Season 1 Episode 6 “The Flame of Tar Valon” with book spoilers

Ty al'Djinn

Friend
Gaidin
Joined
Jul 8, 2012
Messages
8,442
Location
The Garden State
Pronouns
  1. He - Him
Oh my GOD.
Siuan + Moiraine, the oath, my realization that the ring melting pot is the literal flame of tar Valon, the pun in the title…
And then Matt at the end. What the hell Cauthon!?

I wonder if that’s where Barney Harris bailed.

So many thoughts, so few of them coherent.
 

Lyndo Shiranui

Aes Sedai
Joined
Apr 25, 2019
Messages
6,129
Age
28
Location
Istanbul, Turkey
Pronouns
  1. He - Him
Discord
Gildor Inglorion#6104
We finally know who is the third, unnamed Blue Sitter! :laugh:
 

Karassa Souladrin

Aes Sedai
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Messages
5,627
Location
Westland, MI
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
Discord
karassa
Not sure I'm a fan of the Waygates being changed so much.

Loved Moiraine essentially blackmailing Liandrin.

Siuan was amazing. Logain tried to get to her, and nothing. Nynaeve twice tried to get a rise out of her and nothing. Love that Aes Sedai calm!

The mentioned being raised to the shawl! But no sign of any shawls yet.

I love the Yellow Ajah message left for Moiraine in the baths!
 

Sylas Ehlonite

Citizen
Joined
Nov 24, 2021
Messages
87
Age
45
Location
Hickory, NC - USA
Pronouns
  1. He - Him
Discord
Silas Ehlonite#6274
Seeing the spy network/messages being passed was cool.

Moraine and Siuan were pillow friends in the books, so that change follows.

The oath. Just wow.

Mat at the end. That one I dunno about. Mat being a reluctant hero is core to his character, but he IS A HERO. That book line about Siuan's uncle dying in a fire and wondering if Mat was the same way. Why would he have bailed on them like that? I'm pretty shaken up over that one right now.

Edit- I am seeing on reddit that Mat being left behind might have to do with real-world covid lockdowns and Barney Harris leaving the show. But still :( Anyways, I can't wait until the next episode drops. haha
 
Last edited:

Ty al'Djinn

Friend
Gaidin
Joined
Jul 8, 2012
Messages
8,442
Location
The Garden State
Pronouns
  1. He - Him
  • Thread starter
  • Moderator
  • #5
Mat at the end. That one I dunno about. Mat being a reluctant hero is core to his character, but he IS A HERO. That book line about Siuan's uncle dying in a fire and wondering if Mat was the same way. Why would he have bailed on them like that? I'm pretty shaken up over that one right now.

You and me both.
 

Merena Orithana

Aes Sedai
Joined
May 19, 2021
Messages
4,252
Location
Illinois
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
I'm not sure I liked the oath rod thing or the 'or else' tacked on at the end.

Since Mo is a Sedai, if she just swore to not come back unless Siuan allowed her to, then she would be forced to do that, right?

And the 'or else isn't necessary, since the oath rod FORCES you to follow whatever oath you swore. There is no door #2.

Also- weirdness with Mat...

Otherwise - great episode!
 

Catt Heckathorne

Previously known as Cattrin al'Modrah
Aes Sedai
Joined
Jan 21, 2008
Messages
15,286
Age
37
Pronouns
  1. None - Use Name
Weeeelllll....

She can't come back publicly unless Siuan allows her to.

But if Siuan wants a lover for a night.........or if she gives Moiraine permission to return on that basis........all bets are off.
 

Ahmyra al'Ruley

Aes Sedai
Director of Events and Conferences
Tower Gatekeeper
Joined
Jul 24, 2014
Messages
16,890
Location
Southern Saskatchewan, Canada
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
Discord
Ahmyra#0120
I LOVED the Moiraine changed the oath from the Postion to the Person. Only Suian can call her back not whomever takes over the Seat.

I really am not fond of how they changed the Way Gates.

This episode requires at LEAST another watch and a lot of percolating.
 

Morrighan Daghdera

CordaMorri
Gaidin
Company Commander of Mahdi'in d'ma Dieb
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Messages
8,102
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
Yup. When Moiraine swore to “Siuan Sanche”, I thought oh, clever girl. When she started reciting the intimate titles Siuan’s Papa had given to her?

200.gif
 

Qamra Daielin

Tech Documentation Orderly
Aes Sedai
Director of Technology
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
7,037
Location
Calgary, Canada
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
Siuan called Moiraine a pufferfish and I could not have been happier.
 

Cahalan Sothron

Meme and Money Queen
Aes Sedai
Joined
Feb 10, 2015
Messages
17,808
Age
50
Location
Georgia
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
Discord
Maihgread#0
Seeing Tear for the first time got me right in the feels. I don't know how many characters I've roleplayed from there, but it's a lot, and I always have such a soft spot for it. It felt like seeing home for the first time.
 
