Brandon Sanderson’s comments aboutThe Wheel of Timetell the story of a bigger issue with Hollywood fantasy adaptations. Brandon Sanderson is one of the century’s most celebrated fantasy authors, best known for creatingMistbornandThe Stormlight Archive. He’s also well known inThe Wheel of Timecommunity as the author who finished the series after the late great Robert Jordan passed away in 2007. Sanderson wrote the last threeWheel of Timebooksand served as a consulting producer on the television adaptation.
On the matter ofThe Wheel of Time’scancellation, Brandon Sanderson weighed in to offer his sympathy to fans, saying that season 3 was the show’s best season. However,he also stated, “I won’t miss being largely ignored; they wanted my name on it for legitimacy, but not to involve me in any meaningful way,“referring to his role on the series. The author has shared his mixed feelings about the show over the years, and when compiling those thoughts, it puts the TV series into perspective in a critical way.
The Wheel Of Time Show Was Divisive Among Book Readers
The Wheel Of Time Missed Its Most Important Demographic From The Beginning
After the show’s cancellation, emotions are high amongWheel of Timefans, whether one loved or hated the adaptation. While I certainly resonate with those who loved the show and are disappointed that there won’t be more, I think it’s important to explore the issues this series had at its roots. Even though season 3 was fantastic,Amazon’sWheel of Timeadaptation was still far from perfect and had evident problems with its writing that were only just beginning to improve.
IfThe Wheel of Timecouldn’t impress those who already loved the books, it’s no wonder it couldn’t capture the interest of a broader audience.
Particularly at the start,The Wheel of Timestruggled to win favor from readers, an audience pool which should have been the most reliable sourceof dedicated viewership. Season 1 performed well, according to Amazon, but the initially mixed reception was always going to cause a decline. Although the show improved steadily over time, in the age of streaming, where audiences have an overwhelming television selection, making a great first impression is paramount. IfThe Wheel of Timecouldn’t impress those who already loved the books, it’s no wonder it couldn’t capture the interest of a broader audience
The Wheel Of Time Season 3 Finally Felt Like The Books (But It Was Too Late)
The Wheel Of Time Needed To Be That Good From The Beginning
We can sit here and say that book purists are too extreme, but to suggest that there’s zero merit to their arguments isn’t fair. There are certainly some unsavory critiques of the TV show, but there are also those that point out genuine flaws in the series. Readers deserve to feel like the adaptation is representative of the novels they love, andI’ll be the first to say thatThe Wheel of Timeseason 1 did not capture the heart of Jordan’s text. It’s hard to think of someone who could have contributed more than Brandon Sanderson in that regard.
While each season offered glimpses at that potential, it wasn’t until season 3 that the TV series really honed in on an atmosphere that felt likeThe Wheel of Time.The TV show needed that from the get-go. If Brandon Sanderson, an enormously successful writer who finished the novels the show was adapted from, felt alienated, it shouldn’t be shocking to anyone that readers would.
Fantasy Adaptations Continue To Struggle With Book Fans
The Witcher, Rings Of Power, & The Wheel Of Time Are Prominent Examples
Adaptation is always going to evoke a range of emotions, especially with material as beloved asThe Wheel of Time.There will always be naysayers, and I’m not trying to suggest adaptations need to impress everyone. However, this reaction is a constant trend with fantasy shows, and there’s a reason for it. Andrzej Sapkowski, the author ofThe Witchernovels, shared a similar statement in 2023 about feeling ignored by the Netflix production team.The Witcher’sthird season currently holds a 19% on RT, with one of the primary critiques being its deviation from the novels.
George R.R. Martin, the author behind theGame of Thronesfranchise, expressed his frustrations about how Hollywood writers, saying “they change things, and I don’t think they generally improve them.” These TV shows need to have some identity of their own, butstudios and creatives behind them need to strike a balance, learning how to appeal to their most passionate audience pool.The Wheel of Timeis proof that fantasy adaptations need readers on their side.
