Who would you keep? There can be only one...

[Elder_Haman]

The question speaks for itself. You can keep only one. 

[mistborn82]

I'm pretty Elayne, Galad and Elaida will make it too the end, Gawyn won't, just a matter of when he's killed or is he combined with Galad, I personally don't think combined. Bayle will likely be a one off or unnamed ship captain. As much as I like him, I don't see an actor much less a studio, making an eight season cameo role. I think you keep the ship journey for the background world building if nothing else.

I guess that's a longwinded way of saying, unlike the Highlander, there will be more than one but I think a thread about what characters to keep would be interesting.

[Elgee]

Gotta be Bayle. And his aged grandmother ?

[Thrasymachus]

If they're gonna tease or set up Min as a romantic interest for Rand in the first season (she wasn't really set up for that as such in the books yet), then it ought to be Elayne, if only to heighten the dramatic tension for the audience regarding who he'll pick.

 

If they're gonna focus on Rand's destiny, and since we already know we'll have Min and her visions, then it ought to be Elaida, whose foretelling can reinforce that the winds of fate are blowing full-force.

 

Bayle can just be one of those no-name side characters that us readers recognize from his accent and place in the story.

 

But then, I'm of the opinion that they shouldn't cut the Caemlyn storyline from the books at all.  But then, I'm not a Gawyn-hater, or an Egwene-hater really.  I also don't think they should give up the Morgase story either.  I'd rather they give up the Domon/Leilwin story than the Morgase one.

Edited December 31, 2020 by Thrasymachus

[mistborn82]

For me at least and probably most but I won't speak for them, I don't so much hate Gawyn as think he was a badly written and severely underused character who would take too much scriptwriting time to fix. Egwene I have other issues with.

[Thrasymachus]

I don't think it would take too much to "fix" his character for TV, mostly down to acting.

[Carebear Sedai]

I'd say Elaida is the most important plot wise, as her viewing of Rand juxtaposed to Moiraine's keeping him out of her clutches sets up the main Aes Sedai plot. 

 

The rest can be introduced whenever.  

Edited January 1, 2021 by Carebear Sedai

[Elder_Haman]

On 12/31/2020 at 12:11 PM, Thrasymachus said:

But then, I'm of the opinion that they shouldn't cut the Caemlyn storyline from the books at all.  

That would be my preference too. Nonetheless, I think they will.

 

On 12/31/2020 at 4:11 PM, Carebear Sedai said:

I'd say Elaida is the most important plot wise, as her viewing of Rand juxtaposed to Moiraine's keeping him out of her clutches sets up the main Aes Sedai plot. 

If I had to guess, I'd say Elaida is the most likely to make an appearance for just this reason. The Aes Sedai will be primary antagonists of the Logain plotline. Elaida is the bridge between that plot and Rand's.

 

That being said, I doubt any of them make it. It makes sense to introduce Morgase's court all at once (Elaida as advisor included). 

[Guest Wolfbrother31]

Elayne, Galad, and Gawyn go together, you can't have one and not the other two; and they could be cast in Season 2 at the White Tower -- though I like the Caemlyn storyline as well, I also think they will cut it -- or they could just cut out the palace scene at Caemlyn. The Elaida arguments are really strong, but they could wait a season and cast a big-name actress for that role since she becomes a lot more important in later books; she could be cast with Elayne, Galad, and Gawyn in Season 2. Bayle would be the best character to keep for just a season, because there is just no way they can cut Shadar-Logoth since it is important to Mat and Padan Fain's story-arcs! 

[Thrasymachus]

The biggest reason for me to not want them to cut Caemlyn is that it's the first sort of demonstration of the concept of ta'veren, and along with Loial's introduction, the exposition of what that means.  I don't think you can cut the concept of ta'veren from the story, and maintain that it's a faithful re-telling of the WoT.  Now, you don't have to demonstrate it in the same way, or even the same place, but if not there, then where, when and how?

[Elder_Haman]

Which part of ta'veren? There are lots of different manifestations. One of the best ways to demonstrate it on screen comes when Rand wanders off on his own headed to the Stone. You could easily do some sort of little montage of Rand traveling with a voiceover of Moiraine explaining to Perrin that they can essentially track Rand just by the strange events that follow him.

 

[Thrasymachus]

That comes later, once audiences are more familiar with the concept.

