I tend to agree. For the amount of money the studio spent on it, the word that can describe this first season is rubbish. And for someone who claims to be a huge fan of the series, Rafa Judkins' treatment of the original books showcases someone who either just skimmed through the 14 (+1) books or had decided beforehand to create a different version and not just an adaptation. If i hadn't read the books, it would all have seemed a convoluted mess, with Rosamund Pike being head and shoulders better than anything and anyone on this show.
The funny thing is that i was more than willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. The scope of the original story is so huge, both in length and depth, that can prove to be overwhelming even for the best TV scriptwriters. And in terms of dialogue, the writers were always going to be burdened with the heavy lifting, because, unlike ASoIaF, the source material doesn't give them much to work with. On the other hand, there's a reason why the WoT, despite the childish dialogue and Jordan's inability to write about emotions without constantly resorting to monotonous physical movement, has stood the test of time. And that reason is the fact that Jordan was a damn good storyteller. As he meticulously unveils his world, little by little, the interpersonal dynamics between his characters are kept in constant motion/change, and this is actually the fuel that drives the plot forward. They should've, at least, tried to stay to true to the original in that aspect. Here, it's mostly the names of the characters that bear semblance to the original. As if spending lots of money on CGI and action scenes on every episode would somehow make up for it. Then again, it's such a Sanderson thing to do, i was kind of expecting it when it was announced that he'll have an advisory role.
It's been quite a while since i last read the books, but i get some criticisms on here. It seems they've taken the easy way out in almost everything. Useless screen time to new characters when Lan's backstory, the fact that Nyn's in love with him and how he tries to keep her at a distance could give them more than enough material to explore the relationship between an AS and her Warder. As for the power thing, it's a problem in the books too. I believe Egg destroys a whole regiment of Seanchan while she's only had a couple of months training as a novice and, later in the books but still early overall, i think it's an Accepted Nyn that beats Moghedien's arse 1v1. They both achieved it under tremendous stress, which i guess was the case in the show too, so, they might have gone for something like that. Plus, being extremely capable with the OP is a plot device Jordan was more than willing to exploit in order to make his young heroines look the vastly more experienced AS eye-to-eye and rise quickly up the ranks of their hierarchy. But Alana mentioning to Moirane that no one is as powerful as Siuan is a huge thumbs down for me. It's just bypasses the complexity of WT politics. It leaves us with a Leandrin with a constant chip on her shoulder and takes so much out of the true grit, the passion and the struggles of one of the most beloved characters in the books. As for the details, the half-hour video, posted above, is spot on.
).
