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Wheel Of Time on Prime

164 replies

Ubiquery · 18/11/2021 20:20

I’ve just read it starts Friday 19th. Please be good. Please be good. Please be good…

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CloseYourEyesAndSee · 20/11/2021 17:17

I'm watching again and seeing more. I do have high hopes!

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poorremus · 20/11/2021 17:06

I have been really looking forward to this series - and like a PP I was 75% happy with what I watched yesterday. I have high hopes for this series!

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SoupDragon · 20/11/2021 15:21

It might just be that I find Daniel Henney so beautiful...

Personally I think a few more bath tub scenes would be a good addition to the story. 😂

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GrouchyKiwi · 20/11/2021 11:51

I saw it more as showing that they were extremely comfortable with each other. I didn't really get any hint of sexual chemistry at all. More like they'd been together so long that nudity wasn't an issue.
DH thought the same thing. It might just be that I find Daniel Henney so beautiful I was projecting a bit. Wink

SoupDragon I am currently wishing I didn't remember so much of the books. I've seen all three episodes and I think we're going to get a tighter story than in the books, which will be good.

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SoupDragon · 20/11/2021 11:36

The trollocs coming on Winternight is supposed to shatter all of that - and it does, but it's not as big an impact as it was in the book.

Speaking as someone who can't remember the book, I think the impact was big enough TBH. The visual nature of the fight with all the blood makes up for a lot of the descriptive contrast in the book I think. I'm glad I didn't re-read them before the series.

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Ubiquery · 20/11/2021 11:30

Their home village is supposed to be bucolic, like the Shire. I don't object to giving it more of a real-world feel, but it's too dark, there's no grass! And the Women's Circle would never have let Natti and Abel behave as they are. The trollocs coming on Winternight is supposed to shatter all of that - and it does, but it's not as big an impact as it was in the book.

I agree with all of that, even down to thinking what a mire all that mud would be in the winter. I don't want a faithful rendition of the books either. I was going to say they have dated badly, but frankly there were pretty dodgy bits when I first read them.

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Allsorts1 · 20/11/2021 11:28

@Snugglepumpkin totally agree re Robin Hobb. Hopefully this paves the way and is a massive money maker so that they throw everything they have at Robin Hobb & do the liveship traders justice.

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Ubiquery · 20/11/2021 11:25

I think we should keep this thread for the episodes released on Prime

And maybe don't say too much about episodes 2 and 3 until a day or so later this week?

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GrouchyKiwi · 20/11/2021 11:00

Oh sure, there's a lot of violence, but what's missing is the innocence of Emond's Field (which I note they've excised in favour of calling the village Two Rivers). So instead of starting off in the lovely sheltered world the 4 grew up in they're in a village that could be anywhere in Andor (it's not much different from the village in Ep. 3), and there's no contrast between the world they discover after leaving home.

Their home village is supposed to be bucolic, like the Shire. I don't object to giving it more of a real-world feel, but it's too dark, there's no grass! And the Women's Circle would never have let Natti and Abel behave as they are. The trollocs coming on Winternight is supposed to shatter all of that - and it does, but it's not as big an impact as it was in the book.

I want to reiterate that I'm not opposed to change; there has to be change as TV is such a different medium from the written word. But some of the changes don't help the story, IMO.

Mat's changes don't, Perrin's changes do.

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hilariousnamehere · 20/11/2021 10:52

Woohoo following! Life has not gone to plan and I've not yet been able to watch, but on my 24th reread and they're by far my favourite books so am excited and scared equally!

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Luckydog7 · 20/11/2021 10:39

The casting is fantastic and their portrayal make up for a lot of the other flaws. Agree that the first episode is the weakest of the three, it was doing a lot work establishing the world at the expense of pacing, the second and third improve things though.

're grim dark issues. If you read the book the action is quite violent and so I don't think they could or should steralise this for the show especially since a major theme of the first book is loss of innocence for the young characters and the world hitting them hard. This was presented well with how suddenly everything changed.

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Snugglepumpkin · 20/11/2021 10:31

I'm hoping this is going to be brilliant so that they go casting around looking for a new series to do & finally get to Robin Hobbs Assassin series.
Fitz, the Fool, Dragons, Liveships & that ending... my all time favourite series in this genre.

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Allsorts1 · 20/11/2021 10:24

Was Perrin married?? Missed that! I thought they did the scene with Layla to show why he is super protective in the future. I also think they can’t have inner monologues like in the books so they need to establish some things like his internal conflict in a different way.

I think the actor who played Mat is great but heard that he won’t be in series 2? Surely this would be every actors dream!

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GrouchyKiwi · 20/11/2021 10:16

CloseYourEyes
Yes, those changes for Mat, etc, that add to the grim feeling bother me for that reason. There's not enough contrast between the Two Rivers and the rest of the world. It's all samey. Though I like Perrin having a wife given their older ages, and how difficult it is to put all of his internal agonising over life choices on screen.

