Season 1 Discussion (Full Book Spoilers) v2.1

[flinn]

6 minutes ago, fra85uk said:

My updated ratings so far:

 

Ep1 4.5

Ep2 6-

Ep3 6.5

Ep4 5

Ep5 7.5 but just one watch so i think on rewatch it will go to 8

 Wow, this really shows how people see things differently.

 

 Ep1- 6

 Ep2- 6

 Ep3- 6

 Ep4- 8

 Ep5- 4

[DaddyFinn]

All of the episodes are above 8 for me. ? I'm beyond happy I can enjoy and appreciate the show for what it is.

[Gothic Flame]

Aes Sedai and warders seem to show a lot of emotion. 

[WOTReader2]

Episode 4 looked promising, but episode 5 was the worst episode of the season. I found it really boring. 

 

What is the point of cutting material from the book if you are just going to add overly elongated scenes about a character who does not even serve a big part? The warder who killed himself was a nobody in the book. It would have been better if he went completely berserk in the last episode and died. 

 

The conversation between Loial and Rand is really rushed and feels awkward. Also, the part where Loial just decides to bring Nynaeve is so random. Terrible introduction of Loial just to make room for the warder.  

 

The Lan thing is weird at the end and is not in keeping with the character at all. He is an experienced soldier who has seen death a lot. Also, the chest thumping scene was cringe inducing and a complete waste of time.

 

They could have driven on the plot or stuck to the books more if they are going to add pointless scenes like that.

Edited December 3, 2021 by WOTReader2

[Katherine]

3 hours ago, flinn said:

 Wow, this really shows how people see things differently.

 

 Ep1- 6

 Ep2- 6

 Ep3- 6

 Ep4- 8

 Ep5- 4

I wonder.... Do you think it is people who are reading or have recently re-read WoT vs people who read a while ago?

 

I like episode 5 WAY more than hubby, but he is reading EotW Right now. Been two years for me. I enjoyed the world building  while he just kept saying.... this isn't Eye of the World at all!

 

Can we hire someone else to take over the wolf scenes? They were NOT good and Perrin's powers are the best. 

 

NOt my favorite, but the best. 

 

Perrin should be INCREDIBLY powerful as a wolfbrother and a master of tel'aran'rhiod, and right now every wolf scene is just SO BAD. 

Edited December 3, 2021 by Katherine

[DaddyFinn]

8 minutes ago, Katherine said:

Perrin should be INCREDIBLY powerful as a wolfbrother and a master of tel'aran'rhiod, and right now every wolf scene is just SO BAD. 

Perrin's powers were next to nothing in the first book

[Skipp]

Agreed with the thought that Lan's screams were for the room and not himself necessarily.  Being the lead mourner in a ritual like that requires the outward grief.  But oh boy did Rosamund really sell the pain she was feeling.  Was she reflecting Lans grief or her own knowing what is to come for Lan.  It does seem the show is forshadowing that event early.

 

I have rated the episodes as such

Ep1 7.0

Ep2 8.0

Ep3 9.0

Ep4 10.0

Ep5 8.5

 

My nonbook reader wife has also really been enjoying the series.  She was crying during the funeral scene.  She yelled at me, in jest, "Why are you making us watch such a sad show!".

[mogi68]

Episode 6, what have we got?

The blurb:

 

Quote

Moiraine faces the consequences of her actions; Mat faces the darkness in himself; Egwene faces the most powerful woman in the world.

 

My predictions:

• Moiraine appears before the Hall of the tower and is disciplined. The Hall will try to reign in Moiraine since she's been gone from the tower for so long and getting involved in questionable events
• Later, she meets privately with Siuan and the nature of their relationship is shown (possibly in a flashback).
• Perrin and Egwene show up at the White Tower. Egwene is brought before the Amyrlin and is either made a novice or is promised to become one. The Amyrlin questions if she is the dragon
• Mat has some kind of dream/vision induced by the dagger. Perhaps we will see more of Ba'alzamon
• Moiraine, Lan, Perrin, Egwene, and Nynaeve go to see Mat and Rand. Mat gets his first healing
• Some sort of revelation sets them towards the blight.
• They leave in secret since Moiraine is in trouble with leadership and they travel to the waygate
• Episode ends with walking into darkness

 

 

 

 

Edited December 3, 2021 by mogi68

[Katherine]

18 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

Perrin's powers were next to nothing in the first book

 

Correct. 

