This is a blog about the forthcoming Wheel of Time television series, being produced by Sony and Amazon, with the first season forthcoming in November of 2021.

I will state from the outset, that I am a pretty serious fan of the book series.  If this blog contains any spoilers, it's because you haven't read through the books, so I don't care if I've ruined anything for you.  This series has been complete since early 2013, and I've re-read all of the books multiple times since then.  Nothing that old can be deemed a spoiler.

I will also state, at the outset, that I am wholly pessimistic about the Sony and Amazon production, as nothing that I have seen or heard about the series gives me much confidence.  Though I have long hoped that a series could be made; and I understand the herculean tasks involved; I think they are going about it 100% the wrong way.

After a bit of preamble, I aim to dissect the Sony and Amazon trailer in this post; providing explanation to each major shot.  I also want to state, at the outset, that I really don't care about the casting choices done for the TV series, at an INDIVIDUAL level.

On this point, let me be clear: I am a fan of Fantasy Literature when it adheres to REALISM.  What do I mean by that?  I mean, if you create a world with Dragons in it, have your characters live and act as though they live in a world with Dragons!  What would this mean?  It means most cities and towns would defend themselves against Dragons, no?  Even remote villages would have some fortification, or large ballistae in place.  It would change traditional medieval combat to include the aerial component.  The author needs to think these things through: I create a magical world that is different from our own by introducing X, Y and Z, and it plays out as A, B and C.

I cannot abide people who think that since Fantasy adds the fantastical, that all rules go out the window.  One of the reasons why I enjoy the Wheel of Time books so much, is precisely because Robert Jordan is a stickler for the rules he creates in his world (but there are some tidy exceptions/contrivances; the series is not without flaws, which I will get to much later).

So getting back to the CASTING CONTROVERSY around the Wheel of Time TV series.  I don't care that they cast Egwene as an actress of Indian descent.  I don't care that they made Perrin and Nynaeve half-black.  I don't care that they cast Mat and Tam as white guys.  But what I do care about is that they cast them all DIFFERENT, when, for the purposes of the STORY, they should all be the SAME.

It seems trivial, but it gets back to my point about Fantasy Realism.  The Two Rivers, our opening location in the Wheel of Time is an out-of-the-way backwater.  It is completely isolated from the rest of the world.  Nothing ever happen there, except the occasional wolf attacking a sheep, or hailstorm that batters down crops.  The region is so isolated the inhabitants don't even believe they are part of the realm they belong to.

It is well-established in the books that the region is homogeneous; everyone kind of looks the same.  The literal descriptions include that everyone is dark of eye and dark of hair.  Our protagonist, Rand al'Thor, is an outlier because he has red hair and light-colored eyes.  

So what I wish the show did, but precisely what they did not do, is take that concept and run with it.  If you want to cast Egwene as Indian, perfect!  It's a great, choice.  It fits the world as described.  It's also a nice subtle hint (not unlike many in the books) that the Wheel of Time is actually set in a future Earth, and not some distant world.  But if you make Egwene Indian, then please make Mat, Tam, Perrin, Nynaeve, Cenn Buie, and all of the rest of the Emond's Fielders (and Deven Ride, Taren Ferry, and most of Baerlon) the same!  What I've seen from the show so far is unrealistic (the diversity would have been bred out of the population after a few centuries), within the context of Fantasy Realism, and the really painful part is that it is so unnecessary.

What I mean by this, is that the Wheel of Time is a vast body of work, with dozens of nations and cultures, complex characters of every possible ethnicity, and a central city that would make a Diversity and Inclusion officer salivate (Tar Valon).  There is no need to make Emond's Field diverse, other than to VIRTUE SIGNAL, and (my main fear) to deflect criticism.

I have seen this happen too many times, where the diverse casting is done solely to deflect legitimate criticism of other flaws painfully apparent in the production.  Whether it is poor performances, sloppy writing, lousy effects- you name it- every valid criticism gets lambasted as "racist" or "bigoted."

So let me be clear: I don't care that Egwene is Indian and Perrin is Black.  I care that they made them DIFFERENT because it detracts from Fantasy Realism.  MOREOVER, I am concerned that this choice was SELF-SERVING, so that any and all valid criticisms of the show could be cast aside with the label of being "racist."  

