5 worst changes The Wheel of Time show has made from the books (so far)
By Dan Selcke
5. Loial is lame now, Thom Merrilin is barely there
The Wheel of Time is a massive, 14-book strong series. It's unrealistic to expect them to import every plot point, every character, every twist just as it is on the page. Still, some absences hurt more than others, and I don't think any of the characters on the show have disappointed me as much as Loial.
Loial (Hammed Animashaun) is an Ogier, a race of super-tall forest-dwellers with tufted ears and a love of knowledge. And Loial loves knowledge the most. He looks fearsome, but he's actually a giant nerd who loves hanging out in libaries and being helpful to his friends. He's endlessly charming in the books, easily one of my favorite characters, and I was looking forward to seeing him on the show.
Well, I regret to inform you that on TV, Loial is...fine. He's not bad, and the second season does a better job of displaying his adorkable personality than the first, which is a good sign of thing to come. But too many of his plots are cut, like a span of The Great Hunt where the gang visits the steading where he grew up. His charm is muted, his appeal dampened, and that makes me sad.
Another example of a character getting the short shrift is Thom Merrilin, a gleeman (basically a bard) whom Rand and Mat meet while on their way to the city of Tar Valon in the first season. Played by Alexandre Willaume, he makes a decent showing, but he's in and out of the show within two episodes, whereas he feels like he takes up more space in the books. I expect him to eventually come back, as he does on the page, but since the show has already skipped over a lot of his material, it's not going to feel the same when and if it happens.
The Wheel of Time has a hard job to do adapting these door-stopping books and I admire the cast and crew for giving it their best. Even if I have complaints, overall I think the show is pretty solid, and seems to be getting better and more self-assured as it continues. I'll be watching season 3 whenever it premieres, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Next. atla. All 8 episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender ranked from worst to best. dark
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