 

My point... which I didn't make well..... is that the wolf scenes need to improve drastically so that his story line gets that primacy it deserves. The way they are filming the wolves now is a detratction from the show. Afraid if it doesn't get better it will be abandoned. ?

[DojoToad]

3 hours ago, DaddyFinn said:

All of the episodes are above 8 for me. ? I'm beyond happy I can enjoy and appreciate the show for what it is.

I'm glad folks are genuinely enjoying the show.  Guess I'll have to go back to adaptations I like: Dune 2021, Ender's Game, LotR, Hobbit, etc.  ?

[Katherine]

6 minutes ago, DojoToad said:

I'm glad folks are genuinely enjoying the show.  Guess I'll have to go back to adaptations I like: Dune 2021, Ender's Game, LotR, Hobbit, etc.  ?

On the positive side, you reminded me how good Ender's Game is! So.... gunna have to watch that this weekend. 

 

Man don't get me started on the masterpiece that is DUNE. 

 

Wish that director was our showrunner because he is just operating on another level. 

[Gothic Flame]

4 minutes ago, Katherine said:

 

Correct. 

 

My point... which I didn't make well..... is that the wolf scenes need to improve drastically so that his story line gets that primacy it deserves. The way they are filming the wolves now is a detratction from the show. Afraid if it doesn't get better it will be abandoned. ?

I'll be blunt, from earlier responses character growth seems to have selectively been thrown away...so hearing that Perrin isn't the Wolf King sounds like a fresh take on a new character in the show...

[DaddyFinn]

6 minutes ago, DojoToad said:

I'm glad folks are genuinely enjoying the show.  Guess I'll have to go back to adaptations I like: Dune 2021, Ender's Game, LotR, Hobbit, etc.  ?

I hope the last episodes or season 2 will give you a reason to at least try to watch them. I have been able to just take the story as it comes and think how the changes will be beneficial in the future. So far it's looking really good. Different route to the same destination.

[DojoToad]

1 minute ago, DaddyFinn said:

I hope the last episodes or season 2 will give you a reason to at least try to watch them. I have been able to just take the story as it comes and think how the changes will be beneficial in the future. So far it's looking really good. Different route to the same destination.

My head is just wired differently (maybe shorted out).  I can't take it as you do, because I've disliked/hated most of what I've seen.  There is little positive to build my expectations on.  This season is lost for me; too much damage done and the episodes are likely in the can.  They likely won't change much - if they even wanted to (and they likely don't - they made the show they wanted).  And I don't need to see more of the same.

 

I might watch the first episode of season 2 to see what changes were made, if any.  If it hits my sweet spot I can always go back to season 1.

[Deviations]

1 hour ago, WOTReader2 said:

Episode 4 looked promising, but episode 5 was the worst episode of the season. I found it really boring. 

 

What is the point of cutting material from the book if you are just going to add overly elongated scenes about a character who does not even serve a big part? The warder who killed himself was a nobody in the book. It would have been better if he went completely berserk in the last episode and died. 

 

The conversation between Loial and Rand is really rushed and feels awkward. Also, the part where Loial just decides to bring Nynaeve is so random. Terrible introduction of Loial just to make room for the warder.  

 

The Lan thing is weird at the end and is not in keeping with the character at all. He is an experienced soldier who has seen death a lot. Also, the chest thumping scene was cringe inducing and a complete waste of time.

 

They could have driven on the plot or stuck to the books more if they are going to add pointless scenes like that.

100% agree with everything you've written.

[Katherine]

If I remember correctly, Rafe said that he found the Wader-AS relationships to be incredibly interesting and that he wanted to focus on them. 

 

Honestly I don't mind the focus, and I think this episode will set up 

Spoiler

Moraine's death, Myrelle/Alanna accepting his bond, and Lan's struggle to survive. 

 

However, the focus has been on the AS and Warders SO MUCH that in season 2 when the focus pivots to 

Spoiler

Rand

As it must... it is going to be jarring. Not sure how they will handle that. 

