Mat In Season 1

[Sabio]

Mat isn't in many scenes, but it's easier to start fresh next season than in the middle of a season.  The next season probably won't be till next fall.  It will also give viewers a chance to forget old Mat and it won't be so shocking to suddenly see a new Mat.  Plus he was paid for the work he did so there might be contract things involved where they just can't totally remove him.

[Gothic Flame]

Mat?

*puzzled*

Mat...who?

[Quiksilver]

"there is an inherent darkness in him"

[JenniferL]

It’s insanely expensive to digitally replace an actor like that. It’s possible, because it’s been done. You are probably thinking of that zombie heist movie that was on Netflix awhile ago. They recast a minor, but pivotal character after the movie had been shot. It’s really obvious that she’s not really onset with any of them. The lighting on her is different, she’s not matted the same as the others. And this is in a big budget movie with an A list director. So while it’s an interesting thought exercise, it was extremely unlikely that they’d attempt it for this series. 

[rowdie]

Rafe changed Mat's character so much I'm not sure what to think.  In short I wish they had stuck to the books.  Their basically telling a whole new story so they've changed the characters too.   It doesn't seem he is very close to the other Two Rivers folk.  

[SingleMort]

5 minutes ago, rowdie said:

Rafe changed Mat's character so much I'm not sure what to think.  In short I wish they had stuck to the books.  Their basically telling a whole new story so they've changed the characters too.   It doesn't seem he is very close to the other Two Rivers folk.  

I agree they definitely changed some of his character and can't pretend I'm a fan of all those changes but I feel some of them were probably forced on them when Barney left the production, which seems to have happened around episode 6. I think if he hadn't he'd probably be with Perrin and the others at the end. 

Edited December 25, 2021 by SingleMort

[Ralph]

Just looking at the BtS clips. 

 

In the 8.2 one about the cast there is what appears to be a deleted scene where MRP are discussing a prank, and someone's (maybe Cenn??) reaction when he finds a badger in his bag. 

 

Shame it didn't make the cut

 

Still hoping for some deleted scenes to come out

[SingleMort]

11 minutes ago, Ralph said:

Just looking at the BtS clips. 

 

In the 8.2 one about the cast there is what appears to be a deleted scene where MRP are discussing a prank, and someone's (maybe Cenn??) reaction when he finds a badger in his bag. 

 

Shame it didn't make the cut

 

Still hoping for some deleted scenes to come out

I'd have loved it if they'd included a scene like that. Have the boys goofing around while the girls vent their dissaproval and call them silly immature idiots ?

[Ralph]

https://www.small-screen.co.uk/barney-harris-sacked-from-the-wheel-of-time-heres-why/

 

Any thoughts on this? 

 

Someone pointed out the vaccine wasn't available in UK for under thirties yet, but it is possible amazon made arrangements?? 

[Humbugged2]

2 hours ago, Ralph said:

https://www.small-screen.co.uk/barney-harris-sacked-from-the-wheel-of-time-heres-why/

 

Any thoughts on this? 

 

Someone pointed out the vaccine wasn't available in UK for under thirties yet, but it is possible amazon made arrangements?? 

Or the rest of Europe when it was filmed . And that would affect Marcus as well

[Andra]

On 1/12/2022 at 1:27 PM, Ralph said:

https://www.small-screen.co.uk/barney-harris-sacked-from-the-wheel-of-time-heres-why/

 

Any thoughts on this? 

 

Someone pointed out the vaccine wasn't available in UK for under thirties yet, but it is possible amazon made arrangements?? 

I don't think that's likely to be the answer.  It's not something Amazon could have "made arrangements" for.  Someone who wasn't eligible to be vaccinated wasn't eligible.  Eligibility was based on government requirements wherever they were, not on whether Amazon was able to pay for them.

And you can't fire someone for not doing something they weren't eligible to do.

 

It's conceivable that they cut him from Season 2 because he told them he would never consider it.  But they would have had plenty of time to complete Season 1 before that became an issue.  Remember, S1 filming only started back up in April of 2021, and wrapped in May.  They had only needed about a month to finish after coming back.

In the UK (where he's from), he wouldn't have been eligible until June.

In the U.S. (where he lives) he would have first become eligible in mid-April.  And the decision had already been made by that point.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Andra

[Lethira the second]

Total rubbish as far as I'm concerned.  The timing doesn't stack up.

 

Whatever his reasons for leaving the show are, we as fans are not entitled to them.  He clearly doesn't want the attention otherwise he wouldn't have deleted all his socials.

[notpropaganda73]

Some no-name website that floods you with pop up advertising cites an "insider", makes up a quote, and the rest of the article is filled with generic Wheel of Time TV show info. Get all the clicks from WoT fans curious about what happened, small enough not to get on any radar to suffer legal pushback. Job done. 

