The Wheel of Time Season 2 Review Episode 1-3: Returns with A Rich and Complex Second Season
Cast: Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney, Josha Stradowski, Madeleine Madden, Zoë Robins, Donal Finn, Marcus Rutherford
Creator: Rafe Judkins
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 4/5 (four stars) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
On September 1st, the first 3 out of 8 episodes of The Wheel of Time Season 2, the fantasy TV series based on the novels by Robert Jordan, will be released on Prime Video (the other five will be released one at a time every Friday): in particular, this second season is based on the second novel of the saga, entitled The Great Hunt, and contains elements of the third novel, The Dragon Reborn (and was also partly filmed in Italy, but there are no further clarifications apart from some sightings between Apulia and Basilicata). After the first season of 2021, the live-action adaptation of one of the most loved and important literary fantasy sagas ever is back on Amazon Prime Video: The Wheel of Time, a masterpiece by the late Robert Jordan. We were able to preview the first four episodes of the new season, and we can therefore give a first judgment on this new cycle of episodes.
As pointed out by the review of The Wheel of Time, the showrunner and his team of screenwriters were unable to find a precise answer to this fateful question and, although the charm of the epic of the Dragon Reborn was palpable in every scene, the narrative rhythms have long been gasping within a tortuous worldbuilding. Almost two years after the first eight episodes, the September 2023 catalog of Amazon Prime Video welcomes Moiraine and her traveling companions back for The Wheel of Time Season 2: We saw a preview of the three initial episodes, still in the interior of a historical universe that is finely detailed and engaging, although the heaviness of some narratively poor sequences resurrects old fears regarding the pace of the story.
The Wheel of Time Season 2 Review Episode 1-3: The Story Plot
The plot restarts shortly after the events of the first season, The protagonists have separated and are now trying to move on with their lives, building different futures for themselves: on the one hand, we have Egwene al’Vere (Madeleine Madden) and Nynaeve al’Meara (Zoë Robins), both novices in the White Tower to be trained to become Aes Sedai, on the other Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski), the Dragon, Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford) and Mat Cauthon (Donal Finn, who replaces Barney Harris), away from each other and intent on discovering themselves and the new abilities they are endowed with. Meanwhile, Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike) is no longer the same, but she is not willing to give up and is ready to do anything to defeat the Dark One. Always with her is trusted al’Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney).
The plot of this second season starts again a few months after the clash in the Eye of the World, giving us a handful of protagonists aware of having to face the Dark One again, preparing for the catastrophe announced based on their immense skills. As had already happened in the first round of episodes, the physical separation of the main characters allows the writers not only to outline the personal inclinations of the individuals with greater attention but also to describe different places of the great imaginary continent, thus chiseling that enormous narrative mosaic that Robert Jordan put together within an 11-book long saga (which later became 14 with the precious contribution of Brandon Sanderson). The ambition of showrunner Rafe Judkins is thus manifested in the desire to convey a decidedly vast worldbuilding work more concisely and directly, succeeding with relative brilliance despite some obvious shortcomings: the continent told by the Amazon show. With a strong narrative history already well underway with the first season, it is solid and intriguing in its thousand facets, from popular traditions to the great truths guarded by the higher classes, in turn, divided internally into currents that seem to pursue completely personal goals and yet to be deciphered.
The visionary context of the show, with its eternal struggle between Good and Evil involving disparate social groups, once again seems to suffer on a visual level due to an artistic direction perhaps too faithful to the canons of classic fantasy, but the arrival of a new tyranny coming from the sea – announced by the final scene of the last episode of the first season – could reinvigorate the scenic impact with a peculiar glance, in which the gold of the clothes is linked to the pomposity of an empire all majestic appearance, whose emanation on the continent is guided with a firm hand by the noble and bloodthirsty Lady Suroth. The imagery rewritten (and restricted) by The Wheel of Time fascinates us with its bombastic promises, allowing us to guess the intricate vicissitudes that shape this world of fantasy, also restoring the sense of vastness through the images with an apt propensity to shots from wide-ranging, between panoramic shots and long shots that enhance enchanting locations (the new episodes were also filmed in Italy, as well as in the Czech Republic and Morocco).
