Episodes 1-3 bolted out of the gate (too early), episode 4 finally got the pace and tone right, and episode 5 was...different (in a great way).
For the last few weeks, I've tried to differentiate The Wheel of Time from Game of Thrones (and rightly so), but I find myself in the strange position of comparing this episode to Game of Thrones...in a very pleasing way.
Things felt a bit more subliminal for the first time - character interactions seemed to be alluding to more than what was actually said, and there was a hint of politics and intrigue in the air... but you know what? That's not what stole the show in my opinion.
I never thought I'd say this (as an avid fan of the books) but there were lots of elements in this episode that were not in the first book and...they enhanced the experience. In fact, this episode perfectly conveyed what the (earlier) books failed to do (in my opinion) - the deep bond between Warders and Aes Sedai.
The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills and, so far, the threads have been perfectly woven to satisfy both readers of the books and people who haven't. The slower pace in this episode gave us a chance to soak in the world around us and the characters, and it set up multiple interesting character archs.
I, for one, couldn't be happier.
** I should also note that I rated the episode 10 stars to counter the ridiculous 1 star reviews. Otherwise, I'd score it 8.5. **
For the last few weeks, I've tried to differentiate The Wheel of Time from Game of Thrones (and rightly so), but I find myself in the strange position of comparing this episode to Game of Thrones...in a very pleasing way.
Things felt a bit more subliminal for the first time - character interactions seemed to be alluding to more than what was actually said, and there was a hint of politics and intrigue in the air... but you know what? That's not what stole the show in my opinion.
I never thought I'd say this (as an avid fan of the books) but there were lots of elements in this episode that were not in the first book and...they enhanced the experience. In fact, this episode perfectly conveyed what the (earlier) books failed to do (in my opinion) - the deep bond between Warders and Aes Sedai.
The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills and, so far, the threads have been perfectly woven to satisfy both readers of the books and people who haven't. The slower pace in this episode gave us a chance to soak in the world around us and the characters, and it set up multiple interesting character archs.
I, for one, couldn't be happier.
** I should also note that I rated the episode 10 stars to counter the ridiculous 1 star reviews. Otherwise, I'd score it 8.5. **