Wheel of Time TV Series (and books?) Discussion

In the past, I've been posting the few bits of news about this in my own thread. Now that we’re finally starting to get some more tangible info, I thought maybe it would be better if it had its own thread. This way people who don’t follow my thread can see the discussions, and people who do follow my thread but don’t care about WoT can ignore this one.

Anyway, for anybody who doesn’t already know, Amazon is planning to adapt The Wheel of Time as a series. I don’t think there’s an expected air date yet. From previous news articles, we know that at least some of the scripts have been written, and there have been indications that Moiraine will be a more central character than one might expect, at least in the beginning. Now it looks like the first casting announcement has been made. I got this from the Tor newsletter: Rosamund Pike has been cast in the role of Moiraine, per this article.

I expect most of the casting announcements will be meaningless to me since I don’t watch many movies or TV shows and I’m not familiar with many current actors. My first thought upon seeing her picture in the article was that they need to dye her hair, but other than that I have no opinion because I don’t think I've ever seen her in anything. I’d probably get used to a blonde Moiraine even if they don’t dye it; it was just a little startling at first.

I’ve never read this series. Is this a beloved set of books for you, YouKneeK?

>2 stellarexplorer: I enjoyed it a lot, but there isn’t as much of a nostalgia factor for me because I didn’t read it when it was originally published like many people did. I read through it for the first time in late 2017 / early 2018. I’m interested to see how they handle the show, but as long as it’s done well I’m not terribly invested in whether or not they do everything exactly like the books.

Do you have any interesting in watching the show and/or reading the books? Have you ever seen Rosamund Pike in anything? I'm curious if people like her acting and also if people who have read the books and are familiar with her acting can picture her in the role of Moiraine.

I’ve read six of the books. I really like them. They are just long and take me forever during the school year. Hmm, maybe I should read one this summer. I read them when they came out. In fact, at one point, I had the first six in hard back, first edition.

Rosamund looks familiar, but I couldn’t tell you what I’ve seen her in. I think with a dye job, she’ll look like a Moiraine.

I will watch the series when it comes out.

>1 YouKneeK: & >4 catzteach: Ah, she was in Gone Girl. She's a decent actress, at least. (I think they mostly use wigs in these shows, nowadays.)

I'm a big fan and really looking forward to this! I might be more of a fan of Wheel of Time than Game of Thrones. Read them all, re-read the first 9.

>4 catzteach: It’s a difficult series to get through when you don’t have much reading time. I had originally read the first 4 books several years ago and enjoyed them, but stalled out because I had a very busy schedule at the time. I was reading so few pages a day that I could barely remember the plot threads from the same book, much less previous books.

>5 clamairy: That’s good to hear!

>6 Karlstar: I’m really looking forward to it too.

I don’t know how long these things typically take, so I’m curious to find out when we can expect to actually start watching it. I guess until Good Omens was put on Amazon, I hadn’t considered that they’d likely put the entire first season up at once instead of one a week, so we’d probably have to wait for them to finish producing the entire season? I do like the idea of having the whole season available to watch on my own schedule, though.

I started as a fan, but I stalled out somewhere .... book 5? 6? when everyone suddenly morphed into the petulant teenager version of themselves, and plots started spiraling out everywhere and I could not find it in my heart to care about any of these people except to start wishing they would die horribly by choking on their luxuriously-described feasts in their meticulously defined variety of cloaks. I decided to quit while I was ahead before I lost all of my goodwill towards the author and the series, but I probably should have stopped when I first got peeved instead of slogging through the whole of the book. In my defense, several of my good friends were RAVING about it at the time, so I was trying to find the good in there for their sakes and it just wasn't happening for me. A lesson in trusting my own feelings I guess.

Goodness, it's been nearly 10 years, I still apparently have strong feelings :)

Apparently Sanderson rescued it all quite admirably (and I've actually met both Robert Jordan and his amazing wife - I grew up near their house) but I never started reading it again and it's been so long that I'd have to start from the beginning again and I just don't feel the urge to dedicate all that time to it again right now.

The TV series is intriguing tho, because it HAS been so long that I can take it as it's own creation and possibly enjoy it on it's own, without comparing it to the book series too directly (which is usually what steals my joy in these things). So this is actually a very fun development for me, and I'm very excited about it. I'm going to have fun seeing what happens with the strange case where I "see the movie first" and what that does for my imagination when I get around to reading the series again.

>8 RowanTribe: LOL, there was definitely some obnoxiousness with some of the characters. I thought a lot of that improved in later books, but there was one character I disliked through the end: Faile, who frequently dragged the otherwise-likeable Perrin down with her. Sanderson did do a very good job with the last three books.

It will be interesting to see how (or if) reactions to the show vary between people who are able to watch the TV series on its own merits versus people who go into it with stronger memories of the books.

I think if I have any issues, it would most likely be character-related, if an actor doesn’t portray a character with the same personality that I had imagined. For example, if Rosamund Pike were to portray Moiraine as being overly excitable when I read her as being calm and collected, that would drive me nuts. Other things might annoy me a little, like missing a favorite scene, but I’d probably get over that pretty quickly.

For the books, I read them way back when they released and gave up around book 8. For the show, I'm going to wait and see. I'll probably give the first couple episodes a try anyway.

I'm really looking forward to the TV series. I started reading them after about the first 4 or so had come out I think. I stalled out at book 10 when it seemed like the prologues were getting to be almost 200 pages and the plot was kind of mired in molasses. I'm hoping that the show coming out will be the kick in the pants for me to go back and finish the series now.

>8 RowanTribe: >10 Narilka: This is not unusual. I've warned 2 new readers to the series that it bogs down quite a bit in books 6 - 8, but neither of them felt that way and the read through all the way to the end. The most recent one, in fact is delaying starting another series just to continue to enjoy WoT for a while more. I really, really hope they don't go down the path of Legend of the Seeker (based on the Sword of Truth) or Shannara Chronicles.

>11 tottman: I thought the series really picked up in books 11 - 13. Sanderson eliminated some of the molasses, or maybe Jordan had planned it that way.

>13 Karlstar: I hope so. I really do want to finish it.

This is definitely going on my TBR list for retirement. Not sure I can muster so many books in a series under current constraints. I fear series.

I like to shock my non-reader co-worker who's currently watching, but will never read, Game of Thrones. There's almost 3 times as many Wheel of Time books and they are about the same length.

The latest Tor newsletter included another casting announcement. It looks like they have a lot (but not all) of the major characters cast now. I don’t know who any of these people are, so no opinions here, but I’d be interested in reading what other people think.

Here’s a summary for those who don’t want to read the article, including the previous casting announcement for Moiraine just to have it all in one list:

Rand		Josha Stradowski
Perrin		Marcus Rutherford
Mat		Barney Harris
Nynaeve		Zoë Robins
Egwene		Madeleine Madden
Moiraine	Rosamund Pike

>17 YouKneeK: Don't know anything about any of them, I hope they are good! Now we just need to hear about Elayne, Lan and Min.

>18 Karlstar: Yes, I’m particularly curious about those, and also Thom! I’m also curious to see who will play Padan Fain.

