Episode Grade: (8.6/10)
As the influence of various key figures grows, so too do the secrets around them. Ishamael steps out of the shadows alongside the invaders.
Plot (44/50)
This episode felt like a revolving door of secrets with some being revealed and some just now surfacing. It’s increasingly looking like the outcome of the The Last Battle will hinge on who has access to key information, as is usually the case. Moiraine has been hoarding information for as long as we can tell, but she might finally be realizing that her strategy is flawed. She no longer has the benefit of time, especially with Ishamael resurfacing alongside the intimidatingly capable invaders seen at the end of season one.
Materializing Threats
For the five months leading into the end of this episode, Moiraine and co. have not had to contend with a tangible threat, so they’ve been free to take their sweet time recovering. That all changes with the Ishamael’s reemergence, especially seeing as how he’s allied himself with a serious force. I’m assuming that these invaders were the ones that managed to capture a Fade, but even without that assumption, they were able to subdue the Shienarans with relative ease. And that was without any help from Ishamael. Whoever they are, they mean business.
Unfortunately for Moiraine, she’s in no condition to stand in their way. She and Lan are physically healed up thanks to Verin and Adeleas, but their spirits are as weak as ever. After the attack, Moiraine knows that she has to move. It seems she’s headed for the White Tower, but that turns out to be a pitstop to drop Lan off. In an effort to get him to let her go, Moiraine reveals to Lan that Rand is in fact alive. She’s called for Alanna and her Warders as well to ensure that he head back to the Tower while she continues her journey with Verin and co.
It’s unclear where she’s headed, but I would guess that she’s on her way to find Rand. She’s allowed Verin, Adeleas, and Tomas to tag along because she needs them, but she probably also wants to keep them close since they know of the Dragon Reborn. Moiraine has been wrong about the timing of the Last Battle, and it’s cost her her powers, but it’s also unleashed a 3,000-year old force in the form of Ishamael. As it stands, Rand is her best chance to form a resistance that can help right her wrongs.
Finding Trouble
Speaking of Rand, he’s been holed up at The Foregate in Cairhien just about living a normal life. He has a new love interest in the form of his landlord, Selene. He also works at the local asylum. At first, this seems like a wholesome endeavor, but his ulterior motives quickly come to light. Through a sequence of events that proves Rand has serious trouble controlling his powers, he becomes the caretaker of Logain, the false Dragon that was captured by Liandrin in the previous season. This is a good bit of continuity and an interesting way to keep Rand busy on the sidelines.
Mat is another player that’s been on the sidelines, but if he has his way, he won’t be sidelined for much longer. Liandrin has been keeping him in a cell under close watch, but he’s been working on his escape, and he now has a partner in crime in the form of Min, the seer from last season. The two of them form a fledgling friendship as they work on their escape, that is until Min sees a vision of Mat stabbing Rand. Mat refuses to know what his future holds, so she does not tell him, but this is quite the development.
Meanwhile, Perrin and his Shienaran friends track their way into trouble. Perrin is having visions that are more vivid to the point that he can not tell vision from reality. Elyas tries to offer his guidance, but Perrin still does not trust him. The crew come across a Fade that’s been captured and potentially tortured. That really should’ve served as a major warning. Nonetheless, they are taken by surprise that night. Despite putting up a valiant effort, they are quickly overwhelmed and captured by the invaders with Ishamael by their side.
White Tower Drama
There’s a definite shift in policy at the White Tower thanks in part to the Amyrlin Seat’s decision to banish Moiraine towards the end of the previous season. Furthermore, Liandrin has seen her stock grow as her aggressive methodology has proven more effective as of late. As a result, Alanna finds herself undermined on the key issue that is Nynaeve’s training. To be fair, Nynaeve has responded better to Liandrin’s approach, so concerning as it may be, the shift is justified.
