What Is The Wheel of Time?

Like I said, it’s an epic 14 book series. It is heavy fantasy driven with a fairly standard epic fantasy setting, though some good tweaks on things like magic so that it isn’t just the normal setting. The main things that you need to know about the world going in is that time works on a loop, hence a wheel of time. Where heroes are reborn into the world, but because of a breaking of the world, there is a Dark One, and he wants to rule it all.

Rand Al’Thor and the kids of Emond’s Field live a normal quiet farm life. But when Moiraine Sedai shows up, their world starts to change. One of them is going to be the Dragon Reborn. They will either be the one to save the world, or join the Dark One and doom the world. But from Mat, Perrin, Egwene, Nyneave, and Rand, Moiraine and her Warder Lan don’t know who it is going to be.

Thoughts on The Wheel of Time Season One?

I enjoyed the series. I am someone who read 13 of the 15 books. Yes, I said there were 14 books, and there are in the series, then there is a prequel which deals with Moiraine’s backstory. I do want to read that one as well eventually. And I am working my way through the series again now. The television series departs, pretty quickly, from the book series. And for some book readers, that departure, and the number of them might be shocking.

Even for myself, especially the first episode, seemed like a drastic step away from the books in terms of an adaptation. Now, that was closer, in some ways, than the series got as it went along. It ended up being more a pacing issue in the first episode and that they aged up the characters from the books. With that said, they generally always got the tone and feel right. When I look at an adaptation, that is what I want to see. I want it to give me the same feeling as the book. And I want it close enough to my minds picture that it’s easy to jump into the story.

I’d also say that the story is still strong in what they are doing. In some ways, because they had to cut down some fat from 14 books, and they really mainly touched on the first book, it works for television. There are parts that were cut out that I definitely missed, but that’d kind of be a spoiler. And there are other parts that remind me of how the Lord of the Rings trilogy completely cut out Tom Bombadil. Some characters, side quests, or plot points might be interesting, or fun, but less needed.

Spoilers For Wheel of Time Ahead

Clearly, we are getting into spoiler territory now. I recommend if the series interests you to stop now. If you have read the books but haven’t watched the show yet, feel free to continue. It might help clarify some choices that were made. Or lessen some surprises on changes that happened.

And if you want to catch up on my episode by episode reviews, you can find the one for the finale here. And links for other reviews in there.

What Didn’t Work?

A few things don’t work for me in the series. Let’s start at the very beginning. The pacing of the first episode and the heavy handedness of the first episode don’t work for me. One detail you need to know is that the characters in the show are older. This is not a bad change. I think it is needed because this is a long series and kids might age up too fast. Also this is an intense series, so I think slightly older works better.

Aged Up Characters

But the pacing was rushed on the first episode. Some of what makes The Wheel of Time a great series is that it has this writing style of slow, big moment, slow, big moment, a consistent rising and falling. The series gets to that, but it takes a little while. But Perrin is married, know that going in. And in order to get Perrin to dislike his axe, he accidentally kills his wife in the Trolloc attack. It is rushed and forced.

Who Is The Dragon?

They also play a guessing game as to who is The Dragon reborn. In the books, we get a fever dream from Tam Al’Thor, Rand’s father, about how he isn’t actually his father in the first quarter of the book. Here this was the second to last episode that we get that. It’s meant to keep the audience guessing, I get that. Bur, unfortunately, they telegraph it. They hint that everyone could be the Dragon except for Rand.

This can work if you are don’t pick up on it. But they generally lay it on pretty heavily. Every time that they were around both Mat and Rand, since they did spend a lot of time together, it always hinted that it was Mat. Every other character from Emond’s Field as well could be the dragon, except for Rand. I get that it creates a sense of mystery, but it is more interesting, when done well, as in the book, for Rand to try and come to terms with being the dragon. And that his father isn’t who he thought he is.

What Did Work?

Generally, I think that they did a good job in making things work for the show. This might be a bit less on the story front of things and more along the line of the aesthetic and acting. But let’s talk about the acting.

The Acting

The casting for this show is as perfect as I’ve seen for any show. Especially for an adaptation it is amazing. They manage to get the feel of every character right. Even an aged up Mat still has that playful side to him or trickster side from the books. Plus they give him more of a reason to lean into the darker side of the character. Perrin also really stands out to me. He has that slow, lumbering element to him. And while they change his story a lot, he still feels right.

