[TV] The Wheel of Time

[Shadowferal]

*replies sententiously*
The Court Bard that can play the three notes (sorrow, humor, and sleep) was even more respected.

[Gigantique]

I think the most glaring condemnation of this show I can give is that I still haven’t watched episode…. 6 I believe? Last one I watched was the one where We see Loial for the first time and Lan has his emotional little episode over side character X dying.

For a show I was giddy with excitement over for ages the fact that my interest just fizzled out after 5 or so episodes is more telling than any essay or rant I could bring to the table :P

[Biomega]

For a show I was giddy with excitement over for ages the fact that my interest just fizzled out after 5 or so episodes is more telling than any essay or rant I could bring to the table :P

It's also probably the most effective message you can send to the producers. They're MUCH more concerned about people who watch and drop it than people who never watch - it shows them they had a potential audience, but didn't keep them. People who never watch might just be people who aren't into fantasy in the first place and would never count as audience anyway.

[Logwyn]

I know you've stated you have read the books but I think you should read them again to refresh your knowledge of the lore. Greens take multiple warders and can engage in sexual acts with them.

"The Greens are also known for their love of men, and in fact some Greens like men to such an extent that they may even marry their Warder. Those Greens with only one Warder are typically married to him. It is even rumored that Myrelle Berengari has married three of her Warders, in defiance of all custom. " That is even the green Lan gets sent to when Moirane dies. She attempts to heal lan through the healing power of sex

I'm beginning to think a number of the negatives about how the show strays from the book are from people that read the first book 31-32 years ago and have never read it since. The person you replied to is a perfect example of this fact.

[Mace]

I know you've stated you have read the books but I think you should read them again to refresh your knowledge of the lore. Greens take multiple warders and can engage in sexual acts with them.

"The Greens are also known for their love of men, and in fact some Greens like men to such an extent that they may even marry their Warder. Those Greens with only one Warder are typically married to him. It is even rumored that Myrelle Berengari has married three of her Warders, in defiance of all custom. " That is even the green Lan gets sent to when Moirane dies. She attempts to heal lan through the healing power of sex

If you ask me, there are a lot of adult themes enough to appeal to GoT type people without looking like a sleazy or soft porn fantasy series.. i think the book was perfectly weighted.

Going through the Eye of the World again, the amount of cool stuff concerning male characters that are totally cut.. couldn't help but feel how cool it would have been to see all this played out, without inserting any "messaging"

[Xath]

I'm beginning to think a number of the negatives about how the show strays from the book are from people that read the first book 31-32 years ago and have never read it since. The person you replied to is a perfect example of this fact.

Something being alluded to in a passing or fade to black manner isn't the same as going full on with it. Also those acts happen later as the e5 lose their naive nature. Lan and Nynaeve takes ages to get anywhere for multiple reasons having it happen within the first season really cuts a lot of how difficult it was for both sides of that relationship to allow it to happen. It was hinted at early on but took a lot of walls breaking down to actually happen. I'm convinced people who rabidly defend the show are either just desperate for any wot live action or in the group that never actually finished the series.

[Mazza]

I think the most glaring condemnation of this show I can give is that I still haven’t watched episode…. 6 I believe? Last one I watched was the one where We see Loial for the first time and Lan has his emotional little episode over side character X dying.

Speaking of Loial, where the hell did he go after they exited the ways? Did I miss something or did he just dissipate into thin air?

[Shadowferal]

Speaking of Loial, where the hell did he go after they exited the ways? Did I miss something or did he just dissipate into thin air?

A character of convenience.

[BloodyAngel12]

7 Episodes in and I really don't care for the characters or that emotionally interested in them. Also if a tv show that has to rely on animated shorts to fill in the lore gaps, when really it should really fall to the tv series. Then its failed to do its job.

[rhorle]

Speaking of Loial, where the hell did he go after they exited the ways? Did I miss something or did he just dissipate into thin air?

He was present in the background when the presented themselves to Lord Agelmar but otherwise absent from any on-screen time. I don't remember if he had much presence in Fal Dara in the books and I don't own them to check. I am not sure I want to spend $150 to buy the e-books. It isn't "a lot" comparatively but still wish they were half that price. Same reason why I haven't bought the expanse series after being introduced to it with the SyFy, and now Amazon, show.

[Rennadrel]

I'm beginning to think a number of the negatives about how the show strays from the book are from people that read the first book 31-32 years ago and have never read it since. The person you replied to is a perfect example of this fact.

I've read through the entire series prior to AMOL releasing and twice after it came out. The show sucks because it's clearly not been developed to follow the same story at all.

[rhorle]

7 Episodes in and I really don't care for the characters or that emotionally interested in them. Also if a tv show that has to rely on animated shorts to fill in the lore gaps, when really it should really fall to the tv series. Then its failed to do its job.

I disagree. There is so much world building and stuff in the books that it would be hard to fit any of it into the a 1-hour show. The books move around so much that it needs to include a lot and long seasons are rare for streaming shows. They are even starting to be rare for a lot of broadcast shows as well. Animated shorts work good for ancillary lore but Amazon just doesn't do a good job of showing them since you have to access it via x-ray rather then as a independent "companion".

