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litcityblues · 4 months

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The Wheel of Time Rewatch/Reread Pt. 1

The Wheel of Time debuted on Amazon in November of 2021 and the reaction to it was, I think it would be safe to say, decidedly mixed. In general, it was well-received enough to get another season pretty quickly (and now it's earned a third season as well) but fans of the books were not pleased. (To the point where some of them earned the moniker of 'Bookcloaks' on various Wheel of Time subreddits and other places online.)

My fandom growing up was Star Trek, so I think because of that experience, I tend to grade shows on a fairly generous curve. (Every Trek Fan knows that it takes a Trek show three seasons to 'grow its beard' and get really good-- I don't know if that pattern is holding with the newer shows, but certainly, this applies to the '90s run of Trek.) Given that, I was fairly agnostic on the First Season of The Wheel of Time-- I thought some of the criticism was fair but didn't quite understand why people were so vociferous about other aspects of it.

After the end of the 2nd Season, I got curious and decided I would embark upon a closer examination of the source material while I re-watched the show. Since the first season covered the first book, The Eye of The World, that's what I started with. (I also re-read New Spring as well.)

My general hypothesis is this: Maybe Season 1 isn't that good because Eye of the World isn't the best book in the series?

Upon reflection, I don't think that's a fair assessment of either the book or the first season of the show. There's a lot the show does really, really well- but reading the book shows where the gaps in the first season are obvious and even, perhaps, detrimental. People who object to the First Season aren't wrong-- there were some things I objected to, especially in the last episode. But I also think we have to acknowledge the constraints showrunners are forced to operate under as well.

Amazon, for whatever reason, is putting the lion's share of its money into The Rings of Power. Would I be happier if The Wheel of Time had their budget? I sure would. But the two bigger constraints are to make a television show for people who have read the books and the people who haven't AND only having eight episodes to work with. The former is something every adapted work has to deal with, the latter explains the compressed storylines of the first season far more than the former.

So, let's talk about what the first season gets right:

I like that they hit the ground running. It takes a while for the book to get started- though in a mild defense of The Eye of The World, a lot of the front part of the book really sets up more plot threads that pay off further in the series than you realize a first.

Padan Fain (Johann Myers) is perfect. No notes there-- though it would be nice if he was a little more cracked and broken by the end, but I like him and, more to the point, I like that he keeps showing up- sometimes even just in passing.

The Whitecloaks are also absolutely perfect right from the jump and they are menacing, they are dangerous and Valda's casting (Abdul Salis) is also absolutely perfect.

The Tinkers are excellent. So is Thom (Alexandre Williams)- when he tells them about his nephew Owyn, that's more or less straight from the book. More perfect casting: Loial (Hammed Animashaun), Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okwendo)

The Ways work really well- they track very closely to what goes down in the book. They're not in The Ways as much, but with their 8 episode limit, things are compressed- I get it. Machin Shin is really well done- Nyn's Super Saidar I do have an issue with, but we'll get to that in a bit.

I do like that the show expanded the role of Logain (Alvaro Morte) a bit right off the bat. In the book he's referred to and Rand catches sight of him in Caemlyn but that's all we see of him until much later. I like that the show demonstrates just how destructive his army has been and how they portray his madness as shadowy figures whispering to him.

So what fits with the books better than the show?

It's been a while since I've read Eye Of The World, but there's an EARLIER chapter that is like when they're kids and Tam tells them the story of the Dragon? I don't remember it at all also: Egewene has sisters which is something I don't remember at all. But the original prologue where we see Lews Therin destroy himself: still slaps. 10/10 way to open this book. (I don't know if the Prologue to the Prologue was something they added in later editions or what, but it's weird and seems redundant to me.)

If you've read quite literally any other fantasy novel, the early chapters are chock full of loosely concealed references. They're waiting for a festival to start- someone is late and is bringing fireworks? They're a ring and a birthday party away from Bilbo's bash in the Shire. Similarly, the black figure in the cloak has to be from The Belgariad. Eddings might have taken that from somewhere else, but that's where I recognized it from. (The show plays with this too: their pursuit def looks like the flight to Rivendell from The LoTR movies.)

