A 100% faithful adaptation of The Wheel of Time was never going to be possible. Robert Jordan's epic fantasy series spans 14 books — 15 if you count the prequel — totaling over 4 million words. That's simply too much material to fit into a TV show. Understandably, Amazon Prime Video's version of The Wheel of Time cuts a great deal from its source material.
This first season mostly draws from the first book in the series, The Eye of the World. However, showrunner Rafe Judkins confirmed that this first season will also be covering elements of the second and third books, The Great Hunt and The Dragon Reborn.
Despite a significant number of changes, the story of The Wheel of Time remains the same at its core. Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the powerful all-female Aes Sedai order, embarks on a massive journey with five young men and women, any of whom could be the powerful Dragon Reborn prophesied to either save the world or destroy it. There's a bit more to it than that. So, be sure to check out our handy-dandy Wheel of Time guide to get your full bearings.
Here are the biggest changes The Wheel of Time has made from the books so far. The following contains massive spoilers for the books and the show, so consider yourselves warned.
The Dragon Reborn
Episode 1, "Leavetaking," opens with a bit of voice-over that immediately changes something about the central figure of the Dragon Reborn. Moiraine reveals that the Dragon — originally a man named Lews Therin Telamon — has been reincarnated, but no one knows whether he has been reborn as a man or a woman. In the books, there is no uncertainty: the Dragon is (rightly) assumed to be a man.
I doubt The Wheel of Time will change the identity of the Dragon, as that would have massive repercussions down the line. All this deviation from the book does is broaden the mystery of who the Dragon could be by adding women like Egwene (Madeleine Madden) and Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) into the mix — something that I'm not at all mad about.
Different Perspectives
Most of The Eye of the World is told from the perspective of sheepherder Rand (Josha Stradowski), making it pretty obvious that he's the Main Character (aka the Dragon). To keep us guessing, The Wheel of Time positions Moiraine as our lead, at least for the first few episodes. This choice allows us to understand the stakes of her quest a bit better.
By not solely focusing on Rand, we also get to learn more about other characters' lives in the Two Rivers. We see Egwene's induction into the Women's Circle, an addition that Rand would not have been able to narrate. We also get glimpses of Mat's (Barney Harris) troubled home life and Perrin's (Marcus Rutherford) relationship with his wife. Speaking of...
Perrin is married?
Yes, but not for long! Perrin's wife Laila (Helena Westerman) is a new character, who quickly becomes a new corpse in one of the show's most unnecessary page-to-screen changes. When we first meet Laila, it's clear that her marriage to Perrin is strained. However, before we can learn any more information or even get a smidge of resolution, Perrin accidentally kills her when the Trollocs attack. Her death is a classic example of "fridging," when a character — most of the time a woman — exists solely to die or suffer in order to further the emotional arc of a more central character. It's a cheap tactic that could easily have been avoided. Perrin could have had a strong emotional response to literally anything else, like, I don't know, his home being burned? Or Nynaeve being kidnapped?
Nynaeve being what now?
Don't worry, Nynaeve is fine. She was just carried off by a Trolloc, leading everyone to believe she's dead. In the books, she survives the attack without being kidnapped, but she doesn't leave the Two Rivers with the rest of the group. She chases after them later, believing them to be in danger from Moiraine and reuniting with them in Baerlon. That's a little harder for her to do in the show because…
Bye bye, Baerlon
The first of many stops on our group's journey to Tar Valon, Baerlon has been completely removed from The Wheel of Time. Since so much of The Eye of the World is just the group walking from place to place, it makes sense that some of those places got cut. However, we're missing some key encounters as a result, like the aforementioned Nynaeve reunion. Plus, the role of the shady Padan Fain (Johann Myers) seems to have cut down to just one appearance (so far). We also lose out on meeting Min, whose uncanny ability to read people's auras gives big hints about who the Dragon is. We're sure to see Min at some point, though, given that Kae Alexander has been cast in the role.
