#and it's true that in the books mat often feels like rj threw a bunch of stuff in a blender (vs. other mains having their One Thing)

[markantonys]

i've seen some talk about how it's out of character for mat to react positively to being a hero of the horn. you have to remember that show!mat is in a VASTLY different emotional place than book!mat, due in large part to the changes necessitated by barney leaving. if mat had gone with them all to fal dara, participated in the battle there, gone on the hunt, and not had a whole arc of thinking he's a shit friend and person, then sure, maybe he would be in a position to go "ugh! i don't want to be a hero of the horn! this sucks!"

but instead, mat's been beaten down and had his self-worth completely crushed. he thinks he's a worthless piece of shit who was a worthless piece of shit in all his past lives and will be a worthless piece of shit in all his future lives. so when he finds out he's actually a hero of the horn? yeah, he reacts positively! it's a much-needed moment of validation for him, a realization that maybe he CAN be a good person (and it's also a much-needed moment of positive catharsis for the audience, after a pretty heavy season). book!mat was never in an emotional position like that, and so he would never have had a reaction like that.

so yeah, show!mat IS quite emotionally different than book!mat at this point. some of the change was pre-planned (the backstory they gave him) and some really, really wasn't. but they've rolled with the changes to show!mat and are keeping him an emotionally realistic character in his own right, rather than trying to shove a square peg into a round hole by giving him book!mat behavior that wouldn't fit with the development he's had in this version.

they're keeping the "hero who says he's not a hero" vibes, but where the books leaned on "he doesn't WANT to be a hero (because it's too much work and too dangerous)", the show is leaning on "he doesn't think he CAN be a hero (because his self-worth is so low)". there's no denying this is a change, and i can see why that bothers people (especially longtime readers; *i* met show!mat first), but i for one think it's actually a good change that makes mat, to me, a more realistic and grounded character and a more likable and mature person.

plus, this is only season 2 and so much of the season was spent on getting mat back on track to where he needs to be for season 3 after season 1 forced a complete rewrite of his season 2 story. there's every possibility he might develop a more complex relationship with heroism later on as the story gets darker and the stakes get higher.