The books have Lan and Moiraine concealing their identities-- whereas the show has them revealed right away. I think the book does that better, but if you don't want to piss around with character development and just get down to brass tacks, I can see making the choice the show made. But the book does it better. With Moraine facing down the mob? ("Is this what Aemon's blood has come to?") Thom is also introduced from the jump, which I like and I love that he recognizes Moiraine right away and doesn't want to have anything to do with her.

13 chapters we spend in the Two Rivers-- nearly 25% of the book and far more than I remember, but it's worth it. Winternight is really what gets you hooked as a reader. That sense of isolation as Rand is trying to get to the safety of the village of being alone in the wilderness and hearing Tam's fever dream letting his parentage slip.

The journey out of the Two Rivers which in the book leads to Caemlyn and not Tar Valon is remixed and reorganized but lays the plot threads for things like the Aiel (in the mining camp) and Birgitte (when they stay in the barn and kill the Fade) and while in the books we meet Bayle Domon in the first book, he do show up in the television show right at the start of season two. I get that they have time constraints they need to work with, but missing Whitebridge in the show is big for me. After Shadar Logoth in the books, there is a profound uptick in the pace of the book. Perrin and Egwene are running. Mat and Rand are running. Lan, Moiraine, and Nynaeve are running. Those chapters really hit home in the books, the impact of them is lessened here.

But what the book does have that the show doesn't is so much foreshadowing. The World of Dreams doesn't get explicit until Book 3 or Book 4 territory, but it's right there in Book 1, even if we don't know what to call it yet. We see references to the Giant Fist on Tremalking, which we see used to cleanse saidin much, much later in the series and we get references to the Panarch's Palace in Tanchico that pays off down the road as well. Rand is also unconsciously channeling now and again throughout the whole book and if you read it again, it's kind of obvious.

Nynaeve's relationship with Moiraine is far more hostile in the books-- she's not a huge fan of the show either, but it's coded as far more hostile in the books which tracks better with what we know about Nynaeve's block and her ability to channel. Her Super Saidar and Egwene's bringing Nyn back from the dead at the end of the show are the things I objected to the most. At no point in the books does channeling work that way and more importantly, it's inconsistent with the show itself as no other Aes Sedai shows even a fraction of the ability the possible exception of Moiraine and the lightning/fireballs against the Trollocs. I get that Nyn and Egwene are supposed to be strong- maybe the strongest potential Aes Sedai in centuries in the books, but they're not that strong.

The 'Perrin Kills His Wife' thing is also not nearly as bad as it appears to be in the show-- if you dig into the books a bit. you'll get to the chapter where Egewene, Perrin, and Elyas are trying to outrun the ravens-- there are so many of them that they will be torn apart if they're caught. In the books, Perrin is presented as being very aware of his capacity for violence- he's a big kid, but for the first time in that chapter he has to contemplate if he would kill Egwene to spare her from being torn apart by the ravens. It's kind of the inverse of what they do in the show: there, they establish his capacity for violence/temper/to kill and his struggle is fighting that. (Though he has far less interaction with Hopper in real life than I remembered-- and to the show's credit, they bumped Hopper's death to Season 2.)

I am also thoroughly unbothered by the Siuan and Moiraine of it all- again, Sophie Okwendo was perfect casting and she uses the required fish metaphors "Skin me and salt me!"- the main series nods to the notion with all the talk of 'pillow friends' but New Spring goes a step further and straight up makes it explicit: "Siuan wanted to kiss Moiraine. So she did." Also, just look at a map of Tar Valon, then go look at some Georgia O'Keefe paintings, and then come back and talk to me. Extrapolate accordingly and if this is the hill you choose to die on with the first season of this show, I can't help you.