The Wheel of Time Season 2 Review Episode 1-3 and Analysis
From the first scenes of the first episode, The Wheel of Time Season 2 gave us a clear feeling of “filling” the screen better than the debut season. Not only greater awareness but also the impression of having learned from one’s mistakes, remaining more centered on the characters and their stories, in a visual sense as well as in the narrative. The already majestic visual level in every aspect remains, and perhaps even improves, with increasingly spectacular costumes and scenes that are magnificent to see. The same must be said for Rosamund Pike, now dealing with a more human and therefore more intense Moiraine. Nonetheless, this series still retains some limitations from the poor season.
There is the difficulty, already mentioned before, of remembering all the names and rules and characteristics of this universe so complex that the literary cycle includes 14 books: and we don’t believe that this series will ever reach as many seasons, so maybe somewhere you have to “cut”. Also, we come to another flaw that can also be seen in this season 2 of The Wheel of Time, engaging your mind so much in remembering those names risks limiting the immersive experience in this universe so wonderful to admire, but so difficult to do just. The major “problem” of The Wheel of Time lies in the difficulty of creating an emotional bond with the characters, in short of identifying with them and the world in which they live. In this sense, the beginning of season 2 allows us to see some more intimate, personal sides of their lives in the protagonists, and this is what makes us optimistic for the next episodes. Provided that we don’t “distract” ourselves too much with the consultations of the various online encyclopedias of the fans of this saga.
With the group divided, the series focuses on the development of the individual characters and the related storylines, taking more time than the progress of the main plot: We therefore get to know better aspects of the personality of the various protagonists, learning to appreciate them (or hate them, in some cases ) even better, while in the background the threat of the Dark One and the Friends of the Dark is carried forward with small hints and some scenes in which we discover something more about the plans of Shai’tan and his followers. In these first four episodes the main focus is on Rand, on his relationship with the Power and on the choices, he has made, and obviously on Moiraine, the true protagonist of the first season and with an always fundamental role in this new cycle of episodes.
In general, the series maintains the same quality level as the first season, with ups and downs and, in general, some decidedly questionable choices in terms of aesthetics and scenography: If from the point of view of the costumes, a slight improvement is noted (also because many characters they abandon the outfit they had in the first season, Rand above all), and the landscapes are always splendid even if not enhanced by a rather flat photograph, what really clashes is always the architecture of the localities. In the books, Rand travels to the capital city of Cairhien, a place described as majestic, whereas in the series it seems more like an undeveloped city filled with low-rise buildings and hawker markets.
The real problem, as in the first season, is linked to the unattractive aesthetics which often gives the feeling of being quite cheap: Obviously, there are exceptions, for example, Tar Valon, the Aes Sedai tower, splendid and fascinating even more of how it is described in the novels of The Wheel of Time, but in general the impression is always that of a product with a botched aesthetic, which is saved by the excellent work of adaptation and the good characterization of the characters. The adaptation often deviates quite a lot from the events of the books but keeps the charm and mystery of the characters and events intact, managing to capture the attention of the spectators. From an acting point of view, the performances of the protagonists continue to be good, sometimes excellent, obviously all overshadowed by the skill of Rosamund Pike, who gives us a cold but tormented Moiraine, different from the paper counterpart in some respects but absolute star performer in every scene that involves her.
In general, the whole cast of protagonists still does a very good job of fully centering on the characters. And this is the real strength of a series that otherwise would sail below the level of mediocrity, even being insufficient. It is still early to give a complete judgment on The Wheel of Time Season 2, but from the first episodes, it seems to be at the same levels as the first: a series that is little more than sufficient overall, conditioned by a mediocre and often banal aesthetic, and ennobled by an excellent cast of actors and writing which, especially for lovers of the genre, is always engaging and never boring, even in the slowest moments. It is a product dedicated to a decidedly passionate audience, which is unlikely to involve those who are not interested in classic fantasy, but this was very clear from the first season, which nevertheless was a success.
