by Robert Bouffard, Editor
The new fantasy show, The Wheel of Time, is much different than the 15-book series of novels by the late Robert Jordan, which it’s based on. I’ve only read the first one and one-quarter books, but even based on my limited knowledge, I could quickly feel the deviation in tone. That being said, I strongly believe in taking adaptations at face value and on their own terms, which allowed me to really enjoy the show for what it was, flaws included.
The world of The Wheel of Time feels fairly familiar for a mainstream fantasy series. There’s magic, and five young people who’ve lived secluded lives are swept away on a grand adventure by someone who knows that magic to learn things about themselves that they never knew before. Except, this isn’t Frodo, Harry, or Luke. It’s Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) and the rest of the crew from the Two Rivers. The Aes Sedai Moiraine (who’s played by Rosamund Pike, by far the biggest name on the show) comes to Rand’s home saying that she believes that the Dragon Reborn — who is prophecied to defeat the Dark One — lives in his town. So Rand, along with Nynaeve (Zoë Robins), Egwene (Madeleine Madden), Perrin (Marcus Rutherford), and Mat (Barney Harris), go with Moiraine on a journey to the White Tower where the other Aes Sedai (that’s plural) will help come to a conclusion about how to handle the Dragon.
Like any new fantasy series, that’s a lot to take in. But the show — created and run by Rafe Judkins — does a fine job of orienting you to the world of the story. If you don’t fully understand everything that’s going on, there are at least the broad strokes of “defeat bad guy” and “one of us is the Chosen One.” Though with the relative simplicity, the famously lore-heavy series does prove somewhat difficult to adapt, because a lot of the world building feels convoluted and confusing. There’s a rushed feeling to the whole show, where you know it’s building towards something, but it just feels like it’s using the quickest way to get to that something. For anyone who’s looking for a nice, easy new show to settle into, The Wheel of Time likely won’t be for you. But if you want a fantasy show that obviously has its eyes on the future as well as the present, you may just excuse some of the warts and hiccups that WoT has in its first season.
The main thing that makes The Wheel of Time worth investing in, though, is the cast. Pike is great as this world’s version of Gandalf or Obi-Wan Kenobi. She’s stoic yet magnetic, which is a difficult line to walk. Meanwhile, four of the five 20-something-year-old actors are great. The show is built on a lot of modern progressive themes, and Robins and Madden are excellent choices for these roles of Nynaeve and Egwene. Rutherford is great, as well, as Perrin, who’s essentially the gentle giant. His characterization deviates from the books, but it’s very interesting to see where they’ve gone with him. The standout actor, though, is Harris. Mat is a complex and layered character, and Harris digs into everything that makes him who he is, all while making you fall in love with him as a character. But sadly, Harris has exited the show for undisclosed reasons, and Mat will be played by Dónal Finn going forward.
Most of all, it’s the interplay between our leads that gives the show life. You may not fully understand the world or how the magic works, but you will fall in love with the characters and their various dynamics. Even Stradowski, who I think is the unfortunate weak link, fits in perfectly, thanks to his good chemistry with his cast mates. Great, complicated, lovable characters across the board can play a huge role in getting me invested in a show.
The last major positive all throughout the season is the action. It’s brutal, but so well choreographed. Just like a great cast, awesome swordplay with magic mixed in can go a long way for my personal appreciation for a fantasy property, and The Wheel of Time has it to a magnificent degree. The opening sequence in the seventh episode is particularly excellent and gripping, and was one of my favorite moments in the entire season simply due to the fight choreography and high stakes.
Overall, The Wheel of Time is a mixed but positive bag. There’s a lot to like about it, but its story is rushed, and it’s full of overly-manipulative plot devices that make you check out and uninvest. But with all that being said, I’m still eagerly awaiting season two.
Grade: B-
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