Logistically, this is not the kind of show that you can do 10 or more seasons for. We can hope for 7, I think that is about the max they are going to be able to pull off and as it stands it is going to take well over a decade for them to make that many.

We also don't really know Amazon's philosophy/approach when it comes to their show longevities. Netflix seems to cancel a lot of shows after 2-3 seasons because they are all about increasing new subscriptions. Prime has only been around for about 13 years and doesn't really seem like they've tried too much to have any long-running shows yet, it seems like a lot of it has been limited series or stuff that was planned to last for only a few seasons, anyways. The Man in the High Castle was one of their most popular shows and they ended that at four seasons. 

Another one of their most popular shows, Bosch is getting 7 total seasons but it is also a show that is much cheaper (about $2.5 million per episode) and quicker (it's averaged a season a year since 2014) to produce than a show like Wheel of Time, which is starting off at roughly $10 million per episode and was going to take over a year and half just to make the season even before the pandemic hit. While the production time should go down a bit as the world gets more control over covid-19, the budget is only going to go up with inflation, contract re-negotiations, increasingly long character/cast list, etc. And, realistically, they just aren't going to be able to keep everyone tied into making this thing for much more than a decade. I'd about guarantee Rafe has an outline/plan to try to cover the series in 7-8 seasons. And we will be really fortunate if the series has enough wide appeal and sustainable popularity to get us those 7-8 seasons.

Yeah, going back to the OP, I gotta say, this was handled kind of weird. I feel like I'm missing something because Jordan is usually so good about connecting his details even when he's trying to rehash things for new readers or readers who might have forgotten what happened in previous books.

But at the beginning of The Dragon Reborn, right after Rand strikes off on his own, Moiraine is having a conversation with Perrin and the others about how the seals are starting to break on Shayol Ghul and some of the Forsaken might have gotten out. And Perrin is disbelieving at first and everyone's kind of like, "No way." I literally just read through that part today.

What? Dudes, y'all already heard about the seals breaking and ended up facing two Forsaken at the end of The Eye of the World! I was so confused in that moment, because though I know that Jordan kind of shifted his grand plan for the series after EotW, I mean, Nynaeve even has that whole face-off with Aginor when she is going through the Accepted test in The Great Hunt. So in the very next book it is like ancient history that no one remembers or something? What happened there?

I am sorry you feel that way.

I don't really know how you can come to that conclusion based on what we have seen so far, but if it is because of certain castings looking different from what you had in your head, then yes, you almost inevitably will be disappointed because an adaptation is always going to be very different from your imagination.

When I first saw Fellowship of the Ring in the theater I didn't know what to think because it was just a state of shock of seeing someone else's vision of my favorite books that I had grown up with for years and years. I knew it was "a good movie" in terms of the craft and performances, but I didn't know if I liked it. When I watched it again, I was able to enjoy it so much more on its own terms. I still have the version of the books that I have in my head, and now I have the movie versions which I also really admire and enjoy.

Hopefully a year of two from now, many of us can say something similar about The Wheel of Time.

yeah, there's really a huge chunk of the middle of that book, between Shadar Logoth and Caemlyn, that they could probably pretty easily cover in one episode without sacrificing TOO much in the way of important story beats.

I think they are trying to do a good bit of Book 2 in Season 1. Maybe even all of it.

You can't make a show like this for 14 seasons or whatever. Things are definitely going to get moved around, condensed, and consolidated.

I am VERY curious about how they are going to handle the end of Book 1. Wonder if they will want to depict it as such a large victory if it is something that happens mid-season, also wonder how much they can really pull off The Blight early on. We might see some significant changes there.

I don't think there is any feasible way for a TV show to have even close to half the characters that this book series has. For budgetary, logistical, and storytelling reasons. I don't know who is going to get cut but I think we have to prepare ourselves for the reality that there will be a lot of cuts and alterations, both in terms of the characters and in terms of the events/plot. If they can streamline things as much as they will have to while still keeping the essence of the story and, to some degree, the complexity of the world, it will be a job well done.

For the first 4 episodes, at least, David Buckley has been announced as the composer. Meaning he will set the tone for the music for the series and if main themes are used throughout, many of them will probably be composed by him at the start.

I don't really know anything about Buckley and haven't watched many of the projects he has composed the music for. He has done primarily television, and he has an Emmy nomination for his main title music for The Good Fight. One of the more widely known films he has scored would be the Papillion remake in 2018, I am listening to some of that on Youtube and the music is fine, but I would say that I am a little concerned that a score he would do for a show like Wheel of Time might sound either, 1) generic or, 2) total background music that doesn't add much.

Depending on what kind of tone they are going for with the series, it might behoove it to have music that is less noticeable or intrusive, but sight unseen of how they are planning to approach the atmosphere and aesthetic, I think I would personally prefer music with strong themes that kind of help propel the visuals and action to some degree with motifs that weave together in a thematic and world-building way, similar to how Howard Shore approached the Lord of the Rings films.

