We start with a caption reading “Tanchico 95 Years Ago” with a baby crying over it.

01;05 More Liandrin backstory bullshit! WHY? What possible utility can come of building her up like this? Who CARES about her tragic past? How is this petty villain worth our time? The first thing that comes to mind is that they are setting her up to be a personal antagonist for Nynaeve, but if so, that’s just another dump the show is taking on Nynaeve, whose actual archnemesis was Moghedian. Maybe they’re going to give her a redemption arc, but if they do, so what? She’s a mass murderer, and this show does not do good enough character work to make that interesting.

A filthy girl is trying to shush a baby because “he,” presumably the father, won’t like it. She names it Aludran, just before a creepy old bald guy comes in, and speaks denigratingly of mother & baby, she refuses to hand it over, so he tells a veiled figure who came in with him to drown the baby. Li’l Liandrin screams “no” and suddenly channels to zap a hole in the henchman’s forehead. The old guy approaches and she does the same. She carries the crying baby over to the body and stomps in its skull, screaming. Outside, Li’l Liandrin is wandering the streets asking for help and everyone is mean to her, until she wanders over to a statue and sits at the base in despair. She dozes off and wakes when Ishamael approaches and greets her. He crouches before her and offers her help. The screen does jumpy things and she takes his hand.

04:32 That was clearly supposed to be a dream. And I can’t see any point to that whole scene.

Title card!

Adult Liandrin is in a dim Hall of the Tower, sitting on the Amyrlin Seat, with what looks like the book-accurate regalia instead of Siuan’s various clown costumes. After about half a minute, Lanfear appears on balcony, having finally found her after her departure.

05:25 They are going to be taking this dream thing and running with it from here on out, aren’t they? Also, not much more interested in Lanfear, either.

Liandrin claims she stayed in the Tower as long as she could, obeying Lanfear’s orders. Lanfear whamps to her side and taunts her about feeling important in the Tower. She wants to know what Liandrin is up to and if she’s working for Rahvin. Liandrin says that all the Black Ajah were loyal to Ishamael but now he’s dead. Lanfear replaces her on the Amyrlin Seat and Liandrin is on her knees, as the Forsaken warns her against trying to play them against each other. Liandrin protests that her “cabal” of Black sisters are loyal to her and she is loyal to Lanfear.

06:37 Okay, why are they loyal to Liandrin? Why is Liandrin loyal to Lanfear? Wouldn’t our cold open have been better used to establish some reason for that?

Lanfear says the Forsaken are not going to just let five Black sisters do their own thing, and claims that Rahvin will have coopted one of the group (Nikabrik), probably an uppity sister, which is why Lanfear thought it was Liandrin. She tells her to kill the Rahvin-follower when she figures out who it is (Nikabrik). She tells her she has until tomorrow to accomplish this or else, and poofs out.

Moghedian carries a tray through a hallway, and pauses to spit in one of the dishes before carrying into a room where the Black gang are chillin’. Liandrin is back in her Stevie Nicks hairdo from the last episode she was in, and shows the others a picture of a statue older than Tanchico called The Shackled Man, and that only part of it (presumably the bit she was sitting under when Ishamael found her) still stands. It’s a statue of a male channeler collared by two Aes Sedai. Moghedian is lurking the background serving and is definitely interested. Liandrin goes on to say that the Aes Sedai who found the bracelet they took from the 13th Depository say the other bracelet & collar are somewhere in the city. For the really slow members of the group, she points out that they have one of three components, and orders them to look harder & search farther, because she needs them tomorrow or their master will be displeased. Moghedian takes note.

08:19 That was so nice of you to explain it all for the audience. But why did the others think they were there? Where they fine just debauching after helping Liandrin work out her old grudges? They were researching this before now, so why is Liandrin telling them if they are already on-board? What were they actually doing without the information she just provided, and how does her suddenly setting an impossibly short deadline help the mission?

Nynaeve is trying on a veil in front of a mirror, as Elayne quizzes her about the Black sisters they seek. Elayne is wearing a turban and a tank top. Nynaeve gets impatient, because she figures all they need to find is Liandrin. Elayne points out that they are looking for all the Black sisters and the collar, to protect Rand, so Nynaeve reassures her they’ll find it.

08:55 That’s a lot of eye makeup. Is Elayne going over to the Shadow?

Mat and Min barge in with a perfunctory knock. Mat is wearing some kind of fluffy robe that bares his chest and Min looks like Min, but they think this gives them grounds to laugh at Nynaeve & Elayne’s equally ridiculous clothes, absolutely none of which look like they are of a similar style or national origin, rather than cast-offs from a flamboyant grandmother’s old closet. Min tells Nynaeve to take it easy on the beads, because the number indicates your price. Nynaeve takes off her veil to look at it, so I guess there are beads on it. Elayne gets back to business, saying that the Black Ajah are probably going to be hanging with the scum, so Nynaeve says they’ll go to the Night Market, where she tells Mat to chat up people over cards, and Min to use her visions, while Elayne says the channelers will handle the subtle stuff. Said pointedly.

09:32 As good as it is to see Nynaeve actually acting like an authority figure, and these two clowns being put in their place, does anyone remember when Min was Elayne’s best friend?

