rand is Rand, even this version, so they go back to swordforms. Moiraine notes Egwene has bruises on her face that she had Healed in Tar Valon, thinking they were from the Forsaken attack, but they are fresh again. She asks if Rand did it, and Egwene says no, and that she's not here to help Moiraine control him, but to protect him. Moiraine says she is too, but Egwene is in the best position to see signs of madness.

Aviendha comes up with a rabbit she killed and expresses annoyance at Rand's sword practice, because swords are not the Aiel way and can't be used to hunt. Egwene points out that Rand is trying, and they are going to the Waste. Aviendha says they wouldn't understand, because their prophecies are so easy and clean, saying the Dragon will either save the world or destroy it. She recites the prophecy, with the spilling blood as water on sand, and breaking them, but saving a remnant of a remnant. She says that "our Car'a'carn is creation and destruction wrapped in one. Balanced."

20:56 The Prophecy of Rhuidean is general knowledge on the show, except the reason the Aiel broke under Rand was that they didn't know, and his revelations were a shock to them. Also, Aviendha is contrasting the Aiel prophecies with those of the wetlands, but the Dragon Reborn is absolutely salvation and destruction all wrapped up in one package. That's why it was important that he is a man, because the source of salvation would be the threat most feared in the world – a male channeler, susceptible to madness. The show has only ever focused on his power and his mission, and barely paid lip service to the threat he represents. The first time any of the characters besides Moiraine discussed the Dragon Reborn, their definition was "the strongest channeler who ever lived."

Aviendha says that it's her duty to return Rand to the Three-Fold Land to fulfil the prophecy, but she doesn't have to like it.

Perrin and company are strolling through the mountains. The Ogier and Aiel like the atmosphere. Loial notes that this is where Manetheren once stood, and Perrin says that was a long time ago, and they are farmers and sheepherders, not warriors. Chiad is the one to be all "whatever you say, I've seen you fight". They walk past Nynaeve's pushing cliff, and into Emond's Field. The village is bustling and lots of people note their passing or point them out and talk to each other about the group but no one approaches or speaks to them or has very strong reactions to their appearance. Or that one of them is not fucking human!

23:21 Ah, back in our multi-ethnic isolated mountain town. Why has no one said anything to Perrin? Could someone tell these writers that most of the world is not New York, LA or London, that you don't have the same mélange of people in small rural towns and villages, and people in such areas don't ignore you when you walk down the street of your hometown?

Perrin spots the empty forge and enters, hearing again the noises of the Trolloc attack and Laila's death. His reverie is interrupted when a quartet of Children of the Light ride past. Perrin emerges, following them with his eyes, and someone says Perrin. Mistress al'Vere comes up to hug him, and they share a laugh. She almost didn't recognize him with the beard, but the yellow eyes and afro were nothing to mention. She pulls him out of the street, saying she got a letter from Egwene which didn't mention his return, or companions. Loial introduces himself, saying that Mistress al'Vere's name sings in his ears. Perrin tells her Bain and Chiad's names and that they are Aiel & Maidens. They wish her water and shade and ask leave to defend her roof and hold.

24:58 Why does Loial get named properly and not Bain and Chiad? And why are they using the greeting to a roofmistress, when they are not under her roof? Why do they pick the most pointless things to copy-paste from the books? Why is the forge empty? Have they done without the services of a smith for more than a year?

Perrin asks about the Whitecloaks. Marin tells him that everything is changed and they should not be out in the open. She says she'll hide them in the Winespring Inn's attic with the others and he can leave tomorrow. Overhead, we see them walking to the inn.

25:30 If not letting people see them and start gossiping was the priority, Marin, you should not have marched them down the main street to the front door of the most important building in the town.

Marin explains that they thought it best for the others Perrin asks about, to stay up there out of the way. She leads them into the attic and we see the Pervert Trio Duo in front of a window. Alanna is rather a mess and comments on the surprise of seeing Perrin Aybarra in his actual hometown.

25:54 Has Alanna ever met Perrin? They were in Tar Valon at the same time, but Moiraine made a point of saying she didn't want them to see any other Aes Sedai.

Morgase meets with Elaida in the corridors, asking what she's heard from the Reds, who ain't talking. Elaida notes that it must have been big because Siuan has the Tower under lockdown. Morgase asks if Siuan is losing support in the Hall and Elaida notes that the Sitters are unusually afraid, but they can't underestimate Siuan's support, a mistake Elaida herself made once before. She is able to confirm that it was a Darkfriend who abducted Elayne, and Morgase says that Siuan told her as much, which just makes her suspicious that it was something even worse.

