The Wheel of Time

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Season 1
Season #: 3, 2, 1
User Score
6.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 459 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 290 out of 459
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 459
  3. Negative: 148 out of 459
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User Reviews

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  1. Dodger
    Nov 24, 2021
    3
    Weirdly stilted show that feels extremely low budget even though I'm sure it wasn't. I haven't read the books so I can't compare it to that but from what I've heard it's a big whiff on that side as well.
    They're marketing this as the next Game of Thrones, I wouldn't rate it as high as BBC's Merlin if with sticking with the genre.
  2. Nobilis1984
    Nov 21, 2021
    3
    An attempt to tie in with the good old days with GoT, but this series is above all one thing.
    - Superficial
    - Undemanding
    - It's not good for a long time because of some nice fantasy monsters.

    The will is there, but the end result is very sobering.
  3. Golconde
    Nov 24, 2021
    3
    Just the first 5 minutes of the 1st episode will show you what to expect from this show...It looks like they filmed the 1st scene at the local park down the street from the studio with Go Pro cameras.
  4. tylertylerbills
    Nov 19, 2021
    3
    This isn’t going to fill the fantasy void that GoT left us with when it went off the air. This show is geared towards a much younger audience. There is very little to like about the show. The hair and wardrobe is really bad. The way some of the fantasy elements are portrayed is downright cringe. There isn’t a lot of upside here. Would not recommend.
  5. Dru419
    Nov 19, 2021
    3
    I can’t believe people on here are giving this show 10s!! WOT was one of my favorite fantasy series growing up, I have read and reread most of the books probably 5 times. As much as I wanted to love it, or at least like it, this adaptation was crap. Special effects belong on an episode of Power Rangers. Seriously, those Trollocs are awful. Really? That was the best you could do? Buffy TheI can’t believe people on here are giving this show 10s!! WOT was one of my favorite fantasy series growing up, I have read and reread most of the books probably 5 times. As much as I wanted to love it, or at least like it, this adaptation was crap. Special effects belong on an episode of Power Rangers. Seriously, those Trollocs are awful. Really? That was the best you could do? Buffy The Vampire Slayer had better looking monsters. The sword fighting? W. T. H. I couldn’t wait to see a heron blade master in action…until I did. Again, reminiscent of power rangers. Don’t even get me started on the Aes Sedai. Ageless and graceful, my butt. The acting? Wouldn’t cut it on a CW show. You want to watch a great adaptation of a great series? Go watch The Witcher, or the first 6 seasons of GOT.… Expand
  6. Perseus69
    Nov 19, 2021
    3
    The Human Resources team is now in control of casting and scripting, with no respect to logic, source material or acting skills. Most shows are now just politics for the consumption of adults with the brain of a 5 years old, with stories artificially restrained by the suffocating cage of non-offensive material. Add to the mix a bad director, and the result is Wheel of Time.
  7. BradyEhler
    Nov 21, 2021
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Poor man's Game of Thrones. In the wake of GOT's success, The Bezos network apparently, just had to have an epic fantasy of its own. Unfortunately, none of the people footing the bill seem to have read the source material. If they had, they may have realized what a bloated, meandering and ultimately, boring story that they were investing hundreds of millions of dollars to bring to life. Oh, but it gets worse. The writers miss no opportunity to bash the viewer over the head with messages of LGBTQ inclusion, racial inclusion, and women's equality. Their heavy-handedness and sloppiness in pushing this agenda, destroys the illusion realism and makes immersion in the story impossible. Take for instance the lead cast of characters, who are ethnically Caucasian, African, Indian and Spanish, and all hail from the same tiny, isolated mountain town. Consider also the scene where the six foot two Rand cowers in terror when he is locked in a room with a five foot nothing young woman, who he allows, without resistance to snatch his sword. Subsequently, in a slapstick display of comedy, with his superhuman strength he bashes down a steel-reinforced door and sprints away from the girl, who give chase, brandishing his katana. When she admits he has no intention of harming him, Rand still fails to offer resistance and is saved by an onlooker. Suitable only for children who enjoy gratuitous violence. Adult fantasy fans would do better to re watch Game of Thrones.… Expand
  8. Hawkface
    Nov 22, 2021
    3
    It doesn't feel like it takes anything but names from the books. Even separated from the source material, it's just plain boring. I kept tuning out in the second episode because it was hard to feel invested in anything they were doing. Everything is dark and grim, and the characters feel like they barely care about each other.