[deathgate]

I see a lot of discussion about getting rid of Caemlyn altogether and having Elayne, Galad and Gawyn show up at Tar Valon. Rand never goes to Tar Valon so does this change also intend to totally remake the plot with either Rand going there or removing Elayne as a romantic interest? If she is removed as his romantic interest is there a reason to have her at all?

[Elder_Haman]

20 minutes ago, deathgate said:

I see a lot of discussion about getting rid of Caemlyn altogether and having Elayne, Galad and Gawyn show up at Tar Valon. Rand never goes to Tar Valon so does this change also intend to totally remake the plot with either Rand going there or removing Elayne as a romantic interest? If she is removed as his romantic interest is there a reason to have her at all?

Why can’t Rand just meet Elayne in the Stone of Tear?

[Thrasymachus]

It was her interest in Rand that motivated her to befriend Egwene and Nynaeve in Tar Valon in the first place, which caused her to be swept up in Liandrin's scheme.  Which had her team up with Nynaeve to rescue Egwene in Falme, cementing her status as one of the team, and not just a hanger-on.  Without that, she should have no interest in Rand, or to join Egwene and Nynaeve in Liandrin's urgent secret mission to aid Rand.  Have her just be Egwene's roommate as a Novice, and it diminishes her character and breaks suspension of disbelief that a noble heir to a throne would care enough about her new peasant friends that she'd elbow her way into their private affairs.  Frankly, I have a hard time seeing how they can cut out Elayne from season one and still remain faithful to the development of the main characters of the story, which I consider her to be.

 

[Elder_Haman]

1 hour ago, Thrasymachus said:

It was her interest in Rand that motivated her to befriend Egwene and Nynaeve in Tar Valon in the first place, which caused her to be swept up in Liandrin's scheme.  Which had her team up with Nynaeve to rescue Egwene in Falme, cementing her status as one of the team, and not just a hanger-on.  Without that, she should have no interest in Rand, or to join Egwene and Nynaeve in Liandrin's urgent secret mission to aid Rand.  Have her just be Egwene's roommate as a Novice, and it diminishes her character and breaks suspension of disbelief that a noble heir to a throne would care enough about her new peasant friends that she'd elbow her way into their private affairs.  Frankly, I have a hard time seeing how they can cut out Elayne from season one and still remain faithful to the development of the main characters of the story, which I consider her to be.

 

I disagree completely. Giving her the chance to build a real friendship with Nynaeve and Egwene is far better than having her run off because she’s infatuated with Rand. 
 

It shouldn’t be too hard to provide some sort of Andoran political angle to give the decision heft. Liandrin could certainly convince Elayne that her mom was in danger or any number of other lies that would work. 
 

Rand meets the princess is a great moment in the book. One of my favorite parts of EotW. But it’s kind of a tired trope that would probably play as cheesy on screen. 

[Guest Wolfbrother31]

I agree with Elder_Haman. The problem with adapting the books to the screen, especially with the Eye of the World, is that a number of very important characters just make cameo appearances in the first book (and almost all of them in Caemyln-except Min): Elayne, Galad, Gaywn, Morgase, Byrne, Elaida ... so then you have to either adapt the story to give more background/screen-time to these characters or hire actors/actresses who are totally unknown but have great potential so that you can get away with giving them 5 min of screen time in the whole first season but then have them be central characters later on. I think cutting Caemyln makes the most sense to solve this problem.

 

And if you look at which characters they've cast -- I'm 95% sure that's exactly what they did! Furthermore, looking at who they've cast (they've already done the first 6 episodes), the guess that they are going to do more with White Tower and Tar Valon is almost for sure true... since they've cast Alanna, Liandrin, Siuan, Leane, and Alanna's warders. 

Edited January 11, 2021 by Wolfbrother31

[Harldin]

4 minutes ago, Wolfbrother31 said:

I agree with Elder_Haman. The problem with adapting the books to the screen, especially with the Eye of the World, is that a number of very important characters just make cameo appearances in the first book (and almost all of them in Caemyln-except Min): Elayne, Galad, Gaywn, Morgase, Byrne, Elaida ... so then you have to either adapt the story to give more background/screen-time to these characters or hire actors/actresses who are totally unknown but have great potential so that you can get away with giving them 5 min of screen time in the whole first season but then have them be central characters later on. I think cutting Caemyln makes the most sense to solve this problem...and if you look at which characters they've cast -- pretty sure that's what they did! 

