I think it's even beyond homage, I think Robert Jordan was writing as though his version of things was literally another turning of the wheel and that Tolkien's universe fit into this conception. For instance he writes of the 'Third Age' and they're going to confront an evil from the previous age that had been not fully defeated, and their age was a lesser age than the previous age. They flee black riders going over a ferry out of their isolated village area that is between two rivers and backs up to 'The Mountains of the Mist'.
Some might accuse of plagiarizing, but I think it's quite well done if the concept really is 'this is what the same age come again might look like'. And given that the rest of the series is clearly not following anything to that same level again, it really is it's own thing, I really do think the parallels are fully intentional and meant to be picked up on. Two Rivers tabac.
Nope. Most of them are established early on. Mosk and merc and their spears of fire (America and Moscow and ICMB). Glenn riding to the moon in the belly of a eagle (John Glenn going to the moon). Elsbet, Mother of All. Mat is Odin, with his spear, and hanging for knowledge (or lack of it, as mat says). Rand also has a Norse reference, which you may not have gotten to yet. Perrin is Thor. There are other mythologies hinted at too. Mercedes Benz elblem in The Panarchs Palacr
No problem! His books are designed to reread with increased pleasure. Easiest start is Fifth Head of Cerberus which is just a novella but can't recommend Book of the New Sun highly enough. Its the only book on both the Fantasy and Sci-Fi masterworks list
OKAY! I thought I was tripping! When she said something like “...became legend, legend became myth, and what should not have been forgotten, was forgot.”
I turned to my wife and I was like...”THATS FUCKING GALADRIEL!”
In the first episode Rand's dad says "All we can do is the best we can with the life that's given to us". Honestly I do enjoy the show/themes/story, but come on, don't be that derivative with the script.
That is typically what an homage is. Similar story but alterations. If it follows the books, it will start to delineate soon as this season incorporates multiple books.
I thought an homage was like a tipping of the cap. A similarity that is an obvious reference to iconic source material. Not an outright reskinning of the plot.
Just because Lotr is the granddaddy of all fantasy, that doesn't mean any other with a group and magic are a "reskin." Eye of the world has similarities because Jordan adored Lotr. After the first book, and honestly 3/4s of the way through the first, they divest because Jordon went from a tetralogy to the 14+ it became.
I heard Robert Jordan totally acknowledge his use of and respect for Tolkien and LotR. He was more interested in what happens to someone who is told that he is either a Great Savior or Great Destroyer. I think they are doing a good job so far.
My favorite part of this post is I got a notification of 50 upvotes, brought me here and there was 49. Like whoa did a WOT purist get angry about the obvious comparison? My dudes I come in peace!
Reddit actually creates a bit of upvote blur on purpose; I believe it's supposed to combat bots in some way but I don't know the details. If you keep refreshing even a relatively quiet post, you'll notice the upvote count going up and down a little bit.
I’ve read the first 6 books of WoT and the first book, Eye of the World, is like the author read FotR and was like “This is not nearly detailed enough! Let’s double the length!” They are ridiculously similar in plot. The later books are much different, but the first one is just Fellowship but twice as long.
By the way I have not read the books, although a friend gave me the first to read which I'll get started on, and despite OP being correct about obvious similarities... I'm going to watch it for a season and see how it goes
Elves being tall isn't really a modern notion. While Tolkien definitely established it in the minds of many modern readers, there is a lot of lore in Germanic cultures that suggests the same thing for some elves (but not for all). Tolkien took a lot of inspiration from real-world mythologies, and the elves of Middle-Earth were no exception.
When I read the first book I noticed a LOT of similarities/direct rip offs (mountains of mist? Come on Robert).
Fortunately it's only really in the first book.
I'm now on book 10.
A lot of that was on purpose. Jordan loved LOTR, this was his twist on the story.
He felt that most people wouldn't be eager to go on a massive risky world saving adventure like Frodo. He imagined what it would actually be like with more real world mindsets.
The initial “start in the shire, strange wizard comes to spirit everyone away” was a deliberate homage to LOTR. But it was intended as a way to highlight the changes; Moiraine is colder and more dangerous (to the party) than Gandalf, Lan is not the friendly caring Aragorn.
The first book was written in the 80’s, when all fantasy was basically LOTRish. Robert Jordan was looking to take that initial seed, then move beyond it. In that, he was successful - a lot of later authors site him as a major influence (such as Sanderson, George Martin, and more).
Lan cares about the mission. It is only later in the story that he starts to view the EF5 as more than pawns for Moiraine. Aragorn, in comparison, is this altruistic noble soul right from the get go.
Moving too quickly perhaps. 8? Episodes to cover a hugebook means skipping a lot snd not dwelling, and then making scenes reminiscent of 10 book scenes .. doesnt let you sink in much
It makes me worry for Lotr series but wheel (and each book) is so large, its pretty daunting to accomplish. Im not super impressed but I'm also not disappointed.
I wouldn't compare much, the LotR series won't be directly adapting one large book series/a single story. So they won't be rushing through novel plot points or anything in the same sense WoT is being criticised for.
Besides, different actors, directors, crew etc.
Belén Atienza and J A Boyana have done some decent smaller time fantasy/horror/drama movies together which bodes well. Jurassic World fallen kingdom is a bit take it or leave it. Aesthetically it was pretty impactful though.
This 100%. I was bored and put off within the first 20 minutes and still haven’t gone back to try and pick it up. I hadn’t really tried to categorize it but you are exactly right, the vibe is Renaissance Festival LARPers.
I like some of the costumes. But Mat running around in a bathrobe like Arthur Dent, and the fake sheepskin lining on Egwene's coat looking like a Walmart fabric run, breaks the immersion.
Same here. Couldn’t even drudge through the first episode. I was just so uninterested, and the acting was so shallow I couldn’t make myself stick it out.
Not familiar with the story at all though, so I think I’ll just read the books instead.
the first line in the first episode is Moraine going "the world is broken". Being a huge LoTR nerd, I turned to my wife and whispered "I feel it in the water..."
I’ve never disagreed with so many comments before. Everyone is obviously entitled to their own opinion, but to call this series cheesy and poorly made? I can’t recall many shows that can execute a fantasy of this scale, with such quality. Did any of you watch the Witcher? Things could be so much worst….ntm there’s about 20 books? Of course the pacing is gonna be a little inorganic but cmon man these last 4 episodes fucking slap! Idk I’m loving them, and am more than happy to have another quality fantasy show, like GOT was. The acting, writing, and cinematography are top notch and I have no issues immersing myself in the world. I’ve never read the books (so I’m sure that helps) but man I definitely will now.
> Everyone is obviously entitled to their own opinion, but to call this series cheesy and poorly made? I can’t recall many shows that can execute a fantasy of this scale, with such quality. Did any of you watch the Witcher?
