I never read the books for The Wheels of Time so I didn't know what to expect but after hearing so much about it and being so popular I thought I'd give it a chance. Also, after listening to people I know who already watched it and who actually read the books and the hype that was surrounding the show I was expecting the next Game of Thrones. It's not, I was hoping it would be better. I should have known since the reviews are so mixed but people were hyping it up for months and again the trailers were pretty good. I'm about halfway through right now and it's going to be a struggle to finish it. I know it's already been renewed for another season so hopefully it'll get better but I'm not expecting it to.
3,781 Reviews
Who is the intended audience?
kshutch-1659029 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Seems that most book-to-show projects either aim to please the readers or the new watchers...and that is generally ok. If the aim is the readers, stay true to the material to bring it to life. If the aim is the watchers, use devices to thoroughly explain the plot and make it easy to follow. I feel like they missed the mark here. This is not aimed at readers because its missing a lot, changes elements, and does not have the same feel as the books. Its not aimed at the watchers because its moving to fast for newcomers to understand and in a seemingly boring fashion.
For readers: You may be wondering - Where is Minn? Why did Perrin have a girlfriend? Where is the wonder in the Two Rivers group demeanor where even running from Trollocs and Fades they still were in wonderment of the the outside world and speaking all the time about how the old stories matched against what they have seen so far. Why are they at Tar Valon without first going to Camelyn? Where is Elayne? Who are these other warders that had no role in the books but are taking up a lot of screen time? Why is the show saying the Dragon could be a woman when the Dragon must be a man who touches the male half of the one power (saidar)? Why did they meet Thom at White Bridge when Thom should have been with them since Two Rivers to act as a plot device to teach them about the outside world? Why did White Bridge have a little wooden bridge, it should have been a massive White Bridge built by Aes Sedai. Why is Moraine and Suanne in a relationship? Why have we only seen Matt gamble in passing at the very beginning when that is literally his favorite thing in the world and the core of his future. Where was the wandering guy that teaches Perrin about the wolves?
For the watches: You may be wondering and should know more about - What is the one power and what are the differences in the male and female parts of the one power? Who is Lews Therin? Who are the Forsaken? Who is the Dark One? Are Rand, Matt, and Perrin mainly weaklings compared to Nynaeve? What role do those 3 play since as of yet they have not really done anything except fumble around (except the subtle introduction to Perrin and wolves and Rand's 2 minute "I am the dragon" reveal). Why did they show the Heron mark on Rand's sword, that used to be his father's sword, and then never say anything about it. Understand this world is super rich with history and has a lot more character development than this show is offering.
It is ok, but it could be so much better. I feel like I did when I watched Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth adaption or Terry Brook's Shannara adaption. Both adaptations were like budget version of the stories they meant to tell and suffered greatly because of it. Seems like Wheel of Time is likely to go the same way. A few of these things are touched on in the last few episodes like Minn, The Heron Marked sword, Lews Therin, but these are done in poor order and glossed over like small details that are actually important to the later story. But come on, we see Seanchan or whatever at the end and we still have not met Elayne?
For readers: You may be wondering - Where is Minn? Why did Perrin have a girlfriend? Where is the wonder in the Two Rivers group demeanor where even running from Trollocs and Fades they still were in wonderment of the the outside world and speaking all the time about how the old stories matched against what they have seen so far. Why are they at Tar Valon without first going to Camelyn? Where is Elayne? Who are these other warders that had no role in the books but are taking up a lot of screen time? Why is the show saying the Dragon could be a woman when the Dragon must be a man who touches the male half of the one power (saidar)? Why did they meet Thom at White Bridge when Thom should have been with them since Two Rivers to act as a plot device to teach them about the outside world? Why did White Bridge have a little wooden bridge, it should have been a massive White Bridge built by Aes Sedai. Why is Moraine and Suanne in a relationship? Why have we only seen Matt gamble in passing at the very beginning when that is literally his favorite thing in the world and the core of his future. Where was the wandering guy that teaches Perrin about the wolves?
For the watches: You may be wondering and should know more about - What is the one power and what are the differences in the male and female parts of the one power? Who is Lews Therin? Who are the Forsaken? Who is the Dark One? Are Rand, Matt, and Perrin mainly weaklings compared to Nynaeve? What role do those 3 play since as of yet they have not really done anything except fumble around (except the subtle introduction to Perrin and wolves and Rand's 2 minute "I am the dragon" reveal). Why did they show the Heron mark on Rand's sword, that used to be his father's sword, and then never say anything about it. Understand this world is super rich with history and has a lot more character development than this show is offering.
It is ok, but it could be so much better. I feel like I did when I watched Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth adaption or Terry Brook's Shannara adaption. Both adaptations were like budget version of the stories they meant to tell and suffered greatly because of it. Seems like Wheel of Time is likely to go the same way. A few of these things are touched on in the last few episodes like Minn, The Heron Marked sword, Lews Therin, but these are done in poor order and glossed over like small details that are actually important to the later story. But come on, we see Seanchan or whatever at the end and we still have not met Elayne?
Looking forward to seeing more
Supermanfan-1330 January 2024
The Wheel of Time was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. The story moves at a pretty good pace so you won't ever tget bored. The acting and writing are good enough where you come to care what actually happens to some of these characters. You really notice the effort they put into this show and all the attention to detail from everything from the costumes to the CGI. Most of the negative reviews are from people who are mad it isn't e xactly like the books. Just because an adaptatikon isn't exactly like the source material that doesn't make it worse. It definitely has room for improvements but what they've put out so far has been enjoyable. It will certainly pass the time if you're looking for entertaining new fantasy series to watch. I'm looking forward to season three.
