OK here's spoiler free about WoT on TV aka the post you've been waiting for since between 2011 or 1998: it's pretty OK so far, i actually had to hit the pause button to explain key things to Barb a couple times, lucky for her I was there, if we're being honest the books are a little cheesy anyways so there's no problems reflecting that, i like that everything occurs in the visible spectrum of light and not grimdark WTH is going on shades of dark grey, overall i was having fun, I caught some hints that non-readers wouldn't have gotten but it seems like non-readers should be able to follow along and enjoy, the plot is not wasting any time which is good, but the dialog scenes seem a bit rushed, so Michael to answer should you watch i'd say "sure why not, it might get better or worse later we'll have to see"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| TOTAL SPOILERS AHEAD I'M SUPER CEREAL WASN'T THERE A SPOILER BUTTON where did that go: |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good:
- The main actors seem to be fine, Mat and Nynaeve are my favorites (they recast Mat for season 2 for mysterious reasons, sad about that)
- Gorgeous scenery
- I do believe that the writers are very familiar with the books and didn't just check the wikipedia summary or have someone explain the books to them
- The costumed trollocs looked pretty good, the CGI stuff not as good, not a big deal to me tho
- I saw a twitter that someone was like "i didn't like how Mat's personality changed in ep 3"... o rly?
Concerns:
- The show is going to run the risk of Perrin seeming dull and dim rather than careful and deliberate since we can't hear his thoughts, we'll see how they handle that
- There's a minor line by the red Aes Sedai after the first chase scene where she says "you men taint the one power". Not to give too much away, but if the other AS heard her, then that's a problem lore-wise. OK here's giving too much away: If that statement is true, it's a huge diversion from the books that the Dark One tainted the OP and that has huge repercussions story-wise. If it's not true, remember AS are bound by the Oath Rod and incapable of speaking untrue words. I suppose she could believe it to be true but that's unlikely. However, a reader knows already that this particular AS is secretly Black Ajah (bad guy fan club) and has been freed of the Oath Rod. So she could be capable of speaking untruths, however those other AS were close by. She did say it softly so maybe they didn't hear her. If they did they would've immediately recognized an untruth and been like uhh WTH? If the show ignores this line I will be disappointed.
- The whitecloaks are badder this time than in the books, not sure how they captured an AS and cut off her hands.
Is the show going to say channeling is associated with hands?
In-book there is a herb that you can drug channelers with, so maybe that?
Coulda been better:
- "weep for manetheren" scene - she tells the kids as they're leisurely riding along, in the book she makes the speech after the attack and the villagers are considering burning her for a witch essentially, was better in the books
- Tam/Rand - we get like a couple seconds with them, we needed more for what it's going to mean when they meet again later
- I still think the book prologue is great and would make for a great cold open, would be confusing to the viewer since it's 3000 years ago though, maybe we'll get to see it
Didn't like:
- Perrin's axe-ident with his wife/his wife existing in general. She's made up and not in the books and I mean I get it, but it's going to mean a few scenes down the road are a less impactful.
- Rand and Egwene banging just as soon as Egwene's mom wingmanned for him and then bounced. I mean that's a bro move but kinda weird. The whole village actually bro-ed out of the inn now that I think about it. I gotta imagine that a small village subsistence level agrarian community is going to be a little bit puritanical. And those small-town morals are a big driver for the characters throughout the series because it makes them who they are and allows them to navigate temptations that others would fail at.
- Mat being a thief
- Moiraine goes to Two Rivers to investigate "rumors of ta'veren" c'mon man first of all...you know what nevermind
- The Dragon could be reborn as a boy or a girl? Ok this is the biggest thing. Everyone knows the DR will be the savior for everyone but is also scheduled to go mad and destroy like everything due to the taint on saidin. So there's a calculus every time the AS catch a male channeler they have to think oh wait is this the DR that's going to save us? And there's common dread among the civilizations for the DR's return even as they know they need it. A mad savior. If it can be a girl, then it totally makes sense to kill every boy channeler and let it be reborn as a girl by the Pattern. All your money should be on a girl DR. There's no reason to even entertain a male channeler. It's going to mess with things later too.
- The showrunner's comments that he believes if Robert Jordan were writing in 2021 he would've written it this way (regarding gender dynamics in particular). Know your role my man.
- Thom's intro as a old gen-x grunge singer
Other stuff: I did get tired of hearing "Hurry!...THis way!!" I mean there are a lot of chase scenes in book 1 but it got a little repetitive. Book 2 is where the series really steps into its own IMO, so we'll see how quickly they get there in the show. And then book 4 it really steps into its own again. And then book 6 wraps and you're like OK this series is totally stepping into its own. And then you're like book 9 other stories don't do things like this. I really do feel like I'm waiting for the good stuff.
In short total GoT ripoff