I've yet to see a reason why it matters that they float the possibility that Egwene or Nynaeve could be the Dragon Reborn. Most of the audience for this show will be non readers. They don't need to know in season 1 how much this would have changed the story.

I fail to understand why this is someone's fear. TV viewers won't know until after season 1 how much having it be a woman would have changed the story, and by then it won't matter because it will be revealed to be Rand. I find it hard to understand people who can't separate the two mediums and just enjoy it as a new version of the story. This is an obvious attempt to hook viewers and keep them watching every episode to find out who it is, and adding another possible character adds to the mystery.

It will have little to no impact on the story itself. They don't need to know that in the books it had to be a man, and it'll be obvious by season 2 that it being a man is important. But it doesn't matter that it's a mystery for non readers in season 1.

11 minutes ago, Dagon Thyne said:

It says their eyes are darker, not their skin.  

Elaida points out Rand's skin color is different from other Two Rivers people when she pulls his sleeve back. (It's obvious she knew what she'd find based on his height and hair color).

9 hours ago, SinisterDeath said:

The Aiel live in the Desert, Rand did not. The Aiel are by nature pale, but nature put them in the desert so their skin naturally is tanner. Go back and read some character descriptions, Rand stands out both in hair/eyes, but also complexion. Not greatly (due to tanning), but enough.

 

Sauce: Wot.Fandom.Wiki

Yep. Basically the Aiel are the most pale people in the world when they aren't constantly in the sun, and Rand thinks to himself Aviendha is really pale where the sun doesn't hit her. A paragraph from the book saying that Emond's Fielders are darker than Rand where the sun doesn't touch doesn't show that the Emond's Fielders aren't White, given EVERYONE has darker skin than non tan Aiel. That's like saying anything warmer than an ice cube is on fire. On the flip side, there is no definitive statement showing they are all Caucasian/White, either. So the TV show can really do whatever they want depending on their interpretation, or they can just pick the best actors regardless. My only thing is Rand needs to look different from any of the people in that area, so hopefully none of them have red hair and they dye his hair red.

17 minutes ago, DemandredFO said:

They should mostly look alike but Mat doesn't, give it a rest or lodge a complaint with Amazon and don't watch. 

I think it'd be better if Mat looked a little more like the other 3 but as long as Rand is the only redhead, and the rest of the Aiel are redheads, it doesn't matter a whole lot.

24 minutes ago, TheSociopath said:

Most of the stuff with Logain will probably be in episode four, as you placed it. 

 

As for it being the first non-Moiraine introduction, I suppose, although there were earlier lines about "how if I had known I would have found trollocs and Myrdraal I would have dragged a half dozen of my sisters" 

What a disaster that would have been.

I don't know why I keep thinking about it or why I think it relates, but in Deathly Hallows I when Hermione is telling the story of the Hallows, they made a cartoon out of it and it worked great.

When I think of scenes like the box, I think they can actually visualize the power. Not as weaves coming from Rand but kind of how I pictured it in my mind when reading it. The knots aren't seen but they could show them somehow, in a Sci-Fi way. Or maybe even show the Aes Sedai in some cloudy/hazy bad ass looking way as he defeats them. Then show him in the box straining, then the chest explodes.

2 minutes ago, TheSociopath said:

I agree with 1-4. 5 and 6 could potentially be Moiraine backstory ground. Honestly, I prefer your idea, but on the other hand, an episode title like "The Flame of Tar Valon" should have some exceptionally large Tar Valon content, of the sort that I'm not sure Rand meeting Elaidia would generate.

I think they will make a huge deal out of the procession of Logain and the Aes Sedai and that would be enough. Especially if it's the first introduction of Aes Sedai besides Moiraine. The idea of the Aes Sedai changed a lot once we knew more than one of them. But yes they can add in some back story as well, maybe make us aware that Siuan exists.

Someone made a good post on this in one of the bigger threads that was much more thorough, but I thought it would make a good topic on its own. Most of my guesses are going to be short and sweet.

We have titles for episodes 1-4 and 6 so far.

101. Leavetaking - I'm hoping this will be a longer episode, at least an hour and a half. Seems like a lot of time should be spent introducing the main characters, but clearly by the end of the episode they must either be fleeing the Two Rivers or, possibly but less likely, fleeing the farm and heading to the Two Rivers.