Siuan, Leane and Verin are meeting in a nicer part of the Tower. Leane is worried about Elaida poking into things, but Siuan isn't because she'll be gone soon. Verin says Elaida still has allies who could be a threat. Siuan dismisses the threat of Elaida because the Black Ajah is more important, asking Leane if there is anything from their seer. Leane isn't happy but Siuan says she's made her position known, and goes off with Verin. Verin opens a door in what seems to be a library.

27:19I guess they have Min locked away? Continuity? What's that?

Yep. Min comes out of the door wearing a white coat and pants. Despite Siuan knowing that Min is here, because she asked if there was anything from her, Verin decides to explain that she's having Min pose as a servant, and having her look at as many "important sisters" as possible. She prompts Min, who tells Siuan she's been seeing dead sisters and warders. Leane thinks she's referring to last episode, but nope, more death to come, with at least nine Aes Sedai getting killed.

28:03 Min has old lady voice. And I have to assume that the three beautiful women she saw around Rand are Egwene, Elayne & Aviendha. Definitely not her.

Mat is lounging in his messy room flirting with a novice, letting her hold the Horn of Valere. A woman knocks on the door, calling for the novice, Clara. Mat asks if she invited a friend, approving of her cheekiness, and invites the other novice in, who just wants to tell Clara that the Andoran princes are there. To Mat's chagrin, the Horn is of zero interest as they go running off.

In a small yard, Gawyn and Galad are shirtless and sparring with a lot of punching and flips, in front of a substantial crowd of women, with more streaming through the halls to come see. Mat looks miffed that no one is paying attention to him, or possibly intimidated by their pecs, because he pulls his robe shut, noticing Nynaeve and Elayne in the crowd. Gawyn blows a kiss to Clara's friend with swoons, and Galad tosses him. Min pauses to swig from a canteen and moves on. Mat shuffles over to the rack of practice blades and humorously-awkwardly knocks them over before moving next to Elayne. Speaking past her to Nynaeve, he says he didn't think she'd be into this kind of thing.

29:46 Before this season, Nynaeve is the only one of the gang who trained with swords at the White Tower. Why would she NOT be into this kind of thing?

Nynaeve burns him by saying "I think everyone is into this kind of thing, Mat." Mat asks who these tossers are, Elayne says her brothers, he asks if that means they're princes, and Nynaeve calls them entitled bastards, before saying "no offense" to Elayne. Elayne says "None taken, coming from someone sleeping with an actual king." Nynaeve reacts like it was a zinger.

30:12 How does "sleeping with an actual king" make Nynaeve entitled, as Elayne implies? Unless tossers has some specific connotation of rank and privilege for British people, this feels like a trademark line the show throws out in an inaccurate attempt at pointing out irony. There is a big thing in the idiot fandom trying to fallaciously reason the Two Rivers folk count as nobles somehow, in an effort to mock their egalitarian attitudes. That's what this feels like.

Galad goes flying, losing his sword. Gawyn picks it up, poses for the crowd and thrusts it upright into the dirt. Galad lunges for it and Gawyn hits him with his own blade.

30:23 Gawyn beats Galad. The whole family is getting massacred in adaptation.

As the crowd cheers, Mat leaves in a huff. Nynaeve notes Elayne's somewhat strained smile and comments that most people are happier to see their families. Elayne explains hers never turns up anywhere, without each one having 12 plot and plans they're hatching, and that's just on the surface. Nynaeve (possibly ironically) says that's completely unlike Elayne. She's sort of amused, when a novice shows up with a sealed note from the Amyrlin.

30:54 The family is getting smeared collectively, too. The Trakands are Cairhienin, apparently. Now, how is the show going to follow through with the whole bunch of them carrying on a dozen plots each?

In her office, Siuan puts a sealed note in a chest and channels at it after closing it, sitting at a desk. She seems weary or burdened, when there is a knock on the door, and Elayne & Nynaeve enter, in response to her summons. Elayne notes that there was no one guarding the door. Siuan says that although Liandrin & co are gone, they must have left someone behind. She says that Elayne & Nynaeve are the only members of the Tower she can be certain are not Black Ajah, so she's going to use them to hunt down the Blacks, because no one will expect it of them, due to their vast lack of qualifications. Elayne points out that Nynaeve can't channel at will but Siuan ignores that, saying that either of them is stronger than any of the Black sisters who are no longer present. More on point, she suggests they try to figure out Liandrin's soft spot for Nynaeve and try to exploit it.

