Cutting Berelain

[MayEastRise - Member]

I think Berelain could be cut without changing the plot much. She doesn’t have much impact on the plot and when she does it could be argued to be some of the worst moments in the series.

 

This whole rivalry with Faile was one of my least favorite parts of the series and there isn’t really a point to it in my opinion. Every reader knows that Perrin won’t cheat on his wife and there isn’t some grande resolution that justifies wasting so much time on her. Add to that that much of this happens during the hostage plot which is also one of my (and many other people’s) least favorite parts and I think cutting Berelain might the show better.

 

What do you people think of this?

[Effete - Member]

Yep! The whole Berelain /Faile thing felt like RJ was just being indulgent. It could have been resolved within one book, but dragged on and on and just got tiresome.

[Carebear Sedai - Member]

I hope she is cut. The time could be spent on more interesting characters. 

[Elendir - Member]

I agree that Berelain is a character that can be cut off. However, she has an influence on the story. Although it does not fundamentally affect events, she quite often affects events of a local nature. All her actions can be attributed to someone else.

As a result, it may be easier to leave her at serial than to replace her in ten different places.

[MayEastRise - Member]

Does she have that much of an influence though? Berelain has in my opinion 5 important roles in the story. 

 

1. Trying to seduce Rand.

2. Stewardship over Cairhien.

3. Chasing Perrin

4. Providing troops and some moral support during the hostage crisis

5. Romantic “target” for Galad

 

1 and 5 could be scrapped outright without loosing anything. If you really want you could replace her in 1 with some unnamed woman who just appears just once.

For 2. you could just have Dobraine be the steward from the beginning IMO.

I have made my opinions about number 3 clear in my first post.

[Elendir - Member]

After the conquest of Cairhien, Rand did not trust any of the local nobles. Dobraine would be a bad replacement.
Suitable replacement would certainly be found for all her tasks. Appropriate replacement in stable roles can be more difficult. The whole thing is to have fewer actors, not more.
The moment you hire an actress to push Elayne to try to seduce Rand, it can be anyone, even First of Mayene.

 

Elayne can also get into the action without pushing. The Cairhienins may accept Aiel as steward, and Faile can be jealous without rival. None of this breaks the story. But does it help anything?

[mistborn82 - Member]

Make Caralane steward, you could play up the whole Damodred thing and possibly have a flashback or two to NS where Moiraine basically runs away to avoid becoming Queen of Cairhein. Galad doesn't need a love interest. I actually wonder if Berelain, Faile and Perrin were supposed to be a love triangle that was never properly executed.

[Harldin - Member]

Keep Berelain but shred the whole Perrin/Faile part of her story, it’s a distraction that ends up going nowhere, make her a less important character to the overall story.

[mistborn82 - Member]

That would also work and I'm pretty Perrin's story will be the most changed i.e. more even character development.

This is a digression but I'd like to know what the original purpose of Slayer being connected to Rand and Lan was. You have the what was, I think, supposed to be a Perrin love triangle and Slayer. They all went nowhere, RJ I guess couldn't kill his darlings but I really would like to know the original plan for slayer.

[Carebear Sedai - Member]

On 5/8/2020 at 3:33 PM, Elendir said:

After the conquest of Cairhien, Rand did not trust any of the local nobles. Dobraine would be a bad replacement.
Suitable replacement would certainly be found for all her tasks. Appropriate replacement in stable roles can be more difficult. The whole thing is to have fewer actors, not more.
The moment you hire an actress to push Elayne to try to seduce Rand, it can be anyone, even First of Mayene.

 

Elayne can also get into the action without pushing. The Cairhienins may accept Aiel as steward, and Faile can be jealous without rival. None of this breaks the story. But does it help anything?

 

 

The point isn't to replace her, it's to cut her and streamline the story. Rand's seduction, Galad's romance and Faile's jealousy are wasted screentime and simply don't need to exist. Her post at Cairhien can just be given to another character who is essential. Like Rhuarc. 

 

[VirginiaCat - Member]

A competing thought on Berelain..

 

She was a strong female figure that went after what she want no matter what it took.  Leader of a small country that did what needed to ensure her countries independence.

 

She was central to the whole Perrin storyline.

 

The problem is with an 8 show season, all the different storylines cannot be developed.

[Ascended - Member]

I'm of two minds on it.

 

One on hand, Berelain is a character who *could* be cut without having too deep an impact on the overall story. It'd save a lot of screen time that could be spent on better plots.

 

But on the other hand, I'm not fond of the idea of cutting anything or anyone that doesn't *have* to be cut. I don't want someone else's remix version of WoT, I want Jordan's story, with only as many adjustments as is absolutely required for the adaptation to television. If it can be kept at all, it should be kept.

[MayEastRise - Member]

20 minutes ago, Ascended said:

I'm of two minds on it.

 

One on hand, Berelain is a character who *could* be cut without having too deep an impact on the overall story. It'd save a lot of screen time that could be spent on better plots.

 

But on the other hand, I'm not fond of the idea of cutting anything or anyone that doesn't *have* to be cut. I don't want someone else's remix version of WoT, I want Jordan's story, with only as many adjustments as is absolutely required for the adaptation to television. If it can be kept at all, it should be kept.

You’re setting yourself up for disappointment. The TV show will a Rafe Judkins remix just like LotR was a Peter Jackson remix.

[Ascended - Member]

On 5/23/2020 at 6:03 PM, MayEastRise said:

You’re setting yourself up for disappointment. The TV show will a Rafe Judkins remix just like LotR was a Peter Jackson remix.

 

I know. But the heart wants what the heart wants. 🙂