So let us leave this issue aside for now and for all time: I don't like the casting choices, but not at any INDIVIDUAL level, but at a group level.  I would have been a lot happier with Mat, Perrin, Egwene, Nynaeve and Tam being ethnically homogeneous, whatever ethnicity that ended up being.

Now, before we get into the shot-by-shot dissection of the trailer, I believe it is worth discussing The Count of Monte Cristo.

If you have not read The Count of Monte Cristo I should say right away that you have no business reading this blog, because there are much better uses of your time.  But within the context of our subject: The Wheel of Time: a criticism of Dumas' thriller sheds a lot of light on the literary issues plaguing the (literally) longest single work of fiction ever written.

Dumas' TCoMC is one of the greatest novels, but also one of the most unreadable.  Don't take my word for it, read Umberto Eco's introduction to the Everyman's Library edition.  Or just read it yourself.  If brevity is the soul of wit, then TCoMC is Forrest Gump.  And the reason for this is established historical fact: Dumas was being paid by the word.

Similarly, Robert Jordan started getting his own pay day around The Path of Daggers.  Every single volume from TPoD through to A Memory of Light reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.  In my view, having had to slog through the slow-moving plot-lines of books 8-11 several times, this is not a coincidence.  Fans collectively agree that Crossroads of Twilight (book 10) was so upsetting that the poem at the very end is viewed as the only good part of it.  But, as Umberto Eco notes, if an editor were to whittle down TCoMC to an abridged format; if someone trimmed all of the fat; then TCoMC would lose most of its charm.

That's how I feel about the Wheel of Time.  Yes, it's long.  Yes, there are long stretches that are utterly pointless.  But the writing is familiar; it's comfortable.  And, the best part about it, there are often little Easter-Eggs hidden in the writing which means you can discover new things upon your second, third, or fifteenth read through the series.

So I don't begrudge the Wheel of Time for its length; I'm almost OK with Crossroads of Twilight, as most of the initial pain was waiting two years for that to come out, and then it felt like getting socks for Christmas morning...

But for the TV series, let us please bear in mind, this is the LONGEST SINGLE WORK OR FICTION IN ALL LITERATURE.  The CHALLENGE is trimming it down into something that can be digested by a TV audience.  The LAST thing I would expect is someone deciding to ADD things to it.

Sigh.

Shot #1

So in the opening shot to the trailer we have Egwene being thrown off of a cliff by Nynaeve.  Leaving aside the mismatched ethnicity issue already discussed, we get something that is (1) not in the books, and (2) makes no sense.  This second point is important, as I had to do some background reading on what is actually going on here- visiting rumor sites and blogs and such.  Apparently this is some kind of "initiation ritual" into the Women's Circle for Egwene.  This is the FIRST IDEA the show-runners are introducing to the Wheel of Time fans, and it is utterly absurd.  The Women's Circle, as laboriously described by Robert Jordan, is singularly united by its prevailing view that all hair-brained and idiotic ideas are products of MEN THINKING WITH THE HAIR ON THEIR CHESTS.  The LAST thing these women would ever do is throw each other off of a cliff in a ritual.

One shot in and all that has been established is that the writers have no idea what they are doing.

Shot #2

The second shot is of the Mountains of Mist.  This insinuates that Emond's Field is way closer to the mountains than it actually is.

Shot #3

In this third shot we see the Winespring Inn, and a few other buildings in Emond's Field, not-at-all looking as how they are described in the books.  The Winespring Inn is the only building with a non-thatch roof.  It's roof is made of tiles.  Here, we see no thatched roofs, but also no tile roofs.  Also, the opening is supposed to occur during a dismal and dreary Bel Tine, where the spring has not come.  But in the show it looks like summer.  3 shots in, and all 3 run contrary to the source material.  This is not good.

Shot #4

Here we get to see our 3 Ta'veren for the first time, appearing to be cavorting at the Winespring Inn.  Apparently the show-runners consciously decided to run with everyone being a little bit older, as to make the show seem less Young Adult (I really don't know why, as Rand, Mat and Perrin are basically 20 when the books open).  What I take umbrage with is that Perrin AND MAT have (terrible) beards from the start.  The act of Perrin growing a beard is actually a "thing" in book 4.  Mat only has a beard in book 13, as part of his disguise hiding from people and shadowspawn trying to kill him, and he hates it.  These lads should be working to prepare for Bel Tine, and be clean-shaven.  It's non-negotiable.

