Wheel of Time Discussion - Spoilers(with book spoilers)

[Parmandur]

I imagine that they saw it as a cliffhanger new development, rather than just a random plot element.

TBH, it would be more random if they were introduced like they were in the books.

 

[Bolares]

One element of the series that I find a bit awkward from a world-building sense, is the hodge-podge multiculturalism. I have no issue with the showrunners making it (far) more multicultural than in the books, but as a world-builder, the lack of any internal consistency is annoying.

The only vaguely consistent element that I've seen is that Borderlanders seem to be Asian.

Isn't this story set on the future of our world? It'd only be logical for the world to get more and more multicultural antil the big apocalypses happen. And then the world would rebuild, but people who lived in multicultural places would still be very diverse. I think it would be unrealistic for people to segregate again after the world blew up...

 

[Bolares]

Other than completely diminishing the mystery of the horn and where it was.

I thought it was very misterious, and made it a good reason for the trolloc army to be attacking fal dara and not trying to find rand and moiraine.

 

[Bolares]

The Two Rivers is an isolated mountain community, with little contact with the outside world except for peddlers and the occasional stray gleeman or traveler.

Isn't the two rivers the remnant of a great and proud city state? that traveled very far on the trolloc wars (or another war, I can't be sure)? So, no, it's not an analogue of an isolated community with little contact with the outside world from our context. It's the descendants of something huge, that could easilly be very diverse and multicultural. So, there is worldbuilding here, justifying a diverse casting.

 

[hawkeyefan]

A couple of points based on a discussion with my wife, who has no knowledge of the books.

The Seanchan at the end did exactly what I would expect the showrunners hoped….it introduced a new threat that is mysterious and dangerous but not yet understood. My wife was like “WTF who are these guys?”

Regarding the Horn of Valere….she had no idea that’s what was in the box, nor what it is. They mention it once, and then there’s a line of dialogue explaining what it is according to legend. But given the scene and the focus on Fain and Perrin, she totally missed that. All she knows is that it’s something important. And honestly, that’s enough. The show can expand on the horn next season pretty easily.

 

[Maxperson]

Isn't this story set on the future of our world? It'd only be logical for the world to get more and more multicultural antil the big apocalypses happen. And then the world would rebuild, but people who lived in multicultural places would still be very diverse. I think it would be unrealistic for people to segregate again after the world blew up...

People aren't going to move from far away pockets or other continents to one place to live, though. You'd still have segregated pockets of people that grow in numbers until you have countries.

 

[Maxperson]

I thought it was very misterious, and made it a good reason for the trolloc army to be attacking fal dara and not trying to find rand and moiraine.

If it had been known, though, you'd have had them being attacked by the countries to the south as well. That horn is very powerful. Plus the trollocs and the dark one don't really need a reason to want to attack southward and kill people.

 

[Mercurius]

Isn't the two rivers the remnant of a great and proud city state? that traveled very far on the trolloc wars (or another war, I can't be sure)? So, no, it's not an analogue of an isolated community with little contact with the outside world from our context. It's the descendants of something huge, that could easilly be very diverse and multicultural. So, there is worldbuilding here, justifying a diverse casting.

I don't think this is correct. Manetheren fell 1800 years ago. Two Rivers has presumably been mostly isolated for that time, with only sparse contact with the outside world. Or at least that's the norm we start with at the beginning of the story, and there's no implication that it was once a thriving cosmopolitan center anytime in the recent past.

An isolated community tends to get pretty homogenous over 1800 years.

 

[hawkeyefan]

I don't think this is correct. Manetheren fell 1800 years ago. Two Rivers has presumably been mostly isolated for that time, with only sparse contact with the outside world. Or at least that's the norm we start with at the beginning of the story, and there's no implication that it was once a thriving cosmopolitan center anytime in the recent past.

An isolated community tends to get pretty homogenous over 1800 years.

But does the show imply this as strongly as the books do?

I didn’t really get that impression. Is it a remote place? Yes. Is it so remote that there is little to no contact with the outside world? We don’t know enough from the show to say so.

Have they even said in the show what country the Two Rivers is from? Or made many comments about how rare strangers are? I don’t think that the show has made any strong attempts to do so, where as in the books this is all very specifically stated.

 

[Mercurius]

But does the show imply this as strongly as the books do?

I didn’t really get that impression. Is it a remote place? Yes. Is it so remote that there is little to no contact with the outside world? We don’t know enough from the show to say so.

Have they even said in the show what country the Two Rivers is from? Or made many comments about how rare strangers are? I don’t think that the show has made any strong attempts to do so, where as in the books this is all very specifically stated.

I do think they say it is part of Andor. Don't they mention tax collectors not coming because it is so far from civilization, or was that only the book?

And in the show, they do look upon the arrival of Padan Fain and Thom Merrilin as rare. I think it is strongly implied that Two Rivers is very isolated. I mean, the five had never been to Baerlon, the closest large town.