They head out in the streets, where the long establishing shot makes it look like a castle that is being overgrown with tropical plants, and on the streets, has a degenerate vaguely Caribbean feel.

In Cold Rocks Hold, the Wise Ones are remonstrating with Egwene for her dream tourism last episode, saying that Aes Sedai are not supposed to lie but Egwene did. She blows them off saying she also lied about being Aes Sedai, and demands to know how to defeat Lanfear in the dream world.

10:15 “Yeah, I’m a completely untrustworthy asshole. By the way, this is what I want for my next lesson.” How is the show going to handle this? Setting aside actual Aiel codes of conduct, this has just blown an enormous hole in her credibility and Moiriane’s as well, since she’s been tacitly condoning the deception.

Bair tells her she can’t hope to fight a Forsaken in Tel’Aran’Rhiod, but her power is strongest in her own dreams.

10:26 Okay, so we’re not even going to deal with this breach of trust, or it’s being set aside for the time being, for no good reason.

Moiraine is lolling in bed, and finds herself in a dream where Lanfear confronts her and accuses her of hiding from Lanfear.

10:47 The implication here is that Egwene taking Moiraine into Siuan’s dreams has made her susceptible to this sort of thing. The show ought to be highlighting this as a consequence of Egwene’s untutored activities, or else clarify that this is not the case. Bets?

Lanfear says that she is afraid of her now. She asks what Moiraine saw in Rhuidean. Moiraine is angry & defensive. Lanfear also says that Moiraine was supposed to keep Egwene away from Rand. Moiraine, in the same angry tone, says defensively that she’s trying with Egwene, but she can’t outright force her, or Egwene won’t budge. Lanfear says “I worry that you’re trying to stay useful to me so that I don’t dispose of you.”

11:06 Isn’t that an attitude you want your minions to have?

Moiraine just makes a kind of ‘oh well’ shrug and Lanfear says she’s sending a surprise and to let Rand handle it. She turns to go, saying “I know that’s difficult for you.”

11:16 In the context of the book characters, this would be hilarious, for someone even as unreliable, narcissistic and blind as Lanfear calling Moiraine on her bullshit, but the micromanaging aspect of Moiraine’s character and especially her relationship to Rand is mostly new to this season, as well as a largely informed attribute.

Aviendha is leading Rand through a tunnel, and he wants to know where Egwene is. Aviendha says she’s learning about the Aiel, like he should be doing. She leads him out into a garden, and Rand is impressed. They blather some about Aiel agriculture and Aviendha, in that sing-song voice of someone lecturing about stereotypes says they know more than just how to dance the spears.

11:51 That was not a thing Aviendha ever needed to say in the books, and it’s a stupid thing to say on the show, since we have had almost no discussion of the Aiel leading up to her joining the group, and thus any erroneous opinion they have of the Aiel is largely the fault of Aviendha’s presentation. Frankly, I would expect that their main impression of the Aiel would not be fighting, but sex and contrarianism.

Rand pulls away from her to approach, of course, that stupid kid, Alsera, who looks like she’s tending the outfield wall in Wrigley Field. She shows him the vegetables she’s growing.

12:02 There was one (1) child character in WoT of any significance and only a couple who actually had lines, and when they did, in no more than one appearance. Perrin did not become best buds with Jaim Aybarra, The boys Rand wanted to help in Tear were never seen again, and we lost track of Jaril and Seve, as well as the characters losing interest in them about the time their fake mother disappeared. We don’t need all this interaction with Alsera, especially at the expense of other Aiel, who could have a lot more interesting things to say to Rand, or developing his relationship with Aviendha. Whatever that is going to be. I am pretty sure the kid's purpose is to die tragically, hopefully from whatever Lanfear is sending, and the sooner the better.

Rand compliments her saying the Aiel are good farmers, shepherds and goatherds and we get a shot of Aviendha watching them, with a slightly more pleasant expression than normal.

12:12 Once is coincidence, twice is happenstance, and three times is a problem. This is twice now we’ve been shown Aviendha’s reaction to Rand & Alsera, strongly implying this is how she is changing her view of him. Rather than reluctantly admire his dedication to duty and being swayed by his relationship with the Maidens, the show has decided to go with her biological clock. Aviendha had a maternal side that took her by surprise in the books, but it was just a personal detail, and NOT the focus of any of her relationships or a driving motivation for any of her arc.

Alsera mentions that her sister, the goatherd takes care of goats but wonders what a shepherd takes care of. Maybe “…sheps?”

12:19 HA HA HA! It is so funny, Aiel don’t know what sheep are!

Rand offers to help and picks up what he thinks is a shovel. Alsera flips out because that’s her spear and she’s training to be a Maiden. She accuses Rand of dishonoring her. Rand goes to one knee and ceremonially hands over the spear to her, saying “for dishonoring your ji, you have my toh” which means, “for dishonoring your honor, you have my duty.”

12:47 They are wasting time with Rand, utterly destroying ji’e’toh AND dragging out the childcare plotline all at once! Who says this show can’t do things efficiently and economically? Just really awful things, but if their goal is negative storytelling and destructive adaptation, they’re definitely on a hot streak.