32:18 Actually, she said Liandrin left Nynaeve alive in the Hall instead of killing her. Liandrin had nothing to do with it. Another sister seemingly tried to kil Nynaeve, but dropped stone on her instead, and she was not visible, while Liandrin et al had active threats to worry about. After their winning blast, they didn't kill Alanna, Leane or Siuan, either, who were lying prone right in front of her. Does this mean Liandrin has a soft spot for them, too?

Nynaeve asks, apropos of nothing, why they should trust Siuan and she applauds the paranoia. She goes on to say that Elayne will take her Accepted test and tomorrow, Verin will give them the dossiers of the Black Ajah.

As Nynaeve and Elayne walk back to their rooms or whatever, they discuss the secrets being kept from them. Elayne relates the argument she observed between Verin and Leane, who, behind the girls, turn up and start arguing in the background, just to remind the audience, I guess. Nynaeve says they don't need to trust any of them, but the mission needs doing, and the only people she trusts are the two of them. Elayne thinks Siuan might have had an ulterior motive for using her, because her mother is taking her home. Nynaeve objects, but Elayne says her duty is to the Lion Throne. Nynaeve is skeptical that Andor needs Elayne, and then adds she should have know better than to… trailing off, but clearly taking this as a personal rejection.

34:04 The woman still wearing the giant belt of a village Wisdom over her Tower garb, is giving someone else shit for her loyalties to the people she grew up with?

In the Winespring attic, Marin is serving food to the gang, telling them that the Trollocs have been low-key raiding, then the Children showed up and say they're here for Perrin. Alanna and not-Owein mention the charge of murdering and hacking up the body of a man who was heroically driving the Seanchan back into the sea Geoffram Bornhald and that they say Perrin's a Darkfriend. Marin says no one but the Coplins and Congars believe it (but then a Coplin took down a Trolloc, while Perrin has been fairly useless in that department), but now that a huge reward has been offered, more of those characteristically greedy Two Rivers folk are coming around. Perrin asks about his family, and she says that Bran, Tam and the village lecher Abell got them "out". She is disappointed in the Children of the Light, thinking that men sworn to the Light would be better than that.

35:00Better than what? All she has described is looking for a murderer and offering a reward. Is that not work worthy of the men sworn to the Light?

Anyway, Bain wonders why they don't fight off the Children, and Marin plays the farmers & shepherds card, and Bain lets it go, presumably tired of having this conversation with every Two Rivers native. Marin goes on to say that they are the only protection the town has from the Trollocs.

35:20 This is not the woman who played Marin in the pilot.

Chiad points out the lack of difference which predator eats you, and the Pervert Duo approve. Perrin asks what they are doing there, and mentions that Nynaeve told him about them fighting the Black Ajah and that she was worried about them after Ihvon was killed, and this clearly upsets them. Alanna asks why any of them would worry about her and not-Owein. Loial asks what happened to her shoulder and she replies Trollocs, with not-Owein noting that there are fewer in the woods now. Marin wants to get them out on fast horses in the morning, but Perrin doesn't want to go. He admits to the murder charge and intends to turn himself in.

In the Dragonwall, Lan is keeping watch while the rest of them sleep. Egwene stirs, having a nightmare.

36:44 Hi, nosewart!

She dreams she is back in her collar in Falme, with Renna choking her and drooling blood into her mouth. Meanwhile, Rand is dreaming he's back in bed with "Selene." She goes to gaze out the window and Rand, apparently lucid, starts talking about how he expected to spend the rest of his life with her. Lanfear says it might have been nice, but Rand retorts it would not have been big enough for her, and she's all "back atcha." She asks why he's going to the Aiel instead of for Callandor. She says its harder to protect him from the other Forsaken if she doesn't know what he's up to, but he points out that it's harder to find him. She warns him not to get too comfortable, because Darkfriends. Lanfear is DTF, and Rand is reluctant, she asks if it's because of Egwene, calling her a "doe-eyed cow" which I mention because it's funny. She says that someday Egwene will see the darkness in him that Lanfear does. Back in Egwene's nightmare, Lanfear is looming behind her, and then turns into Renna, who lunges for her throat.

