Never read the books, but the trailer makes it seem interesting enough. I heard the story arc is somewhat complex? I feel like not having read the books might actually be a plus here.
The TV Series discussion thread
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Never read the books, but the trailer makes it seem interesting enough. I heard the story arc is somewhat complex? I feel like not having read the books might actually be a plus here.
It's been a long time since I read the books so I'll let others answer that fully. I'm tempted to say it's a cousin of TLOTR, perhaps subplots are more predictable once they're ongoing, but overall there are a number of divergences / convergences, lore and unexpected events that may be spoiled by reading the books, yes.
They will surely change many things to adapt it to the screen anyway, so it's always best if you haven't read them before IMO. It always feel strange in that order.
abharsair
Grumpmaster
I started reading the books 20+ years ago and gave up on them halfway through, because the series became incredibly tedious and there was no end in sight. Two years ago I decided to finally finish it and I managed to do so, but Jordan's final books didn't get any better (with the exception of maybe the last one). After he died and Sanderson took over, the pacing improved by a lot.
I guess if you would cut out all of Jordan's detailed dress descriptions and all instances of when one of the main characters tugs at her braid, then you could reduce the total page count by approximately 50 percent.
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I'm just over the middle of season 3 of Mr. Robot. God damn some of the episodes are just fantastic. Such an atmosphere, and look and feel to the whole experience. Love it. I particularly love the cinematography. Aside from the great acting and story.
About the Wheel of Time tv series, I've only jumped around the trailer. I haven't read the books, but something about the costumes and scenes just feels cheap. Is it just me? That's the first thing I said when I first saw the pictures of the cast in costume. Sort of felt like some of the costumes in the Witcher tv series. Felt low-budget and not very good.
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Carnifex
SasqWatch
I'm glad to read here that I'm not the only bloke that had issues getting through the novel that comprise the Wheel of Time! Perhaps it's not just me after all.
I forgot about all the distasteful, rampant drug use in Mr. Robot. I try to ignore it by keeping a book handy, yet it's difficult and extremely jarring to the viewing.
I forgot about all the distasteful, rampant drug use in Mr. Robot. I try to ignore it by keeping a book handy, yet it's difficult and extremely jarring to the viewing.
Ripper
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Yeah, I tried the books years ago - I found it tedious and poorly written, and absolutely no chance of me plowing through 15 volumes of it. The trailer seems similarly mediocre, to me - a load of genre clichés and tired platitudes, spun up in a CGI whirligig.
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I liked the books because of the world that Jordan created. It was long winded though, but I never felt the urge to lay any of the books down. Sanderson did a great job in finishing the series. Martin should let him write the last novels of A Song of Fire and Ice, so we can finally finish that book series.
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Sanderson might be a good pick and Martin already talked about it might be time to hire another author to finish his work since he can't be bothered to finish it.
He's probably one of the slowest and overworked writers I've ever seen.
He's probably one of the slowest and overworked writers I've ever seen.
Ripper
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Yeah, I can kind of empathise with him, in a way. It's got to be tough to get your head down to create a conclusion to an epic, with so much pressure now. He's got to be making a handsome living off royalties and appearances, and finding it tough to get back into the right headspace. Someone (I think it might have been Leonard Bernstein) said the secret to great work is inspiration plus not quite enough time. I think if that critical time pressure isn't there in some way, chances might not be good.
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Carnifex
SasqWatch
Having met the man personally on three occasions, I'm surprised he even got this far in the series. This is not his bailiwick, not even close to the types of books he's written before, and I think right now the material simply overwhelmed him some time ago. I love him to pieces and some of his mates even more, he should have reached out to a few of them years ago for help. I know a few of them would have stepped right up.
JFarrell71
SasqWatch
We already saw what happened when somebody else finished Martin's series and it wasn't pretty. I'd rather have nothing at all than a second half-assed attempt.
Well the TV writers based the show off his notes so Martin shares some of the blame. He shared some of his thoughts on his personal blog about the show. Worth a read.
Carnifex
SasqWatch
There's a bloke on you-tube at Talking Thrones that did his own version of series nine. Honestly, it was the best Game of Thrones that I've heard/watched/read since series four!!
Would you say season 3 is a step up fom the first two? I left off after the season 2 finale, but I plan on picking back up after I return from vacation next week.
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I can't really judge them comparatively. I like them all as a unit, and it's hard to say some are better than others. Maybe at the episode level, some are definite diamonds. But I feel they all serve a purpose inside the whole.
Of course, I'm probalby one of the least objective people to ask. Since I love the whole series. If you're not clicking with the first 2, it's likely you won't with the next one. It's definitely the most depressive, I think. Season 4 though is quite different, I feel. And it wraps it all very nicely.
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It depends what bothers you, too. If it's Elliot's struggle with his own personal problem, it's not improving in season 3, and season 4 will be even more troubling. This problem is the main plot of the series.
Drithius
Magic & Loss
I mean, would you? He's raking in the cash now WITHOUT having to write anything! It's pretty much a forgone conclusion now that season 8 of HBO is how the story truly ended.
I wouldn't say that in itself bothers me just how much time they spend on it. I wish they had focused on some of the subplots and other characters a little more than they did.
JFarrell71
SasqWatch
I mean, would you? He's raking in the cash now WITHOUT having to write anything! It's pretty much a forgone conclusion now that season 8 of HBO is how the story truly ended.
I think Martin cares more about this story than that. He's on the record as saying the end of the show is not the ending he would do. Money is the ultimate motivation for some, and maybe it is for him, but I don't think so.
I can understand that, I didn't like it too much at the beginning, but then I took the series for what it was. Maybe it's just the matter of being in the right mood when one watches some of those episodes.
The 3rd season shows some past scenes again, seen from a different perspective (another character, real or imaginary), so that will add to the feeling of time spent on it. Although it's interesting to see the pieces of the puzzle coming together. And it's only a few parts, there are new developments too.