The Wheel of Time (TV Series) What Was Meant to Be (2023) User Reviews

Okay Okay, much cool much dragon!

[Truzoeka · 9/10 · 6 October 2023]

I had not expected this episode to be this 'epic' and as I have a few notes on some certain story choices, and some terrible cgi/vfx stuff near the end, I think this episode overperformed on many aspects.

It was cool, it was epic. Lan was epic, finally! One of my main conserns with this adaptation so far.

As a fan of the books I have to say, they really turned this season around and it felt alot more faithful to the books.

The forsaken are truly carrying the show but now I am actually excited for the next season, something the last episode of s1 didn't manage. God I just hope Amazon is gonna grant the writers & producers more episodes per season or just more time per episode even. I mean they cramped this episode to the teeth and I loved it but much of this could have had a lil more breathing room.

It was a good season finale. A lot better then I hoped for. Now give the creators more time, resources and creative freedom!

Imperfect but a far stronger finale than Season 1

[bluejays-88045 · 8/10 · 6 October 2023]

Very good episode in my opinion, many upsides and some downsides.

I really liked the intense battle sequences in this episode that was highly satisfying to watch, especially how the whitecloaks ambush the city using a smoke diversion. Everything with Perrin, Uno, Hopper, and Mat was very good, the exact opposite of the Season 1 finale where absolutely nothing happens with them. Uno as a hero of the horn is questionable but whatever he's fun to watch. Perrin killing Bornhald's father sets up his conflict with the Whitecloaks which lasts basically the entire series.

Egwene killing her sul'dam was extremely well done, brutal scene and powerful. Other things I enjoyed included Bayle Domon, Moghedien is genuinely perfect, and the massive fire dragon cast by Moiraine over falme was pretty awesome. It was also great seeing Mat begin to realize his past lives and memories and fight with the heroes of the horn, just genuinely cool, Donal finn plays him very well. I'm glad we have finally resolved the silly conflict between Moiraine and Lan and their actions in this episode are entirely in keeping with their characters.

What I did not like was the fight between Ishamael and Rand. I think it should have been far more epic and intense than it was and while we ended up in the same place at the end of the day it could've felt a lot more earned. It is easily the weakest point of this episode. However, in the books Ishamael 'loses' to Rand I think like 3 times when he's far stronger so it's not totally out of line but could have been done far better than it was. I am also sad that Ingtar was never revealed as a darkfriend and never formally came back to the Light before he died.

I am conflicted about Lanfear as it is true that while she served the Shadow what she wanted above all was Lews Therin which affected everything she did. We will see how this pans out.

This is a far better conclusion than we got in Season 1 and anyone who thinks it isn't clearly doesn't remember how mind bogglingly bad S1 ep 8 was or is determined to hate for its own sake.

Epic season Finale

[SallyWilliams · 10/10 · 6 October 2023]

A fantastic end of a good season. All storylines came to an end, and new seeds were planted for the future. A lot of magic, which I always like. And each of the main protagonists got to play his part. The kids proved that they are worthy of the powers they got to wield. The acting was good. The visuals were excellent. The town where it happened reminded me a bit of another great fantasy epos. For a moment I thought Daenerys could fly above it all on one of her babys.

I don't know if the book readers will approve, and I don't care. TV and books are totally different and need different storytelling. This series was getting more & more interesting. As a fan of high fantasy I really love it.

Amazing ending to a great season 2

[neuroman_uae · 10/10 · 6 October 2023]

Absolutely loved the second series of this show. I liked the first series, but this just moved on to another level. The finale was brilliant. I just didn't want it to end. I can honestly say i am so looking forward to the next season. I have never read the books, but after this season i am definitely going back to the beginning and read them. I enjoyed watching the characters develop through each episode in their own right, and how they came together to support Rand at the end. The felt the acting was top notch and it would be great to see how the actors / actresses and their characters develop in the next season.

Dovie'andi se Tovya Sagain

[ahernandez-99436-14810 · 10/10 · 7 October 2023]

After season one's lackluster finale they absolutely needed to land this one, and despite a handful of moments they did.

The beauty of the Wheel of Time, and how it works in universe, allows the showrunners to push against the Pattern to deliver surprises to book readers while still retaining the spirit of RJ's masterpiece.

Do I like every choice and moment, no. But then I didn't like every choice and moment from the books either.