With that said, even Liandrin is having a hard time managing Nynaeve not so much because of her lack of progress, but because she does not respect any boundaries. Nynaeve follows Liandrin through a secret passageway from the Tower to the city center. There, she finds Nynaeve tending to a fragile old man that appears to be Liandrin’s son. Liandrin is incensed by Nynaeve’s prying, but she proceeds with her “mentoring” nonetheless. In order to properly train her, Nynaeve must face the Arches. The test is extremely dangerous, and Nynaeve is not ready, but Liandrin has seen enough to know that Nynaeve will get through it.
Finally, there was the introduction of Elayne Trakand, daughter-heir of Andor. She joins the White Tower as a novice, and she quickly bonds with Egwene. Egwene already feels comfortable enough sharing her feelings about Nynaeve, but it comes at a very inopportune moment. Nynaeve overhears Egwene’s comments and is obviously hurt, so the two don’t get a chance to talk before Nynaeve faces the Arches. Elayne’s role is not clear at the moment, but her introduction has already shifted the dynamic at the White Tower.
Final Thoughts
Season two’s solid start continues as this episode builds well onto the first. I liked the consistency with the invaders from the end of last season showing up in commanding fashion. They’re clearly positioned as a threat especially with Ishamael by their side. We still don’t know what they want, but I have a feeling that mystery will be resolved soon. Another mystery is the identity of the man that Liandrin was caring for. He seems to be her son, and I suspect that he went mad after touching the One Power. That would explain much of Liandrin’s motivations, at least. Finally, the biggest surprise was Min’s vision of Mat stabbing Rand.
Character Development (14/15)
The first episode of the season was designed to lay the foundations of the plot. This was one set the foundations of the season’s character development. We checked in on all the major characters. Some are facing familiar issues while others find themselves facing new challenges. Furthermore, we see the formation of pairings between the original five and new characters. These relationships will certainly expedite the evolution of said characters.
Moiraine and Lan
If you thought that barely surviving the Fades’ attack would have thawed Moiraine’s cold treatment of Lan, you were wrong. It seemed, for a moment, that she might be easing up, but that proved to be something of a longing reminiscence. Moiraine forces Lan away with some harsh words. Some cut deep, like the proclamation that they were never equals. Others carried shock value, such as the revelation that Rand is in fact alive. The more vicious Moiraine got, the harder it became for Lan to stay by her side. He very may have stayed by her side had she not brought Alanna and her Wardens as support. Regardless, Lan feels deeply betrayed.
The truth is that Moiraine is spiraling. She’s expended so much energy trying to keep it together, but that strategy was never going to be sustainable. She feels powerless in the face of the coming threats. That feeling is in part due to the loss of powers, but it runs deeper than that. Now that she realizes how wrong she was about the Last Battle, her confidence has been shattered. Furthermore, the one thing that’s been giving her some peace of mind is the knowledge that Rand is safe.
Well, that is shattered here as well when Verin reveals that she’s pieced together Moiraine’s plan for the Dragon. She may not know that Rand is alive, but the suggestion that others might have put it all together is concerning, nonetheless. Moiraine knows that she will face great danger on her way to righting her wrongs, so she pushes Lan away as a way to keep him safe. It may seem self-righteous and patronizing, but that’s Moiraine for you.
Nynaeve and Liandrin
Liandrin’s interest in Nynaeve continues to grow following their brief yet significant interaction in the previous episode. She’s serving as a de facto mentor as a way of getting around the ban placed on her that prevents her from training novices. That can only last so long, so she wants Nynaeve to face the Arches. Facing the Arches is a sort of graduation, so if Nynaeve passes, she will no longer be considered a novice. Of course, passing this trial is no easy feat, but Liandrin clearly has faith in Nynaeve’s abilities. Despite that faith, their relationship remains as rocky as ever thanks to Nynaeve’s prying.
