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The first season felt generic and blank. I don't remember the books much, but I was expecting likeable characters in an exciting and detailed world.
The characters were bland (except Perrin), and the world was a pile of cliches (who are the Children of Light? What's with the evil ruins?). Also, Matt is no fun and angsty.
The finale felt rushed and undramatic.
I'll jump into season 3 if it gets decent reviews.
Also, Matt is no fun and angsty.
So, just like he is for like the first 3 books, then?
I thought he was comic relief at some point. Does that come later?
I may have been overstating it by saying "first 3 books", but it's at least most of the first 2. I just went through my chat history with my sister where I basically live blogged my first reading of the series. It included such gems as:
from book 1, and
Can’t stand Mat. Constant whiner.
In book 2.
Though he's not without good moments in the earlier books too:
I'm not sure what book this was from:
but clearly my read on Mat had not changed by this point, though it's possible it had started shifting. By the time he goes to help collect the Bowl of Winds my opinion had more or less changed. And definitely by the later books I really enjoyed his character.
I think he starts becoming a really good character after he's gone through the ter'angreal in Rhuidean.
It's been 30 years since I read the first few books, so I guess I mixed up fun new Mat with old distrustful Mat.
So good for the showrunners for keeping him on brand? I guess.
Season 2 was a significant upgrade from S1.
Evil Ruins is Shadar Logoth, a once good and prosperous city that slowly became selfish and paranoid. The effect became so powerful that the city itself became infected with an evil taint that lingers on every stone and item in the confines of the city.
The Children of the Light are an Inquisition analog. Any group that uses violence, black/white thinking and believing that any actions they perform MUST be good, because they are performing it and they are good is prime real-estate for infection by Darkfriends.
In the books, the red ruby dagger is a conduit for that evil, which is distinct from the Dark One's evil.
Padin Fain was a Darkfriend who became obsessed with the dagger, merged with it's evil and became something new entirely. He acts as a 3rd side in the Dragon vs Dark One struggle.
Making him one of the Chosen neatens the story up a little, but I think we'll miss the chaos of his presence.