Edited December 3, 2021 by Katherine

[fra85uk]

It would be nice at the end of Season to Have a poll for preferred episode.

 

I am very curious because so far this seemed to me the best episode and a light of hope for the series while many others found it bad.

[DojoToad]

5 minutes ago, Dead Warder said:

There are some web-based applications where you can add laugh tracks and sitcom scene transition tunes to your live stream. Turning these WoT episodes into a comedy routine with some Seinfeld transitions helps ease the pain a bit. Just an option that I found that takes the edge off a bit.

Might relax the jaw and keep me from shattering my teeth, but will probably just make me more sad later.  Thank you for the option though!

[TheDreadReader]

1 hour ago, Katherine said:

However, the focus has been on the AS and Warders SO MUCH that in season 2 when the focus pivots to 

  Reveal hidden contents

Rand

As it must... it is going to be jarring. Not sure how they will handle that. 

 

I can see it flowing naturally out of training at the white tower with shift towards more Egwene being the focus for those story threads.  

 

It depends on how they handle getting everyone to Fal Dara and then back to the Tower afterwards (especially since I don't think we'll see Siuan in Fal Dara).

 

[Maximillion]

6 hours ago, flinn said:

 Wow, this really shows how people see things differently.

 

 Ep1- 6

 Ep2- 6

 Ep3- 6

 Ep4- 8

 Ep5- 4

Ep1 - 5

Ep2 - 4

Ep3 - 6

Ep4 - 1

Ep5 - 0.5

[Elder_Haman]

Ep 1 - 7

Ep 2 - 7.5

Ep 3 - 8

Ep 4 - 9

Ep 5 - 7.5

[LordyLord]

1 hour ago, Maximillion said:

 

Ep1 - 5/10

Ep2 - 5/10

Ep3 - 6/10

Ep4 - 6.5/10

Ep5 - 4/10

Edited December 3, 2021 by LordyLord

[Frenata]

4 hours ago, DojoToad said:

I'm glad folks are genuinely enjoying the show.  Guess I'll have to go back to adaptations I like: Dune 2021, Ender's Game, LotR, Hobbit, etc.  ?

 

It's funny how much different individuals diverge. My relation to WoTPrime is so far "enjoyed a somewhat bumpy first season, excited for the future", while I thought Jackson's Hobbit movies were so bad that they actually made me enjoy the excellent LotR movies less.

 

And had I been involved in a forum at the time, I would have been as hyperbolic against Ender as the most passionate people here are about WoTPrime. ?

 

It's legitimate to check-out early, I might be inclined to do so if I felt the way some do, although even subverted nostalgia has a way of dragging you back in.

 

4 hours ago, Skipp said:

Ep4 10.0

 

Come now, you have to give the season room to grow? I agree that 4 was the strongest to date, but I expect 6 and 8 will end up better. Unless your scale "goes to 11"?

[Meskell]

3 minutes ago, Frenata said:

 

It's funny how much different individuals diverge. My relation to WoTPrime is so far "enjoyed a somewhat bumpy first season, excited for the future", while I thought Jackson's Hobbit movies were so bad that they actually made me enjoy the excellent LotR movies less.

 

And had I been involved in a forum at the time, I would have been as hyperbolic against Ender as the most passionate people here are about WoTPrime. ?

 

It's legitimate to check-out early, I might be inclined to do so if I felt the way some do, although even subverted nostalgia has a way of dragging you back in.

 

 

Come now, you have to give the season room to grow? I agree that 4 was the strongest to date, but I expect 6 and 8 will end up better. Unless your scale "goes to 11"?

Episode 4 was the best of an average bunch of episodes. If this series is being compared against peak tv then it doesn’t hold a candle to it at the moment. 
 

I’m enjoying it enough but there are some pretty significant issues in writing, world building, sets, cgi, dialogue, making the world feel real, pacing etc. All of this together, whilst not to say someone shouldn’t enjoy the series, does massively mark it down against peak tv, so agreed, no chance there has been a 10/10 episode objectively.

[Elder_Haman]

6 minutes ago, Frenata said:

Unless your scale "goes to 11"?