Mordeth and Mashadar
The Shadar Logoth sequence in episode 2, "Shadow's Waiting," plays out a bit differently in the show than it does in the books, but the main beats remain the same. We learn the history of the abandoned city. Mat steals a ruby-hilted dagger, and the shadowy entity known as Mashadar separates the group as they escape. In The Eye of the World, we get the added step of Mat, Rand, and Perrin meeting a mysterious man named Mordeth, who tries to get them to move some treasure for him. He later attacks them, only backing off when he realizes Mat has taken the dagger.
Thom Merrilin
We meet mysterious gleeman Thom Merrilin (Alexandre Willaume) in The Wheel of Time's third episode, "A Place of Safety." Jordan introduces Thom much earlier on in The Eye of the World. He arrives in the Two Rivers as entertainment for the Bel Tine festival and accompanies the group when they leave after the attack. He also advises Rand, Mat, and Perrin to hide their mysterious dreams from Moiraine. When the group splits up in Shadar Logoth, he escapes with Rand and Mat. So, introducing him now still means we could see how this trio interacts with each other. It also means that we had one less character to worry about remembering in the early episodes. Now that we're more familiar with our seven leads, we can devote some time to getting to know the supporting cast.
A new Darkfriend
Episode 3, "A Place of Safety," sees Rand and Mat threatened by a Darkfriend, a human who has been influenced by the Dark One. This Darkfriend is Dana (Izuka Hoyle) — not to be confused with Dena, Thom's lover from the books. She's a completely new character. But the run-in has roots in The Eye of the World, where Mat and Rand encounter Darkfriends like merchant Howal Gode on their journey.
Meeting the Tuatha'an
Wolves follow Perrin and Egwene after Shadar Logoth, chasing them all the way until they come across the nomadic Tuatha'an people. While this meeting occurs in The Eye of the World, it comes after Perrin and Egwene spend time with a character named Elyas. Elyas is a wolfbrother who teaches Perrin about his own connection with wolves. The Wheel of Time is clearly foreshadowing Perrin's own wolfbrother storyline. But since casting for Elyas has not been confirmed yet, it looks like he will not be a part of it.
Liandrin and Logain
In The Wheel of Time's third episode, Moiraine, Nynaeve, and Lan (Daniel Henney) cross paths with Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood), an Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah, and Logain (Álvaro Morte), an imprisoned man claiming to be the Dragon Reborn.
Liandrin isn't introduced until The Wheel of Time's second book, The Great Hunt, meaning this whole scene is new material. However, parts of it are based on events that happen in The Eye of the World. The Aes Sedai do imprison Logain and bring him to the city of Caemlyn, but we never see the actual imprisonment or journey to Caemlyn ourselves. One of the many advantages of adapting The Wheel of Time is that we get to experience battles and scenes that happen off the page — like Logain's experience with the Aes Sedai — for the first time.
The war in Ghealdan
The Wheel of Time's fourth episode, "The Dragon Reborn," opens with a flashback of Logain attacking — and then joining forces with — the King of Ghealdan (Miguel Alvarez). In The Eye of the World, the war in Ghealdan is something we only hear about in passing, and Ghealdan's king Johanin actually strips Logain of his nobility instead of joining up with him. This change from page to screen ends up being particularly effective. We see Logain's channeling of the One Power in action and can understand how some may find his cause appealing.
Some new Aes Sedai
Aside from Liandrin, Moiraine reunites with two other prominent Aes Sedai: Kerene (Clare Perkins) and Alanna (Priyanka Bose). Both are members of the Green Ajah, also known as the Battle Ajah. Neither shows up in The Eye of the World. Kerene is a character in the Wheel of Time prequel New Spring; she dies while searching for the Dragon Reborn. Alanna also features in New Spring, as well as The Great Hunt and the rest of The Wheel of Time.
