-By Nick Morrow Welcome to another edition of Tomorrow Reviews where I will look over various movies, shows, games, and anime and break them down Today the topic will be based on Amazon Prime’s original series, The Wheel of Time Season 1 *This will be a spoiler-free review* Over the last few years, subscribers of Amazon Prime have seen the streaming service frantically put together a lineup of signature shows, looking for one to spark Game of Thrones-level viewership. While their efforts with critically acclaimed shows like The Boys and The Expanse have paid off, their foray into producing successful fantasy books series like The Rings of Power and the Wheel of Time have been less than stellar. One Wheel to Rule Them All? It is impossible to watch The Wheel of Time without feeling some sort of Lord of the Rings vibes, especially from the first installment of The Fellowship of the Ring. Right from the beginning, viewers are introduced to four main characters living in the same, peaceful village, but their lives are forever changed when monsters working for a dark force invade their home. The comparisons continue as those four encounter a noble wizard that rescues them, are told of an ancient evil, and are given four a quest that will dictate the fate of the world. Sound familiar yet? With Tolkien’s masterpiece essentially creating the blueprint for fantasy novels, it’s no wonder that Robert Jordan’s own signature work draws so many parallels from it. That fact allows viewers to easily slip into the world presented in The Wheel of Time with relative ease. Like many fantasy storylines, there is an ancient evil that needs to be stopped, a world brimming with magic, and a cast of young heroes who lose their once peaceful lives. What sets The Wheel of Time apart from others though is within that familiar formula, an enthralling mystery is laid out following the first episode. Among the four main characters, one is said to be the reincarnation of ancient power that can save the world, but no one knows which of them it is. With every character given a reason showcasing why they would be the chosen one prophesied about, both the audience and the characters themselves are left spending the whole show looking for that one definitive clue to solve the mystery. Sadly, despite being the most compelling aspect of the show, the very same mystery keeps the show from realizing its full potential. Characters Lost in Translation Four main characters lie at the mystery that drives the show forward. Between Rand, Egwene, Mat, and Perrin, one of those four is the prophesied Dragon Reborn, the one meant to save or destroy the world. That idea was supposed to be the glue that held the show together, but it ended up tearing it apart instead. Early on, the stage was perfectly set as the audience sees the main motivation behind each character aside from saving the world, a task they were suddenly thrust into. Rand has a single-minded devotion toward his lover Egwene while she is split between following her dream or her heart. Mat comes from an emotionally abusive household where his self-worth is constantly challenged, and Perrin is shackled with a haunting guilt based on an accident he causes that changes his life forever. Each of these character traits and conflicts is introduced early on, but instead of fleshing them out and using them to trigger character growth, they just end up being singular character traits. And a story without its central characters developing in meaningful ways is doomed to fail. While the story grants them the locations, opportunities, and antagonists to spark that development, they all spend most of the show being passive agents, riding along with their fate until the very end. Since the Lord of the Rings comparison was used earlier, let’s compare their journey to Frodo and Sam’s. At the start and end of their world-ending adventure, the two were forced to develop in both positive and negative ways as their circumstances became more dire at every turn. The audience was constantly reminded of where they had come from and how the weight of the world’s future being on their shoulders affected them. In contrast, none of that is really felt or seen from any of the four potential chosen ones. What makes that glaring character problem between the leads more jarring is when the side characters’ personalities, stories, and backgrounds carry the show more than the leads do. Characters such as Lan, the Warder, Nynaeve the Wisdom, and Moiraine, the Aes Sedai, have so much more weight and depth to them that there are times when it feels like the show was more so about them and their goals. Part of that issue comes from the fact that the leads are rarely tested. Yes, they get into precarious situations from time to time, but those situations never really foster the growth that adversity should. They simply happen for the sake of the plot and dramatic tension that ultimately doesn’t go anywhere until the very end. As such, there is never a moment where the audience feels like where they are truly rooting for the mains, thus stripping the show of its built-in excitement all stories should have. A Tragic Song of World and Lore For fantasy and science-fiction stories, the world and lore of the story are integral even more than the story. Think of Star Wars. At the end of the day, the core of that story was about a farmer that wanted to see the world and got caught up in a rebellion against an oppressive government. That story has been done time and time again, yet what helped make it feel unique was the world that classic story took place in and the lore interwoven in it. Now, if there was one aspect that The Wheel of Time excelled in over the rest, it was the general world-building. Granted that is not to say it was some masterful endeavor because glaring plot holes and nonsensical elements still presided. Rather, it was the feel and background of that world that added an extra layer of intrigue to draw in viewers. From the beginning to the end, there was an air of mystery to the world that each episode tugged at a bit without ever revealing a total picture. As the characters journey, the world they inhabit seems both massive in scope yet small and narrow, just as it does in the real world at times. Each encounter fleshes out the world more, adding pieces to a grand puzzle. Verdict (6/10) In the end, The Wheel of Time was far from a bad show. Dark lords trying to take over the world, magic, light vs darkness, and chosen heroes may be a cliché formula, but it is one that still manages to produce interesting content. Sadly, that was as far as the show managed to go. It was simply interesting without enough depth to set it apart from others. Throughout its entire run, season one was entertaining, but it failed to live up to the hype as the next big binge-worthy fantasy show. -By Nick Morrow Welcome to another edition of Tomorrow Reviews where I will look over various movies, shows, games, and anime and break them down Today the topic will be based on the Amazon Prime show The Chosen. *Disclaimer. As a Christian believer, this review will be done with a religious lens. The content will be explored using the Bible and its knowledge as a reference point.