S2E1 "A Taste of Solitude" -- w/ Book Spoilers

[Ilverin Matriam]

For any and all thoughts about the first episode of season 2, A Taste of Solitude!

This is the thread with SPOILERS from the books! If you don't want anything spoiled and you haven't read the books please take advantage of the NO spoilers thread!

 

[Arella Mathara]

Spoiler: Just in case

Hate:
• Nynaeve being a Novice
• Honestly that they think Rand died
• The Channeling 😬
• No dragkhar

Not sure yet/neutral:
• Mat's situation
• Moiraine/Lan
• Perrin
• The Darkfriend Social

Love:
• Verin
• Nynaeve 🥛😎
• Alanna 😂 (and Ihvon and Maksim)
• Ingtar and Uno
• Adeleas
• Liandrin killing Novices
• Loial
• Domon

 

[Syera Faelron]

Loved Bayle.

 

[Erin al'Denael]

Your like list is my like list, @Arella Mathara, but with one caveat: I love Liadrin's attitude about killing novices.

 

[Nadezhda al'Lanahrin]

I don't really mind Nynaeve being a Novice based on her character development in the first season. She has a lot of power and can replicate weaves, but her application of the One Power in the show isn't the same as it was in the books.

 

[Boreas Silverfir]

I think we all agree that the casting has been on point for everyone

 

[Viktara Fen]

Casting is wonderful, yes!

 

[Boreas Silverfir]

I feel costuming could have done Adeleus better. like Book Shiriam & Book Verin have less grey hair than Adeleus, but TV has it flipped

 

[Nadezhda al'Lanahrin]

My only question: where is Vandene???

 

[Viktara Fen]

Divided between and collapsed into Verin and Adeleas, probably.

 

[Aduiavas Ida]

First off, LOVE the introduction with Moiraine. I was confused as to why she was carrying buckets at first, but that scene in the bath was SO great and showed what we needed to see without a WORD. When she held her hand out over the water like she did in the first episode in the first season, I nearly cried. Pike is AMAZING.
I was just waiting for that little girl to be taken to be eaten by the Trollocks, but I am actually pleased she wasn't. Now I need to wonder if she'll come back later, or if she was just a plot device to get us into the brief glimt we have of the Darkfriend meeting.

 

[Viktara Fen]

The bath scene was super great! And generally the return to the theme of Bel Tine, but everyone separate and scattered instead of together, was a nice way to establish a connection to last season.

 

[Ilverin Matriam]

Alright, I have gathered my notes!

Darkfriend social:
Ishamael says “he who not yet the Dragon Reborn – Rand al’thor” ??? Why is he not yet the Dragon Reborn? Continuing the confusion from S1E8, where Lews Therin was called Dragon Reborn, who is the dragon, who is the dragon reborn, are these two titles used interchangeably? I don't understand.

Padan Fain removes his hood and smiles at the little girl. Later when Perrin sees the dead Tuatha'an Elyas says only one child has managed to escape, so I was wondering if this is the same child and Padan Fain let her go because he saw her at the darkfriend social.

I noticed there is no intro, just like in episode 1 of season 1 .

Moiraine&Lan:
Moiraine's scene in the tub, amazing, Pike managed to absolutely bring the feeling of loss Moiraine feels on screen. I loved it and all her acting.
Later Moiraine gets visitors and is waiting for news, just like in the beginning of book 3 the Dragon Reborn, good connection I think.
Domon says to Moiraine that "the clock dial in Cairhien shattered" (maybe it looked like the Eye of the World from episode 8???) the dial was covered in a bloody poem , possibly the dark prophecy? But it was written in the Old Tongue, so we will find out when Moiraine shows it to us. Or it could be a prophecy about the dragon. And I gotta give it to him, at least Domon is smart enough to believe there is danger since an Aes Sedai is telling him to leave. I think we may see him in Falme after all, since she told him to leave west or east.

The Tower:
Absolutely amazing, I love the Tower, I like all the dynamics or the Aes Sedai with Novices, how huge it looks, how many chambers it has.
So, at one point Egwene was looking at the warder training, and I think I noticed one of the guys has blondish red hair, could be Gawyn? Also, Egwene has very long hair, under the butt. I knew it was long, but I though it ends above the butt.
So, Alanna teaching novices in the kitchens? Why? They need to have specific lessons. But whatever. I have a problem with Nynaeve's attitude though, I don't like how she talks to Aes Sedai.
Later, Alanna and Egwene scene where Alanna talks about having multiple partners – what purpose did that serve? Maybe to introduce polygamy? For Rand later on?
Liandrin’s scene with Nynaeve mirrors to an extend Nynaeve vs Amyrlin on the boat in the Great hunt, so that's nice. How much of what Liandrin says is true though and how much does she say it to piss Nynaeve off? Also, she says "There is not only one way to become Aes Sedai", what would Liandrin possibly mean with that?

Perrin and Shienarans:
I don't know if anyone else noticed, but Elyas doesn't seem to blink, at least not in this episode
I think I like how Perrin's visions are shown, I do need to see some more though.
Ingtar saying Padan Fain might have a reason to kill is a blatant foreshadowing that Ingtar is a darkfriend.