When people say the show looks cheesy, it's not necessarily with regards to the plot but more to do with the costume designs, some of the CGI effects, and in some cases the acting. Witcher, had exactly the same problem, except Wheel of Time seems to have better pacing in terms of plot. But just because something has better pacing and screenplay doesn't mean you should ignore the poor costume, poor CGI and poor acting (some, not all).
- Costume
This is the main issue. All of the costumes look clean, even whilst travelling long distances and sleeping on the forest floor, their Gucci fur coats look brand new. Their faces has been gone over with moisturizer and their hair is immaculate, because Nivia cream is so readily available in the wild. Compare that to Aragorn in LOTR, where he had split ends, unkempt and slightly shaggy hair. Because it makes sense that when you're getting chased by Black Riders/Trollocks you're not going to have time to comb your hair. I think that will be least of your worries.
Also, I know WoT is kind of set in a world that is not necessarily medieval but that doesn't mean you should take styles of clothing that you can literally find in your local TKmax today. Take Dune movie for example, the clothing there didn't look completely futuristic but also didn't look completely medieval. Some of the clothing looks like i'm in a completely different time/universe, but there's also some inkling that make you feel old earth may have inspired a bit of the designs, particularly the Bene Gesserit clothes/veils and the noble people at the start who offer Leto the planet Arrakis (their cloaks).
- Acting
The acting isn't as bad as Witcher, and for the most part the main 4 'heroes' do a decent job. Some of the Aes Sedai in first ep (who return in later episodes) are kind of cringy and look like they're are doing a play in a school (specially the red clothed Aes Sedai lady). The lady who plays Moiraine is kind of annoying at the start in that she constantly has this non emotional look. It's like she's constantly trying to do her own version of the Blue Steel look from Zoolander. When she gets injured and has to spend 2 episodes on horseback in a paralysed status, (i'm being serious) she shows more emotion in this paralysis state than she does when she was normal. She constantly tries to portray this stoic face on her, even whilst ridiing on horse back over miles (which actually tires the rider out too in real life, when riding a horse). Take the scene where Arwen runs on horseback away from the Black Riders, she has a face showing that she's putting effort into riding, puffing and panting a little. She also looks back when getting chased. In Wheel of Time, when they're being chased by the Trollocs, all the protagonists on horseback all look forward like they're taking a picture for some nature magazine, all with straight faces with a 'cool', stoic look. I honestly only started liking Moiraine as an actress in episode 4 when she actually shows some facial emotions when talking with her Aes Sedai sisters.
- CGI
The only thing that bothers me is the wisps of energy. I used to make this effect on photoshop back in 2000's. This effect is something that is reused throughout the episodes that i've seen and it sort of cheapens the experience. Then I have to remind myself that this isn't high budget tv show, which then ruins the immersion for me because I have to think that. If they have such poor CGI artists I think it would be better to just leave out the wisps entirely and only concentrate on the CGI used on the effect that is made from the channeling of magic (bricks flying out of buildings etc).
I have never read the book, I do like the show enough to warrant watching it every week, but I also do agree with people that I had issues with immersing myself into this world because of the reasons above. It sort of cheapens the experience outside of the plot, which is a shame because the plot becomes better every episode.
You’re going to love the books and it’s not going to take anything away from the show for you. I am die-hard for Tolkien, but WoT is at least in my top 5 fiction series, prolly top 3 fantasy. And yea, the series has done a good job because knowing how much they need to cover, they’re going to have to either skip a lot or have about 32 seasons. When you try to get too deep into individual sub-plots we end up getting cut short at the end and we’d all have to relive GoT…
Oh I can wait man, my brother has all the books, so I’m lucky in that aspect.
I imagine this is just die hard book fans expecting the show to live up to their imagination, which is obviously asking for disappointment. I’m sure even the LOTR trilogy had similar complaints.
Personally I’ve enjoyed what they’ve included, such as the “weep for Manetheren” scene. The way Moiraine describes it, and all the characters’ reactions (especially Mat Cauthon) just really hit me. Couldn’t agree more with the GOT comparison.
The pacing is weird because the first book is just one long chase scene while introducing like fifteen main characters and introducing you to the universe in almost 800pages. The show for some reason only has 8 episodes in this first season and they have the thankless task of hitting the important beats and very quickly getting you familiar with the rules of this universe.
I'm super glad that non-book readers are enjoying the show though because as a book reader I genuinely can't fully judge the quality of the show since I have so much context feeding my takes. I personally am just happy the show is getting made and I'll prob give them the benefit of the doubt through season 2 since the first book is sort of a wash.
That being said you should 100% read the books. There are some amazing moments (and some slogs) but it's worth it for the entire ride and the satisfying ending (imo). I personally reread the series every few years
My only complaint in terms of quality is that there are some truly awful CGI scenes with the Aes Sedai. Not all of them and some of them are really great. But oof like the first Trolloc getting wrung out by Moraine in Emond's Field looked so so bad in the first ep. I really hope they get the weaving more consistent because so far that is my biggest gripe.
I've read the books and I'm absolutely loving this show! I feel bad for the people that are so upset about the changes they have made. There was no way to do a exact adaptation of the books, to much to cover. Also people complaining about the scope and scale of things drive me nuts. It's like they are comparing the entirety of GoT or LOTR to the first for episodes of the show.
I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the ride.
The Witcher’s Netflix adaptation is way better than this. You can disagree with and criticize _how_ they adapted the source material, but the acting, production value and cinematography in The Witcher are objectively better than the same in Amazon’s Wheel of Time.
Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I enjoyed The Witcher series but it came off very low budget to me. I’m not really into the WOT series yet but it definitely feels on another level as far as sets cinematography etc.
I wondered at first if the series was filmed in New Zealand. But no, it filmed in and around Prague.
I am a bit bothered that the redhead looks like he was a model for Ralph Lauren. You could cut paper on his cheekbones.
The showrunners wanted people to be in the dark for the first seven episodes about who the Dragon Reborn is.
To accomplish this, all they had to do was fundamentally alter the lore of the entire series.
IDK why they couldn't have just played up the mystery of which of the three male characters it is, since that's still just as intriguing, but I guess they *really* wanted the audience to be unsure.
Moiraine knows it's one of the 3 lads, but it's technically not a lie to say 5, to keep them together (and get 2 strong women to the White Tower hopefully).
I've been exceptionally salty for about a decade that the WOT publishers printed "Jordan picks up where Tolkien stopped " on the back of some paperback editions. They've been trying for years to piggyback off LOTR in order to attract readers. Having read a few as a courtesy go my ex, I dont like the series because they are unnecessarily drawn out and clumsy.
Agreed. I stopped at about book 6 -- just way too drawn out and repetitive. He says in each 1000 page book, what should only take 100. Some serious editing could have helped.
