Who would you have cast? For me… I would have cast Alexandra Daddario.

I do hope they cast multiple people for Lanfear & her different appearances. And I do hope we have more nuanced and competent Forsaken. Addison from Everyday Negros, who hasn’t read tGH, picked up on the fact that Lanfear is giving Rand terrible advice (even from that short teaser); said something like “That’s dictator level stuff. You don’t tell the most powerful man in the world…Just take what you want.”

Do you think this new actor (Donal Finn) is going to give us a good Matt? Was my favorite character in the later books ... I like Donal's Irish accent. Luck'o'the'Irish! Seems fitting for Matt. I definitely am having a hard time with how the writers are writing him, though ... I never felt like book Matt was wrestling with being a piece of trash on the inside or having a garbage family (cause neither was the case in the books).

"Brother Book" as Addison from Everyday Negros calls him. Yeah - I felt like the actor had him down perfect. He just had so little purpose/lines and his costume was funky. And he ought to be dead if he was stabbed by the Shadar Logoth dagger? But I guess it's not really THAT deadly in the show?? But I feel like they'll do better with him in S2. I think maybe we'll get a Stedding?

Sure... it is 'jumping the gun' ... but I feel like it's a reasonable guess based on what we've seen in S1 and seen so far of S2... I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I wouldn't mind it one bit if they use Selene as temptress and have Rand resist, that could be very intriguing.

Oh I agree. Even as a 20-year reader and huge fan of the source material, if it was simply good TV - I would, for the most part, ignore the changes. For example, I was a huge LotR fan before Peter Jackson adapted it. Was I still a little peeved that he cut Glorfindel to give Arwen something to do and a little ticked that he cut Tom Bombadil because he's not necessary ... YES! But overall, it was good. So I let it go. If S2 can up their production value so that the whole season is as good as the Ep7 cold open ... I'll be singing the praises of the show (even though I hate it that they couldn't do something as simple as, Tigraine kicks butt with her veil on -- lowers it as she's having labor pains -- we see the actresses face and emotions -- she gets stabbed trying to put her veil on rather than fight (introduces us to the Aiel and has the audience asking "Why would a badass, pregnant warrior rather than get stabbed than fight with her veil down). But ... the scene was good, so I let it go. S1 was not just a bad adaptation - about half of it was also bad TV: the finale fell majorly flat and had horrible CGI, the characters were all underdeveloped because Rafe wanted more time and they didn't give it to him, none of the male characters DID anything, and the whole "Rand's the Dragon" reveal that the whole season was centered around fell flat because the audience didn't actually care about Rand cause he didn't really DO anything the whole season. Soooo here's to hoping that S2 is simply better TV!

You don't think the character bio of "forms a no-strings-attached" relationship with Rand implies that they are going to do more than kiss?

I feel like we've majorly departed from "TvThom was actually pretty awesome." Who did ya'll like? lol

I think @Elder_Haman hasn't 'girded his loins' enough, whereas you've got on the full body armor. Aren't going to break my heart with your massive book departures, I'm prepared for a full-on crap-shoot. LoL Interesting that you think Errol is Asmodean? I would like that -- but I don't think the writers are actually that clever. They want "new" material. Errol is (most likely) a completely made-up character (and maybe? a figment of Rand's imagination/madness). And we're going to see a shielded Moiraine run away from Lan, and have more of her in Cairhein working with a network of spies and playing her version of Game of Houses. We're gonna get a bunch of Liandrin/Matt in the first episode -- something like, Liandrin: "Men are all garbage." Matt: "I might be bad at my core, but I'm good too!" I don't think Rand does "resist temptation", which, again, is a major departure from book Rand and does the EF5 men dirty. From everything I've heard, here's where we need to be at ... It's going to be much different than the books (but still have the 'spirit' of the books?), but it's going to be pretty good T.V!

? It's a phrase that the showrunner and book-consultant have used to prepare the book readers to be disappointed ... They have tried to prep people numerous times that they are majorly departing from the books ...