>17 YouKneeK: Even though I read just the first 5 books, I feel like Rosamund Pike is too tall to play Moiraine...

Don't recognize the others listed.

>20 gilroy: It will seem a bit strange if she’s towering over other characters. I wonder if they’ll try to use camera angles and other tricks to make her appear shorter, or if they’ll just not worry about it. For the most part, I think I’ll be able to overlook appearance discrepancies as long as the acting feels believable for the characters they’re portraying.

Oh, and speaking of tall, I forgot Loial.. he's another one we still need a casting announcement for.

>21 YouKneeK: Don't forget Siuan! Also Tam should show up early, even if he isn't a major character. Good call on Thom and Padan Fain, esp. the sneaky Padan Fain that shows up early. They will also probably need to introduce Morgase and Elayne fairly early, even if they have to circle back later.

>21 YouKneeK: Oh right, I completely forgot Siuan and Tam! Elayne's brothers should also show up when we first meet Elayne and Morgase, if they do it the way the book did.

I guess they don't need to cast Faile anytime soon, but it will be interesting to see who she ends up being. Or they could just excise her entire character and plot thread from the entire series, that would be nice. ;) (I'm mostly joking. Well, kind of.)

>23 YouKneeK: I'm actually glad to see that I'm not the only one that isn't a fan of Faile's character. I actually never understood their relationship at all.

Last Thursday's Tor newsletter had news about the casting for Lan. Here's the link. They also linked to an older article indicating the show is/was expected to go into production in September.

So here's all the casting info we have so far to keep it in one spot:

Rand		Josha Stradowski
Perrin		Marcus Rutherford
Mat		Barney Harris
Nynaeve		Zoë Robins
Egwene		Madeleine Madden
Moiraine	Rosamund Pike
Lan		Daniel Henney

I like Rosamund Pike as an actress, though she is tall for Moiraine. I do hope they stick to the characteristics Jordan defined characters and races by because he did put a lot of emphasis on them.

I only managed to read up to around book 10 and then with the hiatus due to having to change writers I felt I had lost track of the plot lines. I’m currently re-reading the series but I’m only a fifth of the way through The Great Hunt (book2).

>26 humouress: I can’t imagine how people kept track of all those plot lines even during the normal publishing schedule. :)

It occurred to me that I hadn’t seen any WoT news lately, so I did some brief Googling to see if there was any news. I didn’t find much, but I did find an article from this past October that links to a very short video of the cast doing a script reading of the first episode.

There are only about 4 lines read in the video, by the actors who play Moiraine, Rand, Egwene, and Mat. Even though it wasn’t a very substantial video, I thought it was still kind of cool to watch and it increased my interest in trying the series when it does air. I haven’t found anything reliable about the release date, so I don’t think it’s been announced. Most of the speculation I saw seems to be pointing toward 2021. Which is good in my book, since I can't imagine finding time to watch a TV series in the nearer future. :)

>25 YouKneeK: >28 YouKneeK: Thanks for the update! I had missed the news too. I don't know any of these people, so I can only hope they are up to the task. The choice for Rand seems like he doesn't fit, but that really doesn't matter much.

>29 Karlstar: I’m really curious to see what they’ll look like in their makeup/costumes.

... following along here - but I don't want to peek at the WoT video yet.

>31 humouress: Waiting to be surprised when it airs?

>32 YouKneeK: I may expire from the anticipation if I get too involved :0)

>33 humouress: LOL, I wouldn't want that to happen!

Today’s Tor’s newsletter had some new casting announcements. Also, apparently there was an announcement last month that I missed.

Between these two announcements, we now know the actors for 5 more characters with a 6th being speculated. I’m including the full list here, with the 6 new ones in bold at the bottom.

Rand		Josha Stradowski
Perrin		Marcus Rutherford
Mat		Barney Harris
Nynaeve		Zoë Robins
Egwene		Madeleine Madden
Moiraine	Rosamund Pike
Lan		Daniel Henney
Logain		Alvaro Morte
Loial		Hammed Animashaun
Thom Merrilin	Alexandre Willaume
Padan Fain	Johann Myers
Tam Al’Thor	Michael McElhatton
And Daryl McCormack in some unknown role that will be in 3 episodes. Tor is speculating Ba’alzamon.

>35 YouKneeK: A bit late to the party, but thanks for the reminder about this. I'm going to be starting my re-read of the whole series in January, so a 2021 release would work out extremely well for me (I should be done the re-read by the end of 2021 if things go well).

I'm not a huge hollywood buff but I have never heard of any of these actors. Hoping that is a good thing....

>36 BookstoogeLT: Oh good, I’ve been looking forward to your re-read! It does sound like the timing will work out well.

The latest Tor newsletter had some updates on how things are going with the Wheel of Time. It talks about what’s going on with production and some of the stuff we’ll see in the first season. Here’s the link.

It’s too long to summarize here, so these are just a few notes. Filming has stopped of course, although different departments are working on what they can from isolation. Some minor characters will be merged into single characters for simplicity, but apparently there were some rumors that this would be done with Min, Elayne, and Aviendha and that isn’t true. (I don’t remember hearing that anywhere.) Although things will have to be cut, Judkins said he thinks they’re cutting less than people seem to think they are – things like smaller stories, and some of the many inns the characters visit during their travels. We might see more casting announcements soon, but a trailer is “still a long ways off”.

>38 YouKneeK: I figured this, and most film related things, are dead in the water until we've weathered corona-chan...

>38 YouKneeK: That's a very encouraging update. I'm a little concerned about him admitting that he had to cut some things that were 'painful', but at the same time he seems dedicated to preserving as much as possible. This part “so most of the work we do in the room is geographical, figuring out how to condense the story and move it through places we can physically create.” Does that mean they'll pass through Tar Valon or Caemlyn over and over and over in the TV show, making both more of a focal point, instead of what they actually did in the books? I can see how this would be a problem, at least in GoT, they spend a lot of time at a few locations and pass by minor ones, where Jordan's characters don't spend much time in any one place.

>40 Karlstar: Yeah, I hadn’t thought before about how all the traveling done throughout the series, especially in that first book, would really make things difficult. It will be interesting to see how they handle it and what does get cut. Although by the time it actually airs, I may not remember enough of the smaller details to notice everything that's missing anyway.

>41 YouKneeK: Hopefully they get good at showing them traveling and somehow giving the impression of distance, at least in the beginning, like you said. After that we get to see The Ways, I hope.

News on the show!! https://www.tor.com/2021/02/17/mats-dagger-appears-in-new-teaser-from-the-wheel-...

Yes, I know, I dug up an old thread.

>43 Karlstar: Very cool, thanks for posting it! I had been thinking the other day that I hadn’t heard anything about this in eons, but I didn't take the time to search for anything.

>44 YouKneeK: I'm just glad to hear that they are still working on it!!

>44 YouKneeK: >45 Karlstar: Same here. I was in a bookshop, looking at the series in the SFF section that have been/ are being turned into TV series and thinking about Rosamund Pike as Moiraine.

>47 Karlstar: That’s good to know, thanks! I notice the link specifies there will be 8 episodes. That’s not too bad. I’ve been wondering how on earth I would even find time to watch it, because TV absolutely does not fit into my schedule at all right now even though there are things I’d like to watch. But 8 episodes, I could probably get through that during a vacation week or something.