Spot on my Brother(sorry couldn’t help that) That is the problem with adapting any book series to film. You have to play the long game and the entire Royal Court in Caemlyn sees not only the 3 Trakands, but Galad, Elaida and Brynne have 1 Chapter Cameos, there is no way you could do all 6 in S1 and expect those 6 actors to come back, still think we may get Elayne and Elaida but thats all, they are the only 2 that really do anything of long term importance in the Royal Palace

[Thrasymachus]

I don't disagree that you can adapt the Caemlyn scenes, in particular to include some of the expanded Logain story.  I maintain that it makes no sense for Elayne to become so invested in Egwene and Nynaeve and Min that she'd tag along to Falme, when the motivation for the latter three to do that is to help Rand, unless Elayne had already met Rand and become besotted/intrigued with him.  Turning her relationship with Rand into a loveless political arrangement doesn't "fix" her character development or personality.  It dismisses it, and misses the point of why Rand has three true loves, why they love him, and the symbolic and mythic importance they play, and govern everything from the order in which they're introduced to the way Rand reacts to them when he meets them and how they treat him when they meet him and get to spend some time around him.

 

[Elder_Haman]

3 hours ago, Thrasymachus said:

I don't disagree that you can adapt the Caemlyn scenes, in particular to include some of the expanded Logain story.  I maintain that it makes no sense for Elayne to become so invested in Egwene and Nynaeve and Min that she'd tag along to Falme, when the motivation for the latter three to do that is to help Rand, unless Elayne had already met Rand and become besotted/intrigued with him.  Turning her relationship with Rand into a loveless political arrangement doesn't "fix" her character development or personality.  It dismisses it, and misses the point of why Rand has three true loves, why they love him, and the symbolic and mythic importance they play, and govern everything from the order in which they're introduced to the way Rand reacts to them when he meets them and how they treat him when they meet him and get to spend some time around him.

 

I don't think the tv show is going to put as much importance on the mythology and symbolism as Jordan did. Elayne doesn't become a worse character just because she is deprived of a love interest. 

 

And the reason she tags along to Falme doesn't have to be about Egwene, Nynaeve and Min at all. It would be very easy to concoct a reason for Liandrin to want Elayne on that trip.

[Elendir]

I would choose Highlander, but I had to go with Bayle Domon's aged grandmother. It was near enough.

[Cheyboygan]

I think the Caemlyn story line is the single best part of book one, so I'd hate to see any of Elayne, Elaidia, Gwayne or Galad cut.  It sets the stage for so much of the story to come.

[Guest redgiant]

I still think they avoid Camelyn in S1 which also conveniently avoids having to include Elaida whispering to Rand. It's all about Rand after that line, and they don't want the TV series to go there so quickly imo. So even Logain's actual role and importance can by more of a mystery for longer. They may even let us think he is THE dragon for a while.

 

(well, let's face it, anyone remotely paying attention to book chapter 1 would already know Rand is the center of the story, but for TV marketing and all the Morraine advertising, I can see how they woudl want to carry on the misddirection for a while longer in the seasonal arc.)

[Elder_Haman]

 

1 hour ago, redgiant said:

I still think they avoid Camelyn in S1 which also conveniently avoids having to include Elaida whispering to Rand. It's all about Rand after that line, and they don't want the TV series to go there so quickly imo. So even Logain's actual role and importance can by more of a mystery for longer. They may even let us think he is THE dragon for a while.

 

(well, let's face it, anyone remotely paying attention to book chapter 1 would already know Rand is the center of the story, but for TV marketing and all the Morraine advertising, I can see how they woudl want to carry on the misddirection for a while longer in the seasonal arc.)

I completely agree. As fun as the scenes at the Camelyn palace are, they are easily removed without causing major damage to the overall story. And I'm betting that they want to give audiences who are not familiar with the source material things to talk about as the show airs - "who is the Dragon?" is one of the questions they aren't going to want answered immediately.

[Guest redgiant]

I wonder if they portray Rand as having consternation and introspection that we can't quite place the reasons for early in Season 1, and sometime later we have a flashback tidbit that shows Rand indeed did already meet Elaida and having her uttered that line to him, as a nod to fans and to show why Rand has (presumably) been acting like the weight of the world is on his shoulders ... because it is and he already knew or at least suspected something major was up about him.

 

It likely wouldn't matter to do this after, say, Falme or even the EotW in whatever form they include it. At those points the goings on is self-explanatory enough. Plus the issue thst there has been no chance for him to have visited Camelyn at all to flashback to, so I assume not.