[Xath]

I disagree. There is so much world building and stuff in the books that it would be hard to fit any of it into the a 1-hour show. The books move around so much that it needs to include a lot and long seasons are rare for streaming shows. They are even starting to be rare for a lot of broadcast shows as well. Animated shorts work good for ancillary lore but Amazon just doesn't do a good job of showing them since you have to access it via x-ray rather then as a independent "companion".

Stop adding irrelevant side plots and you have a lot more time.

There's a 36 issue comic recreation of wheel I have it on my kindle. Could literally just split that into eight parts and then you have wheel done. Instead we spend more time on a tertiary character than we spend on the EF5.

[Gumble]

He was present in the background when the presented themselves to Lord Agelmar but otherwise absent from any on-screen time. I don't remember if he had much presence in Fal Dara in the books and I don't own them to check. I am not sure I want to spend $150 to buy the e-books. It isn't "a lot" comparatively but still wish they were half that price. Same reason why I haven't bought the expanse series after being introduced to it with the SyFy, and now Amazon, show.

Seriously? You don't own the books and are commenting on them this much?

Damn I figured people that cared about the Wheel of Time would at least own the books. Hell, I own at least 2-3 copies of each. I have all the books in hardback and generally 1-2 paperbacks of each depending on how worn they are.


Also, from reading this thread.... I didn't know Rafe was gay. I honestly didn't know/care who he was before being told he was the person making "modernizing" changes to Amazon's WoT show. Definitely explains most of the changes to the show. Larger focus on sex, female centric messaging, and a disregard for character growth. It does explain his attitude towards how he translates the story into the show.

I'm trying to get myself to watch the 7th episode just to see the train wreck through the first season, but it just feels like fanfic, and not particularly good fanfic. CW shows have better writers.

[rhorle]

Seriously? You don't own the books and are commenting on them this much?

I don't own them but I've read them once or twice and listened to the audio books probably a dozen or more times with library copies. I used to work nights where I could listen to stuff all shift so I could load a library copy on a ipod touch and just rotate it in with two or 3 different book series. I might still have some on the ipod but android doesn't seem to have any good support for the ipod book format.

I can think of better things to purchase and I hate buying e-books that are the same cost as paperback. The only one I really buy instead of using a library physical/e-book is Brandon Sanderson. Wheel of Time is what originally put me on to him and I've become a become a big fan.

[Nynax]

CW shows have better writers.

Of all the possible burns I've seen stated about the show, this has got the be the worst.

I despise CW shows, with passion.

[Logwyn]

He was present in the background when the presented themselves to Lord Agelmar but otherwise absent from any on-screen time. I don't remember if he had much presence in Fal Dara in the books and I don't own them to check. I am not sure I want to spend $150 to buy the e-books. It isn't "a lot" comparatively but still wish they were half that price. Same reason why I haven't bought the expanse series after being introduced to it with the SyFy, and now Amazon, show.

Loial goes into the Blight with the group and meets the Green Man and sings to a tree while they are in Fal Dara. You can just do a google search and find just about anything without having to buy the books.

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I've read through the entire series prior to AMOL releasing and twice after it came out. The show sucks because it's clearly not been developed to follow the same story at all.

Honestly, I would never think it should. Would you really have wanted episodes covering I think it was book 4 or was it 5 where all that really happens is everyone sits around talking?

[rhorle]

Loial goes into the Blight with the group and meets the Green Man and sings to a tree while they are in Fal Dara. You can just do a google search and find just about anything without having to buy the books.

I know that part. I was talking about while in the city before leaving since that is the part the episode covered. The next episode might have him show up or he might just be that disposable plot character.

[Shadowferal]

Honestly, I would never think it should. Would you really have wanted episodes covering I think it was book 4 or was it 5 where all that really happens is everyone sits around talking?

What? 4 & 5 are when things get real interesting. I read this a couple of times a year. Books 9-11 could probably be consolidated...condensed.

[Kharadin]

snip

I'm too lazy to try to look up some citation to allow myself to cling to my initial understanding and tbh you've made enough sense that I certainly need to rethink my position. Big props for having patience and sharing your ideas though. Appreciate it. I still don't like the idea that most/all threads are effectively reliving the same kinds of lives over and over again, I'd just personally prefer more RNG in that but there's that neat conversation between Loial and Rand on the nature of the wheel that gives me some hope.

And yes, I agree wrt ta'veren and being bound to the wheel - I might be misremembering but in AMoL don't we actually see Jain become bound as a hero? If anything I'd think it's more likely for someone to become bound if they're typical/unimportant threads that end up doing important/heroic things. But that's mostly assumption on my part.

And yes again, I basically read it the same way re ta'veren. For the wheel to turn as it does it needs some bros to do certain things or cause certain events, and the "ta'veren-ness" is effectively the wheel/creator/bela doing some magic to supply them with both what they need to be able to get there, and nudges to keep them going there. I'm sure there's certainly some free will involved but even then I imagine the pattern corrects for itself as it goes.

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Also, Shohreh Agdhashloo for Cadsuane anyone? Looking very possible rn.