102. Shadow's Waiting - Seems pretty obvious

103: A Place of Safety - Arrival in Baerlon

104: The Dragon Reborn - Traveling to Caemlyn - maybe we hear a bunch about Logain and to Rand he will seem to be the Dragon Reborn. Could also have some of the channeling Rand is unaware of doing, so the title is actually about him.

105: Unknown - Arrival in Caemlyn

106: The Flame of Tar Valon - Rand sees all of the Aes Sedai parading/escorting Logain through the streets. He meets Elaida at the palace, then Moiraine shows up. This would be a good episode to learn some extra stuff about the White Tower and Aes Sedai. They leave Caemlyn at the end of the episode. I've seen people use this episode's title as evidence they'll fit 2 books into 1 season and this is Siuan's arrival to Fal Dara. I find it far more likely this is just where we see a lot of Aes Sedai and learn a lot about them, and the flame will be on their cloaks of course.

1 minute ago, TheSociopath said:

This seems to have them. Didn't look that long, though

 

http://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-wheel-of-time-tv-series-update.html

Ya I just found them ?

Nevermind, found them.

Just now, SinisterDeath said:

Well.. umm. Perhaps not the torture of Rand, as that can be kept within the PG13 range... but the Battle of Dumai's Wells might be quite gruesome.

Yes I agree with that.

5 hours ago, MasterAblar said:

Honestly I don’t know why they’re bothering to justify themselves. 

 

Just point out that skin color has literally zero importance in the scheme of he story and move on. Personally I think that careful reading of the books (particularly comparisons with other characters) suffices to deduce that they’re meant to be white, but it’s largely irrelevant. And I say that as someone who tends to be a bit of a purist who dislikes unnecessary changes from the source material.

 

Skin color changes nothing to the characters color, their motivations, their flaws, and so on. If these actors nail the characterization then who cares. 

 

In fact I think it’s a shame she’s saying she (Maria) got anything wrong. That was merely her impression of the characters from her reading of the books. That the series is going with character of a different skin color doesn’t mean she got it wrong, simply that their adaptation is going with something different.

This nails my feelings on it. I don't think anyone should feel guilty or think it's privilege thinking the characters are Caucasian, or argue that because some of the actors aren't Caucasian that the book characters MUST be non-Caucasian too and they were wrong all along. The books don't explicitly state either way, and there are several examples of RJ complaining about height and eye color and hair color in the artwork. He never complained about his main characters being whitewashed - I would think that would have pissed him off.

To me, it doesn't matter who they cast for the TV show as long as they nail the characterization, and I'm more excited about the show now than ever. But there's nothing wrong with merely thinking RJ intended those book characters to be Caucasian.

Where people go wrong is getting pissed off that the actors are not Caucasian or getting pissed off at people who interpret them as not Caucasian, or obsessing over it, or accusing people who think they're Caucasian of being racist just for thinking they're Caucasian.

On 8/19/2019 at 6:53 AM, imlad said:

I honestly don't recall that being described in such horrid detail, at least when you compare it to the detail of Egwene's imprisonment as a damane, or Rand's imprisonment by the Tower Aes Sedai during the whole Box sequence.

I find it odd that in a conversation about TV rating you bring these up. These would barely be PG-13. We don't *see* Egwene's torture. Rand is fully clothed, just suffering. Rating is usually for visuals, not for tragic horrible crap that isn't gory.

I don't think anyone thinks Min should be cut. People are just being realistic and trying to think of possibilities for what the TV show might do, and Min has been mentioned because Rafe said Rand isn't going to have 3 women.

I don't think that means those characters won't be there, though. If Min isn't the woman they choose for Rand, she can still be one of his best friends. And having her in the show makes sense because she brings suspense with the negative things she predicts.

Loial is much more likely to be cut because although he is a beloved character the main parts of the story can be told without him, and because of the difficulties bringing him on screen would add. The cost might outweigh the benefits with that character.

16 minutes ago, Jaglover said:

Fair enough with riding she could more easily get away. But it is still a vast order of magnitude more risky than a woman driving alone in the countryside now. It is easy to romanticise the past and forget how squalid and brutal it could be. 

