12 minutes ago, Guire said:

Layla was a blacksmith.  Swing strength, hand eye coordination, and timing are baked into that.  Nyn being all murdery has not really been explained. 

The show runner needs no explanation.  He decrees and it is!!

I'm sure there will be a flashback in S2 to support Nynaeve's ninja-ness.  😆

9 minutes ago, Skipp said:

So Layla was a dragon candidate because she single-handedly killed a Trolloc? 😋

 

Rand and Perrin clearly only got half points because they both got assists.

Single-handedly killing a trolloc is not enough - otherwise Lan and Moiraine could have been candidates

Layla would have been had she set off a heal bomb in addition to the trolloc kill (and was alive).  Rand and Perrin must of picked up points elsewhere.  Hard to understand Rafe's criteria for dragon worthiness...

8 hours ago, MasterAblar said:

As over the top as it was, I could accept the Nyneave mass heal. Simply because it is afterall what she's good at, it came from a deep emotional place (again fitting for Nyneave), and it demonstrated her considerable power. And it legitimately looked amazing.

 

Her holding off machin sin on the other hand? Just why. Could have just given Moiraine her time to shine, just like in the books, where she holds machin sin and opens the escape path. Only reason I can think of is, oh yes, the Dragon Reborn mystery...

Right, because single-handedly killing a trolloc and the heal bomb weren't enough to put her in Dragon contention... 🙄

1 hour ago, DaddyFinn said:

Bloom and skin smoothing turned up to 11?

Whatever it was, it worked.

6 hours ago, templar7 said:

Hell ya. Is it me or does Galadriel look like she just turned 19. I would be happier if there were no hobbits at all.  The whole thing is over produced and under acted.

The only character that really fits their role is Elendil.

I didn’t have a problem with her age. But that none of the elves looked distinctly different from the humans with the exception of the ears. They just weren’t ’pretty’ enough. They didn’t have the grace. Whatever Jackson did in LotR, it was missing in RoP. 

A variety:

Not a fan - https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/the-wheel-of-time-review-amazon-series-based-on-robert-jordans-epic-fantasy-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse-10233151.html

Liked with reservations - https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/the-wheel-of-time-review-a-ponderous-start-before-smooth-sailings/article38054449.ece

Brutal but well written - https://jamesjguild.com/blog/2021/12/25/why-season-one-of-the-wheel-of-time-is-so-disappointing

7 of 10 with fair criticisms - https://www.keengamer.com/articles/reviews/movie-series-reviews/the-wheel-of-time-season-1-review-budding-but-blemished/

Covers last 4 episodes - https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2021/12/amazons-the-wheel-of-time-stumbles-at-the-end-spoiler-filled-season-end-review.html

Liked it because it exists - https://time.com/6131394/wheel-of-time-season-finale-review/

Previous post article had good things to say about the show but was negative overall.  This one is more balanced between good/bad:

https://www.wired.com/2022/04/geeks-guide-wheel-of-time/

Highlights:

• “I thought it was great,” Adams says in Episode 507 of the Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast. “I have no particular affinity for the books, so I didn’t care about the adaptation part of it—I didn’t care if they changed things. I was watching it basically as a fresh viewer, and honestly I love it.”
• The friendship between Rand and Mat was really strong in the books. I loved it. Book 1 really went into that, where Rand and Mat were kind of on their own little adventure together, where they had no money and they’re just playing music for their supper, out in the wilderness, exploring the world and trying to get back in touch with their friends. The friendship was strong, and it was there, and you don’t see it in the show at all. And Egwene and Perrin as well. Perrin is a very protective, guardian type of character—the show did not show that. He seems kind of like this whiny, mopey guy in the show. I wouldn’t want to hang out with him.

