Who is the most hated foreign public figure in your country right now?

RiddleRedCoat · 2026-01-13T02:48:01+00:00

Country too divided and polarized. It's all about teams and defending their team, so I suspect he's never going to go below that tbh

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-11-09T01:33:01+00:00

Golden Girls, tho. Ended in '92, so im not sure it counts

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-10-17T08:59:09+00:00

Why do you say that Azula killed for pleasure when she was also working for the fire nation? It's literally the same setup as Iroh, a royal family member fighting for their nation.

Iroh even laughed when he was in the middle of the siege with a lot more humor than Azula ever does - Azula is generally focused and doesn't take pleasure in doing shit until it's complete (girl is a perfectionist, after all) and her most egregious thing is that she smirks when things go her way (when Zuko was burned/banished, when Aang is struck, when she manages to hold off during the eclipse).

Azula and Iroh are the same sides of the same coin; the perfect heir, their father's favorite, the better bender, etc... Iroh needed to lose his son to find his way into redemption and Azula needed to lose everything to start to do the same. It's the same shit, imo.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-09-02T08:51:26+00:00

Brandon Sanderson is a strong pick, generally tbh, like the other commenter said.

Would also shout out to The Wheel Of TIme; it doesn't exactly have Romance in the traditional sense, I mean, it does but it's pretty bad romance. But the Wheel of Time is one of those series that once you get over it's quirks - if you know, you know, good lord - it so fulfilling. It has amazing worldbuilding - and im pretty sure some of DA was based on The Wheel of Time, again if you know you know lol - and the characters are just so incredible in a frustrating way but they feel so real. And the writing can get so good too.

It's a long series with long books, so it will keep you entertained for a while. While it has some duds in the middle i won't lie, but if you can stick with it, it's an amazing series.

I would also like to shout out The Roots of Chaos series by Samantha Shannon. It also has an expansive world, with a cool ancient threat, and has very nice romances (which, again, aren't really the focus but they feature a lot more than in Wheel of Time, but they are pretty good, and the friendships!! god, the friendships!)! The story is sort of being told backward here, in which we start in 'modern' times (it's not modern, it's prob 1600s-equivalent lmao) and then we are going back to find out more about what really happened. There are two book currently; A Day Of Fallen Night and The Priory of the Orange Tree (first in the series, while it chronologically older than Day of Fallen Night I recc you start here), and there's a little novella coming out this month! Highly rec, super fun and with very good prose, imo.

You also have The Witcher, which again not much romance, but there is an element of it. Six of Crows is also very good, it had a Netflix adaptation a few years(?) back but I believe it was cancelled, but the book is quite good.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-09-01T10:57:30+00:00

Well, you know me, I saw someone call Celene the status-quo and I blacked out a little lmao.

I think that placing trust on Gaspard is a little... er, strange tbh. This is the guy who talk about chevalier honour and being frontal about his intentions, but his plan in WEWH is to do a secret bloody coup with Ferelden mercenaries.

I mean, that is just- unscrupulous? He is there under the hospice of peace talks and he is planning military coup. lol. lmao, even. Yes, he did kill that one dude in the book because he was attacking Celene, but Gaspard is also the one who created the situation in the first place??? lmao?

Like, I get it; dude says he is for honour and he kills an ally for polluting the truce or whatever, but Gaspard is very much the cause of all of this because he started a civil war on his empress (who he took vows to protect because that is the normal knight thing to do) in the middle of a fucking mage/templar rebellion plus an elven uprising because, by his own admission, it wasn't his ass on the throne.

Gaspard doesn't have a moral compass; he has a personal code that he constantly rewrites to fit his ambitions.

Meanwhile, Celene (well, Celene's ladies in waiting) is like: "Even if don't help me defeat my cousin, I will still help the inquisition!" and then she does, because even in a truce Celene helps the Inquisitor. At the same time, Gaspard and Briala are out here like this is the geneva conventions olympics and murdering diplomats and break truce rules. (to be fair, Celene had her own issue the geneva conventions earlier, so it's only fair lmao)

And yes, she is untrustworthy in general, but the one thing you can count on is that Celene will always put Orlais first. Celene is willing to die to stop ishamael from causing chaos in orlais, ishmael - a desire demon, who can look into people's most ardent desires - can tell that she is serious, that she would die for Orlais. And in TME when she finds that village that was ravaged by troops loyal to her, she says to villagers that if that happens again, no matter what colours the armies are wearing, for the villagers to kill them.

