Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Halfway through the first episode I was thinking "what the hell did they do, Amazon ruined what should have been great." By the end of the first episode I couldn't wait to see where it went next. If you are looking for a faithful adaptation of the book series this is not it. Some significant changes have been made compared to the first book. Most make sense, a few left me scratching my head. Despite that you can still....sense it...that swell of pieces coming together and the growing threat of evil. I'm not completely sold on the casting; some are great, others I hope will grow on me. Mat, Morraine, Lan, and Perrin are fantastic. Thom wasn't what I pictured but somehow still seemed to fit. I didn't love Egwene and Naeneve at first but they grew on me quickly and are far less annoying than they were in the books. Rand is the one I'm still iffy on - he seems a little too clean and a little too stiff but Im hoping he grows into the role. When the show first opened I was a little taken aback. The casting is very diverse and it wasn't what I pictured in my head from reading the books. The more I thought about it the more it made sense though it just took my brain a moment shake what I'd always imagined. The music is decent with a few fantastic scores and moments. The story, despite the changes, still has most of the same beats you're expecting. There are a few dark & gritty moments but its no game of thrones. I hope they lean into the darkness a bit more in future episodes (and seasons!). At times it's a bit too clean and polished with a little too much human drama. I'd also like them to slow down a bit, let us savor the world and characters that we spent decades reading about. Despite all of the above I really enjoyed it. I can't wait for new episodes. It's different but still good. You can definitely feel the sense of "epic" that so many shows go for and so few actually hit. I really hope this show becomes a hit because I would love to see the whole series play out. Watch at least through the end of the second episode. You'll either be hooked or know it's not for you.