Changes
rickey1971-131-97858022 November 2021
The changes don't make sense. They say its to update with the times.... .but the books are about how women dominate the new world. So making a change to where a woman can be the dragon reborn... makes no sense. A thousand years ago, in a utopian society, men destroyed the world and tainted the male half of the source (of power). Which is why the white tower is at odds with a MAN being reborn with so much power is an issue. The main issue in the books. Making the characters older makes no sense, giving perrin a wife to kill makes no sense. Almost all of it makes no sense. I do like it. It is nice to see. Acting and special effects are nice. But the changes, which from what I see are not warranted. It doesn't help the story to move forward... it's just nonsense. And as far as all the NON white characters in a close knit town on the edge of obscurity, also makes no sense, as we see many different people and cultures throughout the books. I do like the show, but its obvious that the writers never read the series. Which makes me sad... because I so much want to see a true adaptation of the books. But for the few who haven't read the books.... I'm sure you will love the series... and you should.
A Different Turning of the Wheel
andrewvsmithrd24 January 2024
Having read the books, I was very disappointed in the massive changes, but I decided to give it a chance to stand on its own. It is good and entertaining. There's not much to hate about this show at all.
However, if you wanted a LOTR like adaptation of the books, you ARE GOING TO FIND A VERY DIFFERENT PLOT. This is close enough to the books to give spoilers without the plot which is nuts.
Be that as it may, it is entertaining if you aren't gripping your books too tightly. It's evident, almost immediately, that this is going to dance to its own tune.
I think it would have been better if it was the books that played in my head, but I think just enough information is put out to not confuse people new to the series or just looking for something to watch.
It's made for a younger audience which is a demographic that most readers probably don't fall into. If you read the books, just imagine this as a different turning of the wheel.
However, if you wanted a LOTR like adaptation of the books, you ARE GOING TO FIND A VERY DIFFERENT PLOT. This is close enough to the books to give spoilers without the plot which is nuts.
Be that as it may, it is entertaining if you aren't gripping your books too tightly. It's evident, almost immediately, that this is going to dance to its own tune.
I think it would have been better if it was the books that played in my head, but I think just enough information is put out to not confuse people new to the series or just looking for something to watch.
It's made for a younger audience which is a demographic that most readers probably don't fall into. If you read the books, just imagine this as a different turning of the wheel.
And So the Wheel Turns
Athanatos17310 December 2021
To start with, I have read the series of books and although they were not perfect, they were highly enjoyable and epic in their scale.
Now to the series.
A show or movies based on a book or series of books is generally bound to infuriate as the finished product cannot compare to the imagination of the reader, and there are not many examples of where this has been overcome.
So far I have been watching a show that has the main characters of the books relegated to supporting characters with little to no dialogue in some episodes.
There were over 2000 named characters in the book and they still felt the need to create new characters for the show that serve no real purpose.
The acting is fairly bad. With the amount of money spent on the cinematography, you would think they would have hired better actors.
I could see how someone who hasn't read the books would be confused as to what is going on, as the explanations as to what is going on are vague, which makes me wonder who this show was made for.
If it was to introduce people to the world that Robert Jordan created then they failed.
If it was for fans of the books, then they have again failed, as they have been changing things that didn't need to be changed and generally angering fans.
If you are going to adapt a series of books, then do so correctly, otherwise write your own original story and do what you want with it.
My positive takeaway from The Wheel of Time is that the cinematography is excellent, and unfortunately that is the only thing I find worthwhile.
Maybe it will get better, but I highly doubt it.
If you enjoy reading, I would recommend giving the series of books a glance, as this show is a pale reflection of the story Jordan wrote.
Now to the series.
A show or movies based on a book or series of books is generally bound to infuriate as the finished product cannot compare to the imagination of the reader, and there are not many examples of where this has been overcome.
So far I have been watching a show that has the main characters of the books relegated to supporting characters with little to no dialogue in some episodes.
There were over 2000 named characters in the book and they still felt the need to create new characters for the show that serve no real purpose.
The acting is fairly bad. With the amount of money spent on the cinematography, you would think they would have hired better actors.
I could see how someone who hasn't read the books would be confused as to what is going on, as the explanations as to what is going on are vague, which makes me wonder who this show was made for.
If it was to introduce people to the world that Robert Jordan created then they failed.
If it was for fans of the books, then they have again failed, as they have been changing things that didn't need to be changed and generally angering fans.
If you are going to adapt a series of books, then do so correctly, otherwise write your own original story and do what you want with it.
My positive takeaway from The Wheel of Time is that the cinematography is excellent, and unfortunately that is the only thing I find worthwhile.
Maybe it will get better, but I highly doubt it.
If you enjoy reading, I would recommend giving the series of books a glance, as this show is a pale reflection of the story Jordan wrote.
This is not common but season 2 is BETTER than 1
kattrambo7 October 2023
Season 2 is better than season 1. The characters seem more developed, the actors seem entrenched in their roles, and much more magic. Season 3 was set up very well. Lanfear is an interesting character. I don't know what she is up to, but knowing that there is even something bigger coming is set up well. I can't wait till season 3. I do wish Nyn would eventually stop being so sensitive about everything and show what she has fully, but that is set up for season 3 as well I think. Rand and his crew are good heroes, complex, and well acted. I would love to have seen more of Rand in a magical capacity, but I think that will come. I hope. :)
The books have me hooked. But not the show.
fcc_amccaleb27 December 2021
Maybe it's because I haven't read all the books yet (still working on it) and they are taking short cuts to plot points further on in the series, but the show is so far off from the first book that I barely recognize it. It started to come back to the book towards the end but then the season finale blew that up. The way it ended in the book was so much better.
Also, there are several things that make this show look cheap, even though I know it isn't. The trollocs cgi is bad. Their movements are choppy and almost appear sped up. Also, some of the cities and places feel like they didn't have the money to do any sweeping panoramic shots and they are just filming on a tiny set so everything is shot in close up.