    I wish they had figured out a way to add any of the charm from    It doesn't feel like it takes anything but names from the books. Even separated from the source material, it's just plain boring. I kept tuning out in the second episode because it was hard to feel invested in anything they were doing. Everything is dark and grim, and the characters feel like they barely care about each other.

    I wish they had figured out a way to add any of the charm from the books, but no dice.    … Expand
  9. TotoVoss
    Nov 23, 2021
    3
    I'll keep it simple: It looks like the scripts were written by someone who never read the books, but consider themselves superior to the highly successful, beloved and acclaimed author like Robert Jordan, and produced by someone who has read them and hated everything in them. Honestly the first 3 episodes felt like hate mail toward Robert Jordan and the fans.

    The show's creators excuse    I'll keep it simple: It looks like the scripts were written by someone who never read the books, but consider themselves superior to the highly successful, beloved and acclaimed author like Robert Jordan, and produced by someone who has read them and hated everything in them. Honestly the first 3 episodes felt like hate mail toward Robert Jordan and the fans.

    The show's creators excuse that the plot must be compressed to fit the adaptation and for it some storylines and characters needed to be dropped for the pacing and the overall story arc, is laughable a flat out lie, since they've introduced completely new characters and stories that has nothing to do with The Wheel Of Time which take almost 2/3 of the screen time.

    In an adaptation of such a great work that is The Wheel Of Time, with it's amazing descriptions, characters and story, to get the basic core world mechanisms, theology, details and characterizations so painfully wrong is simply inexcusable. And to think that this is just the beginning of the journey, this will be a really rotten one for the fans of the books or for fans in general who like a good story.

    If they really wanted to tell their story that much, and not the one in the books, they only needed to drop the name The Wheel Of Time and call it Amazon's & Rafe's Generic Fan Fiction or something, and unfortunately it still won't be passable TV show.

    The editing is abysmal, diversifying the cast could've work, but it only bogs them down because they've picked the wrong actors, whose acting is so stiff and really bad, the writers are just trying to force the newest and wokest thing of the moment (which will be unacceptable next year when the next woke thing comes along), pacing is all over the place which makes this show completely disjointed and dismal failure.

    The only question about this remains: is this show gonna last 2 or 3 seasons?

    Hopefully Amazon will learn from this debacle and will not make the same mistakes with it's upcoming adaptation of LoTR.    … Expand
  10. Bigotegrande
    Nov 23, 2021
    3
    Not a good adaptation of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time and a less than good show overall. Pacing is not good, cinematography is inconsistent and the cgi is already dated. It is incredible that this cost Amazon $10 million per episode.
  11. samichsupernova
    Nov 19, 2021
    2
    As someone who grew up on Robert Jordan's book series, this poorly-written adaptation is not only wholly unworthy, it thinks that it can improve on some of the most well-thought-out lore in all of fantasy fiction. That it lacks faithfulness to the source material is not its only sin, however. The poor acting, poor action, shallow characterizations, eye-rolling misandrism, genericAs someone who grew up on Robert Jordan's book series, this poorly-written adaptation is not only wholly unworthy, it thinks that it can improve on some of the most well-thought-out lore in all of fantasy fiction. That it lacks faithfulness to the source material is not its only sin, however. The poor acting, poor action, shallow characterizations, eye-rolling misandrism, generic soundtrack, and a generally cheap look and feel really sink this ship. Amazon has more money than many small countries. They should have been able to do far better than this. I refuse to watch anymore of this crap. I can't get the mental image of Robert Jordan rolling in his grave out of my head. They should have brought Brandon Sanderson in as a script doctor. Fools!!!… Expand
  12. meskus123
    Nov 19, 2021
    2
    This show would be fairly good if it was made by itself, but as a series made based on a Wheel of time books it is total mess. Simply said this IS not Wheel of time. So much was changed from source material, even some basic ideas, characters and ground rules of Wheel of time universe, that it simply can not follow basic story of books. In the books even some minor details in world orThis show would be fairly good if it was made by itself, but as a series made based on a Wheel of time books it is total mess. Simply said this IS not Wheel of time. So much was changed from source material, even some basic ideas, characters and ground rules of Wheel of time universe, that it simply can not follow basic story of books. In the books even some minor details in world or characters have great impact later on. Even how characters, beasts or monsters look, talk or interact , minor things about their families or birth places figure heavily later on in story. Starting with breaking of a rule that only male can be Dragon reborn that undermines so much of basic source material mechanics and lore to totally destroy basic plot lines. Like the difference between male and female source of magic and reason for man going mad from using theirs. Trolocs are somewhat "wrong" too. Actors are actually good and filming is also ok, even more from time to time. For someone who didn't read Wheel of time, doesn't remember or mind its story and lore ( and they are overwhelming and complicated) to much its great . But as an adaptation of a legendary book series it's totally off. To much was changed from the start to allow for the story to follow story of the books in any meaningful way and stay logical or possible.… Expand
  13. propigator
    Nov 22, 2021
    2
    The show looks very cheep, everything is way too clean and the world doesn't feel lived in or believable at all. It is far from the books.
  14. TomvanDK
    Nov 19, 2021
    2
    One of the worst adaptations I've had the displeasure of watching.