This episode is the perfect example of capturing incredible book moments while also believably remixing them. And while I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of how Nyneave and Rand were handled this episode, everything else makes up for it.

The EF5 + Elayne coming together captures the spirit of the books incredibly well, though I do wish there was more energy when Rand stabbed Ishy. That moment felt a bit lackluster.

The best moment was Mat. This was his episode, and seeing him blow the Horn brought tears to my eyes. Damned right he's a true hero.

The Forsaken continue to impress, and that last shot introduction to Moghedien sent chills down my spine.

I cannot wait to see what's in store next for this turning of the Wheel.

What a journey this episode was

[natblida · 10/10 · 6 October 2023]

I smiled, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was an experience. I love that the show focuses on characters' development, relationships and journey and it's not just about how to be the flashiest always action packed mess that most fantasy shows fall into.

I love all of these characters and it's nice to see the growth of the show as well with such a finale. It gives me even more hope about season 3 seeing how it will most likely cover one of the best storylines in the entire series.

Anyways, if you still have doubts, please just watch this show, it's what fantasy fans needed and deserve.

A case study on how to do a finale

[sheedyf · 10/10 · 6 October 2023]

Kudos to all involved. Season2 has reinvented the show by focusing on everything good in the story,while at the same time allowing for growth & development of characters we have come to love & root for, this hour+ episode reunited our core team in a meaningful way, &along with the not-to-complicated machinations of bad guys,allowed for an epic conclusion to a year-long story,while allowing for lots of callbacks to last years finale. The returning & new cast have flourished this year & by allowing us more time with these ppl we have grown to love & support them & I can't wait to reconnect in s3.

Gloriously fun - WoT living up to its potential

[carolinenorrington · 10/10 · 6 October 2023]

This episode delivered action from start to finish, while still hitting emotional beats. I'm a book reader and this ep delivered so many iconic moments from the books, while threading them into a story that can fit within the timeframe and format of TV show. It delivers a resolution while setting things up for s3, which will be an adaptation of the Shadow Rising. Overall, this capped off a season that was superior to season 1 in every way. A lot of credit goes to the s2 directors, particularly Sanaa Hamri. Thankfully they've abandoned the stage musical-type vibe that was adopted at the start of s1 and settled into an more sophisticated take on the eclectic mash-up of contemporary and historical aesthetics that gives WoT its range and distinctive feel.

I'm disappointed Amazon won't give the show a little more run-time to play with, as this is forcing them to squeeze out really great subplots like Ingtar's in order to keep focus on the main characters. I appreciate the writers are smart enough to deviate from the source material with the scenes and sequencing in order to create a coherent and engaging story with the time and resources they have, and one that consistently balances the development of all the POV characters, rather than something that would feel like an illustrated Cliff's Notes of the books, or . For me, season 2 captured what is fun about the WoT, and had the right balance of optimism and grit, humour and action with drama and worldbuilding, and visually is starting to live up to expectations (though I'd like to see future seasons level up the visuals even further).

I remain torn on this adaptation

[TheVictoriousV · 6 October 2023]

Oh, how torn I am on The Wheel of Time. Yes, even as its second season went out with a considerable bang. (That stuff was fire -- several weaves of it.)

I have a lot of the same problems as in the first season -- some things aren't paced as well as in the books, and with certain concepts/locations, e.g. The Ways, there's hardly even an attempt at doing them justice -- but the show keeps winning me back with some of its choices, from the casting to the way that certain passages are adapted. Throughout the first few episodes, I kept thinking things like "Yes, THAT is Elayne Trakand!", "Yes, THAT is Bayle Domon!", "Yes, THAT is Elyas!", and so on and so forth.

Other casting decisions I'm less certain about and, yes, guys, I know there's still the possibility that some characters are cast with DEI quotas in mind (even as the world of the books is a rich and varied one, which I once suggested may provide some "justification" for those who usually harp on this stuff -- but it seems that in this show, the only physical attribute that denotes someone's land of origins is the red hair of the Aiel). Having said that, no one really sticks out as especially terrible. My least favorite of the main cast is probably Marcus Rutherford, who plays Perrin, failing to truly capture his emotionality.

As for Ishamael, who is now an ever-present villain, I am once again torn. Fares Fares is a fine actor (a veteran of Swedish film, some of his best roles are Easy Money and Jalla! Jalla!), but I dunno, hearing him speak English and going for a "menacing" delivery, I can't help but think of an evil Nandor the Relentless.

