That was terribly upsetting.
I've been trying to stay positive all season (there are plenty of good parts and things they did well) and hope that they'd stick the landing in the end and bring stuff together/justify decisions. This went the complete opposite way and not only failed to deliver, but actually made a lot of the worst criticisms about wokeism and cw/drama pretty legit to me. Lan is the simplest example of this - went from literal? greatest swordsman alive who is defined by duty to...Moraine's bitchboi who can't track, can't keep watch, can't sense shadowspawn, is a substandard fighter to the point random gaidin are giving him pointers during training, and fucks off to go hook up with a random girl he just met while his aes sedai waltzes away on the suicide mission they've devoted their lives to. chortlesnorfling. Triggered. Oh wait, it gets better...village girl throws him a bone and tells him how to track Moraine. Because, you know? She has a...tell? Duh, Lan, haven't you ever noticed her...tell???
Loial's death has me trying to decide whether I'd rather not have seen this or not. I was actually immediately happy when he died (assuming that a deep stab to the chortlesnorfling chest from the SL dagger actually kills him in the show...fking fuuuuck its sooooo baaaad...I'll never forgive you, Rafe) because I'd 100% rather not see this version of him make me cringe through 8 seasons. A bit after the ending, that rational quickly moved to the entire show.
I think I agree with Katherine re winter dragon sooooomehow now looking pretty chortlesnorfling good in comparison. Truly unbelievable...I never would've thought that was possible a week ago. Its a crazy world - I am actually kind of sad that the show has done so well because there's probably no chance they'll replace the showrunner after all the success they had off the early season viewership.
It's Wheel of Time. We're most of us going to watch whatever they'll give us no matter how bad it is, but damn I wish they'd let someone else make this.
Wheel of Time season 1 episode 8 "The Eye of the World" season finale
Re: Wheel of Time season 1 episode 8 "The Eye of the World" season finale
It's just so depressingly amateurish.
The characters are bland. The pacing is awful. The narrative feels like a series of disjointed events. The changes from the source material make no sense. And the writing seems like a teenager's fanfiction.
I was not optimistic before the show aired. Some of the moments during the season have been enjoyable; but the quality overall has not been high, and that finale was just horrific.
The characters are bland. The pacing is awful. The narrative feels like a series of disjointed events. The changes from the source material make no sense. And the writing seems like a teenager's fanfiction.
I was not optimistic before the show aired. Some of the moments during the season have been enjoyable; but the quality overall has not been high, and that finale was just horrific.
Re: Wheel of Time season 1 episode 8 "The Eye of the World" season finale
I feel this and I didn’t even read the books. The acting, arcs, and season were a major fail in my eyes. Most of it doesn’t even make sense and seems like a cheap parlor trick hoping to hook those who didn’t read the books. The hell with people who actually read them would be my take. They are counting on having more non fan support than actually fan support. You would think someone like myself would be like woah, they could do that? Pretty cool.Instead I’m laughing saying that’s stupid. The troll battle was a joke. That’s what they saved the precious budget for? Geez. The actor for Mat probably axed himself over the poor script writing and role he had. Perrin going to shiver and whimper all season? Yup. Looks more like a weak baby to me. Nyvane(lol sp) just useless until someone put game genie code on for power spells? Lan the super warder looks like a dense idiot. Make losing steppin made him doubly soft. And I can go on. Rand? Lol.Kyr wrote: ↑Fri Dec 24, 2021 8:36 amThat was terribly upsetting.
I've been trying to stay positive all season (there are plenty of good parts and things they did well) and hope that they'd stick the landing in the end and bring stuff together/justify decisions. This went the complete opposite way and not only failed to deliver, but actually made a lot of the worst criticisms about wokeism and cw/drama pretty legit to me. Lan is the simplest example of this - went from literal? greatest swordsman alive who is defined by duty to...Moraine's bitchboi who can't track, can't keep watch, can't sense shadowspawn, is a substandard fighter to the point random gaidin are giving him pointers during training, and fucks off to go hook up with a random girl he just met while his aes sedai waltzes away on the suicide mission they've devoted their lives to. chortlesnorfling. Triggered. Oh wait, it gets better...village girl throws him a bone and tells him how to track Moraine. Because, you know? She has a...tell? Duh, Lan, haven't you ever noticed her...tell???
