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Amazon reinvents 'The Wheel of Time' for the small screen, with surprising turns

Glen Weldon

Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) visits a remote village in search of something — or someone — in Amazon's The Wheel of Time . Jan Thijs/Amazon Studios hide caption

Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) visits a remote village in search of something — or someone — in Amazon's The Wheel of Time .

This isn't the article about Amazon's adaptation of Robert Jordan's epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time that you were supposed to be reading right now.

It isn't one I'd planned to write.

You were supposed to be reading a sort of chatty, funny, and ultimately invaluable introduction to the sprawling world of the series, and its many characters, factions, lands and institutions drawn from Jordan's books. It would be the product of a deep knowledge of, and affection for, the scope and details of the 14-volume saga (the last three of which were co-written by Brandon Sanderson, following Jordan's death in 2007). It would offer a refresher course for those who've read the novels, and much-needed guidance to those going into the Amazon series without knowing the difference between the Red Ajah and the Blue Ajah.

Celebrating Petra Mayer's legacy and the joy she brought to NPR

It would also be filled with incisive, clear-eyed critiques of the series — noting with effusive praise what it got right, and ticking off, with withering barbs, what it got wrong.

You're not reading that piece, because my friend and colleague Petra Mayer isn't around to write it like she was supposed to. She died suddenly last weekend.

We'd traded texts about the Wheel of Time primer she was planning to write for NPR. It would have been something to bookmark, a rich and satisfying stew of information and opinion to keep by your side as you watched the series, I know that with an ironclad certainty.

Instead, you get this comparatively thin gruel — a review, written by me, someone who has never gotten around to reading the books. To the impossibly long list of reasons to be angry that my brilliant, funny, profoundly nerdy friend died so suddenly, it's way down at the bottom.

But it makes the list.

For 'Wheel Of Time' Fans, The Last Battle Is At Hand

The shadow of the past.

Gotta admit, that ferry scene gave me pause.

Early in the Amazon series, several of our doughty heroes escape from their isolated, bucolic village at night, via ferry. In hot pursuit: A hooded creature, dressed in black, astride a black horse — he's a servant of a powerful malevolent entity called The Dark One, who has, it appears, returned after a long absence to threaten the world once again.

Huh , I thought. How about that.

That certain elements of The Wheel of Time would echo elements of The Lord of the Rings seems inevitable, of course. Tolkien's massive work inspired scores of imitators, and later, interpolators — writers who would create high-fantasy worlds that would inflect and invert the now-hoary tropes Tolkien helped usher in: A Chosen One, A Dark Lord and his Dark Riders, a Foul Army of Orcs, A Council of Wise, Color-Coded Wizards, etc.

But for a scene so early on to so closely map itself over one of the more memorable events in The Fellowship of the Ring — both the Tolkien book and its Peter Jackson film adaptation — seemed to bode ill.

I needn't have worried.

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Because the ferry scene in question doesn't end with the heroes' escape, as it does in Tolkien — it goes further, and includes a turn of events that raises the stakes and reveals that the world of the series will admit many more shades of gray than the tidy Light/Shadow duality of Middle-Earth.

Yes, the plot involves the search for The Chosen One — in the lore of the series, the long-prophesied person called the Dragon Reborn, who alone can defeat the Dark One. This, too, is familiar ground.

But the series introduces a twist, and introduces it early: The Dragon Reborn may be one of four people in the remote village of Two Rivers. There is Rand (Josha Stradowski), a humble farmboy; Egwene (Madeleine Madden), a young woman recently admitted to the ranks of the village's matriarchy; Perrin (Marcus Rutherford), a hulking young blacksmith; and Mat (Barney Harris), a charming wastrel.

And that "Reborn" business? Turns out the clash between Dragon and Dark One has happened before, many times, and will continue to happen. ( Wheel of Time, geddit?) But another twist: The last time the Dragon faced the Dark One, he blew it, and the world was broken.

Moiraine Layer: An Aes Sedai (Rosamund Pike) gets her magic on. Amazon Studios hide caption

Moiraine Layer: An Aes Sedai (Rosamund Pike) gets her magic on.

Attempting to patch things up: An elite organization of women magic-users called the Aes Sedai. We first meet Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and her warder, the taciturn Lan (Daniel Henney), who are searching for the Dragon Reborn before he or she can be found by the Dark One, his servants, or his army of Trollocs (think Orcs with horns and goat-feet).

Again and again, the series executes familiar story beats and fantasy tropes with a contemporary sensibility that would likely cause old Professor Tolkien to spill his Twinings all over his tweed waistcoast: A matter-of-factly diverse approach to casting, storylines that foreground women, the existence of same-sex couples, and of it all taking place in a moral universe where characters make choices that aren't dictated by their noble blood, or the relative swarthiness of their skin.

In the six episodes made available to the press (the first season consists of eight episodes, and a Season 2 has already been picked up), the central storyline splits off into several threads, giving each of our main characters room to breathe, and their situations time to complicate, in ways that feel necessary and intriguing — without the sense of narrative bloat the bogs down so many streaming series.

The dialogue mostly avoids the fantasy-genre trap of sounding falsely stiff and heightened, as if the screenwriter entered Beowulf into Google Translate; neither does it sound too jarringly contemporary (i.e., "Word comes from the North! We are to just like chill here for the nonce!")

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You won't need to have read the sprawling, 14-volume fantasy saga to know instinctively that what you're seeing on the Amazon series only skims its surface.

Feints are made to indicate the scope of Jordan's world, and its history — a bit of dialogue here, a snippet of song there. Characters gets a moment or two to invoke their homeland, or their ancestry. But the ultimate effect is to cause the world underpinning the events depicted — the world that always seems to hover just offscreen — to insist upon itself, and always compete for our attention with the story we're watching.

It's not that the show looks cheap, by any means. There are plenty of breathtaking vistas and vibrant, richly textured costumes and elaborate sets. It's just that it can't help but feel scaled down, reduced, distilled, made for television. Something about the quality of light in certain scenes seems a bit too sharp, too clean, for a world lit only by sun and fire. The sinister Children of the Light, for example, wear cloaks so blindingly and pristinely white, even as they trudge through muddy forests, that you can't help wondering about their OxyClean budget.

If the world of The Wheel of Time doesn't come off as satisfyingly grimy and lived-in as the world of other fantasy series, and it never quite musters the sweep and scope of its older brothers — Jackson's Lord of the Rings , HBO's Game of Thrones — it does manage to tell its story in a way that's compelling, unique and, frequently, surprising, full of narrative twists and character turns that even the most jaded fantasy reader might not see coming.

I know Petra had a deep affection for the book series (and also strong caveats, because: Petra). I don't know what her ultimate of the opinion of the show might have been, but I do know this: The last time we talked, she was just beginning to watch the Amazon show, so I braced myself to spend a few days reading a series of her stream-of-consciousness, expletive-studded texts about it, full of joy and outrage, effusive praise and bones to pick.

I'm still waiting.

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Review: This ‘Wheel of Time’ Goes Nowhere Fast

Amazon’s ambitious fantasy adaptation is bursting with magic and monsters, but it’s no heir to the “Thrones.”

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By James Poniewozik

There is a great wheel that turns and turns, and history turns with it. When it completes its circuit, the departed souls from the previous age return in new forms.

This is the cosmology of Amazon Prime Video’s new fantasy spectacle, “The Wheel of Time,” hence the title. It’s also a philosophy of TV programming, in which the old inexorably becomes new again. “Game of Thrones” left this mortal plane in 2019, and it is not far-fetched to assume that Amazon hopes “Wheel,” whose first three episodes debut Friday, is its second coming.

Here is where I need to pre-empt readers of the fantasy novels the series is based on. (Review a fantasy-saga adaptation and you will inevitably need to deal with the readers .) Robert Jordan’s cycle of 14 novels (plus supplemental reading) began years before the George R.R. Martin books that were the basis of “Game of Thrones.” And both Jordan and Martin were following, or responding to, the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.” (To complete the circle, or re-spin the wheel, Amazon will also have a “Rings” series next year.)

But as a TV adaptation, “The Wheel of Time” sure looks as if it wouldn’t mind your confusing it with “Thrones,” right down to the opening credits with their circular Ouroboros-like logo, not unlike the emblem in the “Thrones” credits.

The good news for fantasy-hungry viewers is that this lush and ambitious series quickly approaches “Thrones,” and even Peter Jackson’s Tolkien films, in grandeur and polish. It’s in the verve of life and depth of character that “Wheel” is a few revolutions behind.

Vast series like Jordan’s (which was completed by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan’s death in 2007 ) can be quagmires to adapt; an abortive pilot aired like a thief in the night on FXX in 2015. This new attempt, developed by Rafe Judkins, hints at a mammoth world and mythology to be built out, based on a mix-match of eastern and western philosophies and aesthetics.

But it begins simply and approachably, in what you could call Modified Frodo’s Quest Mode: There’s a prophecy, a wizard, a band of ordinary folk swept up in history, a perilous journey, a shadowy foe and talk of a decisive final battle.

The Gandalfian figure here is Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) of the Aes Sedai, an all-female order of enchanters who weave smoky strands of magic. She turns up in Two Rivers, a region nestled amid “Sound of Music” mountains, because the auguries say that one of the local young people is the incarnation of the Dragon, an epochal figure who appears at the end of each age.

The twist: She doesn’t know who it is. When an army of trollocs — beast-faced minions of the unseen Dark One — show up to unleash Dungeons & Dragons havoc, she flees Two Rivers with her swordsman-sidekick, Lan (Daniel Henney), and a gaggle of potential reluctant saviors.

Their journey to the Aes Sedai stronghold, which takes up much of the six episodes screened for critics (of eight in the first season), gives us time to take in the scenery and get to know the characters.

The former is splendid. Scene after painterly scene looks like the lavish cover of a 1980s fantasy paperback . The latter are mostly bland stock types, especially the young Dragons-in-waiting.

Rand (Josha Stradowski) is a moony, earnest shepherd boy smitten with Egwene (Madeleine Madden), the empathetic apprentice to the village healer, Nynaeve (Zoë Robins). The blacksmith Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) is a gentle giant; Mat (Barney Harris) is a cynic with a sad past and a knack for trouble. Two of the more distinctive performances come from antagonists: Álvaro Morte (“Money Heist”) as an uprising’s leader and Abdul Salis as an inquisitor for a band of religious fanatics who oppose the Aes Sedai.

The series’s dramatic drive comes from Pike, who gives Moiraine a burdened gravity and fearsomeness. But she’s too often saddled with Fairport Convention lyrics like “The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills,” and try saying that 10 times fast.

The ideas behind “Wheel” do have potential. Its worldview is not as realpolitik as that of “Thrones,” but its concept of good and evil is promisingly complicated.

The Aes Sedai, for instance, are high-minded but ruthless, riven by internal politics and not to be trusted even by one another. There are doubts about whether the prophesied Dragon will be the salvation or the ruin of the world. Even some followers of the Dark One — so far, a vague offscreen threat — believe that their master means to do good by breaking a historical cycle of suffering.

The series’s gender dynamic may be its most thinkpiece-friendly feature. Women control magic in the world of “Wheel” for historical-mythological reasons — something-something about the One Power being tainted in a way that afflicts males who try to use it — which in turn leads some men to resentment or fear of being superfluous.

It is a provocative premise, though it’s not clear what, if anything, “Wheel” is trying to say with it. In general, the show’s long game — that is, why you should care enough to commit — is elusive, even as it strings episodes together with matinee-serial cliffhangers. Somehow it manages to feel fast-paced and static at the same time.

“Wheel” does have time to develop; it has already been picked up for a second season. What it lacks is a voice. Or rather it has one, but it’s the stiff New Agey dialect of generic high fantasy. Maybe this is a carry-over of Jordan’s ponderous prose; maybe it’s the effect of too much cautious respect for the source material. But listening to one character after another hold forth on the turnings of the Wheel, I longed for a Gollum or an Arya Stark to kick some life into the works.

From its opening minutes, “The Wheel of Time” is epic in scale. But deep into its first season, it is not yet human in scale. It’s pretty to look at, though. Early on, the wanderers take refuge in a cursed city, its deserted streets lined with baroque architecture and statuary. “Wheel,” as a production, feels like that. It’s a breathtakingly detailed edifice with no people in it.

James Poniewozik is the chief television critic. He writes reviews and essays with an emphasis on television as it reflects a changing culture and politics. He previously spent 16 years with Time magazine as a columnist and critic. More about James Poniewozik

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Amazon’s ‘the wheel of time’: tv review.

Rosamund Pike leads the ensemble in a long-awaited adaptation of Robert Jordan's multivolume epic fantasy series.

By Daniel Fienberg

Daniel Fienberg

Chief Television Critic

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When you’ve read a 14-volume fantasy series in which the individual books tend to be more than 1,000 pages apiece, it’s a commitment that leaves the dedication to a George R.R. Martin or J.R.R. Tolkien, or most scribes with or without “R.R.” in their appellation, in the dust. Based on my reading of a tiny part of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time franchise, I may not fully understand the devotion of his fans, but I admire it.

It isn’t just that fans of The Wheel of Time have consumed all the books and companion texts and waited for any sort of filmed adaptation at all. If you were to construct a Wheel of Time theme park, there’d be a lot of money in that, and it wouldn’t even have to be especially ambitious. All you’d have to do is give the merest hint of the fictional world’s appeal and fans would come to enjoy lackluster rides, pose for pictures with characters and wander through overly synthetic sets over and over.

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The Wheel of Time Review: Prime Video’s High Fantasy Adaptation Is Worthy of Such a Grand Adventure

Jon negroni, contributor.

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The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend . These are the opening words of the late Robert Jordan’s The Eye of the World , the first book in his 14-volume high fantasy series known as The Wheel of Time , with the final three books completed by Brandon Sanderson.

It should be no surprise, then, that Sanderson serves as a consultant on the highly anticipated TV adaptation, which releases its first three episodes on Prime Video starting this Friday, Nov. 19. The series faces an uphill battle for fans of the novels versus fans of prestige television: How does Jordan’s arguably old-fashioned story about chosen ones and dark lords translate to modern audiences hungry for something new?

After screening the first three episodes, the strategy employed makes decent sense. Seize on the forward-thinking ideas and concepts already in the original story — there are more than enough — and focus far less on the tropes. No need to dwell on this being yet another tale about farm boys realizing their destinies. Lurking behind the pages of Jordan’s first novel is a morsel of mystery behind who the chosen one really is, even if it might be somewhat obvious to some.

By that count, the TV series wisely picks up on an opportunity to center more of its tale on the female leads. While The Eye of the World mostly fixated on one point of view throughout the first half or so, later books were far more varied and complex when it comes to who this story is truly about. So TV’s The Wheel of Time kicks off with that very approach by utilizing a large cast and plenty of conflict to get the swords and magic going sooner than readers of the books might expect.

