Random thoughts for this thread:

1) Mat and Tylin:  Keep what happens as depicted, but make clear that Mat is awkward and uncomfortable and trying to handle it and trying to make a joke of it. But when he gets out and tells Elayne and Nynaeve, have Nynaeve get FURIOUS at Tylin for it and just make absolutely clear to Mat and the audience that what happened to Mat was wrong and should never have happened.  Bad things can happen to our favorite characters...it's more that we need to call them out as bad.  Some kharmic punishment for Tylin would also be nice.

2) Removing Gawyn and just making it Galad (or keeping it Gawyn but having it be Galad's plotline without Elayne's animosity to Galad but making her animosity to the Whitecloaks in general) is great. It can be after Dumai's wells, but honestly Gawyn doesn't do that much there.  All you need really is a bit more time for Egwene to flirt with Gawyn/Galad, to deepen their relationship, and that can happen at the Tower, even shortly before the Tower splits.

3) Love the idea of switching Faile's capture from the Shaido to Masema.  Also, I can see removing Faile and substituting another character for her...someone that Perrin already has a romantic relationship with in Emond's Field, but maybe he leaves behind to protect who then comes after him. (Like Layla Aybara)  If it's established as pre-existing, then that romance doesn't need to be slowly built up so much, and Perrin's devotion can be explained as can the things he does out of that devotion, which drives a large part of his plot.
 

It might be a bit too much to hope for, but what would be lost if Layla Aybara ends up replacing Faile in the books? 

I was thinking of what sort of story it might be if Layla was engaged to Perrin.  Maybe she was not killed on Winternight, but came close enough that Perrin felt obliged to leave Two Rivers to protect her.  Perrin could be uncertain about the upcoming marriage, and eager to run away anyway.  Then, later, she goes after him and meets up with him around when Faile does. She can even call herself Faile when travelling. It cuts out the tie with Saldaia, but having fewer nations is not the end of the world.

I find myself hoping for that...I think it would be pretty cool.

I first started reading WOT in 1990, and have finished as books have come out since.  It's been a long time since I did a full read, but I'm listening to the audio books now that the show is going to come out.

I really loved the books and there are certain moments in it that are just awesome.  Certain characterizations that are great too.

But I find myself really hoping profoundly that the show /is/ a new turning of the wheel...an opportunity to do a really strong edit, both getting rid of cruft/boring stuff in the middle books, and to remove or retune some of the really problematic stuff that verges on abuse in some areas.  I think it can do that and not lose anything at all, and it will make the core story so much stronger.  I have lots of thoughts of what I'd like them to cut or retune, and I'm almost afraid to hope too much that they will, because I don't want to be disappointed. And frankly, if they don't, this show will go over like a lead balloon.  

So, praying for the best?  Anyway, it's nice to meet you.

WV