Loial's death has me trying to decide whether I'd rather not have seen this or not. I was actually immediately happy when he died (assuming that a deep stab to the chortlesnorfling chest from the SL dagger actually kills him in the show...fking fuuuuck its sooooo baaaad...I'll never forgive you, Rafe) because I'd 100% rather not see this version of him make me cringe through 8 seasons. A bit after the ending, that rational quickly moved to the entire show.
I think I agree with Katherine re winter dragon sooooomehow now looking pretty chortlesnorfling good in comparison. Truly unbelievable...I never would've thought that was possible a week ago. Its a crazy world - I am actually kind of sad that the show has done so well because there's probably no chance they'll replace the showrunner after all the success they had off the early season viewership.
It's Wheel of Time. We're most of us going to watch whatever they'll give us no matter how bad it is, but damn I wish they'd let someone else make this.
Anyways, back to the Witcher, a show that actually did decent.
Re: Wheel of Time season 1 episode 8 "The Eye of the World" season finale
Echoing most of Kyr's thoughts. I really really really wanted to like the show, I enjoyed most episodes up until now, of course some things were not to my liking, but the overall feel of it was Wheel of Time to me, minor character discrepancies I did not like, but most of it was okay to me. Finale killed it for me.
Positives for me was channeling looked better, Ishamael was great, Fain keeps being an absolute champion, Rosamund is great, the FD set looked good, the battle at the Gap, while brief, looked decent to me - like a shittier version of Helm's Deep if Helm's Deep was a 30 second sequence. Hell even the penis with teeth looking Fades have actually grown on me(pun intended).
The cold open was almost as bad as episode 1 imo. And the epilogue, As Asharek pointed out, why for the love of all that is holy, would you show the seanchan channeling an awesome tidal wave, to hit a freaking little girl and an empty coastline... Just effing show Falme being hit by the tidal wave and leave that as the cliffhanger...
Or if you want the little girl have her be taken as a damane and show her getting beaten up.
I'm still going to watch the rest, in hopes they'll do better, but this episode killed the season for me.
Positives for me was channeling looked better, Ishamael was great, Fain keeps being an absolute champion, Rosamund is great, the FD set looked good, the battle at the Gap, while brief, looked decent to me - like a shittier version of Helm's Deep if Helm's Deep was a 30 second sequence. Hell even the penis with teeth looking Fades have actually grown on me(pun intended).
The cold open was almost as bad as episode 1 imo. And the epilogue, As Asharek pointed out, why for the love of all that is holy, would you show the seanchan channeling an awesome tidal wave, to hit a freaking little girl and an empty coastline... Just effing show Falme being hit by the tidal wave and leave that as the cliffhanger...
Or if you want the little girl have her be taken as a damane and show her getting beaten up.
I'm still going to watch the rest, in hopes they'll do better, but this episode killed the season for me.
Re: Wheel of Time season 1 episode 8 "The Eye of the World" season finale
I really don't understand why they went with someone like Rafe Judkins - his previos work was S.H.I.E.L.D., Chuck and whatever My Own Worst Enemy is/was.landor wrote: ↑Fri Dec 24, 2021 8:59 amIt's just so depressingly amateurish.
The characters are bland. The pacing is awful. The narrative feels like a series of disjointed events. The changes from the source material make no sense. And the writing seems like a teenager's fanfiction.
I was not optimistic before the show aired. Some of the moments during the season have been enjoyable; but the quality overall has not been high, and that finale was just horrific.
Who sees that resume and goes "this is the person to bring to life Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time!" ?!
Sanderson being involved, in whatever capacity either didn't have any impact at all, or he's full of it in terms of just how much he influenced anything. The fact that Jordan's family is ok with this....I guess money does wonders....
Re: Wheel of Time season 1 episode 8 "The Eye of the World" season finale
I finished my re-read right before the show aired and that was a disappointment, in a way. Balthamel eats it. Aginor crumbles. Ishamael shows off Kari al'Thor trying to manipulate Rand, then *snip*. Tbh, the book itself is not very impressive either, but... it has the scene at Tarwin's Gap that makes up for it.