A well written review:

https://www.thereviewgeek.com/thewheeloftime-s1review/

Some highlights:

• At its best, The Wheel Of Time faithfully captures the wonder and visual beauty of fantasy worlds to perfection; faraway lands look both enticing and rich with lore. At its worst, this first season makes Game Of Thrones Season 8 look like a masterpiece.
• Normally I wouldn’t go so hard on a show but The Wheel Of Time is a 90 million dollar venture that should have done much better than this. Had this been a low budget affair like The Shannara Chronicles then the issues could have been forgiven but Wheel Of Time is an expensive project that struggles to rise above mediocrity.
• The Wheel will keep on turning and fantasy efforts will come and go. The Wheel Of Time is not one that will be sorely missed but will undoubtedly build up a good buzz for a second season. That buzz though will mostly be from fans eager to see if this series can rectify the damage done from its truly disastrous finale. A final episode that’s somehow worse than Game Of Thrones Season 8? That certainly takes some doing!

Never thought about that.  Probably not though - there is no active channeling going on to maintain a compulsion, right?

Whereas a shield being actively maintained would melt away.  But a tied-off shield might continue...

6 hours ago, bringbackthomsmoustache said:

Do you mean that the Harfoots should have been half the size, that there should have been half the number of them (in which case you mean 50% fewer Harfoots) or that they should have had half the screen time that they ended up with?

 

Yes

27 minutes ago, SinisterDeath said:

This is where we disagree the most.

The show needed 500% more Harfoots.

If the show was just Harfoots/Stranger & Elrond/Durin, I'd be content to call it a great show.

Lol.  To each their own.

52 minutes ago, notpropaganda73 said:

 

I know you are saying you are much closer to the source material for WoT, but just as two standalone shows the only area that RoP is better than WoT is the production quality in my opinion. WoT probably a 6/10 for me (and significantly downgraded because of the finale, had they executed the finale better I'd have been delighted with S1) whereas RoP... probably 3/10? I'm just left having no interest in whatever they have planned going forward.

 

I'm a huge fan of both worlds and I was very relaxed about the story they would tell in RoP and how they would have to go about it (considering all the rights issues), but what we got was so scattered and outright bad at times I find very few redeeming qualities. At least with WoT I had some serious high points (personally) and there was really nothing in RoP S1 that had me thinking "well at least we got that" and looking forward to S2. The only thing that came close really was seeing Numenor realised on screen, but even that, after the initial excitement, felt like a pretty small city rather than the civilisation it is described as. Though the whole show suffers from feeling very small/empty imo. 

In the end, a lot of this comes down to personal likes/dislikes.

With WoT, even with removing myself from source material as best I could, there were just too many 'basics' that bothered me: fight choreography was terrible (with the exception of blood snow), cliffhangers at season end - is Moiraine stilled or shielded, is Loial dead - internal to the season I'm okay with the cliffhangers between scenes and/or episodes, but at season end it just takes me back to re-runs of 1950's and 60's serials.  Miracle healings in the Aes Sedai Camp and at Tarwin's Gap by untrained channelers.  Build up to how much can be done with the power, don't show it all in S1. Etc.

With RoP, I didn't think it was the greatest show but it was always good enough for me to watch the next episode - I will walk away if I don't like something.  There were some highlights throughout the season - a big one for me was the nod to capoeira when the slaves fought against the orcs with their chains.  And the finale put the icing on the cake for me.  The season's storylines were tied up for each character while still letting us know there was more to come for them - and without resorting to cliffhangers (other than Isildur).  It had problems: I could have done with 50% less Harfoots.  And swimming to Middle Earth - please!  Galadriel's training 'fight' with the young Numenorean soldiers was a bit over the top as well - but still better than most of what I saw in WoT.  Overall, the show was fun and more enjoyable than WoT.

Again - my personal viewpoint and I understand that other people have completely different views.  Still fun to talk about...

11 minutes ago, SinisterDeath said:

 

In terms of faithfulness to the source; Rings of Power didn't just eliminate a few towns, and add a new stop at a location they would have rather avoided like WoT did. They literally rewrote a millennia of history, changed the importance of Mithril, and a whole slew of other stuff that if it had happened to WoT, fans heads would be exploding in anger.

 

Isn't it interesting though that if you can separate yourself from the source, how those changes largely become meaningless?

Exactly!  Without the source material, it falls back to writing, production quality, or whatever is most important to the individual.

