I've finished the 1st season of WOT. I'm now amending my review and changing/lowering my rating. (My original review was after a couple of episodes)
Not too much to add here. The show continued to disappoint me as the season progressed. Ultimately, I think tinytots review really hit the nail on the head here. Basically, WOT the show spent to much time adding new things/ideas rather than focusing on what the books had to offer. The new things did not work for me, and resulted in the canon aspects of WOT getting far to short a shrift.
Regardless, I just found that the series just got really lazy when it came to the writing and production. The "Ways" were just a blink and miss affair. Min introduced later and in the wrong setting, only to make her auguring so unpoetic and obvious. Min, btw, is an important character and one of the more charismatic in the books.
The final episode just left me wanting. I found myself watching but not really caring about what was going one, even though I knew the story. Any emotional weight to the story had long been squeezed out by the poor writing. I believe they made a huge mistake just having an 8 episode season for book 1. Just cheap and lazy stuff here. Season 2 is already greenlit, but I'm not certain I will watch.
===========Original Review Below========================== First off, as I've seen this mistake made in a few reviews. Robert Jordan passed away about 14 years ago from a heart disease. Of course, he is credited as a writer, but he obviously had no involvement in this series.
I've read the first 3 books in the series a few years ago. I like the books ok, but they have not "grabbed" me as much as some others. I plan to continue eventually, but have been sidetrack by other things for some time. Point is, I'd not say I'm a true WoT fan yet, coming into the TV series with a very open mind.
Another thing I'd mention as well is I'm highly disappointed by all the anti-woke reviews on here. First off folks, this is fantasy - it's a different world and history. I don't recall Jordan making any references to race in his series, so there is plenty of license here to cast the show. Second, this is just the way it is now so get used to it. Anti-woke reviews are pointless and non-constructive - find something better to do with your time.
With that said, I think the cast is ok for the most part and generally a fine looking bunch. Rosamund Pike is the obvious star - I've always been quite fond of her myself - and she apparently is the Producer as well. Other than her, the rest of the cast is fairly unknown, with a familiar face here or there. Pike is a standout and very suited to the role of Moraine. I really like the actress playing Nynaeve. She embodies the character well and seems the best actress among the new young bunch here. The guy playing Mat is pretty good too. The all important Rand dude is taking some time to grow on me. My one complaint is Egwene - I just think the actress is not pretty enough in the role, though I'm starting to like her as an actress. Perrin is not as I imagine him but maybe he'll grow on me. Lastly, Merillyn, just recently introduced in episode 3, is not as I imagined him at all, but the actor, who is vaguely familiar, is good. Oh, and Lan is very good.
Besides that stuff, the story so far is fairly true to the book. Not sure the reasoning behind Perrin having been married - don't recall that but maybe I'm wrong. But the plot is quite accurate.
However, some things have been left out and I think that is one of them more negative aspects of the show. Now, I realize that a series based on books so rich and deep cannot include everything, but there are some missing parts that could have added some charm/intrigue and make the series really standout from others. One example occurs in the dead city where they meet this really interesting character, who actually seemed somewhat important to the plot. Not sure how they will handle that now, but it was a very interesting event that would stand out from the otherwise formulaic stuff. I just hope they don't cut out to much stuff. There's a very interesting character - a girl - they should meet in the next episode or two, or at least this season, but I could also see her being cut.
Lastly, I think overall the show looks nice, but some of the effects are a bit subpar. I don't particularly like the Trollocs. I guess they do look much how described in the book, but they feel a bit cheaply done.
Anyway, the show is certainly watchable and good enough to get in that fantasy fix. It's lighter than SOIAF(GoT), as were the books, and the production value is below GoT, but it is more the sufficient.
Not too much to add here. The show continued to disappoint me as the season progressed. Ultimately, I think tinytots review really hit the nail on the head here. Basically, WOT the show spent to much time adding new things/ideas rather than focusing on what the books had to offer. The new things did not work for me, and resulted in the canon aspects of WOT getting far to short a shrift.
Regardless, I just found that the series just got really lazy when it came to the writing and production. The "Ways" were just a blink and miss affair. Min introduced later and in the wrong setting, only to make her auguring so unpoetic and obvious. Min, btw, is an important character and one of the more charismatic in the books.
The final episode just left me wanting. I found myself watching but not really caring about what was going one, even though I knew the story. Any emotional weight to the story had long been squeezed out by the poor writing. I believe they made a huge mistake just having an 8 episode season for book 1. Just cheap and lazy stuff here. Season 2 is already greenlit, but I'm not certain I will watch.
===========Original Review Below========================== First off, as I've seen this mistake made in a few reviews. Robert Jordan passed away about 14 years ago from a heart disease. Of course, he is credited as a writer, but he obviously had no involvement in this series.
I've read the first 3 books in the series a few years ago. I like the books ok, but they have not "grabbed" me as much as some others. I plan to continue eventually, but have been sidetrack by other things for some time. Point is, I'd not say I'm a true WoT fan yet, coming into the TV series with a very open mind.
Another thing I'd mention as well is I'm highly disappointed by all the anti-woke reviews on here. First off folks, this is fantasy - it's a different world and history. I don't recall Jordan making any references to race in his series, so there is plenty of license here to cast the show. Second, this is just the way it is now so get used to it. Anti-woke reviews are pointless and non-constructive - find something better to do with your time.
With that said, I think the cast is ok for the most part and generally a fine looking bunch. Rosamund Pike is the obvious star - I've always been quite fond of her myself - and she apparently is the Producer as well. Other than her, the rest of the cast is fairly unknown, with a familiar face here or there. Pike is a standout and very suited to the role of Moraine. I really like the actress playing Nynaeve. She embodies the character well and seems the best actress among the new young bunch here. The guy playing Mat is pretty good too. The all important Rand dude is taking some time to grow on me. My one complaint is Egwene - I just think the actress is not pretty enough in the role, though I'm starting to like her as an actress. Perrin is not as I imagine him but maybe he'll grow on me. Lastly, Merillyn, just recently introduced in episode 3, is not as I imagined him at all, but the actor, who is vaguely familiar, is good. Oh, and Lan is very good.
Besides that stuff, the story so far is fairly true to the book. Not sure the reasoning behind Perrin having been married - don't recall that but maybe I'm wrong. But the plot is quite accurate.
However, some things have been left out and I think that is one of them more negative aspects of the show. Now, I realize that a series based on books so rich and deep cannot include everything, but there are some missing parts that could have added some charm/intrigue and make the series really standout from others. One example occurs in the dead city where they meet this really interesting character, who actually seemed somewhat important to the plot. Not sure how they will handle that now, but it was a very interesting event that would stand out from the otherwise formulaic stuff. I just hope they don't cut out to much stuff. There's a very interesting character - a girl - they should meet in the next episode or two, or at least this season, but I could also see her being cut.
Lastly, I think overall the show looks nice, but some of the effects are a bit subpar. I don't particularly like the Trollocs. I guess they do look much how described in the book, but they feel a bit cheaply done.
Anyway, the show is certainly watchable and good enough to get in that fantasy fix. It's lighter than SOIAF(GoT), as were the books, and the production value is below GoT, but it is more the sufficient.