Alsera points the spear at him and orders him to harvest her garden when it’s ripe and states that only then will his toh be repaid. She leaves and Rand & Aviendha seem amused.

13:01 For the record, there is nothing in the source material about incurring a debt of honor by touching someone else’s weapon, (in fact the Aiel are extremely unsentimental about the specific weapons, with Sorilea even using them as an example of something disposable), but it’s a basic function of tight organizations, like the Maidens of the Spear, that you do NOT claim the privileges or debts or present yourself in any way as if you are a member, until and unless you have been accepted. Actual Maidens would be whooping this kid’s ass, breaking her spear and telling her that she had just made her own road to the spear longer & harder.

13:07 Now we get some trite dialogue between Rand and Aviendha showing how she is thawing, or overcompensating for her thawing.

Rand goes to Aviendha saying, “I could have used your help there,” and she says he handled himself well enough, but still calls him wetlander.

In the Two Rivers a couple of guys are helping Perrin into the building because he’s wounded. A crowd gathers and Loial tells them to get Alanna, quickly, to Heal Perrin.

13:51 Is no one going to point out to Loial that they left with Alanna?

Faile is all “Hurry, comrades, we need her!” but Marin says she’s in no shape. Up in the dorm, not-Owein is keeping vigil while Alanna writhes on a cot in pain. Downstairs, a woman is treating Perrin with a poultice to ease the pain and slow the infection, because that’s what poultices do.

14:35 I’m guessing this is Daise Congar. Don’t remember if it’s the same actress.

Perrin says, apropos of nothing, with only Daise & Faile present, that “the girls are here, but Natti…” Faile, mopping his brow says that her “father says a leader can either take care of the living or weep for the dead, not both.”

14:46 Context Matters. That line was taken from the books, where the people Perrin was leading were killed under his command, and he was flagellating himself over it. Natti was not under his authority, and he made no choices concerning her. She was arrested because of things her family did, and killed before Perrin could get to her. He has no responsibility here, and he has never been demonstrated to have an excessive sense of responsibility or assumption of guilt for others’ fates. Quite the opposite, what with his lackadaisical efforts to free his friends, his occasional references to the Way of the Leaf, which I understand to mean the show wants us to think he is grappling with the appeal of it, and, of course, the whole cold-blooded murderer issue. More often than not, he has simply been a passive character for most of the show. This could be a point for realizing this about himself and thinking that this is how Natti died, because he has not been proactive enough, but then the line is even more out of context.

Also, outside of the context of leadership, the line makes no sense at all, because it’s a pretty heartless way to live your life. You CAN, in fact, grieve for the dead while fulfilling your responsibilities, and most people do this. The point of the line is that for a LEADER, he cannot wallow in the people he lost, or let his mistakes eat himself up, in place of carrying on with the mission, and doing the best he can for those still living under his command.

On a ridge over the village, Fain is standing with a group of humans and two Trollocs, looking down at their target. It’s dramatic.

15:02 Are we ever going to get any explanation for exactly what Fain is all about?

Elayne is being flirted with by what looks like a meth addict with a string of beads across his nose. Someone compliments Elayne’s accent and she says that’s because she’s from Tanchico. But in more roundabout language to hide how dumb the dialogue is. Mat is talking with some sort of merchant, and asks about a collar, I am going to charitably assume describes the thing they are looking for. When asked for a woman or man, he says a big strong man like himself.

15:45 Cue a gay joke.

He is about to bribe the guy to look for something like that when a song catches his attention. It’s about the Horn of Valere, borrowing lyrics from the books, and Mat goes running after the sound.

16:35 Is this Thom coming back? Why? A. the show is already a bit overstuffed, and can’t have anything happen in a timely or properly set-up fashion (i.e. we are near the end of the season, and have made minimal progress on the plot) B. it’s too late, we missed the boat for Thom joining the cast. He doesn’t do a whole lot from here on out and what he does is based on his relationship to the characters. Throwing him in now is going to come across as all kinds of contrived.

It is Thom, and he is wearing a coat more like his patchwork cloak, and a black hat. Mat calls his name and Thom blows him off and tries to leave, pointing out that Mat left him for dead fighting a Fade. Mat is happy he isn’t dead. Thom doesn’t care and tells him he wants nothing to do with whatever Mat & Rand are wrapped up in, because they’ve cost him too much. He does not appear to be limping, as Mat calls after him, saying wait a bunch of times before holding up a purse I assume he stole from Thom in a ‘clever’ callback. Thom is amused and Mat holds the purse hostage to get Thom to have a drink with him, and maybe tell him who blew the horn.

Min & Nynaeve are in a common room and Min starts to ask Nynaeve about Mat’s memories, and Nynaeve says they’re his business & hers. Min huffs that she’s “sooo glad we got this time together.”

18:03 Yeah, shame on you, Nynaeve! Stop being so anti-social, just go ahead and breach medical confidentiality, you great big party pooper.

Min accuses Nynaeve of scowling, and when she says that’s just her face, starts mocking her over her expressions. A waitress brings two drinks and Min puts both in front of Nynaeve, saying they’re both for her, because she needs to loosen up & let her braid down.