Set in a possible future perhaps thousands of years from now, mankind has already gone through an apocalyptic reset or two. The current “Age” looks a lot like Middle Earth and Westeros, but closer to a Renaissance period in terms of the clothes, technology and the arts. In this world, human beings can channel incredible, magical powers, but there’s a catch. Women can learn to control these abilities quite well, but men “go mad” when they try it themselves, and are therefore deemed a threat to society.

Moiraine (played by Gone Girl ‘s Pike) belongs to an order of female channelers known as Aes Sedai. But unlike her contemporaries, she’s less concerned with seeking out and defanging male channelers. She wants to find the “Dragon Reborn,” a prophesied reincarnation of a powerful individual who could either save the world… or destroy it.

The potential for absolute greatness (or destruction) leads Moiraine and her blade-wielding Warder companion, Lan ( Criminal Minds ‘ Daniel Henney) to a remote village where four young adults apparently fit the description of the Dragon Reborn and must be protected at all costs from the seemingly all-powerful “Dark One” and his deadly hordes.

Yes, it’s a standard setup as far as high fantasy narratives go. But the central characters are where things get a bit more surprising and distinct. There’s Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris), a quick-witted sleuth who’s always up for a game of dice. Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford) is a gentle-natured blacksmith who fears hurting others with his large size and potentially dark nature. Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) is the strong-willed leader of his friends, and he has eyes for Egwene al’Vere (Madeleine Madden), who has been all but promised to him as a wife from birth but has larger aspirations of her own.

When these characters and mystical forces collide with one another, it results in fairly satisfying intrigue and set pieces, plus some much-needed tension between those with power and those without. Because the books have been completed, Jordan’s meticulous world is filled to the brim with baked-in ideas and stunning world-building that the screenwriters can pick and choose based on where they want everything to ultimately end. In some cases, the show takes some welcome shortcuts and adds a few nice updates to an already well-worn story.

There’s no meandering around the Two Rivers and getting to know all of Emond’s Field before the adventurers set off for what fans really want to see, and rightfully so. Logistically, it would be a nightmare to do a single book’s worth of content per season. Let the books be the books and the show be the show appears to be a mantra for showrunner Rafe Judkins ( Chuck, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ).

A nice addition to the drama, for example, is a bit more motivation behind Mat’s gambling. He isn’t purely a selfish character, he simply struggles to trust others and wants to do right by his two sisters. These characters are also aged up slightly, so the romantic elements are far more pronounced and less reduced to schoolyard crush material. (That was fine for the books, but in the show, cutting to the chase will probably be for the best.)

Still, The Wheel of Time has enough potential to ride past these initial frustrations thanks to a high budget and deep commitment from the actors to faithfully bring the magic of this story to life. It’s simply a thrill to see these cherished characters finally get an adaptation worthy of such a grand adventure. Assuming future episodes and seasons continue to innovate ( it’s already renewed ), even if not every bold departure hits the mark perfectly.

THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: Prime Video’s sleek, ambitious The Wheel of Time is off to a promising start, though this heroic journey risks getting a little too ahead of itself.

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18 comments.

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So thrilled and excited. Nov. 19 is my birthday! WoT party woohoo!

How many books does the first season cover? I’m trying to re-read the books before each season.

The showrunner said it covers book 1 and parts of 2

I am interested in trying it out.

I’m glad they’re taking their own road with the series and not trying to recreate every aspect of the books. I put down The Eye of the Worlds 3 times because I was so bored with it. I had to push through the Edmond’s Field part and once I did I was hooked. Also, the later books were a drawn-out mess of filler. Looking forward to watching this weekend.

The later books WERE chock full of filler, but it seems like the show is doubling down on the “filler” parts that the fans were so angry about. We wanted MORE focus on the Ta’veren, and the more notable female characters. The primary complaints in the later books was LESS time was spent on the central leads. . If anyone thinks the fans wanted MORE Aes Sedai politicking, they are sadly wrong. I’m really worried about this.

I quite agree

You know, except half the books already focus on the female leads without making one of them “maybe the dragon”… The thing no one wants to be. The female characters are already just as important as the men. This was an unnecessary change that either requires massive changes to the story or creates massive plot holes. Just to say… Sure, Rand is the dragon, but it COULD have been one of the woman… Um, includeing Moirain if you really think about it.

And if an Ais Sedai can be the sragon reborn than the white tower can’t exist. The Aes Sedai have been hunting the dragon for years, almost all of them with the goal of destroying him. If any one of them could BE the dragon reborn the tower would fall to suspicion and mistrust… Like it does after they discover the existence of the black ajah.

She can’t,she’s too old to have been born during the Aeil war. It also can’t be a woman because Lews Therin was a man. Some idiotic setup the show has done.

The previews I’ve seen haven’t impressed me, but I plan to watch and give it a go…

I’ll probably watch this but totally off subject, every time I see Rosamund Pike all I think is how the author of An Ember in the Ashes said that would be her dream casting for the role of Commandant. I guess that project is dead as it’s been years since I’ve heard anything :-(

I don’t see Rosamund Pike as Moraine. I think of someone as Halle Berry height and looks. Aes Sedai were known for their ageless looks. Looking much much younger than their age, but the carelessness by the expression the look in their eyes.

Excited to see it come and holding my breath. I pictured Moraine like what they put on the cover. Someone the height of Zoe Saldana and cute, Aes Sedai have the ageless look. This actress doesn’t. I understand the hurry to get the plot moving, but it’s important to get the characters developed enough. Will Perrin “dance with wolves”. I can see trimming away alot of what’s in the middle books. Sounds like it’s all about the heroism of Moraine. Can’t wait to see what a Trolloc or Fade look like. Anyone listen to the audio book? I enjoyed them. Fingers crossed.

Great review, thanks for writing it up. Can’t wait to see this show, it sounds like just the perfect escape the world needs right now from the coronavirus! The cinematography, landscapes, sets, and costumes look really well done. Plus the bad guys (trollocks and fades) were very realistic and scary in the previews! Having lived through Game of Thrones, I am really excited that this show is based on a COMPLETE set of 14 books, so there’s tons of material for them to draw on, and the ending of the books is supposed to be really satisfying. If all goes well we could get a 10 season high budget fantasy show that never loses an interesting story line. That would really be something!

As an avid fan of the books (full read through 3 times, early books a half dozen+), it would be easy to criticize the differences and shortcuts. But I have been pleasantly surprised and am excited to see how the show develops on its own.

If they had tracked the books too closely (a) the show would get bogged down in too much world building and (b) there would be zero surprises for me. Other book fans may pan the show because of deviations, but that seems very shortsighted. With Brandon Sanderson and Harriet McDougal consulting, the legacy of Robert Jordan’s vision will be honored, of that I have no doubt.

I thought Episode 2 was brilliant – Shadar Logoth was as eerie and scary as one could hope – and the introduction to Darkfriends in Episode 3 spot on.

I remain unsure about how the changes to Mat’s and Perrin’s backstories will affect future events, but again, I am looking forward to seeing those events play out.

More than anything, I simply want the show to go to the end because I want to see each of these characters meet their destinies.

I was disappointed in that they didn’t explain at all why it is problematic that Matt took that dagger from Shadar Logoth.

aAa fan of the book series, there were a few things that annoyed me in the first 3 Episodes, mostly leaving out needed characters, having Moraine looking for 4 kids instead of just the 3 boys. and the changing of characters roles. i.e. the show doesn’t give you any reasoning behind why the Wolves are following Perrin and Egwene as they don’t introduce Elyas Machera before the interaction with the Tinkers. And the addition of the love connections is not needed. overall I will continue to watch the show just to see where they take it, but some of the changes that so far have been made are making me wonder what else are they going to change that didn’t need to be changed.

Garbage…. absolutely garbage. I never expected a play by play per the novels but this is just bloody awful. Probably the only chance for this story to make it to a TV screen and its destroyed RJs total storyline. Im sorry Rafe but you had one job dude…

The Wheel of Time review – Jeff Bezos’s Game of Thrones is destined to be forgotten

Amazon’s new epic provides a stopgap for fantasy fans, but it’s hardly the stuff of legend – and Rosamund Pike was surely just thinking of the cash

T he Wheel of Time, the new fantasy series on Amazon Prime, is what happens when Jeff Bezos orders you to come up with a Game of Thrones-type hit. This adaptation of Robert Jordan ’s 11-novel series also functions as a stopgap while fans await Amazon’s Lord of the Rings prequel – Telling “Unexplored Stories” Based on JRR’s Works But With Creative Restrictions Imposed By the Estate! – which is expected to launch late next year.

In the meantime we have the tale of a matriarchal land overseen by the magical ladies of the Aes Sedai, who channel the One Power to keep the peace. Men used to be able to harness the power too, until they – led by what we must presume was a rather charismatic figure called The Dragon – ruined everything. Now the few magical men left are hunted down and put to death by the sisterhood.

Top Aes Sedai banana is Moiraine Damodred (played by Rosamund Pike, whose air of being fundamentally detached from, if not slightly above, proceedings serves her well here). She and her sidekick Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney) are on the hunt for the reincarnation of The Dragon. She knows he’s been reborn (“The Dark One is waking”), but precisely where and in what body she cannot be sure.

Her search takes her to Two Rivers, a village full of surprisingly clean and dentally sound peasants. One of the local twentysomethings is likely to be the reincarnation (and all of them look as if at least one of their parents was Ryan Phillippe or Jonathan Rhys Meyers, a phenomenon I think requires as urgent investigation as the whole Dragon reborn business). They include: irrepressible scamp and wheeler-dealer Mat (Barney Harris); responsible, happily married Perrin (Marcus Rutherford), Egwene (Madeleine Madden), who has recently undergone the hairbraiding and rapids-shooting-in-a-diaphanous-gown that constitutes passage into womanhood round these parts; and motherless Rand (Josha Stradowski), who has no distinguishing characteristics apart from wearing a mohair jumper I’m sure I had in 1987 and being the prettiest of all the Meyers-Phillippe offspring. There is also Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) – a Wisdom who, despite looking like a zygote, seems to be a protective village elder. She is not pleased to see Moiraine, reckoning she is a sure sign of trouble. And so it proves.

The village is attacked at length by some pleasingly well-rendered (Amazon Prime has money) monsters called Trollocs. Much grisliness ensues – including Perrin’s accidental killing of his wife in the heat of battle – until Moiraine throws magic at the problem. Off they go, to find themselves, their destinies and enough sex scenes to keep the punters happy (the characters’ ages in the books have been raised to keep them firmly out of YA territory).

It’s absolutely fine. It’s got brio, it’s got style and it’s got enough portentous voiceover book-ending events to make everything feel high stakes. “The Wheel of Time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend,” says Moiraine as she and the young villagers set out and Pike thinks of the money and Harrison Ford’s plangent cry to George Lucas back in the day. “Legend fades to myth and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth comes again.” You can type this shit, but you sure can’t say it. Except, of course, sometimes you must.

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‘Wheel of Time’ Grinds Things Like ‘Plot’ and ‘Character’ to a Screeching Halt

By Alan Sepinwall

Alan Sepinwall

When you play the game to be the next Game of Thrones , you win, or you waste a whole lot of money.

You remember Game of Thrones , right? Epic fantasy drama adapted from a beloved (but still unfinished) book series, kicked off a new blockbuster era in television in terms of both scale and audience size, then alienated most of its audience by the end? Ring a bell?

Now, get ready for the Thrones clones. HBO has an expensive prequel series, House of the Dragon , coming sometime next year, and their execs are no doubt hoping that the 300-year time gap between the events of the two shows will allow viewers to forget how much they disliked the GoT finale. Next fall, Amazon is introducing a Lord of the Rings series for which they spent a quarter of a billion dollars just to acquire the rights to the J.R.R. Tolkien books, never mind how much they’ve spent actually making it. First to market, though, is another Amazon fantasy adaptation, this time of Robert Jordan’s beloved, massive (more than a dozen books, several of which were completed after Jordan’s death) Wheel of Time series, with a reported $10 million budget per episode — more than the comparatively modest $6 million-per-episode cost of that first GoT season with Ned Stark, though less than the $15 million of that last batch of installments, with all their CGI ice zombie and dragon battles.

We’ll have to see next year how effectively House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings have used their budgets, but the underwhelming Wheel of Time is a reminder that money alone does not make a fantasy world go around.

Wheel takes place in a world where magic — frequently referred to as “the one power” — exists, but is largely the province of a group of women known as the Aes Sedai(*). The titular Wheel refers to a civilization-wide belief in reincarnation, with people being reborn again and again in different circumstances. Mostly, this is fine, but one of those on track for returning is a figure called the Dragon, who in its last iteration broke the world. The Aes Sedai witches have fixed things as best they can, but no one knows whether the new Dragon will be a destroyer or a healer, or even what gender it will be. So the powerful sorceress Moiraine ( Rosamund Pike ) travels the countryside with her bodyguard (or “warder”) Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney) looking for this new Dragon, in hopes of harnessing its power for good instead of evil. In the first episode, she arrives in a small river community and is surprised to find four potential candidates — stoic archer Rand (Josha Stradowski), warm bartender Egwene (Madeleine Madden), mighty blacksmith Perrin (Marcus Rutherford), and the rascally hustler Mat (Barney Harris) — plus a local healer (or “wisdom”), Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) with intriguing abilities.

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(*) It’s pronounced more or less like “I said hi,” and is one of many names that will make closed-captions feel essential.

The books have been adapted for the screen by Rafe Judkins, a veteran writer of nerd-friendly shows like Chuck and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (*), and a professed lifelong fan of the Wheel of Time series. Perhaps his approach will please fellow Robert Jordan obsessives, but as someone approaching the show as a total newcomer to the world (as I was to Thrones ), the appeal of the story — and, in particular, of the central characters — proved elusive.

(*) Fun fact: He was also a contestant on Survivor: Guatemala , where he finished in third place.

In one episode, Moiraine gets into a philosophical argument with an opponent about the nature and purpose of the Wheel of Time itself. Moiraine argues that the Wheel can’t want things any more than a river or the rain do, but that, “It’s people who want.” The people, though, are the big problem here. Most are bland and forgettable, and a few are outright annoying. Moiraine and Mat are the only two who stand out even a bit, and that’s owing more to the performances by Rosamund Pike and Barney Harris than anything either is given to do. (And Harris has reportedly been replaced for the second season, which is in production now.) Almost everyone gets one note to play, maybe two — Rand, for instance, alternates between exasperatingly pouty and generically heroic — in ways that are perhaps meant to make them seem archetypal and instead render them fairly dull. One of Moiraine’s colleagues complains that it’s hard having a conversation with someone like her who won’t say anything, which sums up our overly cryptic heroine. That said, Pike’s sheer presence is often the most compelling thing in a given scene, and the show suffers even more during a stretch where Moiraine is sidelined by injury.