I was really excited for this series and now I could care less if it continues. I actually started reading the books because I heard it was coming out. I'm hooked on the books but not on the show.
Also, there are several things that make this show look cheap, even though I know it isn't. The trollocs cgi is bad. Their movements are choppy and almost appear sped up. Also, some of the cities and places feel like they didn't have the money to do any sweeping panoramic shots and they are just filming on a tiny set so everything is shot in close up.
I was really excited for this series and now I could care less if it continues. I actually started reading the books because I heard it was coming out. I'm hooked on the books but not on the show.
I've never been angrier at a screenwriter
kevin-davisgt26 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
You literally had an entire proven and established plot line, a fan base, a script and character development written out for you 20 years before the series premiere and you managed to screw it up. The first 5 episodes were fantastic: casting was great, adaptations were appropriate, and then you got to Fal Dara. WTF. You could not have diverged harder from a successful, proven, and oft emulated plot. I watched episode 7 and felt the same thing Rand felt at the Eye- hope and confidence in the beginning that devolve into absolute horror at the shortcuts and adaptations created for literally no benefit to the original plot. It's a whole new story, different plot, and here's my spoiler: their adaptation ain't gonna stand up to 20+ years of fandom. This is the death knoll of a series, I hate that I had such high expectations. They literally had a script written for them and they screwed it up.
Sadness
olegl-0182728 December 2021
The most disappointing fantasy adaptation I've ever seen.
I absolutely dont understand how it was possible to miss so many important details for the disclosure of this universe and at the same time add so much unnecessary garbage.
I absolutely dont understand how it was possible to miss so many important details for the disclosure of this universe and at the same time add so much unnecessary garbage.
You have all been robbed
mattysym24 December 2021
I've been struggling to put into words exactly what it is that makes me dislike this tv show, the best I can do is say that Rafe Judkins has removed, changed and added so much that the resemblance to this book series is at best passing. What he has created from a classic fantasy story is a Frankenstein's monster with a rushed story that makes little sense in a world robbed of any character or depth. I watch because I love the book series, and seeing them mangle one of my favourite series is like witnessing a car crash happen in slow motion, I don't want to watch but I can't bring myself to look away.
I could go into detail, but nobody wants that so I'll save you that torment. The book readers know what the changes are, and the tv show enjoyers don't really care. Each to their own, Keeping Up with the Kardashians has been on television for 20 years so it's not like the bar is incredibly high. The crux of my criticism of the Wheel of Time steaming series is this; Rafe Judkins believes himself a better storyteller than Robert Jordan, that is the only way to explain how and why he made the changes that he did. That is the only way to explain it. There are moments that could have been book accurate, but weren't. For what reason? Only Rafe knows.
I could go into detail, but nobody wants that so I'll save you that torment. The book readers know what the changes are, and the tv show enjoyers don't really care. Each to their own, Keeping Up with the Kardashians has been on television for 20 years so it's not like the bar is incredibly high. The crux of my criticism of the Wheel of Time steaming series is this; Rafe Judkins believes himself a better storyteller than Robert Jordan, that is the only way to explain how and why he made the changes that he did. That is the only way to explain it. There are moments that could have been book accurate, but weren't. For what reason? Only Rafe knows.
Wheel of Time - Could have had the world
mculleton-437-78203012 September 2023
Robert Jordan left a legacy of material and exceptional storytelling. This series is a disaster in casting, a re-write that makes absolutely no sense. It's like a Van Gogh being repainted by a 5 year old.
Adding new story lines (Perrin's story), romances that never developed (Rand). I have tried to keep an open mind but after the first episode of the second season....stick a fork in it because the writers have gone collectively insane and the story is not just baked...it's toasted.
For those of you who have not read the books I'm sure you will enjoy Cinematography is amazing. I'm just wondering what twists the writers have next in the once beautiful tapestry that was the Wheel of Time...
Adding new story lines (Perrin's story), romances that never developed (Rand). I have tried to keep an open mind but after the first episode of the second season....stick a fork in it because the writers have gone collectively insane and the story is not just baked...it's toasted.
For those of you who have not read the books I'm sure you will enjoy Cinematography is amazing. I'm just wondering what twists the writers have next in the once beautiful tapestry that was the Wheel of Time...
Books and Visual Media are different, Accept each on their own Merit
joeshultheis-4994331 January 2024
I really have enjoyed the series so far. It's one of my favorite portrayals of fantasy in a television series. It may be because I read the first 5 books and understand some of the in between nuances that can not possibly be covered in the time allowed in a series for tv. But WOW, what is covered is so enjoyable.. I am very grateful to Rafe Judkins and Amazon for their efforts in bringing this vast project to the screen. The production value is top notch. The books were huge (800+ pages each) so trying to bring this together is no small feat. My applause and thanks! If only you had the money and time to of done 10 or more seasons! Keep up the good work and I am excited for more.
I would of given it 10 stars, but there were some small things of a personal consideration not significant to the overall production. Again I am just happy to have this type of content to enjoy watching!
More adaptations like this please Amazon!
I would of given it 10 stars, but there were some small things of a personal consideration not significant to the overall production. Again I am just happy to have this type of content to enjoy watching!
More adaptations like this please Amazon!
Love but.....
airandra26 February 2024
The books deserve 10 out of 10, I was amazed with the first season, the way they put out the second season though Idk it's really good but the way they are doing this with show like what is the thought process behind it? They could have cut this pie so many ways, but they chose to cook one pie at a time, cut it into 4 pieces, and then they repeat the process the amount of people that need to be fed is a crowd of 1000+, It's worth the watch for sure and definitely leaves you wanting more just not a big fan on the way they went about doing the series itself that's the only reason I say 8 out 10 on the show.
