Wheel of Time: TV show - (Books in spoilers).

[Ishan]

I haven't read the books but the show is okay for me. Nothing spectacular but it seems from episode 3 things will tend to get better.
The white cloaks are too white & clean but I suppose they have a very good laundry brigade.

[alhoon]

I haven't read the books but the show is okay for me. Nothing spectacular but it seems from episode 3 things will tend to get better.
The white cloaks are too white & clean but I suppose they have a very good laundry brigade.

I haven't read the books but the show is okay for me.

I haven't read the books but the show is okay for me.

I haven't read the books but the show is okay for me.

Dude, you're not aware of what you're missing here.

[Akar]

Yeah, they're on my list to read but I haven't gotten there yet.

I've enjoyed the show so far even if some of the effects seem a bit cheesy.

[ggggtotalwarrior]

At first glance, it looks like some strange mid point between prestige TV and cheesy CW garbage, which is odd given the money involved.

[alhoon]

Eh... well, my posts are full of spoilers. I will be more careful in the future.
And what is "CW" ?


Also: The first book is not among the best, while the 2nd is.

[Akar]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_CW

[alhoon]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_CW

Okay and why that channel is associated with garbage? I am not familiar with it at all

[Akar]

They're mostly infamous for their low budget/lazy special effects



The stuff in WoT wasn't bad it just seemed a bit off to me, a bit uncanny valley maybe.

[ggggtotalwarrior]

It’s mostly high concept fantasy and sci fi stuff that devolves into teen drama and usually doesn’t have the budget to sustain quality effect over their 20+ episodes network TV schedule.

[Roma_Victrix]

They're mostly infamous for their low budget/lazy special effects



The stuff in WoT wasn't bad it just seemed a bit off to me, a bit uncanny valley maybe.

CW has some of the worst acting, the worst casting, the worst production values, the worst script writing, the worst dialogues, the worst character development, and the worst special effects I've ever seen, and that's quite a horrendous accomplishment given how I've only watched clips and never entire episodes of shows. Unsurprisingly, their spinoff shows on Netflix are also terrible, i.e. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (still produced by Warner Bros Television Studios under the CW).

I saw the first episode of Wheel of Time and I thought it was okay, but those Trollocks looked pretty cheesy, as did some of the magical light shows during the attack on the village. I like the fact that actor Michael McElhatton who played Lord Roose Bolton from Game of Thrones is in the show. He's a great actor, a shame they won't use him much apparently. The funny thing is that this show will be way cheesier than Game of Thrones, but I would bet good money it will have a better, more satisfying ending and final season. That's a safe bet.

[alhoon]

The funny thing is that this show will be way cheesier than Game of Thrones, but I would bet good money it will have a better, more satisfying ending and final season. That's a safe bet.

8 seasons down the road? Because that's what the producers said, that they think they can adapt WoT in 8 seasons. It is doable, but it is toooo far to say whether there would be enough interest to warrant such an expensive production of 7 more years.

[Flinn]

I watched the first episode, not impressed at all. Not my kind of show I guess, but I'll give a try to episode 2 and 3 as well and will see

[Roma_Victrix]

8 seasons down the road? Because that's what the producers said, that they think they can adapt WoT in 8 seasons. It is doable, but it is toooo far to say whether there would be enough interest to warrant such an expensive production of 7 more years.

Yes, all very true and it probably won't be a very good ending judging by what I've seen thus far, but the final season of Game of Thrones is such an incredibly low bar to pass that it's still a safe bet. Besides, this show is clearly not going to generate the same amount of buzz or create such an impassioned fandom, so even if the ending is bad there's no way it would create the same level of disappointment either. At the very least it's based on a series of novels that are complete and finished (started by Robert Jordan, completed by Brandon Sanderson in 2013), unlike those of GRRM which disappointingly are still a work in progress. That way the show creators for Wheel of Time don't have to create a bunch of narratives on their own just to finish the series.

[Ishan]

I feel the way alhoon has described the books, this has some Tolkien level of potential. How the movies turned out to be solid gold even by today's CGI and what not standards.
But here the show makers so far have failed to impress me that much like say the Pilot of Game of Thrones did - think they paced it suddenly to get a better grasp or get invested in charisma of characters, instead we got some rushed scenes like when Moiraine entered the tavern, everyone freezes and stuff while her objective was to be secretive but instead they did this to immediately establish some cool character has come in.
Still this is looking good so far, so i'm not that uptight about this.

[Akar]

I watched the first episode, not impressed at all. Not my kind of show I guess, but I'll give a try to episode 2 and 3 as well and will see

I also found the first episode to be the least impressive of the bunch, but they've been getting progressively better imo

[alhoon]

I feel the way alhoon has described the books, this has some Tolkien level of potential. How the movies turned out to be solid gold even by today's CGI and what not standards.
But here the show makers so far have failed to impress me that much like say the Pilot of Game of Thrones did - think they paced it suddenly to get a better grasp or get invested in charisma of characters, instead we got some rushed scenes like when Moiraine entered the tavern, everyone freezes and stuff while her objective was to be secretive but instead they did this to immediately establish some cool character has come in.
Still this is looking good so far, so i'm not that uptight about this.

I think the reason they paced it that way is to get through 100-150 pages of the book in one episode. Because that's what they have to do if they want to finish this series at some point. The first book is 800 pages and they incorporate parts of book 2 and book 3 according to the show-writers. So, they probably have material of 1000+ pages to cover in 8 episodes of ~50 mins each = 400 minutes.