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‘The Wheel of Time’ Suffers From Too Much Story, Told Too Hurriedly: TV Review

By Daniel D'Addario

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Amazon Prime Video ’s new television series “ The Wheel of Time ,” based on the series of novels by Robert Jordan, draws upon a rich, deep history. Or so this viewer, unfamiliar with Jordan’s work, was left to presume when the show began with Rosamund Pike explaining the backstory and the stakes in rushed voice-over.

There’s nothing wrong with voice-over in principle: It can be used well or poorly. But there is a sense, from this show’s first moments, that it’s bursting out with story, so much so that it can’t tell it all subtly, or using the tools of dialogue and characterization. The result is a show that may well please Jordan’s core fandom from the first but which makes for a frustrating watch for viewers who care less about whether “The Wheel of Time” outdoes “Game of Thrones” for spectacle than about whether the show they’re watching is coherent and well-crafted on its own terms.

It’s hard to disentangle “Time” from its “Thrones”-sized ambitions: The surface similarity, and the reputed notion that Amazon is hungry for its own global smash, have been widely noted in the run-up to this new show’s launch. And pitting the two against each other hardly seems forced. Both shows’ origins, both drawn from fantasy novel sequences, are similar. So are the stakes, and the language used to describe them: In “The Wheel of Time,” we’re repeatedly told that a conflagration with “the Dark One” is coming, and that a chosen one — “the Dragon” — must rise to meet him.

Moiraine (Pike) is in search of this Dragon. As a member of a powerful circle of magical women, she finds five young people with great potential, believing one of them to be the reincarnated Messiah figure who might save the world. (These five are, to a one, played by appealing actors, whom we may wish we got to see drawn out at a less breakneck pace.) Moiraine’s faith is deep, and must be: We learn that there’s a high likelihood that those she tests who are not the dragon may die in the attempt.

This premise would, on its face, seem to lend itself well to episodic drama. And yet the series, created by Rafe Judkins, finds itself stranded on various morasses. Part of the issue with “Wheel” is its addiction to spectacle: We seem to be constantly moving toward or coming down from violent conflagration, so much so that the show’s power to startle us quickly dwindles. If this is an attempt to match what “Thrones” became in popular memory, Judkins and his team would be well-advised to recall that much of that drama’s first season was a high-stakes character drama, not a war with a new front opening each episode. This perversely gives the show a pinched and narrow-feeling universe, with its focus limited to what peril lies directly ahead.

This hurts its ability to draw out character. We see more of the five’s skills than of their interactions or group dynamic on a pretty unusual mission, though the actors portraying them try their best. And Pike can easily summon imperiousness, as fans of her films from “Gone Girl” to “I Care a Lot” already know well. But it’s only in the sixth episode that we get to see her do significantly more than intone gravely — during which time many may have lost interest. And the young people she shepherds rarely transcend their roles in the story as cogs in, well, a wheel, significant for how they collectively affect the story but not in and of themselves.

About that wheel: The fictional world of this series is one dominated by a religion that believes fiercely in reincarnation and in something that edges up to predestination. (It’s summoned in an opening credits sequence that literalizes the conceit as on “Game of Thrones”: There, the show’s action was summed up by a game board, here by a spinning loom.) That’s what propels the hunt for the Dragon, as well as the belief in a coming grand war. A powerful woman of magic (Sophie Okonedo) lectures two of Moiraine’s charges: “The wheel does not care if you are young or afraid, petty or weak. It certainly doesn’t care what you want. The wheel calls you to this, whether you can bear it or not. The last battle is coming. What any of us wants now is meaningless. The only thing that matters is what you do.”

It’s worth quoting in a block to lend a sense of the flavor — or flavorlessness — of the writing here, and its tendency to come in large, blunt chunks. It also gives a sense of ways in which the characters’ beliefs work against other aspects of the show that appear ready-made for television. These characters’ duty, from the first, to a conflict greater than themselves tends to blot out who they are; if they’re being told at the midpoint of the first season that what they want doesn’t matter and should be sublimated to the cause, where is there for them to go in seasons ahead?

There is potential here: The sixth episode, of six provided to critics, is the strongest of the show’s early run, even despite containing the seemingly limiting Okonedo monologue. The episode, more generally, expands the show’s vision of what it can do beyond the chase of the week; it shows us new sides of Moiraine, and develops her relationship with her charges well beyond where it had been. If it is to run even half as long as did “Game of Thrones,” “The Wheel of Time” will need to settle into itself and eventually do this sort of work, the sort it had neglected in dazzling the audience with a rush of exposition and of cataclysm. It has already proven it can do grandeur. What it needs to do, now, is to really show us who lives within it.

“The Wheel of Time” will debut its first three episodes on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, Nov. 19.

Amazon Prime Video. Eight episodes (six screened for review).

Production: Executive Producers: Rafe Judkins, Larry Mondragon, Rick Selvage, Mike Weber, Ted Field, Darren Lemke, Marigo Kehoe, and Uta Briesewitz.
Cast: Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney, Zoë Robins, Madeleine Madden, Josha Strawdowski, and Marcus Rutherford.

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Article updated on November 19, 2021 at 2:00 AM PST

The Wheel of Time review: Flat-pack fantasy fills time before Lord of the Rings returns

Streaming now on Prime Video, Amazon turns Robert Jordan's bestselling sword 'n' sorcery series into an inoffensive TV adaptation.

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Gather round the fire, travelers, for I must weave a tale of another age: an age of rings and thrones, shadows and bones, witches and witchers. They called it: the age of streaming. And into this age of warring streaming services rode The Wheel of Time. But will it fulfill the prophecy and defeat the hordes of fantasy shows to become a smash hit?

Streaming now on Amazon Prime Video, The Wheel of Time is based on Robert Jordan's long-running series of novels . The first three episodes stream on Friday, followed by a new episode each week. It's set in a fantasy realm rebuilt after a cataclysm, except the darkness threatens again as a champion called the Dragon returns to the world. The show follows a warrior witch and her samurai sidekick as they recruit a handful of youngsters who each may be the reincarnated Dragon, heading off on a quest across a treacherous land of sword and sorcery.

Having sold over 90 million copies, the Wheel of Time saga must have a unique hook. But from watching the first few episodes of the TV show, I'm Bilbo'd if I can tell you what it is. From the obligatory ominous opening voiceover to the beastly trolls hounding our heroes, the TV adaptation is built from entirely familiar flat-pack fantasy stuff. Everyone wears tunics (or capes if they're fancy/morally ambiguous) and argue about prophecies in hushed tones as they ride through a forest in Hungary or somewhere. They go on a quest and have a big swordfight each episode. Haughty priestesses declaim their magic. Nobody ever smiles.

It's kinda impossible to tell if the whole thing is really expensive or really cheap. Every now and again there's some sudden squelchy nastiness, but nothing too nasty. There's some CGI magic and monsters, but the scariest thing is, you guessed it, people.

Obviously if you're a fan of the books you may be delighted to see your favorite characters brought to life, but long-time fans of Jordan's richly detailed realm surely deserve better than seeing their beloved stories flattened into such formulaic fantasy filler.

The mystery element of the show is intriguing as you ponder which of the main cast might be the reincarnated Dragon, which is at least a diverting twist on the "chosen one" prophecy narrative. And things get spiced up a few episodes in when another contender to the mantle shows up. But the characters themselves just aren't that interesting. Three or four episodes in, I still couldn't tell you the names of the main players. And after decades of debating their dream casting, fans end up with a main cast of blandly handsome drama school types doing their best, while Rosamund Pike wafts around in a cape like a Scottish Widows advert .

Rosamund Pike wheel out the fantasy formula in The Wheel of Time.

Ooh that's magic.

The world itself does have some interesting gender politics going on, as the warrior witches of the Aes Sedai are the most powerful faction in the land and specifically target men who dabble in magic. This is just one of several elements in the show that are crying out for more compelling development, or are done with more oomph elsewhere (Motherland: Fort Salem and Y: The Last Man both tackle gender-upended worlds, for example).

The Wheel of Time deserves to be measured on its own merits, and it is inoffensive enough entertainment. But it just invites comparison at every turn. The monsters look cool, for example, yet you can't help thinking of Lord of the Rings' snarling orcs and hooded ringwraiths.

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It's been 20 years since the Lord of the Rings movies showed how modern visual effects and character-driven storytelling could make fantasy thrillingly emotional. It's been 10 years since Game of Thrones made fantasy TV unmissable. As every streaming service scrambled to make the next GoT , The Wheel of Time must have seemed ripe for adaptation. But some things work better on the page, and this bloodless version fails to capture whatever magic the books have.

Game of Thrones had sex and dragons, The Witcher has Henry Cavill, Shadow and Bone has sexy con artists. The Dark Crystal has amazing puppets, and Carnival Row has a whole steamy steampunk thing going on. The fantasy genre more than ever has scope to be wildly imaginative and deliciously unique, but that's not the case with The Wheel of Time. Still, next year we come full circle with Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon and Amazon's wildly expensive Lord of the Rings adaptation in September. While you're waiting, spin your wheels with Wheel of Time.

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The Wheel of Time First Reviews: Amazon Created an 'Inviting' Big Budget Fantasy, Critics Say

The streaming giant's adaptation of robert jordan’s book series will please die-hard fans, critics say, but some worry newcomers may not connect with the sprawling story and its characters..

TAGGED AS: Amazon Prime Video , Drama , Fantasy , streaming , television , TV

The next fantasy book series to get the television treatment is Robert Jordan’s hugely popular The Wheel of Time , which premieres its first three episodes to Amazon Prime Video on Friday, November 19.

Following the lives of five villagers whose reality is changed forever when a powerful woman arrives, stating one of them is marked as the “Dragon Reborn,” a reincarnated essence who may follow through on a path to either bring darkness unto the world or save it. The balance between light and dark is tested, bringing forth an epic journey for all the characters involved. Rosamund Pike and Daniel Henney play magical warrior Moiraine Damodred and her bodyguard Lan Mondragoran, respectively, and lead the ensemble cast that includes Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara, Madeleine Madden as Egwene al’Vere, Barney Harris as Mat Cauthon , Josha Stradowsky as Rand al’Thor, and Zoë Robbins as Nynaeve al’Meara.

Big expectations are riding on the series, considering it’s based on 14 books. Does it live up to the hype? Here’s what critics are saying about The Wheel of Time season 1:

HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE BOOKS ?

If you’re a fan of the genre and just want to partake in the spectacle of an imaginary world filled with Not Orcs and Kinda Witches, you’re probably in for a decent time. (And if you’re a fan of Robert Jordan’s books, hoping these beloved novels will inspire TV’s next great fantasy show… well, lower your expectations.) – Ben Travers, IndieWire

The books have been adapted for the screen by Rafe Judkins, a veteran writer of nerd-friendly shows like Chuck and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , and a professed lifelong fan of the Wheel of Time series. Perhaps his approach will please fellow Robert Jordan obsessives, but as someone approaching the show as a total newcomer to the world (as I was to [Game of] Thrones ), the appeal of the story — and, in particular, of the central characters — proved elusive. – Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone

It’s tough, though, to know what the average TV viewer, used to the cynicism of Game of Thrones and sarcasm of the MCU, will make of such an earnest saga of friends embarking on a clear-cut quest to save the world. Amazon’s The Wheel of Time is the show that Robert Jordan fans want, but who else does? – Megan O’Keefe, Decider

When The Wheel of Time does fire on all cylinders, it’s proof that it might actually be possible to fit the book into a coherent TV show. – Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge

HOW IS THE STORYTELLING AND WORLD-BUILDING?

If this is an attempt to match what “Thrones” became in popular memory, Judkins and his team would be well-advised to recall that much of that drama’s first season was a high-stakes character drama, not a war with a new front opening each episode. This perversely gives the show a pinched and narrow-feeling universe, with its focus limited to what peril lies directly ahead. – Daniel D’Addario, Variety

This is a series that really could only be adapted by a studio with the ambitions and budget of Amazon, which is reportedly spending $10 million per episode to build and destroy elaborate sets and fuse CGI with practical effects to make its magic and monsters come to life. Every aspect of the production is lushly realized, from the intricate armors and costumes to the way Aes Sedai and their Warder guardians fight in concert with a beauty reminiscent of wuxia films. – Samantha Nelson, IGN Movies

That frenetic pacing and structuring of the story do make it somewhat difficult to follow at times — there were frequent scenes where a character might have a single line before moving onto the next, or ones that felt they were there just to dump exposition out. – Preeti Chhibber, Polygon

The show does generally look good, with sweeping shots of the lovely Czech landscapes, impressive costumes, and expensive-looking sets. The depiction of the primary form of magic (“channeling”), where characters are meant to be drawing in power from the world around them and weaving it into blasts of fire or bursts of air, is more hit or miss. Some scenes manage to portray it as powerful and compelling magic, while others consist of characters just standing around while white wisps of smoke fly around them. – Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge

The Wheel of Time novels have had the benefit of thousands of pages to explain the ins and outs of the fantasy world, but this series drops you in with minimal exposition. We are forced to quickly determine who the various factions are, their importance to the plot, and how magic impacts everything. – Alex Maidy, JoBlo’s Movie Network

HOW IS ROSAMUND PIKE’S PERFORMANCE?

Pike’s sheer presence is often the most compelling thing in a given scene, and the show suffers even more during a stretch where Moiraine is sidelined by injury. – Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone

Pike is an odd, absorbing centerpiece. Even when she sleeps through an episode (literally), the “Gone Girl” star gives just enough to keep you invested in Moiraine’s good health and grand plans. (The actor’s measured approach also helps keep the show from tipping overboard when select colleagues go way too big.) – Ben Travers, IndieWire

Pike is more than up to the task, embodying the agelessness and wisdom Jordan wrote of, but layering in a needed thread of humanity — even if her perfected tear-filled eyes do get to be a bit overused at times. – Preeti Chhibber, Polygon

WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE CAST?

The main cast perfectly embodies the characters who have been taking up space in my head for months, and showrunner Rafe Judkins cleverly juggles the show’s extensive lore. – Megan O’Keefe, Decider

The actors, aside from Rosamund Pike and Daniel Henney, are forgettable and generic. The fact that Barney Harris departed at the end of season one to be recast by Donal Finn should be a testament to how interchangeable these characters are. – Alex Maidy, JoBlo’s Movie Network

After a few episodes the young actors do start to come into their own, but there’s a lot about the performances that feels hesitant or even tropey. That’s not helped by the fact that we don’t really get to know any of them with any depth, even when they split off into pairs. – Allison Keene, Paste Magazine

Abdul Salis is a real stand-out with his role of the painfully reprehensible Whitecloak Questioner Eamon Valda, part of a group of zealots who arbitrarily designate people as Dark Friends and who hate and hunt the Aes Sedai. He’s terrifying and his first appearance calls to mind John Noble’s Denethor in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. – Preeti Chhibber, Polygon

Related: New The Wheel of Time Character Posters Debut

IS THIS THE FANTASY HIT AMAZON’S LOOKING FOR?