Improving with each series
wheatley-2023020 February 2024
Series 1 was just good enough to carry me to series 2, encouraged by the higher audience rating on Prime. I would score it a 6.
Series 2 is very much better, meriting an 8 or better.
Both series display very high production values. The fantasy world is superbly presented, with different cultures carefully delineated. Rosamund Pike carries dignity and power that is the key driving force of the drama. Daniel Henney, who I have not seen before, is very effective too.
The younger characters are not always as convincing, although some do grow into their roles as series 2 progresses. Also, Natasha O'Keeffe adds real bite in series 2.
The other key difference between the series is probably the way everything comes together to culminate in an epic battle in series 2, whereas the conclusion to series 1 spreads the characters into different battles.
Series 2 has left me keen to see more!
Series 2 is very much better, meriting an 8 or better.
Both series display very high production values. The fantasy world is superbly presented, with different cultures carefully delineated. Rosamund Pike carries dignity and power that is the key driving force of the drama. Daniel Henney, who I have not seen before, is very effective too.
The younger characters are not always as convincing, although some do grow into their roles as series 2 progresses. Also, Natasha O'Keeffe adds real bite in series 2.
The other key difference between the series is probably the way everything comes together to culminate in an epic battle in series 2, whereas the conclusion to series 1 spreads the characters into different battles.
Series 2 has left me keen to see more!
Sorry, but I'm just sad by how weak this turned out
jmf_taborda24 December 2021
First of, I'm a relatively recent book reader, stared a year ago and I'm on book 7
Coming into this show, I had somewhat high expectations, with even though the first book being the worst of the first 7, it was still a pretty good book with such indept explanations of everything and everything was tied in such a way that kept us wondering and guessing and rooting, a fearing..
On the first Episode I understood how fast they had to move for such deep plot... But that was to be excused if they weren't gonna waste an entire Episode around a useless depressed warder and his issues.. The chacters are bland, the tone is weird because it wants to be a jolly show with dark elements and fails miserably at both, shadar logot was the biggest missed opportunity of the whole show..
The VFX and CGI of this show is simply bad, really bad! The worst I've seen in an Amazon show, let alone the one with the highest budget of them all.. everything from the creatures, the cities, everything that was soo fake and the sets in tar valon looked really cardboardy, and lets not talk about Ishamael because he just looked like a mashed potatoe. I feared for no one, i felt zero empathy, nothing of it looked reall and so one of the worst experiences of my life..
Than we have the plot changes.. from all the moments that makes my EOTW experience, they kept zero of them in the show, and traded them for women power representation or supposed to be shocking moments that none worked.. The dialogue is childish and highschoolish, weak and really poor, wasting most of it cringing.
I'm not mad for the changes just because of the changes.. I'm mad because they made up for such a weaker overall story than the book was, wand it was the worst book.
Overall, it's a pretty weak show, with weak character's, weak plot, weak motivation's and I'm having the saddest christmas eve ever with how bad tis finale was.
Than we have the plot changes.. from all the moments that makes my EOTW experience, they kept zero of them in the show, and traded them for women power representation or supposed to be shocking moments that none worked.. The dialogue is childish and highschoolish, weak and really poor, wasting most of it cringing.
I'm not mad for the changes just because of the changes.. I'm mad because they made up for such a weaker overall story than the book was, wand it was the worst book.
Overall, it's a pretty weak show, with weak character's, weak plot, weak motivation's and I'm having the saddest christmas eve ever with how bad tis finale was.
Why Reinvent the Wheel?
zachary-carrier9224 December 2021
Yes, this show is woke. But that isn't the issue. They ruined the story. That's the issue. The books have sold tens of millions of copies. There's a fanbase millions strong. Why not just follow the books? Especially the first six books, which are excellent. No green man, no forsaken, no rand destroying the trolloc army, no encounter with the demon guy in Shaddar Logoth, no Elias to teach about the wolf dream, no worms or lake monster in the blight, not starting off the show with Lews Therrin creating Dragon Mount. What the hell. Most of the best parts of the book were removed. I'm not a purist. Changes can be good, but none of the changes were. People who haven't read the books might like it because ignorance is bliss: they don't understand how good this show could have been.
Another turn of the Wheel.
branislav-makan18 January 2024
The most important thing to realize is this is not a true books adaptation. These books cannot be adapted to a TV screen. You cannot bring hundreds of characters into a TV show. The cost would be unreal and the show would stop before it even started.
That being said, this is a truly remarkable piece of work. It brings the beauty of Mr. Jordan's work into different Light. Many casts are spot on and the actors are breathing the life into the characters I could only imagine before.
Story is roughly following the books, but it's changed to better fit the modern era. Some changes are good, others less so, but overall it's more or less the epic saga we read about all those years ago.
In the end, it's just another turn of the Wheel, and the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.
Give it a chance. You may end up enjoying it. Be thankful we got it. And pray they keep doing what they are doing the way they are doing it.
Light be with you.
That being said, this is a truly remarkable piece of work. It brings the beauty of Mr. Jordan's work into different Light. Many casts are spot on and the actors are breathing the life into the characters I could only imagine before.
Story is roughly following the books, but it's changed to better fit the modern era. Some changes are good, others less so, but overall it's more or less the epic saga we read about all those years ago.
In the end, it's just another turn of the Wheel, and the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.
Give it a chance. You may end up enjoying it. Be thankful we got it. And pray they keep doing what they are doing the way they are doing it.
Light be with you.
Mediocre soap fantasy production
lars-15512 January 2022
I've now watched through the entire series and can unfortunately state a poorly executed direction that often resembles a mediocre soap fantasy production.