I think you covered that the time period that closely resembles WoT times had violence, but the time period that resembles GoT is even worse.

My thoughts on the general topic of rating are that in WoT more of the gory details are glossed over. In GoT we get details of seemingly ever awful thing that happens.

6 hours ago, Carebear Sedai said:

If they're gonna have Gawyn turn dark I'd want them to lay the groundwork for it. Give him (and Elayne) real reason to doubt Rand, so Gawyn doesn't come off as an idiot and a product of not-so-great writing. 

Hey, stupid people do exist in real life ?

This is definitely something I've always seen as one of the bigger challenges, because it could be incredibly cheesy.

2 hours ago, DemandredFO said:

ah, he could've been good but after the tower he falls off a cliff

He can be useful in the series as being built up as a good guy and then betraying Rand in a much more personal way. Maybe he even helps Galina capture him. Although then having Egwene still love him is problematic.

17 hours ago, Durzan said:

Drop the Shaido plotline after Dumai's Wells.

Haven't read the whole topic. Just came here to post this. It's one of my only major gripes with the books. They should have been annihilated at Dumai's Wells. They were only kept around so Perrin would have something to do while the others caught up.

Agree with others that Morgase can be killed by Rahvin permanently. 

I would not be shocked if Loial was cut from the story. Not saying he should be - but it would be kind of a hassle to create him and his role wasn't vital to the story. As far as waygates and steddings (if they even mention them), they could find a way to just say the Aes Sedai are the experts on those but have lost most of their knowledge on them and leave it at that.

9 hours ago, Carebear Sedai said:

Does Galad do anything significant enough to warrant keeping? I kept waiting for his connection to Rand to become important but it never did. 

No. Although it was nice having someone for Gawyn and Elayne to argue with when they met Rand and add a bit of drama to that part. But a guard can come in and do that. And Berelain can be removed as well unless they want to keep the drama of her and Faile fighting over Perrin.

On 8/16/2019 at 2:07 PM, DemandredFO said:

Gawyn is useless.

He had a lot of potential though. They could probably combine Gawyn with Galad. Him being part of Elaida's tower could be made into some really good additional scenes that weren't in the books. A good TV show needs characters like Gawyn to annoy us. He went from a favorite character to someone people hate, and stories need those people.

12 hours ago, Dagon Thyne said:

 

Well, for one, I am sure they will cut out the 10 weeks of riding around in the woods that basically filled up half the book before they all met up in Caemlyn.

 

I think that Winternight, the Road to Taren Ferry, and everything leading up to their ending up in Shodar Logoth will happen in the first episode.   And their arrival at Shadar Logoth, meeting Mordeth, fleeing the city and being separated will happen in episode 2, as will the Perrin and Egwene's meeting with Elyas, Rand, Mat and Thom's catching a ride on the Spray, and Nynaeve meeting up with Moiraine and Lan.

 

After that will an episode of them being separated...to give time for Rand's acrobatics on the Spray's mast, Mat sitting by himself jacking off to a dagger, and Thom  wanting to kill himself for even knowing either of them.  And of course Perrin, Elyas, and Egwene's time with the Tinkers, if they are gonna still have Arem, and all of that.  and everything else that happened, and that episode can end with the Fade attacking them at Whitebridge, and Thom's "death".

 

There is not reason at all to even have Rand and Mat's actual journey, unless you want to use it to introduce the idea that darkfriends can be anyone and live anywhere.  Because it was the first actual confirmation of darkfriends.  They were merely mentioned before this, but personally, I don't care.  I would just as soon have their first scenes be of them arriving at Caemlyn.   

I think guesses on how they'll plot out the episodes would make a great topic on its own. You should post it (if it hasn't already been done).

Question: Probably already covered somewhere on here, but what are people's thoughts about the significance of Nakomi and the strange things that happened while Avi was talking to her? Who is she, why is she talking to Avi, does she have strange powers, etc. Seems mostly unexplained in the text at any rate.

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/52985-nakomi/

what we saw

These being the operative words, methinks.

Scene

Do we have an accurate count of how many heroes there are?

 

the best I can recall is a few dozen

"They were little more than a hundred, Rand saw"