Wheel Of Time on Prime

[Ubiquery]

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

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!

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.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/4406419-WHEEL-OF-TIME-book-reader-thread-spoilers?msgid=112649964#112649964

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.

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!

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.

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?

@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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 😂

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!

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

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.

I hope with all my heart that this never happens. They could never do it justice.

Never heard of the book, but just starting this now. Hopeful.

I'm a big fan of the books and loving the series so far. I just view it as an adaptation, another weaving of the wheel if you will, that tells the story in a different form parallel to the books.

Casting is amazing. They don't all look as I pictured whilst reading, but they all are recognisably their characters.

I love how they kept the funny elements, including adding new jokes. I always found that that set it apart from the LotR and GoT books (alongside the badass female characters).

The changed backstories of Mat and Perrin worked for me. They helped me empathise more with Mat, who tended to piss me off until about Book 4/5, and sped up understanding and motivation of Perrin's sadness / broodiness / inner conflict.

Visuals are stunning apart from the odd CGI glitch, which hopefully will go in later seasons if this is successful and the budget keeps increasing.

I can't get the song from ep2 out of my head. It is kind of haunting me in a tragically beautiful manner.

Glad to meet other fans of book and/or tv on MN!

Just managed to see ep1 - and you nailed it @MorbidMuch!

I just view it as an adaptation, another weaving of the wheel if you will, that tells the story in a different form parallel to the books

So much this.

I don't love Perrin's change but can see it feeding into the axe/hammer conflict further down the line, I am also not thrilled with Mat's background - it feels too dark for him, but will see.

On the whole, it felt like seeing old friends again and I'm so excited to watch the next episodes this week before ep4 arrives.

@hilariousnamehere

Just managed to see ep1 - and you nailed it *@MorbidMuch*!

I just view it as an adaptation, another weaving of the wheel if you will, that tells the story in a different form parallel to the books

So much this.

I don't love Perrin's change but can see it feeding into the axe/hammer conflict further down the line, I am also not thrilled with Mat's background - it feels too dark for him, but will see.

On the whole, it felt like seeing old friends again and I'm so excited to watch the next episodes this week before ep4 arrives.

I love how you describe it as seeing old friends again. That's how I feel.

It feels like the right universe even if I don't recognise everything about it. I also like that I get to have surprises too!

I might be a wee bit obsessed already...

Haven't read the books but from the description of the village before the attack. I wonder if they didnt want a lord of the rings feel to it so wanted to avoid a shire type setting.

Would love them to do Robin Hobb books. Also if anyone has read The Dragonbone chair by Tad Williams would make an amazing tv series.

The Dragonbone chair

Another book I read a lonnnnnnnnng time ago and can't remember!

I'm a big fan of the books (see username!) and am very happy it's finally come to the screen. As much as I love the source material I'm so far happy with most of the changes, it's an adaptation afterall and nothing could match readers headcanon entirely.

@GrouchyKiwi - very much agree however that it's not the carefree idyllic village of the books and some real grass would have been nice!
Mat I think will benefit from having a murkier background though considering the direction he goes in, very sad that Barney who currently plays him won't be in S2 though.
Perrins story has more to it apparently...

You've just made me think it's time to revive this username!

I haven't read the books, but my DH has and is super excited about this! We enjoyed the first 3 episodes, I have to say, I asked a lot it of questions and DH was very patient.