Shot #5

Egwene shows up, completely in the wrong outfit, but at least her hair is in a braid.

Shot #6

Rand smiles at Egwene.  The only problem with this shot is that it is basically the only one of our protagonist in the trailer.

Shot #7

Nynaeve is smiling.  How did they mess this up so bad already?  Nynaeve is smiling?  She doesn't smile.  They have already ruined her character and the trailer is at 14 seconds.

Shot #8

This looks like 5, but it's probably 6, people fleeing on horseback along a river.  If this is 6 people, then we can probably assume that it is Moiraine, Lan, Rand, Perrin, Mat and Egwene fleeing the Two Rivers.  What this means is that there is no Thom Merrilin along for the initial ride (which is stupid).  But since they are traveling along a river, and not up a road toward Taren Ferry or Baerlon, they've already done away with staying true to the source material anyways.

Shot #9

This is apparently some Warder (not in the books) from some Aes Sedai (not in the first book) crying over his Aes Sedai's ring, implying that she is dead.  First: the ring is not what an Aes Sedai ring is supposed to look like.  Second: a Warder will go suicidal with blood-lust if their Aes Sedai dies.  How is this guy still alive?  I am 19 seconds into this thing and every shot so far departs meaningfully from the books.

Shot #10

Ok, seriously, this also doesn't happen in the books!  Maybe this is an interpretation of one of Egwene's dreams, or has to do with her test for Accepted (although that would be in Book 3, and I believe is outside of the remit of Season 1 of this show).  It looks like she is in a pool and getting stained by 7 colors (each corresponding to an Aes Sedai Ajah).  If this is not related to the White Tower, and as speculated has to do with the ridiculous Women's Circle cliff-jumping ritual, then the show-runners have lost it.

Shot #11

At this point i strongly feel they need to insert the word "loosely" into this text.

Shot #12

This is Tar Valon.  The CGI looks terrible and not at all how the city (and Dragonmount) are described.  Sigh.

Shot #13

This looks like Moiraine's boot-entrance.  They literally could not have introduced Moiraine in a worse way.  Moiraine DOES NOT WEAR BOOTS.  She does not wear a Power Rangers combat outfit.  She looks like a HIGH BORN LADY, in fine silks and slippers.  The fact that she can kick the crap out of Trollocs and take names is incongruous to her appearance.  She also travels incognito, as evidenced by the fact that in larger towns she is known as Mistress Alys, and Lan as Master Andra, because generally most villages are hostile to Aes Sedai and the One Power.

Shot #14

Back to Egwene (not the main character) in the river, in the sequence that does not happen in the books, and if it did happen, would not make sense.

Shot #15

This is the Hall of the White Tower.  Aside from introducing this setting about 8 book too soon, there are some costume problems here that would have Robert Jordan spinning in his grave so hard it's unfortunate we couldn't hook him up to a dynamo and solve our energy problems.  Aes Sedia do not dress like Airbenders or Power Rangers.  They don't wear uniforms, breeches or combat boots.  They wear dresses, and signify their Ajahs by the fringes of the shawls that they DO wear.  Seriously, the costume design folks for this show had to do ZERO original thought.  Fully 23% of all of the text in the Wheel of Time is Robert Jordan describing dresses.  The only way the costume department could screw something up so badly that it looks awful at a FIRST GLANCE is by WILLFULLY IGNORING the source material.

Shot #16

Siuan Sanche, the Amyrlin Seat.  We don't meet her until Book 2, and in Fal Dara (not Tar Valon).  She's also not of the Sea Folk, which is implied by her tattoos.  It's a minor point, but part of the rich world-building.  The Sea Folk only send token offerings to Tar Valon (their weaker girls able to channel) in order to allay suspicion.  The three Sea Folk Aes Sedai are all librarians.  They would never send one strong enough to rise to be the Amyrlin Seat.  AND, is this Siuan Sanche isn't meant to be a Sea Folk, then what is with the tattoos?

Shot #17

Moiraine being healed.  This is not in the books, and I'm afraid it's part of a silly and pointless story line involving Logain.