The soap factor is clearly noticeable in the last two episodes when acting with long pauses in the dialogue and face close-ups. The same boring close-ups as they walk through the dark forest in the last episode.
The soap factor is clearly noticeable in the last two episodes when acting with long pauses in the dialogue and face close-ups. The same boring close-ups as they walk through the dark forest in the last episode.
Unfaithful to source material, incoherent along its new manufactured plot
kcconnor28 December 2021
This is a 10,000 page opus with several overlapping themes and long term plots. Which has been turned into misandrist garbage.
Every single male character has been stripped of his skills and accomplishments in this adaptation. All the women are the "bestest evar." Nynaeve somehow doesn't have her "block" that is an issue for half the series. Egwene can heal death itself (preposterous!). The metaphysics from the book that make for balance and order to the magic system are just cast aside and ignored.
This adaptation is everything one derides in fan fiction.
Every single male character has been stripped of his skills and accomplishments in this adaptation. All the women are the "bestest evar." Nynaeve somehow doesn't have her "block" that is an issue for half the series. Egwene can heal death itself (preposterous!). The metaphysics from the book that make for balance and order to the magic system are just cast aside and ignored.
This adaptation is everything one derides in fan fiction.
It could have been good.
gpqtfh3 January 2022
Pro:
Cons:
- Beautiful cinematography, interesting world, nice atmosphere.
Cons:
- The most feminist film ever made. In this film all women are badass, all men are just tools, weak, stupid, crybabies / nobodies. It's just stupid, but hey, it's 2021... let's ruin every movie with it.
- Overdone, unnecessary "political correctness", lots of unnecessary, time-wasting cliched dialogue.
Finally, a huge fantasy production that's truly worth watching!
skjenco30 December 2023
First off, they didn't stick strictly to the books. Rather, they crafted a story inspired by the Wheel of Time series, much like Peter Jackson did. They tell a truly captivating story based on Jordon's work. Consulting with Brandon Sanderson was a smart move on their part. I rated the first season a 7 out of 10. And I was concerned about the direction they might take the story, because what I deem and inaccurate understanding of the dual aspects (Male/Female) of the One Power, Saidin and Saidar. This made me worry that they might skew the story to fit a particular political agenda. Fortunately, that wasn't the case.
What they got right, and why I gave it a 9, is their effort to understand Jordan's characters and how they fit into his story. They also seemed keen on grasping the underlying themes and incorporating them into their storytelling. In a nutshell they realize this is the retelling of Robert Jordon's story not their story. Once they had a handle on their role in telling the story, they focused on a story based on Robert Jordan's work, avoiding personal biases or agendas. While some people have criticized the series for pushing a certain narrative, I didn't perceive it that way at all. I found the series, especially the last episode, to be outstanding. The finale gets a 10 out of 10 from me.
What they got right, and why I gave it a 9, is their effort to understand Jordan's characters and how they fit into his story. They also seemed keen on grasping the underlying themes and incorporating them into their storytelling. In a nutshell they realize this is the retelling of Robert Jordon's story not their story. Once they had a handle on their role in telling the story, they focused on a story based on Robert Jordan's work, avoiding personal biases or agendas. While some people have criticized the series for pushing a certain narrative, I didn't perceive it that way at all. I found the series, especially the last episode, to be outstanding. The finale gets a 10 out of 10 from me.
Decent as a TV fantasy series, poor as a The Wheel of Time adaption
cloetehenri26 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
As a big fan of the books, I've always been of the opinion that The Wheel of Time (WoT) would be impossible to adapt for TV, mostly due to the huge scale of the story. It was therefore with great scepticism that I received news about the Amazon TV adaptation some years ago. However, as I learned more about the project, I actually became very hopeful that this might be something good, considering that the show runner, Rafe Judkins, is a big fan of the books and that Amazon was putting a lot of money into this for a first season. Therefore, against my better judgement, I went into this with pretty high expectations - and was ultimately left pretty disappointed.
To the credit of the show, it does do many things well. The set design is excellent, the actors shine in the roles, and it does a great job of explaining the complex world without tedious exposition (which would always have been one of the big hurdles facing a WoT TV adaptation). And it is obviously based one the of the best fantasy stories ever written, thus benefiting from amazing characters (which the show does a great job at depicting), memorable story moments and a wonderfully intricate world and lore.
But it also comes with its flaws. The pacing is a big problem, especially in the first episode. The CGI is definitely not on par for a big fantasy series in 2021, with the worst being in the final episode of the season. And linked to poor pacing, there is just not enough time spent with the main characters to make their relationships and actions feel meaningful. Why Amazon decided to limit the season to 8 episodes will always remain a mystery to me, since it feels like most of the issues could have been solved with more screen time. Overall, the positives of the series still outweighed the negatives, until the last episode, which was a big step down, with bad CGI, corny dialogue and character arcs going nowhere.
But the final nail in the coffin for me was the deviation from the books. And no, I am not a book purist - I always was of the opinion that a WoT TV adaptation would require large changes. This is due to numerous reasons, such as the huge scope (which poses practical issues for managing actors and the show budget) or the huge amount of character development and motivation that stems from internal dialogue. Therefore I defended the changes to the story - Yes, it makes sense to play up the mystery of who the Dragon Reborn is; yes, it makes sense to introduce Tar Valon and the Aes Sedai at an earlier stage to demonstrate the scale of the series; yes, it makes sense to give Perrin and Mat backstories to motivate their characters, whom are undeveloped in the early books. But, as the season progressed, it became clear that the series was not sticking to only changes necessary for a TV adaptation, but was adamant to "improve" the story. Which begs the question, why adapt a story if you don't have any faith in the source material for the medium you are intending it for? Why not rather create a new story that is more suitable for TV? What makes it worse, is that I feel many changes they failed to successfully implement, considering what was sacrificed for the change - the reveal of Rand as the Dragon Reborn felt very anti-climatic, Mat and Perrin's character arcs did not really go anywhere, despite the changes in their background, etc.