* *This will be a spoiler review* ____________________________________________________________________ In the age of the latest streaming platforms spending billions of dollars to create and promote shows like Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Marvel TV, it’s a breath of fresh air to hear about a successful show being crowdfunded for millions of dollars, the most in history. That successful show is The Chosen, a dramatic retelling of the Biblical stories presented in the New Testament Gospels. Biblical Creativity Directed by Dallas Jenkins, one of the highlights of the show stems from the opening paragraph given at the start of episode 1. “The Chosen is based on the True Stories of the Gospels of Jesus Christ. Some locations and timelines have been combined or condensed. Backstories and some characters or dialogue have been added. However, all Biblical and historical contexts and any artistic imagination are designed to support the truth and intention of the Scriptures. Viewers are encouraged to read the Gospels!” (The Chosen, disclaimer) Yet that statement alone could never truly encapsulate how well The Chosen weaves famous Biblical stories and accounts into one complete, cohesive narrative. While the Bible stands as the greatest written work ever crafted, many people can attest that it isn’t the smoothest read in the world. Chapters will gloss over years of characters’ lives, large portions are bland historical records, narrative flow didn’t exist when it was written, and the details into the personal lives of characters were shallow at best (it is barely mentioned that Peter is even married). The Bible was created as a guide for salvation and a testament to God’s glory, not as an epic fantasy to rival Tolkien’s or Lucas’ works. Yet, there are intentional blank spaces contained within the Bible that allow for it to have the potential to surpass those works in terms of entertainment. That potential is where The Chosen’s first season shines as it takes respectful, creative liberties to mold the passages of the Bible into a binge-worthy drama for Christians and non-Christians alike. Each character, even minor ones such as Nicodemus, only mentioned a handful of times in the Bible is given engaging backstories that flesh out the time that the Jews lived in when Jesus arrived. Such inclusion alongside the added dialogue to Biblical moments from the gospels creates a magical effect of bringing the Bible to life for viewers to enjoy. Just like watching a superhero movie, there is an added level of excitement when seeing the signature moments from a story come to life. Moments such as Jesus healing Mary of Magdelene, filling Peter’s boat with fish, and his various healing miracles are given added weight and awe as each situation occurs organically after minutes and hours are built into its preparation. Ultimately, the strongest point for the creative liberties taken is how tasteful it all is. There are several moments where viewers will have to check the internet or the Bible to figure out which parts are from the Gospels directly and which have been added in. On the surface, such seamless additions could run the risk of antagonizing the audience, but each addition has an organic feel to it that never feels out of place. Follow Me Two simple words “Follow Me” fully captured the powerful essence of the show as some of the most beautiful moments come from the characters and their struggles. Throughout season one, the unique angle of The Chosen focuses on a familiar theme ripped straight from the pages of the Bible: without Jesus and God, the lives of people are incomplete. Among the main cast of Simon, Andrew, Matthew, Mary, and Nicodemus each one of them is struggling with situations beyond their means. Mary is possessed by demons, Nicodemus is questioning his faith and knowledge, Peter is struggling with his morality, and Matthew is dealing with constant persecution from his job. Each character gets several episodes to flesh out their conflict before coming into contact with Jesus, and that interaction shakes them to their core in varying ways. While such an interaction could be predictable, The Chosen excels in delivering on those powerful moments. Emotion oozes out of the characters after these meetings that sell the scene. There is weight when the Apostles choose to follow Jesus. Through seeing the backstories of several of them, we see that following Jesus was not just something done without consequence. Entire lives were uprooted to follow someone that they had only spoken to for less than an hour. Once again there were creative liberties added for those moments, but those additions only reinforced the truth of the Bible and how Jesus is greater than the forces of the world that stand against people. Special credit needs to be given to Jonathan Roumie, the actor of Jesus, for his portrayal as some of the strongest moments of the show come from scenes where he can only say two words, thus displaying the visual power of Jesus. Life in Jesus’ Time Within any story, especially historical ones, context is key to understanding the subtle motivations and fears of the characters in play. Knowledge of a past period and the customs surrounding it go a long way to helping the audience immerse themselves deeper into a work. While the Bible makes many references to places, events, and customs common in the time it was written, not every reader will be able to get a grasp of life in those days without further research. The show does an excellent job hurdling over the walls born from such ignorance that could be jarring to the viewing experience. Prejudices for people of Matthew’s profession and the religious officials’ fear of Jesus are expanded upon where those negative thoughts can be more easily understood and dissected. Furthermore, the presence of Roman occupation is given the attention it deserves. Without going too deep into the political sphere, the show displays the tension between Rome and the Jewish citizens as it seeks to maintain control over a people it has complete control of. That situation is baked into the lives of all the characters in subtle ways and even acts as a force to drive the actions of others such as Simon Peter and Nicodemus forward. It’s all Connected The Biblical knowledge and care of the writers can be easily traced through every episode as the show is littered with insightful, deep, and even comical moments that foreshadow and allude to future events or personality traits of certain characters. While not numerous in number, one of the more creative inclusions come from the flashbacks to early books in the Old Testament. Each one is used as an opening to lead into or expand upon problems happening over a thousand years down the line. Such creative choices help The Chosen not just reflect the beauty and power of the Gospels but also connect them to the important events of the Old Testament. Though heavily segmented, everything in the Bible connects with an overall picture of Jesus’ sacrifice, the greatest act in the entire Bible. Verdict A masterpiece in every sense of the word, The Chosen brings some of the most pivotal stories and historical accounts to the small screen. Through stellar creative additions, acting, and respectful adaptation of Biblical material, Dallas Jenkins and his cast have struck gold with this work. |
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