In its early episodes this big Wheel has enough sweep, mystique and momentum to suggest that it can keep on turning and give Amazon the global hit it dearly craves. – Ed Power, Daily Telegraph (UK)

The Wheel of Time is an interesting attempt at adapting Robert Jordan’s behemoth of a book series, but it’s also dragged down both by its unwieldy source material and its efforts to twist itself into a second coming of Game of Thrones . – Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge

We’ll have to see next year how effectively House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings have used their budgets, but the underwhelming Wheel of Time is a reminder that money alone does not make a fantasy world go around. – Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone

The Wheel of Time can’t be the next Game of Thrones . It’s just not in the source material’s DNA. But Prime Video’s series has the chance to be the first true Wheel of Time , and that excites this all-too-earnest nerd to bits. – Megan O’Keefe, Decider

ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?

The Wheel of Time is too accomplished to be a total wash but not nearly distinct enough to set itself apart from everything else on TV these days. – Alex Maidy, JoBlo’s Movie Network

For all its intricate world building, “The Wheel of Time” tends to spin smoothest if you don’t examine its pieces too closely. – Ben Travers, IndieWire

The Wheel of Time has enough potential to ride past these initial frustrations thanks to a high budget and deep commitment from the actors to faithfully bring the magic of this story to life. – Jon Negroni, TV Line

“Wheel” seems able to satisfy new viewers and superfans alike, creating an inviting and rich world that isn’t too confusing to understand. – Kelly Lawler, USA Today

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Season 1 – The Wheel of Time

Where to watch, the wheel of time — season 1.

Watch The Wheel of Time — Season 1 with a subscription on Prime Video, or buy it on Vudu, Apple TV.

What to Know

The Wheel of Time 's revolutions can be a bit creaky as it tries to stand out from other fantasy series, but it succeeds admirably in making Robert Jordan's epic approachable for the uninitiated.

Cast & Crew

Rafe Judkins

Rosamund Pike

Moiraine Damodred

Josha Stradowski

Rand al'Thor

Marcus Rutherford

Perrin Aybara

Nynaeve al'Meara

Barney Harris

Mat Cauthon

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Amazon’s Wheel of Time tries a little too hard to be Game of Thrones

The wheel of time works best when it doesn’t try to follow in hbo’s footsteps.

By Chaim Gartenberg

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The Wheel of Time is Amazon’s second-biggest TV bet ever. “I want my Game of Thrones ,” CEO Jeff Bezos is reported to have said . And The Wheel of Time , along with Amazon’s eye-wateringly expensive Lord of the Rings show coming in September 2022 , are the results. It’s a big adaptation of even bigger fantasy novels, an attempt to beat HBO’s blockbuster hit at its own game and give Amazon a prestige genre series of its own.

But for all the money and effort that’s gone into the show, Amazon hasn’t made a Game of Thrones successor, try as it might. The Wheel of Time is an interesting attempt at adapting Robert Jordan’s behemoth of a book series, but it’s also dragged down both by its unwieldy source material and its efforts to twist itself into a second coming of Game of Thrones .

To understand the difficulty of what Amazon and showrunner Rafe Judkins are attempting, you need to understand the sheer scale of the source material, which spans 14 novels and a prequel. The original books weigh in at over 10,000 pages (over twice as long as the completed A Song of Ice and Fire books) and were published over a span of 30 years by two authors (with Brandon Sanderson stepping in to finish the saga after Jordan’s death in 2007). There are no fewer than 2,782 named characters mentioned over the course of the series, 148 of which are point of view characters at one point or another.

What distinguishes the initially generic Wheel of Time from other Lord of the Rings -inspired fantasies is its setting. Thousands of years before the show begins, magic was corrupted, tainting the source of power such that any man who tried to use it would go mad. Women, on the other hand, were still spared that disaster, leading to a group of powerful magic-wielders known as the Aes Sedai, who hold considerable sway — both sorcerous and politically. The world of the Wheel of Time is a cyclical one, though, where people are reborn in each age. That includes the Dragon, the person who caused magic to be tainted in the first place and who is destined to either destroy the world again or save it.

The Wheel of Time does its best to ease viewers into all that, paring down some of the more esoteric names and concepts and spreading out the minute details of how the world and its magic works over time. Amazon is also promising animated shorts that will be available alongside the show to help explain some of the backstory and lore (although those weren’t made available ahead of the premiere).

The Wheel of Time does its best to ease viewers in

The show starts off leaning heavily on cookie-cutter fantasy tropes, though. One of the Aes Sedai, Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), is searching to try and find the prophesied Dragon Reborn to usher them onto their path of destiny. She, along with her Warder (a warrior ally who travels with and protects an Aes Sedai), Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney), follows the trail to the Two Rivers, a town far in the mountains and recruits five young individuals who might fulfill the prophecy. There’s Rand (Josha Stradowski), a shepherd boy; Perrin (Marcus Rutherford), a blacksmith; Mat (Barney Harris), a gambling thief; Egwene (Madeleine Madden), the innkeeper’s daughter; and Nynaeve (Zoë Robins), the village’s healer — any of whom could be the Dragon Reborn. I did mention that there were a lot of characters.

Judkins does make some key changes to update the series. The cast is aged up and far more diverse than Jordan’s iteration of his protagonists. Egwene and Nynaeve are given bigger roles, in particular, whereas Rand, Perrin, and Mat tend to take up most of the spotlight in the books.

Other changes are less thoughtful. One male character, for example, is paired up with a spouse that’s created from whole cloth for the series solely for the purpose of fridging her in the first episode so that he can have something to be sad about over the course of the season. And the first season over-commits to making the central mystery of the series the basic question of which of the five main characters is going to be the prophesied Dragon Reborn, capable of wielding massive power and challenging the Dark One. It feels like an odd choice, given that it’s a fairly easy-to-guess answer, unless the show plans to diverge in far greater ways than it has in the six episodes that I got to see.

The series also focuses more on Rosamund Pike’s Moiraine as the protagonist for the show, fleshing out her role in the story and her screen time. That’s not a bad thing, given that Pike is both one of the most recognizable members of the cast and one of the best parts of the show. But it does stand out, much in the same way as making Dumbledore the main character in the first Harry Potter film.

The show does generally look good, with sweeping shots of the lovely Czech landscapes, impressive costumes, and expensive-looking sets. The depiction of the primary form of magic (“channeling”), where characters are meant to be drawing in power from the world around them and weaving it into blasts of fire or bursts of air, is more hit or miss. Some scenes manage to portray it as powerful and compelling magic, while others consist of characters just standing around while white wisps of smoke fly around them.

The Wheel of Time’s hit or miss channeling in action

The Game of Thrones influence is problematically strong, though, with extra sex, blood, and gore added in. It’s enough to be jarring, although nothing here quite reaches the often-gratuitous levels of its HBO predecessor. The Wheel of Time is also a much grimmer show than its source material, having excised nearly all the levity and humor in an effort to be more mature, to its detriment.

And that’s a big part of The Wheel of Time ’s problem. It spends too much time trying to be Game of Thrones, even as it tells a very different kind of story. Game of Thrones reveled in its darker world, characters, and the machinations to try and seize power. The Wheel of Time , on the other hand, doesn’t have the games, and it doesn’t have the throne. There are few, if any, grey areas; the big bad of the world is literally “The Dark One,” served by his army of bestial, unthinking Trollocs (think orcs, crossed variously with wolves, bears, and boars) who literally eat people.

The Wheel of Time might actually succeed — if it stops trying so hard to be another Game of Thrones

When The Wheel of Time does fire on all cylinders, it’s proof that it might actually be possible to fit the book into a coherent TV show. And Amazon is definitely confident that it’ll be able to find some success; the company has already renewed the show for a second season, out of a planned eight that Judkins has envisioned . A story this big definitely needs some time to get going — and at the very least, Amazon seems to be giving Wheel of Time that much.

The first three episodes of the Wheel of Time debut on Amazon Prime Video on November 19th.

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‘The Wheel of Time’ Is Exactly the Show Robert Jordan Fans Want

Where to stream:.

The Wheel of Time

You can find all available episodes of The Wheel of Time streaming on Amazon Prime Video . For even more Wheel of Time , check out the epic book series , also available on Audible .

There’s a moment in The Wheel of Time Episode 2 that finally sold me hard on Prime Video ‘s lavish new fantasy series. After running away from their desolated small town, dodging the fangs of vicious monsters called Trollocs, and avoiding capture by a group of religious fundamentalists obsessed with torture, four friends begin numbly singing an old song. It’s called “Weep for Manetheren” and none of them know its meaning. Rand ( Josha Stradowski ), Egwene ( Madeleine Madden ), Mat ( Barney Harris ), and Perrin ( Marcus Rutherford ) just know it’s comforting. That’s when Rosamund Pike ‘s Moraine, a member of the magical order known as Aes Sedai, monologues for three minutes on horseback about the legend of Manetheren.

It’s an incredibly nerdy moment that I never thought I’d ever see on television. An Oscar-nominated actress retells the ancient story of the courage of a fallen people. It’s quiet and powerful and impossible not to hang on her every word. The “Weep for Manetheren” monologue is the moment that I fell hard for Amazon’s Wheel of Time. It’s a scene that manages to capture the two best parts of all great fantasy: vast world-building and compelling characters. Those are the qualities that The Wheel of Time book series and its author Robert Jordan are so revered for. It’s tough, though, to know what the average TV viewer, used to the cynicism of Game of Thrones and sarcasm of the MCU, will make of such an earnest saga of friends embarking on a clear-cut quest to save the world. Amazon’s The Wheel of Time is the show that Robert Jordan fans want, but who else does?

The Wheel of Time takes place in a post-apocalyptic future called The Third Age. In this time, the world is guarded by women known as Aes Sedai who wield what is called the “One Power.” Men who touch the One Power are doomed to go insane, which makes them feared. In fact, it is said that the Second Age ended when the most powerful One Power user known as The Dragon broke the world in his all-consuming madness. In The Wheel of Time , though, people believe in the power of reincarnation. Souls are reborn after death and replay the beats of lifetimes long lost. Moiraine is an Aes Sedai who has devoted her life to finding the “Dragon Reborn,” the reincarnation of the Dragon who is destined to break the world once more or save it.

Moiraine’s quest takes her to a small hamlet known as the Two Rivers. There, farmers and sheepherders live an idyllic life, full of drunken tavern nights and happy endings. Moiraine believes her Dragon Reborn could be one of five 20-somethings in the town: sappy lovesick shepherd Rand, spirited and ambitious Egwene, sweetly stoic blacksmith Perrin, mischievous gambler Mat, or Nyneave (Zoë Robins), the local town “Wisdom” with the power to “listen to the wind.” However Moiraine isn’t the only person who has taken up an interest in the young folks of the Two Rivers. The Dark One himself — a shadowy demonic presence — has dispatched an army of monsters to kill these potential challengers before any talents emerge.

After a horrific attack on the town, Moiraine and her Warder Lan (Daniel Henney) convince the four younger folks to embark on a mission to Tar Valon, the seat of Aes Sedai power where they should be safe. What happens, instead, is a harrowing journey that splits the youths and challenges them in ways they could not hitherto imagine. Each episode of The Wheel of Time makes things harder for the kids by expanding the world, introducing new foes, and adding to their woes.

If the basic thrust of The Wheel of Time ‘s beginning reminds you of Frodo and his buddies fleeing the Shire, that’s not a coincidence. Author Robert Jordan specifically wrote the first book in the Wheel of Time series , The Eye of the World , to be an American homage to Tolkein’s classic epic. And the first season follows many of the beats of that story, from the mysteriously black-hooded hero guarding our young charges to the place of safety that turns into a cursed trap. Tonally, like Tolkein’s work, The Wheel of Time is also wholly serious about the dichotomy of light versus dark and good versus evil. It’s not a series that attempts to deconstruct the fantasy genre, but pay homage to its sincere roots. If you’re not familiar with The Wheel of Time ‘s own legacy in the genre, it could feel cheesy, cliché-ed, or even cringeworthy.

As a first time book reader — I started in June and am part-way through Book 10 right now — I was absolutely enchanted by Amazon’s Wheel of Time. The main cast perfectly embodies the characters who have been taking up space in my head for months, and showrunner Rafe Judkins cleverly juggles the show’s extensive lore. There are some very bold changes made from the books that may turn die hards off, but overall, the show captures the spirit not of The Eye of the World , but The Wheel of Time as an expansive tapestry of characters, cultures, and legends. My main quibbles with the show come down to some less-than-stellar visual effects, oversaturated lighting, and a spoiler-y choice that I understand the logic behind, but dislike the messaging. All told, The Wheel of Time has way more to woo book readers than repel them. (Especially when it comes to all things Lan and Nyneave…)

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'wheel of time' star josha stradowski thinks the show's version of rhuidean will "surprise fans", ayoola smart says her co-stars "had a lot of fun beating" her up in 'the wheel of time' season 2, 'wheel of time' star dónal finn warns mat cauthon’s relationship with the ruby dagger is still "an everyday battle".

The Wheel of Time ‘s biggest issue might come down to its loyalty to the source material and what its ardent fans (including yours truly) like about it in the first place. Jordan’s approach to fantasy has gone slightly out of vogue over the years, with the genre embracing hard core cynicism, the deconstruction of tropes, and the lush romance of YA. Even people who consider themselves fantasy fans might find the world of The Wheel of Time to be quaint, if not nigh on impenetrable. Wheel of Time fans will be the first to admit the series, with its traditional approach to fantasy, isn’t for everyone. Heck, it’s a 14+ plus book series with more character names than you’ll find in many local yellow pages. It’s literally not for everyone.

Amazon obviously wants The Wheel of Time to be a colossal Game of Thrones -esque hit. The irony is that’s kind of impossible. Those two series sprung up side-by-side in the early ’90s. Robert Jordan and George RR Martin weren’t just contemporaries — they were friends — and they had very different ideas of how they wanted to remix the fantasy epic. While Martin’s gritty, skeptical, and brutal look at the genre appealed to an HBO audience, I’m not sure Jordan’s romantic, mystical, and hopeful version will be as ubiquitously embraced. The Wheel of Time can’t be the next Game of Thrones . It’s just not in the source material’s DNA. But Prime Video’s series has the chance to be the first true Wheel of Time , and that excites this all-too-earnest nerd to bits.

The Wheel of Time Episodes 1-3 premiere on Prime Video on Friday, November 19. New episodes premiere weekly on Fridays after that.