Joined
Jan 4, 2002
Messages
2,448
Location
Louisville, KY
Did I miss an in-episode line or explanation for how Moiraine knows where to go find the Eye of the World? Is it just a known location in the show for AS, like Shayol Ghul, instead of a moving location? (Maybe it's the stand-in for SG here?)

I'm pretty impressed they introduced a powerful transporting ter'angreal this soon. Whether it was TAR or a Traveling item, that seems huge to me to be known of. Wherever Siuan got it from, why was this not revolutionizing economics, etc? Feels like Sanderson would be blowing his mind out about the implications of something like that (and perhaps did!).

Thought it was a great ep, and I too was pleased when the oath was changed to Siuan's name on the spot. But how did Moiraine dare speak familial nicknames at that moment? AS are crafty and attentive....surely someone heard that and then the secrecy of their alliance would be out.
 
Joined
Feb 21, 2021
Messages
6,557
Age
55
Location
Curled up in a window nook in Norfolk Virginia
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
I'm thinking the "painting" may have been some kind of Dream Ter'angreal. It almost looks like they are making Siuan a dreamer.

I'm not sure what the implications of the way gates being opened via channeling implies. (How are the Trollocs getting to the Two Rivers? If one of the forsaken brought them then why didn't they just obliterate Moiraine and take the Edmond's 5?)
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
6,888
Age
39
Location
Israel
When I saw the waygate, I really didn’t mind it visually, but I hoped and hoped they won’t do one change which makes no sense… And of course, they did.

I am talking about the need to channel to open the Waygates…
It may seem minor, but it’s a HUGE change from the books!
They even pondered in the show how the Trollocs came south without it being noticed, and of course us book readers know the answer, but if they require channeling that means a black sister or a forsaken are required every time the Trollocs travel!
And of course, how would the Ogier use it? It was originally given to them as a gift…

I hope they explain later that channeling isn’t necessary.

Also disliked that traveling ter’angreal Moiraine and Siuan used.

all in all, except for some minor scenes like Mat’s healing, I think this is the weakest episode so far.
 

Nymala Ingasy

Glitter Guardian
Aes Sedai
Head of the Blue Ajah
Joined
Jun 7, 2010
Messages
38,541
Location
Aotearoa
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
Discord
Nymala#4228
I honestly didn't like Mat's healing. They rid him of the dagger far too fast and easily. But, I understand that in the interest of time and stuff, they have to move on. Ah well. I am enjoying the series so far. :)
 
Joined
Nov 15, 2007
Messages
274
Age
35
Location
Bulgaria, Sofia
Wherever Siuan got it from, why was this not revolutionizing economics, etc?

This is Aes Sedai. They tend to keep cool angreal and ter'angreal they have secret. Probably it's just a secret between Siuan and Moiraine.
Also Siuan had a similar painting in her room so I suspect it creates passage only between those two. So it cannot be mass-produced. The writers can make up other limitations as well if they want to.
 

Arella Mathara

Aes Sedai
Head of the Brown Ajah
Social Media Manager
Joined
Aug 23, 2019
Messages
8,777
Location
Norway
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
Looked more like a portal to t'a'r or a dream ter'angreal than a Travel ter'angreal. I'm hoping it's the first and one of the things upsetting Wise Ones later :laugh:

It looked like a last minute jump thing with Mat, but we'll see. It was pretty much locked up at the end there. He is listed for the last two episodes on IMDb though but we'll see, that's not a 100% guarantee. And maybe he goes off somewhere else. Makes very little sense but we'll see. They've done some herrings already for books readers as well as the bunch they've done some herrings already
 

Kranerian Vrammar

Resident Citizen
Joined
Jul 14, 2019
Messages
2,512
Location
New Jersey
Pronouns
  1. He - Him
About that man that Liandrin meets in Northharbor - how much do you want to bet that's not a lover but a darkfriend contact? Maybe even Fain, since we know he's in the city right now? Also possibly how she knew the Emond's Fielders' names, or that might have been from dream messages.

Regarding Mat at the end - watching the end of that scene carefully makes it pretty clear that it was done without his actor actually being there. Must have been a last minute reshoot. Shame, I really have grown to like him... I'm guessing next season they'll explain it as Mat still being connected to the dagger and being compelled to go back and find it.

I did really like the scene with Egwene and Nynaeve talking to Siuan. Did a great job of showing their two very different levels of respect for the tower. Egwene was so disappointed when it turned out she wasn't the super strong channeler they were talking about.

I am really confused though why they felt the need to bring in the oath rod though. The whole thing just felt off. Also I wasn't a fan of Moiraine listing various loving nicknames in public, that was a bit much given the whole "secret" part of their secret relationship. "On your knees" though... That got a laugh.

Also, with all that talk of going to investigate ships disappearing in the West, I'm getting a sinking feeling that the next time we see that Sitter it'll be with a collar around her neck...
 
Top