It'd be unfair to expect anything near the level of Shore's score, it is one of the great works of movie scoring of the past couple decades, but I wouldn't mind if Buckley took some notes on it before he embarks on his endeavor here, Based on what I've heard so far, he seems like a fundamentally capable composer, I just wonder if he's going to BRING IT, if you know what I mean.

I don't think Adam Sandler belongs in this but he was truly great in Punch Drunk Love and The Meyerowitz Stories and supposedly he is great in the upcoming Uncut Gems, as well (excited for that one as a fan of the Safdie Bros movies).

Oh, that's cool, I've been waiting for some more confirmations. Did not know about Nanna and Stuart.

Also, the recent WotWednesday served as great, if very brief, affirmation of Pike and Harris in their roles!

Great input, thank you, DragonFairy! I hadn't heard that rumor about the Trollocs/prosthetics but it certainly does fit with my assumption based on Dudman's involvement, so that's cool.

And I have not seen nearly enough of Josha to really think it will be a Hayden/Anakin situation again. That was just sort of an inkling I got, but I think Josha seems like he might bring a bit more of a grounded take and I think the fact that that this is a TV show and the people who are making the show and will be guiding him... that makes a big difference. Like I said, a big factor is if he is given time to grow into the role. At worst, it could be like the guy who plays Archie in Riverdale... not the most interesting or nuanced performance, but adequate enough for what's required. But if we're lucky enough to get a Season 2 or 3, the role of Rand is going to get more complex, so Josha will have to step it up.

And I agree about Goulekas. I am more optimistic than not on her, I just think it is curious she hasn't done more stuff recently given her pedigree.

Overall, I am cautiously optimistic about the series, this is not meant to be a thread of pre-emptive complaining, just checking to see who people feel most unsure about when it comes to cast and crew announced so far or maybe just your overall impressions.

Rafe Judkins (Showrunner) - Unfortunately, I do not love Rafe's previous work, though I know a lot of people liked Chuck and Agents of Shield. I really don't like either show and I tried to rewatch some episodes recently that I know Rafe wrote of both, and yeah, just can't do it. I think it's not so much Rafe, though, as just the set-up and method of both shows. The directing is also very pedestrian and it's all about plot, plot, plot when the plots aren't all that interesting, so I am not trying to hold Rafe responsible too much, and I do think this show could be a big step forward for him as a creative.

Don't really know enough about the other writers. They up and comers, I guess.

Josha Stradowski (Rand) - I am okay with this in theory. I do fear that he could be a new sort of Hayden-as-Anakin type deal from what I've seen of his acting clips, but I am hopeful that he will be given time to grow into the role slowly enough to own it as it becomes more involved. He's not very experienced but I think that's okay given how the role of Rand starts.

Barney Harris (Mat) - Only seen a bit of his work but I think this is a great bit of casting. Optimistic about this one.

Madeleine Madden (Egwene) - Love this casting. Love it. By far the most experienced of the young actors and I think she is gonna bring it. Most familiar with her from Picnic at Hanging Rock and the way she carries herself reminds me of Egwene, plus she has just a certain vivacity and spark in her eye that I think will work great for the part.

Zoe Robins (Nynaeve) - I will say that I am... concerned. I've watched clips of her from Power Rangers and I watched her 2 episodes of Shannara Chronicles. She is not bad, I don't want to diss her, but there's just a cheesiness to most of the projects she has been in that leaves me with questions about how convincing she can be in this particular role. Maybe her past roles just didn't do her many favors, I don't know.

Marcus Rutherford (Perrin) - On the surface I like the casting but I've only seen the trailer for Obey and the short film he did. Like Josha I hope Marcus has time to grow into the role as he is not very experienced.

Uta Briesewitz (Director of first 2 eps) - Here is a director that came up on peak TV (directed one of the best episodes of Westworld, for instance). With her background as a cinematographer she also has a keen visual eye. I really like her as the choice for a director to sort of "set the tone" for the series. Like the cinematographers Moxness and Luther, too.

Rosamund Pike (Moiraine) - What really needs to be said? A really good actress and a good fit for the part. Think the first season is gonna lean on her pretty hard.

Daniel Henney (Lan) - Love the idea of a Korean-Irish actor playing a Northerner/Borderlander and I like Henney's TV experience and physical presence... just wish he looked a tad bit older and that I'd seen him in a role with a disposition anything like Lan's.

Nick Dudman (special makeup FX) - One of the very best in the biz. Almost makes me wonder if Trollocs will be more prosthetics than CG?

Isis Mussenden (costume designer) - Another great crew member, perfect for this project with her background.

Karen Goulekas (visual FX supervisor) - Very experienced but she hasn't done a ton recently that would inspire a lot of confidence. But I think overall this is a good pick.

So I guess I would break it down that I am:

Very excited about Mussenden, Dudman, Pike, Briesewitz, and Madden 

Fairly optimistic about Harris, Henney, and Goulekas

Wait-and-see on Stradowski, Rutherford, most of the writers

Somewhat concerned about Judkins and Robins

What do y'all think?