18:30 Who the hell is Min that she can talk to Nynaeve like this? What relationship has been established? Where does she get off being this familiar?

Nynaeve drinks and chokes and Min laughs at her. They talk about Min’s visions and she says they never show up when she wants them too, but she’s learned to cope. There is a sound effect like she’s having a vision and she hails a passing man, telling him he met a woman of Jeaine’s description, and that he’s going to marry her, so he should run and tell her. The man says he doesn’t even know this woman, he’s just seen her doing work on the old Lounalt estate. Min encourages him, saying she must be rich. Then she tells him that was a freebie and urges him to recommend her fortune-telling services. When he goes Nynaeve asks if Jeaine is really going to marry him and Min says that actually she’ll kill him.

20:17 Do they honestly want us to like this character or not? At every turn, she is revealed as annoying, obnoxious, or downright loathsome.

Nikabrik is brushing her hair when Liandrin comes in with a candelabra, to talk about the bride Nikabrik mind-wiped. Liandrin asks if she could remove a specific memory, but Nikabrik says that’s beyond modern abilities, and only the Forsaken could now. Moghedian is carrying laundry through the house, and starts playing with it, tearing and tying the garments in knots, laughing and giggling. Suddenly she’s sitting at a table set with food and eating messily with her hands, then spitting up her chewed food back into her hands and dumping it into one of the dishes and covering the signs.

21:49 Moghedian too. Why do we need to make her revolting?

Egwene is dreamwalking again, with the Wise Ones & the pin candle.

21:59 No consequences for Egwene’s lies, I see.

They are coaching her on driving them out of her dream, because she controls the reality in her own mind. She makes them poof away. She has a laugh about it, before she starts to poof away, not of her own volition and finds herself dressed & coiffed as a damane, lashed to Lanfear’s dominatrix wheel. Lanfear is suddenly there, running her hands over Egwene’s arm and face all intimate-like.

23:10 This is why Lanfear’s evil – she’s picking on the one woman in this part of the cast who isn’t into chicks.

She taunts Egwene about Rand. Egwene thinks she’s tricking Rand, but Lanfear says “nope” he knows who he’s banging in his dreams. Egwene starts to sneer that Lanfear will be in big trouble if Rand finds out what she’s doing to Egwene. Lanfear grabs her throat and assures Egwene Rand knows everything. The pin alarm wakes Egwene up.

The Wise Ones tell her that Lanfear blocked them from helping and again go over the point that Egwene should be in control of her dream and that if she thinks Lanfear can’t hurt her, then Lanfear can’t.

24:18 Using lots of contractions for an Aiel, Bair.

Outside at night, Moiraine is fondling the Sakarnen, when Rand walks up and she tries to casually hide it. Rand sits near her and says she hasn’t spoken to him since Rhuidean, and she says she’s been listening. So he asks what she saw in the rings, if he goes mad, and she says “sometimes.” He asks if he kills Egwene and she says “sometimes.” So then he asks if he kills her.

25:12 STOP with the stupid questions! “Sometimes” is the obvious answer to ANY question about what someone saw when presented with infinite possible futures! He should have realized this after the first one.

Moiraine’s answer is, of course, “sometimes.” He thinks they should know more than when they went into Rhuidean and a teary-eyed Moiraine says she does. She asks if Rand does and he says yes. He says he knows what the Sakarnen is. Moiraine sits with him and asks how he handles so much of the Power, presumably referring to her issues last episode. She talks about how hard it is to handle it, worrying about the danger and Rand tells her to fight it. Moiraine responds saying “saidin and saidar are not the same.”

26:10 Is that the first mention of the male & female halves of the One Power? And that’s how they are doing it?

They yammer about channeling.

26:27 Okay, this does not make sense. These things Rand is saying should be to rebuff Moiraine’s questions, saying they are different. She starts out asking Rand how he survives wielding such quantities of the Power, and he tells her to fight it instead of submitting. So she starts to mention the differences between the male & female halves and Rand cuts her off, saying “It’s the One Power” with a slight emphasis on “one” implying they are the same, and goes on to say that the White Tower doesn’t know it all. None of this adds up. Not just the One Power stuff, but the logic of their argument. If she thinks the two types of the Power are different, why did she ask Rand how he does it? If they are the same, why are there two different names for them? Is the show’s position going to be that the differences between saidin and saidar are just a social construct? If the Forsaken know better, why do the two halves have names from their time?

Rand goes on to say that the Power is always tempting him and sometimes he can’t resist. Objects start to fall and the ground to shake as Rand spaces out. Moiraine calls his name with increasing urgency until the music indicates the danger has passed. He reiterates his advice not to submit. Lan is watching from above and behind Moiraine as Rand walks off.

In the Two Rivers, Perrin is sitting up before the fire, with Faile. She compliments the strength of the local herbs in doing so much to restore him, saying the Two Rivers is special. Perrin asks why she doesn’t talk about her own homeland.

27:56 She is embarrassed because of Ukraine invasion. But seriously, why is this an accent we’ve decided to roll with, when everything else has been variants of British, or occasional primitive diction?

