Everybody Hates Rand: A Wheel of Time Podcast
Just two hyper-critical English majors talking some pretty big game about The Wheel of Time. Co-hosts Emily and Sally gather around their kitchen table each week to serve you up a full fantasy feast of oft-misremembered summary, hot analysis, scraps of literary theory, and a whole lot of hating Rand.
Episodes
With no more chapters to summarize, it's just us and a Rainforest Cafe-themed novelty light-up cup, trying to decide whether and by what metrics Wheel of Time is a successful series.
Alright, who put "body swap" on their bingo card? We read the epilogue and talk about who else should have (actually) died, the possible Heroes of the Horn Polycule, Better Amyrlins Than Cadsuane (Literally anyone), Rand Uchiha, and ... God??
We've reentered Flop City with ch. 45–49. This rushed sequence manages to both under-explain and over-explain itself, and would it really be a Wheel of Time climax if there wasn't misogyny? At least we have Gaul's SWAT team of wolves and Moridin getting his Darth Maul on.
Ch. 42–44 are packed with character development ... that has already happened! We talk about All the Dads Dying, Logain Inventing CPS, Horn of Valere Orientation, Asexual Artur Hawkwing, and Thom's, uh, Interesting Word Choice.
R.I.P. to, uh, everyone? Not really, but close. We finish ch. 37 and talk about the Hurinspital, how Wheel of Time is trying to be Game of Thrones, the Barbenheimer sequel, a possible Lews Therin jumpscare, and how at least Demandred Has Hobbies.
R.I.P. to the best character in the series (Bela the horse). Unfortunately she died in service of the worst subplot in the series. We discuss Choice vs. Fate Philosophy, how Talmanes Is In a Saw Trap, Getting a Death Notice from a Wolf, and Playing Evil Catch with My Evil Son.
Why are children on this battlefield? Inquiring minds want to know. We talk about Belinda, Brando Sando Power Activate, Berelain's Herspital, Demandred's Balefire Gun, Shendla's Snipe List, Upgrading to a Lesbian Warder, and Artur Hawkwing as a Mean Bisexual.
Somehow Demandred has time to ... date? We're confused. As we dive deeper into chapter 37, we talk about Chad Galad's Autistic Rizz, Logain Believes in Logain, Canonical "It" Pronouns, Fantasy Slurs, and whether upping the stakes is effective anymore.
He's also been Taken (TM) by Graendal, so that's bad, but it's nice to know he's hot. Also in this episode: Girl Don't Touch Your Face, Siuan Is Retiring Tomorrow, Uno the Chaperone, X-Men Talents, and Pevara's Stanley Cup.
We're taking a break from the Last Battle to look back — and forward — using your fine, prime vintage questions in this extra-special, extra-long episode. Also, we decide who we'd f***, marry, and kill between Ishamael, Moghedien, and Asmodean (answers may surprise you).
We start this episode with a long talk about swinging and end with llama-based horror. The first section of ch. 37 includes Freak TikTok, Classic Man Behaviors, Anxiety Telepathy, and a Boring Hell Dimension.
We're so close to the Last Battle proper! For ch. 35–36, we discuss Quadrutiary Characters, the Stupidest Faile Decision of All Time, the Second Yeeting of the Horn of Valere, the Last Map, and Unspeakable Broth Facts.
It's ch. 33–34, and at this point we are begging for Slayer to have an anime makeover and become a compelling villain. We talk about Bullying/Objectifying Men, Ocean's FedEx, the Third Gavroche Episode in a Row, and Double Lobotomies.
Is this book romantasy all of a sudden? Ch. 31–32 have that Old Man Love Story, Trebuchet v. Trebuchet, Traveling Zoom Calls, Beefing It at the Finish Line, Bryne's Cry for Help, and Galgan's Lingerie.
Ch. 28–30 are frustrating and repetitive. We talk about Lan's Lobotomy, Edgelord Moridin, Cringe Gateways, Logain's Dramatic Entrances, Mr. Gavroche, and how the Impotence Metaphor Has Gone Too Far.
Ch. 26–27 have us thinking that maybe some wives would be better off fridged. We also talk about Gawyn's Thousand Typewriters, Egwene with a Steel Chair, Boob Honks, Letting Evil Bashere Cook, and Deus Ex Fallen Raken.
It's both Lanfear-appearance and Lanfear-interference (same thing). For ch. 24–25, we talk about the Rod Holder, Theoden King Wannabes, the Power of God and Anime, the Moridin Pieta, and we ask: Where's the Jingle-Jangle of It All?
Ch. 22–23 may make real Wheel of Time scholars out of us. We talk about the Shemandreds, a "Phantom Menace" Version of Demandred, how Lanfear's Job Here Is Done, the Failed Evil Plans Badge, and Moiraine's AK-47.
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