Given a lot of previous talk in here about the need to explain things, it would be a major oversight to not include him imho.
My daughter (who hasn’t read the books) picked up on Perrin’s eyes almost immediately…and then wondered if he had some sort of connection to the wolves…she immediately started thinking he is a werewolf 
My single biggest gripe was Nynaeve being able too sneak up on Lan. We readers know she is very good, she tracked them from EF, but he is better. I have no issue with female empowerment and Jordan embraces it in this series, but this peeved me off no end. Such a minor thing I know. The rest I can live with.
I think they left enough room for the book explanation of Nynaeve finding them to stay valid. Lan was in full on panic mode, so at his most distracted. She jokes that she tracked Lan, but that felt in jest to entertain the other warders. Later tells the story of healing Egwene, which was the way she found them in the books.
They’ve toned Lan down slightly and made him a tad less stoic, but he sorta needed to be in order to work on tv.
Part of me agrees with you that she shouldn’t have been able to surprise him, the other part of me just thought that badass moment was definitely worth a few liberties. Plus him disarming her immediately was hilarious.
I have toyed with reading the books for quite a few years. I opted for the Stormlight Archives instead as the word was that WoT would do your head with over description of locations and characters. Ironically Brandon Sanderson was called in to finish the WoT….I wonder if he trimmed back the drudgery of Jordan’s original texts?
With respect to Sanderson, I’d much rather read Jordan. And re-read. Particularly the first half of the series. As the series wore on, and he got really sick, the books got bogged down. One of his last felt like 1000 pages of needless filler, with about one paragraph per chapter of content.
When Sanderson does come in at the end it is a bit of a relief, though sad, and he handles the conclusion well. But he’s not Jordan at his best.
It undercuts Lan.
Just the ability to track them was enough to pique Lan’s interest. Even mildly unsettle him. “Did he slip, or is Nynaeve that good?”
Being able to sneak up on him too, even put a blade at his throat, lessens the supreme competence that sways the fiercely independent Wisdom.
I think they just wanted a big fiery reveal, rather than a more muted one. Certainly were thinking more about selling one character even if is at the expense of another.
Though as a major grumbler so far, it didn’t actually bother me.
Biggest oversight of the show is having nynaeve be an orphan. Her dad was the best hunter in the two rivers.
Brandon sanderson on a podcast re: WOT
his categorisation of the book series:
Here’s the podcast. He explains his role in the show, the approach the show has taken to the adaption.
I also liked his head canon that this is another turning of the wheel. The same characters fighting the same battle, but the details changed from the last turning.
Rafe didn’t feel he could adapt the books as is. He is intentionally leaning heavily on the political drama portion of the books, pulling story arcs into the show that were background in the books. That’s a significant reason for the changes, in addition to the pacing and time required. Aiming to get the vibe and characters, without getting bogged down in every scene.
Isn’t that actual canon? Like the whole point of the breaking of the world was the end of the Age of Legends and the start of the Third Age. Then the climax of the series begins the Fourth Age?
but if its the 4th age may not get rand’s harem
The show being a different iteration than the show isn’t official canon. But it’s a nice way to think of the two versions.
Yeah, to me that’s the most important part of an adaptation. As long as the major story points and key elements/characters are still there, then that’s good enough and still worth enjoying it for what it is. Visual medium is very different from book form.
And so far I think that has been maintained with the show.
Rafe has said several times himself that it is a new turning.
Am I the only one that read most of the series and gave up 3/4 of the way in because it was boring me to tears? Found it repetitious and verbose.
I’ll probably watch the series though!
yes you are the only one
The book with Perrin walking through the woods was a slog. It was a poor writing choice that Jordan realised after the fact. The series picks up after that.
Which book was that? I think I invested up to around 9 or 10 then pulled the plug. It was hard to do, given its such a big series and I was a fair way through.
I’ll definitely take a look at the series, maybe even pick up the books again…
Book 10, Crossroads of Twilight is known as “The Slog”.
Book 11 is pulling all the pieces together for the finale .
Books 12-14 were meant to be a single book covering the endgame, but had to be split due to epicness.
So it’s worth getting through to the last 4.
I think it’s worth noting that the last 3 books have rushed elements as Jordan always appeared 3 books from finishing the series with each book release.