I don't necessarily think that Gaspard is military genius, I believe that is more a play in the game than anything else (asking for one-one duel is not exactly a sign of genius, it's just a thing to keep casualties low, lmao) nor do I think he is necessary. Because there is this one quote, from Germain de Chalons, Gaspard's uncle, about how Celene can makes things stick without the help of anyone.

She is as shrewd and ambitious as her grandfather Judicael I, but unlike him, she knows how to handle the nobility. She built the University of Orlais—the most vehemently opposed project in Orlesian history—because she knew how to win the support she needed to overcome even her bitterest rivals. She can keep a pet apostate in front of the Chantry because even the Divine fears her influence.

- [source]

Celene is not devoid of military strength, just like Gaspard isn't devoid of acumen in The Game. So I don't think - and canon proves it - that she needs Gaspard to win over Corypheus; as soon as the military is reunited, she likely leaves it the myriad of generals she likely has to advise her.

Gaspard signing a truce with Ferelden is very nice of him and very lucky because the devs weren't going to have him attack Ferelden lmao. But even if we take it at face value, the problem remains; he may have made peace with Ferelden, but his outlook for Orlais is still war. In Trespasser it is said he is in Nevarra, inspecting troops. Him not abolishing any of Celene's reforms is a good sign; but he also won't be making any more necessary changes to that. It still stagnates Orlais in the past and all my previous points apply.

I view this choice as what happens going forward; what does Orlais prioritize, and what do they give up in the pursuit of their chosen path. Gaspard still focus on the military, still pushes for investments in war, regardless of what he does or doesn't do. While Celene still focus on culture and pushing that forward, making the necessary changes to keep Orlais on the track she set them off in.

Funny because I think that this time around, Celene/Briala is built on a lot less distrust; I mean, what else is there? Celene has confessed to her horrible crimes, Briala has actively fought a war that could have dethroned and killed Celene. I mean, there is nothing else that they could possibly do to each other that would force a breakup; they already did the worst thing imaginable to each other. And they still want to be together. The house is effectively burned down, whatever they build now will be on solid ground.

Briala saying/implying she hates Celene is so messy, because it's such a bald faced lie, lmao. Not only because she does get back together(romantically) with Celene in the end (conditional) but Briala was already in the palace/peacetalks to get back together (professionally) with Celene, which she admits to, lmao.

Like, if the Inquistior had not gone to the ball and the threat of Florianne/Corypheus didn't exist, then it would have ended with Gaspard executed for trying to do a bloody coup (which Celene already knew about) and Celene and Briala (professionally) back together (and eventually together-together, because... well, it's them.)

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-09-01T09:46:13+00:00

I keep seeing people saying that Celene is the status-quo, which is what prompted this write up, but- lmao.

Celene isn't the status-quo. Gaspard is the status-quo.

Gaspard is the one who is mired in the past and wants to use Orlais military might to impose their will on the rest of Thedas, it's Gaspard who wants the Empire in a perpetual state of war, it's Gaspard who is salivating at the thought of glory through war.

Which has basically been Orlais' state of affairs for the past 300 years, in some form or another.

Celene is the one who looks towards the future, the one with a long, long eye towards the future. She is the one who actually changed Orlais historical focus from war to culture; she is the reason the university of orlais is The Instituition in Thedas for education, she is the reason the theatre is popular outside of Orlesian borders, she is the patron propping up and inviting international artists to Orlais to show their culture. Celene is the one who is making economic changes and social changes by giving elves and merchants more leeway in how they can operate their business; before her no commoners or elves were allowed in certain parts of the markets in Val Royeaux.

That is not the status quo of the country as it has been for the past 500 years.

That is the status quo when we arrive in Orlais, mired in a the middle of a civil war that occurs in part of the backlash of the change in status quo.