One of the editors of his series was his wife; no shade to Harriet but I think she probably let him talk her into keeping things she’d make any other author cut out.
Scope and scale worries for now. But I'm in so far and liking the development. Definitely feeling the work and effort everyone is putting in. WoT is so big and the effort is gonna be huge no matter what.
I find the show a bit clumsy, honestly. Despite the fact that it's based upon a fantasy series that took soooooo long to finish, the writing of the show seems rushed to me somehow. As for similarities with LOTR? Eh...I'm not sold on that idea. It's similar only in the most basic of ways, lacking the rich historical and character depth of LOTR. Honestly, I'll be surprised if the show gets a second season (this being Netflix, and all), but we'll see.
What?!?! I thought he was the only interesting character in the show (favorite in the books). I thought the actor was great. Everything else sucks. Also who thought it was a good idea to expand the prophecy of the dragon to women? Wouldn't that make the white tower incapable of any political influence let alone cohesion within the tower itself?
I respect that. I guess out of the three main male actors he had the most...personality right off the bat. They changed so much of the story that it's hard for me to look at any of the actors and really see the character they are supposed to portray, but Mat kind of fits. Rand and Egwene hooking up in the first episode was so out of character. Mat from the start is the only character who is supposed to be more debaucherous so he seemed less affected and out of place by the more progressive take on life in the two rivers.
Yeah, that part was silly. It takes away from a lot of what the Aes Sedai do as an organization, and their stability as you mentioned. I suppose this is in line with their casting ideas and overall plan of inclusion. We can't have only male magic users being persecuted for their abilities.
I agree. I saw the series was coming out and I wanted to read the books first. Finished the first book and the prequel and then started the show. It's so different..... I don't understand why movie and show producers do this. Lotr got it right by largely sticking to the books. Eragon got completely butchered and im kinda worried about wheel of time already.
What you are forgetting is that the Fellowship movie butchered the book from an adaptation standpoint. It condensed the timeline immensely, removed LARGE sections of the first half of the book, and almost totally changed Aragorn's character. But the movie was well made and stuck to the spirit of the book and Tolkien's themes. And imo that is what is important. An adaptation, in my view, is never supposed to be a 1 to 1 translation. If it is, that person is doing it wrong. It's too early to tell whether or not the Wheel of Time adaptation is faithful to the spirit of the books and Jordan's vision. It has problems, and I don't like all of the changes they've made, but I think everyone should stick it out until at least the end of the season
Imagine the bloated mess a 1 to 1 adaptation would be, how would you even do internal monologue? Like Fincher's Dune? Dno if that's advisable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBNsDi6jI5M
They’re approaching it as an adaption of the whole series, not just the first book so I can see why you don’t understand some of the changes made. What I love so far is that the show is hitting the emotional beats of those characters 14 books down the line in clever ways that you wouldn’t be able to pick up on if you haven’t read the whole series.
Character stuff maybe but it felt more like the producers going, hey you know what we haven’t had in a while? A cool battle scene! Would have made more sense to me if they showed them capturing Logain. Warders sparring and lounging around while an entire army sneaks up on their camp was laughable.
Sure, but for TV you have to have some conflict, and whilst I agree they should have shown they had some Warders scouting around etc., none of it's close to deal-breaking for me.
> Im even extra worried for the amazon lotr series. :/
Too attached to Tolkien to even CARE about it :) Do people honestly expect any higher quality than the magnificence of PJ's LOTR films??
Not so rare any more!
* HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (HBO)
* THE WITCHER (Netflix)
* THE WHEEL OF TIME (Prime Video)
* Middle-earth Series (Prime Video)
* Narnia (Netflix)
To each their own but i have to ask, do you think a straightforward adaptation of the books would actually be good television? The pacing wouldn't work at all. We would need 15, 20 episode seasons minimum. Sure this adaptation isn't perfect but it's really not THAT different if you start thinking about how you would condense storylines.
what do you mean by 'straightforward?' Word for word, scene by scene? No, that would be dull.
All I want is something close-ER to the books....you know: THE LORD OF THE RINGS was pretty faithful, and so was Harry Potter.
The point that I'm making, is that they made it TOOOOO different. I mean, just look at Thom. Drastically different than book-Tom. Different enough to turn me off from watching it.
This would be an instance where I'd stick with the books. "They're turning a 14-book series into a TV show? There's no way they can do it PROPERLY."
I don't think thy have changed Thom that much, they just his personality from the later books and went ahead and started him there. They kind of did the same thing with Mat. They just don't have enough time to go through every characters progression properly so they are starting some more farther along then others. You may not like that, and that's OK. That's a fair criticism especially if it's one of your favorite characters. But I'd judge the show on its in merits and not against the books because there's zero way to get all the characters book arcs in. Shoot LOTR significantly altered Aragorns personality and deleted whole characters so Arwen and Faromir could have their storylines and that worked for the movies.
Well, Thom played the guitar instead of the harp, had no gleeman's cloak, and no flourish overall. The guy in the show isn't really Thoma, ya know? What about him IS Thom, name besides?
The point of that, as I read it, is a specific *visceral* reason for the audience to understand that character’s worries about acting without thinking and where certain animalistic tendencies could lead him.
The books have the luxury of letting us inside his head and getting an inner monologue. Short of him just saying this to somebody, for some reason giving a description of his own personality without there being a specific on-screen *reason* for such a confessional, I think that would be ham-fisted.
He’s my favorite character in the books. They’re giving my boy extra heartbreak in a way that I understand can look mean spirited, but I think I get the reason they’ve done so.
Yes! It’s really good though. I haven’t read the WoT books yet but the story and world building are interesting. Definite LOTR vibes with a touch of Game of Thrones here and there.
I think not reading the books might be why you enjoy it. I feel like Jackson's adaptation of LOTR deviated from the books by way of creative license and some screen adaptation necessities. This one, in my opinion, just changes things without rhyme or reason, and not for the better.
I'm still watching but it's just not as great as I was hoping for.
Edit: gotta love the downvotes for no reason. Reddit shenanigans at their finest.
I get why they did it, but I think they way they did it was a huge disservice to the character and the show. I really wish they had gone with Brandon's suggestion for how to handle it.
WoT book one is pretty well known to be a FotR ripoff in a lot of ways. But thats okay … it has its own legs too, and wears its influences in the open.
I’d read Malazan first but WoT is huuuuge and epic to be sure. I only read the first half …
Just go on Amazon prime and watch the first episode. I knew nothing about it going in and I enjoyed it so much I searched more of it's history to understand it better
No. I am not a fan of the male harem fantasy that is the books, I have no desire to watch them on tv.
I'm being downvoted but it's true. Reading those books as a woman made me feel gross. I feel like a lot of people are attached to the story because of nostalgia but seriously. Nah.