Moiraine, Lan, and Nynaeve spend much of The Eye of the World searching for their lost companions, but the shift in the storyline to incorporate Logain and other Aes Sedai is a smart move. It allows us to learn more about the different kinds of Aes Sedai as well as the conflicts between the Ajahs. The change is different enough from the source material that book readers will be pleasantly surprised. Yet it uses familiar characters, so these new scenes don't feel completely removed from Jordan's world.
Where's Whitebridge?
Just like with the group's quick stay in Baerlon, Rand, Mat, and Thom's time in Whitebridge (and their prior journey with sailors on the Spray) is cut from The Wheel of Time. Although we miss out on seeing the town's very cool namesake White Bridge, the loss of this stage in the journey doesn't change much story-wise. That's because The Wheel of Time still includes one of the most important Whitebridge events. The only thing that changes is the context.
A Fade walks into a barn...
In The Eye of the World, a Fade hunts Mat, Rand, and Thom down in Whitebridge. Thom battles it and urges the boys to leave him behind and run. On the road from Whitebridge to Caemlyn, they stay at a variety of inns and farms, one of them belonging to the Grinwell family, who kindly offer them lodging. The show takes these events and twists them in a different direction. Instead of the Fade appearing at Whitebridge, it appears at the Grinwells' farm and massacres the family. The rest of the encounter plays out how it does in the book, with Thom fighting the Fade and telling the boys to run.
Whereas the addition of Laila's death felt unnecessary, the Grinwells' newly tragic fate is key to the story. Here, the brutality of the Fade's attack is horrific, emphasizing the danger Rand and Mat are in and the extent of the Dark One's evil. The massacre also forces Mat to doubt himself. Did he kill the Grinwells with his mysterious dagger? Is he the Dragon Reborn, doomed to go mad and destroy the world?
The Aes Sedai vs. Logain
Much of Moiraine, Lan, and Nynaeve's storyline has been altered from the books. Still, the Aes Sedai's battle against Logain's army deserves a special mention. This fight is a new addition to The Wheel of Time, but it helps flesh out the Aes Sedai's powers and their relationship with their Warders. It also results in Logain being gentled. In the books, that doesn't happen until he reaches Tar Valon.
Another big change is Nynaeve healing all the wounded Aes Sedai and Warders, including a nearly-dead Lan. Nynaeve is a highly powerful Channeler, but her power doesn't manifest itself this strongly or this early on in the books. Her massive blast of magic in the show not only works as a misdirect about the identity of the Dragon Reborn but also is just a great new moment to showcase how strong she is — and to hint at her emotional connection to Lan.
Cutting Caemlyn
While The Wheel of Time has cut from its characters' journeys several destinations (like Baerlon and Whitebridge), the decision to get rid of Caemlyn entirely may come as a shock. After all, much of The Eye of the World is spent trying to get there. Plus, Rand's time in Caemlyn leads to some key encounters.
Don't be too worried though: The Wheel of Time has simply shifted much of the book's Caemlyn action to Tar Valon, meaning that we also get a look inside the Aes Sedai's White Tower. In the show, Rand still meets up with Loial the Ogier (Hammed Animashaun), and he still sees Logain being paraded through the streets by the Aes Sedai.
The Logain scene diverges a bit from the books as well. Logain is now gentled, and Rand sees him with Mat. In The Eye of the World, Logain can still channel, and Rand sees him alone. In The Wheel of Time, Logain sees Mat and laughs maniacally as well, a solid addition to the misdirects about the Dragon Reborn's true identity.
A few characters haven't made the move from Caemlyn to Tar Valon. Elayne and the Daughter-Heir of Andor, chief among them. Good news for all the Elayne fans out there: Judkins confirmed that she will be in Season 2, played by Ceara Coveney.