I honestly can’t come up with any character that I didn’t think was a great casting. Min, maybe, wasn’t as how I pictured her in my mind. But she was good in it. And Lan might be a bit slighter of frame than I thought, but Daniel Henney does a very good job in the role. Again, he feels like Lan Mandragoran even if he doesn’t look the part perfectly. And in an adaptation, I care more about the feel than my minds picture.

Where They Meet

One of the more drastic changes, or two really, were skipping over Baerlon and Caemlyn. Instead, they took the whole group to Tar Valon, which doesn’t happen that early in the books. However, the whole Caemlyn plot and Baerlon plots, they more flesh out the story. They add in some new characters and new things that are important, but generally can be done anywhere.

This also saves on the story from the second book. Fal Dara storyline is interesting, but they massively tighten it up with going to Tar Valon first. Again, this is an adaptation, there are going to be some losses to story. But there are also going to be some casualties, but also some ways that the story is tightened up a lot. No Padan Fain being arrested, he just shows up. No going to the Eye of the World and coming back with the Horn of Valere.

We can immediately get into the chase for the horn and the Great Hunt. Though, we need to see how that is going to work as there are pieces who aren’t there right now.

What I Missed?

Let’s talk quickly about what I missed from the series. Honestly there is only one thing I truly missed. And that is what we haven’t met Elayne yet. And that means that Rand didn’t climb up the wall and fall into the castle grounds in Caemlyn. Is that scene extremely important, I’m not sure, honestly, no it isn’t. But it is one of the moments of just fun from the series.

The Wheel of Time has a lot of adventure to it. It is generally a pretty dark series. The Caemlyn scene is a lot of fun. And just in general Elayne is one of my favorite characters, both her and Min. So I am curious when she gets into the show how we’ll be. I don’t know much about the actor playing her, so I’ll have to see.

I also missed, as I talked about, the fever “dream” that Tam tells Rand. We get it later, but I would love to instead see the story play around with Rand’s questioning of everything. Maybe that is too internal, but I think seeing that one scene would improve the story for me.

Wheel of Time Final Spoiler Thoughts

I really liked the series. I thought with the characters they did such an amazing job that it stands out as unique and better than most things. There are a few elements that I really need to see what happens with them. How is Elayne introduced? Where is Rand going away to and when will he come back? What is Mat up to? How will the story change now that Moiraine has been stilled?

Those are massive massive changes, but in terms of story I still think that it works. How it will work long term, and how much it’ll diverge I’m very curious about. I still definitely love the series, though, will all the changes. It reminds me of Lord of the Rings where most of the changes have been done for the good. And I am really curious to see what is coming forward.

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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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The Dark Along the Ways Recap

Moiraine has led them into the ways with Loial to guide them. But will that be enough as there are things along the ways that are out them. Plus Mat has not come, so what will that mean for Moiraine’s plans. Is he the one who needs to be brought to the Eye of the World? Is another one of them the dragon reborn? Or does Moiraine have it all wrong that those who come along who aren’t the dragon will die?

What Didn’t Work?

Mat not being there. I really like Mat’s character for the show and for the books. Now I don’t think it breaks the story by not having Mat there. In fact, he doesn’t have to show up at all for a little bit, I’d say. But it is a bit odd, and I wonder a little bit if this stems from them looking at replacing the actor. I believe he is being replaced, could be for a lot of reasons, but I think it’s a shame. I liked him a lot.

I also thought the re-introduction of a character was somewhat clunky. There is a slower build with it in the books, and that works better for me. Now, I’m glad that they didn’t skip over them being around more completely. And they did need to get to where the group is at this point. It’d just have been nice to be laying the groundwork for this return throughout the season. Because that is what the books do, and they make it a bit more meaningful as you wonder what is going on.

What Worked

Most of it did, honestly, and my issues are more quibbles than anything. But let’s start out with the character we meet. We should have met her before now, but it’s one of those changes that really doesn’t matter. And while this might not have been my favorite casting, it is a minor detail because the acror is very good. And the acting itself is still very good. And the right characters interacted with her.