The first time through, I had a big problem with the Oath of Fealty that Siuan makes Moiraine take. It's subtle, but Siuan makes her swear fealty to 'the judgment of this seat' which is different and doesn't, to me, imply absolute obedience to the Amyrlin. It does what the show needs it to do- which is to kick Moiraine out of Tar Valon and make sure she can't come back. BUT, Moiraine changes the words of her reply? Does that still bind her? I have questions about this because at the end of Season 2 it looks like an awful lot like Compulsion-- I think that's going to be used against Siuan when Elaida takes her down, but I also think the show kind of made a hash of it all. (Also: what's with that secret passageway thing to the hut? Is that Travelling? I have so many questions!)

The show does get some world-building in that I think is important-- I think exploring what it's like when Warders lose their Aes Sedai is important. I think having white be the color of mourning and the whole funeral sequence was really, really excellent- but not at all in the book.

The struggle with Ishmael (great casting, again!) also tracks really well with the books-- The Last Battle in the books ends up being a very cerebral, inner struggle type of affair, it's an unseen fight and the show sets that pattern as well, even if Rand doesn't realize who Ishmael is quite yet.

The show, I think, misses The Eye of The World. I love The Green Man and how The Blight is portrayed in the books far more than the show and the show is wrong in that the Dark One's prison isn't at the eye.

Little Internet Birdies seem to be convinced that we're getting Queen Morgase, Gawyn, and Galad next season-- but the sequence in Caemlyn is really excellent in the book. At this point, you've already heard about ta'veren from Loial, but meeting Elayne, the Queen, Elaida, Gareth Bryne-- all of that is Rand being ta'veren like crazy and would have been an awesome thing to include in the show.

Moiraine and Lan's relationship in the first season also makes what happens in the second season seem profoundly bizarre. She references not being able to see men's weaves but doesn't actually make that jump until late in the second season and it takes Lan to figure that out? Seems contradictory to me-- she also tells him at one point: "Your losses are mine and mine yours" but then proceeds to shut him out for most of season two? So weird.

The show also dances around "Who could be the Dragon" way too much-- the idea of "five potential Dragons" is something that I get that has to squarely aim at new viewers who hadn't read the books, but it got tiresome, especially since it became pretty obvious who it was- good television practice probably means you want to make that reveal a big moment for the show, but it just didn't work for me.

If you're making this show, you want to balance between new viewers and book readers-- they cannot make a television show that requires people to do homework. Hopefully, they can build a world that inspires people to go and read the books, but if you've read the books already that's a tough thing to accept. So I get the unhappiness, but only to a point. My verdict stands: the First Season was better than people give it credit for, given the constraints they were operating under. At the time, it earned my confidence enough to give a second season a chance and that season was a vast improvement over the first. I'm onboard and ready to go for Season 3.

#the wheel of time #season 1 #eye of the world #rewatch #reread

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adamwatchesmovies · 1 year

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Love Actually (2003)

Love Actually has grown to become a bit of a modern-day Christmas staple. I can see why, but won’t be including it in my roster. With a whopping 10 different stories interwoven through its 136-minute running time, of course some of them hit. The film has its sweet moments… but are they worth sitting through all the clichés and groan-inducing, painfully predictable, been-there-done-that scenes which could’ve been left out?

Set during the five weeks leading to Christmas, the characters and stories featured include:

Rock and roll legend Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) promoting his (terrible) Christmas single at the behest of his longtime manager, Joe (Gregor Fisher).

Juliet (Keira Knightley) learning her husband's best friend, Mark (Andrew Lincoln), is in love with her days after her wedding.

Jamie (Colin Firth) who discovers his girlfriend (Sienna Guillory) is cheating on him with his brother. After exiling himself to his French cottage, he begins falling in love with his Portuguese housekeeper, Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz), despite the language barrier separating them.

Harry (Alan Rickman), who is comfortably married to Karen (Emma Thompson) but tempted by his new secretary, Mia (Heike Makatsch). He does nothing to dissuade her advances, risking everything in the process.