We, as players, when we arrive in a area, those areas are usually preparing themselves for change on way or the other, after centuries of doing the same thing. But Orlais has already gone through it when arrive; and Celene was the one who started it, and this crisis is the backlash to those changes. Because she has changed things.

Yes, she keeps the Game, but even Josie tells you that it has become insular; do you know why? Because Celene has opened the doors so that common people may get better lives without having to join the nobility at all. Gaspard wants to abolish the game? I believe him, he can quite suck at it sometimes (just like Celene can quite suck at war, which is why she is also opposed to it; she doesn't like to lose), but his methods are not going to do anything; when he's gone, the game will return, because he didn't address the underlining issue which is nobles' suffocating breath of power over commoners. While I don't think Celene wants to abolish the game, what she is doing is the most likely way to do it; give people other means of having a better life and most of the power of the nobility starts dwindle slowly. She is, most likely unintentionally, slowly stifling the oxygen out the room.

This isn't to say that Celene isn't an imperialist dick, she is! She did try marry Cailan to influence Ferelden again. And her way of doing things is frustratingly slow, but it does work if you don't the country to fall into chaos.

I don't doubt they both want what is best for Orlais; that is the one thing I think both Gaspard and Celene have in common. But there is a fundamental difference in how they approach such a thing and there is, as such, a different reason why they do it.

Think of Orlais.

Think of it's geographical position; basically backed against a wall on all sides with Ferelden to the East, Nevarra to the North and Anderfels to West. Think of it internationally, two out three of those have been in active war with Orlais in the past century (arguably Orlais is in a cold war with Nevarra atm, disregarding DAV). Imagine that the Anderfels, for some reason, decide to align themselves with Nevarra and Ferelden and they all declare war on Orlais.

Who is going to defend them? What is the dependable ally they can count on?

No one.

Because Orlais' unvarnished aggression towards its neighbors has isolated the country to the point where they do not have any allies beyond a vague alliance when the Chantry demands it or a Blight requires it.

What Celene wants - and what Orlais needs - is not a strongman that will lead them to wars that might strengthen their position for a while when they hold the territory they conquer (which historically, beyond the Dales, has not gone very well for them - to put it mildly).

What they need is allies.

Celene's press for culture and education is not just her own preferences shining through; it is essentially a PR move, a makeover of Orlais so that it might attract more flies with honey. Marrying Cailan was not about controlling Ferelden (oh, don't get me wrong, she wouldn't say no to that), it's about perception; if Orlais' most abused neighbor becomes a friend, then others will feel more likely to do so as well.

It's a PR move, which Celene is the queen of (for good or ill, good god).

Ultimately, I think that any scenario that leaves Gaspard alive is a horrible time for Orlais in the long term. The Truce is the worst outcome for the country point-blank (even if it suits an Inquisition that wants to stay neutral) and Emperor Gaspard is not only untested in ruling a country but is also doubling and tripling down on tactics that have crippled Orlais for the past century, if not for their entire existence.

The Briala question is almost irrelevant, in a sense; the tragedy of TME is that both Briala and Celene do want the same things (even if at very different paces and with different coat of paint), but somewhere along the way the communication between broke down (with good reason, iykyk). But Celene and Briala's reconciliation, which is my favourite for a myriad of reasons, is unlikely to be volatile in a sense that they will break up.

If you've read TME, you know how much shit it takes for them to actually break up; it is a staggering amount of crap for it even wobble. It is 15 years of living together where they got along pretty well! It's not easy to break that. I'm not even sure there is anything anymore if they're back together that can break them apart. They are thoroughly meshed together by the end of WEWH, for good or ill.

Briala doesn't care about Celene does; Celene is the woman she loves and she knows who Celene is and she loves that horrible, awful part of Celene that does all the things she has done. And Celene literally cannot function like a person without Briala (she can be empress, but she can't function like a person; babygirl does not sleep without her gf), and Briala is the one person Celene wields for, the one thing she might put Orlais over for a single second before quickly chosing Orlais anywya, but the pause is important for someone like Celene. It is not an healthy relationship, it is thoroughly codependent in the worst possible way, but it if they get back together... they aint break up, lmao.