The show, I loved the opening, with a loud firetruck YEAH, even though Latra Posae Decume was not Tamyrlin Seat (Seat? Wtf) and LTT didn't have the title 'Reborn'. Seeing Lews' little girl was heartbreaking, knowing the Prologue. It also showed that the failing of sealing the Dark One away was not solely in the men's shoes, as much as Latra Posae says it would be. The Pattern demanded action and without the women's help, we know the result.
The Old Tongue sounded vaguely Portuguese to me, it had a bunch of those sounds. A'vron Naito, Watcher of the Flame. A nod towards how even despite the Aes Sedai organization continuing, things get warped and morphed over time (which is a theme per the RJ interview at the end of book 1)? Watcher of the Seals, Flame of Tar Valon. Also, heard the word tamar somewhere, but not in the context of tamar'ailen/ Web of Destiny.
Did anyone else notice the view outside LTT's window was the same area as the Age of Legends ruins in the cold opening of ep 1? The stadium was a dead giveaway. In the AoL, there appears to be a hydro-electric type facility in the background, which is gone 'today'. That also explains the broader river in the ruins in ep 1, I suppose. Nice touch.
Sneak reference of Elaida by Moiraine, wrt the Aes Sedai that beat her?
No lances on the Shienarans, but I get why. If you start carrying long heavy objects on a horse, it quickly becomes more dangerous when horses bump into eachother, or fall. Even re-enactors with a lot of practice are super careful. At least they had the banners on poles, which is a compromise I can live with, and a fuckton safer due to them fitting snuggly in a cradle at the stirrup. Too few horsemen though, for a cavalry nation.
Loved that they showed Ba'alzamon was the same as Ishamael. Loved Ishamael's vaguely modern AoL clothing to reinforce that he is a dude from that time.
The Joiya reference of Egwene's Arches test was nice. In fact, I liked this better than the books, where Kari al'Thor pleads with Rand, saying the Dark One can easily tempt souls. Then she is stripped by fades with pincers and other instruments of torture. Yeah, no, prefer the tempting with Rand's greatest desire: a quiet life as a farmer with Egwene and a child.
I liked that the women of Shienar have a Saldaean touch, in the sense of Saldaean women taking over command if their husbands are incapacitated or dead. Although Saldaean women didn't join campaigns in the Blight, the Borderlands vibe of women being the last line of defense is something I liked. I wonder if Agelmar's forefathers' armor wasn't cuendillar, by its description... In the same vein, I liked Amalisa taking command of the evacuation of the city and its defenses in lieu of Agelmar. The evacuation was bookish. It also sets up Min to be at the right place at the right time in book 2/season 2.
Somehow I doubt Loial and Uno are going to stay dead. Not just because Loial's actor said season 2 is bigger (how would he know unless he has seen stuff?) and Uno's actor said he'd been cast for season 2 and. I think his presence in season 1 is due to them continuing to shoot, so they could include him easily since it's not like there's months or even half a year in between shoots.
I'm confused whether Moiraine's just shielded or Stilled. From the phrasing it could be both. If Stilled, maybe they'll cut Leane and she will be weaker after her Stilling is Healed, which is arriving at the same destination through a different route.
Amalisa linking with the other channelers who have less control/clue was a nice nod towards Egwene in the Tower. It makes sense, in the context. However, I would've done this differently. I would've shown these women about to be overrun by the Shadow and then have Rand annihilate the fades and the trollocs dying and thrashing on the ground. That would've gone with what the show is trying to portray, I think.
Even though not bookish, I loved Fain. He has that nonchalant flair, sense of drama like his speech in the early books about goings on in Ghealdan. The Horn... yeah, no. At least it's going where it's supposed to as a set up for season 2. Also, Fal Dara had fallen, it was once Ogier built.
When Agelmar died: well, he is the easiest northern cityhead. Not a way for a Great Captain to die though.
Imo what they're trying to do is 'down' the abilities at first and have them build up more gradually than in the books:
They had to cut Elyas due to covid, so Perrin's abilities are low atm. He reaches his peak way early in the books and then just... sits there. That being smeared out over a larger amount of time is not a bad choice.
