#And the descriptions of Zane’s wiring

[thefanciestborrower]

[I had a thought while watching Ninjago and I'm subjecting you to it, since it's partially your fault <3]

There was something to be said, Jay thought, about the amount of running they ninja did. Buildings blurred familiarly in fine, colored lines that wove in and out of his sight as they darted down narrow alleys and clambered over unstable fire escapes. The rhythm of footsteps drummed like the beat of his own heart, singing of adrenaline and bruises. Of combat and steel.

"Are you still up there?" Zane's voice was something far away, faded in the world of darting, zipping lights.

"Haven't dropped me, yet." Jay's words were more of a chirp, really, unhindered by the breathlessness that came with running, for at the moment, he really wasn't. his heart had stopped hammering long ago—before Zane had even started running—and instead was replaced with a steady, eerie calm. As if everything was too far away to be concerned over.

And, granted, despite the current caved-in-ness of Zane's primary chest compartment, and the disconcerting sparking resulting, they really were too far away to really be concerned over the small mob of rabid (Jay thought they were rabid. Zane less so) unrulies that so rudely interrupted what should have been a perfectly sane perusing of Borg's latest wares.

Sure, they may have replaced one of Borg's flavor pills with those shrink-people diet pills, but it wasn't Jay's fault his batch was soured. It hadn't even tasted good. More like metal and sadness than anything, really, although that might have been partially his initial outrage upon finding himself small enough to hitch a ride on Zane's shoulder.

Anyway, Jay's favorite nindroid currently vaguely annoyed with him, and a definitive lack of ninja vehicle in sight, they found themselves stopping at the old depot. The one Lloyd and the resistance had apparently set up shop in during the Garmadon 2.0 incident. Zane needed to reconnect whatever it was in his chest that was sparking and/or burning (Jay knew roasting-electrical-wire-casing-smell anywhere), and then they needed a way to hail the bounty because, according to Zane, being small would be a lot less about eating him-sized snacks and a lot more about getting chased by rodents if they left him alone.

It was a sad day that any of them had to settle down on a literal wooden box to make repairs, but Jay supposed it was no worse than getting stuck in the Oni realm for a couple of weeks. Still, watching Zane pick somewhat cautiously at the minuscule wires usually hidden by metal and now shot through with various types of shrapnel (okay, so maybe Zane did most of the fighting, since Jay was too busy freaking out about his newfound lack of vertical status) made his fingers twitch.

"Let me do it." Aside from the usual status checks to make sure Jay hadn't been lost in the time it took to run one city block, they hadn't really spoken much since the store. They didn't particularly need to, honestly. Zane knew where they were going, and Jay trusted him well enough.

A click, and Zane turned his head (too far to be normal-looking for anyone but Zane), revealing something like amusement on his face, the more flexible metal-lined silicone lending itself to a wrinkled nose and a perked eyebrow, the lopsided smile laying beneath it a whisper of laughter. "I am perfectly suitable for the task."

As much as he could at his diminutive height, Jay puffed out his chest. "But I'm better." He wiggled his fingers in Zane's face, mouth stretched into a grin. "Little hands for little wires."

"It would make repairs faster." He always knew he'd hit it right when Zane started talking to himself, and soon enough, a robotic hand with a couple joints exposed near the knuckle was lowering him down to Zane's chest panel like a glorified window washer.

The thing was mangled—destroyed, really. Whatever he'd been hit with had caved the entire panel door into itself like it was hit by a bullet. Pieces of it flaked off in sharp shards just large enough to slice through casing, and whatever paint had been on the metal was all-but vaporized. The inside looked better—marginally. a couple of wire casings were slit here and there, and some of the braiding had been cut, causing sparks when it brushed against other strands, but that wasn't something a little electrical tape couldn't fix.

There was something more for Zane to have stopped like he did.

Lip firmly gnawed between teeth, Jay leaned forward, bracing a hand against the outer casing of the port to get a good look. Under the wires, a brass plate parted the limb and internal functions segment. Around where it met the main body, it discolored, turning a darker brown and bending outward. From one of the raised corners, a pale blue fluid trailed lazily toward the wires, viscous in its consistency and somewhat sticky. It was cold, too. Coolant, maybe.

"Hang on, I'm gonna—" Jay's world jumped a little bit as he hoisted himself over the wires (avoiding the bits of shrapnel still stuck in the colorful casings) and shoved his arm—quite nearly up to his shoulder—through the thin gap created by the bent brass. Had Jay actually have been listening, he might have heard the disapproving voice of Zane telling him that there was nothing back there damaged recently, but Jay was never a really good listener, and he was far more interested in finding the source of the mystery blue fluid. Who knew what it could do to open wiring, and Zane probably needed that inside wherever it was supposed to be, so he found himself entirely justified as he rooted around in the back of Zane's switch panel.