Faile reveals she’s from a military family in Saldaea, where both her parents were generals and she and her brother were soldiers. Faile’s mother told her last year that she was a Darkfriend and wanted her to sign up. Faile fled to avoid being killed for refusing also because she idolized her mother and was worried that if she stayed … IDK. She left to join the Hunt, but also told her brother about Mom and he tried to stop her, and so their mother killed him. Somehow, Faile knows all this happened after she ran off. She thinks she should not have told him, because…. reasons?

29:23 Faile gives two different motives for leaving – one was to avoid being murdered for knowing her Mom is a Darkfriend and refusing to sign up and the other was because she was presumably afraid of following her mother, due to that hero worship. And just how did she think things were going to go down with her brother if she didn’t tell him? Why would their mother not have done the same with him? Except maybe take more precautions to prevent his own escape, now that she knows there are limits to filial submission. Honestly, she should have told more people. I get that it’s complicated when it’s your parents, but this is not like knowing her mother is a criminal or some scandal, this is letting a Darkfriend who holds a very high rank run free. There is just no excuse.

I think if this monologue had actually been proof-read or something, they could have set out a better chain of events, like Faile’s reaction was to go to her brother, he tried to take action and when Mom killed him, that’s when she fled. But by any measure, the one thing Faile should NOT regret is telling her brother. Not telling anyone else, yes. Not convincing him to get more effective help, yes. Running rather than avenging him, yes. But telling him was not a mistake.

Perrin says he understands and Faile doubts that, so he tells her how Layla got axed, and I suddenly wonder if anyone else knows this, or if the village just thinks the Trollocs got her. Faile says that because Layla chose to fight that makes it all good and he should not dishonor her by mourning her for so long. She adds “I always think to myself that it means something, that I didn’t swear the oaths.” Yes, it does. Good job, Faile. Seriously. Swearing the oaths is evil, and you refrained at some cost. That IS something.

Perrin tells her that there is so much darkness in the world, but when he looks at her, he sees light.

31:08 Why? Why does he see light? What have we seen to justify this belief? All we know about Faile is that she is a braggart and somewhat competent, militarily.

Dain is drinking while sitting with Natti’s corpse, still tied to the stake, and a horn blows. He goes up to see reinforcements riding in and their leader is Padan Fain, wearing a bloodied uniform and armor of the Children. His men are similarly blood-covered and he says they ran into some Trollocs. He’s eager to help with their trouble with the Two Rivers folk.

In Tanchico, Mat has told Thom that Rand is the Dragon Reborn & he has blown the Horn. Mat confirms this in the Old Tongue. Thom still doesn’t want anything to do with them.

32:48 How is that hat going to end up Mat’s?

Mat keeps asking for help, and Thom keeps saying he doesn’t care, until Mat gets out Liandrin’s name, which Thom recognizes. He just warns Mat away from her and starts to go, but spots Elayne across the room. He asks Mat what the Daughter-Heir is doing there.

33:13 Okay, Thom has been talking to Mat, alone. Now he has spotted Elayne. He is surprised to see her. Therefore, Thom has not seen her in Tanchico before this, and certainly not in Mat’s company, nor has Mat mentioned Elayne. Elayne is standing nowhere near Mat and has not even looked in their direction. So why is he asking Mat what Elayne is doing here? His tone and inflection are an interrogation of Mat, not wondering aloud at her presence.

Thom was at Morgase’s court a long time ago. He starts to go, when they see Elayne's meth-head suitor pull a knife on her throat. She reprimands him for drinking too much, but he says he’s sober enough to recognize the Daughter-Heir.

33:27 A. Why wasn’t she wearing a veil to prevent this very thing? B. How does he recognize her, from tabloid photos? Royal publicity events? Do the writers remember this world doesn’t have mass media? C. If Elayne being recognized because she is a public figure is a thing, why did Thom immediately before this have to explain how he was able to recognize her?

Elayne tries to keep up the pretense, talking harsh and nasty, but not incompetently, as she would ITB. Thom steps in and acts like she’s his apprentice who is slacking her duties. He goes on to pretend that she sometimes pretends to be the Daughter-Heir to con people. Meth-head demands that she sing, if she’s a gleeman’s apprentice. Elayne volunteers to sing “The Hills of Tanchico” which gives Thom pause.

34:29 Okay, Elayne is definitely doing a different accent in these scenes. Is that supposed to be a Tanchican accent? Why? She sounds like Rose Leslie as Ygritte in Game of Thrones. Also, absolutely none of her dialogue is natural for someone talking to her teacher of long standing or for credibly passing herself off as a native. “As everyone in our fair city knows” is script-talk for a character who is trying to fake a cover story, and it’s never funny or even tolerable, because real people would not be fooled!! And now we’re going to get a musical number. Because we haven’t wasted ENOUGH time. Three minutes to the next commercial break, too. Probably all going to be singing, for no better reason then Ceara Coveney can sing.

Elayne gets up on a table & Thom fetches his guitar.

36:10 I skipped through the song with the ten second jumps. No clue if it’s any good, but I’m pretty certain it did absolutely nothing to establish character or setting or served any value whatsoever beyond the vanity of the cast and crew.

At the end of the song, everyone is clapping and even Thom is beaming and looks impressed. Mat is telling everyone around that’s his friend.