Karen’s brother, David (Hugh Grant), is the recently elected Prime Minister. He cannot help but notice Natalie (Marine McCuthcheon), a household staff member of 10 Downing Street. The attraction is mutual but the pressures of the office compel David to push her away.

Newly-widowed Daniel (Liam Neeson), who finds solace from his grief by helping his stepson, Sam (Thomas Sangster), win over the girl he’s fallen in love with, Joanna (Olivia Olson).

Sarah (Laura Linney), has loved her co-worker Karl (Rodrigo Santoro) for years. When she’s told the entire office knows how she feels, she finally begins to muster the courage to act upon them.

Fed up with all of his unsucessful attempts to woo women, Colin (Kris Marshall) decides - despite the protests of his best friend, Tony Abdul Salis) - to travel to America and use his British accent to pick up ladies.

John (Martin Freeman) and Judy (Joanna Page) are professional stand-ins for films in the middle of rehearsing a series of sex scenes. Delighted to find someone they can simply talk to during the long, boring stretches in which they stand around naked - without it feeling awkward - a genuine attraction develops.

The stories are tied together with knots of varying looseness. Colin is a waiter at Juliet and Peter’s wedding. On the way to the airport, Daniel and his son bump into Rufus (Rowan Atkinson), an obsessive jewellery salesman whom Harry approaches in a moment of weakness. Some people work together, or live next to each other but there isn’t much connective tissue except the overarching theme of romance and the upcoming Christmas holiday. The point is, no one in this whopper feels essential, which makes the bad stories feel worse. Colin and his quest to get laid is so awful you’re a little embarrassed for everyone involved. I kept waiting for it to spring a twist upon us but no, it plays out exactly like some fantasy a 14-year-old Brit would dream up. Nearly as terrible is the tale of Juliet, Mark and Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor). I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. If you've been harbouring romantic feelings for years, haven’t told the person how you feel and you just watch from the sidelines, lubricating yourself with your own tears at night, you’re not sweet. You’re a creep. It’s extra awkward that Peter plays no part in this story.

Most of the other tales are charming. Daniel working through his own grief by teaching his son about life is a highlight, as are the stories featuring Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. They both have that everyman kind of charm which makes you cheer for them and have terrific chemistry with their respective love interests. I’ll even add Bill Nighy’s segment on the “Nice List”. The rest are ok but severely hampered by the number of people and plot lines we’re supposed to keep track of. Sometimes, actors and actresses are gone for so long it takes you a moment to remember what role they play in this “epic”. When a link between the stories is revealed, you’re unsure if this is new information or something you just forgot about. There’s simply too much going on. No one gets properly fleshed, leaving your mind to fill in the gaps. Luckily for you, familiarity endears you to these people because you’ve seen these scenarios a thousand times before.

As “The Ultimate Romantic Comedy”, Love Actually leaves much to be desired. The ultimate rom-com should be universal. It should contain at least one character that isn’t young, white and attractive in a major role. How about a same-sex relationship too? Maybe that was too much to ask in 2003. What should’ve been apparent - even back then - was how overstuffed with clichés this ordeal is. Every sweet love story and appealing actor is eventually shoved aside to make room for another you like much less… making this a constant back-and-forth between satisfaction and disappointment. (On DVD, December 21, 2019)

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sportsgr8 · 3 months

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Salah Limps Off As Egypt And Ghana Play Out 2-2 Draw At AFCON

