Re:cap - Nynaeve follows Lan and he tells her that Dai Shan is a title for future kings of Malkier destroyed by the Blight. Lord Yakota was the guard who took little Lan from the death of his family. A lost king like Aragorn. They spend the night together. Rand is troubled by the last night with his father. He thinks of the iron door that he broke down. The mountain that Rand somehow remembers. The voice of the Black Wind that says he is the Dragon Reborn. Questions that he tries to work out by hitting several bullseyes with his arrows. He goes to see Min as she closes up the tavern. Her first vision was at Tar Valon, she had seen Tam al’Thor. I like this mysterious version of Min Farshaw.
This goes back to Tam taking off his helmet and Tigraine gives birth on the Dragonmount. She tells Rand she saw Tam raise the child at Emond’s Field. Min hints that Rand goes to the Eye of the World. Morning, Egwene finds at Nynaeve’s room that she was occupied and Nynaeve apologizes for the friction with Rand. Rand knocked on Moiraine’s door and tells her that he is the Dragon Reborn. Sorry viewers, it was apparent in reading the novel early on. Lan says she had masked their bond. Rand and Moiraine have reached massive vines in what looks like a dead forest, a distance from Fal Dara, he is told by Moiraine that this is the Blight! It was all dead from the presence of the Dark One. They enter the Blight. Now, the conclusion of season one of Wheel of Time!
We have another flashback, “3,000 Years Ago”, we have a general of the armies of the Light, Lews Therin Telamon (Alexander Karim). He is given an answer by Latra Posae Decame (Katie Bryben) in the Old Tongue spoken in the Age of Legends. Lews is angry that Latra is breaking the Aes Sedai into men and women. A baby cries at their argument. Lews wants to cage the Dark One. She worries about exposing the Dark One to the One Power where he will corrupt it. Latra says farewell to Lews, the Dragon Reborn, and he says goodbye to Latra, the Tamyrlin Seat. He leaves his child to protect her, we see outside to the city which has flying craft, towers and futuristic buildings, all destroyed by the Breaking of the World.
In the Blight, Moiraine finds a rotting corpse covered with mushrooms, Rand asks what happened to him, and Moiraine says young Borderland men try to test their bravery and become infected by the Blight! At Fal Dara, Egwene desperately packs, but Perrin tells her that only Moiraine knows the path. In the Blight, Moiraine says they can briefly rest since she has found the Seven Towers of Malkier where Lan was born. Nynaeve admits to Lan that she had tracked Moiraine to find them. She will show Lan, Moiraine tell that she used to track her, if he returns Rand. Rand’s hand is corrupted, he knows the Dark One has found them, Moiraine’s mouth is pierced by sword used by the Dark One (Fares Fares). A rotted face with glowing eyes in a tuxedo-like outfit. This must be a nightmare.
Rand looses an arrow at the Dark One’s left eye, he shoves it in, and transforms into a bearded man. I like this version of evil before Rand meets him in person. The Dark One says he sees Lews Therin Telamon in Rand who says this is a dream. He is told by the Dark One it doesn’t matter, they are having a conversation, and that last time Lews faced him with 99 Companions. Rand draws his sword that the Dark One knows came from Tam al’Thor. Convinced it’s a dream, Rand drives the sword into his stomach and is shocked awake. He admits it was the Dark One to Moiraine. She shows him the tiny idol, Sa’angreal, made before the Breaking of the World. It would give Rand immense power. Rand says that Moiraine must have thought the Dragon Reborn would be Egwene. She must be the reincarnation of Latra Posae Decame.
Nynaeve can hear nothing in the wind, Egwene hears a roaring, and suspects that something is wrong. Moiraine hears something moving, she starts to channel, and Rand draws his bow. A fallen vine. Rand wants to learn to channel. Moiraine explains she had trouble channeling, an Aes Sedai lashed at her with the One Power until she was able to stop her. She says that Rand will be able to tap into the One Power when he needs it. The group of friends including Loilal go to Min, but she won’t reveal what she had seen for others. Min sees Nynaeve collapsing and her face corrupted by something, visions of men at the tavern dying, and then the city’s horns start to sound! In the Blight, they hear the horns of battle, and Moiraine says to save their friends, he will need to stop the Dark One.
Lord Agelmar asks for their numbers, Lord Yakota says 60 Fades and 5,000 to 10,000 Trollocs, Yakota says ropes on the drawbridge were cut by Darkfriends inside. Lord Agelmar wants to move his forces to the Tarwin’s Gap fortress. Lady Amalisa says the fortress will fall. We see Rand and Moiraine have reached the massive pit with stairs around it, the Eye of the World, Rand recognizes it. He realizes that Moiraine will die if she goes with him, but Moiraine starts down steps. Lan is in the Blight and reaches the Seven Towers. Lady Amalisa readies Lord Agelmar with his armor. He says the women of Fal Dara will protect the city. Lord Agelmar admits his sister was right to ask for help from the White Tower and knows they will fall to the Dark One’s army and every city will be destroyed. He says it is the Last Battle and has sent messengers to warn everyone.