I think that they also did a solid job with the ways. They described them and showed them well for what they are. They maybe weren’t quite as menacing as they were in my head, but close. And the intensity of them, while shortened, was real and compares well to the books. And they got one of the threats in the book done very well in the ways.

The Dark Along the Ways Final Thoughts

The Dark Along the Ways is a very good episode. It helps the episodes when we get to meet a character I am excited to meet. We’ve had that with Suian Sanche and Thom Merrilin and now another one I’ve been waiting on for a long time. This one was really fun to her on the screen. And it was a good way to introduce her. I think for people just watching the show it works well, and doesn’t take away from her character for book fans.

And this had a lot of not so much action, but plot. There were great moments for a lot of the characters. And I don’t want to spoil stuff, but I keep on going back to it, they do some stuff in the Ways that are very important and drive good plot. Plus the opening of this episode is something I’ve been waiting on for ages.

This is probably a 9.5 out of 10 for me. It does what I have wanted for a long time. I could see it being a bit slower for some people. But it is really plot focused, and we find out so much about some of the characters. That’s one thing the book series is really good at and I hope the show will be too. The books create moments and then pay them off much later in great ways.

What did you think of this episode? Does the plot feel like it’s coming together?

Spoilers

We got Min. I have been waiting to see Min for so long. They, in the books, meet her before they even get to Shadar Logoth, and also the first time we see Padan Fain again. But it works well to bring her in here. Mainly because we now have a better idea as to who the Dragon Reborn is, Rand, like it’s always been, Rand. Since they were trying to hide that from us, poorly, it makes sense to wait on bringing Min and Padan Fain.

I also really like how we get Lan’s story. They do that in a real way, and while Nyneave and him hook up much faster than they do in the book, it works well enough. It’s one of those TV things where I always expect it but most of the time it’s a question of when and the tease of will they are won’t they. But for a show like The Wheel of Time, it’s probably not the biggest deal that they don’t stretch that out. It’s not that plot that keeps us watching.

And let’s talk about Machin Shin. I thought that this was used really well in the ways. We haven’t had Rand in doubt or denial throughout the show. Maybe some but not as much as the books. The question in the books so often is will he or won’t he take his spot as the Dragon. Now, only with the threat of death for his friends do we see him struggle with it more. Plus the whole madness of Machin Shin is done well. The words that they hear to twist them against each other is a nice touch. Different from the books, but pushes Rand forward.

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The Flame of Tar Valon Recap

With everyone converging on Tar Valon, Moiraine is working to keep her plans in order. Not only that but the Amyrlin seat is returning from Caemlyn to Tar Valon, and Moiraine, Alanna and Liandrin are going to need to face her for what they did to Logain in gentling him without a trial. All the while, Moiraine is finding that the others have made it to Tar Valon as well. But separately and she must bring the group together again and figure out what the next steps are which may include the Ogier Loial.

What Didn’t Work

This episode was 60 minutes, I don’t mind have 60 minute episodes of The Wheel of Time. In fact, if more were that long, I’d be happy. But as rushed as the first episode was, this one was too slow. Now, not to say that important things didn’t happen, very important things did. But more that the pacing was too slow. There needed to be another story element to what was going on.

As you can tell from my recap it is very Moiraine focused, and she’s a good character to focus on. But it did seem to leave some of the other stories generally hanging. I want to see more struggles of Nyneave not liking the Aes Sedai which we get hints of. or Egwene’s eagerness to start training. Or Mat not trusting them, Perrin not trusting himself, or anything with Rand at this point because they haven’t done much with his character.

What Did Work

I think that Sophie Okonedo as Siuan Sanche was good. Going from being quite formal in the halls of the White Tower, but then is much more relaxed and slips into her rough upbringing as the daughter of a fishing family. There’s some interesting stuff that they do with her and Moiraine’s relationship, though not in a way that affects the overall story. Is it a change from the books, sure, does it really matter that they changed it, not at all.

The Flame of Tar Valon episode also sets up and gives some reason for Moiraine to continue traveling. That’s one of the things in the book is that she is never there. Liandrin has been trying to get Moiraine to return. Her own Aja, the blue aja, wants her to stay in the tower more. So I think a change that was made so she can travel more easily and more with those from the Two Rivers makes a lot of sense.

