Interviews and News Articles

[Katherine]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/wheel-of-time-review-1235048788/ 

 

 

Have we done this one yet? It's brutal. In another discussion I voiced my hatred for the CGI in Shadar Logoth.... thought so many things SCREAMED amateur. 

 

This specific reviewer is playing into all of my deep-seeded fears. 

[DaddyFinn]

 

Interviews start at 07:43. I loved those, the cast is so humble and genuine

[Skipp]

11 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.indiewire.com/2021/11/wheel-of-time-review-amazon-tv-series-fantasy-1234679296/amp/

 

 

 

I'm at a loss of words right now..

 

I can't even with this

[themann1086]

3 minutes ago, Elder_Haman said:

Also "well ackshually it's supposed to be biting it's tail" is an absurdly pedantic take. It's obvious what the graphic is meant to evoke.

How do pedants drink?

 

From a well, actually

[CaddySedai]

7 minutes ago, Katherine said:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/wheel-of-time-review-1235048788/ 

 

 

Have we done this one yet? It's brutal. In another discussion I voiced my hatred for the CGI in Shadar Logoth.... thought so many things SCREAMED amateur. 

 

This specific reviewer is playing into all of my deep-seeded fears. 

 

The CGI isn't that bad. And honestly for the amount of it it is good for a TV show. 

[swollymammoth]

Critics are so interesting because on the one hand I feel like most of them have a pretty good grasp for the technical aspects of storytelling. However, I feel like most of them fall short of really understanding what a story does to appeal to the people who like it, stuff that often transcends its technical aspects. A story might not check all the "good story" boxes and still appeal to a massive audience. 

 

I think this is, in part, because most critics don't see their job as being to review a movie/book/TV show. Instead, they want their review to stand as a work of art. They try to craft a narrative while can run in parallel to the one they are critiquing. This can skew their ability to actually identify if the show is going to be good (i.e. connect with people). 

[mogi68]

Journo/critic reviews are largely meaningless. Between internal pressure from the publication, external pressure from the studio, external pressure from opposing forces, the need for ad revenue and clicks, etc, there's way to gauge objectivity (or sincerity, even). This may sound like copium but I don't really believe any review until I watch something for myself

[DaddyFinn]

That Indiewire review is full of legendary stuff:

 

Spoiler

There’s Egwene al’Vere (Madeleine Madden), a young barmaid who’s told she has a special ability to channel the wind; [snip] Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris), a gambling addict and single father desperate to make a better life for his girls; and Nynaeve al’Meara (Zoë Robins), the daughter of a fisherman and Wisdom (a healer and local leader) who helps Egwene (and other women) find their path to the Light.

 

 

Spoiler

There are also subjective quibbles to be made with certain loyalties to the book that just seem silly on television (like when the villainous Eamon Valda, a grown man played by Abdul Salis, insists on being called Child Valda)

 

 

 

[Skipp]

15 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

That Indiewire review is full of legendary stuff:

 

  Hide contents

There’s Egwene al’Vere (Madeleine Madden), a young barmaid who’s told she has a special ability to channel the wind; [snip] Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris), a gambling addict and single father desperate to make a better life for his girls; and Nynaeve al’Meara (Zoë Robins), the daughter of a fisherman and Wisdom (a healer and local leader) who helps Egwene (and other women) find their path to the Light.

 

 

  Hide contents

There are also subjective quibbles to be made with certain loyalties to the book that just seem silly on television (like when the villainous Eamon Valda, a grown man played by Abdul Salis, insists on being called Child Valda)

 

 

 

 

 

Oh my, those are some quotes.  Watched the episodes once and by watched I mean he add them playing on his 2nd monitor while playing minesweeper.

[Skipp]

 

This is a lovely review  https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/amazon-the-wheel-of-time?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=uktweet

 

They even quoted Lezbi Nerdy from when she was on the Dusty Wheel a month or two ago.  If you don't know who Lezbi Nerdy is I suggest checking out her content, it is amazing.

 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Skipp
Grammar and clarification

[DaddyFinn]

 

Saidar and saidin mentioned by Rosamund and Rafe and women can't teach men. Boom.

[Agitel]

10 minutes ago, Skipp said:

 

This is a lovely review  https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/amazon-the-wheel-of-time?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=uktweet

 

They even quoted Lezbi Nerdy from when she was on the Dusty Wheel a month or two ago.  If you don't know who Lezbi Nerdy is I suggest checking out her content, it is amazing.

 

 

Not really a review so much as an opinion piece highlighting something unique and forward-thinking about the show. 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Agitel

[TheMountain]

24 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

 

Saidar and saidin mentioned by Rosamund and Rafe and women can't teach men. Boom.

Thank the creator!!!!

[Arthellion]

31 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

 

Saidar and saidin mentioned by Rosamund and Rafe and women can't teach men. Boom.

BOOM!

 

Removed a lot of my concerns. 

[DaddyFinn]

A positive review.

 

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/wheel-of-time-review-amazon/

 

This part made me chuckle a bit. ?

 

"Watch out for new characters who help fill in backstory, as well as a scrapping of the book series’ slightly dated sexual politics that became infamous over the years (basically, in the novels every so often our heroes stop the battle against evil to go “Tchah, women… can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em!” and then carry on)."

[Reader]

This review watching really reminds me of fans waiting to see how Serenity got on in 2005.

 

Luckily we won't have published box office takings, and hopefully Amazon are taking a long term view.

[king of nowhere]

some of those critics seem like they are out to be displeased no matter what.

"this is no game of thrones"

ok, but if it had been, they'd have been like

"this is a game of thrones copycat"

 

and what does it mean to be game of thrones? that it's very grimdark? that there's going to be sex and incest everywhere?

how many people want this to be game of thrones, versus how much people want it to be something else?