39:10 Does this mean Egwene's nightmares are actually Lanfear's making? So, we're not actually doing her trauma from her captivity? Actually, that makes sense, that she gets her flashbacks from touching Rand, if it's something Lanfear is doing to her. But, like Theon in GoT, they seem to think that an act of violence can cure your PTSD.

Lanfear asks if Rand thinks Egwene will still love him. She gets all close, but when he might kiss her, she teasingly chides him. This is intercut with Egwene's nightmare, and then she suddenly is out of the cell, in daylight in her current clothes. She looks surprised, and wider shot has her in the middle of the desert, with only a Maiden of the Spear before her. It's an old woman who tells her she doesn't belong there. She wakes up beside Rand, and her noises wake him up. He reassures her as they settle down, and she comments that the dream felt so real. Rand asks if it was the arches or Renna. She confirms the latter, also mentioning the Aiel woman. Rand says he has nightmares about the things he's done and regrets. Egwene says she doesn't have regrets and if she could, she'd kill Renna again, and just wishes she'd stay dead, and presumably out of Egwene's dreams.

Mat is also lying awake, trying to block out nearby sex noises. Someone knocks on his door, he grins and oh so humorously shouts "Coming". He hopes it's Clara come back for a booty call, and opens his robe and hastily slicks his chest hair (what) before answering. However it's Min and she's repulsed by the sight of saliva-soaked chest hair. In response to his comment on her servant disguise, she says that cleaning his room is way above her pay grade

41:32Again, with the word-stupidity. Above her pay grade means something that's too important for her. It's not what you say about a job that grosses you out, as the mess clearly does. The proper phrase would be "they couldn't pay me enough" or something like that. Like, aren't the actors real people? Don't they think these words are weird? Why is "pay grade" an idiom in this setting anyway?

BTW, I saw Kae Alexander in a tiny role in the rather good film "Black Bag" today. Yet another cast member for whom WoT is officially the worst thing I have seen them in. FWIW the list includes, Rosamund Pike, as well as the aforementioned Aghdashloo, plus Sophie Okenodo, Madeline Madden, Ayoola Smart, Gary Beadle, Fares Fares (yes, the latter two were in Disney Star Wars. Disney Star Wars has content better than WoT), Katie Leung and Maria Doyle Kennedy. Only Olivia Williams is on the bubble, thanks to LotR:RoP.

Min notices the sex noises, and asks Mat "is that…?" and he points out Gawyn is making noise on one side, and Galad on the other.

41:47 And Elayne's brothers are also ho-bags. The hits just keep on coming.

Min tells Mat that Siuan wants to see him, and Mat calls her out for working for the Amyrlin and notes the familiar use of her name. She recognizes that he's pissed and he confirms it, and she apologizes for selling him to the Forsaken. She tells him to bring the Horn and they go.

Elayne is in her family's rooms, looking for Morgase. She spots a display case holding her mother's crown, and tries it on in a mirror. She likes what she sees, until Gaebril suddenly says it suits her. Startled, she replaces the crown. He has raided the kitchen for wine, and they agree not to tell on each other. He offers her wine and she wants some, "desperately."

43:51 I'll give them this. Gaebril's accent sounds a lot like Ishamael's, and Bain & Chiad sound like Aviendha. OTOH, I'm starting to get worried about Elayne's fascination with alcohol.

They toast each other, with Elayne calling Gaebril the most popular prince consort in all the land. Elayne's mother is off politicking like always, and Gaebril, despite being in his bathrobe, still has a piece of jewelry in his hair, which he takes out. She asks about her brothers, and Gaebril hints they are reaping the rewards of their exhibition, and from Elayne's reaction, this is as much a thing with them as their mother's politicking. Gaebril does wonder how anyone can tolerate Galad after more than a second of conversation. Elayne says she doesn't want to leave the Tower, and Gaebril knows, calling her sweetheart. He confides that Morgase is facing domestic challenges. Elayne thinks the nobles, but he says its actually the people and the military. He notes that she has had to dismiss Captain General Bryne, and Elayne's position as heir is vulnerable for the first time since Morgase ascended. He asks her to not let Morgase know he told her. He says he's missed her, because all her brothers do is train, and they need sense back in the Palace, but Elayne says all they did back home was drink like fish. They have a li'l chuckle over that.