The Flame of Tar Valon Final Thoughts

This was a good episode but not a great episode. I thought that there was some good story progression, and also reason for them to progress in a specific direction that the books go. If the episode hadn’t ended up the way it did, it really would have started to diverge even more heavily from the books.

As an adaptation of the books, I think that the Wheel of Time is doing fine. And this episode is one of the weaker in terms of a direct adaptation. But in terms of the story, I do think that they are doing a solid job with it. It feels like The Wheel of Time even if it doesn’t match up perfectly with the books.

With that said, this episode is kind of like the first, it gets a lower score around a 6.5-7 out of 10 range. Do important things happen, yes. Does it matter massively for the plot, yes. But it just felt a little bit lacking in what it did. Like I said in my negatives, the episode needed tighter editing. There is a difference between deliberate pacing and slow pacing. This fell on the slow side of things where it could have be deliberate pacing with the same thoughtfulness and just less shown.

What did you think of The Flame of Tar Valon?

Spoilers

The jumping off point to talk about I think it would be Moiraine’s romantic relationship with Siuan. I think that for some people this is going to be something that bugs them. And I’m just looking at it from the perspective of it not being part of the books. But when I look at it from a plot, it doesn’t matter. It kind of makes sense in some ways, I know there are book things that might contradict that, but not major plot points.

Then at the very end, as they go into the Ways, Mat seemingly doesn’t come with them. Now, this is again, a does it matter change? Mat seemingly has already been healed from his connection with the dagger, that doesn’t happen until later. He also doesn’t trust Aes Sedai or want to be there. In the show he really doesn’t want to be there because he’s worried about his family. So I don’t know that there is a major importance for him being on this journey.

Overall, I get the changes they are making from the books, and I’ll keep on coming back to this. I think that they are doing the story justice and keeping the tone right. Would I love to have seen more of Shadar Logoth and other characters and places, most certainly. But it’s more about the tone of the show for me. And this is the first time that I thought it’d been too slow, generally they have paced it well.

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As always, spoilers for the previous Episodes which you can read the non-spoiler reviews of them here.

Blood Calls Blood

Mat and Rand work on completing their journey. But Mat continues to fade with the taint of Shadar Logoth on the dagger that he has. Meanwhile, Lan, Moiraine, and Nyneave work their way towards Tar Valon with the other Aes Sedai. And Stepin struggles with the loss of his Aes Sedai and the pain of that bond breaking. Finally, Egwene and Perrin travel with the tinkerers, trying to decide what to do next when they come across an old face, but not a friendly one.

What Doesn’t Work?

I don’t have a problem with anything, really, in this episode. I think that they do a solid job of creating a story that feels like what I’d expect from the books. Where everyone meets up might be confusing to some people, the characters don’t all get there for a long time. But I think that it works pretty well. It makes sense, though, some of the parts of the book that are more fun are missed because of locations that have been skipped over.

What Works?

Mat and Rand manage to meet up again with one of the more iconic book characters. I won’t spoil who, now, but I will later. And while I think that the look of the character might not be quite right, I do think that they were able to pull off the character well. The mannerisms are great, and the voice work is perfect on this character.

I also think that the stuff with Stepin, the majority of this episode works well. In the book we get conversations of Moiraine and Lan about the connection between a Warder and an Aes Sedai. We know that when an Aes Sedai passes, it’s like part of the Warder passes with them. I’m not sure they nail it perfectly of showing that with Stepin, but they get it very close. And it works as well as it can for the show because in the book it’s conversations, which don’t provide much action.

Final group, I think that Perrin and Egwene’s story works as well. Now, they meet up with an antagonistic group, and not the people they do in the book, but it helps set-up some things. And it shows who the Tinkerers really are, I think the Tinkerers have been portrayed very well. And this is the first real time we get to see some things hinted at from Perrin before.

Final Thoughts on Blood Calls Blood

This feels like The Wheel of Time to me. Yes, there are massive changes that get highlighted in this episode. But I don’t think they weaken the story much. I still have some characters I like a lot that I want to see when they show up. But I feel like we are getting close to seeing some of them, and I’m excited for that.

What I really want to know is how the scenes with Stepin play out for non-book readers? To me, it’s like a lot of the Perrin set-up, I can get why they do it and it makes sense. In this case, it feels much less heavy handed than the Perrin storyline, because the story is given a lot of room to breath throughout the episode. And I like that Nyneave is there to witness it because she’s kind of the audience, not knowing everything.

