The Wheel of Time review: A Game of Thrones alternative with magic and action

The Wheel of Time, Amazon’s foray into epic fantasy, is not Game of Thrones. There’s a natural inclination to compare the two, or to imagine that the audiences of one could swap out for the other; there’s also that persistent rumor that Jeff Bezos pushed for Amazon to acquire the series as an answer to HBO’s breakout genre hit. George R.R. Martin wrote of lands wrought with cynicism and intrigue, murder and anger, Robert Jordan — and showrunner Rafe Judkins — bring in a lightness, innocence, and hope.

This is not to say there’s no violence or backstabbing in The Wheel of Time. The six episodes available for reviewers contain many monsters and battles that can cause fear in even the most courageous of hearts. But part of what people love so much about Jordan’s series is that it’s the hero’s journey, an epic quest, but turned sideways and far more gender inclusive than its mainstream compatriots at the time. Consider yourself warned: don’t come to The Wheel of TimeGratuitous sex scenes

Amazon Prime will air the three first episodes of the eight-episode first season on November 19. That choice feels like a gambit to pull viewers new to the series into the complicated world of the Great Pattern’s making, and abate some fears of longtime fans, the self-dubbed Dragonsworn, who have imagined how the series — 14 volumes, published over the course of 23 years — would play on screen. Moiraine opens the books.Gone Girl’s Rosamund Pike) in the midst of a long journey in an attempt to find the prophesied Dragon Reborn who will defeat the Dark One and stop the world from breaking. She is an Aes Sedai, meaning she’s part of a magical faction dedicated to saving the world and that she can use the One Power. She discovers three dragons in the tiny hamlet Two Rivers and sets out to find the one man who can save them.

Photo by Jan Thijs/Amazon

Judkins updates this in the Amazon adaptation: There are still the three men from the books — Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski), Matrim Cauthon (Barney Harris), and Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford) — but they’re now joined by two women, Egwene al’Vere (Madeleine Madden) and Nynaeve al’Meara (Zoë Robins). These characters are important and Jordan writes from their perspective, giving each their own storylines which have a huge impact on the plot. Jordan names Rand, Mat and Perrin in his books. ta’veren — People who in-world have a significant impact on the story or are witnesses to remarkable events. He doesn’t do the same for Egwene and Nynaeve. But not only did Judkins give Egwene and Nynaeve the grace to potentially be the prophesied Dragon Reborn, he also made the choice to shift focus to Pike’s Moiraine.

It’s a somewhat radical change, and a telling one. The show actually opens with Moiraine getting ready for traveling while her voiceover gives us context for the world we’re about to enter: Many years ago, the world was broken by powerful men who thought they could cage darkness. It’s a strong statement by refocusing our attention on a character whose perspective is rarely centered in the book series. And it’s a strong statement from Judkins that Moiraine is our entry point as viewers. We see an instant attempt to challenge the traditional fantasy representations of women. Starting with a fake out, it’s Moiraine pulling a shirt up over her bare shoulders in what could be seen as sexualization, but very quickly shifts to journey-mode with her pulling her suspenders on, gloves, her weapon, her tools, and holding a map. Pike stated that she became interested in the role because of her experience with women as a force for positive change and as a guide to important people upon whom the fates of the planet hang. Pike is more than up to the task, embodying the agelessness and wisdom Jordan wrote of, but layering in a needed thread of humanity — even if her perfected tear-filled eyes do get to be a bit overused at times.

In the books, Jordan plays with point of view — he shifts perspectives constantly from men to women, between characters large and small — and themes of balance, making it clear that in a perfect world everything should be equal and even. However, he is unable to see the point of a binary approach to thinking about gender. In his writing, men and women are constantly at odds with one another, they’ll never understand the other, and Jordan often attributed actions or choices entirely to one’s gender. One Power is the result of men and women having one half each. There’s no recognition of how people who exist outside that binary would fit into the system. Judkins, company, and others do attempt to bring these concepts up-to-date, though they have some secrets or relationships. Barring revelations in the seventh and eighth episodes, it seems to stick to the world Jordan created, where men have a certain relationship to the Power and women have another, and there doesn’t seem to be a space beyond those two identities.