>48 YouKneeK: At some point they are either going to have more episodes in a season or really condense things, I really can't see any show lasting 13 seasons. Eight is a good number to start, that should cover book one.

Apparently there's also a separate prequel movie trilogy project in the works that has no affiliation to the TV series that's in development. Set during the Age of Legends era and you can read more aout it here.

>50 AHS-Wolfy: Interesting, thanks for the link!

>50 AHS-Wolfy: Really interesting! Not a lot of material to go on, but it could be fun.

Season two news. Just wish season one would get here!

https://www.tor.com/2021/07/20/everything-we-know-so-far-about-season-two-of-the...

Nov 21 on Amazon Prime video!!

But I don't have Amazon Prime :0(

>55 humouress: I would imagine, if it is a success, it will eventually be released on DVD, like Game of Thrones.

>56 Karlstar: I'll keep my fingers crossed. I don't really want to take out yet another streaming subscription for one show; we don't make full use of the ones we have already.

>54 Karlstar: Ah great, thanks for posting the date! At least it’s close to the holidays, so maybe that will help me find time to watch it since I’ll have a little more time off.

>55 humouress: Since Amazon produced it, it would have been kind of odd if it started off anywhere else? Is it an option for you to do the free trial when it comes out? Maybe after enough reviews are up that you can get a feel for whether it would even be worth your time. Of course that wouldn’t help by the time the second season comes out, but at least you'd be able to judge better whether it was worth another subscription for a while.

>58 YouKneeK: Well, yes, it would be odd.

Unfortunately, I ordered a heap of stuff on Amazon and used the free trial of Amazon Prime (to get free delivery) which came with three months of free viewing of the channel and which I never used while we were eligible. I don't think they'll give it to me again :0)

Just as an FYI, you can wait until the whole series is released, then just chose the monthly Prime option and only pay for a month to watch all the episodes at once. I have not read the Wheel of Time books, I'll count on my dear husband to fill in the stuff that I need to know while we're watching it.

>60 Silversi: I will! There are so many characters, I wonder how many they'll eliminate. More than in GoT, even.

>60 Silversi: Good idea, thanks.

For those who buy from Amazon, the Wheel of Time books 1 - 5 are 4.99 for the Kindle today! I know, it is late, sorry.

I bought the Kindle edition of Eye of the World and surprise! It contains a new first chapter, titled 'Earlier'. That chapter is not in my 1990 Paperback edition, does anyone know if it was included in any other editions, or is this brand new?

It doesn't give credit to any other authors, also doesn't say there's extra content, but there it is. I can't say I'm really happy about an edition that doesn't even say it is different than the original.

After he bought it, I started reading it before him haha. It shows up on both of our kindles. I'm enjoying it so far, but now I have 3 books going so he will definitely finish it before I do.

>64 Karlstar: I just checked my 2009 Kindle edition and it doesn't have anything like that. The first story content is the prologue with Lews Therin going nuts. Now I'm feeling left out! :) What was it about?

>65 Silversi: Haha, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

>66 YouKneeK: It was set in Emond's Field, about 7-8 years before the rest of the story, from a 9 year old Egwene's point of view of a sheep shearing. I can see why it comes and goes, it was basically a quick intro to every single person in the village, which is almost repeated in the first chapter anyway.

>67 Karlstar: Ah, thanks. Yeah, I’m not sure I see the point of adding that.

>67 Karlstar: >68 YouKneeK: Maybe they released it as a (potential) TV tie in?

>69 humouress: I think you are right, it will not surprise me a bit if the TV show starts with this scene. Might be too bland and pastoral though.

>70 Karlstar: I actually enjoyed that "new" addition. Of course I didn't have any preconceived notions that it shouldn't be there. It was the prologue that kind of made me cringe.

>63 Karlstar: I got an excited because I thought you meant all 5 together were $4.99, not $4.99 for each one. I did notice the deal on the first one in my Book Riot sale email. I'm not sure I'm ready to take the plunge on that series. Maybe for $1.99... LOL

>72 clamairy: Oops, sorry! Maybe they'll come down a bit after the show comes out. I'm enjoying my re-re-read of book 1.

>73 Karlstar: The length is more than a bit intimidating. (Especially for those of us with Adult Onset ADD.)

>74 clamairy: Is that a thing? Because I’ve been noticing lately ...

>75 humouress: As in life's too short to read a multi-volume trilogy that needs editing with extreme prejudice to get it down to less than half the length...

These days I want something that fits nicely into the train leg of my commute (nominal 55 minutes) once I'm back in the office or something that's light enough to pick up for 15 minutes and put down again. Pre-pandemic, I read a lot of short fiction - now I'm barely reading at all.

>76 Maddz: Oh, that's too bad.

>75 humouress: If it's not an official thing it should be. It's not just aging though, it's our '2 minute newsbite' culture. And our, PCs phones and tablets have added to the problem.

>77 clamairy: I'm finding the Kindle/Nook actually helps, I find it portable and pretty easy to pick up where I left off, as long as I remember to charge them once in a while. Book 1 doesn't feel long to me at all, so far.

>78 Karlstar: But it's a reread for you, yes? So hard to compare how it would be going in blind...

>77 clamairy: Definitely agreed on the phones. I’ve had an “always on display” on my Samsung phones for the past few years and I both love and hate it. In addition to the time and date and battery status, it shows various app notification icons on the screen in a minimalistic manner (so as not to drain the battery too much) while it’s locked.

It’s much better than the old-school flashing light, because at least I know what the notification is for – work e-mail, personal e-mail, something else. If it’s something I don’t care about right then, I can ignore it. On the other hand, I often see the notification out of the corner of my eye and can’t resisting stopping what I’m doing to read them, depending on what it is. Then I start to put the phone down and get another notification, so I have to read that. And on it goes. Sometimes I have to just turn it upside down so I can’t see it for a while.

>67 Karlstar: The Eye of the World was republished in 2 volumes to appeal to the young adult crowd.
Those volumes had the new introduction, one about Emonds Field and Egwene and other about Lews Therin going nutso. "Ravens" and "The Strike at Shayol Ghul".

Upon further investigation, Ravens was only the new intro to From the Two Rivers while Strike was included in The World of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time.

Hope that helps.

>82 BookstoogeLT: Good to know, thanks!

>80 YouKneeK: I hear ya. I'm on my third Samsung and though I turned off the 'heads up' display on my latest one I now have all sorts of notifications going right to my Fitbit Versa. There are texts, emails, news alerts and Facebook messages. I do mute them all at bedtime, at least...

>84 clamairy: Haha, my Fitbit can also get notifications, but I turned that off shortly after getting it. It was too much for me to have both my phone and my wrist yelling at me simultaneously! I might have liked it more if I didn’t always have my phone on me, but I have to keep it nearby for work.

I do like having my Fitbit vibrate on my wrist when my phone is ringing, though. That has occasionally saved me from missing a call while I had my Oculus Quest strapped on my head and couldn’t see or hear my outside environment even though the phone was 5 feet away.