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'The Wheel of Time' Review: Rosamund Pike Anchors an Intimate Fantasy Series About Power and Prophecy

The first three episodes of 'The Wheel of Time' premiere November 19 on Prime Video.

Among many of the sci-fi and fantasy properties finally tackled in 2021 on both the big and small screens, The Wheel of Time has long been regarded as one that could possibly be "unadaptable" — and since the rights were first optioned back in 2000, it's been a long and winding journey for the sprawling world of the late Robert Jordan 's novels to finally become translated into a series format. With showrunner Rafe Judkins ( Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ) now behind the wheel, so to speak, both long-time readers of the books and anyone who was even mildly intrigued from trailers and scene teases have been waiting to see whether the upcoming Prime Video adaptation is fully worth tuning in for. The good news? Those of you who found yourselves more than a little burned by the ending of another epic genre series (and I'm including myself within that group) may have just found your latest fantasy obsession to succumb to.

First, the overarching summary: The Wheel of Time is set in a world that is inherently matriarchal in its construction — a group of women known as the Aes Sedai wields the "One Power," wherein they channel saidar (aka magic) to access various elements and draw them together to create weaves that can be used for battle, shields, or other various means. Men are forbidden from channeling because every previous attempt has been known to drive the wielder insane, so over the years, the Aes Sedai became a female-only institution, with a particular division (or Ajah) tasked with tracking down male channelers and effectively neutralizing the potential threat.

It's through this powerful group of women that we're first introduced to Moiraine ( Rosamund Pike ), an Aes Sedai who has been on a secret search of her own for many years for someone called the Dragon Reborn, an immensely powerful individual who is prophesized to either save the world or lead it into destruction. Accompanied by her loyal Warder, or bodyguard, Lan Mandragoran ( Daniel Henney ), Moiraine makes her way to the small mountain region known as the Two Rivers, where it's possible that the reincarnation of the Dragon might exist from among a quintet of characters — sheepherder Rand al'Thor ( Josha Stradowski ), blacksmith Perrin Aybara ( Marcus Rutherford ), innkeepers' daughter Egwene al'Vere ( Madeleine Madden ), gambler and thief Mat Cauthon ( Barney Harris ), and Wisdom (or healer) Nynaeve al'Meara ( Zoë Robins ). Within the first season, tracking them down is actually the easy part for Moiraine; taking them all back to the White Tower, where the Aes Sedai reside in the city of Tar Valon, proves to be a lot more complicated — but as any fantasy lover will tell you, the quest is an essential part of any good story, and The Wheel of Time delivers on that front.

RELATED: 'The Wheel of Time' Producers on How Many Seasons the Show Might Run and Why Rosamund Pike Wears Pants

Everything I've taken time to explain already might seem like a lot to wrap your head around, but the truth is that The Wheel of Time doesn't necessarily feel like a show where you have to be absolutely caught up on the source material before diving in. I'll admit to not having been very familiar with the books at all myself prior to my watch, and maybe the fact that I'm a big genre reader and grew up on thick sci-fi and fantasy doorstoppers makes me somewhat more predisposed to enjoy a certain amount of worldbuilding and lore with these types of shows. But The Wheel of Time also doesn't get bogged down in too many confusing made-up terms or overly complicated politics, and once our small group of heroes begins their trip to Tar Valon, it's actually fairly easy to just follow along with them, uncovering much of the story as they themselves do.

Although The Wheel of Time boasts a broad main and supporting cast, it is Pike's shoulders on which a large amount of the story rests — and while the first season does take significant time to explore many different relationships, much of its emotional center revolves around Moiraine herself. In the world of the series, the bond between an Aes Sedai and her Warder is described several times as being closer than anything romantic or familial that exists, and Pike and Henney commit wholeheartedly in giving their characters both the unspoken weight and affection that two people who have been fighting side-by-side for years would possess. It's this connection that we see echoed in multiple Aes Sedai/Warder pairs (and at least one apparent instance of a throuple) that becomes one of the season's most poignant as well as heartwrenching threads: when you're magically bonded to a person and can feel everything they're feeling, from pain to grief, it makes the stakes that much higher and the threat of loss that much greater.

And, as it turns out, the Aes Sedai have more than one threat to contend with on a broader level. Not only is there a dangerously powerful male channeler going around claiming to be the Dragon Reborn ( Álvaro Morte ), but an independent organization of religious fanatics, the Whitecloaks, is also viciously targeting female channelers and burning them at the stake. One Whitecloak in particular ( Abdul Salis ) derives a particularly sadistic pleasure of killing Aes Sedai and then wearing their rings on his belt as trophies. All of that aside, The Wheel of Time has a lot more going for it than the Aes Sedai-related plots — but they are some of the biggest reasons to watch. Over the course of the first season, the plot makes the choice to split up the core five (plus Moiraine and Lan), with various pairs forced to make their way separately to Tar Valon, but the advantage there is that these characters are given more room to breathe apart from one another, narratively speaking. We learn more about the unique powers that each of them might possess — and how some may not be the Dragon Reborn after all but something equal to or even stronger than that, outside of prophecy.

The Wheel of Time also, quite frankly, gives the small-screen genre adaptation the injection of inclusion it desperately needed — and what's more, it makes it look so easy, taking Jordan's books and turning them into a world that feels effortlessly diverse, effortlessly queer, with women at the heart of power, and all something that requires no in-universe explanation or justification for why; it simply is . The extended exploration of character and relationship development might also feel slower by comparison to a recent series' very rushed final season, but digging into these dynamics only works to the story's benefit. The result is a show that satisfyingly deals more in intimate moments rather than overly relying on big action set pieces or CGI'd mythical creatures to conjure excitement. One particular scene early in the season, in which Pike's Moiraine delivers a nearly four-minute monologue on horseback, is as enthralling as any intense battle sequence we're given later on.

By the end of the six episodes that were given to critics for review, it really feels like the adventure is only just beginning — so it's fortunate that the streaming series has already been renewed for a second season. Like any good fantasy epic, The Wheel of Time is one that promises very impressive returns, provided audiences are willing to settle in for the long haul.

The Wheel of Time premieres its first three episodes on November 19, exclusively on Prime Video.

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Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, prime video's the wheel of time continues its dull fantasy worldbuilding in season two.

In a world where even Prime Video's multi-billion dollar “Lord of the Rings” series doesn’t seem to have broken through to mainstream popularity the way they expected, another season of “The Wheel of Time” feels particularly superfluous. The first season premiered on Prime Video less than a year before “The Rings of Power,” presumably as an amuse-bouche for the high-fantasy epic to come. By its proximity in both release date and approach, it seems like an also-ran, a suggestion the algorithm can pop up on your screen after you’ve exhausted your “Lord of the Rings” binge. “Viewers also suggested…”

The problem is, in both last season and this one, “The Wheel of Time” doesn’t have much to offer the discerning fantasy fan. Besides, of course, lengthy runtimes, a glossary of high-fantasy gobbledygook, and plot threads as gossamer-thin as the magical waves the “channelers” of Robert Jordan’s fantasy world twirl around themselves, “Last Airbender”-like, when using their abilities.

Following a first season that struggled to build momentum, it’s doubly frustrating to see “The Wheel of Time” keep up that go-nowhere sensibility. At the end of Season One, our five villagers from River’s End are scattered to the four winds: Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) struggles to understand his potential abilities as a “wolf brother,” Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) and Egwene ( Madeleine Madden ) begin their training as Aes Sedai—the magical female warriors who scheme and set policy in this magical land—and Mat ( Dónal Finn , replacing Barney Harris who did not return after the show resumed production after COVID-19 lockdowns) stews in a Sedai prison after being potentially corrupted by the Dark One last season.

Meanwhile, their mentor Moiraine ( Rosamund Pike , who also produces) reels at the loss of her powers at the end of last season, and the fracturing bond between her and her Warder, Lan Mondragon ( Daniel Henney ), who’s no longer tied to her by life and death in the same way other Warders are to their magical mistresses. All of them fret about the fate of Rand ( Josha Stradowski ), who discovered last season that he ’s the chosen one meant to save or destroy the world. He’s presumed dead to most, but in reality, he’s shaved his head and gone into hiding, struggling to understand his newfound powers and destiny ... and might consult some darker forces to do so.

If that sounds like a lot of plot ground to cover, that’s because it is; “The Wheel of Time” is as dense a fantasy tome as you’ll find, and showrunner Rafe Judkins and his team of writers do their best to streamline it for a streaming audience. But it’s still too unwieldy by half, burdened by too many protagonists in too many similar-looking fantasy locations—pitch-black forest, stately castle, muggy tavern, hay-covered village—to make any of them truly stand out.

The sleepy performances and overwrought dialogue don’t help; so much of “The Wheel of Time,” in both seasons, involves young, hot actors mumbling samey dialogue peppered with silly names with nary an ounce of humor. Season Two attempts some much-needed levity, particularly in its first episode, as two older Aes Sedai women titter amongst themselves while they watch Lan do some shirtless sword training. But most of the time, we get a constipated smirk as some poor actor tries to elevate the thee-and-thou dialogue with more than grave import.

To the show’s credit, the production is still impressively assembled: Sharon Gilham ’s costumes, in particular, are gorgeous, from the flowy robes of the Aes Sedai to the gilded-cage masks of the Seanchan, a new gang of baddies our heroes must face. The effects remain seamless and sparing, with a few hazy tricks here and there, and the few bursts of action that punctuate the end of each episode are a welcome respite from all the leaden conversations in alabaster rooms.

But it's those conversations, and the nagging feeling these conversations aren’t going anywhere interesting, hamper any momentum “The Wheel of Time” wishes to build. Even at the end of the four episodes provided for review, the characters still seem like they’re licking their wounds from the first season, the writers shuffling characters from place to place in a kind of narrative fantasy limbo. It’s sometimes worth it, like when Lindsay Duncan shows up as a royal with interesting connections to both Rand and Moiraine or the Seanchans roll into a recently-conquered village, like the Persians in “300,” and demand fealty at the edge of a spike. But these moments require our characters to speak in more than a haunted whisper, which seems beyond the reach of much of “Wheel of Time”’s cast.

In the rare moments our fellowship is actually assembled, the show starts building some livelier energy. But by insisting on sending a half-dozen protagonists on their own indistinct hero’s journeys and spending an agonizing hour-plus each episode flitting between them, “The Wheel of Time” threatens to hobble off its axle before it has a chance to pick up speed.

Four episodes were screened for review. Season Two of "The Wheel of Time" premieres on Prime Video on September 1st.

Clint Worthington

Clint Worthington is a Chicago-based film/TV critic and podcaster. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Spool , as well as a Senior Staff Writer for Consequence . He is also a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and Critics Choice Association. You can also find his byline at RogerEbert.com, Vulture, The Companion, FOX Digital, and elsewhere.

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The wheel of time, common sense media reviewers.

Nudity, alcohol, fantasy violence in flawed book adaptation.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

There are messages about power, loyalty, committme

Pike's Moiraine is the show's main character; she'

The cast is diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, a

Violence is frequent though it's of a fantasy vari

Nudity is frequent, though it's often non-sexual:

Language includes "bastards," "ass," and "s--t," a

Many scenes take place in bars with characters dri

Positive Messages

There are messages about power, loyalty, committment, duty, and obligation running through this drama, as well as enviromental themes. All the magic and medieval-style trappings may distract from the messages somewhat, though.

Positive Role Models

Pike's Moiraine is the show's main character; she's strong, powerful, and can be merciless, such as when she dispatches powerless people as a means to an end. She can also be empathetic, and her overall goal is to protect as many as possible. Many characters make questionable choices, and have shifting loyalties.

Diverse Representations

The cast is diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, age, and body type. Women are in strong and central positions; they're tasked with wielding magic in this world. People of color are cast in major and minor roles, though race isn't mentioned in this fictional fantasy world.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Violence is frequent though it's of a fantasy variety: CGI monsters, swooping and charging creatures, swords, magical incantation that result in people falling over dead. Hand-to-hand combat is shown, and combatants are slashed and stabbed; scenes show blood oozing from a slashed neck. In other graphic scenes, a dog nibbles at a human's intenstines, and a woman is burned alive.

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Sex, Romance & Nudity

Nudity is frequent, though it's often non-sexual: male and female bathers are nude at a bathing facility; religious rituals are performed in the nude. Expect talk of romance and sex, as well as on-screen kissing and romantic intrigue.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language includes "bastards," "ass," and "s--t," as well as words like "piss."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Many scenes take place in bars with characters drinking brandy and other alcohol; some drink too much and laugh loudly and become sloppy and violent.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Wheel of Time is a series based on a fantasy book series set in a world with sentient creatures and magic. Though there are deaths, they are often bloodless: a sorcerer does a spell or waves their fingers and someone falls down dead. However, in other scenes, we see graphic sights such as blood oozing from a slashed neck, a woman burned alive, and a dog eating a human's intestines. Several scenes depict non-sexual nudity: men and woman bathe at a group facility; breasts and buttocks are visible. Religious rituals are performed in the nude. Many scenes take place at bars, and characters drink too much and get sloppy and violent. Language includes "bastards," "ass," and "s--t," as well as words like "piss." A diverse cast features women and people of color at the center of the action; women are the magical "muscle" of the series. Messages about power, committment, and duty may be overshadowed by magic and action.

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

Parents say (37)
Kids say (14)

Based on 37 parent reviews

Common sense

Horror rather than fantasy genre - gory and graphic and disturbing, what's the story.

Based on the fantasy book series of the same name, as THE WHEEL OF TIME begins, this world's all-female magical police force, the Aes Sedai, are amidst a quest: They must find the prophesied Dragon, a man or woman now coming of age who was born to save (or to end) the world. At the head of the pack is Moiraine ( Rosamund Pike ), a powerful enchantress aided by her right-hand man Lan ( Daniel Henney ). When a mission in the sleepy region of the Two Rivers goes awry, Moiraine is tasked with the protection of four possible Dragon candidates: humble Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski), fledgling spiritual healer Egwene al'Vere (Madeleine Madden), muscle man Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford), and troubled trickster Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris), and the town's "Wisdom" (spiritual leader/healer) Nynaeve al'Meara (Zoë Robins), as she leads the group to the Aes Sedai fortress.

Is It Any Good?

It's clear from curtain rise on the first episode that this ambitious book-adapted fantasy epic is angling to be the heir to the Thrones ( Game of Thrones , that is), but alas, it misses the mark. Nor does it hit the world-building heights of the Lord of the Rings franchise, though The Wheel of Time , a 14-volume series with each book hovering at the 1,000-page mark, surely must have given plenty of world to build onscreen. Instead, both characters and the world they inhabit feel generic; their arcs don't have the bite and intrigue we wish for. For one thing, some more thoughtful set-dressing would have helped. Everything's too clean: spotless clothes, pristine squire-like hobbit houses. People are supposed to live in those houses; people are filthy; why are they so clean if they're not supposed to be brand-new?