Like I said, this is probably my favorite episode. I’d give it a 9 out of 10. Did the story need to slow down after a lot of action, I think so. While The Wheel of Time has action in it, and considerable amounts at times, it is a story that builds slowly to action and then slows, and builds again. This feels like one of those building moments as we get to know more of how the world works.

Spoilers

We get to meet Loial. And I was a bit concerned when we did. Now, they nail the setting for Rand and him meeting. And I liked Rand’s reaction Loial. The look is a little bit off, but the mannerisms are just amazing. And the voice is perfect, it is going that slowly and just that thought that is put into everything, and Loial is a hasty Ogier.

I also think, and I couldn’t talk about this too much in the negatives. that they are trying to play the shell game too much with who is the Dragon still. The whole Logain looking as if he was staring down Mat instead of Rand, conversations with Nyneave from the other Aes Sedai. It’s a bit too obvious who they aren’t suggesting might be the Dragon out of the whole group.

And let’s talk a little bit about everyone meeting in Tar Valon instead of Caemlyn. It’s an interesting choice, but I get it. They are trying to limit the massive locations that we need to know right away. And I think it kind of works in that we get to meet Loial, seeing them take Logain there makes sense. For me, it’s a bummer, though, because I love the scenes of Rand trying to see Logain in Caemlyn and just what that leads to. It’s such a great introduction of a few characters. And we miss out on that, though, with the characters being older, I get some of that change in terms of tone.

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If you need a refresher on what the show has already shown, you can catch up on it here. But let’s hop into this story more to see what this episode was about and what worked and didn’t. As always, spoilers for the previous episodes. But for this episode, I’ll have a spoiler section at the bottom.

The Dragon Reborn Recap

Mat and Rand are on the run with Thom Merrlin headed towards Tar Valon. They are suspicious that now any town might have dark friends in it, and why Thom is keen on helping him. Meanwhile Perrin and Egwene actually find a moment of piece. The tinkerers, not what they expected, let them forget their worries for a moment. Or at least for Egwene, Perrin still is weighed down by the death that he caused.

Moiraine, on the other hand is confronted by her sisters and the captured man claiming to be the dragon, Logain. Is what Moiraine set out on not the truth? Did she lead herself and Lan the wrong direction? And what is Lan going to do about their new companion, Nyneave. Is Nyneave worth having around, and is there more trouble brewing that he’ll have to protect her and Moiraine from?

What Doesn’t Work

There is a shell game played in this episode. It basically is asking who the Dragon is going to be. Who is the person who might save the world from the Dark One or who might cause the world to break again. This doesn’t happen in the books. I won’t say who it is because the goal of this shell game is to create that suspense. Unfortunately, for me, it’s not that effective. When one of six characters at points in time could be the Dragon, I don’t care.

I’m going to do a book comparison here, no spoilers, but in the book the character knows that it’s likely them from the start. And the first few books are them struggling with the fact they might be the Dragon. And then them trying to deny that fact. That provides good character depth and tension. This, on the other hand, feels like it weakens the character of the Dragon. Just tell me who the Dragon is, if anyone could be the dragon.

I get what they are going for. The mystery of who it is going to be is likely to be the end of season one reveal. And then we get that internal struggle for the character. But don’t sleep on characters not knowing. It’s more interesting to figure out when the character comes to believe it. And when the other characters figure it out and watching that process, in my opinion anyways.

What Worked

The relationship building was strong again in this episode. I mentioned the pairings that are set-up, and we got to see growth in all of them. When this show slows down a little bit, mainly the first episode was too fast, it does a good job of building up characters. I still think that Mat is one of the best characters in terms of changes they’ve made. Him being more mature than he is in the book, or at least older, gives him the chance to have more depth of character. And the character misdirect is really good.

I also think, that while they haven’t always gotten Nyneave “right” it was fun to see her character more developed. I might get into this more with spoilers. But she’s supposed to be a fiery character who stands up to everyone. She’s got some of that, but she should be more. And she gets a moment to shine most definitely in this episode.

I also think that they did a decent job of introducing the Aes Sedai. In a little bit of dialog and showing some of what they can do, we got an idea about the different Ajah. And the tension within the Aes Sedai, Tar Valon (seat of the Aes Sedai) and the different Ajah. This is a situation where they did a good job of starting to explain without delving into everything. But they feed us enough to know what is going on.