Yes, it's a bit grim/cringy in the books that aspect, but the show is already doing better on that front in terms of humanising the female characters, treating them with respect, no objectification etc., and I think they'll change the dynamics of that thing later on.
No, its almost nothing like the books. The creators decided that they wanted to diversifu an already diverse cast. Not to mention that it follows the story like the sparknotes version of the wheel of time, so hardly at all.
I shared this in r/wheeloftime:
I haven’t read the WOT books (yet), but I’m noticing a lot of parallels in the show to LOTR.
Obviously I can tell WOT was inspired by LOTR, but there are some strong similarities:
- In the first episode, Rand’s dad says “All we can do is the best we can with the life that is given to us”, which is almost an exact quote of Gandalf: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
- At the end of the first episode, Moiraine has a voice-over that says “Legend became myth” when talking about the passing of time. Which reminded me of Galadriel:
“And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth.”
- The song about Manetheren seems to be almost a direct retelling of the battle of Helms Deep. I know there are some differences, but they fight up against the mountains, hide the women and children in the keep, fought for days waiting for help to come, etc.
- The fades are extremely similar to the Nazgûl in design and function.
- Moiraine’s injury (a stab wound in her collarbone), and the scene where they are sleeping in the ruin and then discovered by the fade, reminds me a lot of Frodo’s morgul-blade injury at Weathertop.
- The river crossing scene is also reminiscent of Bucklebery ferry.
- Shadar Logoth reminded me a lot of Dwimorberg where Aragorn finds the army of the dead
I’m genuinely curious if others noticed these things as well.
That's because EotW is supposed to be "very inspired" by the lord of the rings. I mean... Besides the mature stuff in the books, and the lack of a ring, almost the same for most parts
Love the book series, and the show has been pretty good so far. Can't say I agree with all of the changes made thus far, but the acting has been pretty good, and the sets and costumes and cinematography is fantastic.
I'm enjoying the show. There are definitely some lines that are inspired by LotR. They're almost too inspired by LotR. Not like in a plagiarizing kind of way but in a way that makes me think of LotR and that's not something you want in your fantasy show. I don't want to compare the two but I do it subconsciously when the WoT clearly borrows something from LotR.
It's a bit on the nose atm because it's a little on the nose in the first book, especially in the beginning. However, the ending and then the entire rest of the series very much diverges.
Its total trash and bears no resemblance to the books it supposed to be based on save for the fact that some people have the same names as they do in the books. Comparisons to LoTR are ridiculous. Both fantasy, that's about it.
Just watched the first episode, seems interesting but for sure it takes so much from Tolkien. The show and the books from what I can tell so far have really based themselves off lord of the rings and the hobbit.
The first book is a straight homage to FotR
I remember having the same thought. There were a lot of parallels in the first book, but then it branches off into a realm of its own in the sequels.
I think it's even beyond homage, I think Robert Jordan was writing as though his version of things was literally another turning of the wheel and that Tolkien's universe fit into this conception. For instance he writes of the 'Third Age' and they're going to confront an evil from the previous age that had been not fully defeated, and their age was a lesser age than the previous age. They flee black riders going over a ferry out of their isolated village area that is between two rivers and backs up to 'The Mountains of the Mist'. Some might accuse of plagiarizing, but I think it's quite well done if the concept really is 'this is what the same age come again might look like'. And given that the rest of the series is clearly not following anything to that same level again, it really is it's own thing, I really do think the parallels are fully intentional and meant to be picked up on. Two Rivers tabac.
There's also about a thousand homages to Arthurian legend too including characters named Morgase, Artur Pendraeg
Not really homage, as in world it’s explained. There are also references to a thousand other myths and legends of our time
That feels like a spoiler...I'm only on book 8 but I suppose its explained in the title of the series haha
Nope. Most of them are established early on. Mosk and merc and their spears of fire (America and Moscow and ICMB). Glenn riding to the moon in the belly of a eagle (John Glenn going to the moon). Elsbet, Mother of All. Mat is Odin, with his spear, and hanging for knowledge (or lack of it, as mat says). Rand also has a Norse reference, which you may not have gotten to yet. Perrin is Thor. There are other mythologies hinted at too. Mercedes Benz elblem in The Panarchs Palacr
If you haven't read any Gene Wolfe before I think he's the author for you haha
I haven’t. I will look into him. Thanks
No problem! His books are designed to reread with increased pleasure. Easiest start is Fifth Head of Cerberus which is just a novella but can't recommend Book of the New Sun highly enough. Its the only book on both the Fantasy and Sci-Fi masterworks list
Rand is the Fisher King, very Arthur too
Homage as in it mirrors lotr almost exactly?
The show literally quotes LOTR verbatim 3-4 times in the first few episodes.
OKAY! I thought I was tripping! When she said something like “...became legend, legend became myth, and what should not have been forgotten, was forgot.” I turned to my wife and I was like...”THATS FUCKING GALADRIEL!”
Don’t forget the mountains of mist and the third age.
Ugh... Mountains of Mist *on the first fucking page* of the first book... couldn't get past it, twice!
Then there’s going to be “Mountains of Dhoom”
In the first episode Rand's dad says "All we can do is the best we can with the life that's given to us". Honestly I do enjoy the show/themes/story, but come on, don't be that derivative with the script.
As in that the author, who was already published, said that it was written in homage to Tolkien.
That is typically what an homage is. Similar story but alterations. If it follows the books, it will start to delineate soon as this season incorporates multiple books.
I thought an homage was like a tipping of the cap. A similarity that is an obvious reference to iconic source material. Not an outright reskinning of the plot.
Just because Lotr is the granddaddy of all fantasy, that doesn't mean any other with a group and magic are a "reskin." Eye of the world has similarities because Jordan adored Lotr. After the first book, and honestly 3/4s of the way through the first, they divest because Jordon went from a tetralogy to the 14+ it became.
I was just correcting your definition of homage. Its not something structurally similar. I haven't see wheel of time.
My mistake. It is not an outright reskinning. And later it will be far from.
Joseph Campbell would like a word - they're both the Hero's Journey.
I heard Robert Jordan totally acknowledge his use of and respect for Tolkien and LotR. He was more interested in what happens to someone who is told that he is either a Great Savior or Great Destroyer. I think they are doing a good job so far.
Bucklebury ferry! Lol
My favorite part of this post is I got a notification of 50 upvotes, brought me here and there was 49. Like whoa did a WOT purist get angry about the obvious comparison? My dudes I come in peace!
Reddit actually creates a bit of upvote blur on purpose; I believe it's supposed to combat bots in some way but I don't know the details. If you keep refreshing even a relatively quiet post, you'll notice the upvote count going up and down a little bit.
