It's been a while since I've found a show that I desperately just want to binge, but this season has really ramped up my expectations & hopes for the series.
Egwene's story was the highlight last season, but she's starting to come into her own this season. This episode really opens up a lot of possibilities for her character, and I'm excited to see where it goes. And although still the weakest plot point imo, I'm finally interested in Perrin's story, too.
And wow do I hate the White Cloaks. They're the worst... like every single one of them are Joffrey Baratheon levels of cruel. I need to see them get their comeuppance ASAP!
Not too sure about Alanna & Maksim at the moment. I like the idea of them getting more of spotlight, but their story this episode is sprinkled in to such a small degree that it's a bit hard to care about them.
On the flip side, Shohreh Aghdashloo as Elaida steals every scene she's in! Even though her moments are only sprinkled in throughout the episode, I'm extremely fascinated with her motivations & the political struggle going on in the tower. She's definitely being set up as a big antagonist to Rand & especially Siuan, but her ruthlessness & calculated actions remind me so much of Cersei in GoT in all the best ways.
Rand doesn't get much to do this episode, but after last week, he's getting a much deserved breather. I'm not sure book readers will appreciate Rand being so receptive to Lanfear's affections, but it fits really well with his character in the show, and I expect it'll payoff in the right ways soon enough.
I enjoyed checking in on Mat, Nyneave, Elayne & Min heading to Tanchico, as we get to learn more about the world & channeling outside of the Tower. I love all these characters, so seeing them track down Liandrin in the future has me super excited!
Lastly, Rosamund Pike was fantastic as always. She's just awesome, and you can really feel for how much is weighing on her. The only complaint I have is that we really do need more Lan-centric moments. Lan is such an underutilized character in the show, but they need to work on showing how important he truly is. We know he's a good swordsman, but he should be THE swordsman. We know he's the heir of a fallen kingdom, but the audience probably doesn't see him as much different from any other Warder. Hope they do more to build up his importance going forward.
Anyway, great episode all around, and I only wish Amazon would renew this for more seasons already! We need to let this series continue to cook!