Image credit: Jan Thijs/Amazon

By and large the changes pay off, given the amount of time Amazon has allotted for the first season of the story (Judkins says he’s mapped out eight seasons, but at seven or eight episodes each that’s not a lot of time given how long the books are). Although the series is not intended to be a replica of a scene, it manages to retain the spirit and essence of the books. Perrin’s guide Elias is nowhere to be found, and as the show attempts to combine storylines from several books at once, the journey Mat and Rand take to Caemlyn is redirected entirely. The book’s biggest deviation is likely to frustrate both new and old viewers.

But Judkins retains Jordan’s commitment to the innocence of these characters. Our core cast of young people: Nynaeve, Egwene, Rand, Mat, and Perrin, have all only ever known their small village, and they’re thrust into this adventure. Judkins allows them to become as fearful, excited, brave, scared, or terrified as they wish. This is arguably the best aspect of the book, done with great effect. Lan and Moiraine are allowed to fight furiously while keeping their faith in the future and their determination to survive. In the premiere, there’s a truly stunning sequence of the two of them fighting in tandem, one with magic and the other with a blade. Overall Judkins and his team have done an admirable job bringing Jordan’s epic story to the screen.

There aren’t really words to describe what a joy it is to see a fantasy series with such a matter of fact statement on what a fantasy world could look like. Every society and community presented has a wide array of skin tones and bodies, and the show doesn’t feel the need to explain why. It’s just the way this world is, filled to the brim by a diverse and talented cast. Robins and Harris are the stars among newcomers (although Harris was recast in season 2 for some reason).

The show is not perfect. There are still many Hollywood colorism-related problems. Abdul Salis’s role as the shameful Whitecloak Questionser EamonValda makes him stand out. This is part of a group that arbitrarily names people Dark Friends, and hates and hunts the Aes Sedai. He’s terrifying and his first appearance calls to mind John Noble’s Denethor in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. But the scene where he, as a dark-skinned Black man, manhandles Pike’s Moiraine is difficult to stomach, particularly within the context of the very long history of entertainment deliberately mythologizing and falsifying Black men’s aggression against white women.

That said, Salis is so good in all of his scenes, you can’t take your eyes off him; his work, wonderful and compelling as it is, cements the White Cloaks as just as important a villain to watch as the ever-present references to the Dark One. And it’s emblematic of the rest of the immense talents that fill out the world of Wheel of Time. We only get the briefest glimpse of Johann Myers as Padan Fain, but I already can’t wait to see where he will take the beloved character. And though she doesn’t appear until the latter half of the season, Sophie Okonedo as the Aes Sedai Amyrlin Seat Siuan Sanche is an utter scene-stealer.

Jan Thijs/Netflix

If you feel it like Wheel of Time still has room to grow, that’s because it does. They draw on narratives and characters from both the original trilogy as well as prequel titles. It’s a New Spring This works in large part, however it can cause some problems with pacing. The show is slow in revealing who the Chosen One will turn out to be but the first book makes it much clearer. To those who’ve read the book: The Wheel of Time The show feels strange, as it continues to obscure the true identity of Dragon Reborn. It’s a decision that leads to some strange and frenetic pacing and odd structuring throughout the series, with the show needing to follow characters who aren’t doing anything particularly interesting equally with characters who are, purely in the interest of manufacturing mystery around who the Dragon is.

That frenetic pacing and structuring of the story do make it somewhat difficult to follow at times — there were frequent scenes where a character might have a single line before moving onto the next, or ones that felt they were there just to dump exposition out. I wonder how many viewers will remember Moiraine’s long monologue about Manetheran, or how many were surprised after such an action-packed first episode to get a second episode full of walking and talking. It is still enjoyable, though, and you will find new bits of character or set pieces on every watch. Nestled in that exposition is fantastically detailed world building, and I found myself pausing and rewinding just to get a closer look at the costuming — masterful work by Isis Mussenden — or the constructed sets (like that of the Two Rivers). The commitment to detail just adds to the authenticity of the characters — they all feel like real people despite the fantastical reality they live in.

After so many years of waiting, there’s certainly a lot for fans to chew on with this adaptation. The Wheel of TimeThis is an excellent start to the much-anticipated series. It was created by someone with a solid understanding of adaptations and how they can be enhanced rather than copied. It remains to be seen how much of Jordan’s world can really fit in such a tightly compacted running time, however, as the books just get grander as they go on. I’ll be tuning in to find out.

The Wheel of TimeAmazon Prime Video will launch season 1 on Nov. 19,