What his hand hit first was smooth and almost leathery. Like silicone but smoothed to a finish and reinforced by something. It was almost the same texture as Zane's faceplate, if less porous.

"Hey, Zane, what's—"

"I think that's enough."

Jay squawked as a hand looped its way through the wire holding him somewhat upright and prized him from the depths of Zane's machinery. he was careful—he always was with the ninja, honestly—but his grip was somewhat constricting around Jay's ribs even as he whined and wiggled in an attempt to get back at the thing he was looking at. "I wasn't done. You're leaking something in there! It's probably important!" And yeah, he was a little offended, but moreso, he had nerves rising from his throat. Like a poison, it chilled his heart and made his hands shake.

The silence lasted a beat too long.

"It's nothing."

Zane was, as he always had been, a terrible liar.

DUDE I’M SCREAMING????? THIS WAS THE FIRST THING I SAW WHEN I WOKE UP TODAY AND OH MY GOSH IT’S AMAZING. LIKE. ACTUALLY SO GOOD. I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE partially CAUSED THIS BECAUSE HOLY CRAP!!!! I shall be reading and re-reading this idea for the next few hours because it’s giving me ideas as well

And like....your descriptions of Zane????? Are fantastic???? Oh my gosh??? I may have some new ideas for how to draw him now because my goodness!!! Anyways this made my morning and probably my whole day and I cannot properly articulate how much I love it here but uhhhh please fill free to send drabbles and ideas like this whenever you want because I am LIVING for it

[mx-julien]

Zane is curious to a fault and that's my favorite flaw. remember in Prime Empire when he had Unigami's hardrive with him because he just wanted to study it? delectable. amazing. so i offer you a more descriptive and entirely different telling of That Time The Mechanic Exposed One Of Zane's Character Flaws.

a "vaguely after s8" timeline and Some General Robot Gore, but none of the End Of The Season Plot things. wanted to spoil myself a little bit bc i love underexplored character flaws and broken robots. (you can read it on Ao3, too, if you'd like - coming soon)

///

Concrete walls don't clash with many colors. Not with red plastic, gold wiring, titanium plates, or steel screws, though the lack of a window means the only real light Zane has comes through the wraught iron bars. They're rather crude, if he's being honest; they only used rebar, not even the nice, smooth, round kind of bars they have in Kryptarium. They should rethink calling him their "Most Valuable Prisoner" if this is the kind of conditions they put important people in.

He'd halfheartedly kick at a rock, but all of his motors are shot except for the ones on his neck, abdomen, and right arm; also, there are no rocks nearby. So he just lies there, half propped against a wall with his left arm detached and strewn about to the side of the cell that's illuminated.

The rectangles of light coming through the rebar are interrupted by a figure wearing a bowl hat. In a few moments The Mechanic standing outside Zane's cell, "Little nindroid," he leans in, keys jangling on his hip, "You didn't think I wouldn't come back for ya, did you?"

After a moment to process the double negative, he tries to right his head and mostly succeeds, though his vision is still slightly tilted to the left, "No," he uses his one good arm to push his back further up the wall, so it looks more like he's sitting than considerably incapacitated. "What surprised me was your stupidity in bringing me here," he looks pointedly around the room, "Or did you not realize that you led us straight to your base?" Zane looks the mechanic in the one good eye he has.

He just laughs, "Like you'll ever make it back to tell 'em!"

A few goons of various heights dressed in tattered brown leather jackets and ripped, stained light wash jeans make encouraging comments. The shortest one is a man who raises a fist and yells, "Yeah!" While the tallest one, a woman, chuckles and the one that's mostly obscured by the Mechanic curls one hand into a fist and hits it against their palm. An ode of what's to come. Oh joy.

"Be quiet-" they comply, rather promptly at that. He searches the key ring and, after what felt like ages, opens the cell door. "You're going to give me that capacitor real nice like," he motions his hands in a 'come come' manner that Zane discovers he finds incredibly demeaning, "Or I'mma take you apart until I find it like the Good 'Ol Mechanic I am." He leans down - still out of arm's reach - but too close for any semblence of comfort, "Like I've wanted to for so long. You get me?" He smiles, showing of his teeth shining with gold and silver.

