Critics reviewing the new Amazon Prime Video fantasy series “The Wheel of Time” were given a long, detailed, episode-by-episode catalog of spoilers to avoid mentioning in reviews ahead of its premiere Friday, Nov. 19. They needn’t have worried. You can’t spoil what you can’t understand, and “The Wheel of Time” plays more like a plot-point-pileup than a fluid, coherent story.
It’s like someone took “The “Lord of the Rings,” gave it a good shake, and let the pieces fall where they may.
Perhaps fans of the source books, written by Robert Jordan, will have an easier and more pleasant time. Here’s what newcomers need to know: A robed woman (Rosamund Pike in dire mode), going by the name Moiraine Damodred, arrives in the sleepy hamlet of Andor with her warder, Lan Mondragoran (Daniel Henney). (The character names in “The Wheel of Time” are a great deal of fun.) Moiraine cuts to the chase, explaining that one of five dashing young Andor residents is — wait for it — the reincarnation of The Dragon, and might have the ability to defeat The Dark One. (Apologies for any slip-ups here; I’m trying.)
The seven embark on a trek, because that’s what characters do in these “hero’s journey”-type stories. Moiraine is an Aes Sedai, gifted with the power of channeling the One Power, and she seeks to guide her charges to her home city of Tar Valon. But first they must survive all manner of badness, including that from the Trollocs, a fierce band of horned, upright boar/wolf creatures.
If this reads like nonsense, try watching it. There’s something brutally generic about “The Wheel of Time,” something that makes you dig hard and deep for signs of personality or, God forbid, a sense of humor. Prague, where most of the series was shot, is pretty in a barren sort of way that matches the show’s tone. As our heroes plod and fight and scramble along, enjoying a little grog here and there, sussing out the occasional betrayal and alliance, you’d be forgiven for wondering: to what end?
There are 14 “Wheel of Time” books, and the show’s producers have mapped out eight seasons. It all may very well congeal by then, if it gets that far.
It’s hard to be thrown into this new series cold, wondering what exactly an Aes Sedai is even after the third or fourth mention, and why you should care. “The Wheel of Time” often seems to last forever. It just keeps on spinning.
K“The Wheel of Time”: Fantasy drama series. Starring Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney, Josha Stradowski, Zoe Röbins, Madeleine Madden, Barney Harris and Marcus Rutherford. Created by Rafe Judkins. (TV-14. Eight episodes at approximately 60 minutes each.) First three episodes premiere Friday, Nov. 19, on Amazon Prime Video. Subsequent episodes released Fridays through Dec. 24.