The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime

[ScarletBea]

I won't be able to watch it anyway, being Amazon prime and all (I don't have any special TV subscriptions apart from sky)

Get your sister to get amazon prime for the children tv series and you can borrow the password back at home.

I just asked, indirectly. Not an option (as I expected) - she doesn't share passwords

[isos81]

I won't be able to watch it anyway, being Amazon prime and all (I don't have any special TV subscriptions apart from sky)

Get your sister to get amazon prime for the children tv series and you can borrow the password back at home.

I just asked, indirectly. Not an option (as I expected) - she doesn't share passwords

This reminds me of: Joey doesn't share food

[Peat]

Gotta say... I'm a little nonplussed that for the inhabitants of one of the most backwoods, isolated, ethnically homogenous to the point of several plot points, white as hell places in fantasy, they went with a racially diverse cast. Like... I dunno what to think really, but it certainly wasn't what I was expecting.

I saw a picture with them all together where the skin colour was quite similar (besides Rand, ofc). It's not really comparable with the solo pics because lighting makes a huge difference.

*scratches beard* Well, that helps with some of it.

I dunno. I feel weird discussing it. But it was a weird move.

Although my main reaction after was "Huh, all that and nobody's discussing it on any of the places I go... that's probably bad news". How many of us are planning to watch it? I'm kinda on the fence myself. I've read the WoT twice, I'm a big fan of the story, but I'm pretty big on fidelity to the book and I'm struggling to see how you make good TV out of something that hefty while doing so.


Also, yeah, them looking that young is right. Also, while I think Rutherford is nowhere near hench enough to be Perrin, he does have the right solemn cast to his face, so that's something.

[Bender]

Although my main reaction after was "Huh, all that and nobody's discussing it on any of the places I go... that's probably bad news". How many of us are planning to watch it? I'm kinda on the fence myself. I've read the WoT twice, I'm a big fan of the story, but I'm pretty big on fidelity to the book and I'm struggling to see how you make good TV out of something that hefty while doing so.

Pretty much everyone in fantasy would watch the first few episodes at least if only to complain about how shit it is.

As to fidelity to book, it's a two-way street. The plot would remain true as will the characterization. But the show will be lot mature. They have sought actresses who are comfortable with partial nudity. For example, what was politely referred to as 'pillow friends' may end up as a steamy lesbian scene. Both Aes Sedai and Aeil have lot of open breast traditions making this a bit more adult rated.

Producers have said they'd play down the good vs evil and try to make the story more grey and multi faceted.

Intriguing, at least in paper.

Another rumor is that there's will be no Elayne and Min characters. They are not really important in Book 1 and Min doesn't really have any meaningful role in entire series. Fingers crossed.

[xiagan]

I'd be sorely pissed if they leave Min out. She plays a huge role for his mental health.

I do think that a story has to be adapted to the medium it is told in so that it's told best. So yeah, it won't be like the books but that's okay for me.

[Elfy]

Although my main reaction after was "Huh, all that and nobody's discussing it on any of the places I go... that's probably bad news". How many of us are planning to watch it? I'm kinda on the fence myself. I've read the WoT twice, I'm a big fan of the story, but I'm pretty big on fidelity to the book and I'm struggling to see how you make good TV out of something that hefty while doing so.

Pretty much everyone in fantasy would watch the first few episodes at least if only to complain about how shit it is.

As to fidelity to book, it's a two-way street. The plot would remain true as will the characterization. But the show will be lot mature. They have sought actresses who are comfortable with partial nudity. For example, what was politely referred to as 'pillow friends' may end up as a steamy lesbian scene. Both Aes Sedai and Aeil have lot of open breast traditions making this a bit more adult rated.

Producers have said they'd play down the good vs evil and try to make the story more grey and multi faceted.

Intriguing, at least in paper.

Another rumor is that there's will be no Elayne and Min characters. They are not really important in Book 1 and Min doesn't really have any meaningful role in entire series. Fingers crossed.

I can see them getting away without them in the first series, but they both become very important later on, especially Elayne.
Toning down the good vs evil is also a mistake imo. It’s at the heart of the series. Just because it worked for GoT doesn’t mean everything has to be shades of grey. I’m starting to think this could turn into another Legend of the Seeker or Shannara. Be happy to be wrong, though.

