My mind still wanders to The Wheel of Time on occasion, specifically to the question of how it could be adapted to television. The truth is that this is a very unsuitable format, this kind of multi-volume fantasy epic with literally hundreds of characters going about their own subplots at the same time. Even reading the books can be a frustrating experience, when your favourite character barely does anything over the course of yet another 800 pages book. Or you are looking forward to something specific, only for it to take place in an anticlimactic manner five volumes later. People are fooling themselves when they think that all you have to do for guaranteed success is adapt the books as they are. Or even that longer seasons are the solution. They aren't. We used to have meandering ensemble cast TV shows in the early 2000's. They full seasons with over 22 episodes, and spent most of that time dragging their feet, teasing stuff that never had any pay-off, and switching back and forth between too many characters. There is a reason why people turned to cable TV with shorter seasons, and made this their model for streaming. There are certainly other reasons as well, and not every TV concept works as serialized mini series, but let's not pretend that the old model of TV did not have its problems. Anywayyyy.
To adapt such an overly long fantasy book series, you really need to reduce it down to its most basic story beats and get rid of everything that doesn't contribute. So this is the story of someone who learns he's the chosen one, except in this setting being the chosen one is a death sentence and makes you a feared figure. Rand struggles, accepts, learns the wrong lessons, suffers traumas, goes insane but heals enough by the end that he can fulfil his destiny and get a happy ending. It's a story that gets very dark, but is ultimately hopeful. The tone is important. Yes, it is a dark spin on the chosen one concept, but not a cynical one.
There are a number of characters who are just as active and important as Rand, and whose journeys mirror and complement his arch. I think Egwene is crucial as someone who isn't prophesied, but really steps up to any challenge and has a massive positive impact on the world. I think Mat is also crucial to keep in this version of the story, because he is so different from Rand, perhaps even a flipside of him: Rand tries to embrace his destiny and accidently almost becomes a villain; Mat tries to run from any destiny-related things, but repeatedly does the right thing.
Anyway, I would remove Perrin entirely. He's a superfluous character. We do not need another character who is "afraid of his own powers, feared/misunderstood because of them", let that be Rand's thing. Besides, Perrin is not as fun or proactive as Mat. No one will miss him. Perrin's book arch is pretty lopsided and mismanaged anyway, I'm sure Robert Jordan regretted his decision to make Perrin a main character, he had him treat water for so long, you cannot tell me he thought of Perrin as anything other than a chore. Of course Brandon Sanderson loved Perrin and featured him heavily in his version of the ending, which is one of his many failings. Removing Perrin from the story tidily trims off the most frustrating and tedious subplots! It'll be great.
I would like to retain the characters who mirror Rand (and Egwene) in other ways. For this purpose, I'd like to pay more attention to Galad than Robert Jordan did. (The TV show's version of Galad was, well, wrong.) Galad comes in a package with Gawyn, and their character archs are so interesting because Gawyn starts off as the nice, relatable one, while Galad is too perfect, too rigid. We're explicitely warned that Galad is dangerous. But the way the story plays out, it is Gawyn who goes down a dark path of wrong decisions and misplaced hatred. Galad actually proves everyone wrong and just makes the right decisions. He can navigate moral dilemmas. Galad actually is all that, the drop-dead gorgeous heroic guy. And I think that is so interesting because Galad is a) Rand's older half-brother, who is abandoned by his mother because she must follow her destiny; b) goes from being raised to potentially take the throne of Cairhien, to being a surplus prince in Andor, the step-son in a matriarchy. It's interesting that Gawyn has an inferiority complex because of his older half-brother, because when all is said and done, it's Gawyn who will have a high-ranking post next to his sister, while there isn't really anything for Galad, he's just there. He's pretty, he's awesome, but he's not needed. He's not needed by destiny either, so overall I think it is quite ironic to stress that he's legitimately a perfect fairy tale hero prince ... just in a story that has no use for this type. Needless to say, I would also include a scene where Rand and Galad actually meet. It would be cathartic for Galad, to learn why the heck he was actually abandoned by his mother as a little kid. WTF, books. Galad rising through the ranks of the Children of the Light also mirrors Egwene's rise to Amyrlin Seat. They both take control of highly flawed institutions, and do it by exemplifying all they should actually be. The fact that the Aes Sedai and the Children of the Light are hereditary enemies, but that Galad and Egwene are kind of in love, makes it all the more juicy.
I'd also put emphasis on Logain and Mazrim Taim, the story's two False Dragons, both for their relationship to Rand, the real Dragon Reborn, and to each other. I'd like to go with the idea that Taim started off genuinely trying to be good and helpful in the battle against the dark, but that his ego got the better of him. And when Logain joined the Asha'man and was this popular, naturally charismatic guy with great hair, Taim got jealous and succumbed. This should be a sexy dynamic, btw. Same for Rand/Moridin.
Moiraine's death/sacrifice is a necessary plot point in Rand's character development. As is Cadsuane's attempt to replace her, and how she clashes with Rand (who is at that point at his lowest and pretty much insane) ... I really don't like how any of this is wrapped up in the books. Moiraine's return feels anticlimactic, and how Sanderson handles Cadsuane and the way he "fixes" Rand's mental health issues is ... erhhhh ... It's not very good.
I think I would have preferred if, at the very end, it had been Moiraine who helps Rand's soul (?) make the switch from his own dying body to Moridin's. And the "without her you fail/die" prophecy (I forgot the exact wording) could refer to this, to her role of literally saving Rand's life at the end, and keeping the secret of his survival, and seeing him off with a conspiratory smile. Perhaps it's a forgotten weave she only learns thanks to her imprisonment with the Finns. Such possibilities!
BTW, I think it's very funny that so many people in the fandom would like to remove all of Mat's problematic romantic entanglements, but act as if it's of the utmost importance that he gets his hat and his cool spear. Like, I'm sorry, but I find the Tylin plotline psychologically interesting and it can be handled with care, and Mat/Tuon is exactly the type of insane romance we need: it should not work, but it's awesome. And I don't fucking care what hat he wears.
