The WoT subreddit page is good for this. Here is the thread for the last episode:
A guy I work with is really into the book series, he grew up reading them, they’re his absolute favorite series of books. In fact, he’s the guy who finally motivated me to pick up the series myself. He hates the show. Like a lot of the other folks here, he’s not happy with the changes and generally wishes it stayed closer to the books.
As for me, I did read the books for the first time in the last couple of years, and I tapped out after book 5. I knew full well the general arc of the quality of the series beforehand, and was satisfied reading the wiki summaries of what happens for the remaining two thirds of the series. And I don’t mind the changes the show is making. There’s a lot that’s good about the Wheel of Time, and a lot that’s pretty bad, or could have been better in retrospect. I’m hoping the show makes these changes and presents a tighter and more focused version of the story.
I had no idea that was new and it was great. As soon as the ward got to the white tower, I told my wife, “That dude is jumping off the tower.”
My wife thought it was crazy. Once the sword went missing, I was like, “No! He has to jump to prove me right!” I was right in concept, but not in how they did it.
Episode 6 was really good! I enjoyed the Tower politics and the manufactured ‘exile’.
For those wondering why Mat leaves the group (because he doesn’t in the books) because that actor has decided to not come back and therefore will be recast. Ep6 was the last episode they filmed before covid, so presumably he won’t be in the next two episodes
Thank you for reminding me. This is a must-watch for my wife and me tonight.
Well, that was an interesting episode. I think I heard some book-readers’ heads explode.
I was disappointed that the characters were aged up. I suppose it’s a practical move in some respects, but the first book was so much fun to me in part because of what you mentioned - children uprooted from their comfortable, quiet, isolated village under frightening circumstances but being young enough to be excited by the adventure and new experiences. It was almost sort of like Harry Potter’s first year at Hogwarts when everything was new and amazing.
I hated Perrin having a wife too. It was obvious that she was there for cannon fodder and to give Perrin angst ASAP.
The third episode picked up much better and had more of the flavor of the books so will keep going. Haven’t gotten to the fourth ep yet and it’s almost time for the fifth to drop, I believe.
Best episode so far. Loved the Tower politics. I wonder if that’s the last we see of Barney Harris (Mat’s actor), who’s apparently been recast?
I don’t know if this has been mentioned, but has the show made reference to saidin and saidar being two separate halves of The Power? In the first episode, Liandrin says “This Power, it’s meant for women, and women alone. And when you touch it, you make it filthy”. Are they treating it as as single source, which men taint by accessing it?
IIRC early on they mentioned that saidin was tainted akin to oil covering water. For men to get to the water they need to get through the scum covering it and that taints any man who channels.
The Two Rivers people are all 19-20 at the start of the books. How old do you think the characters are supposed to be in the show? Like 23? They’re all young adults in any case.
I don’t recall any mention of there being separate powers, or naming them. Only that channeling causes men to go crazy. I don’t think they need to go into it at all beyond men going crazy.
They’re all 20 (except for Nynaeve who is slightly older (maybe mid-to-late twenties is my guess). Moiraine started her search then after some seer declared that she had sensed the Dragon being reborn.
Haven’t read them, but based on what I’ve read here they were apparently much younger at this point in the books.
I really enjoyed this one. Loved the politics of it, the secret love affair, and the way Moiraine put Liandrin in her place. “Oh, you want to play at being a spy? Let me show you how that’s done, newb.”
Do we ever find out what Liandrin’s penance was?
They weren’t much younger at this point in the books. The boys were all 19 I believe.
Apparently not. When I read them, I certainly pictured them as being younger teens or so. But looking it up now, apparently they were all near 20.
Odd, as I was about 20 when I first started reading them, and thought of them as being younger than myself, rather than as being about the same age.
So did they film Mat’s exit the way we see or do you think they went back and did a little digital editing and effects to sort of exit him the way we saw? Minimal new footage filmed and removing him digitally from going through the portal, maybe?
What exactly was the point of The Amrylin Seat asking Moiraine flatly about her mission? As we saw later, she was already aware of it, and it only served to bring additional drama and tension to the situation. It has been a long time since I read the books but I don’t recall them being quite that stupid.
Because it was already asked (by Liandrin). The Amyrlin Seat can’t just say “Oh, I know what it is…” because then she becomes part of the “conspiracy”. She had to feign ignorance or ignite an open “war” between herself and the Blues on one side, and the Reds and their faction on the other. It has already been stated in the show that Liandrin and the Reds are chafing under Siuan Sanche’s rule.
Eh, it could have ben handled pretty easily: “Why don’t you quit trying to distract from your culapbility, Liandrin? The exact mission of each sister is not the dominion of all other ajahs. Now go say 5000 Hail Mary’s.”
I was looking forward to seeing The Ways, but they looked … bad. Like, Star Trek Horta caves bad.
The boys are 19 (born at the end of 978 NE (New Era, name of the “current” calendar), series begins at the beginning of 998 NE), Egwene is 16 (born in 981 NE), and Nynaeve is 23-24 (born 974 NE) at the beginning of the series.