That the endless clash between the forces of Good and that dark and everlasting entity known as the Tenebrous One could end after a simple interlocutory confrontation was at least an optimistic hypothesis, and the forces of Evil did not stop even with the defeat of their master within the Eye of the World. Rand (Jasha Stradowski), discovering Dragon Reborn and therefore the central pivot of a Wheel that continues to turn undeterred, managed to resist the flattery of the enemy and has strengthened the chains of the Dark One by channeling the Only Power, an ability that only women they seem able to exploit without descending into a killing spree. The grin that accompanied the villain’s disappearance foreshadowed a victory only momentary, announced by the worried words of a Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) now devoid of magical powers: the great war against Evil has just begun, but Rand – terrified by the effect that the use of the One Power may have on his mind – abandons his companions by asking the Aes Sedai to declare him dead.
In anticipation of an inevitable conflict, Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) and Egwene (Madeleine Madden) undergo White Tower training to learn how to handle their enormous magical potential, while Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) follows the trail that leads to the Horn of Valere, the ancient artifact that was badly stolen by an ally of the Dark One. The group that Moiraine had taken from the Twin Rivers, fragmented but still willing to fight for Good, is thus preparing for a war that seems to be able to overwhelm them at any moment, manifesting itself in the form of an immense army coming from distant lands. Absurdly, the one who seems to have completely abandoned the battlefield is the Dragon Reborn, who reinvented himself as a common mortal to escape the terrifying voices that whisper in his mind, but fate has a painful surprise in store for him, an encounter that will force him to accept his main role in a story far from over.
If the greatness of the context is transmitted with discreet elegance by the expensive production, unfortunately, the plot does not reach these heights and remains – at least in the first episodes – to float placidly between little noteworthy events, dangerously reconnecting to the problems capable of scuttling the first season: once again the management of the narrative rhythm is affected by various sequences of no real importance, which reiterate discussions already addressed previously without proposing anything new in the eyes of the viewer. The fractured relationship between Moiraine and her Guardian Lan (Daniel Henney), as well as the envy that burns Nynaeve’s heart towards Egwene – who, despite her frightening potential, fails to channel the One Power – and Liandrin’s (Kate Fleetwood) yet-to-be-deciphered plots are very intriguing dynamics, but they are presented several times without any added depth throughout the first two episodes.
Long expository dialogues, seasoned with cliches and bombasts not entirely justified by the genre of belonging, make numerous sequences forgettable, to say the least, diluting a playing time that appears excessive on more than one occasion. A very staid narrative rhythm, at times soporific, is affected by it, which is reawakened in sporadic events capable of reinvigorating the story and awakening the spectator’s curiosity. We could perhaps find ourselves in the presence of introductory episodes, useful for circumscribing the new horizons of the story, because (with no small surprise) the third episode presents itself straight away and fast, full of situations capable of advancing the plot: heralding an exciting future, the last hour spent in the company of The Wheel of Time Season 2 has left us well disposed towards a continuation that has yet to reveal its real intentions because, when it manages to manage the flow of the plot, despite the due differences with its paper counterpart, Rafe Judkins’ creature manages to manifest the immensity of the work signed by the late Robert Jordan.
The Wheel of Time Season 2 Review Episode 1-3: The Last Words
It is still early to give a complete judgment on The Wheel of Time Season 2, but from the first episodes, it seems to be at the same levels as the first: a series that is little more than sufficient overall, conditioned by a mediocre and often banal aesthetic, and ennobled by an excellent cast of actors and writing which, especially for lovers of the genre, is always engaging and never boring, even in the slowest moments. It is a product dedicated to a decidedly passionate audience, which is unlikely to involve those who are not interested in classic fantasy, but this was very clear from the first season, which nevertheless had a success. The Wheel of Time has started spinning again with its usual phlegm since the obvious problems in managing the rhythm that neutered the first season do not seem entirely overcome in this second round of episodes: long interlocutory sequences, brought to the stage through artificial dialogues and devoid of memorable flashes, they dilute a narrative that takes all the time necessary to convey an extremely vast and complex imaginary context.
The Wheel of Time Season 2 Review Episode 1-3: Returns with A Rich and Complex Second Season - Filmyhype
Director: Rafe Judkins
Date Created: 2023-09-01 16:29
4
Pros
- The performances of the cast, particularly Rosamund Pike, Josha Stradowski, and Marcus Rutherford.
- The show's improved focus on character development and mythology.
- The more exciting action sequences.
- The stunning visuals.
Cons
- The show's pacing can be slow at times.
- Some of the changes made to the source material have been controversial.
- The show's CGI can be inconsistent.