An encounter with the Whitecloaks
Egwene and Perrin's capture by the Whitecloaks in episode 5, "Blood Calls Blood" goes a little differently in The Eye of the World. By this point in the novel, Egwene and Perrin have left the Tuatha'an. After torture and questioning, they are rescued from the Whitecloak camp by Moiraine, Lan, and Nynaeve.
The Wheel of Time allows Egwene and Perrin to rescue themselves with the help of the former's channeling and the latter's connection to the wolves. It's an opportunity to better understand their abilities, and a great taste of things to come for both characters.
Questioning them is Whitecloak Eamon Valda (Abdul Salis), who does not originally appear in The Eye of the World, but who does play a role in the later books. The show never confirms whether he dies when Egwene and Perrin escape, leaving the door wide open for him to continue antagonizing our heroes.
The tragedy of Stepin
Much of "Blood Calls Blood" focuses on the aftermath of the Aes Sedai's battle with Logain, which resulted in the death of Kerene. Her Warder, Stepin (Peter Franzén) grieves her throughout the episode before dying by suicide. The episode ends with his funeral. Kerene and Stepin's both die in Wheel of Time prequel New Spring, so this is new material. However, it's new material with a clear purpose: establishing the significance of the bond between an Aes Sedai and their Warder. Though short, Stepin's arc ends up being one of The Wheel of Time's stronger and most emotional storylines so far.
Exile from the White Tower
Episode 6, "The Flame of Tar Valon," continues The Wheel of Time's trend of developing the politics of the White Tower early on in the series. It spends most of its time with the Aes Sedai and introduces their leader, the Amyrlin Seat Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okonedo), whose first appearance in the books, not counting the prequel, is in The Great Hunt. We get to see first-hand the decisions made about Logain, more of Liandrin's scheming, and Moiraine and Siuan's romantic relationship.
"The Flame of Tar Valon" throws us a curveball with Moiraine's request that Siuan exile her — an entirely new plot point that changes Moiraine's dynamic with her sisters moving forward. Part of Moiraine's oath does stipulate that she can't return until the Amyrlin Seat calls her back, so there's a chance her time at the White Tower isn't over. However, it's still a heartbreaking scene, one that emphasizes just how much Moiraine is sacrificing on her quest to find the Dragon Reborn — including more time with Siuan.
Mat, get back here!
When Moiraine unites the group at a Waygate outside Tar Valon, the expectation is clear: Everyone will journey to the Eye of the World through the mysterious Ways. However, Mat continues to be a total wild card and chooses not to follow his friends. "The Flame of Tar Valon" ends, quite forebodingly, with him abandoning the quest to stop the Dark One. This is a huge departure from The Eye of the World, which sees Mat accompanying the rest of the group through the Ways and beyond.
The most likely reason for his change of heart is that pesky ruby-hilted dagger from Shadar Logoth. Moiraine may have severed his connection to it this episode, but it's clear Mat's still got a lot of darkness in him. His recovery from the dagger in the books is a much longer process than the healing we see in the show, which felt like a deceptively simple solution. Something tells me we haven't seen the last of that dagger just yet.
Fal Dara
The Wheel of Time's seventh episode, "The Dark Along the Ways," brings our heroes (minus Mat) to the city of Fal Dara. There, in keeping with The Eye of the World, they meet Lord Agelmar (Thomas Chaanhing) and learn that Lan is the uncrowned king of Malkier. However, there are still a few aspects of their time in Fal Dara that differ from the books.
For starters, Min is here! The Wheel of Time moves its travelers' meeting with the seer from Baerlon to Fal Dara, and with good reason. If she had appeared earlier, her visions would have revealed the Dragon Reborn's identity far too soon. Some of her in-show visions differ from the ones in the book, but some — like the sparks battling shadow — are lifted nearly word for word from Jordan's work.
Elsewhere, Perrin catches a glimpse of merchant Padan Fain, who he thought to be dead. In The Eye of the World, Fain is caught and questioned by Moiraine until he reveals his connection to the Dark One. However, The Wheel of Time seems content to keep that mystery going for at least another episode.