In the end, I don't think I will be back to watch season 2. As a book reader, watching the series leaves me more confused and frustrated, constantly trying to reconcile the stories of the books and show, than I actually end up enjoying it. Even if they end up fixing the objectively bad aspects of the show in later seasons, I just don't feel it is worth it for me - I'd much rather use the time to re-read the books, or watch an objectively excellent fantasy TV series, like Arcane. But, all considering, I don't hate it as a TV series and won't be ridiculous and give it a 1-star review like many angered book fans. Despite its flaws, it is decent as a TV show, I just wish different creative decisions were taken. So I will hope they manage to improve in future seasons, bringing more awareness to the books and enjoyment to non-readers, but I won't be tuning in myself for that.
To the credit of the show, it does do many things well. The set design is excellent, the actors shine in the roles, and it does a great job of explaining the complex world without tedious exposition (which would always have been one of the big hurdles facing a WoT TV adaptation). And it is obviously based one the of the best fantasy stories ever written, thus benefiting from amazing characters (which the show does a great job at depicting), memorable story moments and a wonderfully intricate world and lore.
But it also comes with its flaws. The pacing is a big problem, especially in the first episode. The CGI is definitely not on par for a big fantasy series in 2021, with the worst being in the final episode of the season. And linked to poor pacing, there is just not enough time spent with the main characters to make their relationships and actions feel meaningful. Why Amazon decided to limit the season to 8 episodes will always remain a mystery to me, since it feels like most of the issues could have been solved with more screen time. Overall, the positives of the series still outweighed the negatives, until the last episode, which was a big step down, with bad CGI, corny dialogue and character arcs going nowhere.
But the final nail in the coffin for me was the deviation from the books. And no, I am not a book purist - I always was of the opinion that a WoT TV adaptation would require large changes. This is due to numerous reasons, such as the huge scope (which poses practical issues for managing actors and the show budget) or the huge amount of character development and motivation that stems from internal dialogue. Therefore I defended the changes to the story - Yes, it makes sense to play up the mystery of who the Dragon Reborn is; yes, it makes sense to introduce Tar Valon and the Aes Sedai at an earlier stage to demonstrate the scale of the series; yes, it makes sense to give Perrin and Mat backstories to motivate their characters, whom are undeveloped in the early books. But, as the season progressed, it became clear that the series was not sticking to only changes necessary for a TV adaptation, but was adamant to "improve" the story. Which begs the question, why adapt a story if you don't have any faith in the source material for the medium you are intending it for? Why not rather create a new story that is more suitable for TV? What makes it worse, is that I feel many changes they failed to successfully implement, considering what was sacrificed for the change - the reveal of Rand as the Dragon Reborn felt very anti-climatic, Mat and Perrin's character arcs did not really go anywhere, despite the changes in their background, etc.
In the end, I don't think I will be back to watch season 2. As a book reader, watching the series leaves me more confused and frustrated, constantly trying to reconcile the stories of the books and show, than I actually end up enjoying it. Even if they end up fixing the objectively bad aspects of the show in later seasons, I just don't feel it is worth it for me - I'd much rather use the time to re-read the books, or watch an objectively excellent fantasy TV series, like Arcane. But, all considering, I don't hate it as a TV series and won't be ridiculous and give it a 1-star review like many angered book fans. Despite its flaws, it is decent as a TV show, I just wish different creative decisions were taken. So I will hope they manage to improve in future seasons, bringing more awareness to the books and enjoyment to non-readers, but I won't be tuning in myself for that.
Reader of the series multiple times
amuru2924 December 2023
So far I believe they are doing a pretty good job bringing to life a world as complicated and expansive as The Wheel of Time books. Honestly as a lover of the books the compression of parts of the story and the changes irk me sometimes but the show is so good that I easily get past it. It's not perfect but a damn good adaptation.
Now for the low review people. I really believe that most (not all) but most are too bothered by some of the main characters being adapted as people of color by the writers. If it bothers them that much than I am sure they got bigger issues going on than changes to a fantasy series for tv adaptation. However, they will definitely not be honest about their "fears" and will just criticize little things and ratings bomb it.
Now for the low review people. I really believe that most (not all) but most are too bothered by some of the main characters being adapted as people of color by the writers. If it bothers them that much than I am sure they got bigger issues going on than changes to a fantasy series for tv adaptation. However, they will definitely not be honest about their "fears" and will just criticize little things and ratings bomb it.
Under given circumstances decent, but disappointing for book fans
shayol-4829419 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Updated after watching the complete show:
It tries too much to be the next Game of Thrones (like Lan finding the dead animals aligned into a symbol) and ends up being neither written well enough to have the depth of game of thrones characters, nor adventurous and exciting enough to be the real wheel of time. They should've just focused on making it the closest to the books as possible and it would've been amazing. Denioff and Weiss are very good with book material, I probably would've rather watched their WoT adaption, although I hated what they did with GoT season 8.
Let me start of by rating the different departments:
Soundtrack: 7/10 Its good/fitting, it's different enough from other shows, I love Lorne Balfes other soundtracks, but I am missing an epic&iconic theme like in Lord of the rings or Game of Thrones.
Overall Sounddesign: 10/10 nothing to complain here, well done!
CGI: 7/10. This one is hard to rate, at times it's really beautiful, for example the city Tar Valon, or some effects, like the 2 power spirits next to Logain, Mat being healed or Aes Sedai burning out. But sometimes it is really bad, like in the final battle Trollocs charging looks like a videogame clip from 10-20 years ago. Guess it was rushed or ran out of budget. Also the channeling gets boring and bland pretty fast. I would've preferred to see different patterns and colors like described in the books from the 5 elements.
