It’s hard to convey the beauty, inspired storytelling, and artistic integrity that Wheel of Time has brought in my life. But I will try my best.

In a world of constant remakes, the threat of AI taking away the creative roles of writers and artists, and the consumerism that drives platforms to play the game rather than create art for arts sake – it can be difficult to find any media that truly leaves every drop of talent on the field.

The costuming, the makeup and prosthetics, the special effects, the set design – all of these bring the world of Wheel of Time alive in such a rich and grounded REAL way – this isn’t another mass produced green screen of adding in sloppy effects later – this is real exquisite art at every level.

The actors and their commitment to portraying such nuanced and complex stories of hope in a world that is constantly working and even scheming against them – the emotions they have conveyed and the connections they’ve built feel real and deserved every time.

The musical score is inspiring and pulls at my heart every single moment. The writing, the direction, the production – all of it. There is nothing left of this show that isn’t gorgeous and intentional, and it shows in every moment on screen.

My best friend and I have watched every episode on the edge of our seats. We came to this series via the show and would have never found it as a book series without this adaptation. We keep a remote in hand to pause every few minutes and gush about the complexities even in the background, we analyze the subtle distinctions in the Aes Sendai who cannot lie and how they navigate their political machinations. We pause and replay and replay and replay to not miss anything. In season 3, we genuinely took at least two hours per episode as we were pouring over each detail and then speculating on future plot points and how these factions would converge to work with or against each other. Our minds never stopped buzzing!

On top of that – the casting is diverse and respectful of so many people groups. Everyone is valid in Wheel of Time and given their unique moments to be the hero in a genre that often leaves the vast majority of people behind.

I have fallen in love with so many characters and been inspired by the art itself and the dedication that has clearly been given at every single level of those working behind and in front of the camera.

This show makes me believe in effort and hard work and that the details matter. It’s a beautiful reminder in this world of fast shortcuts and missing the heart of a story for a quick cash grab.

This series is pure artistry.

The minute season 3 wrapped, I refreshed my phone daily, looking for news of a renewal – I searched every night, terrified that it would not continue. I tried to hold onto hope that the studios were just hammering out more arcs, more episodes, maybe a multi season deal. I convinced myself it would be okay.

So when the news came that it was officially cancelled, it hit me like a gut punch and I was genuinely stunned. I called my best friend and lamented to her about the situation.

Full of my complex feelings, I started painting a favorite scene of mine that inspired me when I first saw it – when Elayne is taken in by the freedom of the ship channelers and later is dressed as one of them, channeling in her dream, creating an aurora of lights on the open seas, no burden of royalty to hold her back. (It’s not done but I’ll post online when I do eventually finish)

And then I found the petitions and the efforts to save Wheel of Time. Despite the effort this could take and it being a long shot – I’ve chosen vulnerability over closed off -ness and I am putting my all into every single step, praying Sony takes it to another studio, praying it can be saved.

This is once in a lifetime art and it matters.

And I don’t know why I choose to believe that one person can make a difference in such an algorithm driven world – but I will not stop.

In the same way that I attend protests to stand up for the marginalized every single weekend in the US, I’m dedicating myself just as much (if not more) to this campaign to save a beautiful show.

Because why do we do any of this? What are we fighting for?

Art – expression, beauty, story telling – it makes life worth living and reminds us that each of us matter.

Thank you to the cast and crew and to everyone still pushing to save this beautiful show. All of it matters. Pushing back the darkness and fighting it again and again and again is always risky and there is no guarantee of success – but what else is there but to take the helm and the ask in front of us and try anyway.

All the best,
Sydney