Back with Nynaeve and Min, they’re a bit soused and laughing at a bar fight. They have not, apparently, acted at all on the tip about Jeaine’s location. Nynaeve says she’s happy for the first time in a while and Min says relaxation looks good on her. Nynaeve makes a mild joke and Min acts shocked and Nynaeve laughs at herself for being so out of character.

36:56 This only works in any way at all, because of the show’s absolutely atrocious handling of Nynaeve’s character. It’s not a moment of development, it’s a metatextual self-condemnation!

Nynaeve’s grin loses something as a young woman is herded through the bar dressed, I believe, like the bride in the wedding Liandrin busted up. Min expresses disappointment, and Nynaneve apologizes, saying it’s this city.

37:01 Honestly Nynaeve, what is your problem, bringing down Min with your inability to maintain your joyful façade when child sexual abuse is paraded in front of your eyes? Seriously, kill Min, please, show?

Nynaeve wonders if Tanchico is why Liandrin is what she is. An old man nearby recognizes the name, and says anyone his age would recognize it. He hasn’t see Liandrin, but the “whole Lounalt clan” was massacred a few weeks ago. He says rumor blames Liandrin’s ghost. Nynaeve hands him some money to buy a round so he can tell them what he knows. Another woman watching across the bar takes off her veil for the camera to reveal one of Liandrin’s companions.

37:46 Well, the Black Ajah caught them, I guess. If that’s who that is supposed to be. What was the point of doing the story this way? They made the characters do something really dumb and counter-indicated just so the plot could happen. Again.

Nikabrik is sleeping and is jolted awake to see Liandrin looming over her like an evil Stevie Nicks. Nikabrik thrashes a bit and Liandrin adds that she’s shielded. She makes a small pointy weave dangle over Nikabrik’s forehead and demands to know what she found. Nikabrik was going to tell her, and says the collar is somewhere in the Panarch’s palace. She is confident of finding it if they can get inside, because she has powerful allies. Liandrin says she knows Nikabrik does, but she doesn’t need any of the Chosen to help her, because she’s going to become one of them. She kills Nikabrik.

Chosen? Is that a word we’ve heard on this show before? Does she mean the Apostles or something?

38:44 Was there any doubt it was going to be Nikabrik, when she’s basically the only other “character” among the group?

Actually, now I think that was a red herring and it’s Ispan or Jeaine. Or not. This show is so dumb that “It’s too obvious” is never exactly something you can say.

Ispan walks in and is greeted by Liandrin, who asks what she found.

In Emond’s Field, Alanna seems to be dying, and tells Maksim that it’s time. Maksim does not want her to go, because she’s all he has left.

39:36 What about revenge on Liandrin? That was a lot more important than Alanna not so long ago.

The Cauthon girls come up to the attic to thank Alanna, because they heard she got hurt on their rescue op.

39:49 Great, now a brand-new child is going to Heal someone, and Nynaeve still can’t channel, let alone be a Healer.

Bode or Eldrin is surprised she is still hurt, because she thought Aes Sedai could Heal. The Warder says she can’t Heal herself. They exchange a glance. Not-Owein starts to ask if they can channel.

40:19 Cauthon Twin Powers, Activate!

Alanna starts coaching them through the flower bud exercise. The girls clasp hands and draw on the Power and she instructs them on Healing her.

41:00 The writers’ utter contempt for Nynaeve is incredible.

Alanna is very smug about being right that there were channelers in the Two Rivers. The girls are proud.

Downstairs, Faile is asking Perrin about his eyes. He tells her about the wolves He asks if she is serious about hunting the Horn or if it was just an excuse to leave home. She insists she’s going to find it. He is amused and gets out the picture Mat had made of him with the Horn. She is astonished that Perrin’s friend found & blew the Horn, which Perrin confirms.

43:50 Lest we forget, since the Hunt for the Horn is now an actual thing in this world, as of this season, Mat did not find the Horn, it was handed to him to take to Rand. The Horn was never lost, it was hidden under the lord’s seat of a fortress in Shienar, and the people entrusted with the knowledge have, I guess, been laughing at the rest of the world for looking for it, for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Faile is indignant that Perrin let her go on and on about the Horn (footage not found) and he cuts off her tirade by kissing her. She straddles him to keep kissing and the music is happy about it, until Alanna & not-Owein walk in on them, to offer Healing.

44:32 In this particular situation, I would be clarifying that Alanna means the curing of my injuries, and that Healing is not a euphemism for a foursome.

Nynaeve and Min are lurching through the crowds looking at the fireworks on the streets and laughing it up. They stumble into the venue where Elayne is still singing.

44:53 Does this seem like a covert mission to hunt down evil sorceresses, who defeated the leadership of the White Tower in battle? Half the group are drunk and the other half have gotten sidetracked in a musical career. What are stakes? Why should we care about the battle against the Shadow, when the people on the front lines don’t? And I am including Rand & co in that as well.

45:05 Also, Elayne is just singing the same song again?

Min starts grinding on a woman dancing in the audience. Elayne finishes her song and gets off the table, claiming to Nynaeve that she was blending in. Mat introduces Thom, who takes issue with Mat calling him a friend. Elayne asks if they learned anything and Min reports what they heard.

