Wheel of Time season two

[AuntieEsther]

Does it come out today?

Yeah they’re both too old now (though I don’t think the actress they have used is particularly young looking!). She just doesn’t seem jaw droppingly gorgeous enough (to me).

I do think it’s a drawback of finding a new series of books that have a lot of volumes. On one hand, I feel excited to be able to read the whole lot without waiting for the next one to come out (if it ever does come out, looking at you GRRM) but there’s something to be said for reading them one a year as they get published too. I’ve read the first 17 books of the Aubrey-Maturin novels several times now, I adore them, not I always run out of steam around book 16 or so and fancy something different, so I’ve never actually competed the series! Perhaps I should start from book 10 next time I do a re-read.

I haven't read the books and am not sure I will keep going with the series. The only bit I was remotely interested in in the first three episodes was NyNeve in the arches. Don't care about wiolf boy. Rand isn't doing anything at all. Lots of new characters I can't keep track of.

Fantastic episode this week!

My least favourite is also Perrin but if the series is like the books he become less important and less interesting. Looking forward to Matt's story arc though!

I really like the Nanfear actor, and I do think she's gorgeous and very sexy. But then having not read the books I hadn't developed my own image.
I just read the plot on Wikipedia in the end!
Is it on tonight? Can't find it anywhere online

Lanfear

I quite like "Nanfear" in the context of older actresses.

Yesterday’s episode was fantastic. Utterly brutal but fantastic.
As a book reader and lover (currently on my third re-read of the series) I really appreciate all the details the producers have put into the series to appease book fans, knowing that they will have to make huge changes (cuts and compressions) to the book series if they ever hope to finish the tv adaptations.
Just the way they portrayed the Yellow sister Aes Sedai’s combat moves yesterday was perfect. Of course that’s how someone specialising in healing would fuck someone up.

Love the Lanfear actress. She’s got some great tiny facial acting chops that portrayed rage and jealousy so well.

For me Nanfear is spot on. I can't remember exactly from the books but didn't the Forsaken women lack the Aes Sedai ageless look?

The Yellow Sister was spot on!

I'm watching it and just getting annoyed that it doesn't resemble the books at all. They had a good story, why have they ignored it?

Right, I'm now all caught up. I'm really into it now but am seeing it almost like a companion series to the books - the changes to the story line are pretty notable but if I watch the series with the knowledge of the world from the books, and almost see it fresh, it's fine and I'm really enjoying it.

Absolutely LOVING the recast Matt. the Matt in season 1 annoyed me throughout as he didn't get Matt's charm, or the fact that actually, his heart is completely in the right place - he was more desperate and mud scrubbing. New Matt does the charm, but with the slightly victim mentality, much more effortlessly. Apparently there's no reason given for old matt leaving. I'm thinking he was fired.

Lanfear is excellent, I agree.

I find the focus on Moiraine a bit odd and she comes across a bit more clueless. She was always ruthless, but you felt like she was in control in the books. But having said that, I'm enjoying her character and that it's a bit more complex.

And actually, Perrin is less irritating. His refusal to accept the wolf thing in the series always annoyed me. It went on for years.

As someone who first read the books in 1995 (what there was of it then) I'm finding the best way to handle the changes is to look on it as 'another turn of the wheel' so the same conflicts and themes are there but playing out differently this time.

I've been reading the books for that long too, proudgeek, and I've been trying to view this as a different turning of the wheel, but the storyline is completely incoherent, and so many of the changes show an absolute lack of knowledge (and care) for the source material that I've moved into hating it. The biggest reason is how they've fucked up Moiraine's character, and her relationship with Lan, plus the changes to the Two Rivers. The Cauthons being in an abusive relationship and the Women's Circle doing NOTHING about it? Whatever.

Emond's Field is supposed to be that bucolic life like the Shire in LotR, which makes the events of Winternight more shocking. Instead the writers have turned it into this grimdark horror in order to be more "mature", which is frankly the opposite.

Ingtar saying "Maybe he had a good reason" about Padan Fain bringing the Trollocs to the Two Rivers?! What nonsense.

The actor who plays Logain is ace, however, and is one of the best things about the show. And I agree that New Mat is much, much better than the original actor. Min is still cool, though the whole situation with her and Mat and Liandrin in the Tower makes no sense.

Merging characters is sensible - there were far too many with PoVs in the books - and I'm OK with Ishamael being with Suroth when we first meet her. I'm interested to see how they're going to bring the Aiel into it, considering how the storyline is completely messed up now.

WHEN IS THOM COMING BACK?!

@GrouchyKiwi yep definitely agree some of the changes don't seem to work, still not sure why the need to give Perrin a wife for instance. And the Moiraine / Lan relationship breakdown is unnecessary.
I did wonder if the Mat/Min thing is to do with not wanting Rand to have three women, especially given they have now replaced Gaul with Aviendha so she is in Perrin's storyline.

I am sad Gaul isnt in it.

Totally agree about the actors playing Logain and Matt!

No Gaul is very sad.

Am fascinated to see if the three women thing comes through. Min and Matt were friends in the book though weren't they? And travelled together for ages.

Also chuckling at no Elaida. Will get more complex later when they need a new amyriln seat!

No Gaul means no Bain and Chiad. They've excised all the fun bits.

They seem to have merged Elaida and Liandrin (and maybe Alviarin too). Maybe Liandrin will hang around fill that role. Or maybe they just cut the whole Rebels storyline and go right for the young one to sit on that chair. (Trying not to spoiler for those who haven't read that far in the books.)

I think I can best this as my brother and I started reading these in high school... and I finished high school in 1995!

At some point we introduced our other siblings to them too, but that was a bit later - maybe early 2000s?

But then, as a family , most of these series have been read by at least 2 of us, quite a few by 3, and a couple by all of us.

Shannara. Feist. Eddings. GoT (only oldest stuck that one out!). LoR (obviously). Hobbs. Probably loads more, just can't think what currently.

@GingerIsBest that's a very familiar list. We're introducing our girls to Eddings and Tolkien now. Gave up very early on GofT, partly too dark partly leanrt my lesson about unfinished sequences with WofT.

Frankly, without the authors you list, plus LeGuin and Pratchett, suspect I wouldn't be married.

Weirdly, didn't get into LeGuin, and as far as I know, that's true for my siblings too. YY to Pratchett - although I think that's mostly me, and not the others.

Funnily enough, DH isn't a reader and with the exception of a slight obsession with Star Wars (which he shares with all my siblings, but not me - he watches the movies with my sister usually and has endless WhatsApp conversations re the tv series with my brother and BIL!) has zero interest in fantasy/scifi.

Also, depending on age, McCaffrey? Loved Dragon Riders.

I just realised the actress playing Lanfear also plays Charlotte in the Strike series, who is also meant to be jaw dropping my attractive. When I first saw her in that, I thought she was really miscast too. So obviously I missing something that casting agents see.

I agree re giving Perrin a wife - what was the point in that?!

So it is! I recognised her but couldn't place why.

I’m just reading the new Robert Galbraith, Charlotte has entered the building and been described once more as amazingly gorgeous and it sparked the memory of me thinking ‘She’s Charlotte?!’ when I watched the show.

That was a good season finale!
Go Matt!