Robert Jordan’s fantasy epic The Wheel of Time coming to TV

Is Min expected to be in this? I'd kind of assumed she might get cut, I'm sure I'd read that lead protagonists love quadrangle was getting slimmed to a more conventional arrangement.
 
I am finding most of the characters really lacking in charisma/personality, maybe its because they seem to be rushing along and not doing much character building. Lan is disappointing, Nynaeve is awful. Perrin and Egwene I am on the fence with.

However, I think Rand is the best of the lot so far. Thom could be great. Moiraine is fairly good. Wolves were cool. :)
 
Yeah i have good feelings about Thom. I think Moiraine is perfect as well so far.

Director said he introduced Logain much earlier into the story to try and capture more about what the world is about rather than having the whole first season just been the Two rivers escape and a slow build.
 
@chroniclard I'm in a similar place. The show isn't bad but maybe my preconceptions mean I'm finding the characters off a little. I agree Rand seems the best fit and likewise like what I've seen of Thom and Moiraine. The plot is moving in a direction that suits Matt as he's been portrayed so far so I'm hoping that will get better too.
 
One thing it has done, as most on screen adaptations do......its killed the books for me even after 3 episodes. I have probably read the entire series 3 or 4 times but, as with LOTR etc, I will forever put the on screen faces into the books and as such will never read them again.

So it better deliver! :cry:
 
Greebo said:
Yeah i have good feelings about Thom. I think Moiraine is perfect aswell.
Click to expand...
Rosamund Pike would have been a better Morgase imo, Thom is the only casting they've actually gotten right.
Greebo said:
Director said he introduced Logain much earlier into the story to try and capture more about what the world is about rather than having the whole first season just been the Two rivers escape and a slow build.
Click to expand...
Logain was introduced in Eye of the World tho, when Rand/Mat get to Caemlyn after whitebridge.
He isn't an important figure until nyneave heals him after he is gentled (severed from Saidin) in book 6. There's no need to show his rise as the false dragon, and then capture as who he is was built up over the course of the story.. less can be more!
 
Greebo said:
I think the director wanted to make it more exciting. He says he has shifted some characters from the first season to season 2 and mixed them up a bit.
Click to expand...
They're also doing it to show male channelling and the associated fear of it. Otherwise it would still be a mystery by season 3, which is far too long for non-book fans of the show to wait.

I think displaying it early on will do quite a lot to add intrigue into the saidin/saidar aspect of the story, whilst also build up the anticipation for the reveal of the Dragon Reborn.

I hope they don't skip Elyas or Bayle Domon, but it looks like they might :(
 
Yeah Elyas missing big time so far as he joined Perrin and Egwene straight after they crossed the river and got split up from the others in the book.

I am sure he will have to come in at some point to follow Perrin's story line, they have obviously booted him to season 2.
 
toshj said:
They're also doing it to show male channelling and the associated fear of it. Otherwise it would still be a mystery by season 3, which is far too long for non-book fans of the show to wait.

I think displaying it early on will do quite a lot to add intrigue into the saidin/saidar aspect of the story, whilst also build up the anticipation for the reveal of the Dragon Reborn.

I hope they don't skip Elyas or Bayle Domon, but it looks like they might :(
Click to expand...
If they hadn't scuffed the 1st episode and instead followed the storyline laid out in the books we would already know that male channelers will go mad and the DR is destined to break the world, it's just messing with the story for the sake of it.
 
C Kent said:
If they hadn't scuffed the 1st episode and instead followed the storyline laid out in the books we would already know that male channelers will go mad and the DR is destined to break the world, it's just messing with the story for the sake of it.
Click to expand...
There's a difference between telling and showing. Telling a TV audience something and then showing them 3 seasons later isn't how TV gets made. Viewers who've not read the books need to be shown, given the limited time to tell the story.

