Wheel of Time Season 1
My Review: 3/5
Genre: High Fantasy, Action
TV-14 for violence, nudity, and strong language
Premise:
After the conclusion of Game of Thrones there has been a tangible void in television’s fantasy landscape. Netflix sought to remedy that with their adaptation of the beloved Witcher franchise and now Amazon has taken a swing with The Wheel of Time. Which is adapted from Robert Jordan’s critically acclaimed fantasy epic of the same name, Wheel of Time. It tells the story of five young adults who must go on an adventure to decide if they are the key to saving the realm. That’s the very very very short version of events.
Pros: (Spoiler Free)
I haven’t read the WoT series so I went into this adaptation blind and I’m grateful for that. There was nothing for me to be disappointed about, well at least in comparison to the books. I felt that the first 3 or 4 episodes were well done, with a great choice in casting and special effects. Rosamund Pike is Moiraine which was a treat. She’s so talented and to me, was the perfect choice. I think she was the big name this adaptation needed.
Pros: (Spoiler!!!)
The scene with Rand and Egwene when he has reached the Eye of the World!! That was really powerful and the editing was nicely done. Don’t know if I can say that about the rest of that scene, but at least that bit was *chef’s kiss*. The forest, AKA the Blight, was great as well. Nice use of practical effects.
Cons: (Spoiler Free)
It almost feels unfair to be negative about the series because during production they struggled with COVID-19 obstacles. Filming was delayed and locations changed, amongst a plethora of other issues. It seems that maybe they were under a time crunch and the end of this show really just needed a little more time. The final fight scene feels like a last minute fix for a larger fight that should have happened but maybe they didn’t have time or resources to complete? Also, the CGI doesn’t hold up during the climax. It seems to me that COVID restrictions did a number on the project.
Moving forward my thoughts for season 2…
I’m going to keep watching. I have high hopes for what’s to come and although I was a little disappointed to learn that Barney Harris, who plays Mat Cauthon will not be returning for Season 2. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle the detours from the book material as well. Anyway, I’d love to hear your thoughts!