The Wheel of Time • Season 2
The Wheel of Time
TV-14
86%81%
Though Rand thought he destroyed the Dark One, evil is not gone from the world. Threats new and very old seek out the young friends from the Two Rivers, now scattered over the world. The woman who found and guided them is now powerless to help, and so they must find other sources of strength. In each other, or themselves. In the Light... or the Dark.
Mike Wetjen reviewedFebruary 13, 2025
So, I really wanted to give this season a higher rating, but...
I gave season one a 3.5/5. The show was enjoyable enough, and whilst it didn't meet my expectations in some ways, it exceeded them in others; ironically, it was the areas I expected them to struggle that they did best, and they seemed to struggle with what I thought would be the easiest parts to get right, and it ended in a slightly strange place.
There were certainly problems for them to fix this season, and it comes out swinging right from the start with a strong open. They've managed to double down on things they did well last time (acting, costumes, sets, music, choreography), and the story veers to follow that of the source material much more closely than the first season did; at least, for the most part it does.
Obviously, the changes in the first season's story have lasting ramifications here, and it's lead to some minor contrivances needed to get the story back on a familiar path, but they've mostly been handled very well, and the interpretations and condensing of certain events has been achieved without any particularly glaring issues, so on the whole, this season is a vast improvement in many ways.
Unfortunately, the finale fails to maintain the momentum of the start and midpoint of the season and falls a little flat, not least helped by some mildly confusing and disappointing changes to the very ending of the season. I understand these changes to a degree, but they ended up making this feel a little more 'generic fantasy' than it is Wheel of Time. Had things stuck a little closer, I would have given this a 4.5/5, but the ending feels a little hollow.
Somewhat like last season, I end this one with a degree of optimism for the future, but also with mild concern for the story's direction. I think this season proves they could make a very faithful adaptation, but for whatever reason, they don't seem to want to, and that leaves me feeling underwhelmed. However, there was so much this season did well that I also feel like I might be letting my love of the books tarnish what they've created here.