Wheel of Time ~ Amazon series ~ Review
First impressions while watching the first episode in the series: Rollercoaster ride. Emotional. Breathtaking scenery and sets, loved Emond’s Field and Shadar Logoth. The characterisation was very good.
Warning: Minor spoilers in this review, although I do not talk at length about the plot.
Detailed review: Barney Harris who played Mat was better than expected. I thought he might not have been up to the part seeing as he left the show at the end of the first series, but actually, he interpreted Mat well. He made for a wily and snarky Mat, whose dry commentary brings some welcome humour. In fact, I felt that all of the main actors were good in role.
Favourites for me right from the start are Moraine, Lan, and Mat, and Nynaeve is as caustic as she is in the books, but a bit more likeable. The Trollocs battle in Emond’s Field was off-screen in the novel but probably the biggest slice of action in the first episodes. I felt emotional when Moraine performed magic against the trollocs and loved the effects and style of the magic casting. It’s just how I imagined it. It reminded me of how caster characters play in the gaming world in that they are a bit squishy when casting powerful magic because of the time it takes. It made the need for the warder obvious. I prefer this to unrealistic fast magic that has no cost. In fact, it’s very clear that her use of magic costs her. And Rosamund Pike is a great actress.
I noticed every diversion from the books as I re-read the first book very recently. Some changes are necessary as the book was not written for the screen. Some I wondered about, like Moraine’s wounding, but I guess it made for greater drama. I felt that the trollocs and fades were suitably terrifying but faster moving and closer on the heels of the protagonists than I imagined in the books. This upping of the action is all about satisfying modern audiences. Personally, I would have liked a bit less violence and blood. It’s definitely not suitable for children, although I feel that Jordan’s world should have been closer to Lord of the Rings than the darker Game of Thrones.
Overall, I forgave most of the changes and really enjoyed seeing this world come to life. A first episode is always difficult. I found my suspension of disbelief most stretched when Moraine asked the four to follow her out of Emond’s Field, telling them they must leave immediately. They and their families barely put up a fight. Of course, Rand certainly puts up a fight later and that kind of conflict is real. On the other hand, an improvement on the novel was the early introduction to the white cloaks and the threat they pose to Aes Sedai. And although I wonder how they keep their whites so white, the costume choice does give them a crazy kind of KKK look. The weaving in of the Manetheren story through a song also worked well and didn’t feel like an obvious expository diversion.
I was fully invested by episode three and have heard a lot of fans say they enjoy the first three chapters more on a second watching, probably because by then they’ve gotten over decrying the changes. In episode three, Thom Merrilin finally makes an appearance and his song about the breaking of the world gave me chills. Good casting for him and yes the patches are on the inside of his cloak. Let’s face it he might have looked a bit of a fool otherwise. When reading the book I was unable to imagine those patches looking cool on the outside. I do hope they weave more song into the series as so far they nailed it, and song is so much a part of the books.
A lot of money and hard work has gone into this, and so far, this is a good adaptation. I like that they’ve aged it up and modernised it. It’s no easy task as the story goes on for fourteen books and a prequel. While GoT felt like it was written for screen adaptation (Martin is a screenwriter after all), Jordan’s books were certainly not. There’s been some harsh reviewing already, occasionally by journalists who dislike the fantasy genre, which doesn’t really make for an objective critique. Also, it’s far too early to judge the whole series.
I’m hooked and looking forwards to seeing more. And while books and screen comparisons are inevitable, it’s a bit like comparing potatoes and apples.
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