Costumes: 7/10. Also tough to rate. Most are really amazing, some just look way too clean, like in a Bollywood movie. Loial looks weird with this golden surfer hair. Little disappointed that the white cloaks didn't have the yellow suns and red staffs. Don't like the golden pacifier for the Seanchan at all. I was looking forward to the see the Adam being used. Even though this might be seen as offensive, I don't care, this is a fantasy world and we want to dive in. So make it an escapism show and not a 'politically correct corporate checkbox' show.
Actors/casting: 7/10. Some are casted terrific, some I'm not too excited about. But overall good job. Some actors are still quite new and you can sometimes tell they were nervous, but overall they all did a good job considering the dialogues and script weren't helpful at times. Considering this was the first season the cast looks promising.
Cinematography, editing and Locations: 9/10 Location scouters did an amazing job, many beautiful locations. The camera crew & editors had some minor mistakes here and there but overall this was done pretty well too.
Sets/Props: 9/10 This is where the budget really shows, I love the attention to detail and the overall look of the Inn's and Tar Valon city and Shadar Logoth/Fal Dara. Really well done. I wished for a little bigger budget to have a bigger change of scale between the village sets and the city sets. Like the Aes Sedai tower interior feels a bit small.
Script/adaption: 3/10 And this is where much of it falls apart for seemingly no real reason.
I know things have to be changed for a TV show to work. I know Rafe Judkins wanted 10 episodes and only got 8. I know they had troubles due to COVID and the actor of Mat leaving early. I know all of that. But still there were changed way too many things that couldn't all be related to the formerly mentioned problems.
One of the reasons why I enjoyed the Wheel of time books so much is, because they have a pretty balanced power level between men and women and there are all kinds of races. But in the show they kinda went the woke-route again. It makes zero sense at all. When the book material delivers enough powerful women and races. Why change anything? The starting village is way too diverse to be an isolated one. Why make Lan so emotional, why didn't he train Rand with the sword? Why can't Loial open the ways although the Ogier built it? Talking about 'dreams are powerful' and Rand killing himself in one with Ishamael, yet not explaining about the dreamworld Tel'aran'rhiod where Rand would've actually killed himself by his action. One of the best Tacticians Agelmar gets wasted with a spear through a breastplate. Sure. Why make 'who is the dragon reborn' a mystery and that a female can be it, when one of the key interesting elements of the books is, that the dragon reborn is male and therefore extremely dangerous, because the male side is tainted and you never now, whether he will go crazy. Why take away Rands final big moment in the books and give it to a side character wilder, too weak to become an Aes Sedai, now decimating 10,000 Trollocs at once. That's Rands power level at the end of the whole story..but okay...How do you wanna up the stakes now? Why kill Nyneave and let Egwene Mary Sue heal her through power although untrained? Yes these are both strong female characters in the books as well, but there they earn it, here they just get it handed over 'because the message' *Sigh* You didn't really explain what Ta'veren are, none book readers are lost. You added in a love triangle between Egwene, Perrin and Rand that's not in the books and adds to much melodrama and takes away screentime from actually explaining the world and adding a little bit of humor here and there like the books did. You kill of characters that are not important or in the books at all, like Stepin. So much time is spend with him and his warder story and it's built up so dramatic and Lan cries so emotional, but we simply don't care. Like at all. We are not invested. We have known that character and their relation for what... 1 minute? Same with Moiraines and Siuan's love story. Why did she have to swear a new oath, although she cannot lie anyway? All of this is not in the books and takes so much time away from things that actually happen in the books!? The acting is superb, but we don't feel with them. We are not invested. Imagine Lans funeral scene at the end of season 6 with Nyneave lying in front of him dead. Man that would be moment we would certainly cry with him & something to remember. But unimportant warder introduced 2 seconds ago? Waste of acting talent and screentime, sorry.
Does nobody in Hollywood know how to setup something, make people invested in characters and have pay-off moments anymore? Sure seems like the focus on checking all the corporate boxes seems to make people forget to actually tell a compelling story.
I could go on, but watch the youtube review of Kohalu he explains most of the problems perfectly.
Why did Lord of the rings succeed? Because they stayed close to the book Why did Game of Thrones succeed? Because they stayed close to the book until episode 8 when it fell apart and fans were disappointed Why did Wheel of time season 1 fail? Because it does not stay close to the book. Not at all.
Why do fans love these fantasy stories? Because of the lore, the world, the characters and the story. Change one of those elements severely and you will most likely lose the fans.
Is that so hard to understand? Dear God...
Sorry about this long rant, you can tell I am very invested in this story and I am sure you might have given it your best shot. I don't know what is responsible for this, but try to fix it for season 2. There is enough good stuff in it (especially all the talents in the crew that brought this to life visually) that really makes me want to watch it further, but please please writers do not think you can improve a story that was written over decades in a couple of month. Okay. Just don't. Kick your studio bosses in the butt, show them these reviews, demand more budget and episodes and STICK TO THE BOOKS!!! Thank you. Still looking forward to season 2 in hopes changes and improvements are made at the right places.
It tries too much to be the next Game of Thrones (like Lan finding the dead animals aligned into a symbol) and ends up being neither written well enough to have the depth of game of thrones characters, nor adventurous and exciting enough to be the real wheel of time. They should've just focused on making it the closest to the books as possible and it would've been amazing. Denioff and Weiss are very good with book material, I probably would've rather watched their WoT adaption, although I hated what they did with GoT season 8.