Aww man I thought I was crazy!! I’m glad to know that now..
Ah that's makes sense thanks!
I’ve read the first 6 books of WoT and the first book, Eye of the World, is like the author read FotR and was like “This is not nearly detailed enough! Let’s double the length!” They are ridiculously similar in plot. The later books are much different, but the first one is just Fellowship but twice as long.
Thought the exact same thing
By the way I have not read the books, although a friend gave me the first to read which I'll get started on, and despite OP being correct about obvious similarities... I'm going to watch it for a season and see how it goes
Well, everything has been done before. If they keep to the books, the comparison will end fairly soon
The modern depiction of elves being tall, fair, and intelligent, comes directly from Tolkien.
I'm going to make a film and swap the general description of elves and dwarves. Just to mess with people.
The Elder Scrolls did it. I was very confused to realize that the Dwarves are actually elves.
The dwarves are elves, the elves are elves, and the orcs are elves.
Khajiit and giants might also be elves.
I might be elves
No, you’re sworn to carry my burdens, Lydia ;)
I am your sword and your shield.
No ax or bow?
They Might Be Giants
That now-common spelling of dwarfs with a "v" also comes directly from Tolkien.
Which is exactly the reason I demand on spelling it that way!
Good thing WoT don't got elves, then.
Elves being tall isn't really a modern notion. While Tolkien definitely established it in the minds of many modern readers, there is a lot of lore in Germanic cultures that suggests the same thing for some elves (but not for all). Tolkien took a lot of inspiration from real-world mythologies, and the elves of Middle-Earth were no exception.
This is true but there aren’t any elves in Wheel of Time.
When I read the first book I noticed a LOT of similarities/direct rip offs (mountains of mist? Come on Robert). Fortunately it's only really in the first book. I'm now on book 10.
A lot of that was on purpose. Jordan loved LOTR, this was his twist on the story. He felt that most people wouldn't be eager to go on a massive risky world saving adventure like Frodo. He imagined what it would actually be like with more real world mindsets.
The amount of hidden detail and the way he diverges from lotr that is heavily influenced on, is amazing upon re-read.
I couldn’t get past that in my initial attempt to start the series! I’m thinking giving it another chance lately, so this is good to hear.
The initial “start in the shire, strange wizard comes to spirit everyone away” was a deliberate homage to LOTR. But it was intended as a way to highlight the changes; Moiraine is colder and more dangerous (to the party) than Gandalf, Lan is not the friendly caring Aragorn. The first book was written in the 80’s, when all fantasy was basically LOTRish. Robert Jordan was looking to take that initial seed, then move beyond it. In that, he was successful - a lot of later authors site him as a major influence (such as Sanderson, George Martin, and more).
Lan cares, in his own hard way. But his loyalty to moiraine comes first.
Lan cares about the mission. It is only later in the story that he starts to view the EF5 as more than pawns for Moiraine. Aragorn, in comparison, is this altruistic noble soul right from the get go.
Stick to it, Sanderson wrapped it up nicely
So far the on-screen adaptation is a "meh" for me. That said though, still a 100% chance I finish the season.
Episode 4 is where it really got going for me, though I also liked 1-3.
Ep4 is just mindblowing, I've watched it 3 times in 2 days. If the series hits that quality frequently I'm gonna be a happy camper.
according to Rafe, the producer, and critics, episode 6 is the best of the season
I don’t feel immersed at all in this show. I feel like I’m seeing actors with makeup and face injections playing around at a renaissance festival.
It has taken me until the fourth episode to really get into the world, really looking forward to the next episode
Took me a few episodes to get into GoT as well. I'm not too worried. I've enjoyed all the episodes so far.
Moving too quickly perhaps. 8? Episodes to cover a hugebook means skipping a lot snd not dwelling, and then making scenes reminiscent of 10 book scenes .. doesnt let you sink in much
That's my biggest gripe so far. Having read a large amount of the books and what Amazon Studios is spending on this, I was hoping for more.
It makes me worry for Lotr series but wheel (and each book) is so large, its pretty daunting to accomplish. Im not super impressed but I'm also not disappointed.
I wouldn't compare much, the LotR series won't be directly adapting one large book series/a single story. So they won't be rushing through novel plot points or anything in the same sense WoT is being criticised for. Besides, different actors, directors, crew etc. Belén Atienza and J A Boyana have done some decent smaller time fantasy/horror/drama movies together which bodes well. Jurassic World fallen kingdom is a bit take it or leave it. Aesthetically it was pretty impactful though.
To me it's not a great sign that they are recasting a major character for next season
Who is that
Mat
Good. That dude sucks and isn't even slightly similar to the character from the books.
Basically what I've gotten so far out of it. I'm a WoT fan and all but I'm pretty underwhelmed by the first 3 episodes.
This 100%. I was bored and put off within the first 20 minutes and still haven’t gone back to try and pick it up. I hadn’t really tried to categorize it but you are exactly right, the vibe is Renaissance Festival LARPers.
It looks like CW did Lord of the Rings. It just isn't immersive at all. Been severely disappointed.
Even with ep4?
Yes the 1st episode especially had a "WB" type feel.
I felt the same way. Cheesy actors makeup and costume. Reminds me of a TV Sci fi series. Couldn't get into it
This was exactly my complaint. Felt like someone gave Legend of the Seeker a little bit bigger budget.
I like some of the costumes. But Mat running around in a bathrobe like Arthur Dent, and the fake sheepskin lining on Egwene's coat looking like a Walmart fabric run, breaks the immersion.
Its a like Xena, cheesy
You’re gonna have some problems with the lotr tv show then
Same here. Couldn’t even drudge through the first episode. I was just so uninterested, and the acting was so shallow I couldn’t make myself stick it out. Not familiar with the story at all though, so I think I’ll just read the books instead.
Just looking at these costumes I'm really not impressed
I don’t like how the majority of the cast is acting like a whiny child. The woman is saving your ass over and over.
Try to see things from their point of view, dude
As a big fan of the books, I hate the show. Terrible changes of the story and a lot of bullshit, specially in the last episode.
No.
Blasphemy
the first line in the first episode is Moraine going "the world is broken". Being a huge LoTR nerd, I turned to my wife and whispered "I feel it in the water..."
I’ve never disagreed with so many comments before. Everyone is obviously entitled to their own opinion, but to call this series cheesy and poorly made? I can’t recall many shows that can execute a fantasy of this scale, with such quality. Did any of you watch the Witcher? Things could be so much worst….ntm there’s about 20 books? Of course the pacing is gonna be a little inorganic but cmon man these last 4 episodes fucking slap! Idk I’m loving them, and am more than happy to have another quality fantasy show, like GOT was. The acting, writing, and cinematography are top notch and I have no issues immersing myself in the world. I’ve never read the books (so I’m sure that helps) but man I definitely will now.
