Das Rad der Zeit

The Wheel of Time is an ambitious fantasy series based on Robert Jordan's iconic book series, bringing to life a sprawling world filled with magic, prophecy, and a battle between light and darkness. Visually, the show is stunning, with breathtaking landscapes, detailed costumes, and a rich cultural tapestry that sets it apart from other fantasy adaptations. The special effects and world-building are genuinely impressive, capturing the epic scale and complexity of the source material. Rosamund Pike delivers a powerful performance as Moiraine, grounding the story with wisdom and mystery. The supporting cast also brings energy and diversity, representing the wide array of cultures and nations that exist within the Wheel's turning. However, despite all these strengths, the show's momentum is noticeably held back by the portrayal of its central character, Rand al'Thor, played by Josha Stradowski. While the character is meant to evolve from a humble farmer to a world-changing figure, Stradowski's performance often feels flat, lacking the emotional depth and inner turmoil that defines Rand's journey in the books. His stoic demeanor comes across more as wooden than reserved, making it difficult to connect with him or fully invest in his transformation. Given the importance of Rand to the overall narrative, this casting misstep significantly impacts the emotional resonance of the series. One can't help but wonder how much stronger the show could have been with a more dynamic actor in the lead role-someone capable of conveying the vulnerability, fear, and reluctant heroism that Rand embodies. For instance, imagining an actor with the nuanced charm and range of a young Daniel Radcliffe, best known for his portrayal of Harry Potter, could have dramatically altered the feel of the series. Radcliffe's ability to grow with a character and express internal conflict would have added layers to Rand's arc, making the story more compelling and emotionally grounded. That said, the rest of the ensemble cast works hard to elevate the material, and the showrunners deserve credit for attempting to streamline an incredibly dense series into a television format. The narrative pacing has its highs and lows, occasionally feeling rushed or disjointed, especially for those unfamiliar with the books. Still, fans of the series will appreciate the nods to the original lore and the attempts to stay true to the themes of balance, destiny, and the cyclical nature of time. With strong female leads, diverse representation, and a deep mythology, The Wheel of Time has a lot going for it, but it also struggles under the weight of its own expectations. If the central performance had been more engaging, it could have elevated the entire production to a different level. Instead, the series sometimes feels like it's spinning in place, trying to find its emotional core. Despite this, there's still potential for growth, especially if the character development sharpens in future seasons. As it stands, The Wheel of Time is a visually rich and thematically ambitious adaptation that is held back by uneven acting and some awkward narrative choices-but with a few key changes, it could still become one of the greats in modern fantasy television.

Have read the books multiple times and not hung up on changes, in fact not knowing exactly what is going to happen is part of the enjoyment! Many scenes have been lifted directly from the books. Acting is amazing and the show just looks incredible this season! Only reason it's not a 10 there were a couple of very minor story points I think could have been stronger but only minor things.

The actors feel so confident in their roles and :characters now and the world much wider. Loving the shadow characters being a bit more nuanced and exposition is handled well, especially for the amount of lore they have to try to explain. Hopefully a 4th season is greenlit soon as the story will just take off from here.

The Wheel of Time is one of those rare shows where every season gets better and better. It's a show where you can't be playing on your phone, cooking dinner or doing something else, it requires your undivided attention. It's a show that never gets stale. I can't remember ever being bored, even for one episode. I loved every second of every episode and I think you will to if you give it a chance. The entire cast has been fantastic. With season 3 coming out I just rewatched the first two seasons from beginning to end. I saw that it's already been renewed for a fourth season and I'm sure it'll be just as good as the first three.

I would be lying if I said there are no moments in The Wheel of Time that I didn't enjoy. A few brief moments of action and some characters standout over others. Some of the sets look great and others have CGI from 2003.

As in many other reviews I wrote for individual episodes the biggest culprit affecting WOT is the writing. Conversations are rarely engaging, and most characters are poorly developed, providing nobody to emotionally attach to. The second problem for me is the acting and casting. Rosamund Pike as Moiraine, Zoe Robins as Nynaeve, Daniel Henney as Lan and Kate Fleetwood as Liandrin are all great in their roles. Everyone else including Rand are boring beyond belief. Rand and Egwene have no chemistry and it's hard to watch one of the worst love triangle plot threads unfold with Perrin. Perrin has potential as a character, but his expression is the same throughout the whole season, the same goes for boring Rand. Watching Rand during the finale made me want to poor bleach on my eyes. Matt, what happened to Matt...who knows?

For the budget the WOT's marketing bragged about little talent is displayed from the writers and a majority of the actors. Some of the CGI is distractingly awful for a big budget show. Another problem is the shows pacing. Episodes can drag on one after the other with the last thirty minutes of episode four being the only highlight. The direction of the story is all over the place and I was bored throughout most of the season.

If you're desperate to watch something fantasy related don't let anyone's opinion prevent you from giving WOT a try. Some people do seem to be enjoying it. For me, I loathed WOT for the majority of the show's duration. Potential is lurking on the horizon for WOT. Maybe use some of that Amazon money to hire better writers and directors?

I've been struggling to put into words exactly what it is that makes me dislike this tv show, the best I can do is say that Rafe Judkins has removed, changed and added so much that the resemblance to this book series is at best passing. What he has created from a classic fantasy story is a Frankenstein's monster with a rushed story that makes little sense in a world robbed of any character or depth. I watch because I love the book series, and seeing them mangle one of my favourite series is like witnessing a car crash happen in slow motion, I don't want to watch but I can't bring myself to look away.

I could go into detail, but nobody wants that so I'll save you that torment. The book readers know what the changes are, and the tv show enjoyers don't really care. Each to their own, Keeping Up with the Kardashians has been on television for 20 years so it's not like the bar is incredibly high. The crux of my criticism of the Wheel of Time steaming series is this; Rafe Judkins believes himself a better storyteller than Robert Jordan, that is the only way to explain how and why he made the changes that he did. That is the only way to explain it. There are moments that could have been book accurate, but weren't. For what reason? Only Rafe knows.