The lack of depth and thoughtfulness extends to characterization. Perhaps the coolest idea in The Wheel of Time is that this world's muscle is an all-female clan of spiritual warriors, Aes Sedai. It's Aes Sedai who set the series' plot in motion by seeking the one true hero (or villain), the Dragon. It's a simple setup, one that Game of Thrones managed to pull off so successfully by creating an alternate world where magic gave women equal or sometimes even more power than men. There's a early moment that may make viewers think the show may actually pull it off: Pike, an actor with nothing but gravitas, tersely gives us exposition in voiceover as her assistant (or Warder in the show's parlance) helps her dress. She twirls a cape with flash and strength, and it's thrilling. It's rare to see women depicted onscreen as powerful warriors in this way. Unfortunately, this thread of intrigue is abandoned to begin a ho-hum quest, with lots (and lots) of long shots of its cast on horseback. The Wheel of Time is as beautiful as a painting, and has plenty of source material to work on, but it feels like we're on a road to nowhere.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how this adaptation compares with the book series. When books are made into movies or TV shows, fans of the book often complain about what's been changed or left out. If you've read the books, what are the differences between the books and the show? Did the changes improve upon or detract from the appeal?

What are women's roles in this series? Are they important players, or accessories ? What about people of color? Where do they fit in? Is it typical for fantasy shows to have strong roles for women or people of color? What examples can you name of shows/movies with and without a diverse cast?

Fantasy stories with creatures and spells and magical ideas have been popular thoughout recorded history. Why? What can storytellers accomplish if they are freed from the rules of reality? Does this freedom make for better stories, or not?

Premiere date : November 19, 2021
Cast : Rosamund Pike , Daniel Henney , Madeleine Madden
Network : Amazon Prime Video
Genre : Drama
TV rating : TV-14
Last updated : September 12, 2023

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THE MOVIE CULTURE

The Wheel of Time Series Review and Summary

The Wheel of time is an epic fantasy television series produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios. Rafe Judkins serves as the showrunner. The Show is based on the novel series of the same name by Robert Jordan. The show consists of 8 episodes in the first season with a second season on the way.

The Wheel of Time Series Plot

In the world of The Wheel of time, the dark one wants to take control of the earth and the only one who can stop him is the dragon reborn. The previous dragon trapped the dark one and 3000 years later, the dark one is getting his powers back as he sends his army of Trollocs and dark allies to serve his purpose.

An Aes Sedai, Moiraine along with her warder, al’Lan Mandragoran travels to the Two Rivers in the search for the Dragon Reborn. She believes that the dragon has been reincarnated as a resident of the Two Rivers and there are four possible candidates, Rand, Perrin, Mat and Egwene. Unaware of there being another possible candidate, she takes the four of them with her to The White Tower as they escape before the Trolloc army could catch hold of them.

The Wheel of Time Series Cast

Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred, an Aes Sedai
Daniel Henney as al’Lan Mandragoran, Moiraine’s Warder
Zoë Robins as Nynaeve al’Meara, Wisdom of Emond’s Field
Madeleine Madden as Egwene al’Vere
Josha Stradowski as Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn
Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara
Barney Harris as Mat Cauthon
Kate Fleetwood as Liandrin Guirale, an Aes Sedai
Priyanka Bose as Alanna Mosvani, an Aes Sedai
Hammed Animashaun as Loial, an Ogier
Sophie Okonedo as Siuan Sanche, the Amyrlin Seat
Kae Alexander as Min Farshaw
Fares Fares as Ishamael, one of the Forsaken
Johann Myers as Padan Fain, a travelling merchant
Abdul Salis as Eamon Valda, a Whitecloak
Álvaro Morte as Logain Ablar

The Wheel of Time Series Review

A fantasy television series adaption of the books is seen more and more in recent times like The Wheel of Time, The Witcher, Shadow and Bone, Game of Thrones, the new Lord of the Rings series by Amazon and many but each one of them has its essence which makes them unique. All of them follow a basic formula to introduce a new world unknown to the audience and from there, the path is taken towards their story. Each one has a good and evil, just like every other fantasy and what makes all of them similar is “THE ONE”. “THE ONE” who will save them from all evil. What makes these fantasies unique is obviously the story, their rendition of the good and the evil but also what makes “THE ONE” different in all of them. “THE ONE” has some unworldly powers but how does it control itself and defeat the evil for the greater good, that is what makes each of these fantasies similar but different in a sense.

The One in this fantasy, The Wheel of Time is referred to as the Dragon. Dragon is the only one who can wield such powers to defeat and sustain the dark one. The Wheel of Time takes a different approach with it having The One but its fate is intertwined with four others. All five of them are essential to the fight against the dark one. It is still to be known as to how they will contribute but in some way or other, all will come to an end at the last battle.

The Wheel of Time leads the audience into the story through many different perspectives, even if many are not explored as much you might want them too but still establishes the world and the lore in a somewhat diligent manner. The first few episodes fail to hit the mark enough to generate high interest but hanging around for more is definitely fruitful. Season 1 is meant to establish the lore of the dark one and dragon and take a look into the characters who are and will play an important role throughout the narrative. The many places like The White Tower, Two Rivers, Malkier, Shadar Logoth etc play a significant role in the story as does any place in epic fantasy. The history and such significance add a lot to the world-building and also towards amplifying its realism. A treat about fantasy books is they are best at describing and introducing a new imaginary world where the audience can submerse themselves in and television or movie adaption makes those words into a reality which takes it to the next level by being even more immersive. The Wheel of Time doesn’t fail at doing so either, the massive plains and vegetations, mountains and cities, land and sea take us long to jump into its grand world.

The Wheel of Time isn’t perfect, it is good at many things but still needs to achieve more at some other to reach the height that it can. Mainly from the storytelling point of view, the characters are well cast and they do play their respective roles credibly. But it becomes hard to attach yourselves to them, root for them, the characters needed to be explored more. A deeper dive into themselves makes it more accessible for the audience to understand their point of view as they are the protagonists. There are more seasons to come where we can see the real them but more could be done in this season itself.

The fact that Perrin isn’t in love with his wife, Laila as he loves someone else is made very obvious, but it left me desiring more from his character in terms of being vulnerable and expressing what he truly feels. I feel like even though at the time, he did not love Laila but eventually there was a growing bond that lead to the feeling of love being blossomed. Perrin is being underutilized and more can be explored and likewise for some other characters.

Another important part of the story that feels forced is the revelation of Rand being the Dragon. Even though there were some subtle hints of him being the dragon it still isn’t believable as each one of them showed some form of power unique to themselves. Even after the revelation, it was still doubtful if he was the dragon or not, which is confirmed later but there isn’t any increasing development that could substantiate him as the dragon.

The season ends with the dragon trapping the dark one and leaving to protect the others. Moiraine realized that this wasn’t the last battle but the first of many. And a fleet of ships from a foreign world attacks the westernmost part of the land/continent. Which leaves us on the cliffhanger as to whether the dark one that was defeated is really the dark one? Was he really defeated? How is all five of their fates intertwined? The fleet of the foreigners attacking is the start of the war? and What is more to come from the fight for good versus evil?

The Wheel of Time Series Critical Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a rating of 82% based on 75 reviews. On Metacritic, the series scored 55 out of 100 based on 24 critics and on IMDb, the wheel of time has a rating of 7.3 out of 10 based on 70k ratings.

The Movie Culture Synopsis

The Wheel of Time has a slow start but still can pique interest because of a new and unknown world. As the series goes on it becomes more interesting and rewarding as the lore is revealed and the dark one is confronted. Season 1 is fun but it does come along with its faults, but a show of such massive scale can become better as they do have a solid start. Season 2 is already in shooting and it is exciting as to what will be next, mainly with the foreign invaders’ storyline.

The Wheel of Time season 1, the complete season is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video . It is available to watch worldwide.

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The Wheel of Time Deserves as Much Recognition as Another Classic Fantasy Series

From it's extensive span of novels to its worldbuilding, The Wheel of Time stands toe-to-toe with Tolkien

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Wheel of Time Was Branded "The New Lord of the Rings"

Culture and Magic Items of Each World

The devil is in the details with lord of the rings and wheel of time.

The Wheel of Time has been praised as "the best fantasy world since Tolkien" when the book series was first released.
From cultural and societal relationships to the manifestations of magic, The Wheel of Time is toe-to-toe with Tolkien's detailed world-building.
The Wheel of Time 's focus on the smaller details of its world as much as its broad strokes are what keeps it consistent in its depth like The Lord of the Rings lore does.

The genre of fantasy is one of the most prolific in literature. As far as contemporary fantasy goes, the consensus remains that the gold standard for world-building and storytelling is overwhelmingly given to Tolkien's literature in and around The Lord of the Rings . Tolkien's works would influence Western fantasy storytelling indefinitely. Although many fantasy writers gave their all to match the depth of the world that Tolkien had carefully crafted, many would have to settle into quicker and easier styles of crafting fantasy stories and worlds. Yet in 1990, Robert Jordan would write the first of The Wheel of Time series, The Eye of the World .

Boasting a detailed map and a rich blend of inspired cultures, beliefs, and societies from parts of Earth that are not often considered when styling fantasy, The Wheel of Time was a fresh take on writing fantasy. Where Tolkien wrote about good versus evil, Jordan found nuance and ambiguity. Where Tolkien focused on Western folklore-inspired cultures in his world, Jordan builds a mélange of inspirations from East to West to create a dynamic blend between his factions and cultures. Matching in detail and lore-depth, not to mention creating a 14-book series, The Wheel of Time deserves its rightful recognition as another great gold standard for fantasy storytelling. Especially now that The Wheel of Time is returning to television for a third season in 2025.

Wheel of Time Was Branded "The New Lord of the Rings "

Lord of the rings: how dwarves and ents are connected, explained.

The Hobbit was Tolkien's first book whose story took place in Middle-earth, and was published in 1937.
The Eye of the World , the first book in The Wheel of Time series, was published in 1990.

As the novels continued to be pumped out, to the growing reader base's elation, critics and fellow fantasy authors gushed about The Wheel of Time 's impact on modern fantasy writing. The New York Times stated in 1996 that "Jordan has come to dominate the world Tolkien began to reveal," placing its importance to fantasy right up there with The Lord of the Rings . The stories in both of their first books, The Eye of the World and The Fellowship of the Ring, had some clear narrative beats that paralleled. However, Robert Jordan clearly defined a different approach to how his world would be enriched with characters and ideas that defied the straighter conventions of good and evil that Tolkien was subscribed to. On that note, George R.R. Martin of Game of Thrones fame gushed "His [Robert Jordan's] huge, ambitious Wheel of Time series helped redefine the genre." George R.R. Martin released the Game of Thrones series in 1996 when The Wheel of Time was into its sixth book A Crown of Swords .

From the title styling of A Crown of Swords itself to George R.R. Martin's love for moral ambiguity in his stories, it is clear how profoundly The Wheel of Time series affected the next generation of hit American fantasy authors like him. A greater detail that Robert Jordan specified within the world of The Wheel of Time is how the energies and flows of magic function, and how they are harnessed between planes of existence and mortals. The diversity in their applications and uses far surpasses the more ethereal and abstract essence of how divine power works in Lord of the Rings' Middle-earth. Although Tolkien specifies who has these powers and which items carry power, he is less specific on how they manifest and their uses, not until they happen in the story. Robert Jordan took a more science-fiction approach to explaining the Threads of Power and how they combine and weave to create magical essence with multiple uses. In giving a more structured idea to readers on how the magic system in his world works, it built an easy understanding of what others could be capable of. Furthermore, it complemented the mystifying and unpredictable aspects of the world's darker magic. Masterfully combining this kind of formula and breaking it to exemplify a chaotic villain truly sets that aspect of The Wheel of Time 's world-building above Tolkien's.

Wheel of Time Has Taken Game of Thrones’ Place as TV’s Premier Fantasy Series

The Valar usually influence and craft the powers wielded in Middle-earth.
The One Power is The Wheel of Time 's magic source. It is tapped from what is known as the True Source.

When it comes to The Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of Time , each approaches culture, society, and its items of power in different ways with equal amounts of detail. In Tolkien's case, cultures are deeply inspired by the mythology and folklore of European mythology, with much of Arda, the world of The Lord of the Rings resembling a variant version of Earth's own world map. From that basic template, Tolkien seeds his celestial gods and creators and how they came to create the races of Arda, focusing especially on the ones from Middle-earth.

This tradition of storytelling about Gods influencing, growing, and empowering the world, echoes in the classic tales of Homer in The Iliad and The Odyssey . Although much of Tolkien's world-building is anthologized and compiled into the work known as The Silmarillion , and partially depicted in The Rings of Power , most of Tolkien's world-building is a fragmented aspect of exercising both his linguistic skills and passion for antiquated literature and converting it into his own fantasy landscape to tell stories within. Although a strong foundation to work from, which created classic books and other media like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy , his epic tale of hobbits and magical rings was wanting in the understanding of how the magic in the world works.

As for the items like the Rings of Power, the Palantir, or the sword Andúril, their magic is abstractly manifested through the lineage of its crafters, and their inherent abilities granted either by succession or right. Sometimes they are direct descendants of the Valar and have crafted the items. Other times, the items are made by the great mortal crafters of Middle-earth, but through their use gain renewed importance that changes their state. In the case of Andúril, it was originally Narsil and crafted by a great Dwarven smith of the First Age. The sword was powerful enough to cut the ring off of Sauron's hand but was still crushed under Sauron's boot. When reforged by Elrond and the elves into Andúril, after its years of being a legacy item of the true heir of Gondor, the mix of Aragorn's birthright and the intent the Elves imbued in it to craft a weapon that helped rally the dead men of Dunharrow to fight for him in The Return of the King . This general acceptance of power being passed down from the Gods and long legacies is an older structure on which most folklore bases its magical items. This is where Robert Jordan works on altering that standard and elevating it.

In the case of The Wheel of Time series, it's clear that Robert Jordan was clearly influenced by Tolkien's storytelling to a degree, but not as much tethered to Tolkien's ways of world-building. When he began writing The Wheel of Time , a large fix he used to create the drama needed to propel the story was to make the main characters younger and less experienced, just like Tolkien's Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin in The Lord of the Rings . This allowed more room for character growth amid the chaos and traumas of their adventure in a similar way. Although Robert Jordan created somewhat of a fellowship of his own at the start, it quickly dissolves and splits into smaller pairings of characters.

Of course, they eventually intersect and reconvene, but with much more nuance and difficulty than Tolkien's characters do when they get back together. A lot of this has to do with Jordan's immersive approach to building a world that is post-apocalyptic and filled with very relatable divisions between the country, city, large superpowers, and magical orders. Although Tolkien shows this somewhat amid his cultures, the differences are more racially segregated than cultural or organizational differences. The Wheel of Time is largely a human world, so by design, people are tethered to their homes, the surrounding communities, and the law structures that hold them together. Only when it is overrun by the Trollocs attacking does the world open up for the main characters. The Wheel of Time 's "Adventure" is a sort of anti-adventure in the Tolkien-esque sense. Although the characters always desire to see the greater world and know about it, they are often grieved by the sights and traumas of the journey and have very little levity in their journey.

Although there are magical items like Angreal and The Horn of Valere , The Wheel of Time world is low magic in this respect. Their past boasts of a magic-tech utopia that is now sundered into myth and legend, with the Aes Sedai being almost the only ones privy to the potential dangers of the threads that can be harnessed into raw power. Magic is seen as more of a forbidden technology, wrought in superstition and darkness among laymen and cautiously harnessed and policed by its few and powerful users. The Wheel of Time series uses magic as an anti-hubris message against technology and the potential of greed. Because of this, magic items like the ruby-hilted dagger are imbued with tainted powers that are extremely poisonous and volatile to the user. Even items that were crafted with good intent can be corrupted if used by the wrong people. This ambiguous structure of the item's potential use is yet another layer of nuance that Robert Jordan adds to the fantasy structure created for The Wheel of Time .

How The Return of the King's Extended Edition Made Faramir's Story Even More Heartbreaking

The Shire section of The Fellowship of the Ring takes up 10% of the book's content.
The lead-up to The Eye of the World 's Trolloc attack takes up 13% of the book's content.

Between both The Wheel of Time and The Lord of the Rings it is clear that sweating the details of a character's every thought and action was important to truly being with them on their journey. This mentality seemed important to both Tolkien and Jordan as their stories go into depth about both the mundane and thrilling aspects of their characters' adventures. For example, in both The Eye of the World and The Fellowship of the Ring , both books begin in small communities centered around farming and the excitement behind an upcoming celebratory event. Furthermore, both books take a very long time by contemporary standards to leave their small communities. Frodo finally leaves The Shire on page 108 of The Fellowship of the Ring and the Trolloc attack on Emond's Field ramps up the action on page 103 of The Eye of the World . Tolkien's long-winded introduction and in-depth lore-dumping on The Shire took up the first ten percent of the book whereas Jordan's took up thirteen percent of his own.

The reason these longer introductions are key to understanding why The Wheel of Time is deserving of equal recognition as a fantasy trailblazer is that much of Jordan's exposition in that introduction is intimately told through the conversations between characters rather than narrated into the ether like a history lecture to the reader. Of course, Tolkien eventually grows into writing more exposition through dialogue once The Lord of the Rings gains momentum, but is still privy to tangents of lore lectures that delay and extend the narrative.

With such an acclaimed place of respect that The Lord of the Rings books have in literature, media, and popular culture, it's important to note that this attention to detail in Robert Jordan's work takes its time to pay tribute to the depth required to immerse readers into Tolkien-esque fantasy. At the same time, he elevates how it's told by making sure the lore informs the story, and not the other way around. Granted, The Wheel of Time is 14 novels long, far surpassing Tolkien's combined works about Middle-earth, and still, it remains a profound must-read for fans of fantasy and now viewers as The Wheel of Time ramps up for season 3 in 2025.

The Wheel of Time

Set in a high fantasy world where magic exists, but only some can access it, a woman named Moiraine crosses paths with five young men and women. This sparks a dangerous, world-spanning journey. Based on the book series by Robert Jordan.

Screen Rant

The wheel of time season 3: cast, story & everything we know.

The Wheel of Time season 3 is coming, and here is everything known about the upcoming season, including the cast, story, and release date.

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Most recent the wheel of time season 3 news, prime video's wheel of time is renewed for season 3, wheel of time season 3 production status, wheel of time season 3 cast, wheel of time season 3 story.

The Wheel Of Time Season 3: Further News & Info
The Wheel of Time season 3 renewal was announced before the second season aired, ensuring that fans can expect more story in the future.
The second season of Wheel of Time has been well-received, with positive reviews and an 80 percent fresh rating from critics.
The third season will be based on the book " The Shadow Rising " and will feature the return of main cast members, including Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred and Daniel Henney as Lan Mandragoran.

The Wheel of Time season 3 promises a challenging new adventure for the Dragon Reborn and company. Prime Video brought the fantasy novels by Robert Jordan, and eventually finished by Brandon Sanderson, to the small screen. The series launched in 2021 with Rosamund Pike starring as Moiraine Damodred, an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah searching for the Dragon Reborn. The first season saw her find the Dragon Reborn, only to seemingly lose the One Power.

The Wheel of Time season 2 dropped on Prime Video on September 1, 2023, and the eight-episode story advanced the arcs of several main characters from Jordan's books, while also introducing new players from the source material. Similar to how season 1 adapted the first book, season 2 followed the events of book 2, The Great Hunt , with its ending lining up with the novel's finale. The Wheel of Time season 3 will continue by adapting storylines from book 4 in the novel series, The Shadow Rising.

Stream On Amazon Prime Video

The Third Season Wraps Filming

As the highly anticipated return of Prime Video's premiere fantasy series gets closer, the latest update confirms that filming has wrapped on Wheel of Time season 3 . Coming in the form of a behind-the-scenes video , Prime Video announced in March 2024 that the third season had finished its lengthy shooting process which began in spring 2023. Various industry delays hampered the show's filming, but it has finally reached the post-production phase. No release date has been provided yet.

Wheel of Time season 3's filming was partially disrupted by the Hollywood strikes of 2023 that involved the WGA and SAG-AFTRA unions striking in solidarity for fair pay and better working practices.

The Wheel Of Time Is Returning To Amazon Prime Video

Before season 2 had even aired, The Wheel of Time was renewed for a third season . In July 2023, Prime Video announced the Wheel of Time season 3 renewal, a little over a month before the second season's premiere. The announcement came at Comic-Con as Amazon had its presentation for what fans could expect from the second season. Showrunner Rafe Judkins was at Comic-Con and made comments about the show's renewal (via Deadline ).

"I’m so thrilled that we’ll be making a third season of The Wheel of Time. The Shadow Rising has always been my favorite book in the series, so being able to bring it to television and introduce new audiences to the stories that made me fall in love with these books in the first place is such an honor, and something I’ve been working toward since I first pitched the show years and years ago."

No Release Date Has Been Announced

With the extended production process for season 3 of Wheel of Time , no word has been given yet concerning the release date. However, it was revealed that filming had finally wrapped in March 2024, meaning progress has been made on bringing the third season to life. The most logical premiere window for Wheel of Time season 3 would be the final months of 2024 .

Who Is Returning For The Wheel Of Time Season 3?

The Wheel of Time season 3 cast all depends on what changes Prime Video makes to the book's story. While showrunner Rafe Judkins talked about his love for the book, he has made changes from the earlier books already. Based on the book, the main characters should be returning to The Wheel of Time season 3 cast . This includes stars like Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred, and Joshua Stradowski as Rand al'Thor.

Additionally, the returning Wheel of Time cast members should also include:

10 Book Characters To Expect In The Wheel Of Time Season 3

What happens next.

The Wheel of Time season 3 story will be based on The Shadow Rising . Since The Shadow Rising is the fourth book in the series, this means the show may either skip book 3, The Dragon Reborn , or blend elements of it with The Shadow Rising . The novel in question sees Rand, Mat, and Egwene head to the Aiel Waste, while Perrin goes back to the Two Rivers. Since Aviendha of the Aiel has identified Rand as the Car'a'carn, this development is already set up to happen. With that in mind, the Aiel Waste is most likely his next destination .

As for the villain, The Wheel of Time season 2 ending's last scene saw Lanfear come face to face with Moghedien, a previously unseen member of the Forsaken. Played by Laia Costa, the Dreamwalking channeler is shaping up to be their biggest threat . However, she won't be alone, as Moghedien mentioned that before his death, Ishamael released all the remaining Forsaken. In doing so, Ishamael set the stage for the main characters to contend with a handful of villains capable of being The Wheel of Time season 3's big bad.

The Wheel of Time

Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan's expansive fantasy series is brought to life in The Wheel of Time, a fantasy tv series created for Amazon Prime Video. The series follows a woman named Moiraine, a member of the all-female Aes Sedai group who can utilize a great power. Following an attack on a local village, Moiraine heads there to find a villager that may be the reincarnation of an all-powerful dragon that will either save or destroy the world.

The Wheel Of Time Season 3: Further News & Info

Wheel Of Time Season 3 Book Revealed, Teases New Forsakens, Locations & Dreamwalking

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Our podcast has recapped every episode of 1899, Dark, and Wheel Of Time! On our other episodes, we handle related bonus material, spin-offs, season wrap ups, and other show and movie discussions. Email us at [email protected] Steve's music and website is at https://www.linktr.ee/Introvoid Lindsey Dunn is a critic for NCFilmcritics and SEFilmcritic at https://www.1ofmystories.com Nate's music is at Voidmaster.bandcamp.com James McCollum is host and producer at https://www.mlmpod.com Corwyn is on Twitch at www.Twitch.tv/corwyning

Sweet Child Of Time: 1899, Dark, and Wheel Of Time Recaps Steve Barnes hosts; cohosts James McCollum, Lindsey Dunn, Corwyn, And Nate Dunn

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MAR 27, 2024

The Top Movies of 2023 with Lindsey Dunn

This week Lindsey and Steve discuss the best movies of 2023; we name and discuss 25 movies of 2023 that made an impression, including the 10 movies that topped Lindsey's year end list! Slight Spoilers for Saltburn and Leave The World Behind. Write Steve and the show at [email protected] because we would love to hear from you! Active on Instagram at @sweetchildoftimepod and @intro.void Our sponsors are: Zencastr, for your podcasting and recording needs. Use this link for 30% off your first order, use offer code SWEETCHILDOFTIME! https://zen.ai/34YswfAyb8Tg_68Rugun28BAv0U3EeXAvPbnN9FTzpOU9gDo6uemPt2NxY_ET4N0 Promoco RVA, for your Virginia and DC recreational needs https://rva.promocodc.net/ Lindsey Dunn is a film and TV critic with the NCFilmcritics and the SEFilmcritics; her website is https://www.1ofmystories.com , where she also recaps and reviews television and film. Steve Barnes is guitarist for stoner metal band Introvoid, and also plays guitar for the cover band Rebecca Crow. All of Steve's stuff can be found at https://linktr.ee/introvoid Please check out Nates band VOIDMASTER, available everywhere you can stream, and also at https://voidmaster.bandcamp.com, which is the best way to support Nate! Nate is the guitarist, singer and band leader. Instagram at Void.Master We are proudly hosted by Marsh Land Media! Thanks to James McCollum AKA the Marsh Land Monster. https://www.mlmpod.com or you can join the discord at https://discord.gg/aRdKmv9Ybc

MAR 13, 2024

Metalocalypse S4E13 THE DOOMSTAR REQUIEM Dethklok Discussion

This week we celebrate our 100th episode by discussing The Doomstar Requiem by Brendon Small! We are huge Dethklok and Brendon Small fans, so this was a treat of an episode to record. Joining Nate Dunn and myself is Heather Barnes of Rebecca Crow, who leads us through a song-by-song discussion. Write Steve and the show at [email protected] because we would love to hear from you! Active on Instagram at @sweetchildoftimepod and @intro.void Our sponsors are: Zencastr, for your podcasting and recording needs. Use this link for 30% off your first order, use offer code SWEETCHILDOFTIME! https://zen.ai/34YswfAyb8Tg_68Rugun28BAv0U3EeXAvPbnN9FTzpOU9gDo6uemPt2NxY_ET4N0 Promoco RVA, for your Virginia and DC recreational needs https://rva.promocodc.net/ Lindsey Dunn is a film and TV critic with the NCFilmcritics and the SEFilmcritics; her website is https://www.1ofmystories.com , where she also recaps and reviews television and film. Steve Barnes is guitarist for stoner metal band Introvoid, and also plays guitar for the cover band Rebecca Crow. All of Steve's stuff can be found at https://linktr.ee/introvoid Please check out Nates band VOIDMASTER, available everywhere you can stream, and also at https://voidmaster.bandcamp.com, which is the best way to support Nate! Nate is the guitarist, singer and band leader. Instagram at Void.Master We are proudly hosted by Marsh Land Media! Thanks to James McCollum AKA the Marsh Land Monster. https://www.mlmpod.com or you can join the discord at https://discord.gg/aRdKmv9Ybc

FEB 28, 2024

Movie Livestream Special: The Silence (2010)

This week, Lindsey Dunn led a livestream event along with Steve Barnes on Facebook; a discussion of Baran Bo Odar's 2010 film The Silence. We get into the history of Darkways Productions, Baran's directorial choices, our feelings about the characters and this movie--- a serious discussion, but with a lot of our usual humor mixed in. More loose than our normal podcasts, but done with more research to back up our conversation. Here is the link to the Darkways Facebook group; join up! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1899Netflix/ The video for this discussion is on Lindsey's 1 Of My Stories YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/fIWsfdX7yOc?si=Twv4ktiqrA0_7bcZ Check out Steve and Lindsey's newest single "In The Woods Somewhere (featuring Lindsey Dunn)" by Introvoid on Spotify, Apple, and everywhere, March 1st! Also on Steve's Link tree: https://linktr.ee/introvoid Support us by joining Marsh Land Media! Patreon starts at $1, and you get all the Marsh Land Media podcasts, as well as access to the Sweet Child Of Time Discord: https://www.mlmpod.com

FEB 14, 2024

Wheel Of Time Season 3 Updates: Chicago Edition

James and Corwyn, both Chicago residents, join me to discuss Wheel Of Time Season 3 updates. Then, I play 18 songs from Chicago artists, to quiz James and Corwyn as to whether or not they can identify the songs... Can you??? Check out This Movie's Gay, hosted by Corwyn and James McCollum! Almost 100 episodes of gay movies to choose from, and hopefully more in the future. https://open.spotify.com/show/27wt5GhWRO6rfk8C7QwTHO Write Steve and the show at [email protected] because we would love to hear from you! Active on Instagram at @sweetchildoftimepod and @barnestown Our sponsors are: Zencastr, for your podcasting and recording needs. Use this link for 30% off your first order, use offer code SWEETCHILDOFTIME! https://zen.ai/34YswfAyb8Tg_68Rugun28BAv0U3EeXAvPbnN9FTzpOU9gDo6uemPt2NxY_ET4N0 Promoco RVA, for your Virginia and DC recreational needs https://rva.promocodc.net/ Steve Barnes records music as Introvoid. Steve plays guitar for the cover band Rebecca Crow, and he plays bass for a local Richmond punk band. All of Steve's stuff can be found at https://linktr.ee/introvoid Lindsey Dunn is our cohost on the Dark recaps; she provides the recaps for us via her website https://www.1ofmystories.com She is a film and TV critic with the NCFilmcritics and the SEFilmcritics, and has provided reviews of hundreds of movies, going back to 2007, on her website. We are proudly hosted by James McCollum and Marsh Land Media! https://mlmpod.com is where you can check out all the podcasts, and it helps support the show. You can join the discord at https://discord.gg/aRdKmv9Ybc Nate Dunn of Voidmaster is working on a new album for 2024 with the band! Check out Nate everywhere music is found, and also here- https://voidmaster.bandcamp.com You can check out Corwyn at his Twitch channel, https://Twitch.tv/corwyning , and also listen to his podcast This Movie's Gay... https://open.spotify.com/show/27wt5GhWRO6rfk8C7QwTHO

