Wheel of Time: To Race The Shadow
March 13, 2025 8:05 PM - Season 3, Episode 1 - Subscribe
Best season opener evah! The costumes have been renewed and are beautiful and fit the scene and affairs of this world, the settings are pretty amazing, must be graphics but have a very real/otherly visual, I'd go to a theater to see this episode just to look at the environment.
I'm not a book reader, just too... well it just did not grab me. But reading about the stories made me curious so quite happy to watch. No spoilers in here but surprises and spectacular that make sense. Some good politics arises and a bit of political history that helps to understand the current conflagration. Great fun.
(oh...not 'good' politics, very very bad politics!)
The actors that play the five mainhobbi protagonists are getting grounded in their personalities so where they bolt off in a random direction makes more sense.
There are so many threads and characters and quick cuts that it'll probably be worth a second viewing, perhaps on a big screen.
I'm not a book reader, just too... well it just did not grab me. But reading about the stories made me curious so quite happy to watch. No spoilers in here but surprises and spectacular that make sense. Some good politics arises and a bit of political history that helps to understand the current conflagration. Great fun.
(oh...not 'good' politics, very very bad politics!)
The actors that play the five main
There are so many threads and characters and quick cuts that it'll probably be worth a second viewing, perhaps on a big screen.
We watched the first 20 minutes (after watching all of S1/2) and gave up. So all over the place, just not feeling it.
posted by billsaysthis at 1:43 AM on March 14
posted by billsaysthis at 1:43 AM on March 14
More?? Woohoo!
posted by supermedusa at 6:10 AM on March 14
posted by supermedusa at 6:10 AM on March 14
I was barely aware the third season was coming upon us until I saw one person in social media reference the trailer a few weeks ago. I then forgot when it was coming and just happened to go to Amazon to continue my Stargate rewatch and VOILA.
The first 10 or so minutes of this opener was intense. I operate from the benefit of having forgotten the pacing of events and minor details, so the show generally has avoided for me being predictable and distracting with "I can't believe they changed that!" The Black Ajah attack caught me by surprise, even more so when the other sisters of the Dark Tower were sitters who hopped right down and began letting loose with the power. Like I mentioned, it was intense and I really appreciate how the showrunners figured out how to depict the one power and its usage in the show.
I vaguely remembered the friends split up again but the send off, I didn't know. A lot of physical harm was inflicted in the evening break off under the umbrella of "a healing will take care of it" but it was painful to see both Nynaeve and Egwene get stabbed, Perrin taking the axe to his chest and hand, and so on. Just a big OOF. I agree with Loial, shoulda taken an afternoon departure.
Always a fan of Lan anything.
Every time Alanna showed up I just quietly said to myself, "BATTLE AJAH." Okay, maybe not quiet. It was really beautifully orchestrated how her and her warders attacked the Black Ajah as they were trying to leave. Loved how clearly they worked with each other. Pour one out for Ihvon, regrettably.
Biggest surprise....Elayne and Aviendha. I don't think we can go into the books, but I can see why this decision was made based on the future.
I'll be watching episode two and maybe three tonight, can't wait!
(I also found it was helpful to watch the "up to this point" summary that's available just as a quick refresher.)
posted by Atreides at 6:47 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
The first 10 or so minutes of this opener was intense. I operate from the benefit of having forgotten the pacing of events and minor details, so the show generally has avoided for me being predictable and distracting with "I can't believe they changed that!" The Black Ajah attack caught me by surprise, even more so when the other sisters of the Dark Tower were sitters who hopped right down and began letting loose with the power. Like I mentioned, it was intense and I really appreciate how the showrunners figured out how to depict the one power and its usage in the show.
I vaguely remembered the friends split up again but the send off, I didn't know. A lot of physical harm was inflicted in the evening break off under the umbrella of "a healing will take care of it" but it was painful to see both Nynaeve and Egwene get stabbed, Perrin taking the axe to his chest and hand, and so on. Just a big OOF. I agree with Loial, shoulda taken an afternoon departure.
Always a fan of Lan anything.
Every time Alanna showed up I just quietly said to myself, "BATTLE AJAH." Okay, maybe not quiet. It was really beautifully orchestrated how her and her warders attacked the Black Ajah as they were trying to leave. Loved how clearly they worked with each other. Pour one out for Ihvon, regrettably.
Biggest surprise....Elayne and Aviendha. I don't think we can go into the books, but I can see why this decision was made based on the future.
I'll be watching episode two and maybe three tonight, can't wait!
(I also found it was helpful to watch the "up to this point" summary that's available just as a quick refresher.)
posted by Atreides at 6:47 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
It felt like the departure from Tar Valon was... I dunno. Poorly explained? I thought they were going off to Mount Doom together to help Rand find his army or something, but then in the last few minutes, as a result of the attack, I guess? they split up their forces to be less obvious to Jr. Bjork who's torturing a whitecloak? I think? Or is Rand just like "fuck this I'm going home" maybe? Fuzzy. (To be fair my wife has started re-reading the books and so was grumbling through most of the episode, so I might have missed something in passing.)
Moment to moment it's OK, and I'm sure it'll be fine after a couple of episodes once we get back into the swing of things, but yeah, the whole everybody gets stabbed within a half an inch of their lives but let's lay on a little hands and pretend PTSD doesn't exist in this universe was a bit too much like they knew they had to have an attack and wedge it in, but didn't want to spend any more time on the aftermath than necessary. On the other hand that's basically a fantasy trope, I guess.