Moiraine and Rand have reached the lower level that is watery with a circle in the center. It has the Aes Sedai symbol, black Dragon’s Fang and white Flame of Tar Valon encircling each other, the Taoist Yin and Yang. Rand sees the image of Lews Therin Telamon and then sees the Dark One. He touches the symbol and then is in a cabin with daylight. He talks to Egwene outside with their child, Joiya, and gives him the infant girl. Moiraine tries to waken Rand, she sees the Dark One and summons blades with the One Power stopped by him, and then he turn traps her in a Gentling! The Dark One laughs, but he has cut her off from the One Power. The armies are assembled and Lord Aglemar leads the riders Theoden-style into the fortress.
Lady Amalisa prepares the city defense, women warriors Amazon-style, very cool! Min joins the refugees escaping Fal Dara. Warriors remove the fortress throne and Lord Yakota and Uno Nomesta (Guy Roberts) begin digging on the stone below it. Loilal tells Nynaeve and Egwene that Lady Amalisa needs women who can channel. Lord Aglemar has his warriors with crossbows ready to fire on the Trollocs. The Fade orders the charge. Lady Amalisa is on a plain with two other women when they are joined by Egwene and Nynaeve on the other side of the fortress. Perrin is frustrated not participating in the upcoming battle. Loilal says the only thing he can do is ask. Rand is holding Joiya and becomes suspicious so Egwene takes her child.
They kiss, but suddenly Egwene and Joiya are motionless. The Dark One explains that the Dragon Reborn can make the world in his own image. The temptation, all deception Rand, the Dark One at the Eye of the World wonders what he will chose. Then, Moiraine has a blade to Rand’s throat knowing that the Dark One will need Rand’s help to escape. The diggers are paused by some news. Lady Amalisa worries for her brother. He is busy sending crossbow bolts out a arrowslit, the Trollocs have climbed on each other, really they should dropping oil and fire from the top. A Trolloc throws a spear that pins Lord Agelmar against a wall! The Two Towers Battle of Helm’s Deep with a sobering ending. In the Dark One’s vision, he manipulates a cord that makes Egwene’s throat bleed, Rand pleads for him to stop and the wound seals itself. It seems like Rand is falling to the temptation looking at his child. This is an Anakin Skywalker choice!
The Dark One watches Moiraine with the blade. Code words are given to two women warriors, it is Padain Fain with a Myrddraal that takes their heads, they are free to infiltrate Fal Dara! Loilal and Perrin have finished the digging and uncovered the Horn of Valere which Uno says will call the Pattern’s greatest heroes! Lady Amalisa hears the horns sounding with the fall of the fortress, she wants all of them to join her with the One Power. They connect the weaves of the One Power. Perrin sees Padan Fain and goes for an axe. The Dark One tells Rand to take away his anger and turn it into wanting Joiya to be real. A choice that seems to mirror Lews Therin Telamon and his child. "I can feel your hate. It makes you stronger, gives you focus", says Palpatine. The weaves of One Power appear around Rand so weaves of darkness!, the Dark One says Rand is channeling, Moiraine starts to cut Rand’s throat. For some reason, I keep thinking of Voldemort possessing Professor Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), Philosopher’s Stone in the UK.
Lady Amalisa draws on more power. The screeches draw Uno and Lord Yakata leaving the horn box. The Dark One says Joiya is becoming real and Rand turns to him. Lady Amalisa draws the One Power into a wave that rolls through the Trolloc army. Rand reaches down to where he has kept the Sa’angreal, Moiraine sees it about to be activated. He says to the Dark One that the Egwene he loves would not turn away from being an Aes Sedai and holds out the Sa’angreal! Then, he blasts the Dark One, at the seal, there are cracks. Rand tells Moiraine that he did it. Perrin is walking the corridors, startled by bats, hears the Fades screeching and the battle. Padan Fain has killed Uno, Lord Yakata, and Loilal! Lady Amalisa is unable to stop the massive power, another channeler falls, then Nynaeve. She crawls over to Egwene, grasps her arm, and repeats the Wisdom’s ceremony.
Then, falls, Lady Amalisa’s eyes are pitted and she collapses dead. Padan Fain takes the Horn case and says that Perrin and the four others are ta’avern, parts of the Wheel. He sent the Trollocs to bring them to the Dark One! Rand says he felt the madness and doesn’t want to kill everyone he loves, he tells Moiraine to tell the others he died at the Eye of the World. Padan Fain says it’s the beginning and leaves with the Fades. Lan finds Moiraine and says that she can’t touch the One Power! Egwene is able to revive Nynaeve. Lan sees the cuendillar stone that couldn’t be broken by the One Power and Moiraine says it is not the Last Battle, it’s the first! On a beach on the Far Western shore, a young girl (Alexia Rodriguez Melian) sees out on the sea, red sails. They are strange, Asian-like ships where women channel the One Power, the Seanchan from the second book, The Great Hunt (1990), to send up a massive wave, Abyss-style, that overshadows the girl! I didn't recognize them at first. I would have liked to see the Amazons fight, but ok, excited for season two of this series! The Wheel of Time has touches of other fantasy stories, but there is so much originality in it’s world and characters that makes it memorable!
Five Ter’angreal out of Five!
#WheelOfTime, #TheEyeOfTheWorld, #AlexanderKarim, #KatieBryben, #FaresFares
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