#wot on prime s1e5

[geryrrs]

Josha Stradowski as Rand al’Thor

The Wheel of Time 1.05 “Blood Calls Blood”

[highladyluck]

How all the Forsaken react to their votive statuettes

Graendal: collects statuettes of herself from all over the world and displays them prominently in her lair

Sammael: deeply offended that his statuette is so short

Moghedien: satisfied that history has memorialized her with a great ass. The fact that it’s a spider abdomen is not germane

Demandred: completely oblivious to the entire thing. When he sees his iconography he assumes it’s Lews Therin’s.

Lanfear: says it’s vulgar, secretly loves it

Asmodean: recognizes the guitar make. He hated that brand.

Ishamael: Really likes the ones where the incense stick fits inside, and when you light it the flame is visible out of his mouth and eyes

Semirhage: honestly just disappointed they only burn incense

[primeideal]

Wheel of Time Episode 5: Blood Calls Blood

The title of this episode is a line from book two about prophecies or whatever that has...basically nothing to do with this episode, cool.

We arrive at the White Tower/Tar Valon somewhat earlier than the books and I am here for it. Sometimes on rereads I'm like "IDK which is my favorite plotline, they're all good" and then we get to magic city with magic school and magic factions and worldbuilding, yessss. And the colors! Both in the sense of "they're all about Ajah color symbolism, they should have lots of decorations" but also "no more literal grimdark, let's see color in these fantasy worlds!" Hype. "And now you're wondering if you can ever go back to the world you knew before or how you'd fit in. You can't, I had the same experience." :( Moiraine of House Damodred. Why are the Whitecloaks patrolling outside of Tar Valon? Feels like that's the last place they'd want to be. And the Tinkers' method of civil disobedience is...Red Rover. Inspiring. (Though I feel like the Two Rivers response to the Trolloc threat in book ~3 or 4 isn't that different?) Rand: "Egwene thinks she's the reincarnation of Jain Farstrider or something." (I expected Loial to go "but he's not even dead.") Stepin is pouring his heart out but still finds time to joke about Alanna's harem. Priorities! And now Stepin must cast the ring into the fire. Great visual/imagery using the TV medium to add some worldbuilding that's not in the book, but also, I feel like I've read this epic fantasy. Egwene gets groped by the Whitecloaks, who also remove her braid. Maybe I'm just prejudiced by daydreaming about Rule 63 Galad, but I don't see why women can't be zealot inquisitors, too. (Is it just Aes Sedai=women=bad??) Although this is also some nice foreshadowing of a different group who are going to dress Egwene in white and not let her wear her hair the way she wants... "The Light never does anything without a purpose." Except as my dreamwidth friend seekingferret would say, the purpose is that these characters are ta'veren so plot events just kind of randomly happen around them! "walking like gods amongst men" What are your beliefs/theology/opinions about gods other than "the Creator made the world"? If I had a nickel for every time a speculative fiction story tosses out a line like that and never follows up... Egwene probably wants to sacrifice herself for Perrin here. "Egwene was almost ten when she nearly died of breakbone fever" so she'd be old enough to remember it, I want her POV! "The fever had broken, not her" d'awwwww. In the books, this conversation comes up as Moiraine asking Nynaeve "you knew right where to find us, did you heal Egwene or one of them when you were younger?" "yeah, the Wisdom told me it was just a common childhood disease and she'd get better, but she looked in such terrible pain, somehow I got the fever to break early" "yeah you were channelling" "..." But that might have been ten years ago in show canon. Has Nynaeve been a wilder for that long? "it may take you your whole life to realize that, but you will" I hope this is not foreshadowing! (I mean it's in the context of Egwene is trying to sacrifice herself for Perrin so she doesn't think that she has too much longer. But I was idly batting around a while back about if they would drastically change any plotlines/endings, and IDK, I feel as if Perrin is the most likely to be like "all loose ends tied up, let's go on a berserker rage now" as long as none of his buddies are around? Egwene just stabs Valda before Perrin gets the chance to (so he can't feel guilty about it!) And takes the Aes Sedai rings, she already wants to avenge them. :D Moiraine: "Siuan Sanche is many things..." *sprawls out on the bed luxuriously* Alanna: "She might be up to something, you could challenge her!" Moiraine: "haha sure whatever." I wonder if they're going to merge Elaida with Liandrin's character? Stepin assumes that the healing last episode was Nynaeve's first time with the One Power. Do we know that? (Curious especially in light of the adapted "breakbone fever" scene, but also just in general. She "listens to the wind," doesn't she?) Oof, they aren't pulling punches with Stepin. :( The focus here on the Warder-Aes Sedai relationships really raises the stakes with regards to Lan and Nynaeve, but also Alanna and Rand. The whole throat singing, chest slapping Warder funeral scene isn't really doing it for me. I understand it's supposed to be a callback to the first scene, just not my aesthetic.