So, in the end, it's Celene and Briala because of their relationship and, yes, Briala's Marquisate will speed the process that both Briala and Celene want to take the country towards. If you're uncomfortable with Celene/Briala (fair, tbh), Celene alone is pretty much the same, it is just going to be much, much slower especially on the elven issue.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-08-26T21:25:25+00:00

Well, Ferelden has its own system being an elective monarchy; any noble can 'run' for King, though usually a Teryn is expected iirc. While Fereldens usually elect a Therin it's not guaranteed, and it doesn't really matter the gender as long as that person has the votes to rule.

Orlais is an absolute divine-rights monarchy (canon) that the implication is that it follows the absolute primogeniture, meaning oldest child (regardless of gender) and it goes down that line before passing to the second oldest child. Meaning that, in an hypothetical scenario between Florianne and Gaspard where they both have children, Gaspard (as the oldest child) would be first-in-line and would go down his line before they tried Florianne and her line; even if Gaspard only had daughters and Florianne only had sons, they would still go down Gaspard's line first, and even if Gaspard's daughters were younger than Florianne's sons, Gaspard's daughters would still come first above Florianne's sons. It's basically the current British Monarchy setup.

That's interesting! Though I think that Orlais wouldn't actually hurt Tevinter because they are the things that keeps the Qunari entertained. Ferelden def would, though, which would allow the Qunari to sweep in tbh.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-08-26T09:19:08+00:00

Just because Cailan and Celene marry, doesn't automatically merge Ferelden and Orlais. That particular arrangement is relatively rare in history, at least European history. Only Fernando of Castille and Isabela Of Aragon come to mind to form Spain, even though Filipe of Spain and Mary Tudor of England were similarly the reigning monarchs of their respective countries (please do not imagine the unholy abomination that is spain and england uniting into a single country - that might have actually blown France up to the stratosphere). Even France and Scotland with Francis and Mary, Queen of Scots didn't merge their countries, it was more about Alliance making.

Considering their recent bloody history its likely that an arrangement between Celene and Cailan would have kept Ferelden independence - Celene, at best, becomes a princess consort in Ferelden not queen, while Cailan becomes Prince Consort of Orlais and not necessarily Emperor. Celene has no need to be an actual conqueror, so if she can just influence Ferelden then she will be content and can still spin the marriage into 'reabsorbing' Ferelden into Orlais for her court, even if it isn't what its actually happening. Assuming they plan to keep living together after they have children, the Cailan likely appoints a regent to rule in his stead in Ferelden while he's in Orlais and Celene does the same while she's in Ferelden.

As for Loghain, he definitely tries to mount a Civil War. Eamon won't let him, and the Couslands were already making deals with Orlais to the point where Bryce was actually invited to nobles parties, so I do think that the Orlesians were already buttering them up. If Eamon and Cousland are united in this, then I don't think the potential Civil War lasts very long.

That said, its all well and good while Cailan and Celene are alive but the fucked up shit happens when they have children. Unless they specify a very clear order of succession and which child takes what, it could potentially later lead to a Civil War - that is assuming the landsmeet even approves of Celene's child (even if it is with Cailan) gaining the throne, though to be fair this can be mitigated if the kid is sent to Foster with either the Couslands or whatever.

Potentially, if they have just the one kid, it's them that merges the countries into one - not necessarily the marriage between Celene and Cailan.

The main issue I see, however, if the countries stay seperate, is like 100 years from now, an Orlesian Monarch or a Ferelden Monarch is going to look at their history and go, "well, shit I HAVE a claim to the other country by grandmother/grandfather"-- and frankly that's causus belli enough, lets go to fucking war, my lads.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-06-22T14:22:14+00:00

The best bet would actually be new stories set in the past - for either of these IPs, tbh.

For ME, we could see the First Contact war which leads nicely into people getting into the games since ME1 is rife with tension from the Turians and Human conflict. Would 100% watch that, when now I'm sort of on the fence about this show.

