Okay. So, the thing I was spoiled on was Siuan’s death. So it’s hard to say what my actual reaction is to that. Because I knew it was coming. But one thing is for sure: I think it's stupid and I think the justifications that Rafe gives for it are stupid too. But to be honest, book!Siuan has been dead a while, and they only ever let glimpses of her out anyways.
Last season, people got mad at those of us who were angry with what the show did to Siuan's character-- making her literally the opposite of her book character and using her storyline as an accessory to Moiraine's rather than her own-- saying 'wait, you'll see/you can't keep everything in the books/trust the process/you guys never like anything the show does'. Many of us felt less enamored with the show and the fandom after that, some haven't been posting and some haven't been watching.
I hate saying we told you so, but we did. They killed off Siuan, a character whose biggest storyline comes after she was deposed, not before, to give Moiraine the reaction that lets her 'kill' Lanfear. They decided that everything Siuan does after she is deposed-- guiding Egwene, becoming a mentor to her and a secret force of support to her, telling a story about how a woman who has lost everything comes back and finds a purpose-- is less important than finding a will for Moiraine to do something that she had already planned to do.
And let's talk about Moiraine for a second, without the Twisted Doorway, what was Moiraine's cutting Lanfear's throat really worth?? That is the exact same injury that Lanfear healed herself from in season two, she isn't out of commission, and if she is, that's just another inconsistency they've introduced. As for Moiraine without the Tower of Ghenjei to be trapped in, I doubt this is actually 'her death' or we would have had more of a reaction and them talking about it in the actor conversation afterwards. So, we have Moiraine, who has hardly any story left, alive and not trapped and Siuan, who has plenty of story left, dead. I don't know who they will have fill Siuan's role if they fill it at all, whether it will be Leane or Moiraine, or if Moiraine will maybe take Cadsuane's role. But this sucks, completely cutting off Siuan's storyline to add to Moiraine's story in such a minor way. I think it would be horrible to do regardless of who played Moiraine and Siuan, but I think that it must be said that it is an especially bad look that they have seemingly extended the white actress/character's storyline while prematurely cutting off the black actress/character's storyline.
As for Rafe's justifications that Siuan's story after her deposition is 'not at the forefront' and that he wanted Sophie Okonedo to be able to have a big moment before leaving, what complete fucking bullshit. As I've already discussed Siuan's most meaningful plot was ahead of her, Siuan with the wondergirls in Salidar especially Egwene was iconic and important. And Sophie's big moment and monologue could have easily come before her being stilled, not her being killed. And even if the show felt like they couldn't have justified keeping an actress like Sophie on for more seasons cost wise, the book gave them the perfect out--after being stilled, Siuan is de-aged, she could have easily been recast with a cheaper actress. The truth is that the showrunners and writers never respected Siuan as a character outside of her relationship with Moiraine and don't really care about a lot of elements of the story that are important.