The Wheel of Time Trailer

[Dark Shadow]

I liked the glimpse that we caught of The Age Of Legends before The Breaking in the opener of E8, and the intro of the Seanchan in the epilogue. Aside from that, I found this episode to be the most disappointing so far.

It's pretty evident that Barney Harris' departure really sent them scrambling, but even setting aside the Perrin/Loial/Mat/Padan thread, the rest was not done very well either.

It looks like they've decided to figuratively "gentle" Rand in an effort to elevate Nynaeve & Egwene, which is really very sad to me. All three achieve amazing feats in the novels, there is no need to tear one down in order to build another up. And it seems they really have no idea what to do with Perrin yet, making zero sense (so far) as to why they felt the need to give him a tragic back story. Also, the FX were not done very well in this episode either, especially the trollocs & fades, there was an "unfinished" appearance to them.

Many imperative scenes flew past without explanation, while other superfluous scenes seemed to soak up precious minutes. I really hope upon hope that S2 can stabilize this series. While the ratings have been high so far (for an Amazon show), it would be understandable if there was a significant drop for the next season considering the final two episodes of S1.

Meanwhile, I cannot recommend the books enough for those who have watched but have not read the series. If reading isn't your thing, the audios are great too.

[drquest]

Are you still listening to the Audio Books? I just started another re-read of The Dragon Reborn and am listening to The Great Hunt on audio. I'm really liking the audio experience, it's fun to hear someone else's take after reading through the material.

I am still listening to those. I agree the audio book is a nice way to experience it for sure.

[Dark Shadow]

Are you still listening to the Audio Books? I just started another re-read of The Dragon Reborn and am listening to The Great Hunt on audio. I'm really liking the audio experience, it's fun to hear someone else's take after reading through the material.

[drquest]

I will say the cold open on E7 had me more intrigued than the rest of the episode. I hope season 2 is better, but beyond the rapid pace and some storyline changes from the books(which has to happen) it's rather disjointed and to be honest, the acting/direction is a little meandering. Now I'm sticking with it, but I had hoped for better 7 episodes in.

[Dark Shadow]

So far, I haven't seen changes of sexual orientation in any of the characters. The two involved green warders are new characters created for the show, and Siuan & Moiraine were identified as "pillow friends" in the books.

Jordan made it fairly well known that the term did indeed refer to intimate physical relationships, usually among women, and most prevalent within The White Tower. It was quite common among the Novices & Accepted, but generally faded away by the time the women were raised to full Aes Sedai status and began to pursue their missions, although some did maintain life-long relations.

He said he coined the term as a way to circumvent censorship in the early 90's, but also the current age was a modest one, so modest terms were commonly used (small clothes, bosom, burn you/me, blood & ashes, etc.).

As for the changes that have been made, if there are any existing works that require diversification, The Wheel of Time certainly isn't one of them. But that's where we find ourselves in all things entertainment today. Theoretically, I really shouldn't be able to enjoy the book series at all. There are only two known gay male characters in the entire series, and neither of them are working class suburbanites. They are both Lords and appear much later on in the series.

Yet somehow, this story manages to captivate me on levels that plunge much more deeply than skin tone, body organs, thought patterns & belief systems. Color me a human being that can identify with other human beings, am I really that much of an odd man out? Somehow, I seriously doubt it.

[Nostalgiabuff]

i'm hanging in there but I agree, they are rushing too much of the story without explaining it for the benefit of anyone who has not watched the show. that opening sequence was well done, but not explained at all. not even a footnote saying "20 years ago"

the most irritating aspect of the show for me though, is that they changed the race and/or sexuality of almost every character, for no purpose other than forced diversity. None of it affects the story, or makes the character more interesting, IMHO.

here's hoping that S2 finds better footing.

[Dark Shadow]

Well, there were a few things I liked about E7, and several things that I didn't. I'm trying to keep in mind that Barney Harris left the production after E6 and that there was a mad scramble to complete the final two episodes without him. That reality, along with the creators' intent to enshroud the identity of The Dragon Reborn within a teasing mystery for nearly an entire season, made for a very hasty episode & reveal.

I really liked the opener, I thought it showcased the essence of the Far Dareis Mai pretty well, however as a cold intro to the Maidens Of The Spear, I think it may come across as a bit far-fetched for those who have not read the books. I liked Fal Dara (thought the set was amazing), much of the character development, and The Ways was done fairly well.