The Dragon Reborn Final Thoughts

This was an interesting episode. Like I said, I didn’t love the shell game that they played with “who is the dragon”. That storyline isn’t that interesting to me. But for the most part this episode has slowed down and really shows character development and story development.

And I do get it. There is so much story development that needs to happen that you couldn’t have to show start out too slow. But I think now that they are spending more time on character and world building, the show is a lot better. Talking with Kristen, my wife, after watching the episode, I came to the realization that the first episode feels like a pilot.

What do I mean by that? I think it feels like th at episode that gets filmed to pitch the show to a bunch of television stations and streaming services. Then once it gets picked up six months later, they go back and film the rest. But now they have budget, That isn’t the case with this show, but that is what it feels like to me.

But back to The Dragon Reborn, I would give this episode a solid 8.5 out of 10. I think it’s up there for the best episodes of the series. Yes, there is a quibble, but it’s fairly minor. Especially now that we are getting to know the characters more.

What did you think of Episode 4: The Dragon Reborn?

Spoilers

This is going to be a lighter section, but I do want to talk about Perrin. I’ve complained and complained in the first episode about the changes made the Perrin. I get what they are going for in that a lot of his growth is through internal dialog. However, it was changed to be done in a very heavy handed way. However, with the tinkerers, we’re starting to see the payoff.

Him sitting there and listening to what they are saying. And this idea that violence, something Perrin doesn’t inherently like, isn’t the answer, is so tempting to him. And it’ll be interesting to see how they have Perrin reconcile what he’s done, what he’s going to need to do to protect Egwene and others going forward. The line about how peace is the biggest “revenge” to violence is amazingly well delivered and said. They really are giving the show depth.

And, I know I saw this on a forum I was reading, where someone was questioning if they were implying, when Rand, Mat, and Thom meet the farmer, if Mat was going to channel the power. When we see the shot of him with his hand down at his side. I can get why the person thought that, but no, that is the dagger. He is implied to be ready to draw his dagger and start a fight before Rand steps in. That is supposed to then plant the seed in our head that when we see the family dead, it was Mat.

They are, seemingly, though imply that Nyneave might be Ta’veren as well. I kind of want to knock this, I think the show is trying to make all the main five more equal. Probably to keep up the who is the Dragon mystery. But it’s more interesting that there are some who are Ta’veren and some who aren’t. Ta’veren are people so “strong” in their pull that the wheel weaves around them and changes to fit them in.

So, I get that they want everyone to be important. But being Ta’veren, and we see this in the book, there is a deeper question of whether or not they have their own will. And how much freedom of will the people around them have. It creates a more interesting struggle as character push away from being Ta’veren, and others try not to get wrapped up in everything. And how much free will the characters can have.

The show is using it to show that characters are more powerful and important. It doesn’t really mean that so much in the book. It means more that your story is almost more tied to everything. You have a destiny that you need to fulfill or the weave of the wheel of time breaks. Like I said, you almost lose some choice. So I hope that the show doesn’t use it just to symbolize power but delves into the other side as well.

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Just a quick reminder, I am going to talk about the episode in broader strokes, there might be some spoilers, but I don’t want to get too far into detail. I’ll have a spoiler section at the bottom. There will be spoilers for previous episodes in what I talk about though.

A Place of Safety Recap

After having been split up at Shadar Logoth, Egwene and Perrin need to set out on their own, not really knowing where they are going, or where in the wilderness is safe. Lan needs to find a way to work with Nyneave in order to help Moiraine who is still suffering from the affects of their quick travels and the wound she look from the trollocs in Emond’s Field. Meanwhile Rand and Mat struggle between wanting to go home and fear of the trollocs following them. And when they find a town to stay at for a little bit, they find two interesting characters there.

What Didn’t Work

I thought that this was another strong episode in that it gave me what I wanted. Again, it jumped around some in the story and we’re still waiting on certain characters to show up that have already in the book. We get one of them here, one of the two interesting characters. And I think that they do a solid job with the character, but they are a bit more rough around the edges seeming than they are in the book. They still have the charisma that I’d expect though, and another very solid casting.