They've only got 8 hours to queeze in 800+ pages. I think fans of the book expecting them to stay true to the plot despite only having 8 episodes to do it in is a tad ludicrous... They've reportedly got a budget of $8m an episode. GOT had $6m (I think?) in its first series yet had virtually no CGI at that point. WoT being far more magical has to really cut corners in order to spend on the CGI, whilst also move at a pace to keep non-readers of the book interested. It's no more for readers like you and me than it is for the average viewer who's not read the books.

I certainly don't think it's perfect. I think the Perrin arc from the first episode is particularly terrible, and there are plenty of other things I don't think quite work yet. But to write it off because it's not following the books word for word, page for page seems a little spoilt.
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure I'll ever understand book purists, like what even is the point of a 1:1 retelling of a book in TV/movie format? Some liberties with the production ought to be expected.
 
toshj said:
There's a difference between telling and showing. Telling a TV audience something and then showing them 3 seasons later isn't how TV gets made. Viewers who've not read the books need to be shown, given the limited time to tell the story.

They've only got 8 hours to queeze in 800+ pages. I think fans of the book expecting them to stay true to the plot despite only having 8 episodes to do it in is a tad ludicrous... They've reportedly got a budget of $8m an episode. GOT had $6m (I think?) in its first series yet had virtually no CGI at that point. WoT being far more magical has to really cut corners in order to spend on the CGI, whilst also move at a pace to keep non-readers of the book interested. It's no more for readers like you and me than it is for the average viewer who's not read the books.

I certainly don't think it's perfect. I think the Perrin arc from the first episode is particularly terrible, and there are plenty of other things I don't think quite work yet. But to write it off because it's not following the books word for word, page for page seems a little spoilt.
Click to expand...

Totally disagree you easily adapt book 1 of WoT without the need for all the deviation, rubbish about 5 of them can be the dragon reborn, nonsense with Perrin/Mats backstory etc. GoT managed it easily enough.
episode 1:
Introduce the characters - Rand, Mat, Perrin, Nyneave, Eqwene, Morainie, Lan and Fain. Focus is on emmonds field, show conversation about the a dark robed man has been watching the 3 men, episode ends with trolloc attack on Rand and Tam's farmhouse.
Episode 2:
start with the attack on emonds field, show aftermath, introduce Thom. Journey to Baerlon being persued by Trollocs, Myrddraal, and Draghkar. Introduce darkfriends when they get to baerlon, Rand, Mat, Perrin have dreams of the 'dark one'
Episode 3:
Journey to Shadar Logath - talk about the dragon reborn - show lews therins backstory, how saidin is tainted etc. shenannigans in shadar logath, end with group being split.
Episode 4:
Rand/Mat/Thoms journey to whitebridge and subsequent 'death' of Thom. Perrin/Egwene met Elyas
Episode 5
Rand/Mat Journey to caemlyn - darkfriends aplenty, effect of dagger on Mat. Perrin/Egwene capture/escape from whitecloaks with Moraine/Lan
Episode 6:
Rand sees Logain, learn about him from Elayne - see effect of Rand's appearance, introduce Oiger and the eye of the world. Group reunites.
Episode 7:
Journey through the ways to fal dara, Paden Fain capture, backstory shows how he is a darkfriend, orchestrated attack on emonds field etc.
Episode 8:
Search for the eye, battle with forsaken, Rand wields Saidin, end with Moraine confirming Rand is dragon reborn.
 
StriderX said:
I'm not sure I'll ever understand book purists, like what even is the point of a 1:1 retelling of a book in TV/movie format? Some liberties with the production ought to be expected.
Click to expand...

Some yes, but some of these changes seem a touch excessive and pointless at first glance when you know the source material. Though we will have to see how they pan out. :)
 
I don't know if anyone's watched the fourth episode yet... but was very good TV. A slow burn with a few twists and then a big ending!
 
toshj said:
I don't know if anyone's watched the fourth episode yet... but was very good TV. A slow burn with a few twists and then a big ending!
Click to expand...

Yeah, episode four is excellent. Though most of it isn't in the books :p

Does lend some credence to the story that they originally drafted a much longer season & a two hour pilot. Episodes 3 & 4 were paced much better than the first two episodes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom