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The Wheel of Time (Amazon Prime)

The first 3 episodes have been posted. I'm watching episode one now and my hopes are high, but so far it has a surprisingly heavy-handed "men are bad vibe."

This is supposed to be the next big show. I'd love to know what people who've read the books on which it's based think.

by Anonymousreply 259July 22, 2022 1:10 PM

Is anyone watching? The first episode was horrible.

by Anonymousreply 1November 19, 2021 3:43 PM

I am intrigued but the costuming is the worst I have ever seen for such an expensive show. Where did all the money go? I have seen more lush production on SYFY.

by Anonymousreply 2November 19, 2021 3:46 PM

LMAO, I had the same reaction, R2. Supposedly, no expense was spared, but the costumes, wigs and makeup were terrible. Toward the end of the first episode, even the quality of the special effects plummeted. I liked the wool sweater the main male character was wearing, but it looked like he ordered it from an LL Bean catalogue.

by Anonymousreply 3November 19, 2021 4:15 PM

The first four books of the series are just amazing. I haven't watched the series yet, but even if they get it just half right, it should be enjoyable. And it seems that the show's makers want to do it justice. I don't think a "men are bad" vibe will prevail.

by Anonymousreply 4November 19, 2021 4:16 PM

The books are execrable - horrid writing.

So, it’s got that in common with Game of Thrones.

by Anonymousreply 5November 19, 2021 5:07 PM

I think it's quite good. I like the special effects in the first episode when the trollocs (sp?) attack the village.

Yes, the costumes and styling seems more LARP, but then - so far - it's all happening in some backwater area of this realm where fancy and lux would look out of place.

by Anonymousreply 6November 19, 2021 5:43 PM

Love the exchange of the barmaid mistaking him and his friend being lovers, and he quips that, if he were into men, he could do a lot better than his friend (whom I find quite attractive).

by Anonymousreply 7November 19, 2021 5:46 PM

[quote]so far it has a surprisingly heavy-handed "men are bad vibe"

Relax, it's only a subliminal stab at Jeff Bezos.

by Anonymousreply 8November 19, 2021 6:36 PM

[quote]I'd love to know what people who've read the books on which it's based think.

Many absolutely despise it but haven't watched more than 20 minutes of it. There's a reason 3 episodes were dropped at once.

Yes, they changed some things for the better. They changed some things for the worse. However, things HAD to be changed. They combined a few characters, shifted some appearances, eliminated some parts of their adventure and even a whole other town they visited. If they had of kept all that in there whey would have had to of added at least two more episodes.

A lot of book fans don't get that. They wanted everything as it was in the book. Storytelling format-wise, some of that just isn't possible.

There's a character, Mat, that finds a dagger. They changed the way he found it. They changed the position of a jewel on it. The first thing they did for time. The second thing they didn't have to do but it's also not really that important. Some fans just despise that sort of thing.

by Anonymousreply 9November 20, 2021 4:50 AM

The diversity casting is heavy handed. Like, REALLY heavy handed.

by Anonymousreply 10November 20, 2021 6:22 AM

another thing i hate about the costumes, they're all too clean and new looking. They should be dirty, well-worn and patched up many times

by Anonymousreply 11November 20, 2021 6:39 AM

One of the main female characters, the girl who was pushed into the river… she’s clearly way older than her ginge love interest and has a massive mole on the side of her nose. It’s so big that I’m not sure I can stick with a show where they’re going to push her onto us as being some “strong” great beauty. Again, they’ve gone over the cliff with the diversity casting. Some family members are of entirely different races yet everyone speaks with the same, exhausting British accent. The scraggly black man who rode into town with his gypsy wagon, laughing oddly and telling the children he had no “sweets” for them was especially eye rolling. He looked like an unshaven Nipsy Russell.

by Anonymousreply 12November 20, 2021 6:54 AM

R12, I believe Egwene is supposed to be a couple of years younger than the other characters but they aged her up for the show. I don't think that's necessarily a bad idea. They obviously did it to make the show more adult. They're more "promised" to each other or rather it's just expected they'll marry one day rather than them full on having sex.

They should have switched her with the actress who plays the Wisdom, Nynaeve. I kept having to remind myself that she wasn't Lisa Bonet's lost child.

[quote]Some family members are of entirely different races yet everyone speaks with the same, exhausting British accent.

That's a failing of the genre. It never matters where a story takes place. It could be a foreign land, on a different planet, where everyone eats soup and breathes methane and you'll hear a British accent coming out of everyone's mouth. It would be fun if just once one of these shows actually gave everyone from different places slightly different ways of speaking.

[quote]Again, they’ve gone over the cliff with the diversity casting.

In the book, in this town, they're all supposed to look similar except for Bran, the ginger love interest. It was a notable point in the book. He looks different than everyone else and he's the tallest boy in town. I do support color blind casting, though. It's a story about people with magic powers that fight beasts that tear people apart with their teeth. White and all shades of brown people living in the same town isn't so much of a stretch, I guess.

The Dutch actor that plays Bran, Josha Stradowski very much gives a European model vibe. He's also done a couple of gay projects.

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by Anonymousreply 13November 20, 2021 8:52 AM

I just hope the writers approach the story the way the "Game of Thrones" writers approached the story during the good seasons... giving the story the ruthless fucking editing it needed all along!!!

Because I started out loving the books, but gave up around #5 out of 8 or 10 or however many there were, because the books slowed down and dragged and became utterly tedious to read. Same problem as the "GoT" books, only longer.

by Anonymousreply 14November 20, 2021 9:14 AM

I watched the first episode last night. It was alright; I like it enough to watch the second tonight.

The thing is, I never saw Game of Thrones, so this genre is pretty unfamiliar to me. I figure it'll take a while to acclimatise!

I like Rosamund Pike a lot and her character's boyfriend/bodyguard (Daniel Henney) is gorgeous!

by Anonymousreply 15November 20, 2021 9:20 AM

[quote] The diversity casting is heavy handed. Like, REALLY heavy handed.

So what? It's a fantasy. Now if this was a historical episode of Henry the 8th and Ann Boelyn was played by a black actress, then you can get upset. Otherwise, stop being a fucking racist.

by Anonymousreply 16November 20, 2021 9:30 AM

Person who read half the books here, and I'm okay with the diversity casting. The main character needs to look very different from the villagers he lives with, in the books he's described at a tall redhead in a village of shorter brunettes, but putting a redheaded white person in a village of brown-haired white people doesn't have much visual impact.

Put a redhead in a village of brown people, and he really stands out as different-with-a-capital-D. Why not.

by Anonymousreply 17November 20, 2021 11:26 AM

The show sucked ass. When growing up there were better fantasy shows on syndication

by Anonymousreply 18November 21, 2021 12:45 AM

Meh, it’s kinda just …well, meh. I dunno. I won’t be cooking diner early anytime soon just to hurry up and watch it.

by Anonymousreply 19November 21, 2021 2:34 AM

The problem I'm seeing with the diversity casting is that the various regional ethnic groups are so diversified, that we aren't getting the sense of different cultures. The only one that's ringing true for me is Lan Mandragoran, though I expected him to lean more toward Native than Asian.

by Anonymousreply 20November 21, 2021 2:40 AM

The missing thing about this show is the family element. Rn it's hooligans running amok looking for some dragon person

by Anonymousreply 21November 23, 2021 1:48 AM

The redhead’s name is Rand, not Bran. Bran is a Game of Thrones character.

Speaking of Game of Thrones… I think one reason it was so successful is that the world depicted looked absolutely believable. Despite what is obviously a high budget (much higher than GOT initially had), Wheel of Time’s sets still looked like sets and its actors looked like actors.

by Anonymousreply 22November 23, 2021 2:06 AM

I read the first 7 books of the series but couldn't go any farther so I'm all for the writers paring the story down some (ok, a lot). I am totally on-board with the diverse cast! Who cares, it's sci-fi.

by Anonymousreply 23November 23, 2021 2:16 AM

It’s a bit amateur theatre despite the Amazon money. Halfway through the third episode and not sure if will keep watching. Oddly modern details on the ever-clean costumes too like what appears to be elastic clasps on Nynaeve’s coat.

by Anonymousreply 24November 23, 2021 7:22 PM

After watching all three episodes in one go, I felt underwhelmed. None of the performances or story lines are leaving me with anticipation for more. I’ll give it a few more episodes to see how it evolves. Meh so far.

by Anonymousreply 25November 23, 2021 7:36 PM

It got a fairly scathing review in the Washington Post and the comments were full of angry book fans yelling at the writer for not reading all the books before posting her review. I’m surprised at Rosamund Pike being in this, kind of an odd career move?

by Anonymousreply 26November 23, 2021 7:42 PM

Rosamund managed to get a producer credit. I'd guess she thinks she can make some bank with an ongoing series that goes on for several seasons.

by Anonymousreply 27November 23, 2021 8:21 PM

I do think the natural locations are beautiful. Apparently, they filmed in the Czech Republic, Croatia and Slovenia.

by Anonymousreply 28November 23, 2021 8:23 PM

The reality is, none of the reviews matter at this point.

They're currently filming Season 2 right now and will be until Feb of 2022.

by Anonymousreply 29November 23, 2021 11:07 PM

I'm a bit of a film snob who was skeptical of Game of Thrones, but I ended up binging season 1 in a weekend. People who claim Wheel of Time is bound to get better over time are woefully naive. Of course it got a season 2 pick-up...the books have a devoted fan base and it's still possible to fix the flaws and create a pop culture phenomenon.

Still, while each episode is progressively better than the last, the show is weighed down by enduring flaws. The acting is fine, but the dialogue is hilariously bad. The costumes are interesting, but they look cheap and never look like they've endured the same events as the wearer. The natural scenes of central Europe are beautiful, but they're tarnished by amateur-level CGI. Don't get me started on the wigs. Rosamund's looks like it was part of a witch costume she bought at Party City...the biracial guy's curly wig looks like a giant merkin, and the white guy looks like he stepped out of Super Cuts.

Also, sorry, but casting a big-nosed actress with thin lips and a huge mole on her nose was a bold choice. Having a hot guy fawn over her is probably the most fantastical element of the show.

by Anonymousreply 30November 23, 2021 11:40 PM

" I’m surprised at Rosamund Pike being in this, kind of an odd career move?"

Well, she was about the only British actor who didn't get a job on "Game of Thrones", so here we are.

by Anonymousreply 31November 24, 2021 4:43 AM

The books killed my interest in high fantasy. They started out pretty good but became such a slog. I seem to recall they were kinda sexist; has that been improved in the show?

by Anonymousreply 32November 24, 2021 5:21 AM

Despite the shitshow last season, the GoT's pilot and the earlier seasons hooked people because of good writing that managed to successfully translate the source to the screen. The GoT's pilot had an intrigue and a good shocking cliffhanger that made people to tune in again, the first season had a major shocking twist with the lead that people started to root for being "unexpectedly"killed off in a spectacular fashion.

But most importantly GoT cast had a good chemistry and in general they did good job casting various characters. The ensemble make the GoT.

Diversity or not, the cast in this one is very uneven and does not work as an ensemble. Not for me.

by Anonymousreply 33November 24, 2021 9:32 AM

Finally a masculine good looking Asian guy showing ass.

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by Anonymousreply 34November 24, 2021 10:00 AM

Part of the arc of the books involves people from this remote, kind of ingrown village going out into the world and meeting people not like them. So, yeah, making it look like The UN doesn't really work. Rand looks different, but not that different. So, yeah, the diversity there takes you out of the world. That said, Moraine doesn't need to be white, nor Min, nor several other major characters. Making Lan Asian is a good choice. He should be different from the people in the village.

The issue isn't diversity, per se, it's diversity that screws up the logic of the story and setting. It's mindless box ticking and pretty much always an indication of mediocrity.

by Anonymousreply 35November 25, 2021 4:38 AM

[quote]Part of the arc of the books involves people from this remote, kind of ingrown village going out into the world and meeting people not like them.

This is true.

[quote]So, yeah, making it look like The UN doesn't really work.

It doesn't if following the book to the letter is their intent, which it isn't.

That being said if they want to do this then they do need to do a better job at changing everything else about the towns. Maybe the buildings are constructed differently in each one? Maybe the clothes that people wear are different from town to town? We've heard a character mention that he knew where the group was from because of how they dressed but what they were wearing didn't really stand out.

We see this in our own world. It's not that hard to tell in many cases, when someone is from NYC vs Portland vs Mobile vs Sandusky. If you travel to each, things look different. Or like when I was in University and I started out dressing like I was from the place where I grew up and by the time I finished my first year I dressed like everyone else at school. I went from jeans to khakis, from oversized shirts to polos, from a skater baseball caps to beanies. Then I moved to NYC after graduation and I was wearing skinny jeans, leather sports coats, a fancy watch, button down shirts with sweaters over them.

There are ways for them to be diverse within the same town but they have to work harder at showing it.

by Anonymousreply 36November 25, 2021 6:15 AM

But the WOT world isn't one where people travel and mingle easily. There's no modern transportation. Communities are isolated and kind of ingrown. It's a big deal when the characters make it to a city is what's a broken-down continent.

Paying attention to externals, like building styles, while ignoring the reality of how ethnic clusters happen is clunky because it's not how small rural and isolated villages work. If Amazon couldn't deal with that basic reality, they should have picked a series where that wasn't an issue-- anything set in a city or reasonably technologically advanced.

But these days we're getting a sort of everybody-gets-trophy diversity and it's truly awkward.

by Anonymousreply 37November 25, 2021 6:48 AM

None of these actors seem to go together. There’s something awkward about this show. I never read the books, I watched three episodes and I think I’m done.

by Anonymousreply 38November 25, 2021 6:52 AM

Can't believe the best actor of the bunch is the one being recast.

by Anonymousreply 39November 25, 2021 11:28 AM

[quote] But the WOT world isn't one where people travel and mingle easily.

The WOT world that you are talking about is in the books.

This is the tv series.

Book people can’t let go of the books and let the show do its own world building.

And on this show, since time is compressed, they all seem to be traveling quite easily.

“But in the books ….”

I know. I know. I know.

They’ve hacked them to bits for brevity, cast the show a certain way and so far have skipped over another town, changed what happened in a different one and edited down their journey in a few episodes.

Their world is not the same as the books.

by Anonymousreply 40November 25, 2021 2:02 PM

The actress that played Egwene is aboriginal and she's already sounds EXHAUSTED.

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by Anonymousreply 41November 25, 2021 2:50 PM

She beings nothing to the role.

by Anonymousreply 42November 25, 2021 3:05 PM

That's not fair, R42, she brings a nose mole. That's something!

by Anonymousreply 43November 25, 2021 3:24 PM

The art direction is so Hallmarkish - utterly awful. If it weren't for Daniel Henney's nudity, I wouldn't watch it.

by Anonymousreply 44November 25, 2021 3:38 PM

Reading on DL has ruined me. The first thing I noticed, and immediately rolled my eyes to, was the damned nose mole.

by Anonymousreply 45November 25, 2021 4:49 PM

I really hate to say it because I'm all, "we are the world, we are the children" / "let us all accept our differences" ... but that nose mole is going to ruin this damn show.

I can't stop looking at it and the camera INSISTS on giving her close ups right on the damn mole.

She'd better come back in S2 with it covered. I'm sure she has the money from S1 to get it removed.

by Anonymousreply 46November 25, 2021 4:56 PM

Does Daniel Henney get naked again? I've only seen episode 1 and had to get the smelling salts after he stepped into the bath. (In my defence, it's been a lonely pandemic.)

by Anonymousreply 47November 25, 2021 6:19 PM

R40. Hogwash. They're on foot and horseback. It's core to the series premise that there's been a breakdown if the previous world. And it's in the damn show's trailer that the "old blood" runs strong in Two Rivers and that it's remote. So, no, there's no radically different world vision. Just crappy casting to score points on Twitter. The really ridiculous thing is that they could have created a diverse cast without screwing up the basic logic of the story as the books have central characters from all over. Lan's an obvious example.

Read an interview with the showrunner, comes off as a total hack, but arrogant too. Doesn't respect the source material enough to do a good job if it. I've always thought LOTR works because Peter Jackson had loved the books as a kid.

These days earlier works are seen as needing to be fixed and "updated" and the contempt and disrespect doesn't create good results.

I really wish that the rights to WOT hadn't been locked up for so long, a better job would have been done 10 years ago.

by Anonymousreply 48November 25, 2021 6:20 PM

[quote]Hogwash (...) The really ridiculous thing is that they could have created a diverse cast without screwing up the basic logic of the story [bold]as the books[/bold] have central characters from all over. Lan's an obvious example.

The books again!

"THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD A TOWN FULL OF BROWN PEOPLE! AND A TOWN FULL OF ASIAN PEOPLE! AND A TOWN FULL OF BLACK PEOPLE! NO ONE SHOULD HAVE EVER MIXED THEIR BLOOOOODDD!"

Maybe you should go to reddit. They seem to hate it there as much as you do.

by Anonymousreply 49November 25, 2021 6:32 PM

R49 no books, no series. Discarding much of what made the books popular is stupid and the series is the worse for it. It’s not the diversity, it’s the poor acting and crap art direction.

by Anonymousreply 50November 25, 2021 7:01 PM

R49 You do realize that WOT is, yes, an adaptation of a series of books, so a discussion of what's in the books is relevant. And, yeah, if I'm in a remote village in, say, anywhere, I'm going to wonder if its population looks like downtown New York's.

Because you don't see that in the U.S., Europe, Africa or Asia. And you sure as hell don't leave in lines about the "old blood" running strong. It just looks silly.

Thing is, I don't love the books. Jordan write way too many and they just sort of ramble. The sexual politics raise some question marks, but it does have some thought-out world-building.

You're just whining because you don't want to acknowledge that random diversity casting doesn't always work. It's a sign of laziness.

by Anonymousreply 51November 25, 2021 7:03 PM

[quote] It's a sign of laziness.

Well, nobody can accuse you of that, raging your heart out on an anonymous message board.

by Anonymousreply 52November 25, 2021 7:13 PM

R52, Writing a few paragraphs doesn't require that much effort. And I don't feel rage about it because I guessed pretty early on that it wasn't going to work. I wish it were good because I've had an issue finding series that don't bore me. Lately, it's involved reading lots of subtitles, so I wouldn't mind a break from that.

by Anonymousreply 53November 25, 2021 8:34 PM

[quote]You do realize that WOT is, yes, an adaptation of a series of books, so a discussion of what's in the books is relevant.

The series is not made for only people who read the books. That's what you don't seem to grasp. The Magicians was not made for only people who read the books. The Game of Thrones series was not made for only people who read the books. This is not high school. The books aren't intended as a supplement to this unit's video lesson. The whole intention of creating a series based on a series of books isn't to force the audience to go back and read the books for context.

Everything you need to know is right there on the screen because the series is made for EVERYONE.

The problem with you "book people" is that you naturally compare what's on screen with what's in the books but you fail to realize is that the book is a spine to help guide the translation or rather the "adapted version" for the screen.

My favorite time watching Game of Thrones was when all the "book people" who thought they were superior suddenly had no clue what the hell was going to happen and they finally had to let go of the idea that they were "gatekeepers" of the "true meaning" of everything on the show.

You'll be much happier if you take what's on the screen for what it is without constantly going, "BUT IN THE BOOK THAT'S NOT HOW THEY FOUND THE KNIFE!!!" "BUT IN THE BOOK THEY DIDN'T PUSH HER OFF OF A CLIFF!" "BUT IN THE BOOK SHE WASN'T DRESSED LIKE THAT WHEN SHE ENTERED THE TAVEREN!" Ain't you tired, Miss Lucy?

[quote]You're just whining because you don't want to acknowledge that random diversity casting doesn't always work. It's a sign of laziness.

Actually, you're proving the one to be quite lazy. You completely ignored the lines of one of my posts while you were so busy arguing with me because you're bored.

I said:

[quote]That being said if they want to do this then they do need to do a better job at changing everything else about the towns. Maybe the buildings are constructed differently in each one? Maybe the clothes that people wear are different from town to town? We've heard a character mention that he knew where the group was from because of how they dressed but what they were wearing didn't really stand out ... There are ways for them to be diverse within the same town but they have to work harder at showing it.

Which implies that whatever they're doing with the "diverse" casting could be done better. So I'm not saying it works.

You seem to think they should all be the same race. I'm saying I think they should all dress the same, talk the same, have some unique quirk from town to town. I'm basing my thoughts off of what I'm seeing on the screen. You just want everything to match whatever your ideas were about the book in your head.

But they're not telling the story for you book people. They're telling the story for everyone else as such the solution will not be, in 2021, to fire everyone who isn't white.

I'm done with you. Good night.

by Anonymousreply 54November 26, 2021 7:13 AM

Mary!

by Anonymousreply 55November 26, 2021 7:31 AM

R54 I pointed out why your idea of changing up building styles wasn't going to cut it.

And the issues of making an isolated village look like the UN doesn't have much to do with whom the intended audience is, but basic credible world building.

You seem to have a weird resentment of people who read. As it happens, die-hard fans of a particular series can make it break a dramatization. Amazon wants those obsessive WOT fans. And plenty of those fans wanted a dramatization, but they wanted one that had some respect for Jordan's work. Doesn't mean that changes to a very long winded series if books aren't needed, but it's also clear that the WOT show runner has done a hack job of it.

As for Game of Thrones, the series started well, but went off the rails when B&B could no longer rely on the books to get from point A to point B. They couldn't stick the landing as a result and the show has kind of disappeared from pop culture as a result. Martin knows how to plot. B&B don't.

Writing a fantasy world that works isn't that common an ability. Thinking that various parts of it can be randomly tweaked without affecting the overall whole shows a basic lack of understanding what's involved in making such a world credible.

As I said above it's a shame this wasn't made 10 years ago. It would have stood a better chance.

by Anonymousreply 56November 26, 2021 7:41 AM

Jesus, R54! Get out for some air you fucking psycho. Take your pills and get out of your smokey basement or whatever dark nest you lurk in and get yourself together.

It’s not that serious. But taking your meds is, and you’re clearly off of them.

by Anonymousreply 57November 26, 2021 7:41 AM

Watched it, never red the books and none of the characters grabbed me, they're all pretty dull with half assed acting, rosmunds terrible wig is so distracting. I Watched got without reading the books and I was hooked within the first two episodes. This has a huge budget yet looks so cheap too, awful costumes and cinematography.

by Anonymousreply 58November 26, 2021 7:58 AM

R58 Jordan's characters aren't all that distinctive--it's actually something that good actors, scripts and direction could have improved matters--the way Jackson did with a number of characters in LOTR--Aragorn, Merry, Pippin.

Wonder why it's so bad, given the budget--they could have gotten a better show runner.

by Anonymousreply 59November 26, 2021 9:31 AM

[quote]This is supposed to be the next big show.

It won't be, though. I don't think Hollywood understands that the audience who made GOT huge is burned the fuck out and wary of getting embroiled in another sprawling sci-fi/fantasy series that requires work to keep up with and will very likely let them down hard. They said The Witcher would be the next huge thing. Nope. They said Dune would..nope. Now this.

by Anonymousreply 60November 26, 2021 9:47 AM

I didn’t read it and didn’t watch GoT, but for the most part I’m enjoying it. It does seem almost like a YA Fantasy series, not unlike the aforementioned Magicians, and I say that as a children’s and YA champion and aficionado, not as a undercut between the superiority of adult material over YA, which I’m the first to disavow. Dune too has a young protagonist, but comes off fully as an adult cinematic adaptation, not YA.

I do question about the person who says it’s all there on the screen. I’m not quite sure how Amazon Prime uses their X-Ray feature and the supplemental material they provide and how one is supposed to integrate that into the whole viewing experience. In the atrocious I Know What You Did Last Summer, they provided extensive backstory and character development material, usually in a snarky aside kind of way, that seemed to be almost an interactive feature and needed to fully understand the motivations in the story.

With WoT there’s these beautiful rendered fairytale animations in the X-rays that seem to be founding myths of the backstory that are supposed to lend a deeper context to the world building. I almost wish these were at the start of the episodes as almost a cold opening to set the mood and story. They must have been very expensive to produce, so not a toss off supplemental material to the show. Yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if the majority of people don’t know or even access them at all, though their importance seems integral to fully understanding the series.

Then there’s the behind the scenes stuff with the very creepy ghost writer who came into finish the series once the author died and the completely creepy and unnerving wife and editor, who seems to have escaped from some weird cosplay convention. The stuff about the original author doesn’t do any service to series either, as he seems like an eccentric, odd uncle that you would not want to leave the young kids around unattended. All three kind of skeeve me out and do more to turn me off and away from the series then become deeper involved.

by Anonymousreply 61November 26, 2021 9:50 AM

R60 This has canceled in three seasons written all over it, the real test will be the lotr show. That one seems to have massive hype even though a big portion of lotr book fans are worried over amazon ruining it.

by Anonymousreply 62November 26, 2021 9:52 AM

Heavy handed is an understatement. It's also unable to hide, rather than build upon, how derivative it is. The casting is dreadful. And it has to be said that the insertion of myriad brown faces into yet another clearly Anglo-Nordic-Celtic inspired wannabe Rings/Dune story made it look more like one of those pious old Benneton ads than anything original that believed in itself, which it obviously doesn't. It was a yawnfest with the unmistakable aroma of being unable either to equal or move past the works it so achingly reflects.

by Anonymousreply 63November 26, 2021 10:41 AM

[quote] It was a yawnfest with the unmistakable aroma of being unable either to equal or move past the works it so achingly reflects.

God help us all when Hollywood adapts Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf into a TV series and cast actors with diverse backgrounds. Guys like you will shut the internet down with your angry rants about woke casting.

by Anonymousreply 64November 26, 2021 11:15 AM

R64 Oh, spare me. It's stupid casting in the name of a sociopolitical agenda. It's what happened to the arts in Russia under Stalinism.

It does a disservice to the art and what the subliminal message is, "they" can't write anything as good so they have to piggyback onto someone else.

It's transparent, and that sort of transparency served no work of art well.

Grow up.

R63

by Anonymousreply 65November 26, 2021 11:22 AM

I liked episode 4 better. I didn't read the books.

by Anonymousreply 66November 26, 2021 4:25 PM

I'm enlightened and egalitarian and think race doesn't matter!

Until you do color blind casting! Then it's a BIG FUCKEN DEAL!!!!!!!!

screeeASJDFJKLFKSJGKL;SDAJKGL;ASJKG;!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Anonymousreply 67November 26, 2021 4:36 PM

Is that lead gypsy woman that actress who played the matriarch on Orphan Black?

by Anonymousreply 68November 26, 2021 6:20 PM

R68, Maria Doyle Kennedy was, indeed, on Orphan Black.

by Anonymousreply 69November 26, 2021 7:00 PM

I will say something good for this series, the monsters are horrorfying! They’re super creepy and life like, and showing hoards of them running after people through the forest at night is the stuff of nightmares. And the fact they eat people by just digging into their guts and eating them alive. The hairy hooves and teeth! Yikes! It takes a lot for me to get the chills over a movie monster or supernatural creature. They did very well with these creatures so perhaps THAT’S where the money went.?.

By comparison, the monsters in that new South Korean horror series everyone is going on about look like extra hairy bears with faces that resemble children’s anime characters.

by Anonymousreply 70November 26, 2021 7:15 PM

R67 Colorblind casting works fine in some performances, not in others. It's been the norm in opera for decades. It works in anything that's highly theatrical--Shakespeare, musicals.

It doesn't work in something that's meant to create a sense of reality. What's particularly stupid about WOT is that creating a diverse cast within the realm of the WOT world wouldn't have been that hard. It could have served the story instead of distracted from it.

In this case, the mindless casting is of a piece with the bad costuming, sloppy CGI, and inserting unneeded tragic backstories. (Fuck, the *last* thing WOT needs is more plot.)

Well, from the reviews, it sounds like someone else will get a crack down the line.

by Anonymousreply 71November 26, 2021 7:33 PM

Is that red outfitted sister with the blond hair with the very prominent jawline a Trans actor or is there a twist that some of that class of people can be Trans or non-binary? They seem to be lingering on her face in every shot calling attention to it as if it’s a clue. Because of what the Zoe Kravitz like actress did, exploding and healing everyone and being “the sun” that proves she’s the Dragon right? I wasn’t expecting that reveal to happen so fast, more after seasons then episodes. The caring older brother was really trying to defend the family from the monster right, he didn’t kill them despite having the black ick inside him? I really liked how the cage melted.

by Anonymousreply 72November 26, 2021 8:02 PM

R72, Nah, she's just got serious magical potential. This isn't a mystery in the books. Moraine has the ability to assess latent potential. Who the Dragon is really obvious to the reader and despite the rantings of some posters, this isn't something that's going to change.

by Anonymousreply 73November 26, 2021 8:58 PM

Book readers disappointed and furious about a movie or TV adaption of their beloved books? Will wonders ever cease?

by Anonymousreply 74November 26, 2021 9:00 PM

R74 The series is getting panned by people who haven't read the books. It's just badly done.

by Anonymousreply 75November 26, 2021 9:20 PM

[quote]adaption

Oh, dear.

by Anonymousreply 76November 27, 2021 1:26 AM

Okay, episode 4 was much better than the first three. Let's see if it keeps improving.

by Anonymousreply 77November 27, 2021 6:31 AM

R72, Kate Fleetwood was born a woman and has 2 kiddos with her husband. She has huge cheekbones. With her hair pulled back it really makes her look kinda odd. They're totes going to do a, "Dragon" of the week thing. The Zoe-like chick (I think her real name is Zoe ) using her powers in a way none of them could & being a woman was enough for them to strip the false dragon of his because if it was going to be anyone they would prefer it would be her. She's the right age too.

The books say who the dragon is/isn't early. The show decided not to. I wouldn't be surprised if the show said fuk it and picked whoever

R74, Wheel of Time was one of the top launches on Amazon Prime of all time. It's the top series on Amazon Prime right now. It was already renewed for S2. It was one of the most pirated shows last week. It has a higher completion rating than any of their shows. The head of Amazon Studios implied that it will likely get renewed for S3 but they wanted to wait before saying it. It's not going anywhere. Online comments and who is watching aren't jiving.

by Anonymousreply 78November 27, 2021 7:55 AM
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by Anonymousreply 79November 27, 2021 9:08 AM

R78 It was renewed for a second season before it was even streamed. Amazon's been promoting the hell out of it, it's a well-known fantasy series, so of course people tuned in. The question is whether they'll keep watching.

by Anonymousreply 80November 27, 2021 9:18 AM

So, if who is the Dragon is not the central mystery to the series, what is?

by Anonymousreply 81November 27, 2021 9:47 AM

R80, too true. I'd guessed they had seen the episodes before making that choice. Amazon is one of those sketchy ratings places. They're not usually open about them. The show does seem to be getting better? I'm worried about them replacing that Mat actor. I wonder what went on with him? Everyone is staying hush. It wasn't his acting. He even deleted all his social media. Must have been bad.

by Anonymousreply 82November 27, 2021 10:09 AM

R81, it's not really a mystery, per se, but the big questions are can the Dragon come into his power without it making him crazy and destroying the world the way the last dragon did and whether the super bad guys can escape their out-of-time prison and take over the world.

There are also about 30,000 subplots.

by Anonymousreply 83November 27, 2021 10:16 AM

[quote]I'm worried about them replacing that Mat actor.

Too bad, I like the original actor.

by Anonymousreply 84November 27, 2021 12:14 PM

The story has to be told…but this “young attractive adults going on a quest” storyline is just awful. GoT starts with grown ups doing grown up things, which was so seductive. It felt like these are the actions of powerful people and they matter. This YA fantasy approach just takes so much to stay engaged, especially watching mole girl.

by Anonymousreply 85November 27, 2021 2:18 PM

r85, it is interesting that you bemoan the lack of maturity in The Wheel of Time TV show when your own comment lacks the very same. Mole girl? Really?

by Anonymousreply 86November 27, 2021 2:24 PM

Dataloungers almost universally agree about mole girl. It's a sign.

by Anonymousreply 87November 27, 2021 7:04 PM

The mole wouldn’t normally bother me but the multiple closeups on it every episode thus far makes it hard to miss. It deserves it’s own credit at this point.

by Anonymousreply 88November 27, 2021 9:02 PM

R88 makes a great point. They keep showing this woman up really close, almost always in glowing light, the way they'd frame a great beauty. And they're almost always shooting from her left side. She isn't very attractive and the mole really is distracting. Not saying she shouldn't have been cast, but it does seem like a bizarre choice. They could have at least cast the Lisa Bonet chick and maybe swapped those roles with the actresses. And the brunette guy, the one with the black stuff that came out of his mouth... he's sort of a pain in the ass. I'm tired of that character already. He's a drama queen. Send him home all ready to play with his sisters.

by Anonymousreply 89November 28, 2021 2:11 AM

R89 You won’t have to worry next season, black mouth stuff guy actor has been recast.

by Anonymousreply 90November 28, 2021 4:23 AM

Wheel of Time is officially the #1 streaming show in the world.

And it's also finally certified fresh despite review bombs.

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by Anonymousreply 91December 2, 2021 11:43 PM

Season 1 of Wheel of Time sure isn't turning out to be nearly as good as season 1 of Game of Thrones

by Anonymousreply 92December 3, 2021 1:54 AM

But R92, the show if full of such…sexy…women…wielding such powerful and ancient magic. You know the magic is ancient and powerful because they tell you. Also, going on a great quest to find the chosen one from a prophecy is a super original concept.

by Anonymousreply 93December 3, 2021 2:34 AM

But R93, ot wasn't about magic, smart-ass. Keep it simple

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by Anonymousreply 94December 3, 2021 2:37 AM

Just watched the fifth episode: cheesey, cheap looking, laughable dialogue and the mole was right in the center of screen for a long time.

The only reason to watch this abortion is for the hotties who portray Rand and Mat. Since the producers recast the role of Mat in season 2, there better be some major male nudity or I’m out.

by Anonymousreply 95December 3, 2021 5:21 PM

Muslim Aes Sedai wearing hijab took diversity into a new level.

by Anonymousreply 96December 3, 2021 5:24 PM

Why was the asian guy crying for the dead guy?

by Anonymousreply 97December 3, 2021 5:27 PM

[quote] Why was the asian guy crying for the dead guy?

R97, the dead guy doesn’t merit an adjective such as “Asian”?

by Anonymousreply 98December 3, 2021 5:30 PM

Oh yeah, a new episode, but I’m over on Netflix bingeing Lost in Space.

by Anonymousreply 99December 3, 2021 5:37 PM

R98 Okay, why was the asian guy crying for the dead white guy? Happy?

by Anonymousreply 100December 3, 2021 5:38 PM

I haven't watched any of this, but just wanted to comment that the previews I saw before the series was released looked cheaply-made. The backgrounds and sets looked fake and this is in no way going to be equatable to Game of Thrones or even The Witcher as far as visual stuff is concerned. That kind of turned me off it, but I will probably eventually watch it.

by Anonymousreply 101December 3, 2021 5:39 PM

Witcher is so terrible too, awful acting, writing, dollar store cgi, cheap costumes, and cheap cinematography. I loved Witcher 2 and 3 games and red some of the short stories like last wish but the show is terrible, cheap garbage.

by Anonymousreply 102December 3, 2021 5:45 PM

r102 I haven't seen it yet either, but the previews looked better made than The Wheel of Time's previews.

by Anonymousreply 103December 3, 2021 5:46 PM

R103 If you remember those scify channel shows from the early to mid 2000s = witcher

by Anonymousreply 104December 3, 2021 5:51 PM

Da Wisher.

by Anonymousreply 105December 3, 2021 5:52 PM

They do like to do extreme close ups of "the mole lady"'s face. I don't mind that they try to cast more adventurously. But does that mole has to be magnified so much? I am genuinely mystified!!!! Can any book reader confirm that the mole is not part of some big plot point?

by Anonymousreply 106December 3, 2021 10:57 PM

R106 The mole is not in the books.

by Anonymousreply 107December 3, 2021 11:03 PM

[quote] But does that mole has to be magnified so much? I am genuinely mystified!!!!

As are we.

by Anonymousreply 108December 3, 2021 11:06 PM

I've seen four episodes now, and just now read this thread, and I swear to god, I never noticed any nose mole. I have a feeling I'm going to notice it in the next episode I watch, but honestly. nothing registers when I think back on the episodes I've seen.

by Anonymousreply 109December 4, 2021 4:22 AM

R109, in the latest episodes there's too much action to focus on her nose mole.

by Anonymousreply 110December 4, 2021 8:19 AM

The nose mole plays a pivotal role in a future episode. I don't want to say too much, but it contains a trapped demon named Ishmir. He is key to saving her from the merfolk.

by Anonymousreply 111December 4, 2021 9:16 AM

The dark one was trapped in her mole, that's why it has a prominent role and keeps get close up shots.

by Anonymousreply 112December 4, 2021 10:05 AM

This WaPo review nails it:

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by Anonymousreply 113December 4, 2021 11:02 AM

Why did the showrunner have to be such a hack? I don't adore the book series, but a well-done show could have been made from it, but a show where the younger leads who drive the story bore audiences isn't it.

by Anonymousreply 114December 4, 2021 6:28 PM

The major flaw of this series is the costuming. I mean, the designs are fine. It's the fact that they look like they've never been worn before. They always look pristine, straight off the shelf, never been washed, and it's just so DISTRACTING in every scene. It actually takes me out of the story. And yes, it makes it seem more like a stage production than a real lived-in world. Everything is too "clean" and "pretty" and "perfect".

If you changed that one thing, and made it look real, I'd probably like the show twice as much. This one problem over-shadows all others, including the mole and the casting.

by Anonymousreply 115December 4, 2021 6:32 PM

R115 That's just one piece of the general hackery--just ignoring the little and big details that make a fantasy world believable. It's of a piece with the casting issues. Again, the show runner is poor. He doesn't think things through.

by Anonymousreply 116December 4, 2021 6:51 PM

You are correct, I'm just saying that for me, this is the biggest issue by far. If they fixed it, I'd have the other things to complain about, but right now, this overshadows them all.

It's such a huge swing-and-a-miss.

by Anonymousreply 117December 4, 2021 6:54 PM

Whoever wrote that Washington Post review lost my faith when he referred to the trolls or orcs from Lord of the Rings as "trollocs" and "ogiers". Unless he meant it as a joke, but I don't see how as it makes no sense.

by Anonymousreply 118December 4, 2021 9:22 PM

Nevermind, in rereading it I see he was confusingly referring to the Wheel of Time races and it's just badly worded.

by Anonymousreply 119December 4, 2021 9:25 PM

Not one of the actors in the show has star quality, not one. Sorry rosmund but your career never went anywhere for a reason.

by Anonymousreply 120December 5, 2021 9:07 AM

Is it weird that as soon as I saw she was the lead actress my reaction was just "her? Meh"

by Anonymousreply 121December 5, 2021 3:22 PM

Nah, there's something so bleh about her. She's bland and dull.

by Anonymousreply 122December 5, 2021 4:14 PM

Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and even Twilight launched careers because the casting directors were able to find actors with something special. The only person in Wheel of Time with a hint of charisma is the guy playing Mat, and he's already been re-cast.

The hot Asian sidekick is the only actor in WoT he made me run to IMDB.

by Anonymousreply 123December 5, 2021 4:21 PM

Casted.

by Anonymousreply 124December 5, 2021 4:28 PM

The mole has charisma r123…you can’t take your eyes off it.

It deserves its own separate billing.

by Anonymousreply 125December 5, 2021 4:41 PM

White people won't watch it cause it's woke and they spot color-blind casting right away.

by Anonymousreply 126December 5, 2021 4:47 PM

Anyone know why they dropped the actor playing Mat?

by Anonymousreply 127December 5, 2021 5:45 PM

Must they explain everything with cringey dialogue?

SPOILER…

In this last episode: Red leader could’ve munched on snatch to prove she isn’t into men. Sad Warder could’ve just had a scene with him drinking and crying. We could’ve just seen that the wolves didn’t hurt fat boy and mole girl. And Pike could’ve just looked tired, terrified and confused; she doesn’t have to always have to spew meaningless dialogue about her utter lack of knowledge about the adversarial forces around her. She does this in almost every scene. Why? It’s like no one edited the script for redundancy.

by Anonymousreply 128December 5, 2021 6:25 PM

Hopefully, the mole gets recast in the second season along with Mat.

by Anonymousreply 129December 5, 2021 6:31 PM

Because I don’t know how to spell or divide the word, I’m just going to call them Witches. So do all the different witch color groups live in the White Tower together? Are the floor color coded? How do they get sorted, is it like Hogwarts with a sorting hat or something? Who built it? What are the defining features of each color group, like the Red seem now identified as the Men Haters, or possibly Lesbian Witch group? Is there an hierarchy of the witch groups? How are the Witches and the Wisdoms connected, is there overlap, can women be both? So the Red witches don’t have male companion counterparts, why don’t they then have females instead? Where or how are their prophecies housed and how do they come by them?

by Anonymousreply 130December 5, 2021 7:41 PM

They're the Aes Sedai and, yeah, the different colors live in different parts. Each color has a different focus/task--yellow are healers, brown are librarian/researcher sorts, blue, I think, is political affairs. Red seek out men with latent magical powers and "still" them (remove their powers) because male magical power has been tainted and guys with magical powers go crazy. No hierarchy, but a fair amount of friction between the Ajahs (different sororities)

Though who knows what the hack showrunner will do with the basic binary set-up of all this.

A Wisdom is just the local wise woman/healer. Aes Sedai are trained and take an oath.

by Anonymousreply 131December 5, 2021 7:54 PM

R131 Thanks, that’s a big help. The green ones seemed the most important of all, since there was a large group of them with the traveling party and the one who died seems like the leaders. The Blues seem potentially the least trustworthy abs scheming.

That’s confusing about the Wisdoms, so far we only have known about three and they all seem like they should be part of the witches. The woman from Two Rivers who went to the Tower that was turned away, obviously felt she belonged there, the one who healed the companion whose throat was cut and the others, and now the young novice who was initiated just before the sack of the town has proved herself to be beyond just a Wisdom. Seems weird that there would be such a concentration of Wisoms all from the same place who are perhaps all Witches?

by Anonymousreply 132December 5, 2021 8:07 PM

Oh, I’ve just come back to something, the redhead’s father was mysteriously good with the sword and maybe had a special one when they were attacked by the Beast creatures. Was he perhaps a companion to one of the witches who then died and he was set free from that life? Wasn’t the redhead adopted or something, may he was a special prophecies baby hidden away as a child until he comes of age?

by Anonymousreply 133December 5, 2021 8:12 PM

To add to R131, (minor spoilers) someone first trains in the white tower as a novice, then they become an Accepted, and then they become an Aes Sedai (if all goes well). It's kind of like novice = undergrad, Accepted = grad student, Aes Sedai = professor. When they become Aes Sedai, they choose their Ajah (Red, etc.) In the books, your Ajah is kind of like a calling. There is little agonizing on the likes of "which major should I choose?" -- most just seem to know. And the Aes Sedai, although headstrong and political, seem to accept this in large part.

by Anonymousreply 134December 5, 2021 8:19 PM

So are the Witches in Dune and the Witches here basically the same?

by Anonymousreply 135December 5, 2021 8:26 PM

R133. Nah, I don't think Rand's father was bonded to an Aes Sedai, but yeah, Rand's provenance is a little different.

I can't remember what the Green Ajah does, but they're prominent in the books. Are they the ones who help in war? And just generally like men better than the Red.

The Wisdoms aren't such a big deal in the books, though the Aes Sedai look for them and test them for power. This is all so much more straightforward in the books that the whiffle-waffling described in the show seems besides the point for me. Anyway, Egwene and Nynaeve both have the ability to channel the source strongly, but Nynaeve learned on her own and can't access it readily unless she's really angry.

So, every Aes Sedai has the ability to channel the Source, but not everyone who has the ability to channel is Aes Sedai, though the Aes Sedai would like them to be.

And, yeah, like college or like nuns--novices, postulants, full nuns.

by Anonymousreply 136December 5, 2021 8:35 PM

[quote]Anyone know why they dropped the actor playing Mat?

He deleted all of his social media a while ago after being the first to talk to fans, they didn't ask him or let him do promotion but they've only had nice things to say about the actor.

Sounds like he either found out he was sick or had other serious personal issues (that qualified him to be let out of his contract) but didn't necessarily do professionally bad. (Plus that would have leaked by now.)

by Anonymousreply 137December 5, 2021 8:37 PM

Doesn't look like he has anything new lined up:

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by Anonymousreply 138December 6, 2021 2:57 PM

R137 Sounds like he's mental

by Anonymousreply 139December 6, 2021 3:00 PM

Cancer most likely ☹️

by Anonymousreply 140December 6, 2021 3:08 PM

He's kind of gorgeous, but I expect too hairy.

by Anonymousreply 141December 6, 2021 3:09 PM

Men should have hair r147

Barney is gorgeous

And the only actor who has charisma on that abortion of a show

by Anonymousreply 142December 6, 2021 3:12 PM

R136:

The Green Ajah trains and prepares for the Last Battle, called “Tarmon Gaidon” - the equivalent of an apocalyptic armageddon when the forces of darkness are fully unleashed. They focus on mastering battle tactics and the use of the One Power in combat. A single Green Ajah Aes Sedai full sister was able to rally a village, create defensive fortifications, use the Power to create munitions-like bombardments, oversee the creation of ballista, and defeat an army of Trollocs (those animal/human crossbreeds) with few losses.

The Red Ajah specializes in hunting down insane male channelers though some went too far and try to hunt down all male channelers (which made sense in the books since for most of the relevant historical period, all male channelers were destined to go insane). This means they specialize in fighting and counteracting channelers who can hold more Power, who were/are unpredictable, and who could channel without you seeing (in the books, men can sense when a woman is channeling but woman can’t do the same without special techniques; neither women nor men can see each other channeling).

There is some crossover - the greatest Green Sisters often went out taking down multiple evil male channelers while the greatest Red Sisters did the same, but the former operated mainly in military engagements while the latter could be active anywhere.

by Anonymousreply 143December 6, 2021 3:39 PM

The show didn’t do too badly showing the difference. The Green Sisters kicked butt holding off Logain’s army and organizing a defense while we saw the Reds track down a male channeler and capture Logain and ultimately take control when it was clear that they needed to Gentle Logain to break his army’s morale and stop the attack.

I also liked the touch where the show’s writers indicated the closeness of their “sisterly” relationship. There was distrust among the Aes Sedai Ajahs by the time the books started so we don’t see them acting so warmly towards each other.

by Anonymousreply 144December 6, 2021 3:46 PM

So, who are the people in White again, they seemed to be like the Spanish Inquisition?

by Anonymousreply 145December 6, 2021 4:24 PM

And why did the Aes Sedai allow the white cloaks to operate so close to the white tower (Mole girl and wolf boy were within sight of the white tower when they were captured)?

by Anonymousreply 146December 6, 2021 5:34 PM

So far I'm very unimpressed with the lack of hot homo sex in these new big shows, got did in it's first couple of episodes!

by Anonymousreply 147December 6, 2021 6:07 PM

Logain needs a boyfriend.

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by Anonymousreply 148December 6, 2021 7:30 PM

Pretty sure we’re going to get a lesbian subplot at some point, no man-loving tho. It’s an easy out for these types of shows, in order to keep the male fan base engaged.

by Anonymousreply 149December 6, 2021 8:23 PM

We definitely will get a lesbian subplot.

I disagree with the "keep the male fan base" engaged thing. They're not GoTs. If they cared much about their male fanbase would be tits and vag a plenty every episode.

by Anonymousreply 150December 6, 2021 8:56 PM

(Minor book spoilers) there is eventually lesbianism in the Wheel of Time, and two minor characters are gay. The Wheel of Time is a lot less sexually explicit than the Game of Thrones series. Sex is had, but it's more in the "wink wink, you know what they did last night" variety. Of course, the TV show might choose to sex it up.

by Anonymousreply 151December 6, 2021 9:48 PM

R145, the people in white are the Children of the Light, often called Whitecloaks. They are indeed like the Inquisition -- they oppose evil, but fanatically so. They consider Aes Sedai to be witches. The Aes Sedai don't hold any territory outside their city, and they have sworn not to commit violence except in extreme defense, so there's not much they can do outside their borders.

by Anonymousreply 152December 6, 2021 9:54 PM

Here’s a quick 12 minute video that gives a concise overview of the world, and much thanks to others more knowledgeable about the series for answering questions. I will say based on the covers on view in the video I never would have picked up the books, they look so cheesy with really bad fonts and cheap looking cover art more inline with the 1970s or a very small publisher.

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by Anonymousreply 153December 6, 2021 10:08 PM

>>surprisingly heavy-handed "men are bad vibe."

Why is this surprising? If you were paying attention, you wouldn't be surprised.

by Anonymousreply 154December 6, 2021 10:10 PM

R154, OP said this about the first episode, and it’s a fair comment. Many viewers won’t have any familiarity with the books, and might well be surprised.

by Anonymousreply 155December 6, 2021 10:13 PM

Lesbian drama in episode six. Exile and the Ways. And one is abandoning the others.

And the big shocker: Red witch isn't a lesbo. She has a secret male lover.

by Anonymousreply 156December 10, 2021 10:43 AM

So besides this and Gone Girl, the only things I’ve seen her in, does Rosamund ever play anything but Girl Boss and gaslighting characters or is that just her niche?

by Anonymousreply 157December 10, 2021 4:44 PM

This seems like a season finale, is it the last episode?

by Anonymousreply 158December 10, 2021 4:47 PM

Why do they always make the black girl the angry one?

by Anonymousreply 159December 10, 2021 4:48 PM

So, basically it just became that campy SciFi show Stargate?

by Anonymousreply 160December 10, 2021 4:54 PM

Red Aes Sedai clearly a carpet muncher.

Was hoping sad Warder and Lan would have some drunken gay sex.

by Anonymousreply 161December 10, 2021 7:05 PM

I quit the show after episode 4. I managed to catch up on The Boys, Better Call Saul, Game of Thrones, and Breaking Bad well after their first seasons. I figure I'll do the same with Wheel of Time if it gets better and builds in popularity. As of now, the only fans are people who read the books.

by Anonymousreply 162December 10, 2021 7:52 PM

Not true R162. I am a fan who has not read the books.

by Anonymousreply 163December 10, 2021 8:02 PM

In fact, the Book-fans are the ones that dislike the show the most, apparently.

by Anonymousreply 164December 10, 2021 11:04 PM

It’s obvious that today’s episode was when the actor playing Mat, Barney Harris, had to leave suddenly during filming.

It’s a shame, because Barney Harris was the most capable and charismatic actor on the show.

The mole didn’t have star billing in this episode, thank The Light.

Only 2 more episodes left, and I can kiss goodbye this inept abortion of a TV series.

by Anonymousreply 165December 11, 2021 4:16 AM

What's the deal with hot Asian dude? Is he some bodyguard?

by Anonymousreply 166December 11, 2021 4:19 AM

The Asian dude is Rosamund Pike’s wig wrangler r166

by Anonymousreply 167December 11, 2021 4:21 AM

[quote]As of now, the only fans are people who read the books.

The large majority of the people watching the show DID NOT read the books which is the only reason the show is successful.

The Time Magazine article summed it up well.

[quote] It’s one of the best-selling novel series of all time—over 90 million copies of the series have been sold worldwide—and yet, unless you are a nerd like me who reads science fiction and fantasy literature as a regular thing, up until now it’s more than possible you’ve never heard of it. In other words, the novel series The Wheel of Time (or WOT, as it’s fondly known to fans) was massively famous where it was famous, and pretty much unknown everywhere else.

by Anonymousreply 168December 11, 2021 10:56 AM

[quote] In other words, the novel series The Wheel of Time (or WOT, as it’s fondly known to fans) was massively famous where it was famous, and pretty much unknown everywhere else.

Wow, what an astute observation. You can say that about any book, movie, and TV franchise there is. Star Wars, Harry Potter, Twilight, 50 Shades of Grey, The Avengers / Marvel Universe / DC Comics, Mad Men, Lost, Golden Girls, The Sopranos, Nancy Drew, Enid Blyton's Famous Five, etc.

Once a book series gets adapted to either a movie or TV show series it's bound to find a new audience who is not familiar with the source material. Same goes with TV shows that air in other countries other than where it is from originally.

by Anonymousreply 169December 11, 2021 11:07 AM

Sorry, ... it's bound to find a new audience which is not familiar with the source material.

by Anonymousreply 170December 11, 2021 11:08 AM

I’m a children's librarian, but have a pretty good grasp of what’s popular in Adult materials and know names of popular authors and series I would never read, but I was totally unfamiliar this. When I saw a video overview with covers of the books and how cheap they looked in font style and cover art they came off more as something sold in the massmarket paperback section of drugstores and airport bookstores and didn’t look like works that ever came out in hardback at any point. I don’t think this is something that people who read literary fantasy necessarily go for, but one of those series that has a following by people who see themselves genre fantasy nerds and read pot boilers.

by Anonymousreply 171December 11, 2021 11:24 AM

I've never read wheel of time because I started the first book and it was boring and had no literal magic - I like a good amount of spellcasting and at least a hint of wizards, not feminine mysteries. So I tossed it into the incinerator. Does that mean I'll enjoy the show?

by Anonymousreply 172December 11, 2021 2:09 PM

R172, Being that book readers seem to hate the show then yes, you will love it. Watch it.

by Anonymousreply 173December 12, 2021 6:49 PM

[quote]Wow, what an astute observation. You can say that about any book, movie, and TV franchise there is. Star Wars, Harry Potter, Twilight, 50 Shades of Grey, The Avengers / Marvel Universe / DC Comics, Mad Men, Lost, Golden Girls, The Sopranos, Nancy Drew, Enid Blyton's Famous Five, etc. Once a book series gets adapted to either a movie or TV show series it's bound to find a new audience who is not familiar with the source material. Same goes with TV shows that air in other countries other than where it is from originally.

That's not what that Time quote is saying.

Properties like, Star Wars, Harry Potter & the Marvel Universe/DC Comics are known not just to science fiction/fantasy nerds BUT to normal people. They've really been that way for years. You may not have ever seen a Superman movie but you've probably heard of him. You may hate Marvel films but you know that Wolverine was on the cover of a comic your friend read once. You may not have read the Harry Potter books decades ago but you've seen or heard of the films.

Don't get me started on Star Wars. I'm confident I could die, wait twenty years, be spun out again on the Wheel and still run into nerds talking about it.

The Wheel of Time does not fall into this category.

As the author of the Time article said, as the person at R171 said, as I'm saying: even though the books are popular to a set of people, they're not as ubiquitous as some people would like to believe.

Even for people who consider themselves knowledgeable about fantasy, many of them didn't know about this series.

by Anonymousreply 174December 12, 2021 7:11 PM

The books did come out in hardcover and I borrowed copies from my library. They're not in the YA section because they're seriously long and the world-building too complex for YA, though the main characters fit the YA age bracket at first.

Jordan was a Vietnam vet who saw serious combat. In some ways, the books can be read as a parable about going to war and what it does to young men. It's a response to The Lord of the Rings, which is very much influenced by World War 1.

Jordan's depictions of battles are excellent. His young, naive characters don't need background trauma-- their experiences in the books form them. The showrunner so clearly doesn't understand what the books are actually about, which is why there all these wonky choices.

Peter Jackson didn't invent a traumatic backstory for Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry. He knew he didn't need to. He made some changes to the story, but nothing that changed the heart of it.

by Anonymousreply 175December 12, 2021 8:04 PM

The series is okay but sort of forgettable. I was hoping it would have the intrigue and action of Game of Thrones—nothing like that at all

by Anonymousreply 176December 12, 2021 10:08 PM

The WoT universe treats hierarchy and magic as special things. For example, this last episode insists that you feel awe and wonder watching creamy lesbian magic climb across the staff of oaths and then fade away. I almost hung myself with my own caftan.

GoT more genuinely accepts hierarchy and magic as extensions of humanity’s vices, obsessions and idiosyncrasies.

by Anonymousreply 177December 13, 2021 2:22 AM

[quote] I almost hung myself with my own caftan

lol 😂

by Anonymousreply 178December 13, 2021 2:25 AM

[quote]creamy lesbian magic

*shudder*

by Anonymousreply 179December 13, 2021 3:41 AM

I haven’t watched this yet, but I plan to. Egwene was not written as a great beauty, and any love story between her and Rand was more of a child-like crush than a destined lovers story. Maybe they changed that in the show. In any case, she’s an important character, so get used to her and the mole. And some posters seem to not understand that the Dragon will be a male - is this not made clear in the show? One thing about this book series is that it very heavily draws on the belief that male and female are two very distinct entities, each with very specific innate traits and abilities. Adapting this world to screen is an interesting choice in today’s climate.

by Anonymousreply 180December 13, 2021 2:50 PM

Seen on Twitter... and I totally agree:

"Just a reminder that if you are enjoying the show and asking yourself — Should I read the books? — the answer is no."

"Love The Expanse? - read the books.

Love Game of Thrones? - read the books.

Hell, love Harry Potter movies? - read the books.

Do not read wheel of time."

by Anonymousreply 181December 13, 2021 3:07 PM

[quote] That's not what that Time quote is saying.

[quote] Properties like, Star Wars, Harry Potter & the Marvel Universe/DC Comics are known not just to science fiction/fantasy nerds BUT to normal people.

It's about the timing. The Time's quote is referring to a time when there was only the book series and the fans were the "only" ones knowing about it. That time also existed for Star Wars fans (say, when the first one came out), Harry Potter (when the books came out in the late 90s) and when Marvel Universe / DC Comics were just that, comics. They were all known to nerds and book geeks FIRST, and became mainstream when the mainstream was made aware of these properties.

No property becomes instantly famous to everybody. It gathers a fan base where some people love it and others don't even know it exists, and then (through, say, adaptations into movies or a TV show) becomes more widely known.

by Anonymousreply 182December 13, 2021 3:07 PM

R171 a librarian judging a book by its cover - can’t make that up!

by Anonymousreply 183December 13, 2021 3:23 PM

R183 Not contradictory at all, most librarians will tell you you can absolutely judge a book by its cover, tens of thousands of publicity are spent on it just for that factor. Don’t judge a book by its cover is a lie.

by Anonymousreply 184December 13, 2021 3:36 PM

Men, for the most part, are bad. Look up crime statistics. Open a history book and look up wars, genocides and slavery.

by Anonymousreply 185December 13, 2021 3:42 PM

[quote] . And some posters seem to not understand that the Dragon will be a male - is this not made clear in the show? One thing about this book series is that it very heavily draws on the belief that male and female are two very distinct entities, each with very specific innate traits and abilities.

THIS👏🏼IS👏🏼TRANSPHOBIC

THE DRAGON MUST BE A TRANS WOMAN OF COLOR

by Anonymousreply 186December 13, 2021 3:57 PM

[quote]And some posters seem to not understand that the Dragon will be a male - is this not made clear in the show?

In the latest episode they suggested it could be a "many-headed Dragon".

by Anonymousreply 187December 13, 2021 5:22 PM

I’m still confused, are they talking about a literal dragon?

by Anonymousreply 188December 13, 2021 5:23 PM

R180, the show itself claims the Dragon can be male or female. It's not something the other posters are confused about. It's a really strange choice to make given the mythology established in the books, since a female Dragon would make no sense. I guess it's just to add a little more mystery to the first season, but I don't see much point in that, really.

by Anonymousreply 189December 13, 2021 5:24 PM

If there are no female dragons, how do the dragons reproduce?

by Anonymousreply 190December 13, 2021 5:28 PM

Trans dragons with front holes r190

by Anonymousreply 191December 13, 2021 5:33 PM

R189, the showrunner has specifically said that they're treating anything regarding the Dragon as a possible myth or rather Moiraine doesn't necessarily believe everything that has been passed down. However, it won't change the outcome. Like you said, it adds mystery for the audience.

It's also a bit more believable that Moraine keeps an open mind since from what she's seeing she has the right people and they're from the right place but only Nynaeve has powerful abilities (but she's too old although she grew up with the others) that she has seen, Mat may have "something" or it may have just been the dagger, she heard Perrin has abilities from Egwene, if Egwene has powers she hasn't seen them nor does she think she's as powerful as Nynaeve, and she wasn't around and didn't hear about Rand's super strength. No one did other than Rand and one dead person.

The book was more specific here but based upon what's on screen her actions make sense.

[quote]In the latest episode they suggested it could be a "many-headed Dragon".

I don't think this is going away entirely. We know why the other people are important from the book. I think this will spin out into, "But they all have a purpose to work with the Dragon" or something on the show.

by Anonymousreply 192December 13, 2021 5:59 PM

I watch Wheel of Fortune every night at 6:30 pm. Come on hit the million dollar wedge!

by Anonymousreply 193December 13, 2021 6:17 PM

R182 Star Wars began as a movie and it was a big hit with a big audience from the get-go. It developed its hard-core nerd following after its widespread popularity, not before. Everyone saw the first couple of movies, but only nerds and kids read the books in the Star Wars universe. Lucas kept control of that and merchandising rights, which no one really cared about at the time.

R188, The Dragon is a superpowerful male sorceror who comes into being once an age to fight the ultimate evil guys. He may or may not succeed. Since the gist of the books is that the bad guys tainted the source of male magical power, but not female, the Dragon faces coming into his power and knowing that it will ultimately drive him crazy, really crazy, the more he uses it. ALL men who use magic face going destructively nuts, which is why the women sorceresses look for them and try to stop the magic from happening.

If the Dragon is female, you don't have this dilemma, which pretty much hollows out the key tension of the entire story. And it's not really a spoiler, since the Dragon's identity is obvious as soon as you know that there's a Dragon. (aka Chapter One).

I personally think the whole men-are-stronger-channelers-but-go-nuts is a great metaphor for men, war, colonialism, violent crime etc. What R185 mentions. Jordan, unlike Tolkien, though, is interested in what women do. Fair amount of male gaze, but a lot of independent agency. Book Egwene is a good example. She and Rand aren't lovers or even all that attracted to one another once they get out of Jordan's equivalent of the Shire. She has her own important arc.

Brandon Sanderson did a good job of tying up Jordan's saga with Jordan's notes, but his comments make me wonder how much he understood the underpinnings of Jordan's work. I don't think he has any kind of military background.

by Anonymousreply 194December 13, 2021 7:09 PM

There is no literal dragon, but the Dragon got that name for being strong and fierce. The show runner said that book readers will know who the Dragon is. I really hope it doesn't turn out that they're all the Dragon! But, although there have been changes, I think the show runner has too much respect for the books to make them all the Dragon.

by Anonymousreply 195December 13, 2021 11:53 PM

R195, They've shown little respect for the books. It's more that they'd have to invent a new plot and they're not up to that.

by Anonymousreply 196December 14, 2021 12:27 AM

That one comment made out that the dragon might actually be a Hydra.

by Anonymousreply 197December 14, 2021 1:30 AM

A many headed dragon would be Tiamat, the dragon of all colors, from D&D!

Also a goddess.

by Anonymousreply 198December 14, 2021 2:56 AM

[bold]NERD^

by Anonymousreply 199December 14, 2021 3:15 AM

I'm still wondering what the Barney Harris story is. Another Andy Whitfield?

by Anonymousreply 200December 14, 2021 3:23 AM

This is actually semi-complicated.

[quote]There is no literal dragon, but the Dragon got that name for being strong and fierce.

There are mythological or long gone creatures that may have been dragons as we know them.

Then there is the reincarnated soul that comes up in the pattern given the title The Dragon.

The tricky part is that Lews Therin, who was previously known as "The Dragon" had a banner with a "mythological" dragon on it for which he was named.

However the two are so closely aligned that to people who talk about the myths and prophecies of that age (in the age Rand lives now) they consider the two synonymous. There's only the myth of "The Dragon" and not the myth of the creature "The Dragon" was named for.

But all of that ties into when the books [italic]actually[/italic] take place. (If you're picking up what I'm putting down.) I swear I saw it in the first episode of the series but I don't know if people picked up on what they were really seeing.

That would immediately answer a lot of questions some people may not even be asking.

by Anonymousreply 201December 14, 2021 5:10 AM

So book people... who was the Dragon Reborn in the books? I'm just curious.

by Anonymousreply 202December 14, 2021 6:40 AM

Rand. The first book is pretty much from his POV. As I've said, it's obvious.

by Anonymousreply 203December 14, 2021 7:51 AM

That ginger guy with that hair looks like damn Annie, can't take him seriously.

by Anonymousreply 204December 17, 2021 5:30 AM

Lots of people with specific powers seem to mysteriously pop up when needed like the Seerer woman in this episode that I find frustrating because it has that happy coincidence feeling in fantasy. Better to introduce that possibility earlier and then have it come into play.

by Anonymousreply 205December 17, 2021 11:23 AM

Ugh, if this was a book I was reading I would have thrown it across the room! The obvious guy being the Dragon goes against literary devices, you’re suppose to think it will be him so that it’s a shocking reveal when it’s actually someone else.

by Anonymousreply 206December 17, 2021 12:11 PM

Watching the seventh episode reaffirmed my opinion that this series is an abomination.

by Anonymousreply 207December 17, 2021 6:37 PM

R205, Min becomes a major character in the books. I wasn't thrilled with her intro here either but the character has potential. Book Min and Book Loial mostly serve up exposition anyway so that won't be a huge shift for the characters.

by Anonymousreply 208December 18, 2021 12:08 AM

I haven't read the thread but I've watched all the episodes. It's such a shame the writing is awful and production values so poor. It's obvious they've poured tons of money in the show but the showrunners just aren't up for the task. I mean, right from the start: Why the hell do all the clothes look brand new? The wardrobe department went all the way to create all those nice looking garments but failed to make them believable. There's something seriously wrong in the production with mistakes this basic happening.

It's not all terrible or otherwise I would've stopped watching already. The actors are mostly fine although I've always had trouble believing Rosamund Pike can show any true emotion. The effects have been ok enough. I sincerely hope Season 2 will be better.

by Anonymousreply 209December 19, 2021 9:07 PM

The seventh episode sums up what’s wrong with the writing in this show: an interminable amount of time was devoted to banal romantic scenes, while Rand’s discovery that he’s the Dragon Reborn was treated in a perfunctory thirty seconds.

by Anonymousreply 210December 20, 2021 12:24 AM

Oh shut the fuck up R194, with your misandrist bullshit about all men. You clearly watch too much television, read too many fantasy books and type like you’re 500lbs and surrounded by cats.

Fuck off with your banal pontificating and shade about men. It’s not our fault nobody invited you to prom. Why are you on a gay mens’ website anyway?

by Anonymousreply 211December 20, 2021 2:56 AM

R211 In other words, you haven't read the books. Robert Jordan came up with the binary magic and the idea that men were more powerful channelers, but with power that's been tainted and, as a result, drives male channelers mad. You really think there was no real-life metaphor at work here? Particularly from a man who'd served in active combat in Vietnam?

You know, the 10-year-long war that featured things like the My Lai massacre and napalmed children? You have to be truly, truly clueless to think Vietnam and Jordan's experiences didn't influence the Wheel of Time.

by Anonymousreply 212December 20, 2021 7:35 AM

R210, absolutely. They spend so much time setting up the love affair for the always angry woman and Rosamund Pike's man and yet nobody fucking cares about it, I mean, at all. The angry woman is written so badly that I'm practically feeling nothing but annoyance when I see her. And now we're expected to care about her romantic life? No way. The whole thing feels like a personal fantasy by a writer, but done in such a cheesy way that it all just ends up being a total cringe fest.

by Anonymousreply 213December 20, 2021 8:39 AM

I quite like it. It's a decent fantasy adventure show.

by Anonymousreply 214December 20, 2021 8:47 AM

I don’t think the guy who wrote these novels was a very good writer and that hampers the show runners with what they can do based on the source material. Why are so many subpar writers drawn to Fantasy and SciFi, which then negatively impacts these two genres on being taken seriously as literary fiction? It almost makes someone like Margaret Atwood or Kazuo Ishiguro look like anomalies in the genres?

by Anonymousreply 215December 20, 2021 10:35 AM

r215. Most novels of any genre are shit. That's what makes the less shitty ones, and the actual good ones, even better in comparison.

And if Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey taught us anything, it's that many people love shitty novels.

by Anonymousreply 216December 20, 2021 10:41 AM

R216 I think Twilight and 50 Shades reveals more that people aren’t very very sophisticated and engaged readers. They are the junk food and fast food eaters/readers of the world. I was lead to believe that this series has some level of literary value behind it when I started that I no longer believe it has.

by Anonymousreply 217December 20, 2021 11:07 AM

I did find this of interest and I’m impressed that they found a stunt woman to play the part and credited her with the role. It was beautifully and meticulously shot, though I wish it had started with a little more context.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 218December 20, 2021 11:14 AM

I kept zoning out during the first episode and then eventually paused it and turned it off.

Here's my review: The young guy who wears the fuzzy sweater is beautiful.

by Anonymousreply 219December 20, 2021 12:35 PM

Anyone else get the feeling that the revelation that the guy was the dragon reborn was totally un-earned?