I also want more time with Egwene and Perrin, this is where a character is really missing, and honestly, I like Egwene and Perrin’s characters a lot. So I’d not complain about seeing them spend more time on their character. I also think that Perrin’s character needs to be fleshed out more. While him killing his wife in the first episode, on accident, does give him some of his drive to hate a weapon, they could have done more with it. And the introduction of the wolves is great, they do matter, but I want to see what they are going to do with them.

So really it’s less of two things that didn’t work, it’s more things that I want more of. So probably the one thing that didn’t work as well for me was the pacing in the episode. It felt rushed at times and while they did a good job of dwelling on Mat and Rand, a slight slowdown in the Egwene and Perrin storyline would make it feel like we know them more as characters.

What Worked

The Mat and Rand storyline worked. It works for multiple reasons. The first being they show how Mat’s personality is shifting. We know in the show that Shadar Logoth is a bad place, but we’re starting to see what that might mean. And I like the character development for Rand, again with the dagger but also the depth that they’ve given him about being a gambler, a risk taker, and a bit shady, but really doing that for the sake of his sisters and his concern for them.

I think that change for Mat is needed from the books and this is comes from the characters being older. In the book he is very care free and free wheeling at the beginning. Life is a big adventure and that’s all he cares about. He’s older in the show, so I don’t think he’d have kept that feeling as much. Mat is still the most care free of the group but now there’s a bit of motivation for some of his darker side besides the ruby hilted dagger.

We also meet two interesting characters, I kind of talked about it already, how it’s not when that character is introduced, but they do a good job with the character. Want to know more about him, spoiler section.

A Place of Safety – Final Thoughts

This was another good episode, I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t so sure while I was watching it though. Pacing on the episodes, like I said, is a bit off. I want more time with Egwene and Perrin, but I will admit that what they are doing now isn’t the most interesting. Instead they focused on Mat and Rand, and that is probably the right spot to focus right now.

Is this better than Shadow’s Waiting, I’m hard pressed to say that, but some of why I like Shadow’s Waiting is that it feels better paced, and better choices in it compared to Leavetaking. This one, I think, arguably has some more interesting story moments for Rand and Mat as well as Lan, Moiraine, and Nyneave. I didn’t mention this but for Lan, Moiraine and Nyneave, the story is diverging in characters introduced. Needed drama, I don’t know, but I don’t dislike it.

If I were to grade this one, and let’s be fair, I am going to do, I’d say it’s an 8 to 8.5. It is very similar to what the previous episode was, but a new character I really like helps it.

What did you think of A Place of Safety?

Spoilers

So, we finally get to meet Thom Merrlin, and it’s another very good casting. I will say that Alexandre Willaume plays Thom maybe a bit more rough around the edges than he seems in the book, but the charisma is still there. A friend on Twitter says that Thom is what everyone wants to be as a Bard in Dungeons and Dragons, and I think that’s pretty accurate. He captivates the room and can stab you in the back.

I also like that they begin to form a tenuous connection between him, Rand, and Mat. He protects them from the dark friend in the town. But he also spends time with Mat, and you get to see his more caring side. I am assuming now that he’s killed a dark friend in the town, and the town killed an Aiel for possibly stealing or some possible crime, they won’t want him around even for his songs and stories.

The dark friend also worked in the show. I do think they maybe needed Moiraine to tell them not to trust anyone and more about dark friends in the previous episode, so we’d know what they are. But for me, I did, it makes Rand and Mat’s position on their own seem more perilous. And I want to be suspecting everyone as a potential dark friend when it comes to those two characters. Especially Mat with his ruby dagger and the taint of Shadar Logoth should be extremely suspicious now.

I also thought it was interesting they introduced Liandrin Sedai already. She is introduced in the first book but not this soon. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to bring her in early though. She is an important character, same with Alanna Sedai. We’ll see how they are used in the show, but two interesting characters to bring in at this point. Even in my spoilers, I’m not going to say how they are and why they matter. But to see them with Logain, specially Liandrin as part of the Red Ajah makes sense.

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Note: I am going to try and not do spoilers and keep a spoiler section at the end, but an episode recap might spoil what has already happened.