    The show has dumbed down its source material to the point that one almost wonders whether it's intended as a deliberate insult to the audience. Mustache-twirling villains are shown giving dastardly monologues, characters have been stripped of all sensibility, and the plot trudges forward without the slightest concern    One of the worst adaptations I've had the displeasure of watching.

    The show has dumbed down its source material to the point that one almost wonders whether it's intended as a deliberate insult to the audience. Mustache-twirling villains are shown giving dastardly monologues, characters have been stripped of all sensibility, and the plot trudges forward without the slightest concern for reason and logic.

    Worse still, Amazon's Wheel of Time somehow manages to feel both overly hurried and overly slow at the same time, sacrificing character development and plot in favor of grand speeches that invariably turn out to be as dull as they are insipid.

    The tone, too, has taken a turn for the worse. Where Robert Jordan maintained a careful balance between danger and adventure in The Eye of the World, the show takes pains to excise every last bit of levity from the source material, leaving behind only bland self-importance and hokey dialogue.

    The only bright spots in this mess of a show are the actors, whose efforts to salvage the stilted lines they are given are admirable if ultimately fruitless.

    Perhaps the best thing that can be said about Amazon's Wheel of Time is that it is marginally better than the Shannara Chronicles adaptation, but even then, the gap is a frustratingly small one.    … Expand
  15. masatrim
    Dec 23, 2021
    2
    Not a good adaption of the novels.
    Lazy writing
    Plot holes
    Some terrible costumes
    CGI for the sake of CGI
    Weak characters
    2/10 a weak fantasy world.
    At least they got some good drone landscape footage.
  16. Starkkid
    Dec 31, 2021
    2
    Very poorly written. Full of inconsistent dialogues, no fantasy rules, no world building, poor lightning, no stakes, loose plot, focus, and no immersion.
  17. GhostMaker1
    Jan 5, 2022
    2
    I was excited about this adaptation of my favorite fantasy series of all time. However this show is a train wreck. Does not address thr main world building themes at all in order to not offend. There are key elements that have to be maintained or the heart and soul of the series is lost and this series is dead. It is only Wheel of Time in name and character names. The charactersI was excited about this adaptation of my favorite fantasy series of all time. However this show is a train wreck. Does not address thr main world building themes at all in order to not offend. There are key elements that have to be maintained or the heart and soul of the series is lost and this series is dead. It is only Wheel of Time in name and character names. The characters themselves barely match what is found in the books. It is as if the writes attempted to make their version of WoT better than the original creator Robert Jordan. Game of Thrones and The Witcher are so much better done it is pathetic in comparison. If you have never read the Wheel of Time and truly want an epic fantasy series please buy the books or borrow them from your local library, but this TV 'adaptation' is a poor attempt at bringing this world to life and I wish anyone else would have made it instead of Amazon amd its awesome writers amd Show Runner., I have no doubt they would have made a more true to the original adaptation.… Expand
  18. ncsuandrew
    Jun 11, 2022
    2
    Completely butchered the worldbuilding and story of the books. Assassinated or butchered most of the characters. Schizophrenic pacing. Good Trolloc/Myrddraal designs ruined by lighting, atmosphere, and cinematography. One of the worst season finales in history.