Nynaeve follows Liandrin to a room where she finds her tending to an old man. Liandrin is uncharacteristically soft and caring to this man who seems to be her son. When Liandrin catches Nynaeve prying, she lashes out. It’s clear that whatever happened to this man has had a defining impact on Liandrin’s character. The most logical explanation would be that he was touched by the One Power, but it could go deeper than that. Could it be that she was forced to neutralize him after he started losing his mind? In any case, this is definitely something to keep an eye on.
Egwene and Elayne
Elayne is also one to keep on eye on. She arrives to the White Tower as a novice, but her importance as daughter-heir of Andor is immediately felt. She’s familiar with the Tower and the Aes Sedai, so that gives her an obvious advantage. Furthermore, she displays great maturity and tact where one would expect a sense of entitlement. Her self-awareness is impressive considering her standing, even if there are obvious hints of privilege.
Despite getting off on the wrong foot, she quickly endears herself to Egwene, so much so that the two end up having a candid conversation at the end of the day. Egwene takes this opportunity to vent about her frustrations. She’s clearly intimidated by the attention given to Nynaeve. Elayne even suggests that she’s jealous. Regardless, she’s having a hard time coming to terms with how differently they are treated especially since she follows all the rules. Unfortunately for her, Nynaeve overhears the worst part of the conversation in what is a common trope. It’ll be interesting to see if Egwene gravitates towards Elayne further in the eventual fallout of this misunderstanding.
Rand and Selene
We also get a glimpse into what Rand has been up to. The interesting thing about Rand is that you can’t quite get a read on him. For example, did he genuinely care about Errol, or was he just using him to get to Logain? In the moment, it seems like he cares, but the ease at which he moves on makes me think otherwise. At least his plan works. Rand has been having an increasingly difficult time controlling his powers. If he hadn’t pulled himself out of the situation, he would’ve killed Yann, the asylum worker. He’ll likely seek Logain’s advice on how he can control the One Power.
Another factor in this situation is Selene. She and Rand both long for another love which kind of works out for them. I’m not sure if Rand has told Selene about his powers, but she seems confident that he won’t cause her any harm. Is that foolishness or ignorance on her end, or is there more to her than meets the eye?
Other Pairings
Mat was initially presented as the most complex character from the Two Rivers, but he hasn’t really done anything since abandoning his friends towards the end of the previous season. This episode was more of the same, but we did get to see him paired with Min, the seer. He remains somewhat static despite having the last five months to reflect on his past actions. Min has a vision of him stabbing Rand, but because he refuses to know his future, she does not inform him of what she saw. This wasn’t much, but at least it kept him involved.
Over to Perrin, who’s as stubborn as ever. He refuses Elyas’ guidance despite experiencing an even more vivid vision in what is kind of baffling. I don’t quite follow the logic here. He knows he has these visions, and he knows that Elyas has some powers of his own. There’s no way he hasn’t yet put it together that whatever powers he has, Elyas has as well. What’s the downside of hearing him out? It just feels like a way to drag things out. Anyways, Ishamael has his eye on him. Hopefully that leads to something a little more interesting.
Theme/Messages (4/5)
- How much prevention can be justified in the name of being proactive?
- “What’s broken cannot always be healed.”
Acting (12/15)
Rosamund Pike (Moiraine) and Daniel Henney (Lan) continue to produce the best performances of the cast. So far, I’m not impressed with Dónal Finn (Mat). However, I’m much happier with some of the other newcomers. Ceara Coveney (Elayne) made a solid impression in her debut appearance, and Natasha O’Keeffe (Selene) is a sight for sore eyes. The Peaky Blinders alum is fantastic in her maiden appearance. She brings much-needed experience to the mix. I even spotted Arnas Fedaravičius (Masema Dagar), The Last Kingdom alum, among the Shienaran search party. It doesn’t look like he’ll have a big role, but it’s nice to see him anyways.
Cinematography (12/15)
- Nice aerial shot of Verin’s compound (4:35)
- Cool shots of Tar Valon at night (34:48 onwards)