[far-dareis-me]

Moiraine “whole tower” Damodred

[wine4thewin]

“This saddle is home. This cloak. These boots. This brooding man by my side.” - Moiraine Damodred

…and the brooding man in question smiles 🥺

That line slapped me with the feels. Aww, Moiraine. AWW!

[far-dareis-me]

Additionally it did a good job of building characters, giving the audience a much better idea of their motivations, including:

Nynaeve’s determination to heal any hurt, even the emotional pain of those she hardly knows

Alanna’s desire to use the bond to help stabilize and support people who are struggling, as well as her sadness that her help will not always be accepted

Moiraine’s worry over Lan suffering Stepin’s fate, and how deeply she wants to protect him from it

Lan’s willingness to show vulnerability to Moiraine, highlighting the level of trust they share

Liandrin’s “care” for her sister not at all extending to the person Kerene loved most

I know as book reader it’s easy to see time spent on characterization as unnecessary, because we know these characters already. But the show has to pull a lot of weight in terms of showing new folks who all these people are and what they care about. And the Stepin arc has done that beautifully for a good chunk of the cast, while also setting up a huge amount of world building. Personally, I’d call that a success.

(hope you don’t mind me adding on, I just really love how well they did this plot line and I’m very happy to see someone defending it)

I’ve seen some book readers either confused or annoyed about the time spent on Stepin in episode 5, and I want to offer the counterpoint that that plotline was incredibly well-done in terms of setting up, in an emotional storyline, a lot of world-building that would have otherwise had to be communicated via info-dump.

Things we got from the Stepin plotline:

More info (and particularly emotional depth) around the Warder-Aes Sedai bond

The introduction of the concept of the Forsaken

Rituals of death and mourning in this world

More of Moiraine’s relationship with Alanna, Alanna and Warders, and some info on how the Warder bond can be passed and/or created

Some of the depth of Lan’s character grief (which is a good backstory nugget, and kind of a change from the books in terms of his personality, but one I’m welcoming, because he plays better as a character on screen)

And I think that first one really did need this level of set-up. Frankly, even in the books we’re only really told what happens when a Warder looses their Aes Sedai, not show it - until it happens to a main character. And even then, never from the Warder’s POV! And I, as a long-time book reader, honestly feel like I have a better sense of the emotion in that situation than the books managed to communicate. It’s setting up later developments very well.

And they used the opportunity to give us some more world-building info like the Forsaken. So it works for me.

[geryrrs]

Josha Stradowski as Rand al'Thor

The Wheel of Time 1.05 "The Dragon Reborn"

[geryrrs]

Josha Stradowski as Rand al’Thor

The Wheel of Time 1x05 “Blood Calls Blood”

[far-dareis-me]

That quote suits her perfectly because she really has been completely wracked with fear since episode one. Nynaeve is terrified of the things that want to kill her or use her, of herself and what she can do, but most of all, of losing the ones she loves. But she never, not for one second, let’s that fear stop her. Instead she lets it drive her- and it makes her terrifying.