Also also like c'mon my dudes if Moiraine comes over to say YOU ARE IN DIRE DANGER KEEP YOUR HEADS DOWN, just going out and boozing it up anyway and sticking your heads out the balcony window and and and - they _want_ to be spotted and killed, right? It's the only thing that makes sense.
And is it just me, or do the Aes Sedai just kind of not have any coherent battle strategy? RUN HEADFIRST INTO CONFLICT STOMP STOMP STOMP. I mean I guess if it's been a long time since they've faced any real threat and they can just roflstomp anything that opposes them either magically or with hypercompetent warders, there's no need for a school of battle strategy?
posted by Kyol at 8:20 AM on March 14
Moment to moment it's OK, and I'm sure it'll be fine after a couple of episodes once we get back into the swing of things, but yeah, the whole everybody gets stabbed within a half an inch of their lives but let's lay on a little hands and pretend PTSD doesn't exist in this universe was a bit too much like they knew they had to have an attack and wedge it in, but didn't want to spend any more time on the aftermath than necessary. On the other hand that's basically a fantasy trope, I guess.
Also also like c'mon my dudes if Moiraine comes over to say YOU ARE IN DIRE DANGER KEEP YOUR HEADS DOWN, just going out and boozing it up anyway and sticking your heads out the balcony window and and and - they _want_ to be spotted and killed, right? It's the only thing that makes sense.
And is it just me, or do the Aes Sedai just kind of not have any coherent battle strategy? RUN HEADFIRST INTO CONFLICT STOMP STOMP STOMP. I mean I guess if it's been a long time since they've faced any real threat and they can just roflstomp anything that opposes them either magically or with hypercompetent warders, there's no need for a school of battle strategy?
posted by Kyol at 8:20 AM on March 14
And is it just me, or do the Aes Sedai just kind of not have any coherent battle strategy? RUN HEADFIRST INTO CONFLICT STOMP STOMP STOMP. I mean I guess if it's been a long time since they've faced any real threat and they can just roflstomp anything that opposes them either magically or with hypercompetent warders, there's no need for a school of battle strategy?
I imagine that it's a bit of both. We only have one Ajah, the Greens, who are really supposed to be the ones who are trained specifically for combat and battle. It also makes sense that other ajahs, like the Browns and Yellows (historians/healers) aren't going to be focusing on battle strategies in their regular work, and I suppose, that's true for most other than the Reds - but then, the Reds are trained more on hunting down individual men and snapping them up for stilling.
So in brief, it is a bit of both. Aes Sedai overall haven't had outright fighting like this in ages and even then, only a specific Ajah really focused on what to do in a battle - and then there's the third unspoken component so far, they definitely didn't expect to fight other One Power users outside of maybe the Reds and those men would not be much in the way of competent users (exceptions provided of course).
Of course, you also have the super competent warders, too, when fighting is necessary.
Bork, Jr., was definitely torturing a white cloak, and I'm not sure if it was part of her "make them a gray man" process, just for fun, or wringing any other information out of them first. I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be one we knew or not.
It was a bit heart breaking seeing Mat just dropping the old tongue here and there and it being haunted by the hundreds of lives he lived. BUT, I am waiting for a certain bow and arrow wielding hero to show up and the wait is driving me crazy. :x
posted by Atreides at 9:03 AM on March 14
I imagine that it's a bit of both. We only have one Ajah, the Greens, who are really supposed to be the ones who are trained specifically for combat and battle. It also makes sense that other ajahs, like the Browns and Yellows (historians/healers) aren't going to be focusing on battle strategies in their regular work, and I suppose, that's true for most other than the Reds - but then, the Reds are trained more on hunting down individual men and snapping them up for stilling.
So in brief, it is a bit of both. Aes Sedai overall haven't had outright fighting like this in ages and even then, only a specific Ajah really focused on what to do in a battle - and then there's the third unspoken component so far, they definitely didn't expect to fight other One Power users outside of maybe the Reds and those men would not be much in the way of competent users (exceptions provided of course).
Of course, you also have the super competent warders, too, when fighting is necessary.
Bork, Jr., was definitely torturing a white cloak, and I'm not sure if it was part of her "make them a gray man" process, just for fun, or wringing any other information out of them first. I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be one we knew or not.
It was a bit heart breaking seeing Mat just dropping the old tongue here and there and it being haunted by the hundreds of lives he lived. BUT, I am waiting for a certain bow and arrow wielding hero to show up and the wait is driving me crazy. :x
posted by Atreides at 9:03 AM on March 14
This show and the sets!
Sure, there is a lot that doesn't make sense (both attacks had startlingly small repercussions! Hours after what should be the most secure place in the world explodes, the market is busy and it's business as usual!), but:
Those sets!
posted by Acari at 7:17 PM on March 14
Sure, there is a lot that doesn't make sense (both attacks had startlingly small repercussions! Hours after what should be the most secure place in the world explodes, the market is busy and it's business as usual!), but:
Those sets!
posted by Acari at 7:17 PM on March 14
And I think that's Bjork sr. She's thousands of years old and way better at magic than our Bjork. Probably.
posted by Acari at 7:21 PM on March 14 [3 favorites]
posted by Acari at 7:21 PM on March 14 [3 favorites]
Never doubt our Björk.
posted by mookieproof at 8:33 PM on March 14 [3 favorites]
posted by mookieproof at 8:33 PM on March 14 [3 favorites]
I'm so excited for this season. Every change they're making is smart and effective, the casting is unbelievable, and it's so, so gorgeous. And so gay! So, so very gay! This makes me unbelievably happy.
posted by restless_nomad at 8:35 AM on March 16
posted by restless_nomad at 8:35 AM on March 16
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posted by Carillon at 9:33 PM on March 13 [3 favorites]