1 hr 24 min
JAN 31, 2024

Music Special: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

This week Nate, Lindsey, and myself watched Jesus Christ Superstar, and we reconvened in our council to discuss "what then to do about this" 1973 musical. We talk the history of the album, play, and movie; I quiz Lindsey and Nate in a lyrical game of Who Said This; I discuss who might have been cast in this film circa 2000 and now; and, as expected with this movie, there's a lot of Judas talk. Write Steve and the show at [email protected] because we would love to hear from you! Active on Instagram at @sweetchildoftimepod and @barnestown Our sponsors are: Zencastr, for your podcasting and recording needs. Use this link for 30% off your first order, use offer code SWEETCHILDOFTIME! https://zen.ai/34YswfAyb8Tg_68Rugun28BAv0U3EeXAvPbnN9FTzpOU9gDo6uemPt2NxY_ET4N0 Promoco RVA, for your Virginia and DC recreational needs https://rva.promocodc.net/ Lindsey Dunn is a film and TV critic with the NCFilmcritics and the SEFilmcritics; her website is https://www.1ofmystories.com , where she also recaps and reviews television and film. Steve Barnes is guitarist for stoner metal band Introvoid, and also plays guitar for the cover band Rebecca Crow. All of Steve's stuff can be found at https://linktr.ee/introvoid Please check out Nates band VOIDMASTER, available everywhere you can stream, and also at https://voidmaster.bandcamp.com, which is the best way to support Nate! Nate is the guitarist, singer and band leader. Instagram at Void.Master We are proudly hosted by Marsh Land Media! Thanks to James McCollum AKA the Marsh Land Monster. https://www.mlmpod.com or you can join the discord at https://discord.gg/aRdKmv9Ybc

1 hr 58 min
JAN 24, 2024

DARK Series Wrap Up

Lindsey Dunn of 1 Of My Stories and myself share our final thoughts about the series Dark: a conspiracy theory about Ines Kahnwald, World 2 Martha's divergent timeline, when or where exactly is HG Tannhaus's clock shop, What the Einstein Rosen Gate segment meant with the younger Jonas and Martha; Lindsey wraps up and discusses the main 5 themes (as she sees them) of Dark. Join the Dark Ways Facebook Group! Lindsey Dunn is the moderator and admin. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1899Netflix Write Steve and the show at [email protected] because we would love to hear from you! Active on Instagram at @sweetchildoftimepod and @barnestown Our sponsors are: Zencastr, for your podcasting and recording needs. Use this link for 30% off your first order, use offer code SWEETCHILDOFTIME! https://zen.ai/34YswfAyb8Tg_68Rugun28BAv0U3EeXAvPbnN9FTzpOU9gDo6uemPt2NxY_ET4N0 Promoco RVA, for your Virginia and DC recreational needs https://rva.promocodc.net/ Steve Barnes records music as Introvoid. Steve plays guitar for the cover band Rebecca Crow, and he plays bass for a local Richmond punk band. All of Steve's stuff can be found at https://linktr.ee/introvoid Lindsey Dunn is our cohost on the Dark recaps; she provides the recaps for us via her website https://www.1ofmystories.com She is a film and TV critic with the NCFilmcritics and the SEFilmcritics, and has provided reviews of hundreds of movies, going back to 2007, on her website. We are proudly hosted by James McCollum and Marsh Land Media! https://mlmpod.com is where you can check out all the podcasts, and it helps support the show. You can join the discord at https://discord.gg/aRdKmv9Ybc

Customer Reviews

Enjoying their recaps.

I’ve been listening to a handful of 1899 podcasts, and truly enjoying following these guys through their first viewing of the show.

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The Wheel of Time: The Warders, Explained

The Wheel of Time has complex lore that includes a magical bond between Aes Sedai and their Warders, providing benefits for both parties.
Warders gain physical abilities, resistance to injury, and a greater ability to resist evil, while Aes Sedai gain a loyal companion and bodyguard.
In the show adaptation, the Warders are portrayed as a brotherhood, which could significantly impact plotlines and the dynamics of the Warders' bond.

The Wheel of Time has an in-depth lore that can be difficult for some fans to wrap their heads around, even if they thoroughly enjoy the series. Aside from its main cast of characters, The Wheel of Time boasts a complicated world, magic system, and interwoven centuries of politics and history that span far beyond the story being told. Due to the source material for the series being a wildly popular fantasy book series by author Robert Jordan, much like another familiar epic fantasy series, Game of Thrones , there are a lot of elements to the mythology within the The Wheel of Time world that need further explanation on screen. The show's writers choose what to change and what to keep, but ultimately, much of the lore remains the same, even if it can be difficult to portray properly in such few episodes. Some of The Wheel of Time 's lore diverges from the books. One of the most intriguing dynamics in The Wheel of Time is between the Aes Sedai and their Warders. One of these relationships is front and center by the use of main characters Lan and Moiraine.

It's explained that some Aes Sedai are married to their Warders while others, like Lan and Moiraine, have a very different relationship. But what exactly is a Warder in The Wheel of Time , and why are they so important? The relationship between the mysterious Aes Sedai and their Warders is a special kind of bond that provides benefits for both the male Warder and the female Aes Sedai involved. The number of Warders per Aes Sedai and their uses also vary between the Ajah of the Aes Sedai, though having a Warder is never something to be taken lightly. The bond between an Aes Sedai and their Warder(s) is often described as being similar to that of a soulmate or a parabatai in the world of The Mortal Instruments . Within this relationship, both parties benefit. In the Warder's case, he gains significant physical capabilities due to his deep bond with the powerful Aes Sedai, and the Aes Sedai gains a companion, ally, and bodyguard who puts her life above his own at all times.

Warders Benefit From Increased Physical Abilities

A wheel of time warder tries out a co-star's lovely locks.

An interesting aspect of the bond between a Warder and an Aes Sedai is the idea that it's deeper than even love. A Warder's bond with their Aes Sedai goes beyond love and basically connects the two in a way that goes far beyond any non-magical connection between two separate people. While most Ajahs of the Aes Sedai only bond one Warder, like is shown with Moiraine and Lan, other Ajahs like the Green Ajah are known to bond multiple Warders at a time, and others like the Red Ajah aren't known to bond any Warders at all. The Warders were created to benefit both their Aes Sedai and themselves, which is why there are a number of benefits to becoming a Warder that go beyond just being bonded to such a powerful and influential person within the world of The Wheel of Time . On the side of the Warder, most of the benefits of the Warder's bond are purely physical, which is what also makes them valuable bodyguards for the Aes Sedai. Sharing some of the Aes Sedai's power through the Warder's bond is what makes the Warders capable of laying down their lives for their Aes Sedai. The two are so bonded together, in fact, that a Warder's death can be inconsolable for their Aes Sedai, and a Warder is unlikely to survive his Aes Sedai's death as he loses the will to live and will do anything to avenge their death.

While bonding with an Aes Sedai does not give male Warders access to the One Power, it definitely comes with a number of physical perks and advantages for both the Warder and the Aes Sedai. From a purely physical perspective, a Warder gains increased stamina and strength from his Warder's bond as well as a greater resistance to injury. When it comes to injury, this does not make the Warders unkillable, but it does help them survive many fights. When a Warder is more gravely injured, it's common that their Aes Sedai uses the One Power to Heal him, but he is not intrinsically healed by the power of a Warder's bond. On a more psychological level, Warders gain a greater ability to resist the temptations of evil and can sense the presence of creatures made by the Dark One, also known as Shadowspawn. For a Warder's Aes Sedai, she gains a bodyguard, but a Warder is more than just that. An Aes Sedai and her Warder are so deeply connected that they become nearly inseparable.

A Warder and his Aes Sedai are so connected emotionally, spiritually, and physically that they can sense the other's location, physical state of well-being, and even their emotional state. A Warder is so connected to his Aes Sedai that he can even be compelled by her, to a certain extent, in the books, but this part of the Warder's bond has yet to be explored by the TV series. The act of compulsion makes it impossible for a Warder to betray his Aes Sedai, which often makes him the only person an Aes Sedai can fully trust. In a world like that of The Wheel of Time , trust is not something that can be found easily, so the Warder's bond is like a guarantee that no matter where an Aes Sedai goes, there's at least one person that she can always rely on to have her back. In the series, this bond is mostly explored through the relationship between Lan Mandragoran, a Warder, and the Aes Sedai he's bonded to, Moiraine . Audiences can also see how complex this relationship is because of how Lan feels about another character, Nynaeve. His feelings for Nynaeve complicate his Warder's bond because Lan is supposed to live and die for Moiraine, so having any sort of strong feelings for Nynaeve means that his loyalties could be torn between the two in a time of need.

In the Show, the Warders Seem To Function Like a Brotherhood

The wheel of time: has lan betrayed [spoiler].

While both the books and the show of The Wheel of Time make it a point to show how committed a Warder is to his Aes Sedai, the Amazon TV series made an interesting change to the dynamic of the Warders when it decided to represent them as having a sort of brotherhood. While the Aes Sedai function as an organization within the White Tower, it's common for Ajahs to have loyalty mostly for their fellow Ajah sisters, and it's not uncommon for one Aes Sedai to plot or betray another. In fact, many of the plots both in the show and the books have Aes Sedai on different sides of the same fight. Due to the extent of a Warder's bond with his Aes Sedai, Warders can be used like swords in these sorts of conflicts, killing other Warders for his Aes Sedai with little remorse. When it comes to the books, the bond between a Warder and an Aes Sedai is the strongest bond basically in existence within the world of The Wheel of Time . By making the Warders have a sort of brotherhood in the show, the dynamics of both current and future plotlines could be drastically changed.

If the Warders in The Wheel of Time don't just acknowledge their shared existence as Warders, committed to their Aes Sedai, but actively join together as a brotherhood, this could lead to even more changes to the plotlines book fans know and love. Painting the Warders as a brotherhood is an interesting choice, as it questions how the Warders function, especially with respect to their bonds with the Aes Sedai. A Warder's bond is supposed to make sure that a Warder's loyalty to his Aes Sedai is without question and always comes first, which is why Lan Mandragoran's feelings for Nynaeve cause him such internal turmoil. This conflict carries through even with the changes between book Lan and the character played by Daniel Henney in The Wheel of Time . If Lan loves Nynaeve, he feels as if he's betraying his undying loyalty to Moiraine, but his bond also makes it so that any love he has for Nynaeve is also eclipsed by his bond with Moiraine. It's a central part of his character in the show, and the brotherhood makes that conflict even more complex as it would mean his loyalties are somehow divided into three. Having the Warders show a sort of loyalty to one another, much like Ajahs in the Aes Sedai, goes against the nature of the Warder's bond, so audiences are eager to see how the show uses this new aspect as an advantage to telling the story they're setting up.

Having the Warders in a brotherhood also presents a challenge to problems later in the books, which include some Aes Sedai bonding men to be Warders against their will. In the books, the element of compulsion that is produced by a Warder's bond, a Warder's undying loyalty to their Aes Sedai, and the independent nature of being a Warder all contribute to the Aes Sedai being able to bond Warders against their will. When this happens in the series, it's presented as something immoral and unforgivable, but Aes Sedai are able to do this because, once bonded, Warders have loyalty to no one except their Aes Sedai. If the Warders are in a brotherhood, this could complicate any forced-bonding storylines later on, as Warders in the show will have solidarity within their own ranks. Audiences are intrigued to see how the dynamic of the brotherhood will affect the relationship dynamics moving forward, especially when it comes to Lan and his ongoing internal conflict as he's torn between Nynaeve and Moiraine .

The Warders Are Central to the Power Dynamic Shown in The Wheel of Time

The wheel of time star digs into lan's complex feelings for nynaeve & moiraine.

The Wheel of Time is known for flipping the classic power dynamic in most fantasies into a feminist twist by putting women at the helm of physical power within the world by use of the One Power. Due to their ability to connect to the One Power without fear of corruption, organizations like the Aes Sedai are responsible for most of the political mechanics that govern the nations of the world. Other than the Red Ajah, this women-led power dynamic is only emphasized by the existence of the Warders. Unlike a traditional bodyguard, who is often in a position of protecting someone thought to be weaker than, Warders are often used as a sort of obstacle to killing an Aes Sedai. Since an Aes Sedai's life is seen to be more precious than a Warder's, a Warder is supposed to be one more wall between an Aes Sedai and her death. Since power also corrupts those closest to it, the Aes Sedai are often known to not trust each other fully, even within their own Ajahs, which is another factor that makes the Warders so essential to how the Aes Sedai work. It's impossible to function if one is always expecting another to betray them, so the safety of having a Warder's bond helps the Aes Sedai move through the world and do what they must.

Though the main Warder that has been highlighted throughout the show thus far has been Lan Mandragoran, who is currently torn between his feelings for Nynaeve and his undying loyalty to Moiraine, there are plenty of other Warders in the books of The Wheel of Time who could make an important appearance in the show. With the series creating a brotherhood for the Warders and an uncertainty in the show about whether or not the Aes Sedai can actually compel Warders through the bond like in the books, the showrunners have a lot to work with. The relationship between a Warder and his Aes Sedai is already interesting as it is, but with the tension building in The Wheel of Time , this dynamic could be a pivotal part of future storylines. As it stands, there's so much more to explore about the Warders in the show, from how their brotherhood works to the details of the Warders' bond, but it's clear that the Warders will play a large role in future seasons.

The Wheel of Time

Release Date 2021-11-19

Cast Daniel Henney, Josha Stradowski, Zoe Robins, Madeleine Madden, Rosamund Pike

Main Genre Adventure

Genres Drama, Action, Adventure

Rating TV-14

Creator Rafe Judkins

The Wheel of Time: The Warders, Explained

EP 034 | Creation of the World - A Metaphysical understanding of Where you Are in the Cosmic Wheel of Time?

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March 31, 2024 (United Kingdom)
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