Back in May, Amazon cancelled The Wheel of Time in a fit of madness. The show, based on the epic fantasy book series by Robert Jordan, was getting better with each new season, and the third had brought it close to greatness. That's why it hurt so much when Amazon chose to pull the plug.
Fans didn't take the decision lying down. They bought giant billboards in key locations designed to sway decision-makers, they got dressed up and sang in front of Sony headquarters, they organized letter-writing campaigns and set up an online petition that fans could sign in support of a revival, either on Amazon or elsewhere. Today that petition passed a milestone, with off 200k people signing.
The truth is that I don't think these efforts are going to save The Wheel of Time, although I would be thrilled if Apple or someone would shut me up right about now. It's been a while since news of the cancellation came down, and the more time that passes the harder it becomes to reunite the sprawling cast and crew; they've gotta eat, which means they've gotta book other jobs. But I have been very, very impressed by the fandom's dedication. I can't remember the last time I saw this concerted an effort to save a cancelled TV show, and it couldn't have happened to a better one: after watching season 3, I was convinced The Wheel of Time had finally gotten good enough to become the next great high fantasy obsession. For Amazon to pull the rug out from under the show just when it was reaching the peak of its powers seemed especially capricious and cruel.
But the fans battle on. A bunch of them even got together and created a music video parody of the OneRepublic song "When The Love Runs Out," with the lyrics changed to reflect how determined they are to save The Wheel of Time through assiduous activism:
Okay, is this a bit cringey? Yes. But it's borne out of pure love and enthusiasm, which is the kind of cringe I can fully support. Amazon may have abandoned The Wheel of Time but these fans haven't, which is inspirational.
Whatever happens next, you can watch the first three seasons of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video. And if you're sad over the cliffhanger ending, you can always dive into the 14-book behemoth of a novel series; the show adapted the story through around the end of Book 4 before it was cancelled.
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