When I first read the series back in high school in 1992, never did I imagine it would some day be made into a TV show. But here we are, 29 years later, and the world has changed so much.
Back then, no one had a cell phone, there was no "internet", you had to watch shows when they aired or set your VCR timer to record it and hope it worked, and the only people you could discuss fantasy books with were fellow nerds at school. Today, the world is at our fingertips (literally), and The Wheel of Time is a TV show.
It's strange. This work of art that I have a deep connection to, it no longer feels like it's special. Before, it was too hard to explain to anyone; they had to read it for themselves. But now—most people have the time to watch a TV show. I doubt it'll be popular like Game of Thrones was, that was a flash in the pan that can't be replicated, but it's kinda weird seeing ads for it all over the web.
Not Really a Retrospective
I wasn't sure I was going to blog about this, because it's hard for me to do regularly, but given the fact that I spent 20 years reading The Wheel of Time, and over 2 years writing my Retrospective on it, what's another 6-7 years of watching a TV show based on it? Presuming they actually make the 8 seasons that they want to, of course.
I'm going to try to do something a little different with my blogs on the TV show. This won't be like my normal retrospectives, because it can't be.
Most things I've read so far are basic recaps (which I don't like) or spend most of the time complaining about all the book changes. I understand that the story is going to change when translated to TV, so I probably won't spend much time on that. Because I get it. There's a different audience and you have to make them care about characters immediately, or they'll stop watching, because there's a million other things to watch that might be better. And a production can't afford enough actors for all the parts, you can't build every set, and you can't spend a whole season traveling around and doing nothing (Books 8-10, anyone?).
So I'm just going to focus mostly on my thoughts as a long-time book reader without being negative the whole time. If you're looking for a recap, or someone to commiserate with on how "bad" the show is, there are plenty of other places for that.
And if you're impatient, this is probably not the best blog to read. I'll post them when I post them, and some posts may cover more than one episode. I'm not going to be rushed to get them up immediately upon airing. It takes time to do more than just recap something.
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose above the great streaming service of Amazon Prime. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.