It’s courageous and badass and I love her for it, but at the same time, that’s an awful way to live. It leaves her no room to actually come to terms with her fear, or with the root of it. She doesn’t stop because she cannot stop, not without confronting everything that’s happened. It’s why, when Moiraine calls out her fear, Nyn doesn’t speak, doesn’t respond. She just can’t afford to stop and process any of it, so she escapes to go search for her charges. She’d rather face a tower full of powerful women who want to make her a pet and a city full of unknowns than stay where she is. Because having to sit alone with her fear is more terrifying than the rest of it combined.

I love that Nynaeve is such a badass and yet simultaneously so far out of her depth. Like she holds a sword to Lan's throat and talks smack repeatedly, while her hand shakes and her eyes show how nervous she is. Like she's the definition of "courage is not the absence of fear, but the recognition that something else is more important." She's far from home, has almost been killed multiple times, she knows Lan could probably kill her! But she's going to get her kids back or die trying. There's no time for anything else.

[geryrrs]

Josha Stradowski as Rand al ‘Thor and Zöe Robins as Nynaeve al’Maera.

The Wheel of Time 1.05 “Blood Calls Blood”

[geryrrs]

Josha Stradowski as Rand al’Thor

The Wheel of Time 1.05 “Blood Calls Blood”

[highladyluck]

You arrive at the Forsaken altar

Titties: out

Incense: lit

Prayers: muttered

[highladyluck]

Wheel of Time 01x05 liveblog

Teaser:

offerings! to ward off the Forsaken!!! FORSAKEN DEMON STATUES!!!!! I love this so much I need the entire set please sell them to me [ok so what is the funniest instrument for Asmodean's statue to have and what is the funniest placement for it in relation to him? I vote him crawling out of a tuba but I will also accept that his stomach is bagpipes or he is riding on a demonic accordian]

[from the recap] I love Mat's liquid grace when he's dagger vibing.

White for funerals (I like the music too!)

Nyneave holding her braid like it's a stuffed animal

That is a lot of people. The king's army too, or just the Tar Valon losses?

Timeskip one month!

Nyneave worried about Stepin... lotta subtext there re: the warder bond and what the loss of Moiraine might do to Lan, etc etc

Mat does NOT look well. This is gonna break my fucking heart.

Rand "I've seen that mountain before" al'Thor, when the fuck would you have seen that mountain before, pray tell?

Tar Valon theme!!! Are those the dulcet tones of Al'Natio or is it something else?

CAMEL!!!!

awwww Mat looked briefly excited for what I assume is the the first time in a month

Mat like full-body eyerolls when Rand implies he needs a bath, love that Mat can still convey utter disdain basically entirely through body language

Fuck y'all got me Cauthoring, I was like "THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED???!?" until the camera panned over to the other bed. Is this disappointment sufficient grounds to sue Rafe for queerbaiting? Please discuss

...wait ok wtf happened, Rand was not this grimy a second ago. These are some very dirty boys.

Mat is haunted by his unclear memory already, this poor boy

Nyneave thesis statement: "I don't care about the Amyrlin or your Tower politics. I care about my people."

"But will you tell me?" ooooooooh fight fight fight

Moiraine trying to warn; Nyneave bluffing

"Can you ever go back to being who you were? No, but it's a gift" is the attitude Mat “It’s not a gift if I steal it” Cauthon should have, but absolutely does not, and it is right that Nyneave is also being given this advice since they are both the ones who cling most tightly to their roots and are also the unreliablest narrators

You can tell Moiraine likes Nyneave, and you can also tell that Nyneave does not believe that Moiraine likes her

Perrin is so cute omggggggggggg his haiiiiiiir (but also still dressed very drably, pointing out that he hasn't acclimated like Egg has)

Ugh *now* it is time for Egg to fall afoul of Whitecloaks, I see how it is

ooooooof this is gonna fuck up everybody

I appreciate Aram's lived experience but I am pretty sure Valda specifically would kill anyone

Rand you fucking nerd, running straight for the Prophecies of the Dragon

Loial! Great voice :)

Rand is so defensive about being a ginger

I just realized Loial gives me Worf vibes and I'm here for it

Egwene as Jain Farstrider's reincarnation... *ponders* ...WAIT is he dead? Or do people just think he's dead?

oh my god Mat (well, at least he's still ok if he can look at girls)

Logain: cackles | Me: cackles

Mat: "I won't be like that" Oh honey, baby, my precious horrible gremlin child, I'm crying T_T Rand: "I promise" Me: “KISS”

Rand: "You'd do the same for me?" Mat, utterly unconvincingly: "You bet" [omfg 'you bet' it's never just a colloquialism with Mr. Gambling Addiction over here]

"Young boy with a death wish" lord how many of those does this series have?