 

the stuff about weak characterization is concerning. weak dialogue can still ruin a show that looks good for everything else. and i have to say, it's a problem with fantasy in general but with wheel of time in particular; the early plot feels like a LoTR ripoff, and the characters don't stand out. no matter how they adapt it, the beginning is going to have problems.

otoh, if the reviewers can't tell the main characters apart after six episodes, I'm inclined to blame the reviewers.

[Borderlander]

The same way sitcoms or comedy movies will bring in professional comics to 'punch up' a script and add a few more zingers, I would love if Amazon would invest in some professional fantasy writers who are specifically known for excellent prose to do a once-over on the dialogue for future seasons. I don't read as much as I used to, but I know there is a world of difference in vocabulary/voice/tone/and timbre between, say, GRR Martin and Brandon Sanderson. 

 

Some of the early dialogue to me is sounding kind of... modern.

[Mnemosyne]

1 hour ago, TheMountain said:

Hating on Bezos is quite in fashion right now. 

 

I think the buzz about Bezos wanting "his GoT" is the worst thing that could have happened to the show from a marketing perspective.

[CaddySedai]

I really didn't have the huge issue with the dialogue that I'm hearing.

 

Honestly if I HAD to lodge a complaint is that I want MORE dialogue lol.

 

Cuz when they do speak for more than 2-3 sentences the performances have been lovely!

 

Spoiler

Lan's explanation of Shadar Logoth. Matt's heart to heart with Perrin in SL. etc...these were long deep convos and were great. Then there is show stealer Valda...and then Valda and Geofram. Etc.

 

Edited November 17, 2021 by CaddySedai

[Borderlander]

Here's an example of what I refer to above:

Spoiler

In the recent 2-minute IGN video, Moirane says: "That's the thing about these little towns..."

 

I may be in the minority here, but the clause "That's the thing about XYZ" strikes my ear as a relatively modern phrase. (I just spent about 10 minutes trying to google the history of the phrase, but, as you might expect, kind of hard to nail it down, and I didn't find anything helpful.) This just does not sound like old, Renaissance-era, fantasy-world lingo to me—especially not for a sophisticated, educated 'Lady' like Moiraine. I could maybe get on board with someone like Mat saying something like, "That's the thing about dealing with a peddler like Padan Fain—once you find out he sold you a bad egg, he's already gone." 

 

For Moiraine, I would expect something slightly more dignified. "I have travelled the world over—for longer than you might guess, Wisdom—and there is a common thread I have found which runs through every small town and forgotten village, such as yours: there are precious few records kept. Births, deaths, fires, a bountiful harvest—seldom if ever are such things written down. It takes... great effort... to learn even the smallest detail."

 

Not perfect, I admit, but by comparison, "That's the thing about little towns..." sounds like she's about to do a Seinfeld joke.

 

Nitpicking, I know, but these things jump out at me. 

 

Don't get me wrong, though—I am totally ready to binge all three episodes and let the goodness wash all over me!

 

Edit: Admittedly, I don't have much to go on—just clips and snippets. And some of these nitpicky things can tend to melt away in the course of a longer dialogue conversation where the actors really sweep you away.

 

 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Borderlander
Added final thought

[DaddyFinn]

1 minute ago, Borderlander said:

Here's an example of what I refer to above:

  Hide contents

In the recent 2-minute IGN video, Moirane says: "That's the thing about these little towns..."

 

I may be in the minority here, but the clause "That's the thing about XYZ" strikes my ear as a relatively modern phrase. (I just spent about 10 minutes trying to google the history of the phrase, but, as you might expect, kind of hard to nail it down, and I didn't find anything helpful.) This just does not sound like old, Renaissance-era, fantasy-world lingo to me—especially not for a sophisticated, educated 'Lady' like Moiraine. I could maybe get on board with someone like Mat saying something like, "That's the thing about dealing with a peddler like Padan Fain—once you find out he sold you a bad egg, he's already gone." 

 

For Moiraine, I would expect something slightly more dignified. "I have travelled the world over—for longer than you might guess, Wisdom—and there is a common thread I have found which runs through every small town and forgotten village, such as yours: there are precious few records kept. Births, deaths, fires, a bountiful harvest—seldom if ever are such things written down. It takes... great effort... to learn even the smallest detail."

 

Not perfect, I admit, but by comparison, "That's the thing about little towns..." sounds like she's about to do a Seinfeld joke.

 

Nitpicking, I know, but these things jump out at me. 

 

Don't get me wrong, though—I am totally ready to binge all three episodes and let the goodness wash all over me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tbh your example is waaaay too complicated speech for me. I don't like that at all. ?

 

ps. WoT is in the future so.. ?

[CaddySedai]

1 minute ago, Borderlander said:

Here's an example of what I refer to above:

  Hide contents

In the recent 2-minute IGN video, Moirane says: "That's the thing about these little towns..."

 

 

 Oh and I would love dialogue like that. But In a series trying to compress 11k pages into something watchable they took liberties.

 

For example: 

 

Spoiler

The telling of the fall of Manetheren - a huge scene in the books and in the episodes, Moiraine's dialogue has been altered. There is more shorthand and some of the flourishes are gone but the substance all remains and the moment isn't weakened. 

 

Then they showed us one of the animated ones and there...there we got the more flourished telling of the tale. So you kinda get to double dip. You get the more modern take AND the more traditional take... And you get that much more content.

 

[Borderlander]

2 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

ps. WoT is in the future so.. ?

 

I stand corrected! ?

[Borderlander]

1 minute ago, CaddySedai said:

Oh and I would love dialogue like that. But In a series trying to compress 11k pages into something watchable they took liberties.

 

Very understandable, I will give them that. ?