WoT: Nowhere near as exciting as last week, but we probably needed a breather anyway. Like the more in-depth look at Warder culture (pretty much any Warder that wasn't Lan was more or less faceless in the books).

Playing Where's Waldo with Padan Fain is turning into an interesting game. I'm sure I've missed some appearances.

Great to finally see Loial even if he looks very different the personality is spot-on.

WoT:

Interesting thread on Reddit on how well the show is displaying platonic intimacy among the various characters. [link]

Lan and Moiraine are probably the biggest, but all the main characters have their moments.

Just finished S2 of Ted Lasso, and am slightly wrecked and can't even form all the necessary words. NATE !!!!!1!1 And RUPERT, fucking RUPERT, that gaslighting utter cockwomble! But, also, oh, Sam, dear marvelous Sam, and WHY, Roy Kent, why did you have to do that sweet and totally stupid thing, why? Oh, show.

For a huge change am not even reading the spoiler font since I am rationing our Ted Lasso viewing. I think I am through S2E7 now.

Oh, JZ, it's been months since I saw it, and you just brought it all rushing back.

Laura, I wish I had your restraint. I won't have new Ted Lasso for oh so long.

In other streaming news, Netflix has cancelled Cowboy Bebop after one season. [link]

I was unfamiliar with the anime, and didn't watch the live-action series. I'm sorry for those who enjoyed it, though.

Although I'm a huge John Cho fan, and appreciated him in the role, I never clicked with the series. I thought it was a fairly pointless repeat of the anime--which I loved.

The anime was damn-near perfect. It absolutely oozed style, the music was amazing and perfectly suited to what was on the screen at all times and the storytelling had a wonderful mix of action, pathos and humor. It was also one of the first truly excellent English dubs.

I still plan on watching the live-action series at some point, but I've got so many other things demanding my attention right now that it's near the bottom of my "to watch" list.

It sounds like everyone involved really wanted to do it the series justice but the execution was still lacking.

I like both versions of Cowboy Bebop, but it's hard to disagree the point of it being an unnecessary remake of the anime. Also, I seriously have my doubts that live-action radical Ed would have worked.

The Expanse

S6E1

I'm glad the series is back. The visuals are still stunning. Most of the people are still annoying. I'm not at all sure where the story is headed.

WoT Episode 6

While that relationship was hinted at in the books I think Moiraine and Siuan being an actual couple worked really well here.

The part with Mat getting left behind seemed really weird but reading some things online it was apparently due to COVID and episode 6 being the last one they shot before they had to put the production on hold and Barney Harris leaving the show before they resumed shooting. I have no idea how they're going to handle it in-story beyond knowing that Mat was recast in season 2.

We got some more Tower politics and some great lines from Moiraine throughout the episode. I'm loving Rosamund Pike's performance as Moiraine.

Book Spoilers: With the emphasis on the Aes Sedai being more skeptical of prophecies and knowledge left over from the Age of Legends in this turning of the Wheel I suspect that they are mistaken about The Dark One's prison being at The Eye of the World and it's just the location of one of the Seals like it is in the books.

Also, I'm willing to bet the ter'angreals in Moiraine and Siuan's rooms led to a Dream Shard rather than anywhere physical considering it seemed to be an exact replica of Siuan's childhood hut and they seem to have changed Siuan's Talent from seeing Ta'veren to Dreaming in the show .