Shadow’s Waiting Recap

The group, led by Moiraine are on the run with trollocs chasing at their heels. They run across other threats as they travel cross country. The White Cloaks question them but with a little misdirection Moiraine leads them away. Moiraine is able to maintain their energy, but with hers flagging and being wounded by the trollocs, they are forced to secret refuge in Shadar Logoth.

What Doesn’t Work?

This episode was a whole lot better for me than Leavetaking. This one moves very fast though as well. Now, not as fast as the last one in terms of action. The first episode has a big trolloc fight, here they are more on the run, it is what is going to be coming behind them. And while there is action around Shadar Logoth the feel of it is very different.

There are of course some more changes in this episode, I’ll talk about them coming up. But I don’t have as much issue as I did with the last episode in what they changed, places they bypassed and plot points likely going forward.

What Works?

I think they do a very good job of building up the tension between the Aes Sedai, Moiraine and Mat, Rand, and Perrin. Perrin can see why they have to leave and he is clearly running if you saw the first episode. But Mat and Rand are rightfully skeptical of what Moiraine has been telling them. After the moments of running from the trollocs and not seeing the trollocs for a little bit, they just can’t follow on faith anymore.

This also, with it being a slower paced episode, we get to dive more into the characters I feel. They do a good job of starting to develop Egwene and Moiraine’s relationship. And the hesitancy of the characters, in particular of Mat’s character in this episode. While they maybe don’t show it the best for how much time has passed on the run, this feels like the point in the book where they feel like they can stop running, at least for a little bit, which is saying something with the episode titled Shadow’s Waiting.

Again, I’m going to keep talking about this, they have done such a good job with casting. Mat really gets a chance to shine in this episode, I think, and the upcoming one as well. While there are some changes to his story, I don’t feel like it detracts or feels like they are forcing him into a story moment for the sake of drama. And a lot of that comes from the actor just stepping so well into that role. The story surrounding him works for the character and actor.

Final Thoughts on Shadow’s Waiting

Like I’ve said, I like this episode better than Leavetaking. I’d say that Leavetaking was a 6.5 out of 10, good enough that I’d want to watch more but probably not good enough for me to watch the whole series if it wasn’t one I was already interested in. Shadow’s Waiting to me took that up to an 8, it’s a very good episode and very good character development. They let the characters breathe as we got to know them.

Now, I get pushing the tempo for the first episode because the book spends a chunk of time before the action really starts. But we get an idea of the characters only. Here we get to know the characters. We get to see Moiraine in action in something that she’s more comfortable with. And the White Cloaks are terrifying, especially the questioners, which they should be.

To me, Shadow’s Leaving got me hooked more into the series. Even with difference, I think it still works. And we’ll have to see if that continues or not. But now that we are starting to get a foundation for the characters, I expect that I’ll enjoy it more.

What did you think of Shadow’s Leaving? Let me know in the comment section below.

Spoilers

Baerlon

Now, there are some changes from the book that I want to talk about. Firstly, they completely skip going to Baerlon this is actually not an issue for me. Baerlon was a good way to set-up that there are and can be dark friends everywhere, and a solid spot to meet the White Cloaks and Min, but it isn’t completely needed. I think that the introduction to the White Cloaks was more effective here.

In the book we meet the White Cloaks, people are giving them room and giving them a wide birth, but here we get to see a questioner immediately and how terrifying they are. And also got to see the difference between a Questioner and a regular White Cloak as well.

In terms of Min, I am fine with not meeting here there. I want Min in the show and I believe that she’s been cast so we’ll get to see her. But Caemlyn would be a perfectly fine spot to meet her. Or even have her already be at Tar Valon, but probably be ideal to meet her before then just for some story elements.

Shadar Logoth

And then let’s talk about the difference in Shadar Logoth without Mordeth being there and trying to get Mat, Perrin, and Rand to help him. Mat instead just wanders off on his own and finds a box with the ruby hilted dagger in it. That’s less exciting, and it was a bummer that we didn’t get to see Mordeth.

Now, it’s not so much of a bummer because it’s so important to the story. It’s more of a bummer because Shadar Logoth was an amazing location to see in the show. Mat’s reasoning still makes sense for taking the dagger. But to see the twisted and empty ruins of Shadar Logoth, that’d have been amazing. They made it look properly impressive and empty. The falling apart because it’s been neglected not because of battle works. I’d love to have explored it longer.

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