>85 YouKneeK: I like being able to dismiss calls without taking my phone out of my pocket, or bag or wherever. Ah VR... I'm not ready for that yet.

>79 clamairy: It's a first time read for me. I absolutely agree that when I read things on kindle I don't even notice the length of the story. It really helps me not holding a giant book in my hand. Don't get me wrong, I do like paper books sometimes, but especially for long ones, I really prefer the ebooks.

>87 Silversi: I only do paper when I have no choice. I wear contacts, so an adjustable font is the only way to go for me.

>88 clamairy: Same. The adjustable font is everything.

I sat and read The eye of the world for a couple of hours today. I really did not expect to be quite so into it but the further I go, the more I'm enjoying it. I can absolutely see the movie version in my head, and while I'm sure they'll change it, I also don't think they have to change it too much. Maybe condense but the story itself will look great on the screen in my opinion.

Did we forget to discuss the teaser trailer? I thought it looked good, except for the Gamers-ish guys running through the forest. Hopefully those are just Dragonsworn. Also not a big fan of the color coded dresses on the Aes Sedai (vs shawls) but eh, I'll survive.

Another nice preview, a whole scene this time. Looks great!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIMkfP4JsxU

>92 Karlstar: Great trailer!

GQ had a veeeery long piece about this new series, and I think I am going to go into this one blind. (Not that I have time to get through the first book now anyway!) I remember how upset I got at the changes made in Game of Thrones, and this way that won't happen. LOL

>93 clamairy: Good choice - unless it gets too confusing, but so far I think they are going to make it possible to follow. I deliberately stopped reading after my re-read of book one so it will be fresher.

>92 Karlstar: Lloks good. Sounds a bit different though.

I loved that trailer and while I know I haven't read as much of these books as most people, I like the choice for Lan and even Moiraine seems good to me.

>95 humouress: >96 Silversi: I thought that was a much better trailer than the previous ones I've seen. Lan seems perfect to me and I don't care that Moiraine is taller than in the books, she just has to carry off the role.

>93 clamairy: I just found that GQ article and holy smokes is it long! I thought it was too much detail for folks trying not to read too much ahead of time.

>98 Karlstar: Yes, I have to admit I skimmed the second half because it was just too much info for me.

>97 Karlstar: From what we've seen, I'm fine with the actors they've chosen. (Although there are very clear regional differences in the books - which is why Rand stands out in Emond's Field. I'm guessing the casting was done with an eye to diversity. Don't misunderstand me; I'm all for diversity but they could have worked that with the regional differences. Mind you, I haven't seen enough to know whether they did do that - so I could be going off on completely the wrong tangent.)

Emond's Field is a lot more populated than I imagined it, though :0)

>100 humouress: Right, I believe the Winespring Inn was described as being mostly empty most of the time, not bustling.

Trailer for the first season. Apparently season 2 is confirmed and production has begun.

>102 humouress: Well, that IS good news. I'm always afraid of something being started and then just getting cancelled and leaving everyone hanging.

>102 humouress: I liked that trailer much better! Good to hear about season 2.

One week until the series starts! I read recently on tor.com that they are releasing the first 3 episodes all at once, then 1 per week after that.

I also read some more of the io9 interview with the producer? and it appears they tinkered with a fairly major aspect of the novels, though not really in a way that changes the plot results, much.

>105 Karlstar: *gasp of horror* (Tinkered with a major aspect?!)

I'd better get on with my re-reading if there's only a week to go ...

>106 humouress: Sounds like they changed the gender of Lews Therin. It doesn't affect much, except when Lews takes over Rand, does that mean he'll act differently?

>107 Karlstar: ???!!

::Pokes head in and waves.::

>107 Karlstar: That’s interesting in the context of a comment Moiraine made in one of the teaser videos on Amazon. Moiraine indicated that the dragon reborn could be “one of the five of you”, seemingly including Egwene and Nynaeve. Aside from being the wrong gender based on the books, Nynaeve isn’t even the right age. I can’t imagine they intend to change who the dragon reborn is, but I wonder if they’re trying to create more suspense about it? In the books it was obvious from the beginning.

>109 YouKneeK: Hi! Good to see you stop by! I imagine it is to create mystery for the folks who haven't read the books. Plus, while the reader knows who it is - Moiraine doesn't in the beginning!

They dropped the first 3 episodes early!!

Review on Tor.com Looks like they did a good job. But I'm going to follow >60 Silversi: 's suggestion ... which means a longer wait!! *twiddles thumbs desperately*

(Jordan did tend to get bogged down at times)

>112 humouress: I have to say, they have moved along at a good pace, not boggy or sloggy at all. Edit: you are correct about Jordan getting bogged down at times!

>111 Karlstar: Oh! I have so much to do, but I might start it this weekend.

>113 Karlstar: That was a quote from the article. Not sure what it’s referring to *shakes out and smoothes down skirts*

Just watched the first episode and enjoyed it very much. (Though it was not without some heartbreak!)

>116 clamairy: Glad you enjoyed it, I thought it was good, we stayed up late to watch the first two and watched episode three tonight.

>117 Karlstar: I almost took a dive right into the second one, but decided to pace myself.

I loved it. We're a bit sad that we have to wait a week to watch the 4th one. It was worth the wait. I was briefly put out by a few characters showing up late but it's okay, at least one of them is in now and I'm not quite sure about the personality matching the book character but we'll see. Overall, great show so far.

>119 Silversi: I'm very glad to hear it. I might use an audible credit on the first book, but it's probably about 50 hours long. :o)

Edited to add: There are two Audible versions, so I snagged the one read by Rosamund Pike as it's new and has a higher rating than the older version.

And... I watched the second episode last night. Holy smoking turdballs!

>121 clamairy: It's a good time to start listening to book one!

>122 Karlstar: I still think I'm going to wait until season one is over. Don't want the book to taint my expectations.

>123 clamairy: Each to their own. As I have read (most of) the series already, I plan to reread it before watching. drmamm in FantasyFans found rereading worthwhile.

>124 humouress: I enjoyed re-reading book one recently, I'll be starting book two soon.

>124 humouress: I'm getting old and cranky. (Crankier?) I've found myself annoyed at changes made from book to screen, and decided to forgo that with at least the first season of WoT. I'll let you all know if this was successful after the fact. (Usually I race to be finished with a book ahead of time.)

We watched episode 4 last night and it was very good. Still filling in important backstory-ish details while still moving things a long, at least a little.

well, I read book one, but obviously don't remember it, as the first two episodes we watched didn't seem familiar at all.

I enjoyed them though, although I found Rand so bloody annoying (I think that's the same reason I wasn't impressed with book 1).

I just watched episodes 3 & 4 back-to-back after swearing that I would pace myself. I thought the 4th was the strongest episode so far.

>128 majkia: The good news is that Rand gets a lot less annoying, at least in the 3rd & 4th episodes.

We re-watched them all over the last couple of days, honestly I could probably watch it a 3rd time. Can't wait for Friday.

>130 Silversi: Yeah, it's definitely getting better as it goes along. Or possibly I am appreciating it more as I get sucked more deeply into that world.

>131 clamairy: I thought episode 4 was the best. I like how they are continuing to fill in necessary background without doing it too slowly. I do wish they'd show us a bit more of the world though.