West Ham United: Mohamed Salah limped off with an injury as his Egypt side drew 2-2 with a Mohammed Kudus-inspired Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations, leaving both nations in danger of an early exit. Salah was substituted in the 45th minute of the Group B encounter with an apparent injury on Thursday night. Kudus introduction into Ghana’s starting line-up yielded an instant result after the West Ham United attacker tried his luck from distance via Abdul Salis Samed’s assist to put Ghana 1-0 up. Egypt capitalized on a defensive howler from Inaki Williams as Omar Marmoush rounded up Richard Ofori to level matters on the 69th minute. It turned out to be a game for Kudus as he restored Ghana’s lead after receiving a pass from Denis Odoi at the edge of the penalty box to curl one to the far post which deflected to give Mohammed El Shenawy no chance of getting to it on the 71st minute for a 2-1 lead. But Egypt equalised for a second time through Mostafa Mohamed on the 73rd minute. The result leaves Ghana needing to beat Mozambique in their final Group B match on Monday to qualify for the last 16. A win for Egypt against Cape Verde would guarantee their progress, while a draw could also be enough to advance, given the four best third-placed sides also go through. Read the full article

#AbdulSalisSamed #AfricaCup #ButEgypt #CapeVerde #DenisOdoi #InakiWilliams #IvoryCoast #MohamedSalah #MohammedElShenawy #MohammedKudus #MostafaMohamed #OmarMarmoush #RichardOfori #WestHamUnited

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ryansmoviereviews · 4 months

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Love Actually (2003)

Written by and Directed by Richard Curtis Chiwetel Ejiofor, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Laura Linney, Andrew Lincoln, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson, Bil Nighy, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Martin Freeman, Heike Makatsch, Kris Marshall, Lucia Moniz, Joanna Page, Rodrigo Santoro, Abdul Salis, Nina Sosanya. Five weeks out from Christmas, and…

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cinemasfutbol · 5 months

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belifii · 7 months

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Nampalys Mendy-RC Lens : Le bon mariage pour se relancer ! Lens cherchait un remplaçant à Séko Fofana, il l’a retrouvé en Nampalys Mendy. Arrivé en début septembre alors que le club artésien vivait un début de saison compliqué avec 0 victoire, il retrouve des couleurs depuis les débuts de l’international sénégalais. Nampalys Mendy-RC Lens : Le bon mariage pour se relancer ! Nampalys Mendy-RC Lens Le bon mariage pour se relancer ! 2 Agent libre après la fin de son contrat avec Leicester, relégué en Championship, jusqu’en début du mois de septembre, la saison s’annonçait cauchemardesque pour le champion d’Afrique. Il est écarté de la liste d’Aliou Cissé pour le match de préparation contre l’Algérie. Sa participation à la prochaine Coupe d’Afrique des Nations était même remise en cause. L’avenir semblait flou mais l’ancien joueur de l’OGC Nice trouve un point de chute pour se relancer. Nampalys Mendy-RC Lens Le bon mariage pour se relancer ! 3 →A lire aussi Sénégal vs Cameroun : Aliou Cissé publie une liste de 26 joueurs avec 4 changements Le 4 septembre 2023 alors que tout lui prédestinait le Golfe comme plusieurs de ses coéquipiers en équipe nationale, Nampalys Mendy est recruté par le Racing Club de Lens. Une surprise pour tous les amateurs de football. Le vice-champion de France de la saison dernière jette son dévolu sur un joueur qui a été libéré par un club descendu en deuxième division. Une surprise, pas pour remettre en cause les qualités de celui qui a disputé au total 138 matches en Ligue 1 avec l’OGC Nice et l’AS Monaco avant son arrivée à Bollaert, mais pour se questionner sur sa capacité à se réadapter au haut niveau. Nampalys passe de la relégation à la Ligue des Champions. La balle est désormais dans son camp. Un de perdu, Nampalys pour se retrouver Iliman Ndiaye devant 3 joueurs, enchaînement magnifique, Marseille ouvre le score (vidéo) Le défi est grand. Mais petit de taille certes, du haut de son mètre 68, l’international sénégalais n’est pas en terrain inconnu. Le club artésien est aussi à la recherche d’un cadre et d’un expérimenté dans l’entrejeu après avoir perdu son capitaine emblématique Séko Fofana. Les recrutements du milieu espoir français Andy Diouf (19 ans) en provenance du FC Bâle et celui de Stijn Sperings en provenance de Toulouse FC ne suffisent pas malgré leur talent. Le premier, cité n’est pas attendu pour combler le plus vite possible le vide laissé par le nouveau joueur d’Al Nassr car l’e joueur formé du Stade Rennais n’est pour le moment qu’un pari sur la longue durée. Jackson et Sarr décisifs, Jakobs ouvre son compteur buts →A lire aussi Cristiano Ronaldo , CR7 : L'icône du football qui a redéfini l'excellence Le deuxième ne s’acclimate pas et est retourné en prêt à Toulouse. Rien ne va plus dans l’équipe de Frank Haise. D’ailleurs, le début de saison du club lensois le démontre à suffisance. En cinq matches disputés en championnat, les Artésiens perdent les quatre (même total sur toute la saison dernière) et ont obtenu un seul match nul. Quelque chose manque, cette sûreté dans l’entrejeu. Une assurance qui faisait la force des Lensois. Le talent ne suffit pas. Le mariage parfait Médaillés de bronze aux Championnats du monde des sourds, les Lions attendus à 17h à Dakar Nampalys Mendy fait son baptême du feu le 20 septembre. Un soir de Ligue des Champions face aux vainqueurs de la dernière Ligue Europa. Jusqu’avant le début du match, Mendy était le seul joueur du onze de départ lensois à avoir, au moins une fois, disputé un match dans la Coupe aux Grandes Oreilles. Suffisant pour prendre toute la pression sur lui. En bon grand frère aux côtés du jeune international ghanéen Salis Abdul Samed (23 ans). Homme de l’ombre, travailleur, bon sens de positionnement, sobre dans ses interventions, Nampalys a disputé 71 minutes remarquables et a été d’un grand apport dans ce point du nul obtenu face au FC Séville. Médaillés de bronze aux Championnats du monde des sourds, les Lions attendus à 17h à Dakar 1

