The Wheel of Time is a fantasy series on Prime Video. Three episodes were released last Friday, with more to come on future Fridays. The first season is based on the first novel in a series by Robert Jordan, also called The Wheel of Time.
The most striking thing about The Wheel of Time is the gorgeous look of it. Costumes, sets, and scenery are all stunning visually. It’s an American production, filmed in the Czech Republic and Slovenia, and starring what sound like mostly English actors with accents intact. I’m not clear on the time period, but they fight with arrows, knives, and swords and ride horses.
Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike) is the main character. She is a member of the Aes Sedai and wields the One Power. She begins the series on a mission to find four young people in a town beset by murderous monsters. The monsters also want the four. The four are all the same age. The prophecy is that a dragon, or powerful spirit for good, has been reborn and one of these individuals is it. But Moiraine doesn’t know which one, so she convinces all four of them to return with her to The White Tower where others with magical powers like herself (all women) live.
They are sure the dragon will save the world. All those ugly horned monsters chase them.
Lan Mondragoran (Daniel Henney) is Moiraine’s Warder, or protector.
In the town, Egwene Al’Vere (Madeleine Madden) has already been identified by the local Wisdom, Nynaeve al’Meara (Zoë Robins), as someone with special abilities. Egwene is one of the four.
Egwene is in love with Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski), another of the four. But if she chooses to train as a Wisdom, she can’t marry or have children. Rand is upset about this.
Two additional men, Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris) and Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford), are among the four. Mat is kind of a mess, but he does care for his younger sisters when his mother is drunk. Perrin is a big, strong guy who accidentally hurts his girlfriend while fighting the monsters besetting the town.
Based on the first 3 episodes of the series, it looks like it’s going to be an epic tale of good and evil with many bloody battles and heroic deeds.
Two of the first episodes were directed by Uta Briesewitz and I see Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Sanaa Hamri on the roster for future episodes. Maria Doyle Kennedy and Sophie Okonedo, a couple of my favorite actors, are in this. I look forward their parts.
The first three episodes are promising. Considering the vast amount of source material available, if this series is a success and is renewed the story could go on for a long time into many times and places.
I’ll keep watching. What about you? Are you going to give this series a chance?