This Perfect Amazon Fantasy Series Will Recharge Your Mental Health to 100%
Frustrated with House of the Dragon? Mildly bored by The Rings of Power? Angry that The Witcher doesn’t feature more of Henry Cavill’s butt? I have a fantasy series that will cure all of your woes.
Maybe it will even cure your non pop culture-related mental illnesses, too! It’s called The Wheel of Time, and if you haven’t started watching, then now is the time. Even if you’re not a big fan of fantasy and you don’t suffer from the aforementioned ailments, then there is a reason to watch. There are hot people in it. But let’s go over the other reasons to watch, just for fun.
The worldbuilding
Unlike The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon, The Wheel of Time doesn’t have any IP fan service responsibilities. It’s not a prequel, sequel, remake, reboot, or spinoff, and doesn’t need to spend two seasons teasing the identity of someone who is obviously Gandalf. It also doesn’t have the burden of established future events that it must lead up to and explain. Instead, it draws you in with its fresh-feeling world and gets you excited about new concepts like the Aes Sedai, the Dragon Reborn, and the Eye of the World. (Don’t ask; just watch.) In addition to all the magic, there are also complex cultures and bustling cities to explore. It never feels like too much to keep up with.
The pacing
Season 1 of this show moves at an impressive velocity compared to other fantasy series. The Wheel of Time doesn’t care about the slow burn: It wants to deliver escapism, and fast. While this may be off-putting for fans of the Wheel of Time book series, it’s very welcome for newcomers. People often watch fantasy series for heightened drama and cool CGI action series, not for eight hours of nuanced dialogue interspersed with occasional make-out sessions. (Cough, House of the Dragon Season 2.) And while Season 2 of The Wheel of Time takes its time in comparison to Season 1, this really doesn’t matter since you’re already hooked.
The budget
The lewk of The Wheel of Time is kinda mid in Season 1 – not shabby, but not Rings of Power level, either. However, the pacing makes up for it. Plus, in Season 2, the costumes, geography, CGI, and makeup all get an upgrade. The show looks good, and the big action sequences look plenty realistic. And if the teasers for the show’s upcoming Season 3 are any indication, then Wheel of Time is about to blow everyone’s socks off.
The cast
This show’s star attraction is none other than Gone Girl herself, Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike. As would be expected of someone of her caliber, she brings warmth to her otherwise aloof, enigmatic, and even intractable role. Meanwhile, Daniel Henney lends humor to the role of Lan, who could be a mere basic brooder in the hands of someone else. Elsewhere, Madeleine Madden and Zoë Robins infuse their characters of Egwene and Nynaeve with complexity and depth – both missing from their book counterparts. The Wheel of Time features plenty more solid performances, but those four stand out among a cast of heavyweights.
Unapologetic wokeness
Let’s make woke a good word again, shall we? ‘Cuz this show is high key woke. Same sex relationships are revealed as casually as the series’ magical concepts. Color-blind casting ensures a realistically diverse and lived-in universe. Plus, The Wheel of Time is inherently feminist: Men are literally not allowed to have power in this series because it (checks notes) makes them too evil and toxic. Reminder: This series was created by a man.
OK, yes, the hotness is another reason to watch this
Whether you’re into men, women, or everyone in between, The Wheel of Time has someone for everyone. I personally tend to stare a bit more at Daniel Henney, Josha Stradowski, and Barney Harris, and not necessarily for their acting. However, you might be more intrigued by Rosamund Pike or her on-screen lover Sophie Okonedo (another Oscar nominee)! I even had a, uh, fun dream about Fares Fares, who plays the show’s extremely villainous Big Bad. I haven’t brought that up in therapy yet, but I imagine it will keep my therapist in business for a while. Anyway, this cast is hot.
Also, a final note: If you haven’t watched The Wheel of Time yet, then I’m pretty jealous of you tbh. After all, you’ll get to binge watch all two seasons of this show in one sitting. Or, at least, you should do that, since Season 3 came out on March 13. Happy viewing!