‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 2 is Just Kind of Boring

The second season of The Wheel of Time commits the cardinal sin of being boring.

Season 2 of The Wheel of Time is here and we are now a few episodes into it. In a lot of ways, it’s an improvement on season 1. It’s also failing to do what it needs to. However, it’s slowly falling into the worst territory it could enter. The Wheel of Time season 2 is just… a bit boring.

It’s Not Bad!

via Amazon

Look, the show isn’t bad. If it was, I would say so. In fact, I’d love to say that it was bad. I sat down to write it about and… I just don’t have much to say at this point.

I can barely remember what happened in the last episode. Four episodes in and it’s just a boring show. It’s got decent visuals, and some good acting, and the writing isn’t the worst. And yet somehow it’s just not really gelling. The story is just completely failing to come together.

Slow Isn’t Necessarily Bad, Either

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Not all shows have to be fast-paced. A show can be a slow burn and be great. Andor was a really great recent example.

But Season 2 of The Wheel of Time just doesn’t feel the same. It has some action, but just not a lot. And given how much ground the show needs to cover and how short the seasons are, I just don’t know if it will have the payoff it deserves.

Now maybe part of this is that I’ve read the books. So spending 10 minutes on people reacting to a death you know isn’t real just feels like a waste. I mean, what was the point? But I think there is a bigger issue here.

Splitting Everyone Up Early Was a Mistake

via Amazon

While there are a ton of characters in Wheel of Time it’s really focused on a relatively small core. The five Emond’s Feilders really are the main characters. Fate literally weaves around them. Another half dozen or end up also becoming major important characters.

However, at this point in the story, most of them have either not been introduced or are not that important. Book two really starts with the group all together. They then split up into two groups and as the book goes on split up and reunite until the end.

via Amazon

But in season 2, the group starts to split up. A couple are in pairs, but some are on their own. Even most of the pairs end up getting split up. Instead of one story that branches into two and then more, we start with five branches that keep growing. This robs us of most of the inter-character play and bonding we should have. Instead of talking about issues with their friends most of the group ends up talking to strangers and new characters.

Season 1 already failed to really focus on the Emond’s Filders like it needed to and Season 2 is doing the same. This is really my best guess as to why Season 2 of The Wheel of Time just feels so boring. Hopefully, it will come together in the end, but I’m not sure I have a lot of hope.

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.