I really wish I’d read these books before watching the series. But given its length, that’s not in the cards. So far, seems to me watchable, beautiful in many ways, well acted and well timed: I’m liking it a lot.

I cannot explain why I never read this

>133 stellarexplorer: Perhaps you had more pressing things to do. I don't think I ever took notice of these books until I joined LibraryThing, and by then I found the length of the series much too intimidating. (But I am enjoying the show quite a bit without having a clue where the narrative is headed.)

We watched this week's episode last night, another good one.

>134 clamairy: I don’t have quite that excuse. I’ve owned one of the books for a long time, though not the first in the series. And I’ve been aware of it. I just never knew whether it was good, never really looked into it. I think I had some bias for who knows what reason that it wasn’t something I wanted to get into, but I can’t account for why

>136 stellarexplorer: I've always loved the series - as far as I got - but it's daunting thinking about jumping back into 14 books of doorstoppers. Looking at the spines of my books, it looks like I read up to book 10 and then waited for the next book ... but now I need to start from the beginning again to remember all the details.

>137 humouress: Good point. I have been wondering why I never read them, but the fact is I don’t even know whether I would have enjoyed them as books. It’s the Amazon series I’m enjoying so far. I’m glad you’ve loved the series though! (Isn’t where you stopped just about where Brandon Sanderson started to fill in? I have heard he did a decent job…)

>138 stellarexplorer: (It was one book before; probably around the time we - the reading public - really became aware of Jordan's illness and there was more time between the books being published.)

>137 humouress: I'm really enjoying my re-read so far, through books one and two. I'd be moving on to book three immediately but I have some TBR reading to do.

>137 humouress: Can't you read someone's condensed version online somewhere for the ones you've already read?

My biggest problem with a series this size is that I already feel like my reading days are numbered, and I'm not sure if this is how I want to spend such a big chunk of that time. That said, I used one of my credits for the first book from Audible, and if I like it enough I will be getting a few more of the series every year.

I watched the latest episode last night and was I screaming a few times, and I choked up more than once as well.

I can see myself maybe being able to do Audible on these books easier than I can do the reading on them as well, though as I've told my husband, I am REALLY enjoying the series. I kind of doubt I'll be doing a lot more reading while the shows are on.. maybe when season one is over I will read or listen to the rest of book one and move on to two. I was definitely moved by episode five.

>141 clamairy: I do that too! I think about how many more books I’ll read in my life… I go as far as doing calculations based on various assumptions. While it’s prima facia insane, there is a some value in recognizing that mortality means it makes sense to prioritize the use of one’s limited time. As I get older I think about the use of my time in general this way: what is really most important to do with the time I have?

(I bought the kindle edition of the first book the other night 😳)

>143 stellarexplorer: Yes, I've done those calculations, too. It's a bit eye-opening to see an actual number of books remaining, even if it is somewhat bogus.

Ah, I wish I'd known before you bought it. TOR gave the first book away a couple of years ago, and I could have emailed the file to you.

>144 clamairy: Thanks - to reading what makes us happy! One of my favorite quotes comes from Samuel Johnson, who said, “A man ought to read just as inclination leads him; for what he reads as a task will do him little good.”

>143 stellarexplorer: Unfortunately, if I do those calculations I really oughtn’t be reading at all 🤗

>146 humouress: That’s interesting. What ought you be doing?

>147 stellarexplorer: Making dinner ... folding away clothes ... possibly (since we're expecting our first guest staying with us in over two years) finding floor space to walk on in the guest room. And I probably should do some baking, since the kids' birthdays are imminent. And so on and so forth ;0)

>148 humouress: That's what audiobooks are for!

>149 clamairy: Ahh.

I haven't mastered the knack of listening to a book while doing something else. More practice needed?

>150 humouress: Yes! I often have to pause and go back a bit. The audiobooks are excellent for rereads. Right now I'm enjoying the latest version of The Hobbit, read by Andy Serkis.

You don't have to spend money to enjoy audiobooks either. I use the Libby app on my phone for quite a few, though most of mine I get from Audible.

>151 clamairy: Well I do have an audiobook out on Overdrive (I decided to stick with it rather than Libby - I forget why but possibly because they roll out to the rest-of-the-World long after they do America so Overdrive worked better for me ... when I last checked) because I couldn't find an e-book of it with a shorter wait-list and I was planning on trying it tomorrow while I do some craft work.

>152 humouress: Hope you enjoy it!

>153 clamairy: Well, I tried it but I think I'll try the e-book, which has now come in too. I think it depends on the narrator. It's my fourth audiobook: the first put me off audiobooks for a long time because I found the narrator too breathy; the second I tried because the e-book wasn't available but I was impressed so I took out the next in the series as an audiobook, though I discovered that it had a different narrator but she did a good job too. I suppose this could work if I gave it more of a chance. I only got about two or three chapters in but I was sitting in a car park waiting for my son to finish school (last day of the year!) and I was distracted by long-tailed parakeets and a possible toucan. Not everyday sightings for me and I ended up having to rewind the book a couple of times.

The latest (sixth) episode was another doozy! Only two more to go. I will watch them all over again when it's done. (And then listen to the audio.) I was reading an article about the differences between the book and the series, I have to say that I'm glad that they made the changes that they did or I don't think I would be enjoying it as much.

I’m really enjoying it

We finally watched the 6th episode. Another good one, though I wonder when all of their changes are going to catch up with them.

>157 Karlstar: As I understand it, multiple seasons are planned, so could be a while

>158 stellarexplorer: I hope there are multiple seasons!

>159 Karlstar: I think the ratings are solid enough.

>160 clamairy: It isn't must-see TV like Game of Thrones, yet, but I haven't heard about any issues with continuing at least another season.

Holy smoking turdballs... The opening sequence in the latest episode is simply amazing. Another fantastic episode, with the big reveal occuring in the final moments. I kind of suspected. I think I'm a little disappointed, to be honest, but it was handled so well.

>162 clamairy: I was really glad to see they finally got it out of the way, but I thought it was good how they did it.

Yes, the reveal was predictable but it depends what they do with the character. Agree the opening sequence was gripping. Vivid and well done. And the later rendition.

Is this a no-spoiler thread?

>163 Karlstar: Yes, it was handled very well.

>164 stellarexplorer: Just use spoiler tags to play it safe.

>165 clamairy: I’m a little technically challenged in that area. What’s the procedure for spoiler tags?

>166 stellarexplorer: Enter as: <spoiler>spoiler text goes here</spoiler>

Result: spoiler text goes here

>167 ScoLgo: thank you!

>168 stellarexplorer: You're welcome!

In case it might be helpful, there are a lot of other tips & tricks in The New How To Do Fancy Things In Your Posts Thread

>169 ScoLgo: Right, I recall the old one, but thanks. Was not aware of the new. I’ve been less active on LT for a while

>170 stellarexplorer: Even that 'new' one is from 2014, though Joel edited it and others have been adding to it since then.

>171 clamairy: Ah, then I have no doubt used it and was diverted by the title. A wonderful resource!

We watched the final episode. It is hard for me to judge it objectively as they changed so much from what happened in the book. Not sure why they'd take a future scene away from Egwene and give it to another character.