[Bender]

If they tone it down, it'd become a Shannara. So I'm actually supportive of a more raw GOTesque feel. It somehow has become a expectation and a vanilla series would feel let down by the current viewers (most of whom would not have read the books). So for a show fidelity to books is probably a secondary criteria.

Also hope the series would fix the abysmal portrayal of women by Jordan in the books.

[Elfy]

If they tone it down, it'd become a Shannara. So I'm actually supportive of a more raw GOTesque feel. It somehow has become a expectation and a vanilla series would feel let down by the current viewers (most of whom would not have read the books). So for a show fidelity to books is probably a secondary criteria.

Also hope the series would fix the abysmal portrayal of women by Jordan in the books.

Said he based them on his wife.

[Bender]

Stands to reason....the books went downhill after he married his editor.

[Peat]

Although my main reaction after was "Huh, all that and nobody's discussing it on any of the places I go... that's probably bad news". How many of us are planning to watch it? I'm kinda on the fence myself. I've read the WoT twice, I'm a big fan of the story, but I'm pretty big on fidelity to the book and I'm struggling to see how you make good TV out of something that hefty while doing so.

Pretty much everyone in fantasy would watch the first few episodes at least if only to complain about how shit it is.

As to fidelity to book, it's a two-way street. The plot would remain true as will the characterization. But the show will be lot mature. They have sought actresses who are comfortable with partial nudity. For example, what was politely referred to as 'pillow friends' may end up as a steamy lesbian scene. Both Aes Sedai and Aeil have lot of open breast traditions making this a bit more adult rated.

Producers have said they'd play down the good vs evil and try to make the story more grey and multi faceted.

Intriguing, at least in paper.

Another rumor is that there's will be no Elayne and Min characters. They are not really important in Book 1 and Min doesn't really have any meaningful role in entire series. Fingers crossed.

I strongly disagree with Min not having a meaningful role. I had actually been wondering what the show would look like if you completely removed Elayne - I think that might actually be a wonderful idea in terms of story, although there's a few possible issues both with the story and the general stuff.

But Min? Her visions are some of the best foreshadowing, she's the character who has the strongest bond with Rand when he's going downhill, she's critically important as it's written to the Aes Sedai civil war... I think it would be a huge mistake not to include her.

And while I appreciate that there will have to be some changes made to the book to make a good TV series, too many changes like that and I won't be watching and will be actively hoping it fails swiftly, because at least that offers the possibility of something that's more accurate down the line. I have next to zero interest in a show loosely based on the Wheel of Time. If they can't do it right, don't do it at all.

[isos81]

I agree with @Peat that Min should definitely be in the show.

[Alex Hormann]

Even if it doesn't bear much resemblance to the books, I'll happily watch season after season, so long as the acting, script etc. is good. Nothing it does will change that the books exist in their current form, and I'm just glad we're getting some big-budget fantasy TV series.

Between Expanse, Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time, and Picard all on the way, Amazon is quickly becoming my go-to place for genre shows.

[Bender]

I believe they won't feature in just season 1. Not sure about whole series.

Either way, I'm ambivalent. Min has minimal role Book 1 and only features in supporting/side story lines for next couple of books. It's only in book 7 or 8 she becomes Rand's partner and sticks with him from then. I won't mind if they put her as a small recurring cast in earlier seasons.

[Eli_Freysson]

I've never read those books, but judging by online discussion I get the impression we can expect a lot of episodes devoted to braid tugging, sniffing, skirt smoothing, and weird gender wars stuff.

[Peat]

I believe they won't feature in just season 1. Not sure about whole series.

Either way, I'm ambivalent. Min has minimal role Book 1 and only features in supporting/side story lines for next couple of books. It's only in book 7 or 8 she becomes Rand's partner and sticks with him from then. I won't mind if they put her as a small recurring cast in earlier seasons.

Not featuring either misses out on a lot of the foreshadowing of just how messed up being the Dragon Reborn is going to make the world - and I'm not really sure how you'd introduce them later.

And Min's at Falme, she's at the Dragon's camp at the beginning of book 3 - not that side. I don't know whether they'll keep the Aes Sedai rebellion (I think they're missing something big if they do). But more to the point - she is important at Dumai's Wells, she's hugely important afterwards, and I don't know how they pull those storylines off without her there. I guess we'll see how it goes - its just rumour at this point - but as far as I'm concerned, Min's arguably the most important character who isn't introduced in Emond's Field. Rand's arc of suffering and redemption revolves around her.