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Re: That makes a great deal of sense. Isaac Send a noteboard - 15/01/2013 09:37:47 AM
I could easily see RJ writing out the 'ride into the sunset' bit many books back with intention to flush it out or rewrite it and Sanderson not wanting to touch it even if RJ would have rewritten it to be a bit more logical. Like how the supreme commander of the shadow, a guy with obscene knowledge and power who previously brought down Hawkwing's empire pretty much on his own and has a rap sheet worse than Hitler would be left alone unguarded while still breathing. Or that on finding his missing body a hue and cry of epic proportions wouldn't be raised. Cadsuane could probably paper over things with a 'he is dead and his body was cremated, you know I can't lie' but the whole idea of Moridin being unguarded was a stretch.

Overall, while I loved the book and series, that scene was a touch clumsy and I'd rather assume BS had a working copy of it he didn't want to screw with more than the absolute minimum and that RJ wrote it casually assuming he'd iron out the wrinkles when the time came. Or If RJ's notes had said 'only the 3 know, but Cadsuane guesses' I's bet on BS feeling obliged to keep it that way, for the final scene.

I believe RJ is on record that he had the final scene envisioned from the start, but it is in the nature of such things to jot down outlines without filling in all the details even when they are already decided. Once the small by pivotal details are decided the author is unlikely to forget them—but if he dies before he can record them in their entirety that gives his successors real problems. The same thing happened over and over throughout HoME, and that was assembled by Professor Tolkiens SON, not just an up-and-coming fan and author his wife and publisher tapped to finish his work.


Yep, there's no writer out there, or damn few and I'm sure RJ wasn't one of them, that doesn't rewrite scenes during edit, usually after having an editor and test person(s) read and give an opinion. I'm sure Sanderson tweaked tons of them, I'd just bet that was especially complete and BS didn't see the hole and didn't want to tweak it, or he'd have at least tried to hang some lanterns or arrange some alternatives. I don't think the ending meshed up, because Alivia plays virtually no noted role in the battle in spite of much being made of her being more powerful than Nyneave, the only person more powerful who has any screen time and lots of battle training. It's like some 'oops moment' occurred. I'd half suspect RJ meant to have Rand-Moridin wake up with Alivia there, her attack him and him reason with her and him make a getaway, with her rendezvousing to give him clothes, then her explaining to everyone that she killed Moridin in body-obliterating fashion and them accepting that someone with as much power and battle experience as Alivia could take down a weakened and confused Forsaken. Except the problem there is that they wouldn't have felt Rand channel because he couldn't channel anymore, and that for that matter Alivia wouldn't have sensed any 'weaves' he used and assumed he was using the True Power and was indeed Moridin... except worse, then Rand wouldn't have later been surprised he couldn't channel. So I feel like RJ had his final scene and just figured he'd tweak everything into place, and Sanderson just didn't manage to cover down on it.

Nice thing about BS though is he does do annotations and he's always upfront about 'screwed that one up' or 'didn't really make much sense', so maybe we'll get an answer inside the next year or so.

It is also hard to imagine the Lights Eternal Champion abandoning his unborn children (wonder what LTT would think of that idea, since he slew the only children he ever had.) It was one thing when he seemed likely to die, but CHOOSING to leave them? All that crap about "I cannot inflict the pain of losing me on my lovers" suddenly turns to "later, hoes..."? No way.


Yeah, it totally doesn't fit, the scene felt akward and had me going 'huh?' a bit even before Cannoli drew the 'X' on it but it being the final scene, and on audio, I wasn't really plot hole gazing at the time. It's just a big no brainer, the scene is unrealistic. I don't feel it spoils things though, I'm just slapping on a mental patch that the girls told his close friends and family in private once they felt Rand had enough time to be safely away so they couldn't spoil his disappearance form the world accidentally or try to talk him out of it.
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
- Albert Einstein

King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
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So, is anyone else thinking that ending was a bit of a dick move.... - 10/01/2013 04:40:55 AM 3179 Views
Because, to quote the series... - 10/01/2013 05:01:51 AM 1587 Views
I had hoped a lot more people would have died. - 30/01/2013 03:28:26 PM 978 Views
Frankly, it seemed out of character. - 10/01/2013 05:08:48 AM 1286 Views
double post thanks to daughter *NM* *NM* - 10/01/2013 06:16:01 AM 506 Views
I could be wrong, but... - 10/01/2013 06:16:02 AM 1297 Views
Except... - 10/01/2013 06:54:04 AM 1292 Views
Re: Except... - 10/01/2013 06:56:43 AM 1045 Views
If the World finds out he's still alive - 10/01/2013 08:05:18 AM 1218 Views
I can agree with keeping it secret from just about everyone, BUT his father and closest friends. - 10/01/2013 10:56:58 AM 1203 Views
Re: I can agree with keeping it secret from just about everyone, BUT his father and closest friends. - 10/01/2013 04:00:57 PM 1182 Views
Why Mat in particular? - 10/01/2013 04:07:19 PM 1041 Views
Re: Why Mat in particular? - 10/01/2013 04:20:37 PM 1156 Views
This is because I tend to assume the best in Rand - 10/01/2013 04:28:20 PM 983 Views
I don't fault Rand for any of it, at the moment.... - 10/01/2013 04:49:25 PM 1124 Views
Re: I can agree with keeping it secret from just about everyone, BUT his father and closest friends. - 11/01/2013 02:34:16 AM 1050 Views
Re: I can agree with keeping it secret from just about everyone, BUT his father and closest friends. - 13/01/2013 09:01:38 PM 1006 Views
I got the impression Egwene knew releasing the Source would instantly kill her. - 14/01/2013 11:42:03 AM 1144 Views
Re: I got the impression Egwene knew she was dead the moment she released the Source. - 14/01/2013 05:59:21 PM 988 Views
Even if she would just have been burned out there was no reason to think it permanent. - 14/01/2013 06:49:00 PM 950 Views
Where do people get that only Rand was right on the Seals? - 14/01/2013 10:03:19 PM 1128 Views
One point- the DO didn't break free, Rand dragged him out into the Pattern, specifically to kill him - 15/01/2013 03:03:43 AM 828 Views
Nope.. - 15/01/2013 03:19:02 AM 918 Views
Re: Nope.. - 15/01/2013 03:33:06 AM 1190 Views
The quote Shai'tan doesn't try and deny: - 15/01/2013 09:41:24 PM 944 Views
From Egwenes insistence they NEVER be broken. - 15/01/2013 07:26:36 AM 1105 Views
Agree 100%. Tam and Nynaeve deserve to know. - 10/01/2013 05:47:04 PM 1004 Views
Re: So, is anyone else thinking that ending was a bit of a dick move.... - 10/01/2013 07:13:52 PM 1350 Views
You don't think Nakomi did it? - 10/01/2013 07:54:20 PM 1627 Views
Maybe - 10/01/2013 09:46:39 PM 1291 Views
Re: Maybe - 10/01/2013 11:08:32 PM 1131 Views
Nope.. an agent of the Wheel - 10/01/2013 11:53:54 PM 1229 Views
IDK, I thought the body switch was a side-effect of the link between them - 11/01/2013 02:38:33 AM 1090 Views
*NM* *NM* - 11/01/2013 06:51:10 PM 499 Views
I've a suspiscion that the Rand scene of Epilogue was probably drafted already - 12/01/2013 12:11:13 AM 1114 Views
That makes a great deal of sense. - 15/01/2013 07:45:55 AM 1070 Views
Re: That makes a great deal of sense. - 15/01/2013 09:37:47 AM 904 Views
More the three sisters - 20/01/2013 04:55:36 PM 835 Views

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