Mat didn't have abilities until later in the books anyway, so the contrast would be huge.
Rand didn't go full "I am death" at Gap, so he can grow into his abilities. Like I said, I would've had him take out the fades.
Egwene is relatively on par with her making of fire and a weak ass flame strike.
Nynaeve is strong, but has no real control. She's relatively on par with the books. Her struggle is gaining control of her ability in the first place, which takes some time in the books.
I think they're just smearing everyone's abilities out more, so they don't peak (too) early.
The Matrix-like shots of Ishamael's vision for Rand's greatest desire and then morphing back to the characters facing eachother at the Eye were really good. I wonder if Ishamael was a projection, like in the books and that got Balefired, somehow making Uno and Loial alive again?
I think the show would've benefitted from having Rand show off some of his powers at Gap. Something that puts him in some perspective with Nyaneve, so we can reason out that 3 Aes Sedai had problems with Logain, Logain is awed by Nynaeve and Nynaeve is but a candle compared to the raging sun of Rand. What they did would not have been my choice.
Edited to add: I was pretty positive about the show until the lack of Rand at Tarwin's Gap. I don't like the SS aesthetic at all. I'm not going to say the show was ruined for me in the last 5 minutes, but it's certainly dampened my view.
The show, I loved the opening, with a loud firetruck YEAH, even though Latra Posae Decume was not Tamyrlin Seat (Seat? Wtf) and LTT didn't have the title 'Reborn'. Seeing Lews' little girl was heartbreaking, knowing the Prologue. It also showed that the failing of sealing the Dark One away was not solely in the men's shoes, as much as Latra Posae says it would be. The Pattern demanded action and without the women's help, we know the result.
The Old Tongue sounded vaguely Portuguese to me, it had a bunch of those sounds. A'vron Naito, Watcher of the Flame. A nod towards how even despite the Aes Sedai organization continuing, things get warped and morphed over time (which is a theme per the RJ interview at the end of book 1)? Watcher of the Seals, Flame of Tar Valon. Also, heard the word tamar somewhere, but not in the context of tamar'ailen/ Web of Destiny.
Did anyone else notice the view outside LTT's window was the same area as the Age of Legends ruins in the cold opening of ep 1? The stadium was a dead giveaway. In the AoL, there appears to be a hydro-electric type facility in the background, which is gone 'today'. That also explains the broader river in the ruins in ep 1, I suppose. Nice touch.
Sneak reference of Elaida by Moiraine, wrt the Aes Sedai that beat her?
No lances on the Shienarans, but I get why. If you start carrying long heavy objects on a horse, it quickly becomes more dangerous when horses bump into eachother, or fall. Even re-enactors with a lot of practice are super careful. At least they had the banners on poles, which is a compromise I can live with, and a fuckton safer due to them fitting snuggly in a cradle at the stirrup. Too few horsemen though, for a cavalry nation.
Loved that they showed Ba'alzamon was the same as Ishamael. Loved Ishamael's vaguely modern AoL clothing to reinforce that he is a dude from that time.
The Joiya reference of Egwene's Arches test was nice. In fact, I liked this better than the books, where Kari al'Thor pleads with Rand, saying the Dark One can easily tempt souls. Then she is stripped by fades with pincers and other instruments of torture. Yeah, no, prefer the tempting with Rand's greatest desire: a quiet life as a farmer with Egwene and a child.
I liked that the women of Shienar have a Saldaean touch, in the sense of Saldaean women taking over command if their husbands are incapacitated or dead. Although Saldaean women didn't join campaigns in the Blight, the Borderlands vibe of women being the last line of defense is something I liked. I wonder if Agelmar's forefathers' armor wasn't cuendillar, by its description... In the same vein, I liked Amalisa taking command of the evacuation of the city and its defenses in lieu of Agelmar. The evacuation was bookish. It also sets up Min to be at the right place at the right time in book 2/season 2.
Somehow I doubt Loial and Uno are going to stay dead. Not just because Loial's actor said season 2 is bigger (how would he know unless he has seen stuff?) and Uno's actor said he'd been cast for season 2 and. I think his presence in season 1 is due to them continuing to shoot, so they could include him easily since it's not like there's months or even half a year in between shoots.