While in Fal Dara, we also see Lan and Nynaeve's romance begin in earnest. In The Eye of the World, Lan actually rejects Nynaeve's advances even though he cares for her. We only see that scene through Rand's eyes though, so it's nice to witness their interactions up close and personal in the show. The Wheel of Time has definitely sped up their relationship timeline. But given Henney and Robins' excellent chemistry, I'm not complaining.
Dragon drama
Much of this episode hinges on the main mystery of "who is the Dragon Reborn?" Moiraine claims that only the Dragon can come with her to face the Dark One. Everyone else will perish. This is less of a concern in the books, as Moiraine doesn't tell any of the Two Rivers folk that they may be the Dragon Reborn.
The higher stakes result in one of the episode's best scenes: Egwene, Nynaeve, Perrin, and Rand arguing about whether they follow Moiraine. The conversation devolves quickly into conflict, with each actor getting the chance to flex their chops and delve deeper into their characters. There are some strange revelations. (Perrin is suddenly in love with Egwene?) But overall the scene is an impactful addition to the story.
The big reveal
It's official: Rand is the Dragon Reborn. He figures it out through some strange memories, including a scene from the Trolloc attack in episode 1, in which his injured father Tam (Michael McElhatton) reveals that he found Rand as a baby. The omission of that scene earlier on makes Rand's memories a bit confusing, feeling a bit like a cheap tactic to keep new viewers in the dark, as its earlier inclusion would have made the Dragon's identity extremely obvious.
However, The Wheel of Time makes up for that misstep with the incredible fight scene that opens the episode. It's a flashback to the Aiel War, featuring Rand's mother (Magdalena Sittova) fighting off her enemies while in labor. Everything from the choreography to the score to Sittova's performance is on point, bringing this pivotal sequence to life in a satisfying way.
A surprising departure
The episode ends with Rand and Moiraine following in Mat's footsteps and leaving everyone behind. Just like with Mat's exit, this is a new addition. And it's one that may take the season's climax in a completely different direction. In the book, Rand has his friends with him for this final portion of the journey, and he still doesn't know he's the Dragon Reborn. His in-show knowledge of his identity could drastically change his climactic showdown with the Dark One.
The Eye of the World
To understand how The Wheel of Time's season 1 finale, "The Eye of the World," differs from its source material, it's important to say what, exactly, the Eye of the World is. In the books, the Eye of the World is a pool of enough untainted saidin (the male half of the One Power) to either seal the Dark One in his prison forever or break him out of it. It is guarded by the tree-like Green Man and only appears to those in great need.
The show's version omits the Green Man entirely, streamlining the journey to the Eye. It also forgoes the pool of saidin. Moiraine gives Rand a powerful sa'angreal to channel with instead, and the Eye itself appears to be the site of a battle between original Dragon Lews Therin Telamon (Alexander Karim) and evil Ba'alzamon (Fares Fares).
Ba'alzamon, baby!
We finally come face to face with the man who's been haunting Rand and his friends' dreams. Based on his fiery eyes and general demeanor of villainy, it's easy to assume that this is the Dark One. However, this is not the true Big Bad of The Wheel of Time. This is Ba'alzamon, also known as Ishamael. He's one of the Forsaken, a minion of the Dark One who is able to channel. Aside from Ba'alzamon, our heroes meet two other Forsaken in the books, but the show limits us to just one. Probably a good idea, given that we already have so many characters to keep track of.
Even by himself, Ishamael packs a punch. He cuts Moiraine off from the One Power and attempts to tempt Rand to the Dark with a vision of Egwene. Both are big changes from Jordan's books, with Moiraine's loss of power suggesting dire consequences in future seasons.
The outcome of the Ba'alzamon encounter is mostly the same with Rand defeating him with the One Power. However, his decision to fake his death is a bit of a curveball, as it splits him up from our other heroes extremely early, potentially sending him down a new path.