46:05 The fact that Liandrin murdered a bunch of people in a particular manor is not exactly proof that she’s staying there. In any sane world, it would mean the opposite, for the very obvious reason that people looking for her would come to investigate.

Thom is apparently coming with them, and just then, the guy Mat was talking to about jewelry returns with a cloth-wrapped bracelet, saying it was like a picture Mat showed him. (footage not found) Nynaeve & Min wonder if he got it from the Lounalts, He says nope, it was in his father’s hoard of stuff that might be worth something. Mat pulls out a bag of money and gives it to him. He passes it to Nynaeve.

46:31 This isn’t exactly a flaw unique to WoT, but why don’t people count money on screen? And what makes this bracelet offered by some shifty guy in this shithole town genuine? How does Mat know? I could understand if one of the girls was conducting the transaction and realized by the feel or something that it was an object of the Power, but why Mat? Even if thinking suspiciously is not your strength, it’s a thing in the books that there are fake Horns of Valere for sale, and that’s the first reaction of Thom to Rand claiming he has the Horn. They ought to know, since they lifted some of his dialogue from that encounter for this episode.

As they walk off with it, Elayne wonders if there are two bracelets does that mean two collars? Thom chimes in with the story of the Shackled Man statue.

46:53 I notice Thom said ‘those bracelets”. And he says it like it should be reasonably well-known. So why isn’t that a bigger deal? Like, why didn’t the guy who sold Mat the bracelet say “Oh, you mean like the Shackled Man?” when he was told a description? And that makes it even MORE likely that this is a fugazi.

Ispan is waiting somewhere and suddenly Moghedian is behind her. Moghedian speculates about which Forsaken she is waiting for, and mentions this is in Tel’Aran’Rhiod, asking if Rahvin told her it was dangerous. Ispan can’t figure out who she is and Moghedian acts self-deprecating and demands the report she was going to give Rahvin, and grabs her face. Ispan blurts out that Liandrin exposed & killed Naomi who is Nikabrik’s actual name, and also Liandrin wants to become a Forsaken. And “two of the five” being hunted by the Dark One are in Tanchico. She and Moghedian both scream as Moghedian drives her fingers into Ispans face, and she falls.

In a hotel room that looks eerily similar to other rooms in other cities, Nynaeve and Elayne are planning to stake out the Lounalt manor tomorrow. They sit next to each other on a bed, in a good mood.

48:33 Get off the bed, one of you. Elayne cannot be trusted anymore.

Elayne addresses someone who has entered off-screen, saying they don’t need anything, thanks. Of course, it’s Moghedian, who sends the Power into their heads, and starts ordering them and they obey. She takes their hands and they have book dialogue and when Nynaeve says she’s afraid of the Power and hates it, Moghedian hugs her comfortingly before delivering the line about how they would have beaten the block out of her in Moghedian’s time.

50:20 This is a problem depicting Moghedian as a demented lunatic who kills at a whim. When you want to lift the plot for a scene from the books, where she is acting like her normal, careful, subtle self, it is no longer in character and it makes it look like her protagonist victims have Plot Armor.

They all sit by the fire and she asks if they have any Aes Sedai companions. They tell her they are only Accepted and all about their mission, and the target of the search. They giggle that they found one bracelet, which she has Nynaeve bring her. She tries to take it from Nynaeve, who won’t let go, despite her smiles for Moghedian. The smile eventually fades and Moghedian finally manages to pull away the bracelet. Moghedian compliments them.

52:28 See, right there! The fact that Nynaeve can be a problem for her should have Moghedian exploding her brain right here and now, not setting herself up for trouble down the road. Someone as petty as Moghedian has proven this episode, and as wastefully homicidal, should really be killing her, instead of letting her subconscious win.

Moghedian tells Elayne that she sent the Gray Men after Elayne twice at Rahvin’s behest. So the one that prison-shanked Nynaeve was actually looking for Elayne, and then there was the one in the Tower. She is happy to have Rahvin’s plans thwarted and claims that they were useful to her tonight. She says maybe she’ll come back. They are eager for that. She slices Nynaeve’s cheek with her ring and then book dialogue ordering them to forget.

When Moghedian leaves, Power trails dissipate over their heads, and they wonder what they were talking about. Elayne has a headache, and Nynaeve wants to stash the bracelet, but of course, it’s gone. Elayne notices the cut on her face.

Rand chilling in a bedroom in Cold Rocks hold. Egwene comes in, pissed. She struggles to confront Rand about his affair with Lanfear. Rand admits he should have told her. Egwene seems more mad about him cheating than the Forsaken bit.

56:16 The theme of this episode is “We have made some really, really bad character and plot decisions, and now we are going to blame the characters for jumping through the hoops we forced them to.”

Rand claims that she doesn’t understand about him and his situation as she scoffs. She says they came to the Waste to escape the Forsaken, but Rand is spending every night with Lanfear. She declares that she came for him, and Rand says that she blew him off for the Wise Ones. He says that’s what she has always done.

57:07 That is an accurate thing to say about Book!Egwene. It is not established about Show!Egwene.