Shot #18

This is supposed to be Emond's Field on Winternight (the evening before Bel Tine) with Moiraine's weaves of Saidar drawing tendrils through the crisp night air.  Never mind that the real story only includes this as the aftermath- the books follow Rand rescuing his father from a Trolloc attack at their farm, they miss the events in Emond's Field- but non-channelers cannot see the flows of the One Power.  This is a semi-important point, as male channelers cannot see the flows of female channelers, and vice-versa.  If they make the One Power's use visible to all then they begin to undermine the mechanics of the One Power as explained by the books.

Shot #19

These are supposed to be 4 Red Ajah Aes Sedai (one is out of the frame) in their dumb uniforms.  This shot is pure cringe.  [Edit - a subsequently released photo reveals that the 4th Aes Sedai in this shot is wearing a Hijab - Kill me now]

Shot #20

By her establishment, and glimpse of her in shot #15, this is Leane Sharif, the Blue Ajah Keeper of the Chronicles.  She is supposed to be Domani (which is already described as coppery-skinned and elegant, so here they are woke-casting characters that would be woke even if they cast them correctly).  She conveys 2,000% more emotion in this constipated face than what is collectively attributed to all of the Aes Sedai in all 14 books.  I also don't have a problem with making her Asian, but I would appreciate, it in this case, if all Domani become Asian, to keep things consistent, but i doubt this will happen.

Shot #21

Now we get a series of shots leading up to some COOL AES SEDAI POWERS stopping arrows in flight.  We can see those silly-dressed Power Ranger RED AJAH on the left, and six stupidly dressed WARDERS; none of them have a color-shifting cloak, by the way; INCLUDING what looks like LAN AND NYNAEVE.  What are Lan and Nynaeve doing with six other Aes Sedai?  This isn't in the books, not even as backgrounder or side-plot material.  Uh oh.

Shot #22

Another shot of the poorly-created CGI Tar Valon.  This does appear to show the Hall of the Tower as a separate structure to the White Tower itself (the mini-tower on the Left).

Shot #23

This is supposed to show Mat and Rand (remember them from shot 4? They're actually the main characters!) outside of Shadar Logoth, which is that city off in the distance.  Mat and Rand, along with Thom Merrilin, are supposed to escape on a river ship from Shadar Logoth, but whatever.  Looks like that's getting cut in favor of more Aes Sedai and Egwene story lines.

Shot #24

Rand holding a bow in a wool sweater.  One would be tempted to say that Rand's costume is wrong, but I'm sure Robert Jordan would note that the Two Rivers longbow is way too small in this shot.  The Two Rivers bow is about as tall as a man.

Shot #25

Mat's dagger is ALL WRONG.  The ruby is at the pommel, not in the cross guard.  WRONG WRONG WONG.

Shot #26

This shot is supposed to show Mashadar spreading across Shadar Logoth.  Mashadar is a FOG, not whatever this is.  Also, what is Egwene doing out with Perrin and Rand?  If this is after they begin to flee Shadar Logoth, then where are their horses?  Lastly, what is with the terrible bath robe costume choices?

Shot #27

Here it looks like Egwene and Perrin have fled up Shadar Logoth's walls.  They don't do this in the books.  Everyone gets separated, and it's a cool scene where Egwene is found by Perrin but she has been doing way better surviving in the wild than he has.  Guess we are not getting that...

Shot #28

Mat with his terrible beard and what looks like an Aiel in a hanging cage.  Never happens in the books.

Shot #29

We finally get a wolf and Perrin.  

Shot #30

Oh god no.  This is so fundamentally INDECENT.  Rand and Egwene are not even MARRIED!  The Women's Circle back in Emond's Field would birch their hides if they ever found out about this!  Seriously, if they have Rand and Egwene fucking (which never happens in the books) they have completely misinterpreted what made the books successful.

Shot #31

This looks like Mat and Perrin in a ruin; probably in Shadar Logoth, which is the only setting that makes sense for a shot like this.  At this point, this feels like a useless shot to include in a trailer.

Shot #32

Tam al'Thor is delivering a monologue; I will be discussing the voice-overs at the end.

Shot# 33

A dance at Bel Tine (Winternight?); I don't know why it's at night.

Shot #34

A bunch of shrouded corpses in the aftermath of a battle (against Logain?)  Repetition of the Wheel/Circle.

Shot #35

This has to be the cheapest GCI shot I've ever seen.  Seriously, freeze-frame and look at it.  The Wheel of Time video game (1999) has better graphics than this.