In Siuan's room, she seems to be taking her night-time pills when Min brings Mat. She looks Min out, and Mat introduces himself. She very disingenuously tells him that she's heard about him blowing the Horn of Valere to battle the bad guys at Falme and he, with facetious modesty confirms.

46:54 This would have been meta-funnier with Barney Harris in the role, since the only other thing I've seen him in was The Hollow Crown, when he played Sophie Okenodo's son.

She seems impressed and goes on in the same disingenuous manner to explain how the Horn will only work for Mat, as long as he lives, and goes on to recommend that he probably would not want to tell anyone about being the Hornblower, or having it in his possession and making himself a target. As well as literally everything he's been doing this season. Mat is increasingly awkward, embarrassed and squirmy until she asks if he'd like to have her keep the Horn for safety and he sheepishly hands it over.

48:05 I rather liked that bit, except for the fact that it makes Siuan rather incompetent for letting the situation get that far.

Siuan goes on to tell Mat about her Uncle Huan.

48:20 ITB, Siuan compared Mat to Uncle Huan, saying no one could ever pin him down, after Mat had just managed a bit of verbal judo against her. On the show, she says the same thing, after she just verbally pinned him down and made him give up the Horn. Like I said before, copy-pasting all the wrong stuff.

Blah,blah, no hero, do what have to do, that's what heroes blah blah. Mat is dismissed.

Morgase walks in on the wine party, and Gaebril bails, kissing her on the way out. Morgase asks why Elayne is there so late, and Elayne tells her she's not going home. She says how growing up she worried about living up to Morgase's skill and victories. She can't follow in Morgase's footsteps, but has to make her own way.

49:53 Elayne never references her mother as someone who can out-strategize anyone, rather she respects her for her virtues, not victories. For her good rule, and understanding of leadership and administration. Because to the Trakand women, ruling is not a contest or a zero-sum game, it's about making things better for everyone. This informs Elayne's whole world-view and approach to conflicts, and relationships. And Morgase won her war for the crown when she was 19. Elayne won her much more serious war, at 18.

Morgase expo-dumps Tigraine, as an example of a Daughter-Heir who did her own thing, and Elayne points out that it worked out for Morgase. She says that as terrifying as it was to be dragged all the way to Falme, she fought a Forsaken.

50:30 Pretty sure Elayne did not fight in a battle against a Forsaken. She showed up afterward to Heal a friendly fire casualty, she beat up a disarmed sul'dam but she wasn't fighting Ishamael. And when the rest of the gang was fighting stuff none of them know was the result of Lanfear's plot with Moiraine, Elayne was with Aviendha on the roof.

She mentions that, too. Healing Rand, not Aviendha. She says she has work to do, and intends to make Andor's most important alliance ironclad.

50:42How? The problem is not on the Tower, the danger to that alliance is Andor pulling out, by everything we've seen. It's not that they are worried about losing Tower support, but rather that they are concerned that the Tower is not a great ally to have these days.

Morgase asks "For Andor's sake or Siuan's?" and Elayne says "For mine." She then tells Morgase that she's going to take the Accepted test, root out the Shadow and become an Aes Sedai queen. Morgase says it's too dangerous, but Elayne won't go back home

51:14 "I won't go back to a cloistered life inside palace walls, I will remain an initiate of the White Tower!" For anyone who has read Wheel of Time and knows anything about palace life in a monarch's court, that was a ridiculous statement on a par with, well, actually, a typical WoT script. Never mind. Carry on, ladies.

Basically, Elayne thinks she has to earn the throne like her mother did, but she's never going to abandon her country. Morgase thinks she's wise, and Elayne says, "I must have learned from the best." Hugs ensue. There's also woowoowoo music that I suspect is supposed to be the leitmotif of Morgase, or Andor or the crown or whatever. Anyway, Morgase leaves again, and we hear the door close. She basically left Elayne alone in Morgase's apartment. Elayne looks pleased by the outcome.

Moiraine is sitting on a rock and Rand sits near her. They talk about channeling. She wants him to do it, he describes the whole attraction/revulsion dichotomy of tainted saidin. She tells him he will have to embrace the bitter and the sweet, so he never forgets which is which. I'm sure that's all very wise.