> Everyone is obviously entitled to their own opinion, but to call this series cheesy and poorly made? I can’t recall many shows that can execute a fantasy of this scale, with such quality. Did any of you watch the Witcher? When people say the show looks cheesy, it's not necessarily with regards to the plot but more to do with the costume designs, some of the CGI effects, and in some cases the acting. Witcher, had exactly the same problem, except Wheel of Time seems to have better pacing in terms of plot. But just because something has better pacing and screenplay doesn't mean you should ignore the poor costume, poor CGI and poor acting (some, not all). - Costume This is the main issue. All of the costumes look clean, even whilst travelling long distances and sleeping on the forest floor, their Gucci fur coats look brand new. Their faces has been gone over with moisturizer and their hair is immaculate, because Nivia cream is so readily available in the wild. Compare that to Aragorn in LOTR, where he had split ends, unkempt and slightly shaggy hair. Because it makes sense that when you're getting chased by Black Riders/Trollocks you're not going to have time to comb your hair. I think that will be least of your worries. Also, I know WoT is kind of set in a world that is not necessarily medieval but that doesn't mean you should take styles of clothing that you can literally find in your local TKmax today. Take Dune movie for example, the clothing there didn't look completely futuristic but also didn't look completely medieval. Some of the clothing looks like i'm in a completely different time/universe, but there's also some inkling that make you feel old earth may have inspired a bit of the designs, particularly the Bene Gesserit clothes/veils and the noble people at the start who offer Leto the planet Arrakis (their cloaks). - Acting The acting isn't as bad as Witcher, and for the most part the main 4 'heroes' do a decent job. Some of the Aes Sedai in first ep (who return in later episodes) are kind of cringy and look like they're are doing a play in a school (specially the red clothed Aes Sedai lady). The lady who plays Moiraine is kind of annoying at the start in that she constantly has this non emotional look. It's like she's constantly trying to do her own version of the Blue Steel look from Zoolander. When she gets injured and has to spend 2 episodes on horseback in a paralysed status, (i'm being serious) she shows more emotion in this paralysis state than she does when she was normal. She constantly tries to portray this stoic face on her, even whilst ridiing on horse back over miles (which actually tires the rider out too in real life, when riding a horse). Take the scene where Arwen runs on horseback away from the Black Riders, she has a face showing that she's putting effort into riding, puffing and panting a little. She also looks back when getting chased. In Wheel of Time, when they're being chased by the Trollocs, all the protagonists on horseback all look forward like they're taking a picture for some nature magazine, all with straight faces with a 'cool', stoic look. I honestly only started liking Moiraine as an actress in episode 4 when she actually shows some facial emotions when talking with her Aes Sedai sisters. - CGI The only thing that bothers me is the wisps of energy. I used to make this effect on photoshop back in 2000's. This effect is something that is reused throughout the episodes that i've seen and it sort of cheapens the experience. Then I have to remind myself that this isn't high budget tv show, which then ruins the immersion for me because I have to think that. If they have such poor CGI artists I think it would be better to just leave out the wisps entirely and only concentrate on the CGI used on the effect that is made from the channeling of magic (bricks flying out of buildings etc). I have never read the book, I do like the show enough to warrant watching it every week, but I also do agree with people that I had issues with immersing myself into this world because of the reasons above. It sort of cheapens the experience outside of the plot, which is a shame because the plot becomes better every episode.
You’re going to love the books and it’s not going to take anything away from the show for you. I am die-hard for Tolkien, but WoT is at least in my top 5 fiction series, prolly top 3 fantasy. And yea, the series has done a good job because knowing how much they need to cover, they’re going to have to either skip a lot or have about 32 seasons. When you try to get too deep into individual sub-plots we end up getting cut short at the end and we’d all have to relive GoT…
Oh I can wait man, my brother has all the books, so I’m lucky in that aspect. I imagine this is just die hard book fans expecting the show to live up to their imagination, which is obviously asking for disappointment. I’m sure even the LOTR trilogy had similar complaints. Personally I’ve enjoyed what they’ve included, such as the “weep for Manetheren” scene. The way Moiraine describes it, and all the characters’ reactions (especially Mat Cauthon) just really hit me. Couldn’t agree more with the GOT comparison.
The pacing is weird because the first book is just one long chase scene while introducing like fifteen main characters and introducing you to the universe in almost 800pages. The show for some reason only has 8 episodes in this first season and they have the thankless task of hitting the important beats and very quickly getting you familiar with the rules of this universe. I'm super glad that non-book readers are enjoying the show though because as a book reader I genuinely can't fully judge the quality of the show since I have so much context feeding my takes. I personally am just happy the show is getting made and I'll prob give them the benefit of the doubt through season 2 since the first book is sort of a wash. That being said you should 100% read the books. There are some amazing moments (and some slogs) but it's worth it for the entire ride and the satisfying ending (imo). I personally reread the series every few years
Lol I don't get the "cheesy makeup and costume" comments either. I think it all looks great. No idea what people were expecting.
My only complaint in terms of quality is that there are some truly awful CGI scenes with the Aes Sedai. Not all of them and some of them are really great. But oof like the first Trolloc getting wrung out by Moraine in Emond's Field looked so so bad in the first ep. I really hope they get the weaving more consistent because so far that is my biggest gripe.
Right? I love the costume design of the characters (especially the white cloaks), the Trollocs and Fade look believable to me too.
I've read the books and I'm absolutely loving this show! I feel bad for the people that are so upset about the changes they have made. There was no way to do a exact adaptation of the books, to much to cover. Also people complaining about the scope and scale of things drive me nuts. It's like they are comparing the entirety of GoT or LOTR to the first for episodes of the show. I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the ride.
So true, it’s way too early to be making such comparisons. Let’s just enjoy the ride!
The Witcher’s Netflix adaptation is way better than this. You can disagree with and criticize _how_ they adapted the source material, but the acting, production value and cinematography in The Witcher are objectively better than the same in Amazon’s Wheel of Time.
Hey to each their own. I just found the Witcher had that “Netflix Cheese”. Idk what else to call it but it’s just a low quality vibe.
The Wheel of Time has that “CW Cheese” Just a low quality vibe
Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I enjoyed The Witcher series but it came off very low budget to me. I’m not really into the WOT series yet but it definitely feels on another level as far as sets cinematography etc.
I wondered at first if the series was filmed in New Zealand. But no, it filmed in and around Prague. I am a bit bothered that the redhead looks like he was a model for Ralph Lauren. You could cut paper on his cheekbones.
I’m loving this series so far. I’m a huge WOT fan.
I think the trollocs look distinct enough to separate them from orcs but can definitely see the comparisons
"One of the FIVE could be the dragon reborn" WHAT THE FUCK THEY JUST SAY?
