The Wheel of Time offers a captivating and intriguing plot within a fantasy world that has the potential to be a massive hit if continued right.
The Wheel of Time is one of those shows that will have you interested from the first few minutes, and then make you fall more and more in love with it the longer it goes on. It is interesting and intriguing but also a LOT to absorb, which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on who the viewer is.
This review is based solely off the first six episodes of season one, with focus on the first three which drop on Prime Video November 19th.
The Wheel of Time premise is the main thing that works with this series. In the first few moments the set up is explained and the audience learns that the world is broken due to powerful and arrogant men who thought they could cage darkness long ago. They failed, and the world was destroyed — seas boiled, mountains crumbled, and cities burned. There was one man in particular who broke the world, and the women of Aes Sedais who were left to fix it all call him the Dragon.
This series starts off with the prophecy that this man, this Dragon, has been reborn and is determined to destroy the world again. Determined to tip the balance between Dark and Light. The problem is that no one knows who it is exactly, or even where they are. Could be another man, could be a woman. The only thing that is known is that they are coming of age and must be found before the Darkness finds them.
It should be noted that I have not read The Wheel of Time books, so I went into this world completely in the dark (well, except for watching the teaser trailer). I was honestly shocked by how quickly I became immersed in this world of fantasy and how quickly I came to care about the characters. There are pros and cons to not knowing this world.
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The pro is that I have no preconceived notion or expectations of how I would like this show to go. I don’t know anything so I am learning right from the start and if something doesn’t make it off the pages of the books, well, I will never know. The con, however, is that I have no attachment to the characters from the start. For people who are completely new to this series, like myself, there is a lot to take in when it comes to the world and character building.
This causes the show to be slow at times, however this is appreciated as a newbie so I can feel like I understand things more. Unfortunately there are some characters that seem to fall through the cracks and, so far, I don’t feel like I know well enough. Those who have read the books, however, might be in a much better position when it comes to this.
A lot of time is spent with Moiraine, making her one of the more fleshed out characters of the lot. She is a strong and powerful woman, who is willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. Moiraine is manipulative, intriguing, and easily one of the most interesting people in the story so far.
There are only a few other characters I feel like I understand and with so many involved, this is not a good thing. As the episodes go on though, they become more and more clear, so I am hopeful by the end of the season there will be a much better understanding of all the characters, and this world.
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As with most fantasy stories there is a lot of lore to dig through. The way that this series is presented has me assuming things are a lot more detailed, and perhaps a little bit different, in the books. And yes, it has me eager to read them whenever I find the time because I know it will give me a much better appreciation for what I have seen playing out in front of me.
The costumes and set design certainly help to make this world a believable one, but sometimes the writing and dialogue are just a tad off. This is where the pacing issues come from and where The Wheel of Time sometimes loses its way. The potential is there, however, and as the episodes continue past the six I have watched, it could very well be made up for.
The Wheel of Time knows how to deliver an action scene, especially when there are mythical creatures involved, and that is one of the highlights of the show. While the plot sometimes feels a bit dumbed down or convoluted, depending on the episode, the action is something that can always be relied on. There are fantastical and horrific creatures, bloody fights, and even some deaths that viewers will not be expecting.
The twists and turns help propel the story forward, and while I didn’t love every single second of it, I am still anxious for more. I have a need to know how it all ends. Taking a massive world like this from books and bringing it to the screen is a daunting task, and as someone completely new to the world, this shows feels like it is going to fully get there by the end of the season. If it does, Prime Video is sure to have a hit on its hands.
About The Wheel of Time
The lives of five young villagers change forever when a strange and powerful woman arrives, claiming one of them is the child of an ancient prophecy with the power to tip the balance between Light and Dark forever. They must choose whether to trust this stranger – and each other – with the fate of the world before the Dark One breaks out of His prison, and the Last Battle begins.
Based on Robert Jordan’s best-selling fantasy novels, The Wheel of Time was adapted for television by executive producer/showrunner Rafe Judkins. Larry Mondragon and Rick Selvage of iwot productions, Mike Weber, Ted Field of Radar Pictures, Darren Lemke, Marigo Kehoe, and Uta Briesewitz will also serve as executive producers, with Briesewitz set to direct the first two episodes. Rosamund Pike will serve as producer and Harriet McDougal and Brandon Sanderson as consulting producers.
The Wheel of Time is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television.
The Wheel of Time Season 1 comes to Prime Video on November 19th.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.