...was my favorite scene in the entire book, about my 4th favorite scene in the whole series.

It rang true to the characters as young men, reminding each other of who they used to be (which always seemed more possible around Mat the scoundrel). They're competitive youths. Despite the world coming to an end, THAT has not changed, especially for Mat, and Mat's nature is one of the few things that can make Rand smile.

I found Perrin's fate in general disappointing, with a few exceptions, beyond book 4.

This was a lot more like the ending to the Matrix trilogy, also panned for similar reasons. People often prefer a story were good triumphs to a story where Balance triumphs, and getting into the whole philosophy of choice and existence seems to lose many readers/viewers.

I will admit I was surprised the Dark One wasn't a more conventional villain. But I wasn't disappointed.