Haven’t read the books, so can’t be disappointed about what I don’t know. I thought the season would end with a little more pizzazz. But I like it and will continue watching

>175 stellarexplorer: They actually toned down the final scene. I wonder if they are just saving stuff for future seasons.

So I made a decision to put down the book so I could enjoy the show.. I may or may not read further before the next season starts though. I really loved the show but may have asked Jim a lot of questions during it lol. I guess I am curious as to what happened in Rand's Dark One encounter if the original scene was Egwene... I guess I'll have to find that spot in the book.

I really enjoyed this series, and it looks like they've already filmed several episodes for the second season. Yay! Sounds like the actor playing Mat has been replaced, which I'm thankful for. Since he's not the nicest guy it might not be the actor's fault that I didn't like him.

My plan is to listen to the Audible book sooner rather than later, and if I enjoy it enough I will keep going.

>178 clamairy: Glad you enjoyed it. It is going to be interesting to see what they do with Matt.

I read the whole series about 10 years ago. It took me a year. I did like the WOT series on Amazon Prime, but I get the feeling that things were missed or left out. I was not keen on the actress playing Nynaeve. I didn't find that she captured the passion that the character has in the book. I am looking forward to seeing more of the series on Amazon, but it hasn't inspired me to reread the books yet. Maybe I will start the series again in the summer.

>180 Beckerbee: I'm looking forward to season two, but I'm a bit frustrated at the changes and liberties the show has taken. Still, I thought it was enjoyable.

Season two premiere date!

https://www.tor.com/2023/05/24/the-wheel-of-time-finally-has-a-season-2-premiere...

Woohoo!!! I guess this means I have to listen to the second book soon.

I'll follow the TV show, but I'm a curmudgeon when it comes to the books.  I've read the the books because the series my father's favorite, but I would appreciate Brandon Sanderson releasing a clean abridged series.

First, I saw that they confirmed the Sept 1 date for the first show of the 2nd season.

Second, some good stuff about season two from Tor and the full length trailer, if you haven't seen it:

https://www.tor.com/2023/07/19/12-of-my-favorite-things-from-the-wheel-of-time-s...

>185 Karlstar: WOOHOO! Great trailer, thank you! I have to listen to the 3rd book soon.

Season two starts Sept. 1! Very much looking forward to it.

>187 Karlstar: As am I! I will be starting The Dragon Reborn via Audible today.

I'm sharing this article as a gift, so hopefully no one will hit a paywall. This is an interview with Rosamund Pike on the three audiobooks she has recorded from The Wheel of Time series so far.

https://wapo.st/47IBtX9

I'm about 25% of the way through The Great Hunt re-read. I'm definitely picking up little bits of foreshadowing here and there. Also, having read New Spring provided a lot of context around Siuan and Moiraine's reunion at Fal Dara.

I'm hoping that the less chaotic production environment for Season 2 will help the overall product. There were just so many little things in S1 that just rubbed me the wrong way. Based on the trailers, S2 looks more polished. Fingers crossed!

>189 clamairy: Awesome, thanks for that. One of these days I'll have to give one a listen.

>190 drmamm: Agreed, I'm hoping for a bit higher standard for season 2.

>190 drmamm: & >191 Karlstar: I went into the TV series completely blind, but now that I've been listening to the audio I suspect I will be a lot more critical of season 2. On the other hand, I found it very helpful to have real faces to go with many of the names I was hearing.

If the fourth audiobook isn't released relatively soon I might have to actually put my eyeballs on the ebook.

Tor just sent an email with a link to this interview with the actress Rosamund Pike. I read it and didn't see any spoilers for season 2, but if you haven't watched season 1 yet and you plan to then skip this.
https://www.tor.com/2023/08/31/the-wheel-of-times-rosamund-pike-on-playing-moira...

I’m only a year and a half late to the party; I finally re-read (or re-re-read) books 1 - 3 (Eye of the World, The Great Hunt and The Dragon Reborn) which I still thoroughly enjoyed and have started season 1 of the TV adaptation. I really prefer it if adaptations stick to the book but *grudgingly* I can survive if they don’t take too many liberties.

Episode 1: I’m surviving so far though I have to question Perrin’s and Mat’s backstories. Re Perrin’s wife, I’m afraid that, having read the books, I wasn’t invested in her at all and I’m not sure why she was inserted into the plot and as for Mat’s family, he’s leaving them in the lurch. Even by the end of book 3, all three boys are jealous of the other two because they think the others know how to talk to girls while they just get embarrassed whereas in the TV series at least a couple of them have progressed well beyond just trying to talk to girls.

They’re all about three years older than they were in the books, who knows why. As for looks and regional differences, which I was concerned about the adaptation following the books, Rand does somewhat stand out from the dark-haired Two Rivers population - so that’s okay.😊

Episode 2: Well, Perrin doesn’t seem too bothered either. I’d have like to have seen the Warders’ colour-shifting cloak; I’m sure they could have done something with CGI. The horses have already started falling by the wayside and even Bela seems to have disappeared, though in the books she made it safely to Tar Valon.

>194 humouress: I had to eventually just stop counting the liberties. I agree, the cloaks would have been a great addition.

As far as the ages go, I would guess (completely guessing) that they didn't want *another* show about young teens in danger and since they are compressing the timeline, by the time they get to the end in the TV show, the ages will line up?? Maybe?

Lots of things go by the wayside in season one... looking forward to more of your thoughts on season 1.

We watched season two episode one and two tonight! I enjoyed it, had to keep not counting the liberties, but it was still good.

>195 Karlstar: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. I don't think I'll be watching it until Monday.

>194 humouress: I watched the first season before I started the books. (I have done the audiobook versions only, so far.) The liberties taken didn't bother me before, because I was clueless. We'll see what happens now that I'm three books in. Hopefully I'll be able to do what I did with Peter Jackson's LotR, and keep them separate in my head.

>196 clamairy: Did you watch it yet??

Series 1, episode 3: Either they didn't take so many liberties or I stopped noticing them. Perrin is missing the axe made by Master Luhan that he should have brought from the Two Rivers, though (mind you, we didn't see Master Luhan at all). I have the impression that in The Eye of the World, until they got to Baerlon, they went through heavily wooded country whereas on TV it's stony ground - but not a huge issue.

Episode 4: either my memory is really going or they made things up out of whole cloth ie the events in the Aes Sedai camp or, rather, Moiraine, Lan and Nynaeve being there. I'll have to check (and also check my spellings; apologies if I've spelled the names wrong), but my books are in storage at the moment while we have some renovations done to the house.

Lan is less inscrutable than in the books, but that’s a minor change. But Aram’s comment about some Travellers taking up arms rather scuppers the prophecy about a Traveller with a sword.

>197 Karlstar: I watched Season 2, EP 1 on Tuesday night. I enjoyed it, and have no clue why they changed the things they did.

I hope they have a shirtless Lan scene in every episode. :o)

This may not be the right time or place to admit this but I've never read the Wheel of Time books nor have I watched the Amazon series. I have questions.
(A) Will I regret it if I watch Amazon's adaptation before reading any of the books? Will doing so give me a decent sense of whether or not I would like the books?
(B) Is the story heavily weighted with male characters? Are there decent female characters?
(C) Underlying the questions above is my real concern and I know that many of you already know my taste in books. Is this something I'd like?

