I haven't read the books recently but I remember it being mentioned over time in the books. I just got this from a WOT wikia, appropriately titled Breaking of the World: "In their insanity, the male Aes Sedai used the One Power to destroy mountains and raise new ones, to drain oceans and flood dry land. Cities were wiped out and civilization completely collapsed during this time" Such an event gives me enough reason to suspend disbelief for rainbow washing. Here is my quick Google source: https://wot.fandom.com/wiki/Breaking_of_the_World
They are definitely adding sexual elements just for the fun of it. However, while never GOT level, it did have some sexual elements in the books, like Rand's love interests for example. Still, I agree, it doesn't seem to add anything to the TV, just nudity for the sake of nudity.
My wife says I didn't like Terry Pratchett when I read it. It's been far too long for me to remember. May have to give it another try. If the novels had any fun in them, please don't let the producers of WOT adapt it. They've removed any fun and levity that were found in the WOT books, which is another thing that separated it and made it better than GOT imo.
I kind of understand your thinking but you are applying rules from a regular world to a world that has magic and demons. You can't port migration patterns from historical earth to this world where there are monsters and wizards, do we know what is happening in the rest of the world? I also read that it's been like 3000 years between worlds so it's not like this is the middle ages on earth, this could be the year 2100 in this world but without the technology, we have here. I don't know if this stuff is addressed in the books but you seem to be comparing that world to this world which is kinda strange.
Looks like it's 1,000 years between the Breaking and Rand's birth. https://wot.fandom.com/wiki/Timeline Has nothing to do with migration patterns or any sort of travel here in our world. You take a small group of people and isolate them for 1,000 years, they're all going to interbreed and the skin and other 'racial' characteristics are going to balance out, with some recessive genes popping up every now and then like hair/eye color, disproportionate height, etc. I don't recall some sort of dominant gene thing in WoT. The only place I've ever seen that is in the Invincible comics with the Viltrumite's genes being so dominant that they can interbreed with any race (aliens) and the offspring will strongly resemble the Viltrumite parent. Again, I couldn't give two ****s about them being black, white, whatever. It's just incongruous to have a melting pot of people that haven't melted together over a millennia.
But you are using real-world facts in a fantasy scenario, does biology work the same way in this world that has magic and demons? That was my point. I am not familiar with the book so I did not know the population but again you are using real-world biology, do the books get into biology, and where are all the people of the same race in the books? I just think it's strange to complain about race in a world that has magic and demons and has not undergone the normal progression technologically, why does that not bug you? It's funny you have this issue because it bugs me that they have the same clothes on every time in Invincible. Explain that one.
I do agree with the rainbow washing issue. One major kudos for GRRM is he put a crap ton of effort into setting up the culture, looks, even the surnames for the different houses/kingdoms. It makes the experience more realistic and immersive when the Lannisters are golden haired and the Starks brown. It also allows for subplot elements like racism and discrimination. (Reading the Stormlight archive right now light eyes higher class than dark eyes). Point is mixing everyone up like this makes it hard for the viewer to grasp who belongs to which group, tribe, house, kingdom, family, etc.
I've seen a few people mention this, and I'm in the same boat. Trying to be PC and have different races is great, but it takes away some of the "indigenous reality" of the village. After inter-mingling for thousands of years, we still are a fictional "melting pot". But, it's still a really good show, and I'm definitely all in!
I hear both of you and you make good points. Was this done in the book? If not I agree it's PC run amok if it's true to the book I stand by what I said originally and chalk it up things work differently in that world. It would seem that should be a big part of the storyline. @Xerobull
@clos4life noted that when the world was broken the people were scattered. I didn’t take that as they were all put in a pan, mixed up and then tossed in the air to land wherever. Even if that was the case, I stand by my point that after 1k years they would have interbred to a point of similarity in small isolated areas.
Most fantasy books are about magic and a medieval setting but you can only get so many actors that are looking like medieval men, women, kids. But I would think if the show is written well enough and executed well enough, you could even turn a blind eye to some of that authenticity.
I have more of a problem that some of the actors are looking weird and out of place and that has nothing to do with race. Except for the Dragon Reborn etc.
I don't think a 1,000 years would be enough to cause racial ambiguity through interbreeding throughout the entireworld. Think of the dark ages as an example, travel would be mostly out of need or for major trade routes. Of course, even if we were genecists it would still be up for debate based on many varying factors. That being said, if a high fantasy setting is not enough to suspend disbelief at rainbow washing then there isn't much to discuss. Every one will have their hang ups and for me that's just not the one.
It is not how it was in the book. People from different regions have typical appearances, just like in the real world or in other fantasy worlds. Rand specifically stands out because he doesn't look like the other people in the Two Rivers. The people from Taer look different from the people from Altara who look different from the people from Saldea. The melting pot is Tar Valen, where women come from all over to join the White Tower.
Now I cant unseen the rainbow coalition, aka marketing coalition. I'm enjoying it, definitely gets better as it goes on.
Spent all of his time on screen trying to figure out He was The Professor from Money Heist. Pretty sure he was cast based on that past work just for his brooding crazy eyes expression.