I suppose the biggest issue with the series is that, ultimately, it doesn't stand out from its contemporaries the way that Robert Jordan's source material stands out in the history of High Fantasy literature. I'm glad we have something, but I feel as though we'll soon be forgetting it.

Awesome finale for an awesome season!

[josepantoni · 10/10 · 6 October 2023]

As I have said in the title, this has been much better than what I was expecting, of course there has been changes from the books but this has been greately portrayed by an amazing cast. Also the scenery, the sets themselves have been greately decorated, they really bring you into the book's world and I could not be more happy to have seen it. It has been one of the best season finale's I have ever seen, and for sure this is being the best fantasy show since the 5th season from Game of Thrones aired. I'm happy I've lived to see this day, and I'm eager to see whats to come!! Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of Time!!!

Pushed the show to a new level.

[mattwalsh91-893-231603 · 9/10 · 8 October 2023]

I'm not going to give it 10/10, because I feel like there's always room for improvement. But this was about as close to 10/10 as you could get. They saved everything until the last episode. There was more grit, more emotion, more everything in this episode, it was unreal.

Egwene's storyline was EASILY the best part of the series. The actress really came into her own. I think they did the Suldam and Damane perfectly and I'm intrigued to see where Egwene's story goes next.

The structure of the season was miles better than the first season. Characters actually did things. More interesting things happened, and the show runners definitely listened to the complaints from season 1. Everything felt more rounded, more deliberate. They really knocked it out of the park.

Mat blowing the horn was honestly epic. Better than I could have imagined a TV show would make it. Absolutely amazing.

I'm just hyped to see where they can take this show next season, because season 2 showed me what this show is really capable of. And I am dying to see it.

If one can have an orgasm from a series, I just had it!

[dudajan · 10/10 · 6 October 2023]

What a season finale. It had everything I wished for. Finaly found a series/movie to write a review for.

I read the books. I am a huge fan of both the books and the tv show.

Firstly, I know that the authors of the adaptation have an impossibly difficult job. To keep the fans of the books happy and at the same time keep the uninvolved people who havent read the book interested. All the haters underestimate how difficult this is.

Secondly, the writers, producers, director, actors... they dont owe anything to the fans of the books. THEY are the people who broght this to life. They are artists, they are the creatives. We as viewers can only be thankfull to them for their effort and for their vision. And dont forget how many technical and budgetary dificulties there can be to bring that vision to fruition.

Having said all of the above, I cant praise everyone involved enough. I had a hell of a time watching season 2 and cant wait for season 3 and I hope they keep the ignorant people interested enough to film all the books and film the whole series to a deserved finale. Its just as the books, the season one is world building, character building a bit slowish at times but still great. Book two is where things really pick up.

Best of luck. Cant wait for more.

Rand Seems So Dissapointing

[gkkarahann · 6/10 · 6 October 2023]

I actually laughed when Rand stabbed Ishamael with the sword like that. There were a lot of epic moments that belonged to Rand, and the writers don't seem to care about that. He needs the fire dragon that Moraine left in the sky to even declare that he is a dragon. Can't Rand do anything on his own? It seems like it would be okay without Rand, the other supporting characters are already stronger than they should be, let them handle the necessary work, what do you say? Anyway, even though the show did some good things at some points, it was disappointing to see Rand look so weak.

But I must say that they done good job portraying the forsakens, cool characthers.

Disappointed

[walkerashley-23166 · 5/10 · 15 October 2023]

How has this episode got so many high reviews. It lacks any cohesion, any iconic momenta, Egwene holding off ishy is just ridiculous, honestly what's the point off every other character may as well make this the Egwene show. Rand once again prophesied dragon reborn is completely useless, why is Elayne the one healing rand when Nynaeve is right there!!! Surely seeing her friend mortally wounded stirs up enough emotion to channel. What's the point of the horn not even name dropping birggite or Artur Hawkwing.

They'll probably have Egwene wield Callandor in series 3 once again saving Rand while he is shielded.

This is sooo bad

[emil571 · 26 October 2023]

How can this pile if crap have a 9 ? I dont know what the showrunners are thinking ? Whatever this show is trying to be it is not the wheel of time. They have raped the source material, and while i know that a tv show is a totally different beast than a novel the changes they made are so stupid and unnecessary. Its just horrible.