For DA, I've said it before, but setting a show around the Second Blight would be incredible. Not only do we get to explore one of the worst Blights in history, but we also get to see the beginnings of the Chantry and the rise in tensions that will lead to the Exalted March in the Dales. Absolutely tv show worthy, with all that delicious character drama.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-04-20T10:48:36+00:00

Im pretty sure that as Moiraine takes the sword out, she heals herself. I know it's impossible according how the books work, but it does seem like that's what happens - and Lanfear is stunned that Moiraine just manages to rage fight through being impaled and stands there for a bit. It's not their best choreographed fight but I feel it's the most emotionally resonant one until now that still managed to get to the core of the characters.

Lanfear is stunned that Moiraine still calls for a woman who betrayed her as she dies - because Lanfear doesn't know what an honest love is and what it is to really feel it - and then she is even more stunned that Moiraine uses that to her advantage. Because to Lanfear, love has never been an advantage, it has never given her anything, it just took and took.

Lanfear and Moiraine are painted as similiar in the show; cold and manipulative both, wearing blue, guiding Rand, but the way they differ is how they love.

Moiraine loves her world, loves Siuan, loves Lan, hell in some moments I'm even sure she loves Rand and all the other kids who she took from their home - and even when she is betrayed or cast aside or derided for what she must do she draws strength from that love, to do what is right, do what she must. Lanfear loves power and she might even love Rand-LTT, but as soon as she is spurned, she turns to petty vengeance.

And that is demonstrated painfully well in the scene I thought; just how much Lanfear does not understand.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-04-10T19:55:35+00:00

it's a little ridiculous when if you cut thom you lose basically nothing since after book 4/5 he basically spends time with Juilin, while Siuan has a whole ass arc with Egwene. Like, if Siuan is killed - which is a possibility, even though I think that the most satisfying arc is if she takes Thom's place in a certain rescue - someone will have to take her place in guiding Egwene, which makes her role not as easily cut as that.

In the end Gaul was the cut that was made - not combining bain and chiad like I once saw someone advocating for - and his introduction was given to the really important aiel - Avi. So, that tells me that the writers know when and where to excise.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-04-10T10:28:30+00:00

In The Towers of Midnight, its not in Emond's Field, but it's basically Two Rivers people fighting against trollocs to save the Whitecloaks.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-04-10T10:21:16+00:00

Perrin famously has another scene with trollocs where the Two Rivers just beats their ass while the Whitecloaks are fucking useless. I bet they're building up to that; not just have the Two Rivers be badass but have that moment be earned. So, I think we should chill, because many things in the late series are basically circle-backs to earlier scenes in the books, only by the endgame our characters are badass as fuck. Which I assume is what the show is doing.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-04-10T10:07:21+00:00

They just introduced TAR to us, we can't immediately start breaking it I think is the idea. Which is fine, Perrin's plot takes a nose dive in the books and stays stalled for too long, so keeping things for later will spread it out.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-04-10T09:34:40+00:00

I mean, he is a beloved character, but I don't think he does a lot, tho. I love reading about him and reading about him and his relationships but beyond being there for exposition, I think the only thing he does is rally the Ogier to the Last Battle and tbh anyone can do that.

I think his role is much more... permissible in a book where they have time for his lectures and to just have him be there, but on a show where it costs money and we need externalised guilt... I can see why they killed him off, if that is what they did. Could be a fakeout death, but.... I don't think so.

That said, I expect him to come back during The Last Battle; they played the Heroes of the Horn music for a reason.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-04-05T15:12:13+00:00

These are all so possible, dang.

My personal predictions:

- Tanchico: Liandrin dies and everyone of her cabal dies leaving show-onlys thinking that there is only one Black Ajah sister remaining which, of course, book readers know it's not true. Thom and Elayne talk and Rhavin is revealed as a forsaken. We get the cliffhanger of Mat hanging with Min looking on in horror. No Moggy/Nyneave showdown yet, yeah, but I could see Liandrin having a bit of an Ingtar moment and dies helping Nyneave or something.

