Summary
- The Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power both adapt expansive stories.
- The Wheel of Time creates a better adaptation.
- Rings of Power and Wheel of Time can learn important lessons from each other.
The following contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time Season 2, Episode 4 "Daughter of the Night," which is now streaming on Prime Video.
Prime Video is quickly becoming the premier location for high fantasy TV series. HBO used to hold that distinction during the heyday of Game of Thrones, and is trying to stay in the competition with House of the Dragon, but Prime Video has two massive adaptations in The Wheel of Time and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Each franchise has a massive amount of literary lore to go through in order to create their story and world, yet Wheel of Time seems to be outdoing The Rings of Power in one crucial way.
The Wheel of Time follows the story of the Aes Sedai, the Dragon Reborn, and the battle against the dark forces of the world. Rand Al'Thor is the "chosen one" and goes on a journey to become the Dragon Reborn. The world of Wheel of Time is full of incredible characters, rich world building and comprises 14 books and the show is currently on Season 2. The Rings of Power takes fans back to the world that J.R.R Tolkein created. The show focuses on Galadriel during the Second Age of Middle-earth as Sauron rises to power and forges the One Ring. While the first season is controversial among fans and Tolkein pursuits, the series has lots of space to grow in following seasons.
The Wheel of Time is a Better Adaptation than The Rings of Power
At its core, an adaptation will never be a one for one translation of the source material. Many fans seem to forget that when watching their favorite books or games come to life on the screen. There are many moments or thoughts that can be easily written on the page, but it can be hard to bring those same moments to life on screen. This is especially applicable to a characters internal dialogue. An adaptation also has the insurmountable task of bringing to life everything that fans have been imagining for years or even decades. This means that every fan of the source material is entering the series with their own preconceived notions about locations, characters and events.
With all of that in mind, The Wheel of Time has succeeded as an adaptation far more than The Rings of Power. Both properties worked hard to bring their stunning fantasy worlds to the screen and while The Rings of Power was visually spectacular and had some fantastic story moments, Tolkein fans and pursuits found much to be wrong with the attempt to bring the Second Age to life. From the early introduction of the proto-hobbits, to Galadriel having a long-standing relationship with Numénor these changes seemed to distract some fans from the other parts of the show. Even great new characters like Adar, who captured the imagination of all fans, were entirely created solely for the series. The Rings of Power succeeded as a fantasy show but fell short of being a great adaptation.
The Wheel of Time has also made some distinct changes from the books. Changes like Nyaneve burning out or Moiraine being stilled are huge diversions, but for the most part, the story of The Wheel of Time is being adhered closely. With there being so many books, the series is combining many novels and shortening some events, but the important points and story beats are still being hit. Rand is discovering his powers, Ishmael and Lanfear are loose, and Egwene is quickly discovering her own power at the White Tower. Fans of the books can see everything coming together in a way that is satisfying if not a little different.
Rings of Power and Wheel of Time Can Learn From Each Other
The Rings of Power may not have been a wildly successful adaptation, but there is no denying that it was a visual delight. The costumes, the cinematography and the set design was all stunning. It truly brought fans to Middle-earth in a way like never before. The Wheel of Time has managed to be successful at condensing and bringing to life the expansive works of Robert Jordan. It brings all the world building and complexity of the books to life in a way that is welcoming for all audiences. Both series can take the strengths of the other and apply it to their own. Wheel of Time can create a stronger visual story by creating a more unique atmosphere, while Rings of Power can take a lesson in condensing extended literary lore.
Prime Video is quickly becoming one of the strongest streaming services for fans of action and fantasy. The Rings of Power, despite any controversy was still a hit show that blew many people away. The Wheel of Time continues to thrive as the second season has already surpassed the heights of season 1. Just because The Wheel of Time exceeds in the area of adapting its source materials, does not mean that both series don't have value to viewers everywhere. The series can learn from each other rather than compete for the fantasy audiences hearts.
The Wheel of Time Season 2 streams new episodes Thursdays on Prime Video.