Here’s Why I’m Very Conflicted About ‘The Wheel of Time’ Season Two
Is The Wheel of Time Season 2 any good? I’m conflicted.
The Wheel of Time as a show has been all over the place. Season 1 was… not great. Season 2 on the other hand has been better. It’s been a bit boring at times, but the last few episodes have been genuinely good TV. Now however we’ve gotten the last episode of the season and… I kind of don’t know how to feel. I’ve seen a lot of people online who really loved it, but large parts fell flat to me. So sit a while a listen, while I write out my feelings about why I’m so conflicted about The Wheel of Time Season 2.
Spoilers ahead!
A Better Season
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Look there is denying it. The Wheel of Time Season 2 was an improvement, even if I’m conflicted. This was a pretty major improvement over season 1. I think it really does show that Season 1 could have been decent if not for COVID-19 causing a lot of issues (not that it would have been perfect at all).
This season delivered much stronger character work and had some genuinely impactful moments. It also looked great. I unreservedly love the art design for this show, with its random mix of styles and clothes. It feels different and great. The effects have overall looked pretty good. My only real nitpick is that some of the sets and settings seem a bit small.
How Season 2 Avoided Combining Two Books
In the lead-up to the season, there was a fair amount of talk about how one season was going to combine two books. Both The Great Hunt and The Dragon Reborn were getting put into one. There was a ton of worry about this as the season was already jam-packed.
Well, even though some people might be conflicted about it, The Wheel of Time season 2 mostly avoided the issue. The fact is that this season pretty much only adapted The Great Hunt. The plot was all TGH and only really a handful of bits of The Dragon Reborn made it in. With all that said I’m just not sure where they go from here.
The Season 2 Finale
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So here’s the big reason I’m conflicted about The Wheel of Time season 2. It all comes down to that last episode. I just… didn’t think it was that good. It did have some strong points and good visuals. And it… mostly kind of followed the book. However, I just didn’t feel like most of the characters had clear goals/motivations/agency.
In addition, it just felt like most of them didn’t have a ton to do. I mean what did Perrin do? Hold a shield and set up a conflict for later? Moiraine walked on a beach and then killed some people far away who she thought might be hurting Rand. Rand… pretty much did nothing. His big showdown was refusing to join the bad guys and then stabbing Ishamael while he stood there and did nothing. In the books, Rand gets two epic sword fights.
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Just most of the episode felt very follow and anti-climatic. The Seanchen who we’ve been in conflict with the whole season don’t really pose a threat. Most of the work of beating them is done by the White Cloaks, who just kind of come out of nowhere. It just… didn’t click for me.
Book Stuff With No Punch
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The episode also kind of used a lot of bits from the books, but kind of missed the point of them. Take Ingtar for instance. In the books, he’s the leader of the Shienarans who go on the Hunt for the Horn. At the end of the book, he and the heroes are cornered. Ingtar confesses at this point that he is a dark friend and why the Horn was stolen in the first place.
However, his journey with Rand and the others has changed him and he repents. He then turns back to the light and sacrifices himself holding an ally so that the others can escape. It’s a powerful moment of redemption and one of the very very few times we see someone who has sworn to the Dark be redeemed.
In this season however, while Ingtar and some of the others are being chased he mentioned that one man could hold off thirty in an ally. Moments later they are attacked and he tries to hold the ally so the others can get away and is killed. His stand lasts for about… 30 seconds and the others still have to fight. There’s no reveal, no redemption and feelings.
You could say about the Heroes of the Horn. In the book you’ve heard about these heroes and they come and save the day when the White Cloaks have been slaughtered. Here… well you’ve never heard them mentioned. So you just get a mostly random collection of people (that sure book people will know some of them) who killed about 30 soldiers and give Perrin a shield. Cool.
A Conflicted Ending
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It was these failures that really kind of ruined the last episode for me. And with a kind of ruined last episode the whole season is really brought down. Ultimately I’m left just very conflicted about The Wheel of Time season 2. It had some really great highs but fell short in a few places. However if Season 3 could improve over Season 2 like Season 2 did over Season 1, then we might at last have the show we deserve.
Let us know what you thought about the finale, down in the comments!