Like Rand is the dragon but he is the least impressive person in the series ! Moraine is supposed to be guide not some OP superwoman, Nyneave should be a angry powerhouse but is just worthless, Loial should be the one who guides the party and opens the ways but is less than worthless and brings nothing to the story, Mat gets his memories from ishamael WHAT ?! He has none of his luck that is his whole thing, and Perrin is crap to.

Why are they spending time on Alana and Moraine ? All that time should have been spent on the main characters Mat, Perrin, RAND Egwein and Nyneave.

Rand is the most powerfull channeler of all time and one Aes sedai could not hold a sheild on him, seven bearly could in the books, the character is so incredibly nerfed and badly handled.

I hated every second of this show and I font think it can be saved.

Fantastic episode. Tied together a lot of threads beautifully.

[sapiolocutor · 10/10 · 6 October 2023]

The way they resolved the conflict between Lan and Morraine was beautiful. It was fitting, given her steadfast dedication to helping the Dragon, that it was Morraine that sent the prophecied fiery dragon into the night sky to declare that the Dragon has been reborn.

Couldn't be happier with the way the prophecy of Matt's stabbing of Rand came to pass, and that Matt was the one to use the Horn Of Valere.

Love the moral complexity to the characters: 1. Lanfir: true lover, but allied with evil.

2. Rand: The most powerful user of "the power," but the power is corrupting.

3. Egwene: seemingly sweet girl, but cold-bloodedly kills her master.

4. Nynaeve: powerful protagonist but not fully in control of herself. An untamed animal.

5. Matt: true friend of Rand, but constantly struggles against an ancient evil will.

6. Perrin: another friend of Rand, Matt, etc., but becoming less human by the day. A beast incarnated. In terms of "being in control," might I speculate he is on the opposite trajectory to that of Nynaeve?

7. Morraine: cold and ruthless in her goal of helping the Dragon.

8. Ishamael: was apparently a close friend of Rand in times past, but now the greatest of the forsaken.

Etc etc.

About the love interests of Rand. First it was Egwene. I can't say that I have been too convinced of her love for him, it seems that she is mostly depicted so far to have sort of "forgotten" about Rand. For example, she chose to become "a wisdom," even though that would prevent her from every marrying him. She is never shown to think of Rand, except the one time where Rand literally visited her in her dream with the help of Lanfir. In the books, she sort of forgot about Rand when she started becoming a bit too friendly with a man from the People of the Leaf (?). This episode was not a large exception. Although... she did risk her life (understatement) to protect him with a shield that was, very surprisingly, able to withstand even Ishamael; however, you could imagine many of the other characters doing the same, so it was more like an act of heroism than an obvious act of romantic love. Rand is always shown to love her though, he thinks of her all of the time, even spurning Lanfir to inquire about her location so that, much to Lanfir's chagrin, he could save Egwene. All that despite Lanfir being breathtakingly beautiful.

I love that Lanfir, despite being "one of the Forsaken," is shown to have true love for Rand in the profound risk she took to help him in this episode. It seems that, as Rand loves Egwene more than Egwene loves Rand, it may be the case that Lanfir loves Rand more than Rand loves Lanfir. Although as he said to Morraine, there was "no need for (him) to 'fake' loving Lanfir." Curious to see more to this tale. In the series, it says that he was known to have loved Lanfir "until he met ____" (I can't remember her name). Is it the princess who healed him at the end of the episode that he ends up loving more than Lanfir?

A note on feminism: There is already so much power to the women in the series. Why did the show producer feel the need to make Egwene powerful enough to hold back the most powerful Forsaken? And Nynaeve more powerful yet, so presumably she can handle multiple Forsaken on her own? And why is it only Egwene's whose power was demonstrated against Ishamael? Isn't Rand the Dragon Reborn? That is a lame power creep, a pandering to modern "women power" culture.

Season 2 finishes with a bang!!

[michaelmag-56565 · 10/10 · 6 October 2023]

There was so much to love about this episode, and a few bits to nitpick at!

Mat finally had his moment, and the blowing of the horn was fantastic. Some of the explaining felt rushed, but who cares because it was epic!

As a reader, I knew the hopper moment was coming, but it still hurt... bad!

The fight scene seemed epic, like I could feel the Whitecloaks drawing closer to the tower with each scene.