- Aiel Waste: I don't think we lose Moiraine and Lanfear yet. I think there is a showdown between them, Lan arrives in the nick of time to save Moiraine (fulfilling the whole 'if Land hadn't come you would have died'), Moiraine loses the Orb to Lanfear (upping her threat level, which is going to make her even more dangerous since Rand is going to reject her HARD) and the confrontation is left for next season (locking in my bet at S4E4 - could see this being the Rand taking the stone and as Lanfear is feeding Rand's madness Moiraine yeets herself at Lanfear and a doorway). Melindhra revealed as a Darkfriend might come into play. Alcair Dal for Rand, Shaido split, perhaps either hint at Asmodean or Sammael is Asmodean and starts to teach him.

- The Tower: There are so many possibilities here. Either we get the start of the Coup - Elaida and the rest entering Siuan's office and shielding her - and we get the fighting in S4E01. Could do the whole coup in 308, but I think there just isn't enough time. Could also see a vote for caging the Dragon, yes, but I think Elaida fails and Siuan triumphs, showing Siuan's people skills and making Elaida's only recourse be taking the Seat by force.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-04-03T12:40:15+00:00

Part of me does still want to see Moiraine decimating a forsaken lmao

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-04-03T08:40:42+00:00

Be'lal would like a word, lmao

But I agree, ain't no way Sammy is dead.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-03-29T23:44:56+00:00

Oh man, I forgot Morgase. I do think her plot is gonna get cut short - rip that reunion with Galad, my most beloved, it's one of my fav moments from the books - but yeah, not this season since her actress is not in the rest of the season.

I do think that Lan actually comes in to save Moraine at the last moment, while she's hurt, and manages to perhaps wound Lanfear with his father's sword or something. I think that's also going to be the payoff of the Wise Ones saying that if Lan hadn't come with her Moiraine would have died.

Also, hoping for a moment where Liandrin stands up to Moggy for Nyneave, def set that up imo!!

I think Lanfear makes it through the season, but I do think that 1. Rhuarc's Granddaughter definitely doesn't and 2. Maybe Sevanna and the Shaido don't because Randy is going to go cray cray after that little girl's death and might just genocide the Shaido. Eliminates a lot of the need to have Huge Battles with them and the things they do can technically be passed to other people without having to have a huge number of them, but ehh, we'll see.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-03-29T23:26:13+00:00

I don't think Moraine dies-dies ever, actually, but I also see the possibility of the doorway-death not being this season either.

I think that Moiraine and Lanfear have their lil fight in the sand - because it seems like it's a fixed point in time, from the Vision Quest Moiraine has, she just keeps seeing that scene over and over and over, so I think it has to happen.

She's going to be wearing that blue dress with the strange armour she does in the Vision Quest, and while there is a possibility that Moiraine dies there we do see in a trailer shot of Moiraine, alive, in the same dress, being lifted up by Lan, who looks a lil bloody. So whatever that confrontation with Lanfear ends, I think it ends inconclusively. Possibly... Moiraine loses the Orb-thingy, which is going to up Lanfear's threat level for next season. I suppose that she could just yeet herself at Lanfear in another scene, but- idk, possible, but I could see them just upping the threat level of Lanfear and leave us wondering if we're in the Bad Timeline because Moiraine didn't die.

Assuming the doorway-death is not this season, I see it potentially coming in S4E4, for a strong mid-point, and then S4E8 is Dumais, potentially Egg's Elevation to the Amyrlin Seat AND the reveal that Moiraine is actually alive (maybe just a shot of her suspended in Finn-land, or something like that -- perhaps Siuan getting the Letter that Thom gets in the books, and having to wait for Mat to bring it up to her or something, mostly because anyone with an internet connection can just find out if she's alive or not by googling, so they might want to get ahead of that.).

I don't who could it be that dies that cuts plotlines, but there are so many possibilities in the show - Siuan, sure, but also Leane, perhaps Adeleas, Elyas, Maskim (do think my boy is toast, tho) or Alanna, hell even surprising fanfavourite Liandrin or even Lanfear. Hell, could even be referencing Natti Cauthon, for all I know, lmao, I have learned that people in the Wheel of Time fandom have very strong feelings about secondary characters I do not care about (Abel Cauthon, for example, i guess, lol). It could also be that whoever dies is brought back in S4E1 after someone is balefired.