    Incredibly annoying omnipresent "music" vocalizations. Terrible sound mixing. Seems to demonstrate active hatred for many book    Completely butchered the worldbuilding and story of the books. Assassinated or butchered most of the characters. Schizophrenic pacing. Good Trolloc/Myrddraal designs ruined by lighting, atmosphere, and cinematography. One of the worst season finales in history.

    Incredibly annoying omnipresent "music" vocalizations. Terrible sound mixing.

    Seems to demonstrate active hatred for many book characters and themes beyond basic incompetence.

    Actors are generally competent, and some of the sets are notable. But the costumes are mediocre and the direction, writing, and editing are mind-numbingingly bad.    … Expand
  19. Zmey
    Dec 21, 2021
    1
    Terrible adaptation.
    This is an example of how to take a gem a turn it into poop.
  20. academic
    Nov 19, 2021
    1
    Nope. If you have read the books then I can't imagine you will enjoy this. Even if you haven't read the books it all feels a little wooden. Many of the changes they made seem to be edgy only for the sake of edginess. I think they are trying to make it darker and more tragic in an effort to hook Game of Thrones fans. It just feels like they forgot the source material and createdNope. If you have read the books then I can't imagine you will enjoy this. Even if you haven't read the books it all feels a little wooden. Many of the changes they made seem to be edgy only for the sake of edginess. I think they are trying to make it darker and more tragic in an effort to hook Game of Thrones fans. It just feels like they forgot the source material and created something that feels rushed and low quality.… Expand
  21. AthanasiosT
    Nov 22, 2021
    1
    One more great book sacrificed on the altar of political correctness, diversity and had to become a TV, easily digestible product. Moiraine heard a rumor, about some 20 year olds who could be the Dragon? Egwene was pushed from a rock, 50 meters high, down a river, in order to get her womanhood approval? Moiraine enters the inn, serpent ring on hand and everyone recognizes her andOne more great book sacrificed on the altar of political correctness, diversity and had to become a TV, easily digestible product. Moiraine heard a rumor, about some 20 year olds who could be the Dragon? Egwene was pushed from a rock, 50 meters high, down a river, in order to get her womanhood approval? Moiraine enters the inn, serpent ring on hand and everyone recognizes her and immediately calls her Moiraine Sedai?? etc, etc, etc... One point for CGI, the rest is unwatchable. Shame on using the "Wheel of Time" brand.… Expand
  22. Jexter
    Nov 19, 2021
    1
    Saw the first two episodes of the show. Not going to waste time on the rest. Here are my two cents. They changed the lore without any reason, just so that women can be dragons as well. It essentially changes the main conflict of the books. Lore be damned. This show is primarily made for women. This can't be made more obvious with the average and plain-looking female cast (sure, RosamundSaw the first two episodes of the show. Not going to waste time on the rest. Here are my two cents. They changed the lore without any reason, just so that women can be dragons as well. It essentially changes the main conflict of the books. Lore be damned. This show is primarily made for women. This can't be made more obvious with the average and plain-looking female cast (sure, Rosamund Pike used to be pretty hot, but she is old enough to be a mother to many watching the show) contrasted with handsome and hunky (but simpish) men. The battle at the end of episode 1 is a good example of a novice level of social engineering, where the weak men essentially run away from the fight, and brave women are left to fight the monsters. There are scenes where young capable men are running away leaving women to fend for themselves, which they do with great success of course. There is even a scene of feminist power fantasy akin to Avengers: End Game towards the end of this episode. It is there just to hammer the nail in case you are too dumb and/or oblivious to the message. If you still don't get it, you have already been conditioned. In that case, please enjoy the show, and don't forget to sip your soy latte.… Expand
  23. DasBearJuden
    Jan 2, 2022
    1
    1. Bad editing.
    2. Awful casting (Why is Matt 30?! They're like 17 in the books for good reason!)
    3. Completely don't grasp fantasy. Why is Rand's hair cut and styled? He's a peasant farmer. 4. Woke garbage. Why is there a hard feminist agenda present immediately? Especially since the female characters in the story are already kick-ass awesome! Don't shove the feminist crap down    1. Bad editing.
