Hi, I don't think gender roles were the reason the show tanked. Nor was it the deviations from the source material except perhaps indirectly. Apples Foundation series is an example of them taking one of my favorite SF series and wandering pretty far afield from the source material while still telling a high quality story. There were two major problems: The writing team didn't have the skill to make the changes they did and still keep the focus on the development and growth of our young Edmonds Field heroes. They lost the plot or never truly understood what made the story special. It also doesn't seem to have the darkness and violence that American audiences want although the violence was more graphic than it needed to be. The second is that the story was owned by a shopkeeper (Jeff Bezos) who was trying to top GOT and it became clear that that wasn't going to happen he threw a hissy fit and cancelled it instead of plowing along. I don't understand streaming economics but season three was up from 2. It could have been recovered.

Well so the gang is still here. I have stayed away a long time. I will just add to the repetition. I am a book fan who has read the books through 3 separate times plus the initial interminable wait for the story to be finished. I also listened once through on audio after the show was cancelled. I struggled a bit with the show in the beginning but began to enjoy it as I released my comparisons with the books and just tried to enjoy the team's work. I agree with those who believe the show failed because of the lack of world building. I said before on various threads that the decision to rework various story elements, instead of focussing on smooth cutting of fluff was the show's downfall. Thus it didn't pull in the non fantasy fans and, obviously, alienated a segment of the book fans. Too much of the creative team's energy was spent on new material instead of reworking existing material to fit a visual presentation. Be all that as it may I was very disappointed they didn't get a chance to finish. I also remind folks that there are very few original stories. Most stories are reworking through the story tellers eyes. Anybody know what Greek story Romeo and Juliet was adapted from? Some adaptations may exceed the source material. Some not so much but quality is always a function of the story receiver's consciousness and judgment. I am sure Shakespeare's plays were not always that well received at the time but they have stood the test of time in the fact that they are still retold as written as well as being adapted in many ways and forms. I also believe, as several others have stated, that this is too juicy a story and world for it to be permanently gone. "Hollywood" is desperate for good stories and are currently recycling slop that should have stayed gone. I hope that the shopkeeper will give up the IP to a primarily creative group who can take the story and make video magic. I personally welcome a bit of AI to help reduce the costs of some of the special effects. Another point which gets discussed here a lot is what exactly makes WOT so great. Any tweaking must take that into account. You only have to look at the Star Trek universe to see what happens when things drift off course.