FOUND FAMILY

uuuugh I love the RITUALS [during the candle-lighting]

...literally never seen a purification ritual that also felt so degrading (but thankfully, in an impersonal, not-really-sexualized way). I suspect this is a taste of things to come, both in a way I won't go into for spoilers reasons and also more generally in that if there is more onscreen violence in combination with nudity in this show, I expect it to continue be desexualized, especially if it involves women. This is the contract that Robert Jordan (mostly) upheld with book readers and I'm going to be extremely upset if the show follows GoT cues on violence against women instead. So far, so good.

Thank god Egwene is smart. I love Eggy. She's like 'fuck you'

oooooh golden eyes

Valda. ooooooooof.

"The pain is the only thing I have left of her and I'm not ready to let go of it yet" / "Don't worry, the pain will never go away" ooooof, this was a lovely exchange though

I love how after he leaves and Nyneave is alone, she eyes the ajar door almost like, flirtatiously. Like "mmmm I know I shouldn't but I'm totally gonna go exploring"

Liandrin trying to be friendly is so goddamn patronizing

I'm so scared [of dagger!Mat meeting Nyneave] phew at least he didn't hurt Nyneave

Life and death is the theme of this episode

Is breakbone fever tetanus? *squirrels this information away for fic reasons*

"The fever had broken, not her"

Is Perrin gonna confess?

I think you should light Valda's head on fire (my brain: "You must have got one of them / combustable heads" )

It's werewolf Perrin! At last at last

*cackles delightedly as Egwene stabs a bitch*

Wolfies :)

...ok is that a lie from Liandrin about Nyneave, or can she say it because she's cloaking it as an assumption?

I support The Gay Shit but I do not like Liandrin hitting on Moiraine

offerings! to ward off the Forsaken!!! FORSAKEN DEMON STATUES!!!!! I love this so much I need the entire set please sell them to me [ok so what is the funniest instrument for Asmodean's statue to have and what is the funniest placement for it in relation to him? I vote him crawling out of a tuba but I will also accept that his stomach is bagpipes or he is riding on a demonic accordian]

oh hai it's our buddy Ishamael, Father of Lies :)

Moiraine looks like she's gonna cry :(

persimmons from Tar Valon! (These are hachiya persimmons, which are only edible out of hand when they’ve matured enough, which makes them a bit of a symbolic fruit for the long-lived Aes Sedai. It’s not in the books but it’s a very lovely little worldbuilding detail they added for the show!)

"Look, I'm nervous about my first gay sex, pls comfort me Daddy Lan"

out of the mouths of warders comes wisdom about the Wisdom

Ok that position can not be comfortable, how tf do you sleep like that? ...I mean I guess you can if you're drugged, that's obviously the point, but still

oh dear.

Oh I love the droning. ooooooof. That was very powerful.

[highladyluck]

Sorry to be so obsessed with the Forsaken statuettes but I LOVE the concept and if Graendal’s lair does not have at least a wall or two full of her votive images, I shall be most displeased

[far-dareis-me]

My brain is swimming in foreshadowing and love for my children... so until I process that- I think I figured out who each of the forsaken dolls are!

My reasoning:

Moghedian: spider pattern on the dress, plus tiny scheming hands

Semirhage: just looks like she wants to cut me open. it’s creepy.

Sammael: short. grumpy beard.

Ishamael: was named as such. also just looks super full of himself

Lanfear: way overdressed, plus that hair

Asmodean: look at his little guitar. adorable.

Be'lal: looks constipated. also short, which narrows it down significantly

Graendal: T H E M. T I D D I E S.

[far-dareis-me]

welp.. spotted Graendal!