The Battle of Tarwin's Gap
First off, let's pay our respects to Lord Agelmar and Lady Amalisa (Sandra Yi Sencindiver), who defended the city of Fal Dara and died untimely deaths. Seriously untimely, seeing as neither dies in the books. Still, their deaths emphasize the stakes of the battle between Light and Dark, and — in Amalisa's case — the dangers of using too much of the One Power.
This battle shows us why The Wheel of Time split Rand from Egwene, Nynaeve, and Perrin for the show's climax. In The Eye of the World, the three of them (and Mat) survive the encounter with the Forsaken. But we don't hear much about their experience because we're so focused on Rand. Thankfully, the show actually gives them something to do here. Nynaeve and Egwene channel alongside Amalisa, destroying the Trolloc armies with the One Power. Rand plays the role of army-destroyer in The Eye of the World, so his being absent during this battle may annoy the Rand fans out there. However, this change lets us see the extent of Egwene and Nynaeve's channeling abilities, giving characters other than Rand a moment to shine.
The Horn of Valere
While Egwene and Nynaeve stop the Trolloc hordes from invading Fal Dara, Perrin and Loial provide aid within the city. The two of them help dig up the Horn of Valere from under Agelmar's throne. In the books, it appears at the Eye of the World after Rand defeats Ishamael.
When sounded, the Horn of Valere will summon heroes to fight, so it's the kind of powerful object you'd want on your side in a battle against evil. Unfortunately, Padan Fain steals it out from under Perrin's nose, setting us up for the events of book 2, The Great Hunt. In Jordan's series, Fain's Horn heist happens after he spends some time in prison. The show knows it's got a lot of ground to cover and wisely cuts right to the chase.
However, in cutting to the chase so quickly, the show rushes the Fain reveal in one of the finale's weakest scenes. Fain has barely been given any time this season, so non-book readers may find this storyline to be too much of a surprise, and not a particularly exciting one. In this scene, The Wheel of Time also makes the dubious choice of possibly killing off Loial. Yet, his death is never confirmed. So, I'm holding out hope that he's wounded, not gone.
Where do we go from here?
If you're craving more Wheel of Time, fear not: The second season is already in production, and the finale has given us a good idea of what to expect moving forward.
We'll definitely be seeing more storylines from The Great Hunt, including the search for the Horn of Valere. After their displays of power throughout the season, Egwene and Nynaeve will likely travel to the White Tower to begin their journey as Aes Sedai. Another hint for the future comes from the season's final scene, which shows the fearsome Seanchan army arriving on the Western shores. Looks like we'll be seeing the Seanchan invasion sooner rather than later.
The Wheel of Time's finale still leaves room for questions, though. What will Rand do, now that he's wandering the Blight alone? How will Moiraine fare without her connection to the One Power? Why did Mat (who will be played by Dónal Finn in Season 2) return to Tar Valon?
Final verdict
The Wheel of Time set itself a seemingly impossible task: bring a dense fantasy series that is over 4 million words long to the small screen. Luckily, it understood which elements were truly needed to tell a good story and cut any material that would have bogged down a season of TV. It also expanded on its source material when needed, giving all its characters their own perspectives and fleshing out the world of the Aes Sedai. The result is a richly political and character-driven world.
While some choices in this adaptation don't always land — like fridging Perrin's wife Laila — The Wheel of Time more than makes up for it with its bolder decisions. Centering Moiraine pays off thanks to Pike's performance, and establishing the mystery of the Dragon Reborn early on gives the season a clear arc. Overall, The Wheel of Time succeeds in adapting (and in some cases improving on) Jordan's work, and I'm excited to see where the journey goes.
Season 1 of Wheel of Time is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
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Hello, my name is Ashok Jain. I'm a 40 year old self-employed Blogger from the India.
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