We’re coming to the end of the first season of Wheel of Time, and I’m going to talk about the series as a whole next week. So, if you’ve been following you probably already can guess my thoughts on the whole series. But if you want to catch up on the previous reviews, you can do so here. But this article is talking about the Eye of the World and how good or poor the finale for the first was.

The Eye of the World Recap

Moiraine and Rand have headed off into the blight to go to the Eye of the World. Leaving the rest of them behind in Fal Dara, where there are troubles of their own. There are dark friends in the city which is an issue because Tarwin’s Gap, the land between the blight and the rest of the world is having trollocs and fades amass in front of it. So Egewene, Perrin, Nyneave, and Loial all need to help make a stand. But will it be enough to keep the trollocs from coming out of the blight.

What Didn’t Work?

Keeping the group split was an odd choice for me in this episode. Some of that is because they weren’t in the book. Having Moiraine and Rand head off on their own works, but it’d have worked better to then have them all meet up again. There was some decent dialog that would have be missed had they not, but that could easily have been added in at a later time. But it also would have changed, in my opinion, a good change that they made from the book.

I also think that the Aes Sedai aspect, or the use of the power, that part was not needed. I’m not sure what the payoff from that scene was in the episode. I won’t spoil what happens in it, but for me, that was a scene that didn’t develop characters anymore. I don’t think it set-up anything that was going to be useful going forward in the story, maybe a minor thing, but it could have been done without that being a part of it.

Finally, there is a change with Moiraine during the episode. This is not something that happens in the book at this time. I need to see what happens with it going forward. I don’t believe it’ll be a massive deal breaker for the story, because of some changes already made. But it is an odd choice to make. Something that is added in for drama but I don’t see how it’ll be added in for plot as well.

What Worked?

I think the Eye of the World, itself, worked out pretty well. The whole confrontation that we head into, in the finale, it works. And how they play it, I think is more interesting than how it is in the book. Now, not maybe, everything leading up to it. But the introduction of the Dark One, I think is well done. And his interaction with the characters, is also well done. It makes a convincing villain who is clearly bad, but not moustache twirling type of villain.

I also think, while there was an odd change with Loial, that the part with Perrin and Loial, that worked well. Loial is almost taking over the role of Elias from the books. Kind of that mentor figure to Perrin, and it works. At least to some extent.

And I like that they moved a key piece from the Eye of the Eye of the World. Because we were introduced to the Aes Sedai before Fal Dara, not at Fal Dara, like in the book, we don’t need to spend the time getting to know them. That is a chunk of the second book, at Fal Dara with the Aes Sedai and Suian Sanche. So the big plot point from there can instead by added into what is going on in Fal Dara now, and it worked for me. It tightens up the story, which I don’t always want them to do. But it does so in a good way.

The Eye of the World Final Thoughts

I liked this episode, generally. I do have some complaints, but I think the biggest one is around Moiraine’s change. It is a change that needs to be explained for plot reasons and we don’t get that in this season. I need to see more of what their plan is for it in the second season really.

But, I think that they get the Dark One right. You will never get the feeling that the Dark One is good, but like I said, he isn’t so obviously bad that you don’t like him. He’s creepy and twisted but not coming across as evil for the sake of being evil.

I don’t think this is the strongest episode in the series. But it is a good finale. And it makes me want more. Is it the biggest cliffhanger, not really, but it leaves a lot of things open ended. Plus it leaves you wondering where some of the characters are going and who might be changed in season two. I’d probably give this a 8 out of 10.

Did you like the finale, The Eye of the World?

Spoilers

Alright, let’s talk about Moiraine a little bit more. She isn’t stilled in the books. Things happen to her, but she isn’t stilled. So I don’t know what their plan is with her losing her powers. It isn’t something that makes that much sense to me because it feels out of place. Does she really need her powers to do a lot of what she does, well, sometimes yes, but generally know. She more directs things, but still, it’s an odd choice.

Also, Loial, is he going to be dead? It is certainly possible, but I hope not. We didn’t get to know his character that much in the first season, and i really like him in the books. He most definitely does not die in the books. So I don’t see him dying here, but they certainly seemed to imply that Padan Fain killed him. I think that’ll be a reveal to start season two is that he is severely injured but not killed.

Let’s talk about two changes that I do like though. First, the Horn of Valare being at Fal Dara, that works well. Like I said in the non-spoiler section, it tightens up a chunk of the story. While it is interesting and a good introduction to the Aes Sedai as Rand, and the group, in the books, go back to Fal Dara after the eye of the world, it isn’t needed here. And it is time where not much actually happens. Low action but good character development. I think that is being moved around, instead, which is okay.

The other thing changed, or really the other thing removed, was the whole idea of the Green Man protecting the Eye of the World in the middle of the blight or on the far side of it. To me this is a Tom Bombadil type thing from Lord of the Rings. It isn’t needed. Now, I forget if there is any future payoff for that character, but from what I remember of the books, he isn’t that important. I feel like it is more of an interesting idea that isn’t paid off on well. Now, it isn’t done poorly, but not that interesting either.

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