And finally.... timeline.

I don't know why I have a problem with this, but... a year has supposedly passed. It is Bel Tine again. Alanna says Nynaeve and Egwene have been at the Tower for five months. Later Mat says he hasn't touched the dagger in six months, so he has been there one month before them. This means Egwene and Nynaeve have stayed at Fal Dara/traveled to Tar Valon in a month. This means that the events of season 1 take 6 months? This doesn't make a lot of sense. I don't know if it's a mistake or what, but I just noticed since it surprised me it was Bel Tine again.
Also, this means that Perrin and Shienarans have been hunting Fain for six months? Come on....

Anyway, I think I am finished

 

[Aduiavas Ida]

I noticed that Elyas eyes were strange, not just the yellow part. I thought maybe he was blind. but it might be because he doesn't blink that I thought so.

 

[Jocasta Braithe]

So, at one point Egwene was looking at the warder training, and I think I noticed one of the guys has blondish red hair, could be Gawyn? Also, Egwene has very long hair, under the butt. I knew it was long, but I though it ends above the butt.

I also wondered if that redheaded warder was Gawyn! I guess her hair has had a whole year to grow.

So, Alanna teaching novices in the kitchens? Why? They need to have specific lessons. But whatever. I have a problem with Nynaeve's attitude though, I don't like how she talks to Aes Sedai.

I remember Nynaeve having basically the same attitude in the books, didn't she get in trouble constantly for refusing to properly call people Name Sedai? Maybe it's my brain playing tricks on me, but it seems very Nynaeve to me. She only respects people who have earned her respect, she is not interested in showing respect to people who in her mind don't deserve it. Egwene is, as always, the opposite. Super eager to please, respectful, and intentionally making things harder for herself because she's a perfectionist and she has to be the best.

Later, Alanna and Egwene scene where Alanna talks about having multiple partners – what purpose did that serve? Maybe to introduce polygamy? For Rand later on?

I think it serves two purposes: first it introduces the fact that this is a society where multiple partners are somewhat normal. That's to set up Rand and his ladies, who I think will also be into each other. Second, Alanna is teaching. Egwene is super uptight to the point that it's interfering with her lessons. Alanna is using her own love life as an object lesson, exactly the way Maksim and Ihvon were telling Nynaeve in the sparring scene. EVERYTHING the Aes Sedai do is to teach them. Alanna is pushing Egwene out of her comfort zone, and she's illustrating that Egwene needs to LET GO.

 

[Rhyin al'Hut]

I was shocked that we see Loial get his throat slit in S1 E8 (not spoilers because episode has been out for over a year and a half) but then S2E1 he is magically alive again. I guess we were to assume that Nyaneve or Egwene healed him off screen? I literally couldn't stop talking about this gap in continuity. Curiosity aside, I very much enjoyed EP 1 and 2 and 3 for that matter.

 

[Ilverin Matriam]

I remember Nynaeve having basically the same attitude in the books, didn't she get in trouble constantly for refusing to properly call people Name Sedai? Maybe it's my brain playing tricks on me, but it seems very Nynaeve to me. She only respects people who have earned her respect, she is not interested in showing respect to people who in her mind don't deserve it.

So, what you are saying is true, however, she hasn't been blatantly disrespectful towards Aes Sedai (inside the Tower), and if she is, like you said, she gets punished, which... she is not in the show. This is what is bothering me. She doesn't do chores (as much apparently), but also doesn't get punished. If anything Aes Sedai are trying to help her.

Also, there is no reason for Alanna to not have Nynaeve's respect, she just doesn't like it when people tell her to do something, which while yes, it is Nynaeve's stubbornness from the books, in the show it is shown that there are no consequences for, and it just looks foolish. (maybe it's just me)

Also, don't get me wrong, I think the actress plays Nynaeve very well, I believe THIS is Nynaeve and I love her. There are just small things I wish they've included to show how difficult it actually is in the White Tower.

 

[Ilverin Matriam]

I was shocked that we see Loial get his throat slit in S1 E8 (not spoilers because episode has been out for over a year and a half) but then S2E1 he is magically alive again. I guess we were to assume that Nyaneve or Egwene healed him off screen? I literally couldn't stop talking about this gap in continuity. Curiosity aside, I very much enjoyed EP 1 and 2 and 3 for that matter.

Uno was also stabbed, no mention of it...

Yeah, don't think about it too much Just go with it!

 

[Megana Vallentin]

I was shocked that we see Loial get his throat slit in S1 E8 (not spoilers because episode has been out for over a year and a half) but then S2E1 he is magically alive again. I guess we were to assume that Nyaneve or Egwene healed him off screen? I literally couldn't stop talking about this gap in continuity. Curiosity aside, I very much enjoyed EP 1 and 2 and 3 for that matter.

Oh yeah, that was so weird! Zero explanation!

 

[Jocasta Braithe]

Honestly I just want to forget that whole scene and move on.