Wheel Of Time Rewatch Ep 1x1 Full Reaction
Added 2023-09-25 19:08:04 +0000 UTC!Full Book Spoilers!
Comments
It's so interesting to have you rewatch the series now that you have read the books. So many good points were brought up by both Nerdy and Clarus. Now you can appreciate the reaction from book readers to this "adaptation". I first found Nerdy Nightly when you didn't know the books and were reacting to the Amazon series. I followed your journey through the books, and I am glad to see that you are coming back to the series with a new perspective. Season two is a huge improvement on season one. I look forward to seeing your reactions to that.
Gauthmaug
2023-10-05 05:31:39 +0000 UTCWhat I believe, and I'm not sure anyone agrees with me about, is that they entirely altered the nature of the Two Rivers. In the show, it's not an isolated backwater. It's just a regular town. Fain doesn't share news of the outside world(Tam just knew stuff). There's no purity culture. Egwene and Nyneave both have sex before marriage. It's just not the same place as portrayed in the books.
Scott H.
2023-10-03 04:39:01 +0000 UTCHey! Congratulations on finishing the series! I finally took the Patreon leap when I realized the AMPTP wasn't planning to get their heads out of their asses in time for this (although, it's looking potentially maybe hopeful right now? fingers crossed!) Also wanted to drop a comment about the Egwene/Rand stuff in this episode because while I understand the frustrations about it, I think does a number of things: - it establishes what a wisdom is (worldbuilding) as welll as what her responsibilities and burdens are, which is important for Nynaeve's future arc - it establishes Egwene's character as wanting more for herself, eager to learn and to do important things, which is important for her future arc - it establishes Rand's longing for a simple life, and also his willingless to set aside his own desires for the good of others, which is important for his future arc - it sets up episode 8 where Rand gets shown his dream future by Ishamael and turns it down because he respects Egwene's agency more - it establishes the starting point of their relationship to each other as childhood friends and then lovers who are intimately connected throughout their lives, which is important for both their arcs as they continue to intertwine, parallel and mirror each other throughout the series all the way up to the very end I agree that plot-wise, it's not really necessary besides introducing a romantic element to hook in viewers. But for establishing world, character and themes, it does a lot of heavy-lifting imo.
Niki A
2023-09-30 17:53:21 +0000 UTCJust noticed at 42 just before Perrin Fridges his wife, the music sounds like the zombie attack music from 28 days later...
Eric Kaehler
2023-09-28 21:48:05 +0000 UTCRegarding the manufactured tension: I saw it as a way to get people to buy into their Two Rivers lives being important with long term plans so the impact of them being forced to leave is clear. This connects to Matt's local persona of perpetual struggle and protector of his sisters.
Joe G
2023-09-28 15:12:33 +0000 UTCAlso, give me a month with the wardrobe department of this show. Please!
Joe White
2023-09-27 02:52:34 +0000 UTCI remember that my first thought when this ep first aired was that mat earned the bracelet as a sex worker. That was before Padan made it clear he had stole it, of course.
Joe White
2023-09-27 02:26:48 +0000 UTCHe's apparently not a fan of 'teen drama' and sees this as such.
Zyrus
2023-09-26 15:44:41 +0000 UTCIt's a matter of anger control. It externalizes his internal conflict. This is a visual medium, they don't have the luxury of internal dialogue.
Zyrus
2023-09-26 15:43:56 +0000 UTCThe journey from, "What are you guys talking about? These books are HORNY!" to, "I'm really not comfortable with how much sex there is in the show," is sending me.
Tartmonkey
2023-09-26 04:05:29 +0000 UTCIt's weird not being able to watch this yet, because how these two feel about the book series as a whole is still spoilers for me, at least until Friday.
Quark's Bar
2023-09-26 01:34:03 +0000 UTCFunny that you mentioned Perrin killing Luhhan instead of his wife. I think that was something that Sanderson suggested to them when he read the script for the first episode.
