“Why are these changes any different from, say, the absence of Mat Cauthon and Verin Sedai, both of whom were present for the battle in the books?” one might ask. But while the shuffling of characters and locations seems reasonable for narrative balance, the changing of a major storyline seems more speculative. In the books, for example, Loial simply locks the Waygate behind him and, although foiled by a later incursion, is left unscathed. So why make his effort to close the magical passage so seemingly permanent in this episode of The Wheel of Time, for him and the Waygate itself?
The Ogier is not necessarily out of the picture for good, and perhaps his dramatic departure could be triumphantly undone in a future episode, but what about Perrin’s fate? Although his deal with Dain Bornald of the Whitecloaks to help with the fight was straight out of The Wheel of Time books, he quite justifiably refused to honor his pledge in the original tale due to the fact that the Children of the Light didn’t lift a finger against the trollocs.
It’s likely that, as with Loial’s disappearance in the Waygates, Perrin’s arrest is played for drama so that when he escapes or is let go, he’ll be all the stronger for it. But given how opposite both events are from their book counterparts, it feels wrong somehow to use such a 180 simply to make things more tragic for the viewing audience. The Women’s Circle of the Two Rivers, which picked up the Whitecloaks’ slack in the books, almost lost their moment in the sun!
Fortunately, Faile specifically commented on the women’s prowess in battle, which was a reminder in turn of how her character’s arc differed from the novel. Without getting into book spoilers, there are deals made for Faile to flee but instead she brings reinforcements. That change, of course, makes much more sense given that, even in the Robert Jordan story, Faile could protect herself just fine.
