'Wheel of Time' Fans Flipped Over Major Change From Books

By Michael Hein

The Wheel of Time Season 1 is over, and fans are still dissecting every moment of it. In particular, many are focused on Episode 6, "The Flame of Tar Valon," which introduced a bold but not unpopular change from the original books. Fair warning: There are spoilers for The Wheel of Time ahead.

The Wheel of Time is based on a novel series of the same name by Robert Jordan, which included 14 novels, two companion guides and one prequel. To adapt that story, the writers simplified some things, took shortcuts around some plot points and abandoned some of the books' subtleties. The change many fans fixated on was making the relationship between Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okonedo) overtly romantic. Episode 6 included a big reveal and a sex scene between the duo while maintaining their complex, distant relationship in the public eye. 

This isn't a "change" to the canon necessarily, as we already knew from the books that Moiraine and Siuan were "pillow-friends" for some time. Still, making their affair explicitly romantic and secret is going to have ripple effects down the road that may be hard to calculate now.

More importantly, it made fans everywhere exceedingly happy – for the most part. The series has gotten mixed reviews in some circles for making too many changes to the story, and this one was no exception. However, for those that felt validated by Moiraine and Siuan's love and wanted to see more of it, this was an exciting moment.

The Wheel of Time is done for the season and is streaming now on Amazon Video. Read on for a sample of how fans felt about Moiraine and Siuan's big scene.

Greatest

Now that it's a part of the story from the very beginning, fans expect Moiraine and Siuan's romance to be the best love story of the entire series — perhaps the best of this entire fictional epoch. The Wheel of Time is not necessarily beloved for its romantic arcs, but this one could raise the bar.

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Adaptational Changes

Fans noted that most of the big changes in The Wheel of Time so far have been to add more romance, more inclusion and more nuance, as opposed to other adaptations where minor changes have sometimes consisted of added violence. They felt that this was a better use of creative license.

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Positivity

Long before this show started, The Wheel of Time fandom had a reputation online for skewing positive and striving to invite new readers into the conversation. After Episode 6, many people remarked on how grateful they are for that slowly cultivated community, and they agreed amongst each other not to give negative commentary undue attention.

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Feminist

If it wasn't clear by now, many viewers agreed that Episode 6 made The Wheel of Time definitively feminist in its framing and presentation, not just in its worldbuilding. Commenters felt that the TV writers had taken the strong foundation author Robert Jordan created and expanded it even further into true gender equality.

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Lan

Fans who have enjoyed Moiraine and Lan's (Daniel Henney) chemistry up until now took a moment to grieve after Episode 6. That includes some seasoned book-readers and some newcomers to the franchise. Still, they debated whether the platonic but intimate connection afforded by their warder bond was a consolation prize.

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'Queernorm'

Different sexualities were always more accepted in the world of The Wheel of Time than they are in the real world, but fans noted that these social taboos are dropped even further in the TV series. The show presents what is called a "queernorm" society, where there is no stigma against LGBTQ+ people at all. Many fans feel that it is well-executed and is the best change so far.

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Dialogue

Finally, there were a handful of one-liners in this episode's dialogue that will be sticking with fans for a long time, judging by the new memes circulating online. For one reason or another, it's clear that Episode 6 will go down as a pivotal moment in The Wheel of Time. The first season is streaming now on Amazon Prime, and the second season is in production, but there's no word yet on when it might premiere.

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