    2. Awful casting (Why is Matt 30?! They're like 17 in the books for good reason!)
    3. Completely don't grasp fantasy. Why is Rand's hair cut and styled? He's a peasant farmer.
    4. Woke garbage. Why is there a hard feminist agenda present immediately? Especially since the female characters in the story are already kick-ass awesome! Don't shove the feminist crap down our throat.
    5. Not at ALL faithful to the source material. Perrins wife?!! Are you @$@#! crazy?!    … Expand
  24. deanquartz
    Nov 26, 2021
    1
    even if you ignore that the books exist this "adaptation" is just boring. characters are boring, actors are boring, pacing is boring, even the battles are boring, with aes sedai doing their best wacky waving inflatable tubeman impressions throwing cheap cw level cgi smoke around. and if you read the books the battles were ridiculously well done so having boring battle scenes is no smalleven if you ignore that the books exist this "adaptation" is just boring. characters are boring, actors are boring, pacing is boring, even the battles are boring, with aes sedai doing their best wacky waving inflatable tubeman impressions throwing cheap cw level cgi smoke around. and if you read the books the battles were ridiculously well done so having boring battle scenes is no small feat lol. if they were going to ignore the source material in such a poorly done way i have no clue why they paid for the wheel of time rights in the first place. i came in with low expectations and am still disappointed.… Expand
  25. pmacc
    Nov 19, 2021
    1
    What a complete failure. Just poor decisions all over and the special effects look like they were done by interns. One of the most important parts of a fantasy adaptation is capturing the audience in an immersive way. This will be cancelled in no time.
  26. Gtfomyeggs420
    Dec 14, 2021
    1
    I've read all the books multiple times and the only positive thing about this show so far is if you watch it you will get no spoilers for the books.
  27. Rosseyn
    Dec 24, 2021
    1
    After a slow start, the show settled into a great sequence, and promptly threw away all goodwill earned in a terrible finale.
  28. Gcampo
    Jan 11, 2022
    1
    I'm not sure if the screenwriter didn't read the books or was in a hurry to finish the story. He didn't develop any of the characters or the story, he took a collection of events from the book and put it in anyway. It's a sin what they did to history.
  29. dkamanae
    May 5, 2022
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Could have been it's own ok action fantasy show, but is a poor adaptation of the book series. The actors are almost universally great, but the writing and story structure can't be fixed by that. Yet another generic "mystery" box story where the so-called mystery is actually just hiding information from the audience. Showing different edits/fx of prior scenes in later episodes as flashbacks or skipping parts of pov characters' stories until a flashback do not a mystery make.
    I was still holding out hope that they would turn things around, until the final episode, which is the worst of the season.    … Expand
  30. diana2salem
    Nov 28, 2021
    0
    I will be honest I couldn't finish even 5 minutes it felt cheap and badly written I don't know the why it just felt staring at wet paint drying was far more interesting than this show
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Most Discussed TV Season of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
55

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 24
  3. Negative: 2 out of 24
  1. i
    Reviewed by: Emily Baker
    Dec 3, 2021
    40
    For such a potentially rich series, The Wheel of Time is curiously flat. Little time is spent on character development or exploring the politics, social hierarchy and cultural touchstones of its world. Instead, there are many beautiful, but unnecessary, sweeping shots of scenery and overdramatic, overextended fight scenes.
    Read full review
  2. Slate
    Reviewed by: Rebecca Long
    Dec 2, 2021
    85
    Wheel of Time succeeds in retaining the earnestness and hope that characterize the novels, and which Game of Thrones lacked. But it also offers viewers something new. ... Wheel of Time is more soft touches and sweeping landscapes.
    Read full review
  3. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Nov 22, 2021
    50
    While the lavish first season is eventful, it's burdened with clunky exposition, a deficit of whimsy and wonder, and thinly developed characters. [22 Nov - 5 Dec 2021, p.9]
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