The Wheel of Time series has started playing on Amazon Prime. The show is based off of the book series of the same name by author Robert Jordan and was pretty popular back then.
For this thread, open spoilers are allowed but it is nice to spoiler tag things if an episode just released. Also, feel free to draw comparisons to the books if you want.
For starters, I am a little annoyed at the editing. They use quick-cuts constantly. I have never been able to count to ten without an edit for a new angle. I know this is common these days but it still bugs me. I’m also not sold on all the casting but I’m only one episode in so I’ll give it a little more time.
I’m not quite finished with the first episode but it’s an abomination unto Nuggan.
I was anticipating changes, even WELCOMING them, but wtf on every level.
Mat’s father is a lech? Perrin’s fear of the axe starts out with a REASON instead of just part of his pacifist nature fighting with this natural leadership?
I hate it. I hate it so much. The one thing I like so far is Mat and he’s recast for S2.
I am waiting a bit, not sure if I should start before more episodes drop. I really prefer the Netflix method of dropping the whole thing. I mean, it’s nice they dropped three of them, but I would prefer to just watch all of them one a night for a little bit.
Anyway, I’m waiting.
Hey, I just finished Monstrous Regiment. “I get that reference!”
It took to about half way through episode 3 to really hook me but I’m optomistic. They’ve changed a ton and not all for the better but it looks like it’s setting itself up well.
I thought the first episode was ok. I’ll probably watch a few more, but I’m not that excited about it. Casting wise I only liked Mat and Tam. No one else really stood out to me. I thought Rand was Perrin at first when they introduced him.
As soon as they introduced Perrin’s wife, I knew they put her in the story just to kill her. I was still surprised how it happened. I kind of see what they’re trying to do with his story, but killing your wife is such a huge trauma that I worry that the show won’t handle it properly. Perrin’s angst was already one of my least favorite parts of the books, and it’s not a good sign if they’re already turning it up to 11 this early.
There were also other scenes that felt off where it seemed like they were trying to make a Game of Thrones flavored Wheel of Time. A lot of weird changes for no clear reason. It’s already a complicated story without adding show original stuff. I thought the One Power scenes looked great, though.
As soon as she showed up, I blurted “please don’t fridge her,” but alas, it’s what ended up happening. Man do I hate that.
We watched the first two episodes, and I have all sorts of thoughts.
casting of Mat? terrific. So of course he’s leaving. The rest of the casting is okay enough. They certainly captured Rand’s poutiness well enough. And Nynaeve is incredibly annoying, which tracks 100% with the books. But she hasn’t tugged her braid yet!
adding of backstories? awful. In addition to the fridging, why do I need Mat’s bad family detail? Just a weird addition.
the Dragon can be reborn as a woman? I generally I like things that expand diversity, it’s just confusing given the whole backstory of the polluted relationship men have with the One Source. I suppose they can make it work.
ffs, can we drop half the music and tinkly “she’s working magic” effects?
Visual effects, cinematography? Terrific. The Trollocs are quite good. Sure the Fade borrows from Nazgul, but so did Jordan.
Are we meant to think that a Trolloc bite renders one a Wolfbrother, or were there werewolves in the battle?
Overall a B or B-, but that’s enough to stick with it for a bit.
I liked it. I read about half of the books nearly 20 years ago, and I though they did well aside from Perrin and his wife. Not great but reasonably entertaining. My wife, who’s never read the books, enjoyed it more than I did.
I haven’t read the books, and so far I’m hating it. It feels extremely derivative, and weird things keep standing out to me: like how bad the CGI is and how often things look like sound stages and sets. I think we’ll keep trying it. I may have just caught the first episodes on a bad day.
I mean, sure it is derivative but then almost everything is these days. The fantasy trope of farmboy destined to rule is very old. Heck, the Bible has a version (Moses). “The Princess Bride” did it. “Star Wars” did it. The “Lord of the Rings” did it. I’d argue “The Matrix” did it.
If true originality is necessary to like a book or movie these days I doubt any will pass muster.
Of course, derivative or not you can still not like it.
I have zero knowledge of the books so I’m coming into this completely unspoiled and okay, I liked it. Watched the first ep on spec and liked it well enough to continue. Casting seems fine to me, costuming is pretty nice, pretty horses are always a plus and that Inquisition guy seems like a right cunt. High fantasy is an easy sell for me most of the time and barring anything really egregiously stupid I’ll watch it all.
Like you I have no knowledge of the books, so coming in as a complete newb.
Finding the story hard to grasp, despite lots of wordy exposition. As yet there is no character whose unexpected death would leave me sad. The singing in scene just doesn’t work. Won’t wait breathlessly for each episode to land unless it really lifts its plotting and acting dramatically.
And, I’m having trouble with the look of the thing - very sumptuous landscape settings, and maybe the production was going for a particularly lush look compared to Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. What does jar with me is how fake and cheap the sets look. There’s none of that sense of world-building through art design that GOT and LOTR both did very well. For me that’s enough to jump out of paying attention to the story.
I read about 70 pages of the first book some time back, and at that point was like this is the most derivative pap I’ve read since Terry Brooks and dropped it. Nothing I’m hearing about the show is making me think I’d like it any better. It’s a little disappointing that they didn’t make a silk purse out it, but not surprising.
