There's a little more to it as well - Edit 1
Before modification by Light in the Night at 20/11/2009 08:52:16 AM
Of COURSE Semirhage is reprehensible, and sure, some sore of comeuppance isn't unwarranted. But did it have to be so anti-climatic (I'm talking about the spanking, obviously, not the thing with Rand)?
Let's look at the Nynaeve-Mogheidan relationship. Moggy is obviously just as screwed up as the rest of the Forsaken. Even before she was soul-trapped, she knew she was less powerful in the Power, and resented the other Forsaken. Note her attitude towards Lanfear regarding the World of Dreams. She's TOTALLY the kinda-geeky girl with no friends that mocks and loathes the popular kids, yet secretly wants to be Prom Queen.
Did Moggy's neuroses get in the way of her being an awesome villain? No way. TWO extremely exciting battles, both of which were much, much more than simple slugfests. Plus we got to see Moggy's plots against the Wondergirls, and more. We saw her slap down Liandrin, which was awesome.
And now she's a mind-slave. See? Comeuppance. And Nynaeve still dreads her (although she'll fight her again, of course. Nynaeve attacks anything she fears). THAT'S how to write a villain.
Let's look at the Nynaeve-Mogheidan relationship. Moggy is obviously just as screwed up as the rest of the Forsaken. Even before she was soul-trapped, she knew she was less powerful in the Power, and resented the other Forsaken. Note her attitude towards Lanfear regarding the World of Dreams. She's TOTALLY the kinda-geeky girl with no friends that mocks and loathes the popular kids, yet secretly wants to be Prom Queen.
Did Moggy's neuroses get in the way of her being an awesome villain? No way. TWO extremely exciting battles, both of which were much, much more than simple slugfests. Plus we got to see Moggy's plots against the Wondergirls, and more. We saw her slap down Liandrin, which was awesome.
And now she's a mind-slave. See? Comeuppance. And Nynaeve still dreads her (although she'll fight her again, of course. Nynaeve attacks anything she fears). THAT'S how to write a villain.
Nynaeve compares her own cowardice to Moghedien. Cadsuane also makes the comparison of how to break herself vs. how to break Semirhage and sees the similarity. And don't forget that we have Rand that is linked to Moridin, so RJ has provided multiple parallels throughout the series.
We might be able to deduce which Forsaken/Bad Guy stacks up against a particular hero.:
Taim vs. Logain ~ 2 false dragons reduced to second chair triangle.
Lanfear/Cyndane vs. Elayne/Aviendha ~ 2 + 2 = ? or past vs present
Demandred vs. Narishma ~ Looks like Jahar is becoming the second to Rand, and I just have a gut feeling that as much as Demmy wants to kill LTT/Rand, they're never going to even face each other. Lack of "air-time" for Demandred doesn't bode well for his character. (He's like the child that keeps yelling "look" until he gets your attention, then has nothing for you to look at.)
Egwene vs. Mesaana ~ Student vs. Teacher
Just a few guesses. Always fun to speculate.