Karson Walker
2023-09-26 01:07:28 +0000 UTCTam already giving Rand the basis for the Revelation on Dragonmount: priceless
David Krantz
2023-09-25 23:47:02 +0000 UTCI think with Mat, he just didn't really have anything meaningful in the first two books, and if they want to give him a bit more dimension before the book 3 stuff, rewriting some of his backstory can potentially manage it. It doesn't really change his trajectory significantly later on in the series (and I'm not real invested in his parents as characters whether in the books or show), so I was cool with it after needing a little adjustment period. I don't need him to be lucky from the start. Honestly, I prefer S1 Mat to Pseudo-Smeagol Mat from EotW and part of TGH. He's down on his luck, dealing with some of his own demons, but clearly has a good heart, and that's more sympathetic than the mat we see in the first two books. Neither are, like, excellent, but if I have a preference, that's mine. The madness should have been clarified better. I was okay with the unreliable narrator bit to start with, maybe, but it needed to be better executed to bring in more core truths for the viewers. Re: Perrin, definitely think you're on point with the control issues bit. I also think the whole Laila Darkfriend conspiracy may be a thing, given how things went down and how distant she was leading up to this. Not sure I buy the miscarriage theory, since it's not really alluded to in a significant way. I do think they could have had Luhan instead of Laila and it would have worked. Zoe Robins really does kill it as Nynaeve in every scene. She's so good. I get the confusion over the trolloc taking Nynaeve, but it doesn't take her to the pool, it takes her a bit out of town to have a solo tasty snack of its own, and she runs off. Narratively, I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense, but she had to get separated from the main group early on and that was a way to do it. I do have a sneaky feeling that Amazon wanted the manufactured romance in S1 and pushed for it to eat up some time, just like the overarching "Who's the dragon" mystery, and they likely di as well as they could with those cards they played. I did miss the talk b/w Tam and Rand in the woods this episode, but I'm happy they eventually included it in episode 7. I do think the blade narg was tainted, and that's why Tam needed special healing. Them simplifying it to trolloc poison makes some measure of sense, and I think that was just dropped, yeah. For context, IIRC they were expecting 2 hours for the pilot (and the finale) and Amazon nixed that after production had started, so things got choppy when the runtime got cut. The Manetheren speech to the town is brought back in episode 2. Not as good, but Rafe had to fight for it to be kept in, Amazon hated it. Good point re Perrin/Faile, but tbh I'm looking forward to that. I wasn't a fan of the relationship in the books 90% of the time, and having a different angle gives the show a chance to maybe make it better (I understand I'm probably in the minority with this thinking).
Amber A
2023-09-25 22:19:18 +0000 UTCI never thought I'd hear Nerdy say he doesn't like how much sex they have.
LightBlindedFool
2023-09-25 22:03:58 +0000 UTCThis is so interesting to see your reactions again after reading the books. Now you know what we were all thinking a couple years ago :-D Funny too to see how you're reacting to some parts without having seen S2 yet. Some of your questions or observations will be answered in S2 and some have not been answered or fixed yet, but S2 is next level in many ways. Won't spoil, but hoping you get to watch it soon!!
LightBlindedFool
2023-09-25 21:58:01 +0000 UTCIn the book, you don't get a Nyneave POV until after Shadar Logoth
Arezoo Kashefi
2023-09-25 21:37:46 +0000 UTCThe fever dream is ommitted for the mystery box. :| You only get it when you get the answer.
Arezoo Kashefi
2023-09-25 21:30:09 +0000 UTCI think with Perrin, the Laila thing is supposed to maybe pre-justify his obsessive need to protect faile later on. As well as give a compelling argument for axe versus hammer.
Arezoo Kashefi
2023-09-25 21:25:44 +0000 UTCA pleasant surprise and I'm glad you decided to do this rewatch after reading the books! And a good discussion too. Re the importance of the ageless faces - yes its understood that you can't really do it in live-action (so far with our technology) but it did prove important in the books beyond just a plot-point or aesthetics. In Lord of Chaos, Rand got fooled and got himself kidnapped by Galina precisely because he relied on checking to see that every woman sent by the Tower's and Salidar's delegations had an ageless face, and figured that so long as there were a certain number of Aes Sedai then he would be fine. Galina capitalized on that mistake by bringing in extra Sisters disguised as servants who had not yet achieved the ageless look in order to overpower him. It also was used to explain why Aes Sedai were physically different from other women who could channel such as the Sea Folk, damane/sul'dam, Wise Women, and Ayyad who did not have the ageless look- it was precisely because of the Oath Rod which was halving their natural lifespans, which then promoted the discussion later about whether the Aes Sedai should swear the 3 Oaths or not with Egwene's regime. So there are narratively important reasons as to have the ageless look in the story. In regards to the racial diversity, there was definitely a sizable contingent of so-called "fans" who were racist in their critiques who should be disavowed and ignored, but there is validity in the argument that the racial diversity is already introduced in the books, so the way the Two Rivers was presented in the show from the very beginning is unnecessary and doesn't make sense for the history if they are "isolated". The Two Rivers became diverse in the books (starting in Shadow Rising) and that was actually a notable plot point as to how it was changing and new customs were being adopted in the village. And diversity is already present with the other cities, countries, and characters that are introduced as the world is expanded with each book. As it is now with the show, there really isn't much way to tell who comes from what society or culture unless if they have extreme clothing designs, or piercings and marks. Ultmately the problem I think is that it already makes the Edmond Fielder main characters less isolated and more worldly from the beginning, so you lose the plot point of them being distinguishable from other societies, and it takes away from the 'Rand being so different', since it was a major early plot point mentioned in prophecy that he would be adopted. Other that that I look forward to the next reactions, and hopefully see your reactions to Season 2 soon.
Hiro
2023-09-25 21:12:36 +0000 UTCEgwene's decision and the fact rand knew what her decision would be has bearing in what they have him do in episode 8.
Arezoo Kashefi
2023-09-25 20:58:15 +0000 UTCThat is definitely Bela :-D Is Canonically Rand's horse but Egwene rides her. I love that you're rewatching S1! Looking forward to your S2 reactions someday!
LightBlindedFool
2023-09-25 20:42:38 +0000 UTCWhat’s the upload schedule going to be like for this? :)
Matthew Steinhaus
2023-09-25 20:23:47 +0000 UTC
