Season One of The Wheel of Time : The Eye of the World

A whole season of TV created out of the first book of the Wheel of Time. I expect the TV series will just be titled "The Wheel of Time". Game of Thrones really should be A Song of Ice and Fire, but hey whatever. I don't expect each season to get the subtitle of each book, but I won't be surprised to see the book titles appear as episode titles. I am aware that there are already "leaked" script titles for the first 4-6 episodes of the series which is slated to start production this fall. As such everything I'm doing is my own musings about how I would assemble the material. I will readily admit I am not a person who works in TV or in the creative arts at all really, so maybe some of this will be clunky, but I wanted to put my own stamp on it.

You will see [1/2] or [2/2] next to a chapter in my listing, that only means I have broken apart the narrative of the chapter for how I would want to present the material inside each episode. It does not mean a neat 50/50 split of the material. Chapters connected with a , are concurrent. Chapters connected with a / are POV or narrative shifts.

Episode 1 - Winternight

Chapters - 1,2,3,4,5,6

This episode is going to need to establish a lot of characters, and provide the impression that something is about to happen with so many extraordinary circumstances happening around Emonds Field. I think the most memorable scene they need to nail is the first appearance of the Myrdraal on the road with Rand/Tam. I always remember that reading it, and I think it will really be a striking moment to signal the adventure is about to begin. The climax of the episode needs to be the assault on the farm and it should end with Rand dragging Tam rambling into the night with him unsure of the revelation that his father found him on Dragonmount.

Episode 2 - Roads to Bigger Places than You've Seen (I don't love this title, but the more obvious ones are kinda boring)

Chapters - 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14

This should be an episode where we can fit in some exposition, we need to make sure that we get a glimpse of the Draghkar, and should encompass the hurried rush at Taren Ferry and their arrival in relative safety in Baerlon, however we close the episode with Rand's dream of Ba'alzamon and the dead rat as a warning. I would consider adding a scene of Nynaeve leaving Emonds Field, but I think her surprise arrival is more fitting.

Episode 3 - Shadar Logoth

Chapters - 15,16,17,18,19,20

We get to start off in Baerlon before rapidly leaving (have to reintroduce Nynaeve), and the chase to Shadar Logoth. This gives us a few chances to have some action before the lull in Logoth prior to the frantic escape. My big adjustment to this chapter is really in the visual arrangement of their escape (we likely need to see a bit more of Nynaeve escaping to the river), and I would break up Rand/Mat/Thom's escape to mirror a bit of Perrin/Egwene's. Both escape the city, then we get to see Rand/Mat/Thom board the Spray before the Trollocs catch them, but conclude the episode with Perrin leaping into the river and washing up on shore exhausted. I want this episode to finish feeling like everyone is really in a tough spot.

Episode 4 - Legends of Ages Past

Chapters - 22 / 21 / 24 / 23,25,27,29,30[1/2] / 26

This will be the first episode with some branching and jumping between narratives. Until then we were one tightly knit band. Start with Perrin finding Egwene, stop in on Nynaeve tracking Moraine & Lan, we will get a quick check in on the Spray, I considered skipping this and I think it can be far shorter than we get in the book, but Domon Bayle is a character we will see more of so I didn't want cut his time this early. Then we should spend most of the rest of the episode with Perrin & Egwene, discovering the wolfdream, Elyas, the Tinkers (casting Aram will be important given his return and involvement later) and we will close with them being assaulted by the Whitecloaks under the remains of Artur's statue. The episode I would then close by having Rand/Mat/Thom disembark at Whitebridge and the encounter with the Myrdraal. Let's finish as the chapter does with Rand/Mat running as Thom instructed.

Episode 5 - Roads to Camelyn

Chapters - 30[2/2] / 31,32 / 37[1/2] / 33,34[1/2] / 37[2/2],38 / 34[2/2]

We open with the result of Perrin/Egwene's capture by the Whitecloaks. We can then rejoin Rand and Mat's harrowing time on the road. The timing of this is a bit fuzzy to me, but I want to try and arrange it so that we can see Rand/Mat are ahead of our other group by a little. So following their escape we will return to Moraine/Lan/Nynaeve finding the Whitecloak camp and deciding to put together a plan. We can then finish Rand & Mat's time on the road before being picked up (including Rand's dream and growing concern for Mat). We will then see the execution of their plan to rescue Perrin and Egwene and their declaration they have a few days to go to Camelyn, which is where we can close the episode with Rand and Mat arriving at Camelyn, seeing the great city on the horizon for the first time.

Episode 6 - Ta'Veren

Chapters - 35,36,39,40,41,42,43,44[1/2]

This will cover all of our time in Camelyn, Rand's Royal Palace adventure and meeting with Morgase/Eladia/Elayne/Gawyn/Galad (big time characters being introduced here although we won't get much time with them). That is probably the first 1/3rd of the episode, then we need to have the reunion, healing of Mat, introduction of Loial, and then the realization that they need to reach the Borderlands as fast as possible. I would close this episode with the waygate closing on our party as they enter the Ways.

Episode 7 - The Eye of the World

Chapters - 44[2/2],45,46,47,48,49

The escape from the ways, arrival at Fal Dara, the reappearance and some revelations from Fain followed by the trip to the Blight. This will provide us a chance to have some more development between Nynaeve and Lan as well as showing us a drastically different location from where the majority of this season has taken place. We should close with their being greeted by the Green Man at the Eye of the World, but we will have to save the surprises inside for the next episode.

Episode 8 - The Wheel Turns (The Dragon Rides Again)

Chapters - Prologue of EoTW, 50,51,52,53, Prologue to TGH

By necessity this episode is going to have some really exciting action, big reveals, and we finally should go back to meet our primary nemesis for the first 3 books Ishmael and his taunting of Lews Therin. I think we need to open with how badly things have gone for LTT so we can set the stage for Rand coming into his own as warning for what he faces. This episode the way I would construct it would be the climactic fight, but it also needs to establish that this fight is far from over. The surprise of the Horn of Valere rightfully comes out of left field, but the Dragon Banner will be a strong signal for the close prior to the credits where Moraine declares that the Dragon is Reborn. I would do a post credits sequence of the prologue to TGH. Already I want a warning leading into the second season that things will only be more dangerous for our heroes as their story progresses. I think you could simply end this sequence with the Ba'alzamon command to recognize the three young men from the Two Rivers, but it would be better to carry it through to the reveal of our particular Darkfriend being one of the Children of Light's Questioners. We get the vibe they aren't totally wholesome earlier with Perrin and that should only add to it as we close on season one.