>200 jillmwo: I am a Wheel of Time book fan. I am less enamored with the show, although Season 1 had many issues out of its control that affected production. Season 2 is much more polished and I am more engaged. However, it is still an adaptation of an enormous series with thousands of characters and multiple plot lines and settings, so things must be simplified.

That said, I will give you my opinion on A) and B) (I don't know enough of your taste to answer C))
A) Personally, I would read the first three books before watching the series. That will give you enough of a taste for you to decide if you like it or not (although many readers cite book 4 as their favorite). The problem with starting with the Series is that Season 1 looks and feels very rough in terms of production values and writing, and the adaptation strayed really far from Book 1. If you only read Book 1 before watching, you won't get a feel for what the series is really about, as even the author admitted that Book 1 is "Lord of the Rings lite." It doesn't find its own voice until Book 2.
B) (Note: I am a man) There are many, many strong female characters in the series, although they are clearly written by a man lol. The central premise of the world is that there is a delicate balance of power between men and women. The men mostly are the leaders of the various states, but only women can use magic, and the Aes Sedai (female wizards) are often the power behind the throne(s). If men try to "channel" they go insane and are thus hunted down by the Aes Sedai. The central premise of the story is that the prophesized "dragon reborn" is alive and needs to be guided to fight the last battle against the Dark One. The problem is that he is a man, and some Aes Sedai want to protect him and others believe he is just another "false dragon" who needs to be "gentled." That *vastly* oversimplifies the plot, but should give you a taste of the male/female dynamic.

Overall, I loved the series despite the quirky writing style and occasional bloat. Season 2 of the TV show has given me a glimmer of hope that it will turn out to be a solid adaptation.

>200 jillmwo: I think >199 clamairy: has said she has benefited from reading/listening to the first two books, so I'm deferring to her opinion.

>201 drmamm: I think Jordan made a point of having just as many strong female characters as male characters, very deliberately. If anything, since there is an enormous emphasis on the Aes Sedai, there are more female characters. Many people complain about Jordan's use (overuse) of physical mannerisms, but I think that shows up more in later books. If you want to avoid that, stop at book three.

As far as your point C), I think you might enjoy the show but not the books. I'm not positive.

>198 humouress: >199 clamairy: They pulled the Verin and Adeleas scene out of a later book. It does happen, though not precisely with the same characters. They missed a chance to highlight a different monster, one that appears rarely in the books. I completely missed that Aram is with them.

>200 jillmwo: I had not read any of the books before I started watching the series. I really enjoyed Season 1, and then I invested in the first audiobook through Audible, because it was narrated by the actress who plays the lead in the series. She has since recorded two more, and I have acquired those as well. I have been extraordinarily happy with all three audiobooks, and I have been looking forward to season 2. I am planning to read book four with my actual eyeballs, since the new narration isn't available yet.

As >201 drmamm: said, there are some serious kick ass women in this series, and I look forward to enjoying ALL of the rest of the books over the next decade or so.

>202 Karlstar: Sorry, I must have started writing my post before you posted yours. Yes I was wondering why there were multiple Shades in that attack. Other than putting her (and Lan) through an emotional ringer, why did they take Moiraine's ability to channel away in the series?

>204 clamairy: I have a thought on that. In the books Moiraine disappears for a long time. That wouldn't work on tv, so they substituted losing her powers.

I can't say I like what they are doing with the Falme sequence, but I can guess why they are doing it. I'll wait until folks catch up to discuss more.

>205 Karlstar: Ahhh. That makes sense.

>201 drmamm: >202 Karlstar: >203 clamairy: Thank you for the feedback!

I just finished episode 3. I didn't love it. Although that was a nice trick they pulled with arches. What happened to the gorgeous opening credits from last year?

>208 clamairy: I wasn't real fond of that one either, but the next two are better. I've given up keeping track of how many things they've changed.

Episode 6 was interesting, but they introduced a character that isn't in the books.

I haven't read this, since I'm still watching season 1, but Tor.com has some thoughts on the WoT show.

I watched Episode 4 last night. What an improvement over the 3rd. They've really mashed up a bunch of books two and three together, haven't they?

>211 humouress: Thank you. I think I will come back and read those after I am done with Season 2.

>212 clamairy: They sure have, but they said all along this season would cover both books. I thought episode 4 was quite good.

I watched Ep. 5 last night.. also quite good, but now I have to wait for 6. ☹️

>215 clamairy: It was a little jumpy, but good and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Watching episode 5 (season 1). Mat, Rand and Nynaeve have reached Tar Valon, bypassing Baerlon, Caemlyn and possibly the important events in Shienar. I’m not sure what the confrontation between the Whitecloaks and the Tinkers is in aid of.

Ooh - Loial’s just appeared (thank goodness). Much as I imagined him except for his size. They could have CGI-ied him the correct size; he’s barely taller than Rand.

All these important details missing and they have to invent (sometimes nonsensical) scenes with the Whitecloaks and with the Warders.

*sigh* Well, I’ve finished that episode. Whoever wrote it obviously never read the books. For someone who has, I found it disappointing and irrelevant (to put it mildly), not to mention completely messing up the storyline but I wonder how it worked for people who haven’t read the books.

>217 humouress: "Whoever wrote it obviously never read the books. For someone who has, I found it disappointing and irrelevant (to put it mildly), not to mention completely messing up the storyline but I wonder how it worked for people who haven’t read the books."

I've given up on figuring that out, I cannot come up with a consistent reason for all of the changes, which just feel random. I've tried not to think about it and just enjoy the show, I think season 2 might be a little better.

How'd we get to 218 posts? Should I make a season 2 thread?

>218 Karlstar: "I've tried not to think about it and just enjoy the show..."
I had to do the same with much of HBO's Game of Thrones.

A new thread might be a good idea. The reason this one is so long is because it started four years ago before they started filming the series.

I’ll stay here for the time being, since I’m still on series 1. I watched episode 6 last night which was mostly shoehorning things back on track. Moiraine gets to take a lot of baths (which is more a Polgara thing).

I’m very disappointed that they haven’t got Loial’s droopy ears - I love the way they express his emotions - and they haven’t incorporated how young he actually is. And he seems more incidental to the story than in the books; Moiraine asks for his help as a Builder but then opens the Waygate with the One Power. I prefer the elegance of the Avendesora leaf in an arch which looks as though it’s part of nature.

Minor gripes this time (or maybe I’m getting more resigned); there are a lot of extraneous scenes which neither add to nor detract from the story but they do replace (without substituting in terms of imparting information) a lot of other scenes in the books (so they use up screen time for no reason).

At least we’re off to the Eye of the World, finally.

>220 humouress: I think 'more resigned' is the best way to describe it. 'Accustomed', maybe a good word, too? Now you've got me wondering about the bath thing, maybe that was something in New Spring?

They've entirely left out Loial's backstory, the whole idea of what Ogier are, the whole thing, he's just a large funny looking person in the show. He hasn't yet mentioned being afraid of being sent back to the Stedding (or what a Stedding is) or being forced to get married; all of the things that made him a character.