 

 

[WhiteVeils]

Political bait anyway.

[Deviations]

On 12/24/2021 at 2:43 PM, Gothic Flame said:

Mat?

*puzzled*

Mat...who?

Ha!

 

I know I'm dating myself but I still can't tell the two Darrin's apart on Bewitched.  If the new actor for Mat is intelligible, that may be my clue.

[tsmacro]

Not a fan of Mat's character in the tv show so far. Hopefully they'll redeem themselves in season 2. Starting out fresh with a new actor there's at least a chance.

[Andra]

1 hour ago, tsmacro said:

Not a fan of Mat's character in the tv show so far. Hopefully they'll redeem themselves in season 2. Starting out fresh with a new actor there's at least a chance.

I agree.  Except about a new actor being a solution.

 

I can't think of any of the issues I have with Mat that I would lay at the actor's feet.  They are all about how his character is written, and the actions they write for him.

 

I like that he cares about his sisters, but the reason for it is a big problem.  I also like that they gave him flashes of the humor that he's known for.  Neither of those is enough to save what they've done to the character for me.

 

But still hoping for a redemption in season 2.

[Raal Gurniss]

30 minutes ago, Andra said:

I agree.  Except about a new actor being a solution.

 

I can't think of any of the issues I have with Mat that I would lay at the actor's feet.  They are all about how his character is written, and the actions they write for him.

 

I like that he cares about his sisters, but the reason for it is a big problem.  I also like that they gave him flashes of the humor that he's known for.  Neither of those is enough to save what they've done to the character for me.

 

But still hoping for a redemption in season 2.

Why would they change the way they write the character if zero criticism has been accepted? Indeed only  the approbation some fans have lavished on the show has been taken onboard so there is every reason to continue the way they started and no reason to change.

[Andra]

13 minutes ago, Raal Gurniss said:

Why would they change the way they write the character if zero criticism has been accepted? Indeed only  the approbation some fans have lavished on the show has been taken onboard so there is every reason to continue the way they started and no reason to change.

The only reason would be if Amazon pays attention to sites like this, and tells Rafe he has to.

 

Fan criticism won't make Rafe change.  Bezos criticism would.

[Raal Gurniss]

40 minutes ago, Andra said:

The only reason would be if Amazon pays attention to sites like this, and tells Rafe he has to.

 

Fan criticism won't make Rafe change.  Bezos criticism would.

Given all the rhetoric the show producers have given about any criticism…..Safely say they reject it in its entirety and openly insult those even give as much as the slightest critique…

 

I doubt Bezos is aware of the show.

[Andra]

34 minutes ago, Raal Gurniss said:

Given all the rhetoric the show producers have given about any criticism…..Safely say they reject it in its entirety and openly insult those even give as much as the slightest critique…

 

I doubt Bezos is aware of the show.

He may not be watching it, or paying attention to fan sites and Amazon reviews.  But the show exists because he personally wanted it.

He's aware of it.  If only as a very expensive investment.

Edited January 15, 2022 by Andra

[Raal Gurniss]

19 minutes ago, Andra said:

He may not be watching it, or paying attention to fan sites and Amazon reviews.  But the show exists because he personally wanted it.

He's aware of it.  If only as a very expensive investment.

I doubt he is happy with it given how easy he believes it is to create a blockbuster…WoT isn’t a blockbuster…At best it’s middling.

[Andra]

20 minutes ago, Raal Gurniss said:

I doubt he is happy with it given how easy he believes it is to create a blockbuster…WoT isn’t a blockbuster…At best it’s middling.

And his unhappiness is the best chance to force Rafe to fix the writing.  Or take the decisions from him altogether.

[Raal Gurniss]

2 hours ago, Andra said:

And his unhappiness is the best chance to force Rafe to fix the writing.  Or take the decisions from him altogether.

Given the refusal of criticism by showrunners and renewal of the show…Either Bezos is happy(which he won’t be given lack of blockbuster status) or he is largely unaware of the show.

[Andra]

7 hours ago, Raal Gurniss said:

Given the refusal of criticism by showrunners and renewal of the show…Either Bezos is happy(which he won’t be given lack of blockbuster status) or he is largely unaware of the show.

The show was renewed before a single episode was released.  Technically, it was renewed before they even wrapped shooting season 1.

 

He would've seen no criticism or lackluster numbers to be unhappy about yet.  Now he might.  The only thing he might have heard about by then is concerns from Brandon or Harriet.

Of course, as shooting for season 2 is slated to end in just over a month, it may be too late to save.  Except by editing and post-production.  Rewriting and reshooting at this point would be really unlikely.  But it has happened before.

 

The best scenario is if he did hear from Brandon and Harriet and ordered Rafe to change direction before filming started.

 

Hope springs eternal.

Edited January 16, 2022 by Andra