primeideal | Wheel of Time Season 3, Episode 1: To Race the Shadow

As usual, there will be some compare/contrasting to how it was in the books, but no super-explicit book spoilers (I hope?)

Siuan calls a Sitting of the Hall with a technical quorum but not enough Red Sisters. I had heard "Aes Sedai civil war" and was kind of assuming it would be closer to the books in terms of an actual schism, the consequences of making her own secret plans with the Dragon and Moiraine kind of backfiring, and I figured "trying to go behind the Reds' backs" could be an effective setup for that...but instead it's just "look surprise Darkfriends, fight fight." Eh.
Thirteenth Depository namedrop! In the books it's just a secret library archive with documents but this is an effective way to set up some of the conflicts.
Implication that Maksim and Ihvon can feel each other's presence in the bond, not just Alanna's. Again kind of a change to how it works in the books.
Benefits of watching with closed-captions: one of the Black Ajah sisters gets identified by name in the credits as Joiya. This is from the books; it's also the name of Rand and Egwene's daughter in the fakeout vision from the end of season 1 (in the books, something similar happens in Egwene's Arches test.)
"You're going to get speared"/"Light, I hope so" Lol Mat.
Playing Snakes and Foxes!
"You really think I'd hurt those kids just to get them away from Rand?" --Moiraine, who has previously threatened to kill Rand rather than let the Dark One have him. "Of course, that's the only thing I like about you." --Lanfear telling it like it is!
Lan just directly addresses Nyneave's arches vision. Obviously there's been a lot offscreen, they probably talked about it, but I like the idea that he's so familiar with Tower rituals and knows Nynaeve so well that he figures "yes, of course we were together in one of the visions, duh."
Elayne: "let's just start talking about conquering nations in a very matter-of-fact way." Rand: "uhhhh"
Crazy Rand in Egwene's vision looks like Logain with the long hair, effective.
Shirtless Lan looks like movie Snape. Not a great look on him, IMO.
Wait, Aviendha was on a boat journey during the offscreen months? Okay forget the sexual tension, I want to hear about Aviendha's seasickness and culture shock on boats.
How do Rand and Egwene not realize that trying to get back together is a bad idea. Like, ignoring Renna and all the Seanchan trauma, they have really not had the "we're growing apart and going in different directions" realization yet?
Nynaeve's protectiveness of Mat, d'awww. She just wants to take care of her kids.
"We're all trapped in a crazy nightmare and inadvertently trying to kill our friends." Perrin: "or as I call it, Tuesday"
I guess "I need to stick by Rand because I'm in love with him" is one excuse to get Egwene into the Aiel plot but...ugh, it feels lazy.
Betraying the Dark One means a true death and your soul is destroyed? I don't think this was really a thing in the books (not for lack of trying on Ishamael's part), but some "creepy evil channeling powers are required to make a Gray Man," yeah, that was a thing.