I can't do the TV show, does it make me a bad wheel of time fan?

Ephrem Elpidius

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I have thought about this a lot over a long period of time... ever since I saw how weak Rand looked, and yes I know working out and creatine can help, but that actor will never be like Rand in the books. You would need someone more meaty, like KJ Apa would make the perfect Rand, in the tv series Riverdale he starts off naïve much like Rand, and as the series goes on he gets ripped as **** honestly he is the perfect Rand, and I am forever devastated it was never meant to be.

Mat changing actors in season 2 + other actors, so many that just don't look the way I imagined, even little things like Moraine being tall now... or the whitecloaks simply not looking at all the way I pictured whitecloaks looking, I mean the whitecloaks are still an army, they should have armor!!! of shining white pearl in color. not monks robes...

I'm not frustrated or even angry, I understand Hollywood always does its own thing, but I just can't do this show. I hope that doesn't make me a bad wheel of time fan, but the series just needs to stay a certain way in my head... its so special to my growth in my teen years, etc... I just don't want to risk that imagination being scarred, and even during my re-read now... when I am reading I summon the images from the tv show I have seen and it completely ruins the flow and immersion for me... so in a way its already ruined it for me... I still am trying to overcome this... :/

edit: it's not even those issues all combined that makes me not want to watch it, it's mainly just I prefer my own imagination. I don't think there is anything wrong with that... but deep down I still feel like I am missing out cause I want to be a part of the community like the rest of you... and I just feel like this is the time to do it... but also... its ruining my re-read already so I know I should avoid all future images... I just don't know what to do. :(
 
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No, you're absolutely not a bad fan.

I love adaptation as an art form, and I especially love adaptations to film. I'm thrilled that I'll get to experience these characters I love "fresh" and get to be surprised by them and not know what's coming!

But that's not everybody's jam, and that's OK.
 

Ilverin Matriam

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I honestly don't know how I will feel after watching the first episode. I think it will be super cringey for me to watch :P but I still WANT to see it. I do not think it will change the way I see the characters in my head while I read, however. If anything, it might give me some ideas on how to imagine other things in a better way (like Trollocs or Myrdraal maybe)

I cannot tell you if that makes us good or bad wot fans though. In the end it's how we feel about ourselves that would say if we're good or bad fans.
I know I am a big fan and defender of the series, I recomend it to people all the time, I like reading it all the time, I like updating our Library with WoT info, so even if I do not see the TV series (which I will anyway), I would still consider myself a good fan of the series.
For the record, I haven't cosplayed any character, I haven't gone to any WoT related Con or whatnot... but if I had gone, does that make me a better/bigger fan? I don't think so.
 

Ephrem Elpidius

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I wish my brain was not so sensitive to like the way my imagination works, because deep down I want to watch the show and discuss it with everyone here. It's so frustrating!
 

Arella Mathara

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It doesn't make you a bad fan. I'm sad you can't watch it though since it sounds like you want to!

I don't have the same problem luckily I still like the A Song of Ice and Fire books a lot for instance, even though I stopped liking Game of Thrones after season 4. Sounds to me most people have stopped liking the books after the last season so I'm just lucky I guess? :giggle
 

Keisha al'Benn

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I'm struggling with this as well so I made a compromise with myself: I'll be watching 'new' WoT content, almost like it's a new PoV, which RJ was excellent at doing, and seems to be what's happening in the show anyway.
Also, I'm still hung up on Moiraine being tall too....ugh! lol
 

Jocasta Braithe

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oof that movie was BAD!
 

Leala ni al'Dareis t'al'Caleum

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I mean, as long as you don't judge others who do like the show (which I don't see you doing), I don't see a problem.
 

Jaryd Kosari

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I still haven't watched the Americam Gods show (and never will) for the exact same reason, so no. You aren't a bad fan.
 
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After reading the book Clan of the Cave Bear I watched the movie and damn near destroyed my TV because it was so far off of my head cannon and all the changes they did. I understand your position completely.
Ooh I haven't thought about that book in so long ... what a great read!
 

Toral Delvar

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The only reason I am watching is because my wife is making me. I was initially excited, but after seeing what they have done, and the excuses for why they think it necessary, I have no interest at all in the show.
 

Merena Orithana

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First off, LOL at Nem Sedai -
The only reason I am watching is because my wife is making me.
I'm doing the same thing with my hubby. :rofl

But I'm kinda comparing this to Legend of the Seeker/Sword of Truth. The TV series was just so different (bad, at times - other than their casting of Darken Rahl), that I found that it wasn't impacting my 'ideal' characters that I had created while reading.
Perhaps it will be like that?
 

Toral Delvar

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Ha!
I made that comparison on a Facebook comment
Sword of truth changes didn’t bother me, as I was indifferent to the books.
 

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I suspect that, as an ardent Stephen King fan, I learned a long time ago that adaptations rarely come close to touching the original books (with a few exceptions thrown in, of course). Sometimes we can accept the inevitable changes; sometimes we can't. It simply is. So not much phases me, and all I ask for is for something to be quality.

I agree with those who said: if you're just like, "Hey, that isn't/won't be my thing," and leave it as that, you're fine and it doesn't make you a "bad fan" (that's also pretty much my outlook on the entire modern Doctor Who era). As long as you aren't gatekeeping the fandom from people who will only know the show, you're okay in my book.
 

Sorcha Al'Verdan

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Nah, you're not honor bound to like all adaptations because you like the source material...
 

Catt Heckathorne

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I loved Ella Enchanted and read my copy so many times the cover fell off.

The film with Anne Hathaway was AWFUL.

To each their own and it doesn't make you a bad fan! I agree about not gatekeeping but other than that you are perfectly fine with not liking an adaptation!
 

Jaryd Kosari

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I loved Ella Enchanted and read my copy so many times the cover fell off.

The film with Anne Hathaway was AWFUL.

Oh my God, same. I listened to the audio book version with my sisters throughout my teen years so I was really excited about the movie...and then they totally butchered it. :(
 

Jocasta Braithe

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Yeah, I really hope we can escape the nasty gatekeeping where the book fans hate the show fans and accuse them of ruining everything (and vice versa), but just not being a show fan doesn't mean anything as far as I'm concerned. You like what you like. Liking things is value neutral.
 

Catt Heckathorne

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I think the biggest thing to keep in mind that this is a perfectly MASSIVE story.

You can do loads more with words than with film.

And with film you're limited by imagery references. Some things just will not work.

Case in point: Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter series. Thoats are supposed to have 6 legs. How the heck do you get those depicted in a way that makes sense???
 
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