I knew the Rand Turok bit was coming, but was still shaken by it!

I loved that we got to see the whole gang together again for the finally and whilst I wish it had went down slightly differently, mainly rand doing a bit more being the dragon and all, but was still pleased with the ending!

Moiraine finally admitted it was her who wasn't Lans equal!

And lastly, OMG that scene with the Forsaken at the end! Unreal!

[7.1 to 8] Cooler than "what was meant to be"

[cjonesas · 8/10 · 16 March 2024]

Initially I resisted liking this season's episodes, but the quality of the storyline plots, acting, award-deserving visual and special effects and the overall flow got the better of me, I was satisfied more or less and came to enjoy the "marvelously" epic episodes.

I haven't read the books, so I have completely no idea if the screen-writing and script are true to them or not, but as a based-on and adapted from the papers, 'The wheel of Time' is even more enjoyable than its previous season.

Looking forward to a speedy season 3.

• Screenplay/storyline/plots: 7
• Development: 8
• Realism: 7
• Entertainment: 7
• Acting: 8
• Filming/photography/cinematography: 8.5
• VFX/CGI: 8.5
• Music/score/sound: 7
• Depth: 7
• Logic: 4
• Flow: 7
• Action/adventure/drama: 7
• Ending: 7.

Loved every second of it

[gjakub-65144 · 10/10 · 6 October 2023]

Not only did I enjoy every second of the finale, I also created this account just to tell that to people. I do know that there are major changes from the book, but since I enjoyed the series so much - I don't mind. Books and the series are separate entites to me, which I both enjoy.

Back to the episode - it is fast-paced, cleverly written and gives satisfying payoff to all the story points. I rarely do that, but I exclaimed "oh, so cool" couple of times while watching. And even managed to shed a tear or two.

It's sad to me that this well executed show faces so much backlash from the book fans, because other that not being 100% faithful to source material, it's very well made. But I can see the overall score rising from episode to episode, so maybe it's time for people to acknowledge the series as it's own thing.

So much promise

[brettmozingo · 9/10 · 7 October 2023]

When are we going to finally let Rand have his moment? There was so much action in this episode and I loved it but the ending was very anticlimactic. Instead of Rand having his glory it just becomes more about Egwene. I get it, she's a wonderful actress and plays the part well but would it be too much to ask to stay slightly close to the source material?

No epic fight in the sky, just a little channeling through a sword to poke in the chest. No redemption for Ingtar after setting up the scene perfectly. Rand didn't even get to go against another blademaster.

I try and keep film separate from book but come on, at least keep them close to each other especially when you have such a rich world to build upon.

Promising

[kallepertland · 10/10 · 9 October 2023]

While the first season was a near-complete farce (even for someone not familiar with the source material), the second season has improved the show by a massive margin. Adding to that this genuinely epic season finale, and I can't wait to see more.

I think the episode name is quite telling; this just might be what the show was meant to be. There's still a ton to improve with how the characters and the story are portrayed, but the incredible locations and visuals combined with the world building and setup really start to come together. Some of the action could be slightly more weighty instead of pure spectacle, but it does still deliver in excitement. If a third season manages to capture a level similar to this episode, I think viewers will finally get what they want from the series.

The increase in quality is substantial

[Dannyboi94 · 8/10 · 14 October 2023]

I am not familiar with the books, so I came into this series ignorant to the story, world and characters. I thought season 1 was very.... average. It wasn't bad, but it never left any impact, everything about it was just - meh. I wasn't overly interested in season 2, but thought 'Hell, why not?' If I could get through the Witcher Season 3, then this should be good enough.

I was extremely surpised to see how good this season 2, especially when compared to season 1. It's like they listened to the feedback and improved on it, because everything about S2 is better than S1. The characters are more interesting, the world is more realised, the costumes look way better, the magic is cooler, and the story is much more engaging.

The characters who were boring in S1 are pushed to the front in S2, like Egwene, Moiraine and Lan. Others like Rand, Perrin and Mat are still underused. Rand being he biggest offender here. While the actor is great, and the character himself is good, Rand does feel like he's being pushed to the side. From what the series tells us, he should be the central character, but instead he's more of a side one. Perrin is just as bland as he was in S1.