It was IMO a great mistake they cut out the Dragon (the original, not the reborn). In the prologue you guys don't know about, we see a glimpse of the Breaking. Why Red Aes Sedai have to gentle Male Spellcasters.
The dragon goes gaga and after a few megaspells that kill his entire family and a talk with that charcoal-and-brimstone guy you see in the dreams of the kids... he turns himself to a supernova of shorts, drawing so much of the Saidin (the male part of the One Power) that he creates an island and a volcano.
I mean, the guy goes literally BOOOOOM and a mountain spitting fire and smoke is created.

I hope they show that when the lads get to Tar Valon.

From what non-book readers have been told in episode 1, the "red dressed weirdos" that hunt that male spellcaster are buttholes. In a blink-and-you-miss-it exchange the Reds explain to the Wilder that he is already insane before they "do something".
Many people assume they killed him. They didn't. Men that can cast magic are: 1. powerful 2. cursed to go insane (imagine a nutjob with a crate of grenades). 3. if they don't kill themselves with magic they die from a horrible, painful, rotting disease.
The only way to stop the progress of the curse? Cut off their ability to use magic.
When the Red weirdos tell him that this is a mercy, they are sincere. And remember, as you learn far later, Aes Sedai cannot lie.

And all those the viewer should figure out from Moraine's one liner in the very beginning at the time you open your beer and from 2 sentences that you missed while leaving the empty beer can on the table having taken your eyes from the screen.

*******

Watching episode 3... I have so many minor things to complain about that I can't because they will either be spoilers or they are deviations from the books that I don't know if they are the new, show-canon.
For example, Egwene channeling fire before she can channel air or water is eyebrow-raising but not too far fetched considering the circumstances.
Nynaeve threatening to withhold Healing, especially when the other side is dying is a strong deviation from Nynaeve's character as she is in the books though. Not to mention that the only way I can imagine for Nyaneve to track a warder is with the One Power. No wonder the show didn't answer that question...

Anyway, there are deviations in some of the characters, including Mat and Nynaeve that were among my favors. Mat is a funny guy that flirts, Nynaeve is an angry girl. Perrin ... was less interesting than in the show, I give the showmakers that. Thom is given a less prominent role so far and I don't like his portrayal - and I mean the way the actor acts. He says the right things and behaves the right way but it comes off as stiff and... insincere.

And yes, Moraine should be much shorter than Lan. I can't stand to see her practically on his level, when she was a full head shorter than him.


Verdict for Episode 3: 5 out of 7 seals. Sure, it covered things that should be covered but hardly an episode to be excited about.
I honestly don't know why you people thought it as the best. It was not bad but it wasn't Shadar Logoth & ruins of Manetheren like the previous one.

[Halie Satanus]

I honestly don't know why you people thought it as the best. It was not bad but it wasn't Shadar Logoth & ruins of Manetheren like the previous one.

Because you're right, there are so many tiny details regarding the big picture, the lore, the wheel, the dark forces, the rules of magic, the inate powers the main cast have, mannerisms etc etc etc.

But; the show won't last unless people relate to the characters. In Episode 3, the characters start to take shape. Matt is a good hearted degenerate, Perrin is the strong quiet type (who lets a wild wolf lick his wound), Rand hasn't shown much but we know he the sensible one, for now, and strong as an OX. That's why Ep3 is better.

[Knight of Heaven]

Glorified CW show. They dont seem to respect the source material either.

[alhoon]

Because you're right, there are so many tiny details regarding the big picture, the lore, the wheel, the dark forces, the rules of magic, the inate powers the main cast have, mannerisms etc etc etc.

Oh.
Ohhhh...
Well, I knew all these things. I am there for the scenery, the naked spankings, the faster-paced action (3 hours to cover what would be for me 10+hours of reading), Nynaeve's temper tantrums and braid-pulling, the full-bosomed Aes Sedai, Wise ones, Wisdoms that cross their arms when angry like in the book and hoping some of bad guys (or good guys) I like are given more depth.

What brings me back is the scenery and that I liked some of the changes. The ones I didn't like, I can ignore so far. Aes Sedai will always be unaging-faced in my mind and Liadrin will be short and dark-haired. But Perrin's new backstory and the potrayal of Padan Fain are promising. Logain is said to be given a bigger role this time around and an original plot.
And Moraine is a head shorter than Lan.

[conon394]

Only have time a few quick thoughts. Was a bit underwhelmed about how the separating the the party up played out . I rather liked the Bit Book wise with Matt and Rand were on the road both desperate and creepily running into dark friends and also the slow increase in dread and being hunted. I suppose TV demanded more of an action sequence but meh. Also side note I don't see why the main road they could not be wondering into more prosperous towns and villages with a few CGI farm fields. I kinda get tired of villages to cities to castles in the middle of nowhere. But I suppose Jackson made in cannon - cool scenery drop in CGI/practical effect bits, city, town fort, and nobody cares if would starve in a week.

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@Knight of Heaven

Like Dune its hard if I take you meaning properly we are talking massive books would tons of world building you can toss in as author that simply feel clunking if you try to put that in very much more limited run time even with a show vs worse a movie. Take Alhoon's comment above how do you have an un aging face? There are limitless ways a reader can visualize that no so easy on screen.