4 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

Surprising, eh? 😉 I can't find many positives in the first season. It just felt so pointless.

Very surprising.  I'm a fan of both worlds.  As I've said in other threads, I think a big difference for me is that I know the source material for WoT so much better than LotR.  And I know almost nothing of the appendices that RoP was based on.

Not saying RoP is a great show (it had its problems) - just much better than WoT.  For whatever one person's viewpoint is worth...

On 10/7/2022 at 12:01 AM, Dagon Thyne said:

How do you feel about reverse rape scenes designed to be extremely funny.

There was a thread on the book side addressing this.  To be honest, while reading the books I always thought of the scenes as funny.  But after having the discussion on DM, I don't see it the same way.  Rape is rape.

Now if the whole show/movie is supposed to be an over-the-top comedy, then I can see leeway given.  But in a drama I don't think it should ever be portrayed as funny no matter which direction it goes.

On 10/18/2022 at 8:16 PM, WhiteVeils said:

His role in The Great Hunt isn't huge. It's bigger in Dragon Reborn. I guess it depends on which plot he goes on. I personally hope he's in Mat's plot.

One nice thing about compressing 14 books into 8 seasons - dead-time for main characters can reduced/eliminated.

51 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

The best thing is, there's no more "who is the dragon mystery". They can really start exploring and expanding the characters.

Self-inflicted limitation there...

56 minutes ago, templar7 said:

So you're the one..

I always have been unique.  🙂

4 hours ago, templar7 said:

 

I'm flattered you care so much about my self confidence.

Disagree with what? That wot is the better show, or that the budgets are disproportionately allocated? What am I missing here? lol

That WoT was the better show. I found RoP to be far superior. Sorry I wasn’t clear. 

1 hour ago, JyP said:

I don't remember clearly, but I think maybe a third of all full Aes Sedai die by the end of the Last Battle ?

Not sure of the percentage, but does that include those purged by the rebel Aes Sedai?

6 hours ago, Stedding Tofu said:

 

You think RJ was giving us an ecological warning? 

Not at all - the comparison was solely mine.  I just thought it was funny that many people (not you) beat the drum for the human impact on climate but then turn around and say they don't buy that humans can affect the force that drives the wheel - even though they are tapping into it.  All that said - maybe RJ was giving a veiled warning...

6 hours ago, Stedding Tofu said:

 

Or, since you've been re-reading it, maybe a nod to the Belgariad/Mallorean?  IIRC Garion does something to conjure a cloud or local weather phenomenon for Ce'Nedra and Belgarath turns up months later in a foul mood and chews him out because he's been dealing with all the knock-on effects of Garion screwing with the weather.

Yes - Garion did screw up the weather and got chewed out by Belgarath.  But I believe that the Sea Folk and maybe the Aes Sedai also commented on widespread effects on climate based on local weather disruptions.  So another connection between RJ and DE.

54 minutes ago, VooDooNut said:

The disconnect for me comes from how the  TBOTW/Aviendha affected the One Power and the lack of effect the two most powerful sa’angreal, used in conjunction, had on the One Power. That’s where I get confused. 

Maybe a flaw like in Callandor?

The book is a lot skinnier than I was hoping - but as long as it was well written, I will be very happy.  Coming soon:

8 minutes ago, VooDooNut said:

*shrug* I wish it was more clearly explained in the books, but I could certainly be convinced it was Aviendha and not the BOTW that caused the issue. To @Stedding Tofu's point, it seems odd that the source of power for the world can be affected in this way by humans.

Yet we have no problem thinking humans can affect climate?

I think they do and can - though I also think it is often overstated.  So I don't have any problem making the leap to humans affecting the source of power.

33 minutes ago, Stedding Tofu said:

Not a particularly satisfactory explanation to me as it suggests the force that drives the wheel of time can become unstable through human meddling but there it is.  Maybe regard it as ripples in a pond caused by a  stone but the stone has to be huge to cause any impact.

Kind of like humans affecting climate?

I think climate and weather patterns are huge engines that in general churn on without much notice of puny humans.  But I think we can cause ripples that may create temporary instability.