I think more time should have been dedicated to the reveal in this episode, especially on the "why" & "how", and less time spent on the bizarre Perrin/Egwene/Rand thing. The flashback scene of Tam & Rand seemed way too brief & rushed, as well as the "it was me all along" montage.

I'm not expecting greatness from the final episode, but I do have higher expectations for S2 (much higher).

[Dark Shadow]

That tidbit actually comes from an interview Jordan did, I think, in the mid 90's.

From the first book, Thom tells gleeman stories that ring from The First Age: he talks about Materese The Healer, Anla the Wise Counselor, Elsbet The Queen of All, Lenn (who flew in the belly of an eagle made of fire)...Mother Teresa, Ann Landers, Queen Elizabeth, and John Glenn respectively. These are just a few examples, there are several others, mostly from Thom's stories, but some from other characters as well. Jordan said something to the effect that he did this to illustrate how our modern world would be twisted and distorted through the ages.

Later on, I don't remember which books though, there's something about an object that is described as a three pointed star inside a circle, made of a strange soft metal (older than the other objects from the Age Of Legends) that gives off vibes of "pride & conceit"...A Mercedes Benz hood ornament. Also a reference to bones of an animal that had slim long legs and a very long neck...Giraffe.

There is also a story about Mosk and Merk (giants that fought with spears of fire)...Moscow & America.

[Nostalgiabuff]

that's interesting. i don't recall there being anything about the first age being our timeline, but I guess it makes sense in the context.

[drquest]

Thanks for the timeline info!

I'm listening to these on audiobooks right now. I'm on The Dragon Reborn book, about halfway through it now.

[Dark Shadow]

The way I understand WoT history is in this order:

The Creation
A Prehistoric era (evolution of Earth, dinosaurs, early primates, etc.)
The First Age (our recorded past, present & a bit into our future)
The Second Age (Age Of Legends)
The Third Age (includes events after The Breaking, all the way up through the end of the book series)
The Fourth Age (after The Last Battle).

It's hard to know for sure though, because Jordan never really clearly defined timelines for us. All we know is what is stated from certain characters' points of view, beliefs & memories, which are all subject to manipulation and/or fault.

Artur Hawkwing's true name (Artur Paendrag Tanreall) is a clear nod to the legend of King Arthur, but I think his conquests are loosely lifted from Alexander The Great's. My understanding is that Hawkwing's conquests happened about 2,000 years or so after The Breaking, which is roughly the middle of The Third Age. He was Ta'veren, but not a Dragon.

Another nod is The Stone (the fortress that was built outside of Tear in order to secure Callandor, The Sword That Cannot Be Touched). I guess it could be said that The Dragon himself could be yet another nod to King Arthur (Pendragon)?

Sorry for the geek out...love this series.

[Nostalgiabuff]

if I recall correctly, the age of legends referenced often in the books, also include a variation of King Arthur

[Dark Shadow]

If it helps, The Third Age that is featured in the series is technically post sci-fi due to The Breaking which destroyed a technologically advanced civilization which was based on our (very distant) future.

[LonnieFisher]

I'm watching it because I thought it was sci-fi. I'm not really into fantasy that much. Had I known, I wouldn't have started watching it. I save the episodes for my mom to watch. If I wasn't doing that, I would have stopped watching a long time ago.

[Dark Shadow]

I'm still watching, and continuing to enjoying it. I'm also nearing the end of another re-read of The Great Hunt, as well as listening to the audio version of Eye of The World to & from work. So I am simultaneously enjoying both the source material and this adaptation. I've never actually listened to audio books before (I think the last time I had someone read a book to me was in grade school, in class), but I'm really getting into it...it's a completely different experience from reading.

I like most of the characterizations in the show (even though I may not be quite so thrilled with a few of them) and the visuals overall meet my expectations for a TV experience. I think they may have overdone the "mystery" a bit of who the Dragon Reborn is, but once that is revealed (my understanding is next week's episode) I think the show has the opportunity to take flight and dive into the best aspects of the story.

I think some (if not many) of the faults in this first season stem from the Herculean task of adapting the massive amount of character development, world building & foreshadowing (that were mostly covered in Jordan's first two installments) into an 8 hour visual format, plus the production issues that were generated from the shut down that occurred during mid-shoot. I think Seasons 2 & 3 will benefit tremendously not only from the lack of disruption in production this year, but also from the fact that they will be shot back-to-back, as well as having the opportunity to address some of the criticisms of S1.

The mention of the "missing ships" in the latest episode has me excited for what we may see early on next season.