In the show, the other EF5 characters all think Rand is dead; he won't see Egwene before starting things with Selene. And based on the Amazon poster bios that came out -- strong indications there that it's more than kissing. Here, let me quote what they write for Selene: "A fiery, independent woman working as an innkeeper in the Foregate, the poorest part of the wealthy city of Cairhein. She lives for the moment, forming a 'no-strings-attached' relationship with Rand." ... It's not a big change. I just have fears they are going to do the men of the WoT dirty like they did last season. I mean, I'm convinced at this point that they are cutting Gaul ... 😥 They are also majorly "messing" with backstories ... listen to what they have for Min: "Born a Seer with the ability to glimpse someone's future, Min was forced by her aunties to become a carnival attraction until she escaped. She has traveled from city to city, bar to bar, avoiding attachments and the Aes Sedai, who either want to study her or use her." But, I'm ok with changes. As long as they are the changes I would make 😅 Like these ones:

Well, I mean ... if the "theme" they're going with this season is "resisting temptation" (instead of who is the Dragon? Their meta-theme question for this season, I would guess at this point, is "How do we balance the light and darkness within us, and say 'no' to the evil within?") which IMO is at least a more compelling question that in S1 (so that excites me). Rand/Selene sex scenes would be doing book Rand dirty to have him be the 1 character NOT resisting temptation...

We digress further… But if S1 was any indication/precedent, we know the show wants to show less nudity and imply more sex than the books. Now, with the new clips and articles we got, seems pretty clear that they’re going to imply that Rand and Selene have sex. Some people really, really hate that change from tGH. What do y’all think?

well, remember to “gird your loins” cause we’ll definitely be departing from the books big-time; but hopefully it’s good Tv.

Had him die immediately. #TeamGonewyn 😅

New stuff from Collider: https://collider.com/the-wheel-of-time-season-2-cast-creators-plot-sneak-peek-filming/

So ya'll are convinced we're going to get Gawyn AND Galad? Do you think in this season or next? I'm not convinced that Gawyn won't be cut, but I think a strong argument could be made for keeping him. The show just can't keep everybody from the books -- and much of the Camelyn plot-line needs to be condensed or cut.

I think we're digressing ... WoT definitely has plenty of nudity, but I would actually agree that it's almost entirely "off screen" ... whereas GoT, Dresden Files, Sword of Truth ... definitely describe things more explicitly. In WoT it's there in bulk, but never described in detail. AND, in general, RJ was not good at writing romance -- the show can improve. But, back on topic ... This scene is pretty good. No complaints from me. Even though, in the books was it Sheriam, Liandrin, and Leana (I don't thiiink so; don't remember?) But I don't care. Also, from interviews, we know that this scene will take place in episode 3.

I do like that we’re getting more of Logain and also Isha’mael; and everything I’ve heard interview wise, all the cast feels that season 2 is better tv than season 1. So that excites me. But I think there is still gonna be hard changes for book fans.

I dunno, first impressions stick with you & I always pictured the mustached, bard, grandfatherly, jovial character; but I bet if I reread again with your lens there I could see that; he does get pretty dark after what’s her name dies in Cairhein. I just really, really liked TvThom. I thought he was the best part of S1. this right here:

I said “their version of the Dark-friend social”; and yes, the TV vs. book scene are different and their purposes are slightly different; none-the-less, that IS, 100%, without debate, the T.V version of the Darkfriend social. I believe Rafe in an interview said as much. I think if you go to the Dusty Wheel YouTube channel you can see chopped up interviews with Matt Hatch and a bunch of the cast. Now, I do agree with you, that they’re going to give more screen time and complexity to the villains & that, that scenes purpose is to give complexity to Isha’mael. But there’s gonna be a lot of that in the show … where it’s “their version” of an iconic scene from the books. now that I reread what you wrote … I think we’re kind of saying the same thing, actually.

That's true, technically he says, "I can see when another man can channel." You know, I don't remember ... So maybe I'm just over-reacting.

I hope in Season 2 we get some awesome new characters. Really hoping I like Elayne, Avi, and Lanfear's acting.

He could be way more liked for me -- if they have him die right away. That'd be great.

Well, that's the way they made it sound; it could be mind-games/character fallibility; but that complicates things so much -- like, if you're a non-book reader -- you're just going to go, "Ok, so I guess, even if you loose your power, you can still see other people who have the power? Or, at least, Logain can?"