Yesterday, I finished season one of the Amazon Prime adaptation of The Wheel of Time book series. Series one covers the first book, The Eye of the World. The book is approximately 814 pages long. That is a lot to cover, even for eight long episodes. They were likely to make significant changes. What are my thoughts on Amazon Prime’s The Eye of the World?
Many of the changes were baffling. I acknowledge the book’s pacing may not be suitable for TV. The book contains long stretches with little action. Therefore, it is likely that significant changes were required for the format. I understand why they cut or adapted many slower scenes into other scenes. These changes are necessary. They explain many of the differences between the book and the TV show.
However, other changes are more baffling. The show portrays four individuals as possible Dragon Reborns. Book fans will recognize this as a futile deception. They know that will not change whoever it was in the books. I suspect the TV series would be a very different show if they changed that. The book series would be a different series if anyone else was the Dragon Reborn. Altering that would require them to write a very different plot and deal with different themes. They would never make that change.
Did it fool those unfamiliar with the books’ characters? Maybe. If they had made it less obvious. Anyone who has read a book or seen a movie/TV show can figure it out by the end. I will not spoil it here, but if you have seen it, I think you will agree.
Amazon’s Wheel of Time adaptation makes me wonder whether they understand the source material. You cannot change who the Dragon Reborn is. Yes, I said I understand why they removed certain of the slower scenes from the book. However, they also removed much of the stuff which makes the world seem a bigger place.
The Wheel of Time TV show makes the world seem small. The city of Tar Valon, the home of the Aes Sedai, looks grand, but not grand enough. Tar Valon is a grand and ancient city made of flowing structures unlike anything humans can build. Tar Valon city is full of architectural wonders, besides the White Tower. The Amazon Prime show reveals an ordinary fantasy city. I found the White Tower underwhelming compared to the descriptions in the books.
One or two women contain Logain, the False Dragon. That does not seem right. Multiple Aes Sedai (magic-users) should be required to control such a powerful individual. I do not say this to nitpick. This character’s immense power is crucial to the show’s plot. The fact two of three women can restrain him with their magic makes this less obvious.
I cannot help but wonder whether they understand the books. This obviously matters. Not understanding books leads to problems. They should make sure they understand the significance of scenes before they cut or significantly alter them. They should understand the characters and their motivations before they alter them too much.
This is an issue with this adaptation. They lack understanding of the world and its inhabitants. Significant changes are necessary when adapting the books to TV. Unpopular or not, these must occur. They should understand the source material so that they do not excise vital story elements.
The Wheel of Time books showcase a vast world and rich history. Yes, the novels engage in excessive amounts of that. However, the series benefits from having a detailed world with a rich history. The Dark One wants to destroy the world. A world with rich history, captivating places, and intriguing individuals you’re interested in.
The TV show reduces the role of key characters, like the Forsaken. This makes your story less interesting and reduces the stakes for your heroes. Certain encounters hold historical information crucial to the series’ plot and theme.
The books have a very large roster of characters. Cutting the excessively large roster is necessary. However, the TV show removes characters for no obvious reason. Even when it keeps characters, it does not seem to grasp their role in the book and they do not serve their proper function in the story.
However, fans should understand that, sometimes, their favorite scenes have to go. The Eye of the World includes several slower scenes. For example, scenes featuring Mat and Rand on the road. Just because you liked a scene in the book, does not mean it belongs in the TV show. If you liked reading about Rand playing the flute for his supper in the books, well, I can see why they cut that.
I think I have made my point that understanding the source material is important. Understanding it in depth and understanding what makes it appealing is important. You cannot remove certain aspects of the books without negatively impacting the story. Exercise caution when deciding what to remove and keep. Fans, please understand that writers must change or eliminate certain elements.
In order to judge that, understand the source material. I suspect many writers and fans don’t. This explains many poor choices in adapting this and other series. You might think that would be obvious. Apparently not to everyone adapting or criticizing these things!
Thank for you taking the time to read this. I have another post on Wheel of Time and literary criticism, if you are interested…
