What is meant by "aged up the characters?"

[Agitel]

Am I quibbling? Yes, I'm quibbling. Moiraine says the Dragon was reborn around 20 years ago. Per the timeline provided on the WOT Prime Video page, the Dragon was reborn in 978, and the show takes place in 998, so about 20 years is correct.

 

But Rand, Mat, and Perrin are already 19 going on 20 in the books. So they are maybe months older at most. Egwene has been aged up to their age from 17/18, true. Nynaeve has been aged up from 24 to 25/26, true.

 

But I keep seeing all this talk of the characters being aged up. How old did people think Rand was?

[Elder_Haman]

2 minutes ago, Agitel said:

How old did people think Rand was?

11 or 12?

[Agitel]

2 minutes ago, Elder_Haman said:

11 or 12?

 

lol

 

I know I'm being a little ridiculous, but I keep hearing about how great it is they aged up the characters and it's not just a bunch of teenagers but... well... that doesn't seem to be the case? Excepting Egwene and, presumably, Elayne.

Edited November 19, 2021 by Agitel

[AdamA]

Not sure it's the characters so much as the actors. I didn't realize until watching the first episode they were actually going to keep them at 20 years old. I guess it's pretty common to cast people in the area of five years older than their characters, but still, other than maybe babyface Josha Stradowski, these people don't look 20 to me, but there is probably the case of pre-technological life aging you faster. Looking at pictures of 19 year-olds fighting in WWI, for instance, they look like 30 year-olds today.

Edited November 19, 2021 by AdamA

[zacz1987]

From what I can tell Egwene is really the only one who is aged up. 

[Skipp]

Egwene is certainly aged up but everyone is matured up, if that makes sense.  In the books they are 20 year olds that act like mid to late teenagers.  In the show they are effectively adults, if only just.

[MaxZorin]

I would describe book Mat's glee at a peddler coming to town as more 'childlike' than TV Mat.  By just a hair.  

 

The difference is subtle, and perhaps so subtle as to not even be noteworthy.

 

TV Mat's peddler glee is only ever so slightly more scummy, depressing and horrible than book Mat. 

 

So, maybe they matured them a bit, but I don't think it's a big deal.  They are still practically almost sort of the same character and everything. 

 

Maybe they could do something interesting like make Mat a secret serial rapist.  That would really spice his character up, I think.  Because, let's be fair, book Mat is really, really, really boring.   In the books?   So boring.  He really needs an interesting hook to get the casual, non-book fans into his character.   

 

[DaddyFinn]

They are more mature than in books.

[Windigo]

5 hours ago, Skipp said:

Egwene is certainly aged up but everyone is matured up, if that makes sense.  In the books they are 20 year olds that act like mid to late teenagers.  In the show they are effectively adults, if only just.

I do not see that they aged them up in maturity either, or what they did do does not work as well as they think, So Perrin is a full blacksmith timeline would still make him only a journeyman.   Mat gambles and steals stuff instead of playing pranks and stealing pies. None of it really works to age them up in maturity. 

[Starganderfish]

Rand and Egwene bumping uglies, Matt hitting on the Bartender, her hitting on Rand… Matt’s joke about “if she’s up for it…”

To say nothing of Perrin’s disposable wife. 
They didn’t “age up the characters” they just  added more “mature themes”. 
That and the naked Lan butt in episode one. 

 

Have to get that T&A quota in like GoT, Witcher etc. 

Edited November 20, 2021 by Starganderfish

[Daenelia]

20 today is different from 20 in the 90's. I know. I was 20 in the 90's. Today, all you ex-teens are dealing with bigger sh*t than I ever had to. I was a kid, a child, a young'un back then. Fresh, naieve, maybe even a little more sheltered.

 

I dont think Rand and Egwene did incredibly unthinkable... even in my childlike state as a 20-year old, all of my friends were 'bumping uglies', except they didnt think it was anything taboo or wrong or oowwiie! Good on them for mildly suggesting Rand and Egwene were intimate. Good on them, it was consensual, loving and tender, I am sure.

 

And tbf, I really dont think it was that mature or 'adult'  in nature. Yes, the books are more timid, but not every author can or wants to write about intimate scenes. And that;s okay. That doesn't mean the characters are chaste virgins all the way... I sincerely always assumed Rand and Egwene were sneaking off to have a fumble.