Egwene asks, weepy, if Rand loves Lanfear. He doesn’t say no. She thinks this means he’s going mad. Rand’s like, LOL, sure believe that, if you don’t want to deal with the breakup. He says she never really wanted him, even in the Two Rivers, that she always wanted more and even now that he’s the Dragon Reborn, he’s still not enough for her. He rubs her face, she looks sad, and he says he’ll always respect that about her.

59:00Rand will always respect that Egwene wants more than him, i.e. let her pursue it, or he respects her for her unquenchable ambition? I feel like they really are trying to say the latter.

That said, they are really treating Rand’s thing with Lanfear like a bad lifestyle choice, rather than a potentially disastrous betrayal by the Dragon Reborn.

Egwene asks if Rand knew what Lanfear has been doing, and he is confused and she starts saying “don’t lie to me”. When he insists he doesn’t know what she means, she tells him that Lanfear was behind her nightmares. They stare at one another, and Rand finally says he didn’t know and the One Power hits them, sending them flying. Conveniently they both hit pillows.

1:00:05 I have to applaud that. Way too often on shows like this, the human body is thrown around and crashes into solid objects, taking no ill effect. I am glad they at least showed Rand & Egwene hitting pillows to explain why they’re still alive.

Sammael comes in, followed by a handful of Aiel making monkey noises, and in a voice like a mean northman from Game of Thrones, accuses “Lews Therin” of getting soft. Egwene starts blasting the, presumably Darkfriend, Aiel assailants with the Power, but takes a wound. Sammael has a glowing hammer head on the end of his cane and winds up to pound Rand with it, when fire hits him from behind. Aviendha comes in with a shawl across her face, dual-wielding fire swords and starts finishing off the Darkfriends, She stabs Sammael who grabs and snuffs the blade, as Rand starts shouting to get out over and over. Everyone runs and Sammael smashes his hammer into the floor, blasting the whole room, and knocking Rand silly as he gets out the door.

Sammael comes out after him and brandishes his Power-hammer and Rand starts channeling a big glowing aura and swirly thing with the taint mixed in. He stares at the Power flowing through his hand as behind him, Sammael is struck by multiple lighting bolts and rock falls on him. Rand doesn’t seem to notice as the dust cloud envelops him. The dust starts to clear as people pick themselves up.

1:01:37 Okay, now can we find Alsera’s body in the rubble and get it all over with?

Aviendha helps Egwene up and they see Rand standing, apparently unphased. Aviendha says that Alsera was upstairs. Rand turns and starts lifting the rubble up with the Power, uncovering Alsera’s body. He starts calling her name and stroking her face.

1:02:12 Ugh, are they going to steal his attempted resurrection bit, now?

He lifts up the body, calling her name and Aviendha very helpfully points out that life is a dream from which we all must wake. Rand starts crying and telling her to breathe. Moiraine wanders by. He starts channeling into Alsera’s body.

1:02:49 They probably think it’s BETTER because he has a relationship with the kid in question.

Egwene tries to tell Rand he can’t Heal death and he screams he can do anything. He starts weeping about the prophecy saying he brings destruction, then laughs, and then grimly says also creation and more, darker channeling starts. The Power starts making gross noises on the body and Moiraine comes up saying he can’t do this.

1:03:44 Context Matters! It was Callandor making him do it in the books, so this is actually another out of character moment, despite the plagiarism.

He finally lets the Power go, with tears running down his face. Egwene gives a sigh of relief, while Aviendha kind of recoils, as if she’s grossed out or thinks he’s a quitter or who knows what. Lan stares. Moiraine sees Sammael’s body among the rocks. She crouches by Rand, who is sad as he meets her gaze.

The camera is flying over trees now, with the same sad music playing. We fly over the Waygate, and Faile and Bain and Chiad are walking through the woods. They are at an elevation above the gate and see large numbers coming through, saying it’s not a raiding party, but an army. I assume they are Trollocs, but it’s at a distance in poor light. Bain (I think) says that soon Perrin will have to lead his people to war, like it or not.

1:05:34 So why were they up there? What caused them to go back and look at the waygate?

Elayne is singing that damn song again over the end credits.

1:05:39 Liars. Despite the plagiarism.

Massive waste of time of an episode. If earlier in the season they felt like they were onto something by leaning heavily on book material, here they are just bastardizing it for little effect, because it's out of context. Perrin and Faile have been together for months by the time they come to the Two Rivers ITB, and have been through a few life or death experiences. But the show is just trying to have all the same moments happen even though they only meet in Emond's Field. They are trying to jam Min & Thom into the gang and hope we forget that unlike in the books, they have NOT been with the crew this whole time and are not tight with them. Each plotline is wasting time, whether with Pervert Duo drama, Tanchico party shenanigans or exchanging more dialogue with an Aiel child than discussing Aiel politics or prophesy or creating any real stakes for the last two episodes of the season, where Rand is supposed to climax his arc taking command of the People of the Dragon, and maybe a Forsaken confrontation or two. It really just feels like they've realized how badly they've messed things up and are trying to fix it by slapping book dialogue and scenes all over the cracks. The sad part is, I think it's working to a degree. Not in telling a better story, but in tricking a lot of the internet into thinking it's getting better.