It's morning in the Tower, and in the Hall, Dilophosaurus outfit Morgase and Elaida are bid farewell by Siuan. Morgase says her sons will stay, and Siuan says she doesn't think the novices will recover. Everyone finds this amusing, rather than a problematic breech in training and discipline. Morgase is also leaving Elaida. Siuan is nonplussed and points out that Andor has had an Aes Sedai advisor for a thousand years. Morgase, however, thinks the Tower needs strong sisters more, and cites Elaida almost besting Siuan for the Amyrlin Seat as proof of her strength. She and Elaida exchange a look and give Siuan a joint nasty smirk. Morgase then threatens Siuan with war if anything happens to Elayne. She says she doesn't think either of them wants to see what happens if the Tower and Andor go at each other all out. Siuan "agrees". Morgase sweeps out, with Elaida giving her a deeper curtsy as she passes than she gave Siuan when she first arrived, then turns to stare down her rival. Siuan turns and goes, and Elaida watches her with all the pleasant menace Crisjen Avrasarala or Dina Araz were capable of.

55:12 Yesss! Shohreh for Amyrlin! Whip this place into shape! Make the Tower Great Again!

Rand's party are still trudging through mountains, until they see desert below. Or a flat tan area, albeit with a good bit of green. Moiraine identifies it as the Aiel Waste. Aviendha stomps up all mad, demanding to know whom they told they were coming. The wetlanders are exchanging looks when Aiel pop in from out of the frame and surround the party with drawn weapons and covered faces. And old woman in a dress comes up to face them, and Egwene gasps in recognition, so I assume it's dream lady. An older Aielman with his face bared joins Aviendha and then looks Rand over closely. We get a quick shot of Egwene, so I guess she is canonically expecting more attention. The old lady joins him and old Aiel guy asks if Rand is him. The old lady starts reciting prophecies about HWCWtD coming from the west, raised by foreigners, to tie them together and take them home and destroy them. Rand looks at them while the music tries to act dramatic for him. The end.

57:10 Liars.

There is music over the credits, that sounds like someone singing "saidin, saidin" and a lot of foreign gabble that might be the Old Tongue.

In the credits, Rhuarc is listed, and so is Bair, so I guess that's who the older Aiel were at the end there. Bair is played by Nukaka Coster-Waldau. Possibly related to the actor who played Jaime Lannister? Also, Gaebril is played by a guy named Lopes, which, as a Dodger fan, I know is Portuguese, and not at all the same ethnicity as the actor who played Ishamael (Lebanese). So good on the accents, show. We also allegedly got to see Galina, Tsutama and Alviarin in this episode. Lini is in the credits and I guess that was Lord Lir, who stabbed his sister at Morgase's behest. ITB, he was among Rahvin's sycophants, fought for Arymilla and then overcompensated a bunch to prove his loyalty when he switched to Team Elayne.

This felt more like a setup for the season's plotlines, like the prior episode was some sort of transitional one between stories. They still only have ten episodes or so, you'd think they'd have got into the setup faster.

The Trakand family, butchered as they were, remain the best thing about this season so far, possibly the best about the show. Even if they are not our book people, Morgase & Elayne feel like a real mother and daughter, and she's good at the different personas of public queen and private woman. As I mentioned, the dynamic of Rahvin playing benevolent step-father to Elayne is pretty amusing. However, the massacre of the opposing noblewomen strongly suggests the writers have some issues. There are two reasons I can see for doing it. A. Shock value. LOL, you readers were expecting Good Queen Morgase, haha! Or B. They think she IS Good Queen Morgase, and they just think they're 'fixing' her. The writers have shown exactly zero understanding of politics or statecraft thus far, and there are a lot of people out there who think it's smart and edgy to be ruthless. These are the sort of people who misread Tywin Lannister as the political genius and statesman par excellence of Game of Thrones, and think the problem with the Starks was that they were not ruthless and murderous enough. So they could be thinking that by showing Morgase murder the potential threats, that she is actually better than her book version, since, after all, the leaders of those same families, whom she pardoned ITB, came back to plot with her enemies, and contest her daughter's succession. The lack of any real menace in her depiction in the Tower suggests that yes, they were going for Morgase as a good person, who is willing to do what it takes. But the staging of the massacre itself feels like they are being all edgy and AHAing the audience.

Dumb writers gonna dumb. We'll see.

Perrin is a lump, Mat's an utter tool, Elaida is the most promising thing so far, probably because she has not had enough dialogue to be ruined yet. I guess it's the Aiel's turn on the block in the next one.