Wheel of Time Discussion - Spoilers(with book spoilers)

[A2Z]

Don't care what the book says, the only objective here is to make an entertaining TV show, not a slavish adaptation of a deeply flawed and overlong novel series.

That does seem to be this shows mantra, I'll give you that. But if all you want is a generic fantasy show, why bother making an adaptation?

I can't help but compare this to Game of Thrones and The Expanse. They both had to make compromises from the books, but they both respected the major plot beats. And they were both far better shows.

 

[TheSword]

1 - I got pretty clearly that you go mad and die if you are a male channeler.
2 - Didn't know the place, but got that the dark one is bound.
3 - They say the hor is needed to win the last battle.
4 - I don't know how similar they are form the book, but from the show I get that they are a foreign nation with radically different beliefs and culture.
5 - Elayne is a princess form a really important nation.
6 - The aiel remind me a lot of the Fremen in Dune, and the Aiel war is basically them comming to kill one guy (a king if I remember) and then leaving.
7 - The Dragon broke the world, I think that was stabilished really early in season one.

Do you mean that these things were casually dropped into a conversation once in season 2 episode three, 27.4 minutes in and you’re just particularly good at paying attention?

I started reading the books again today and I’m forcefully reminded how these things are hammered home time and time again.

 

[Bolares]

Do you mean that these things were casually dropped into a conversation once in season 2 episode three, 27.4 minutes in and you’re just particularly good at paying attention?

I started reading the books again today and I’m forcefully reminded how these things are hammered home time and time again.

I don't know when it was said, but I tend to pay attention to the shows I watch...

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That does seem to be this shows mantra, I'll give you that. But if all you want is a generic fantasy show, why bother making an adaptation?

Because despite it's flaws it includes some good ideas. I mean not having to make up all those names is a huge time saver on it's own!

And adapting something less well known means you have fewer complaints from a rabid fan base when you change things.

 

[Demetrios1453]

The conversation earlier got me thinking. Two series down and there are a few issues that I think haven’t been clearly established.

• Being a make Channeller means madness and a wasting disease leading irrevocably to death (and probably killing a lot of innocent people around you)
• The Dark One is bound with the Forsaken in Shayol Ghul by the Creator
• The last battle… or the fact that the horn of Valere is needed in order to win it.
• Who the Seanchan actually are.
• Who Elaine actually is and why she is important.
• Who the Aiel are and the Aiel War.
• The breaking of the world - who did it and why.

All these things seem to me to be pretty crucial elements that were bedded in really early in the books (with the exception of the Seanchan). It means that a lot of the elements don’t really carry much weight or things that are important seem incidental. My concern is that later elements that are really momentous won’t actually matter much because things leading up to them haven’t been established early enough.

“‘What do you mean the source was tainted, Why’s that? Who’s the Dark One?”

There’s a real risk that it just ends up as Young-Folks-With-Powers like every other fantasy TV series. Without any of the cost that sets Wheel of Time aside.

There's no reason that the Seanchan should be explained any further than they have been at this point, because the show has explained exactly as much as the books had at this point: that they are strange and scary invaders from over the sea. They'll get further explanation as they did in the books.

As for Elayne, from dedicated show-watcher threads on Reddit, they do understand who she is from what was stated in the series, although they might be a bit vague on just how powerful Andor is.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Elayne is Princess Peaches, ergo Andor is the Mushroom Kingdom.

 

[John R Davis]

Haven't read any books
Episode 8 season 2 was an exciting conclusion, and looked rather expensive.
More please.

 

[Mercurius]

Haven't been keeping up with the thread, but I haven't started season 2 yet...how is it, relative to the 1st? My overall feeling of the 1st was "pretty good, but greatly marred by shoddy effects." It was better than I feared, but worse than I hoped...and I felt optimistic it would improve. But for whatever reason, I have started the 2nd season yet. Quick takes, please.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Haven't been keeping up with the thread, but I haven't started season 2 yet...how is it, relative to the 1st? My overall feeling of the 1st was "pretty good, but greatly marred by shoddy effects." It was better than I feared, but worse than I hoped...and I felt optimistic it would improve. But for whatever reason, I have started the 2nd season yet. Quick takes, please.

It’s an improvement, but still flawed. I think the flaws are different from those of season one.

 

[Bolares]

Haven't been keeping up with the thread, but I haven't started season 2 yet...how is it, relative to the 1st? My overall feeling of the 1st was "pretty good, but greatly marred by shoddy effects." It was better than I feared, but worse than I hoped...and I felt optimistic it would improve. But for whatever reason, I have started the 2nd season yet. Quick takes, please.

It strays further from the books, but tells a competent story. The effects are a lot better and the acting is really good. Some characters get really great character arcs while other don't have much to do in the season. It's overall a big improvement on season one, but having only 8 episodes makes the ending feel rushed, with many corners cut to get to the point they wanted the season to end on.