Shot #36

First shot of a Myrddraal!  I hope they don't look like the Sarlacc from Return of the Jedi!

Shot #37

I'm fine with Lan being cast as an Asian, but why did they feel the need to further culturally appropriate the samurai?

Shot #38

A bunch of non-scary Trollocs and our Myrddraal (Sarlacc?) on a horse.

Shot #39

Mat and Rand running for it; probably during their flight from Whitebridge, but before they reach Caemlyn- one of the best parts of the novel that I'm sure they won't abridge or ruin [sarc].

Shot # 40

This is from the pointless Logain Hunt, apparently.

Shot #41

So is this shot: it looks like the Aes Sedai aren't very good at shielding men that can channel.

Shot #42

Nynaeve is in the middle of a fight.  I don't think this happens in the books, because this also looks like it's connected to the made-up Logain storyline.

Shot #43

Moiraine going to the Hall of the Tower.  Not in the books.  Superfluous and runs counter to her entire story.  I don't think the show-runners have a clue.

Shot #44

Sea Folk Siuane speaking to Moiraine(?)  Can't wait to see her get stilled at this point.

Shot #45

The trailer for Diablo 2 does a better job than this shot.

Shot #46

Again, Moiraine looks more like a Power Ranger than an Aes Sedai.

Shot #47

More of Lan the Samurai.

Shot #48

This looks like Logain followers in their mad charge in a battle, and plot line that doesn't happen, in the longest story every written.

Shot #49

Nynaeve and Egwene look like they are defending themselves during the Winternight Trolloc attack.  Aside from that this doesn't happen in the books, I have no issues with this shot.

Shot #50

This is some warder, without their color-shifting cloak, and wielding two of the dumbest-looking and most impractical battle-axes ever designed, jumping across the room at Logain.  I hope this Warder gets killed.

Shot #51

This is Lan killing 3 Trollocs at once.  This looks like it's during the Winternight attack, which isn't seen in the books as Rand is not in Emond's Field.  This looks childish. His slash basically hits them at the knee.

Shot #52

That structure on the hill is apparently a Waygate.  They are deliberately ignoring the books in their design choices for everything at this point.

Shot #53

Sarlacc riding for the Winespring Inn?

Shot #54

Yep. it's a Sarlacc.  STOP MAKING EVERYTHING WORSE.  NOT A SINGLE INDEPENDENT DECISION HAS BEEN GOOD!

Shot #55

Bunch of quick cuts of Lan and Moiraine fighting shadowspawn in Emond's Field on Winternight.  What an utter let down.

Now let's go through the dialogue and voice-overs in the trailer:

Nynaeve say "Be strong" to Egwene when throwing her off the cliff.  This is stupid.

Then Moiraine's voice over says: "The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend..." basically cutting off the opening passage to every Wheel of Time book...

Then, inexplicably, Moiraine is talking again (probably to Egwene) and she says: "The Power inside you- all over the world there are different names for it." - OK, this is NOT TRUE.  It's known as the ONE POWER EVERYWHERE.  THERE ARE NO OTHER NAMES FOR IT. - "But it's one thing, One Power," - Technically there is a male half and a female half, but whatever - "And women who can touch it, we protect the world."  Meddle in the world is more accurate.

Tam al'Thor has the next voice over: "No matter what happens, what pain we face, what heartbreak, the Wheel keeps turning." It should be noted that Tam is not a philosopher, and this line of dialogue is pretty pointless.

Then we have Lan saying: "The Dark One is coming for your friends."

Then Sea Folk Siuan says: "The Last Battle is coming."  Yeah, in 14 books.

Then some random lady says: "The only thing that matters is what you do."  Sounds like Yoda.

Then Moiraine: "Whatever happens now, there's no turning back"

So basically all of the voice over information is either useless filler or technically contradicts the source material.

Thanks for making it this far.  I don't think anything in this trailer bodes well for the series.  Even though I've only seen 2 minutes of film I think it's enough to hope that this gets hit with Balefire and someone else can try again.  I don't think I have the stomach to dive this deep into the actual episodes when they are released, but I can probably dissect individual mistakes endlessly as I come across them.

If you have found things that you hate which I apparently missed, please let me know.  If you are excited about the show and can't stand the fact that someone that likes the books more than you hates what he's seen so far, you should re-evaluate your life before commenting.