>221 Karlstar: *sigh* Maybe they'll fill in the details about the Ogiers later?

>222 humouress: So far not in season two.

Episode 7, series 1

*sigh* Yet another episode which bears little relation to the book. Well, things happen that connect to the books in a different way. I really don't understand why script writers do that. I think the story has lost a lot of its power in the translation. At least we've found Min now, even if she's at the other end of the continent. Lan continues to be not inscrutable. There are just too many niggly things for me to dwell on.

Maybe a map in the opening credits would help, however; I'm not sure if the distance they covered by short-cutting through the Ways is obvious. And I know it's pc to have mixed ethnicities on TV these days but I felt that in the books they were divided by region which emphasised the world-sweeping events that Rand and his friends from the back woods were caught up in.

The Blight was different from how I imagined it - but of course that happens. However, I would have loved to have seen the Ways as described in the books; the delicate Ogier carved white stone, airy, perspective-defying Escher-style bridges rather than the black basalt columns. And Loial has lost all his charm and naiveté. Not to mention his ever-present books.

>224 humouress: Season 1 was a big disappointment, but I was very pleasantly surprised by Season 2. Everything was better. It still has flaws, but I would definitely recommend watching Season 2.

>224 humouress: Wait until you get to the finale of season 1! A massive deviation from the books.

>225 drmamm: Thank goodness.

>226 Karlstar: Aagh, no!

I also wanted to add that all the Arthurian references seem to have been lost (although probably not the Tolkien influences).

ETA: and the elephant in the room - WHERE THE HECK IS MAT?

>229 Karlstar: Maybe we'll see more of Mat later in the show, in future seasons? He always was the lesser of the three male characters.

>229 Karlstar: So I looked it up. Apparently Barney Harris, who played Mat in the first season, left the show for reasons unclear (but possibly mental health reasons) at the end of episode 6 when covid forced a halt to filming. So they had to cobble something together for episodes 7 and 8 without the character and then Donal Finn took over in season 2.

Well, alright *grumble*; not entirely their fault this time.

Me again! So I realise that the book prologues are somewhat divorced from the main storyline and adaptations can't capture everything but they do give us an insight as to the bigger picture. I don't think the TV series has captured the menace of the Dark One and their Darkfriends - who can be anyone, anywhere - that we get from these snippets. And there has been no mention of the Age of Legends or the original Dragon, Lews Therin Telamon nor much about the Wheel bringing lives around again.

I wonder if people who haven't read the books understand why Moiraine and Lan (etc) are so committed to finding the Dragon Reborn and battling the Dark One (ie do they get the point of the whole series) or what the Wheel of Time/ Pattern of Ages are?

>231 humouress: I thought this was something they did very, very poorly in season 1. I will say, they do a little better job in season 2.

I’ve just remembered something that struck me a few episodes ago. When he was educating Egwene and Perrin about the Way of the Leaf, Aram mentioned that some Tinkers leave to take up the sword. (I don’t specifically remember him not saying that in the books) But that would make a mockery of the prophecy of a Tinker with a sword, one of the signs that the Dragon has been reborn, which was so striking because of how impossible it should be. Mind you, most of the prophecies have fallen by the wayside or their existence forgotten altogether, I suppose.

>233 humouress: They've had to mangle or hide the prophecies anyway, to keep it a mystery who the Dragon might be, for those who haven't read the books.

>234 Karlstar: 😳🙄

>226 Karlstar: OMG! I see what you mean. It’s like they said ‘Mat’s gone, we might as well just blow the plot.’

Episode 8 season 1 (possible spoilers ahead)

It started out promisingly when we finally got to see the Age of Legends, which I thought they did really well. Except for calling Lews Therin Telamon ‘the Dragon Reborn’ instead of ‘the Dragon’.

And then … well, all I can say is that I hope that the rest of it all turns out to be one of the dream sequences. Especially since they seem to have killed off half the cast from book 2. It looked rather anticlimactic to me, with no Green Man and finding knowing the Horn was under a chair when everyone has been looking for it for the last several thousands of years.

Just, no.

>236 humouress: But Lews was not the first Dragon, was he?

I found out recently that the reason Mat disappeared was because the actor playing him did, and they had no time to figure out a better option.

>237 clamairy: Oh? I thought he was called the Dragon in the books - but I have a notoriously bad memory and I haven’t read past book 10 or 11, or somewhere there, yet.

(Please see >230 humouress:) Maybe they could have just had him really sick from the dagger and kept him under wraps in a corner of Fal Dara. Oh wait, they Healed him two books too early.

Well, on to season 2.

Sorry if I’m being grouchy but this is one of my favourite book series (even if I haven’t finished it yet) and I dislike a lot of deviation. I think they’ve gone way off script - which impacts the plot further down in huge ways (it’s like they completely gave up on Jordan’s work and killed off everyone at the end of the season) - and I don’t know how they’re going to get it back on track.

But I’ll keep watching. Even though this episode (S1, E8) was very disappointing. I wonder if people who haven’t read the books found it as anticlimactic or if the ending made sense to them?

>238 humouress: I felt the same way about the deviations from the books at the end of season one. Episode 8 was so far off, it felt like they just made it up entirely. I do think they were setting up viewers with a foreshadowing to an important scene in season 2. I also think that by omitting so many of the locations from the books, they aren't doing that aspect of it justice either.


However, I do like some of the characters and actors in the show and I like what they've done with showing the One Power. I wish this was a more accurate adaptation, but we're not going to get that. I did enjoy season 2 more.

>239 Karlstar: What they're showing is nice but it's missing a substantial part of the books and (reader fans aside) that may do the show a disservice. I understand they have budgets and can't show everything but these huge changes lose the epic nature of the story and then it's just ... a story. They chose to adapt it for a reason. Well, yes, money. I meant the story; it catches the imagination so why change it for something sub-par?

I'm also not so keen on Nynaeve telling Lan (unlike the books) that she didn't track him, she tracked Moiraine. In the books, the Warder was more inscrutable and - especially with his shadow-shifting cloak - more skilled in eluding pursuit so Nynaeve being able to track him showed how much more skilled she is. The show made it seem some fault of Moiraine's that Nynaeve was able to track them. And then they didn't even say how she tracked Moiraine or what her 'tell' was.

>240 humouress: >241 humouress: I am as disappointed as you are, but we're not getting a better TV adaptation soon, probably never, so I've resigned myself to this one. It isn't so bad that I can't watch it, it is just sadly lacking.

>242 Karlstar: True. And I don't mean to keep griping; it's just that things suddenly occur to me out of the blue. I'll try to stop :0)

>243 humouress: I know exactly how you feel! I know there are things that the show has to omit, like the endless travel. I get that and I don't mind. However, I'm not a fan of some of the radical changes, like eliminating the relationship between Rand and Lan, or Min's age change, or so many other things. I think season two actually moved closer to what was in book two, in some ways.

>244 Karlstar: Oh good! I'll make a start on Season 2 soon.

I think I caught a Tor headline as I was looking for the old articles that Season 3 will follow book 4, so maybe they'll accelerate the pace a bit ie not 14 seasons.