I have been a fan of the show since Season 1, I did assume it was based on books before I find out but recently I have been thinking why ppl get so mad about the show not following the books and probably its because the series is so repetitive, probably the books thematic is a bit different when it comes to how the main characters behave and manage their powers. We are on season 3 and we are still stuck on the same, separate the group and some have no clue on how to control their powers. Season three has come to the same point again where they spread out across the world and handles multiple story lines, I have to admit that this time at least Perrin is getting way more screen time than before but we stuck on the same cycle, reason why sometimes it feels there are episodes that only gives us a few good scenes, it is the case of episode five.
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I do have to admit that the series has this flashbacks, moving back and forward in time that I really enjoy since it gives way more context and doesn't let it all to imagination, episode 5 starts with a flashback that finally gives us Liandrin's origin story, taking us 95 years back into the past where we see a young and desperate Liandrin imprisoned with her son. When her abusive husband threatens the child and without knowing she unleashes the One Power as a desperate move, killing her husband and escaping to the streets of Tanchico, but sadly she cant find anyone who can help her, its all drinks and party at night until a true dark one appears, Ishamael offering young Liandrin comfort and help. As a viewer of the series and not knowing anything about the books, this was a shocking scene for me since it gave more context on how she started with the dark one, how she also became an Aes Sedai just to infiltrate the tower but what she truly wants is to become a forsaken.
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With Liandrin flashback this episode puts more enfasis in how characters like her manage to perfectly balance the darkness within her. Im not a fan of Tanchico to be honest, the dressing code, the singing, meh not my thing. Episode 5 gives a lot of screen time to Nynaeve, Elayne, Min and Mat, same as the previous episode did for Perrin, its like the series is taking turns on each story line, they are after the Black Ajah, but most recently they have discover that there is an A'dam but not to controll females who can channel, to control males who can channel and probably a very powerful one as this A'dam requires not one but two Sul'dam to control him.
In the meantime a more interesting event goes on between Egwene and Rand, she has finally started her journey on dream walking, trained by the Wise Ones but its not an easy thing to master, she have ben training hard but eventually got caught up in a dream with Lanfear who drop the beans for her, letting Egwene know that she an Rand have been intimate and together for a very very long time, this idea got Egwene to think Rand knew about what Lanfear has been doing to her on her dreams, tormenting her like she still a Damane. On the series its still not so clear what Lanfear plans are, either she wants to control Rand, reason why she getting rid of the other forsaken or she have this sick love for him to the point she wants him all for her. The series has mention before how this had happen in the past, this story already happen many times with the similar results, similar to the 1000 outcomes Moiraine saw through the rings, my question is why things never work out?.
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We always hear from the Aes Sedai that the Dragon goes mad and destroy the world but in contrast we now got the Aiel who says Rand is going to break them before build them up, so why things didn't work out in the past?, one point in favor I give Rand is that its true that he is now probably learning more about the Dragon than before and not been based only on what Aes Sedai say. After Lanfear told Egwen what was going between her and Rand, its almost like the perfect plan to get rid of Egwen since Lanfear send out Sammael to attack Rand, she even told Moraine about it and told her to let Rand handle it, in a way like we need him to spread his wings and it seem to be very calculated that it just happen she reveal what is going between her and Rand making it too much of a coincidence that when Sammael arrive, Egwen was going to be next to Rand.
The episode wasn't bad by no means but even I'm getting tired of this bunch of teenagers not knowing how to control their powers, you can say Rand can but the problem with him is that he goes whiskey throttle, getting totally consumed by the power and now knowing when to stop. The only talented plus is the most sexy on the series is Egwen, she has master the One Power and is growing more her skills of dream walking, other than that the rest is a hit or miss. Season 2 was great but Season 3 not so much in my opinion, on all season they were separated but the Seanchan side story tight things together very neat although I don't feel the same on Season 3. I'm not going to be too harsh on this episode giving it a 7/10 even though I didn't enjoy it that much and the moment I saw Elayne was going to start singing, I said NOP and fast forward the scene, I'm not a musicals guy.