→A lire aussi Résumé du match de football 🇧🇯 Benin 1-1 🇸🇳 Sénégal … | Les Éliminatoires de la CAN 2023 Le milieu de terrain sénégalais a réussi 79% de ses passes dont une passe clé. Il a aussi remporté 3 de ses 4 duels engagés et effectué 4 dégagements. Visuellement, au-delà des chiffres, on peut déjà remarquer son leadership puisqu’il ne cessait de repositionner ses coéquipiers, de les replacer, et de calmer quand il le faut. Sa prestation est saluée par tous et surtout par son coach. « Si je le fais commencer, c’est que j’avais des garanties. J’étais persuadé que sur le niveau athlétique associé à sa grande expérience, à son intelligence, ses connexions, il allait nous apporter », déclare Haise après le match. Ces débuts satisfaisants chez les Sangs et Or vont s’accompagner par un changement de visage de toute l’équipe lensoise et aussi un rééquilibre dans le jeu proposé. La solidité est de retour. La fluidité des mouvements dans la circulation du ballon se fait ressentir. C’est simple. Lens est invaincu depuis les premières minutes de Nampalys. 3 matches disputés, 2 victoires dont une face à Arsenal, ce mardi 3 octobre sur le score de 2 buts à 1. Nampalys Mendy-RC Lens : Le bon mariage pour se relancer ! Nampalys Mendy-RC Lens Le bon mariage pour se relancer ! Le champion d’Afrique n’est là que depuis un mois mais son influence positive ne peut que sauter à l’œil nu. Son expérience a paru évidente lors des deux grosses affiches disputées par l’équipe de Frank Haise (FC Séville et Arsenal). Sans doute que cet impact ne peut que s’agrandir au fur et à mesure de la saison. À 31 ans, Nampalys vit une seconde jeunesse. Aux côtés de ses jeunes pousses comme Abdul Samed, Andy Diouf, Elye Wahi, Morgan Guilavogui, etc. son apport par son vécu et ses qualités sur le terrain ne peuvent que les aider à progresser. Aussi à quelques mois de la Coupe d’Afrique des Nations, un Nampalys en forme ne peut être qu’une bonne information pour le sélectionneur national.

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