I was going to suggest a thread for book fans to keep this one spoiler free. I used to be on a fan website (now defunct) where we spent literal hours discussing theories and how we would want a TV series to be so I have a lot in the tank. [grin[

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CloseYourEyesAndSee · 20/11/2021 10:01

I might make a thread for book readers if there isn't one already

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CloseYourEyesAndSee · 20/11/2021 10:00

Are we allowed to post episode spoilers on here?
Book fan here - I don't mind changed per se but why did they make Perrin married? He didn't need a back story to explain why he becomes who he does - and the events of the future are sufficient to explain that. Also didn't like Mat's abusive family. He was meant to be light hearted and fun which creates contrast with what happens after shadar logoth. He doesn't seem light hearted at all rather careworn and unhappy.

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SoupDragon · 20/11/2021 10:00

Before getting into the series too far - is this thread going to be spoiler free?

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Allsorts1 · 20/11/2021 09:35

@SoupDragon yes I agree it didn’t seem sexual. And they’re showing his bond enforced protectiveness well.

Fans of Thom, don’t despair quite yet Wink

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SoupDragon · 20/11/2021 08:50

I didn’t find it grim and dark

Me neither really. It was as dark as it needed to be to convey "peril". I did look away at some of the gorier bits though.

Missed Thom in Emond's Field. I thought they really needed him.

I don't remember Thom at all (see below!) and didn't feel there was anything missing.

Don't like their implication of a sexual relationship with the stupid bath-tub scene, though.

I saw it more as showing that they were extremely comfortable with each other. I didn't really get any hint of sexual chemistry at all. More like they'd been together so long that nudity wasn't an issue.

As I read the books so long again, I'm perhaps closer to a "non reader" than "avid fan". I stopped reading after about book 5 when it seemed to be heading up the author's backside and that wasn't what I wanted from Fantasy books at the time.

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Allsorts1 · 20/11/2021 00:09

It’s so interesting the different perspectives! I didn’t find it grim and dark, I thought they drew on the natural landscape in a beautiful way to make the whole thing sumptuous and the magic is done really well to actually seem magical, a bit like how Harry Potter feels magical - I think fans of the WoT should all rejoice that it’s at least not cheesy, which would be way worse in my opinion than a little more grim than the books.

They’ve done a pretty excellent job so far of casting and it’s clearly been developed by someone who loved the series as I think they’ve captured the core of it.

I think Rosamund is doing a good job of being frustratingly obtuse like the real Morraine was in the books, and as an actress she’s always been quite a closed book which does really suit the character.

SPOILER

The first Whitecloak scene was chilling! But then you do meet the more relaxed white cloak leader later on so maybe they will show more balance soon, I think they’re just trying to establish tension and baddies so that non book readers keep watching!

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GrouchyKiwi · 19/11/2021 23:55

I have watched the first three episodes now. (Massive WoT nerd back in the day, it's how I met DH.)

I do NOT like how grim dark they've made it. I hate what they've done with Mat's family.

They certainly weren't subtle about the Whitecloaks (ep 2). Grin The books were a lot better on this, gave complexity to the organisation.

I am really glad that they've aged up the main 4. Will be good to have less teen angst. Please have less teen angst.

Missed Thom in Emond's Field. I thought they really needed him.

2nd and 3rd episodes were much better than the first. Ros Pike is growing on me, but despite her being a huge fan of the books I don't think she's quite managed to portray Moiraine properly.

Lan is great. Don't like their implication of a sexual relationship with the stupid bath-tub scene, though.

I have a lot of feelings. Overall, after three episodes I'm about 75% happy with it. Did not like the first episode, though, and if I hadn't been a fan of WoT I'm not sure I'd have continued with it.

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SoupDragon · 19/11/2021 23:39

There was a moment right at the end where a trolloc turned round and his legs looked just like a man in fur trousers. Before that I found them good and scary but that moment ruined them for me.

Rosamund Pike annoyed me at the end. I didn't think she was convincing with the magic part in the fight although she was excellent at all other times.

Perhaps I was looking forward to it too much. I will still watch it all though!

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Allsorts1 · 19/11/2021 22:50

And I found the trollocks so good and scary! I remember being so let down in GoT as the white walkers looked weird and totally not as described but the trollocks look like epic super orcs which is fab and the fade is genuinely terrifying.

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Allsorts1 · 19/11/2021 22:48

Just watched this and found it fantastic! Really captured the magic of the books - I am super impressed and relieved, as I adored the books when I was younger. Way way better than Game of Thrones in my opinion!

Also so many of the scenes were exactly as I had pictured in my head - they have really drawn on the source material quite heavily - the layout of the town was exactly as I pictured.

The script is great and laugh out loud funny and they’ve kept it fresh with even a joke about Rand & Matt being lovers.

The cast is fantastic and diverse! And Rosamund Pike is brilliant - I saw she is a producer too.

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