When he showed up at the end proclaiming it was him, I was like "... really? Based on WHAT, exactly?"

by Anonymousreply 220December 20, 2021 3:57 PM

R220, it's bad writing. Among other things they have trouble creating tension in the show which really makes the production team seem almost juvenile in their ineptness. The show desperately needs a truly professional showrunner.

by Anonymousreply 221December 20, 2021 6:27 PM

Don't blame Jordan for the crappiness of the show. He wasn't a brilliant writer, but what's on the screen isn't what he wrote. Nynaeve and Lan are books away from a relationship. That's just Rafe what's his name CW mentality at work.

by Anonymousreply 222December 20, 2021 7:06 PM

The mother’s fight was pretty damn good. Much better than the cringey magic sequences.

by Anonymousreply 223December 20, 2021 8:34 PM

So are the witches supposed to be all clam lovers? Or is it the red witches only?

by Anonymousreply 224December 21, 2021 12:44 AM

R221. Yep. The question is has the showrunner screwed up so badly that the show can't be repaired? Some of the casting is really weak and he's played havoc with the set up.

R224, it can be any of them, but not required. The green ajahs are most likely to marry/hang with men.

by Anonymousreply 225December 21, 2021 1:06 AM

What is offensive is the ludicrous misandry. If I saw a show have every male character discuss how terrible women are and be proven right by the narrative, I would stop. This show does the inverse, and for some reason I continue torturing myself. There's the men's Elder Council which decides things, and the Women's Council whose job it is to be right about everything. Nynaeve and Egwene both say "Men!" at every wrong thing done, and Mat, Perrin, and Rand all consistently prove them right at every turn of the plot.

When "Men!" is harrumphed every single time a character makes a mistake it means either you're a bad writer or you've deliberately written a sexist. They tug their braids at the lightest provocation and constantly belittle men for being what they are, and constantly remind them of their place in the world at women's feet.

I can accept villanous women being like this, villains are expected to be a******s, but we are supposed to not feel that way for the female heroes of the series.

Also, if I see one more character lick their lips one more time I will burn this series in my back yard. Not sure why this one triggers me as much as it does, but it does. just picturing people sticking their tongues out and licking all around their lips triggers me more than I wish it did.

by Anonymousreply 226December 21, 2021 1:20 AM

[quote] I can accept villanous women being like this, villains are expected to be a******s, but we are supposed to not feel that way for the female heroes of the series.

From Gone Girl to I Care A Lot, Rosamund Pike seems to have cornered the market on villainous anti-heroine assholes who directors expect audiences to find compellingly hatable.

by Anonymousreply 227December 21, 2021 1:40 AM

If this isnt toxic feminism, I dont know what is. 5 minutes in they're hating on men.

by Anonymousreply 228December 21, 2021 1:48 AM

So is it unreasonable to expect M/M sex in this joint? Seeing lessies get it on will get tiresome. I got gay vibes from hot Asian and ginger and they're stuck in her relationships.

by Anonymousreply 229December 21, 2021 1:59 AM

*Hetero relationship

by Anonymousreply 230December 21, 2021 2:00 AM

FYI, ginger does play a cute, confident gay in Dutch film Just Friends. The boy is blessed with good lips.

by Anonymousreply 231December 21, 2021 2:01 AM

I was hoping we would’ve gotten a hot, secret hookup between Rand and Mat in the inn with the evil barmaid, but nope. I’m still in mourning.

I guess there’s still time for a secret crush, especially after Rand blasted mole-girl for never supporting Mat. And the new Irish Mat is twinkier that the current one. It’s just a dream tho.

by Anonymousreply 232December 21, 2021 2:06 AM

R226, if this is bothering you already, you might want to get off this ride now. Moiraine and Nynaeve are very mild in their attitudes toward men in comparison to the female authority figures still ahead in future books.

by Anonymousreply 233December 21, 2021 2:07 AM

Nice season finale. Josha Stradowski's Rand was the big hero at the end who did his part (as did Egwene and Nynaeve).

by Anonymousreply 234December 24, 2021 11:11 AM

Terrible season finale of an unspeakably lame show. CGI looked awful in this episode, even worse than it was earlier. 90% of Rand’a facial expressions were the actor’s fear that he suspected shitting himself. Everyone’s acting was terrible. Bad dialogue. Unearned emotions. No dramatic tension. Cheesy and cheap sets and costumes.

The only good part was that the main villain was a hot as balls swarthy daddy.

Not a fan. Two thumbs down. Will not watch the second season.

by Anonymousreply 235December 24, 2021 6:56 PM

I mistakenly thought Rand's reveal at the end of episode 7 was the final! I'm glad it wasn't, because that episode was a bit of a letdown. The actual final was pretty good - I've been wavering throughout, but I think I might watch another season.

by Anonymousreply 236December 25, 2021 12:10 AM

Yeah, the buildup and cliffhanging was pretty solid for this finale. Probably the best writing (adapting) that we’ve seen so far. The show is still cringey, but…

SPOILERS BELOW

Will the traitor guy gets his ass blown up by the green Aja for stealing the horn of the last battle? Will the powerful licks of the Amyrlin Seat restore Moiraine’s ability to channel? What the fuck is the significance of the crystal? Will wolf guy become an animal whisperer? How will the serial killer with the waves get his revenge?

These questions are probably enough to bring me back for the next season.

by Anonymousreply 237December 25, 2021 5:18 AM

I hope he dumps mole girl and hooks up with that dude who'm he fiercely defends.

by Anonymousreply 238December 25, 2021 6:24 AM

I'm convinced the show is written by 13 yo girls, it's just that terrible. The one positive thing about the episode was killing the angry girl, and well, we all know where that went.

[quote] Not a fan. Two thumbs down. Will not watch the second season.

I sincerely hope Amazon reads all the criticism and makes substantial changes to the production but tbh I doubt they'll do anything. If the show keeps being this weird mix of kids' show and Game of Thrones I'm out as well. Amazon was bragging a few days ago how the show is the most expensive show they've done which made me just think how sad is that. Then again they haven't done much yet but still.

by Anonymousreply 239December 25, 2021 5:14 PM

The Expanse is WAY better, given it was apparently less expensive.

by Anonymousreply 240December 26, 2021 2:45 AM

The Expanse is awesome. Although Steven Strait appears to be dying this season and they still won’t give Amos a boyfriend.

by Anonymousreply 241December 26, 2021 3:09 AM

R241 Literally or figuratively dying?

by Anonymousreply 242December 26, 2021 8:21 AM

I got through 2.5 episodes of The Wheel of Time and then had to admit defeat. It's terrible- unwatchable.

by Anonymousreply 243December 26, 2021 8:37 AM

Eh, I’d watch season two, I’d personally like to see them pull back from the obsessive over decoration of interiors- it just seems like they are trying too hard and it’s distracting. They should try to be more impressionistic instead.

by Anonymousreply 244December 26, 2021 8:41 AM

[quote]I sincerely hope Amazon reads all the criticism and makes substantial changes to the production but tbh I doubt they'll do anything

Since they're already shooting S2, they likely won't have the time even if they wanted to.

by Anonymousreply 245December 26, 2021 11:19 AM

R242, the character was exposed to massive radiation a few seasons ago, and is still dealing with that. Last season they showed him taking his regular anti-radiation/anti-cancer meds. It takes a toll, and hopefully what we're seeing is them keeping on this consistent trajectory, and not an actual health issue with the actor.

Of course, in the books, he lives another 40+ years so...

by Anonymousreply 246December 26, 2021 2:54 PM

Finally watched the finale. Probably the best episode of the season, but I agree the show-runners are pretty green, and it's obvious.

I hope season two improves.

Sad to see all the characters they killed off. I liked some of them.

by Anonymousreply 247December 29, 2021 2:55 PM

Thanks R187….I’ve watched several episodes now and see that they have backed off of some of the heavier handed male vs. female messaging in the book series. I think they even explicitly state the Dragon could be any one.

by Anonymousreply 248December 29, 2021 6:11 PM

It's like DL catnip...

The latest rumor about Barney Harris is that he got fired because he refused to get vaccinated.

I actually thought this before I heard the rumor, given the specific timing of his departure after a covid-forced break in filming and when filming resumed...but, I spend way too much time on DL.

by Anonymousreply 249January 6, 2022 8:23 PM

It's like DL catnip...

The latest rumor about Barney Harris is that he got fired because he refused to get vaccinated.

I actually thought this before I heard the rumor, given the specific timing of his departure after a covid-forced break in filming and when filming resumed.

by Anonymousreply 250January 6, 2022 8:24 PM

Even though he was the best actor in the cast, walking away from the opportunity of a lifetime because of a vaccine was DUMB.

by Anonymousreply 251January 6, 2022 11:50 PM

Surely they hadn’t conveniently finished filming all of Mat’s scenes before they resumed production?

by Anonymousreply 252January 18, 2022 6:31 AM

I think they might have cut out a scene of him entering the Ways with the others and replaced it with him bailing on them.

by Anonymousreply 253January 18, 2022 6:59 AM

So he's a nut, yep anti vaxxers are all nuts.

by Anonymousreply 254January 18, 2022 7:52 AM

[...]

by Anonymousreply 255January 18, 2022 8:50 AM

[quote]Surely they hadn’t conveniently finished filming all of Mat’s scenes before they resumed production?

They hadn't.

Apparently, they're "blaming" some of the incoherence of the S1E8 on his not being available and having to rework the script.

Of course, the lack of Mat in the final couple episodes was the smallest part of what made them terrible. Watching all the excuses being made for bad writing is a bit sad.

by Anonymousreply 256January 18, 2022 3:06 PM

Renewed for season three.

This will end in tears if it doesn't get much better than the first season.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 257July 22, 2022 11:26 AM

It's not bad. It takes a lot of liberties with the books which offends the purists but the books needed a lot of liberties taken with them. Have you ever tried reading Books 8-10 of the 14?

by Anonymousreply 258July 22, 2022 1:03 PM

I haven't, but I have heard that stretch of the saga being referred to as The Slog.

by Anonymousreply 259July 22, 2022 1:10 PM
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