Can't speak for others, but I liked the first half of the season, it was the second half that I had major issue with. I just think things started getting worse as the season went on and the last episode  was just terrible. I know the covid excuse, but I would have been happier if they just had not had it at all. I still have a lot of hope it will get better, but the things I hear do not give me a lot of hope. I plan on sticking with it through season 3 because I just love the books

2 hours ago, Samt said:

1.  In regards to the LoTR comparison, I was talking about runtime more than budget.  I think budget is a reasonable explanation as we talk about the fact that WoT often had sets that lacked scale and depth, that the battle scenes lacked extras and the associated props and prosthetics, or the fact that the CGI was, generously speaking, inconsistent.  However, all of those things could have been overlooked if the storytelling was on point.  You don't need tons of money to tell a good story or develop interesting characters.  

A larger budget might also have allowed for a larger selection of a-list actors.  While I think the decision to cast relative unknowns as the Emond's fielders is sound, it might have been interesting to see some better know actors as some of the supporting Aes Sedai.  They might have also found A-listers to do cameos as Balthamel and Aginor, but I think that was probably unnecessary.  In short, I don't think and I definitely didn't mean to imply that the first season failed due to poor quality acting.  
 

Unless you are suggesting that WoT didn't have the budget to hire talented writers, producers, directors, and showrunners (and perhaps this is true, although money can't buy everything), I don't think that a larger budget would have addressed the shortcoming that I am pointing out.  They simply failed to use the screentime to develop the main characters and build to the conclusion of the season and story.  And this failure is structural both in the composition of the story and probably in the structure of the organization that created the show.  It can fairly be attributed to a lack of vision and direction from the top.  No amount of money would have fixed it.  

2. Aragorn pulling a brace of hobbit sized swords out of thin air is adding something in so that the story connects.  It's getting from A to D without passing through B or C.  But if you instead pass through E, F, G, H, I, and J, I am inclined to believe you didn't avoid B and C because of time.  

Cutting Baerlon and Whitebridge in terms of set pieces is fair and unremarkable.  Cutting Caemlyn to add Tar Valon is a choice that was made explicitly.  The stuff that was added wasn't shorter or cheaper than a lot of the stuff that was cut.  I think those decisions need to be justified on their own and for the most part they just can't.

 

As an aside, the notion that things were added to tell a story that happens offscreen or off page is fairly flat.  Many of the events added in season 1 logistically and logically did not happen off page in TEOTW.  It's not an exploration of what might have happened without us knowing. It's just changing the story.  And in my opinion, it stinks of a bad combination of sloth and hubris.  Writers are too lazy to really understand and appreciate the source material while also assuming they can make it better off the tops of their heads.  

agree

2 hours ago, SilentRoamer said:

Unfortunately I poked and prodded a number of friends to watch Season 1, friends who haven't read the books but are either SFF readers or Fantasy fans. I shan't be pestering them to watch S2 to be honest.

Same for me, sad to say but I just can't recommend anymore. Hopefully it will get better, but the last episode was just bad. I know they had issues with COVID and having main actor leave, but in my opinion they would have been better off just stopping at episode 7. 

Watch the first two episodes of House of the Dragon and the look and feel is so much better than what WOT put out there it is not even close. I know they spend more money, but I think WOT/Amzon could learn somethings about what is needed to improve WOT.

agree with "I really don't understand this fleshing out of minor characters when major characters are so underdeveloped. ' statement. This one of my biggest issue with the show.

I am not giving up on the show. The most recent interview with Rafe gives a lot more hope. I know not everyone agrees with be but I liked most of the episode, just thought they spent too much time away from the main characters for no real reason. I know they are not making this for the book readers but we are the ones getting others to watch. Before the show was release I talk lots of my family and friends into watching, most liked the show, but when they ask me questions I hard time explaining some of the changes. My complaints did affect their view of the show, but heck when they ask me about it, I need to be honest.

I gave the show a 7 out of 10, so a C, hope it gets better. I think they spend too much time on Steven instead of the main characters, the one power looked cool, but they don't seem to be following canon with it. I know they had issues with COVID and an actor dropping out, but the last episode was just bad. I would have prefer they just not have done it over what we got.