Let me start of by rating the different departments:
Soundtrack: 7/10 Its good/fitting, it's different enough from other shows, I love Lorne Balfes other soundtracks, but I am missing an epic&iconic theme like in Lord of the rings or Game of Thrones.
Overall Sounddesign: 10/10 nothing to complain here, well done!
CGI: 7/10. This one is hard to rate, at times it's really beautiful, for example the city Tar Valon, or some effects, like the 2 power spirits next to Logain, Mat being healed or Aes Sedai burning out. But sometimes it is really bad, like in the final battle Trollocs charging looks like a videogame clip from 10-20 years ago. Guess it was rushed or ran out of budget. Also the channeling gets boring and bland pretty fast. I would've preferred to see different patterns and colors like described in the books from the 5 elements.
Costumes: 7/10. Also tough to rate. Most are really amazing, some just look way too clean, like in a Bollywood movie. Loial looks weird with this golden surfer hair. Little disappointed that the white cloaks didn't have the yellow suns and red staffs. Don't like the golden pacifier for the Seanchan at all. I was looking forward to the see the Adam being used. Even though this might be seen as offensive, I don't care, this is a fantasy world and we want to dive in. So make it an escapism show and not a 'politically correct corporate checkbox' show.
Actors/casting: 7/10. Some are casted terrific, some I'm not too excited about. But overall good job. Some actors are still quite new and you can sometimes tell they were nervous, but overall they all did a good job considering the dialogues and script weren't helpful at times. Considering this was the first season the cast looks promising.
Cinematography, editing and Locations: 9/10 Location scouters did an amazing job, many beautiful locations. The camera crew & editors had some minor mistakes here and there but overall this was done pretty well too.
Sets/Props: 9/10 This is where the budget really shows, I love the attention to detail and the overall look of the Inn's and Tar Valon city and Shadar Logoth/Fal Dara. Really well done. I wished for a little bigger budget to have a bigger change of scale between the village sets and the city sets. Like the Aes Sedai tower interior feels a bit small.
Script/adaption: 3/10 And this is where much of it falls apart for seemingly no real reason.
I know things have to be changed for a TV show to work. I know Rafe Judkins wanted 10 episodes and only got 8. I know they had troubles due to COVID and the actor of Mat leaving early. I know all of that. But still there were changed way too many things that couldn't all be related to the formerly mentioned problems.
One of the reasons why I enjoyed the Wheel of time books so much is, because they have a pretty balanced power level between men and women and there are all kinds of races. But in the show they kinda went the woke-route again. It makes zero sense at all. When the book material delivers enough powerful women and races. Why change anything? The starting village is way too diverse to be an isolated one. Why make Lan so emotional, why didn't he train Rand with the sword? Why can't Loial open the ways although the Ogier built it? Talking about 'dreams are powerful' and Rand killing himself in one with Ishamael, yet not explaining about the dreamworld Tel'aran'rhiod where Rand would've actually killed himself by his action. One of the best Tacticians Agelmar gets wasted with a spear through a breastplate. Sure. Why make 'who is the dragon reborn' a mystery and that a female can be it, when one of the key interesting elements of the books is, that the dragon reborn is male and therefore extremely dangerous, because the male side is tainted and you never now, whether he will go crazy. Why take away Rands final big moment in the books and give it to a side character wilder, too weak to become an Aes Sedai, now decimating 10,000 Trollocs at once. That's Rands power level at the end of the whole story..but okay...How do you wanna up the stakes now? Why kill Nyneave and let Egwene Mary Sue heal her through power although untrained? Yes these are both strong female characters in the books as well, but there they earn it, here they just get it handed over 'because the message' *Sigh* You didn't really explain what Ta'veren are, none book readers are lost. You added in a love triangle between Egwene, Perrin and Rand that's not in the books and adds to much melodrama and takes away screentime from actually explaining the world and adding a little bit of humor here and there like the books did. You kill of characters that are not important or in the books at all, like Stepin. So much time is spend with him and his warder story and it's built up so dramatic and Lan cries so emotional, but we simply don't care. Like at all. We are not invested. We have known that character and their relation for what... 1 minute? Same with Moiraines and Siuan's love story. Why did she have to swear a new oath, although she cannot lie anyway? All of this is not in the books and takes so much time away from things that actually happen in the books!? The acting is superb, but we don't feel with them. We are not invested. Imagine Lans funeral scene at the end of season 6 with Nyneave lying in front of him dead. Man that would be moment we would certainly cry with him & something to remember. But unimportant warder introduced 2 seconds ago? Waste of acting talent and screentime, sorry.
Does nobody in Hollywood know how to setup something, make people invested in characters and have pay-off moments anymore? Sure seems like the focus on checking all the corporate boxes seems to make people forget to actually tell a compelling story.
I could go on, but watch the youtube review of Kohalu he explains most of the problems perfectly.
Why did Lord of the rings succeed? Because they stayed close to the book Why did Game of Thrones succeed? Because they stayed close to the book until episode 8 when it fell apart and fans were disappointed Why did Wheel of time season 1 fail? Because it does not stay close to the book. Not at all.
Why do fans love these fantasy stories? Because of the lore, the world, the characters and the story. Change one of those elements severely and you will most likely lose the fans.
Is that so hard to understand? Dear God...
Sorry about this long rant, you can tell I am very invested in this story and I am sure you might have given it your best shot. I don't know what is responsible for this, but try to fix it for season 2. There is enough good stuff in it (especially all the talents in the crew that brought this to life visually) that really makes me want to watch it further, but please please writers do not think you can improve a story that was written over decades in a couple of month. Okay. Just don't. Kick your studio bosses in the butt, show them these reviews, demand more budget and episodes and STICK TO THE BOOKS!!! Thank you. Still looking forward to season 2 in hopes changes and improvements are made at the right places.
See also
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