rationalnerd

Wow what an heartbreaking and incredible episode. Nynaeve's test had a lot of similarities with the book, but also very interesting differences. I love that her future fear is about leaving the Tower. The scenes with her kid and Mat and Perrin were so cute. Egwene's pain at losing Nynaeve (again!) and Elayne supporting her friend were great character moments. Also, Mat running away (again!) was so appropriate, considering the guilt he bears of having left them behind. I hope he'll get his redemption moment later this season.

The Seanchans are terrifying. The unexpected death is a book change that will break some hearts, but had meanings and sense. Looking forward to Perrin interacting with the wolves in the rest of the season.

Rand! Logain! Selene! Cairhien! So many good moments!

A great episode, in which we find out what Rand has been doing since his fake death. And he has been plotting! I love that for him. Our boy is smart and plans ahead for one goal, which he seems to achieve by the end of the episode. And he has met some... interesting people. I wasn't expecting to enjoy Selene interacting with Rand, but I was wrong.

Moiraine suffering and lashing out at Lan was heartbreaking, but overall very close to the books (even if more intense!). I can't wait to see what's in plans for the two of them for the rest of the season.

I love pretty much everything going on in the White Tower. Elayne?? Mat and Min?? That's a duo I did not expect and am very much enjoying...

After almost two years of wait, we are back, and it feels great! We start off with a long time jump, and our characters scattered all across the world. The pacing is good, the new characters very entertaining (gotta love Verin and Adeleas), and if you're open to changes from the books, you should have a great time!

Some of my highlights:

• The several call backs to the first episode of season 1. Between Moiraine's bath and Bel Tine, we're in for the gut punches.

• That fight in the last few minutes of the episode! Mind blown, and great to see how terrifying Fades can be (and how incredible Lan is)
• Strangely, the miscommunication. We hate it in the books, but Alanna misunderstanding Egwene? This scene was top notch. Really.

It was a genuinely great show. The cast is absolutely amazing, which is not that easy to get for such a young cast, but all those girls are very talented, and I would have loved to watch them grow with their characters.

The plot itself is interesting (kids lost in a different timeline, just trying to find their way back home), but it's really the interactions between the characters that give the show its worth. Most of the kids get to meet their older selves, which can get interesting, sometimes funny or very moving. Some of the adults get to deal with the disappointment of their younger selves, for not being as successful as the 12 years old had hoped. For other, it's about making up for a lost past. Meanwhile, 12 years old KJ discovers things about her old self she probably had never considered before...

This show really could have grown into something big and amazing, and yes, as big as Stranger Things. But sadly, Amazon seems to have given up on them before they even got released. The marketing and promotion were inexistant, the budget very limited, and a showrunner left mid-2021 to join RoP. Why outbid other companies to get the rights to Paper Girls if Amazon wasn't even willing to give them a fair shot at success? Who knows.

After a first episode in which the conflict to come was unclear, this second episode follows along four main threads, with various challenges to face.

Galadriel is... Swimming. For a while. Must have been quite interesting to shoot. She meets a group of people that do not last long, and a big fish quite hungry. I am very curious about the man she meets. Another lost king, like Aragorn? Is his kingdom where Sauron waits? Will we go there? I'll need a map to get who is going where honestly ahaha. From previous trailers I have some good ideas on who they are about to meet, and I am excited about that.

Nori and Poppy have my favorite arc this episode. The man they have found is soooo mysterious. With little lore knowledge, I have only vague hypothesis on who he could be, but he got magic and is dangerous, so there's that. The scene with the fire and the results of the meteor was soooo pretty. Also Nori and Poppy have the best relationship developed so far in the show. They are hilarious!

Elrond needs to help that other elf (... I am very suspicious about what he will do with his new forge), so went to see his friend Durin. Khazad Dum was absolutely splendid. And the music when Elrond got there? The percussion? Amazing. Durin's wife (Disa?) was great, I'm guessing we'll see her do some singing and this will be magestic. What was that light at the end? One of the two lights? Something else?

Alrondir and Bronwyn are interesting so far. What was in those tunnels? Why are they being made? And can Theo stop playing with Sauron's sword???

Overall a great episode, kept me entertained and invested, with many questions to see answered. Can't wait for the next episode!

With that budget, it does not come as a surprise that this first episode is visually gorgeous. Tolkien's epic fantasy is back, and it is colorful and stunning and I am excited to get many more episodes of this. Musically, I am already blown away by several of the musical themes, and I honestly can't wait to dive deep into the soundtrack (but I may wait until the first season is over to do so).

Story wise, this first episode does a great job seeing up its world and characters. I came in only knowing Galadriel and Elrond, as I haven't read most of Tolkien's work, but have grown attached to many of the characters we just discovered. Nori the harfoot is cute in her curiosity, and the ending of the first episode got me concerned about her fate. Theo, Bronwyn's son, has found something that he probably should not have touched. I am deeply invested into Galadriel's fight. I know many more characters have still to be introduced, and I am excited to get to see them.

It may sounds cheesy on paper, but I appreciate what was done with the map of the Middle Earth. Since we are jumping between places, it's nice to visualize where everything is.

This episode ends with signs that a darkness just woke up again in this world. Let's now see how our characters deal with it.

My favorite episode of this first season! KJ has a incredible moment in the theater, when she talks with Lauren, and the acting was really incredible for such a young actress. The way she struggles to find her words, to say exactly what she wants to say, and how Lauren still somehow gets it and is there to tell that it's going to be ok... I wish my 12 years old self could have watched that.

And then the rooftop discussion between Mac and KJ broke my heart. I still need KJ to get to come out at some point, but I'm happy that at least Mac got to tell someone else about her imminent's death.

I'm really hoping the show will get renewed cause need more of those two!