Wheel of Time

The motivation for Amazon to adapt Robert Jordan’s magnum opus The Wheel of Time series of books stems from the company’s ambition to have a series that is as popular as HBO’s GOT.

Will it work?

Well, it does have some things going for it. The world of WOT is vast and there are many characters in the stories. The production values are first class and the filming is very high quality with beautiful scenery and settings.

But, alas, the story itself isn’t being given a convincing treatment. We have in episode one, typical fantasy tropes like “he’s the one” and “rebirth of the dragon” dialogue. Characters are two dimensional and we get lots of sultry looks and the usual acting. Not encouraging.

In my view, the real problem with the adaptation is that it is the wrong novel series. I have had a big problem with WOT in that it is all action and very little character development. This is will be the core of the series’ problems. The characters are tropes. The young, handsome, brooding hero who questions everything. He’s so dumb he manages to alienate the girl of his life. How convincing a main character is that? All one wants to do is to beat him about the head with that bow he carries.

Of course, it isn’t really the adaptors’ fault. The original material is, like a Rider Haggard or Edgar Rice Borroughs novel, the series is an action epic. Contrast that with Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series on which GOT is based. It is far more nuanced and while equally violent, there is huge character development and subtle personalisation going on. That is what made it work when turned into a mini-series.

Will WOT do well? As of writing, I note it gets 7.5 on IMDb, which I’d categorise as “OK—but not great” category. Maybe it will improve, but a lot has already been shot. The whole series one is in the can and I strongly suspect it’s a lot like the opening episodes. But one can but hope, eh?