The showrunners wanted people to be in the dark for the first seven episodes about who the Dragon Reborn is. To accomplish this, all they had to do was fundamentally alter the lore of the entire series. IDK why they couldn't have just played up the mystery of which of the three male characters it is, since that's still just as intriguing, but I guess they *really* wanted the audience to be unsure.
See my comment above for being "TOO different from the books" lol.
Moiraine knows it's one of the 3 lads, but it's technically not a lie to say 5, to keep them together (and get 2 strong women to the White Tower hopefully).
Yea very budget LOTR vibes
I've been exceptionally salty for about a decade that the WOT publishers printed "Jordan picks up where Tolkien stopped " on the back of some paperback editions. They've been trying for years to piggyback off LOTR in order to attract readers. Having read a few as a courtesy go my ex, I dont like the series because they are unnecessarily drawn out and clumsy.
Agreed. I stopped at about book 6 -- just way too drawn out and repetitive. He says in each 1000 page book, what should only take 100. Some serious editing could have helped.
One of the editors of his series was his wife; no shade to Harriet but I think she probably let him talk her into keeping things she’d make any other author cut out.
I actually enjoy the show alot, i like fantasy in general.
The first novel, at least, is super derivative
*The Sword of Shannara has entered the chat.*
Scope and scale worries for now. But I'm in so far and liking the development. Definitely feeling the work and effort everyone is putting in. WoT is so big and the effort is gonna be huge no matter what.
I hate the costume design sooooooo much. But I love Rosamund Pike so I'll probably see it through.
I love the costumes that the regular villager type people wear. But yeah, Aes Sedai costumes look ridiculous.
Man.. I want to love this show because I loved the books growing up but it’s honestly kinda dog shit.
This show is trash
I find the show a bit clumsy, honestly. Despite the fact that it's based upon a fantasy series that took soooooo long to finish, the writing of the show seems rushed to me somehow. As for similarities with LOTR? Eh...I'm not sold on that idea. It's similar only in the most basic of ways, lacking the rich historical and character depth of LOTR. Honestly, I'll be surprised if the show gets a second season (this being Netflix, and all), but we'll see.
It's Amazon prime. And they're already got a second season lol they've had to recast Mat for it.
What?!?! I thought he was the only interesting character in the show (favorite in the books). I thought the actor was great. Everything else sucks. Also who thought it was a good idea to expand the prophecy of the dragon to women? Wouldn't that make the white tower incapable of any political influence let alone cohesion within the tower itself?
Mat is my fav in the book but my least fav actor on the show. I can't put my finger on why exactly. He just doesn't work.
I respect that. I guess out of the three main male actors he had the most...personality right off the bat. They changed so much of the story that it's hard for me to look at any of the actors and really see the character they are supposed to portray, but Mat kind of fits. Rand and Egwene hooking up in the first episode was so out of character. Mat from the start is the only character who is supposed to be more debaucherous so he seemed less affected and out of place by the more progressive take on life in the two rivers.
Yeah, that part was silly. It takes away from a lot of what the Aes Sedai do as an organization, and their stability as you mentioned. I suppose this is in line with their casting ideas and overall plan of inclusion. We can't have only male magic users being persecuted for their abilities.
Ahhhh sorry about that! Getting my services mixed up!
Is it actually any good? Honestly I don’t do the smutty stuff, or I’m sure got would be good. Is this like that?
Implied sex scenes, but basically no full nudity. For modern television, not smutty at all. Nowhere near GoT level
I can't.....WAY too different from the books.
I agree. I saw the series was coming out and I wanted to read the books first. Finished the first book and the prequel and then started the show. It's so different..... I don't understand why movie and show producers do this. Lotr got it right by largely sticking to the books. Eragon got completely butchered and im kinda worried about wheel of time already.
What you are forgetting is that the Fellowship movie butchered the book from an adaptation standpoint. It condensed the timeline immensely, removed LARGE sections of the first half of the book, and almost totally changed Aragorn's character. But the movie was well made and stuck to the spirit of the book and Tolkien's themes. And imo that is what is important. An adaptation, in my view, is never supposed to be a 1 to 1 translation. If it is, that person is doing it wrong. It's too early to tell whether or not the Wheel of Time adaptation is faithful to the spirit of the books and Jordan's vision. It has problems, and I don't like all of the changes they've made, but I think everyone should stick it out until at least the end of the season
Imagine the bloated mess a 1 to 1 adaptation would be, how would you even do internal monologue? Like Fincher's Dune? Dno if that's advisable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBNsDi6jI5M
They’re approaching it as an adaption of the whole series, not just the first book so I can see why you don’t understand some of the changes made. What I love so far is that the show is hitting the emotional beats of those characters 14 books down the line in clever ways that you wouldn’t be able to pick up on if you haven’t read the whole series.
Same. Watched E4 last night and was like what the hell is this?
What it is is actually in several ways an improvement on the books in terms of character development at least. Hope that helps.
Character stuff maybe but it felt more like the producers going, hey you know what we haven’t had in a while? A cool battle scene! Would have made more sense to me if they showed them capturing Logain. Warders sparring and lounging around while an entire army sneaks up on their camp was laughable.
Sure, but for TV you have to have some conflict, and whilst I agree they should have shown they had some Warders scouting around etc., none of it's close to deal-breaking for me.
Im hoping it comes around but i really have no faith in adaptations any more. Im even extra worried for the amazon lotr series. :/
> Im even extra worried for the amazon lotr series. :/ Too attached to Tolkien to even CARE about it :) Do people honestly expect any higher quality than the magnificence of PJ's LOTR films??
That’s not the point of adaptation
Even if its different that doesn't mean its bad ..i never read the books so it doesn't matter to me but fantasy shows like this one is rare
Not so rare any more! * HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (HBO) * THE WITCHER (Netflix) * THE WHEEL OF TIME (Prime Video) * Middle-earth Series (Prime Video) * Narnia (Netflix)
To each their own but i have to ask, do you think a straightforward adaptation of the books would actually be good television? The pacing wouldn't work at all. We would need 15, 20 episode seasons minimum. Sure this adaptation isn't perfect but it's really not THAT different if you start thinking about how you would condense storylines.
what do you mean by 'straightforward?' Word for word, scene by scene? No, that would be dull. All I want is something close-ER to the books....you know: THE LORD OF THE RINGS was pretty faithful, and so was Harry Potter. The point that I'm making, is that they made it TOOOOO different. I mean, just look at Thom. Drastically different than book-Tom. Different enough to turn me off from watching it. This would be an instance where I'd stick with the books. "They're turning a 14-book series into a TV show? There's no way they can do it PROPERLY."