I'm confused whether Moiraine's just shielded or Stilled. From the phrasing it could be both. If Stilled, maybe they'll cut Leane and she will be weaker after her Stilling is Healed, which is arriving at the same destination through a different route.
Amalisa linking with the other channelers who have less control/clue was a nice nod towards Egwene in the Tower. It makes sense, in the context. However, I would've done this differently. I would've shown these women about to be overrun by the Shadow and then have Rand annihilate the fades and the trollocs dying and thrashing on the ground. That would've gone with what the show is trying to portray, I think.
Even though not bookish, I loved Fain. He has that nonchalant flair, sense of drama like his speech in the early books about goings on in Ghealdan. The Horn... yeah, no. At least it's going where it's supposed to as a set up for season 2. Also, Fal Dara had fallen, it was once Ogier built.
When Agelmar died: well, he is the easiest northern cityhead. Not a way for a Great Captain to die though.
Imo what they're trying to do is 'down' the abilities at first and have them build up more gradually than in the books:
They had to cut Elyas due to covid, so Perrin's abilities are low atm. He reaches his peak way early in the books and then just... sits there. That being smeared out over a larger amount of time is not a bad choice.
Mat didn't have abilities until later in the books anyway, so the contrast would be huge.
Rand didn't go full "I am death" at Gap, so he can grow into his abilities. Like I said, I would've had him take out the fades.
Egwene is relatively on par with her making of fire and a weak ass flame strike.
Nynaeve is strong, but has no real control. She's relatively on par with the books. Her struggle is gaining control of her ability in the first place, which takes some time in the books.
I think they're just smearing everyone's abilities out more, so they don't peak (too) early.
The Matrix-like shots of Ishamael's vision for Rand's greatest desire and then morphing back to the characters facing eachother at the Eye were really good. I wonder if Ishamael was a projection, like in the books and that got Balefired, somehow making Uno and Loial alive again?
I think the show would've benefitted from having Rand show off some of his powers at Gap. Something that puts him in some perspective with Nyaneve, so we can reason out that 3 Aes Sedai had problems with Logain, Logain is awed by Nynaeve and Nynaeve is but a candle compared to the raging sun of Rand. What they did would not have been my choice.
Edited to add: I was pretty positive about the show until the lack of Rand at Tarwin's Gap. I don't like the SS aesthetic at all. I'm not going to say the show was ruined for me in the last 5 minutes, but it's certainly dampened my view.
Last edited by Aira on Fri Dec 24, 2021 1:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Wheel of Time season 1 episode 8 "The Eye of the World" season finale
Whole season barely ever rose above the quality of a bad fanfic. Cancel this shite, no adaptation is preferable to utter butchery.
Re: Wheel of Time season 1 episode 8 "The Eye of the World" season finale
Just went back and rewatched cold open for episode 1 after Airas post. Super cool that they showed the ruins and the river makes sense too!
But why that level of attention to detail then butcher major plot lines and fake so many deaths. I mean seriously how did Nynaeve come back to life? How are Loial and Uno going to survive? How will we trust our be interested in any deaths in the future? So dumb
But why that level of attention to detail then butcher major plot lines and fake so many deaths. I mean seriously how did Nynaeve come back to life? How are Loial and Uno going to survive? How will we trust our be interested in any deaths in the future? So dumb
Re: Wheel of Time season 1 episode 8 "The Eye of the World" season finale
I didn't know the seanchan were Sauron's human mercenary's.
Re: Wheel of Time season 1 episode 8 "The Eye of the World" season finale
I was torn after the scene with Moiraine. I know most people are saying she is shielded but that weave after the shield snapped in place was identical to the weave Liandrin used to gentle Logain. I hope she is just shielded otherwise we loose an amazing character to soon. I was happy to see the Malkeri channeler but gut wrenched to see the burn outs of the poor weaker women. I know its for tv but still hit like a Mac truck always rping a channeler, seeing it happen on screen. Anyone else think Matt is going to get super changed based on his snip of a scene?