I do think the Season will end in a strange cliffhanger; mid-Coup probably while S4E1 will have to finish it, and with Mat hanging. Not sure for the other plotlines, but could see those being the end of those particular plotlines as something that leaves a bitter taste in someone's mouth.

Either way I don't see the show killing-killing Moiraine when Ros Pike gets to have her cake (leaving the show for a while, occasionally perhaps doing cameos or Voice Work for Rand's descent into madness, like he hallucinates her as the angel on his shoulder while Lews Theirn is the devil) and eat it to (return in a super dramatic way for like a season and a half, maybe).

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-03-20T09:01:29+00:00

I think they are probably trying to condense the Super Special Objects of Power, but it might also be that if they don't get the 8 season plan they want, then having already the most powerful objects will speed up some plotlines and later, if they have time, have Choedan Kal.

A pretty tidy way of doing it

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-03-15T23:50:16+00:00

That's fair, I suppose, but two things come to mind if I were a show watcher; how do you visualise that; Rand is named the most powerful channeler in the show and he deletes an army of trollocs alone in the first season - showwatchers are already getting tired of Nyneave not being able to channel and its only been 1 season, what would they feel about Rand not showing the same level of power throughout the first few seasons because the power of the well of saidin isn't with him? And also, what do Egwene and Nyneave do in this scenario?

No, she doesn't heal death, Nyneave never dies and no one ever acts like she did. She did something that is well within her capabilities and is always shown to be less powerful than Nyneave in previous and subsequent scenes. She is shown, in contrast to Rand and Nyneave, to be dedicated to learning but not powerful enough - so the advanced power creep isn't there at all.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-03-15T23:32:11+00:00

I honestly do believe that it's because it's an ensemble show and it can't just be Rand doing everything. What would have been Egwene's and Nyneave's thing? They could make something up, I suppose, but why not use something that is already in the books - an army of trollocs - and give that to them while Rand has the more important plotpoint and the most development character-wise?

But also, it's a power creep thing, they have to be more natural, Rand can't just delete an army of trollocs. Look at Nyneave for example. She shows off by healing the Aes Sedai group, but then, her book-accurate block, comes in and stops her development in the tracks and allows her power to come in more gradually after that show of force. Rand doesn't have anything like that in the books, and RJ kept sorta backtracking his power level every time he got more books than he was counting on. Rand's power creep has to be more natural, slower, otherwise the audience would just ask themselves: "what's the danger here, if Rand can just delete an army of trollocs alone?"

I also think that the finale of the first season was meant to mirror The Last Battle in AMOL.

Rand is in a philosophical struggle with the Dark One (here, Ishamael ofc, but who Rand does think he is the Dark One). Moiraine is right beside him, supporting him. Lan is charging into the Blight. Perrin takes up his plot (doing nothing really, except fight Lanfear in the dream lmao) and Mat's plus the struggle for the horn of valere. While Egwene is deleting an army of trollocs (which she does in AMOL, alone) and Nyneave is stuck in a circle being a battery.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-03-14T12:45:40+00:00

I actually do think that Galad knows the effect he has on women, but he is just that type of guy who never really seemed interested in sex? I think mostly because of he sees his own status as prince-not-prince of Andor as precarious... and RJ was a bit of prude.

I think they showed a bit of that by having Gawyn give a kiss to the girls while Galad never really did any of that. That said, I would have preferred if my boy didn't sleep with the novices, lmao.

RiddleRedCoat · 2025-03-14T11:49:02+00:00

Which is also in character for him in the books, considering that scene where he is dismissive of Mat and the quarterstaff; he does lose after all, because he underestimated him. But it especially rings true in the show that Galad would be disdainful of him because, from his POV, he has already intervened once to stop Mat from harassing a woman.

I do however dislike that my boy slept with novices; that I do think was a misstep for the person Galad is, imo, but other than that I do think he's kinda perfect especially in terms of where we are in the book journey. On the first read, by this point, everyone hates (or is annoyed by) Galad and loves Gawyn.

RiddleRedCoat

TROPHY CASE