Wheel of Time (Series Three) Critique 4/4

 

*****SPOILERS*****

 
 

Problems

 

There were only five problems in this series. Five! In any other show I watch, I see at least five problems per episode, let alone the whole series. So that’s quite a feat.

Two problems relate to Loial’s roar and the other two relate to Liandrin’s hair. (It’s clear none of these problems negatively impact the plot in a serious way.)

Egwene’s reaction to Rand kissing Lanfear in his dream is a bigger problem than these. But, compared to its impact on the plot, it’s still rather minor.

 

Loial’s roar was off-putting.

            The least offensive problem was Loial’s teeth. When he roared, they were bloody massive. Whatever possessed the filmmakers to make Loial’s teeth huge, I don’t know.

            The second problem also relates to this roar. Loial’s trying to destroy the floating path so that trollocs can’t pass through the Waygate (essentially a portal) into the Two Rivers. The trollocs are almost there and yet Loial takes the time (wastes the time) to roar at them? Yes, it looks dramatic, but for a studious (hence clever) person to take an unnecessary risk is very unlikely.

 

Another slight problem was the texture of Liandrin’s hair.

            It’s somewhere between frizzy and wavy. That could be explained by Tanchico’s heat. Some parts of the hair have even been crimped, but not all over, meaning Liandrin couldn’t be bothered to finish it. Aes Sedai always look their best, so for Liandrin to disregard this is bizarre. Perhaps this shows how distracted and frazzled her task is making her, and being back in the place where she was abused, but this justification feels flimsy. (Especially when considering the next point.)

            When Liandrin comes out the palace to see Nynaeve, her hair is crimped all over. What, so she’s looking for this magical bracelet yet she decides to do her hair properly instead? The only other explanation for the complete crimping would be a basic continuity error. Yes, it’s the final shot in this series where we see Liandrin’s hair uncovered, so I understand the filmmakers would want Liandrin to look perfect, but doing so at the expense of continuity? Not good.

 

Egwene was upset because she saw Rand kissing Lanfear in Rand’s dream.

If Rand knew it was actual-Lanfear rather than something his dreaming mind created, then Egwene being upset by this makes sense (considering she’s dating Rand). But nothing from that scene indicated that Rand knew it was actually Lanfear. So yes, Egwene is still entitled to be sad her boyfriend’s dreaming of kissing another woman, but that’s nothing to start a fight over.

Some people suggest it’s the fact that Rand had a relationship with Lanfear and, now that he knows she’s a Forsaken, he’s still dreaming of kissing a Forsaken rather than embracing the Light. That alone wouldn’t account for Egwene’s reaction, but the fact Rand knows Lanfear is torturing Egwene in her sleep, it would be worrying if Egwene didn’t react to Rand and Lanfear being passionate. But why would Egwene feel betrayed enough to break up and lose trust over a dream? 

Others say Rand has control over his dreams and, as such, that allows him to know if people in his dreams are real or imagined. I don’t follow the logic of this. Yes, control and experience can help anyone sort between genuine and duds/faulty things. But if Rand can control his dreams, I’ve seen no evidence of this; as he’s new to all this, he clearly can’t have enough experience.

So, Egwene reacting to the Rand-Lanfear passion didn’t have a solid basis behind it. No explanation justifies it. But Egwene’s loss of trust in Rand isn’t all that important for the plot. Her creating emotional distance with him is necessary, sure, but that could be explained away with fearing losing him dying in the Last Battle, going mad, or joining the Dark. So Egwene could remove her own emotions to protect herself from his removed emotions. A small problem with an already-available solution/alternative.

 

 

Other

 

Two final things to think about.

Egwene isn’t as prominent a character in this series compared to the previous one. In all fairness, she was the main focus of Series Two, so letting others dominate the plot is only fair. However, Egwene not being the centre of the plot doesn’t mean she’s vanished: we still see her often and her contributions are essential. To balance keeping her relevant yet pulling back her ‘main character mode’ shows great talent.

Lanfear stabs Moraine with a sword. My first instinct was to think it is Lan’s sword. For Moraine to be killed by the equipment of her Warder, the person who keeps her safe, it an unfortunate and emotional hit. However, I’m not good enough to accurately identify swords. So, I’m noting it as a possibility that’s clever if it’s true. And if it’s not? No problem.

 

 

 

All-in-all, this series was amazing. On a technical level, this series is definitely the best so far. The creativity and intelligence and beauty were overwhelming in their abundance and quality. Sure, there was less worldbuilding than in previous series, but that allowed the plot to move at a very steady pace, meaning everything was fully considered. The fact I could count the number of issues on one hand proves how put-together the team was, allowing them to deliver something truly amazing.