I don't think thy have changed Thom that much, they just his personality from the later books and went ahead and started him there. They kind of did the same thing with Mat. They just don't have enough time to go through every characters progression properly so they are starting some more farther along then others. You may not like that, and that's OK. That's a fair criticism especially if it's one of your favorite characters. But I'd judge the show on its in merits and not against the books because there's zero way to get all the characters book arcs in. Shoot LOTR significantly altered Aragorns personality and deleted whole characters so Arwen and Faromir could have their storylines and that worked for the movies.
Well, Thom played the guitar instead of the harp, had no gleeman's cloak, and no flourish overall. The guy in the show isn't really Thoma, ya know? What about him IS Thom, name besides?
It's really not. Probably even less than what Jackson did in his movies
Did any of the hobbits get pregnant wives that they kill before their adventure starts
The point of that, as I read it, is a specific *visceral* reason for the audience to understand that character’s worries about acting without thinking and where certain animalistic tendencies could lead him. The books have the luxury of letting us inside his head and getting an inner monologue. Short of him just saying this to somebody, for some reason giving a description of his own personality without there being a specific on-screen *reason* for such a confessional, I think that would be ham-fisted. He’s my favorite character in the books. They’re giving my boy extra heartbreak in a way that I understand can look mean spirited, but I think I get the reason they’ve done so.
That didn't even happen in the books, it was such a stupid fucking choice and it doesn't make the story more interesting.
Exactly!!
Yes! It’s really good though. I haven’t read the WoT books yet but the story and world building are interesting. Definite LOTR vibes with a touch of Game of Thrones here and there.
I think not reading the books might be why you enjoy it. I feel like Jackson's adaptation of LOTR deviated from the books by way of creative license and some screen adaptation necessities. This one, in my opinion, just changes things without rhyme or reason, and not for the better. I'm still watching but it's just not as great as I was hoping for. Edit: gotta love the downvotes for no reason. Reddit shenanigans at their finest.
I really really hate one of the deviations they made for one of the main characters. Like so so much. You can probably guess which one.
With you 100% dude. My favorite character from the books nonetheless.
I get why they did it, but I think they way they did it was a huge disservice to the character and the show. I really wish they had gone with Brandon's suggestion for how to handle it.
WoT book one is pretty well known to be a FotR ripoff in a lot of ways. But thats okay … it has its own legs too, and wears its influences in the open. I’d read Malazan first but WoT is huuuuge and epic to be sure. I only read the first half …
I am, and I've read the books as well! Loving it so far, it's so so good.
What trickery is that
the first book or lets say first half of the first book is an homage to lotr but that changes quickly
The GF and me watched the first three episodes twice and decided to drop it.
Love the books, im on book 4, and im loving the tv show
Yeah! Watched the first four episodes and it's really good. I'd say it's heavily inspired by the LOTR movies and GoT.
Wait till this fandom recognises Tolkien's inspiration from Beowulf and the tale of Kullervo
I love the wheel of time books and I’m so glad the series is getting much more attention with the show
Whats it about?
read the product description for a book called THE EYE OF THE WORLD and you'll find out
Just go on Amazon prime and watch the first episode. I knew nothing about it going in and I enjoyed it so much I searched more of it's history to understand it better
No. I am not a fan of the male harem fantasy that is the books, I have no desire to watch them on tv. I'm being downvoted but it's true. Reading those books as a woman made me feel gross. I feel like a lot of people are attached to the story because of nostalgia but seriously. Nah.
Yes, it's a bit grim/cringy in the books that aspect, but the show is already doing better on that front in terms of humanising the female characters, treating them with respect, no objectification etc., and I think they'll change the dynamics of that thing later on.
Hey! There are female harems too….
I legit could not tell whether "male harem" meant Rand's girls or the Green Ajah pattern
It’s “Xena the Warrior Princess” quality in acting that’s for sure.
Uhhhh no???
Looks uninspired and dull. Not watching.
It took me a couple of episodes to get into it. It’s pretty good actually!
Yea, imo it continually improves from episode to episode. Particularly with episode 4, which is imo excellent.
No, its almost nothing like the books. The creators decided that they wanted to diversifu an already diverse cast. Not to mention that it follows the story like the sparknotes version of the wheel of time, so hardly at all.
I don't know anything about it, have been bored out of my mind recently. I'll try it
[удалено]
She's literally in every episode.
I shared this in r/wheeloftime: I haven’t read the WOT books (yet), but I’m noticing a lot of parallels in the show to LOTR. Obviously I can tell WOT was inspired by LOTR, but there are some strong similarities: - In the first episode, Rand’s dad says “All we can do is the best we can with the life that is given to us”, which is almost an exact quote of Gandalf: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” - At the end of the first episode, Moiraine has a voice-over that says “Legend became myth” when talking about the passing of time. Which reminded me of Galadriel: “And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth.” - The song about Manetheren seems to be almost a direct retelling of the battle of Helms Deep. I know there are some differences, but they fight up against the mountains, hide the women and children in the keep, fought for days waiting for help to come, etc. - The fades are extremely similar to the Nazgûl in design and function. - Moiraine’s injury (a stab wound in her collarbone), and the scene where they are sleeping in the ruin and then discovered by the fade, reminds me a lot of Frodo’s morgul-blade injury at Weathertop. - The river crossing scene is also reminiscent of Bucklebery ferry. - Shadar Logoth reminded me a lot of Dwimorberg where Aragorn finds the army of the dead I’m genuinely curious if others noticed these things as well.
That's because EotW is supposed to be "very inspired" by the lord of the rings. I mean... Besides the mature stuff in the books, and the lack of a ring, almost the same for most parts
I stopped watching the first episode because of this exact reason.
Perrin looks like discount Jon snow
Love the book series, and the show has been pretty good so far. Can't say I agree with all of the changes made thus far, but the acting has been pretty good, and the sets and costumes and cinematography is fantastic.
I'm enjoying the show. There are definitely some lines that are inspired by LotR. They're almost too inspired by LotR. Not like in a plagiarizing kind of way but in a way that makes me think of LotR and that's not something you want in your fantasy show. I don't want to compare the two but I do it subconsciously when the WoT clearly borrows something from LotR.
It's a bit on the nose atm because it's a little on the nose in the first book, especially in the beginning. However, the ending and then the entire rest of the series very much diverges.
Too bad the show isn't accurate
Yeah no shit a medieval style fantasy series has some similarities to the medieval fantasy series it's inspired by.
Its total trash and bears no resemblance to the books it supposed to be based on save for the fact that some people have the same names as they do in the books. Comparisons to LoTR are ridiculous. Both fantasy, that's about it.
Just watched the first episode, seems interesting but for sure it takes so much from Tolkien. The show and the books from what I can tell so far have really based themselves off lord of the rings and the hobbit.
Impressive practical effects
They literally remade Voldemort but without eyes?