The worldbuilding is so much better this time around, with the production on cities and villages being very well done. They told us the names of these places we vist, instead of telling us nothing. While they did improve, they also neglected to show us how big this world is. Characters move from city to city, country to country, with no sense of time. How big is this world? There was someone who mentioned they were thousands of miles from the Tower, yet - they never show us. They could do the Lord of the Rings approach, or the Game of Thrones version. Show us the map, where cities are, show us the different cultures of different places. One of the first rules of created a fantasy world, is to make the world believable.

This finale episode in S2 was a great set up for S3, and if they keep with this kind of quality, and perhaps fix some of the glaring issues still present, we could have a brilliant series on our hands. Of course, like I said this is coming from a viewer who hasn't read the books, so I don't know if the series is staying faithful to it's source.

While the series is still ways off from being as brillaint as Game of Thrones, it is better than the Witcher and on par with Netflix's Shadow and Bone. Hopefully it keeps getting better.

This episode was even better than the ending of book 2!

[jaredhull · 10/10 · 8 October 2023]

I've read the first 6 books about 10 times each since the early 90s. The ending in s2e8 was even better than how it was done in The Great Hunt. Egwene finally became the powerful character she is meant to be. I got goosebumps when Mat blew the horn and found out he was a hero and not a lowlife. Lanfear continues to be great. Moiraines "stilling" story arc FINALLY came to an end and I loved the role she played at the end. The 3 maidens are badas$. Rand is finally accepting his destiny and I love how Perrin and Dain went from friends to sworn enemies. Everything came together so well. I was so happy.

Better than season 1 shouldn't be the show's legacy

[jkmoschis · 6/10 · 10 October 2023]

It's clearly a difficult task to both bring to life a work of fiction while dancing to the tune of Amazons greed machine. We get it but...

Rafe and the writers seem to be going out of their way to severely diminish the role of Rand in a show that ultimately should be focused about him. He is the Dragon Reborn and while the side characters are fantastic and play an instrumental part in the story to come, its ultimately Rand v The Dark One.

This theme clearly hasn't gone well with Amazons team and as a result, we have been deprived of a wealth of incredible story arcs that could have been fantastic if correctly realised....including Rand and friends jumping between alternate realities - a fan favourite.

But why should Rafe's lazy disregard for the source material matter to the casual viewer??

Combined with uninspired writing, you get scenes like Ingtar's last stand basically being moot. Ingtar pledged himself to evil and so hunted the horn at great cost to redeem his soul. His sacrifice in holding the passage against the Seanchan was important because: 1. He died so that the 'heroes' could live; and 2. He did not know if the Dark One would still own his soul, especially after betraying him at the last moment.

Facing down the prospect of an eternity of extreme suffering at the hands of an evil deity for the greater good is a feat far more worthy of the Horn of Valere than refusing to swear an oath....

Robert Jordan went to great lengths to ensure the WoT had a creative and inspired magic system. People take in the essence of existence in the form of a highly addictive power; which lets them weave elemental threads together to create wonders.

While the Forsaken are certainly strong in the power, their true danger lies in their knowledge and training in weaves. They lived for centuries during the 'golden age' of humanity, where people collectively devoted their lives to the study of One Power use.

In Rafe's adaption, a child with only months of training can hold their own against the leader of the enemy, a dread lord who rivalled the very best during the Age of Legends. Why?

Rafe not only devalues the importance of training but also shows the Forsaken are not really to be feared at all. One can simply walk forward behind a wall of air and stab then with a 'firey??' sword.

Imagine going to see Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone and the adaption has Ron step up and hold his own against Voldemort in a duel long enough for Harry to shank him.

There is a very important lesson taught by Lan on sacrifice, which seems to have been entirely omitted in favour of the power of friendship???

These lazy foundations are setting the show on a course which will lead to further disappointment down the line.

Here's to Game of Thrones season 8..... I mean Wheel of Time.

S2 better than S1, this drops the ball

[tschadeberg · 2/10 · 16 October 2023]

This finale episode was a joke. I came to terms with the show being its own take on the universe, and not really an adaptation. They split off, made their own sub stories, and focused heavily on minor/new characters like Moiraine's family or the Warders. And in that, S2 was easier to watch and honestly more enjoyable. But this episode shows just how little they follow the books or even make it enjoyable.

It is disappointing to get to the final episode, to see how the show runners WANT to use several of the huge set pieces from Great Hunt, but had misused their screen time so none of the plots were properly paid off or built up.