The metal piece replacing his eye has a few lights in it that stare at Zane like they're expecting him to blink. "We destroyed it-" he narrows his eyes, "Do you really think we'd keep around a device capable of holding that much radioactive energy?"

"No," he stands up and wallks backwards until he can lean his back on the bars, "I think you are curious enough to want it around to tinker with - to figure out all its secrets and whatnot. But smart enough to know that your other little ninja friends wouldn't agree." He takes out a cigarette and flicks the lighter, bringing some more brightness into the room before snuffing it out after it's served his purpose, the butt of the cigarette glowing a dark red, "So you either have it or you know where it is."

Zane feels a tangible sense of checkmate as he sees the ash fall between oily human fingers, but it's not over yet. "Fine," he finally raises his head the last several degrees to straighen it fully, if only to see the Mechanic smirking around his cigarette, "But if I don't tell you where it is, how is taking me apart going to help? You'll never find it if I'm not intact."

"Tell it to me now," he shuts the door, letting it make a clang so loud it makes the tallest henchperson flinch, "And you won't have to see me rilfling 'round that chest of yours to see where the memory stick's at." He pulls a pair of foot-long pliers out of one of his overfilled pants pockets and smiles in a way that's bordering on the edge of deranged.

This is Zane's own fault and he's fully aware that he deserves what's coming to him. But he can't help feeling relief when a door down the hallway is kicked in and "Hands off the nindroid!" echoes through the room.

The goons spring to their feet just in him for Nya to incapacitate the shortest one and push the mid-sized one against a wall. It's enough to keep her occupied that the tallest one puts her arms around Nya's neck in a choke hold. Only to have Cole barrell through the hall and haul her over his shoulder, flipping her over onto the ground.

Just recovering from being pushed, the last one high tails it out the door.

"Darn hard to find good help these days," not to be forgotten, the Mechanic quickly locks he cell door and throws the keys across the room, coming to rest near what used to be the nindroid's left elbow, "Oh well," his other hand grabs wire cutters out of an inner coat pocket, "Guess we'll have an audience, eh, nindroid?"

He takes only two steps closer before the bars groan and bend behind him. The Mechanic spins around, shocked. Nya chooses that moment to walk through the new opening in the rebar, drag him a few feet closer to her by grabbing his shirt, then punch his lights out.

Cole watches it happen, a few of his dreadlocks obscuring one of his eyes, while he's still holding one of the bars in his hand. He promptly throws it aside after his eyes land on Zane's... rather disheleved look, "Hey buddy," he bends down at his right side, putting a hand on his back so it's easier to sit, "Not looking too hot," he scans the room, finally able to process the extent of the damage, "What the hell did they do to you?"

"They tore that arm off," he uses his head to gesture to it, as if there are some other remains of a titanium android's arm lying around in close proximity, "And then it joined me as I was pushed off a building." Zane puts a hand on Cole's shoulder, "But I gathered what I could of it and I'm okay. All the important things are intact."

Finished tying up the two goons and the Mechanic, Nya walks in, surveying the damage she, Jay, and Pixal will have to repair, "What did they want from you, anyways?" She takes off her gi to use as a makeshift bag to hold the large arm plates she's picking up, "They seemed to specifically go after you after they regrouped."

He's lifted into the air, his legs uneven: the right showing too many wires to be fully intact inside and the other being so crumpled it became an inch shorter. Cole's supporting all of his weight, one arm gripping the area where an arm used to be and his right holding on to the metallic one that's slung around his shoulders.

"They were looking for the capacitor from last week."

"That thing?" Cole walks sideways through the opening so Zane's legs don't catch, "But you destroyed it a few days ago? Why'd they think- don't tell me you didn't..."

Pointedly, Zane looks the hallway, admiring the bent bars and one piece of pig iron laying on the floor. Nya stands up, gi in hand, and leaves the cell, putting her other hand on her hip and sighing, "Zane. This is why-"

"I know- but it stores so much energy that it might be useful if I can just-"

"Just what?" Cole readjusts his grip on him, making the loose pieces in his legs rattle and clank together, "Get captured again? Damn it, Zane, this is one of the many reasons we destroy those things; so we don't have to deal with another burnt down monestary or worry about someone getting kidnapped like this!"

"I-" he lets his head hand down, giving him a clear view of the wreckage that is his lower half. His voice gets quieter, ashamed, "I hadn't fully realized that."

After a few moments of silence, Nya gets out her phone to call the commissioner. He's dragged out the door and up some stairs onto the roof. Zane's set down against an air conditioning unit, propped up.

Cole just situates himself to his right, holding his one good hand. He runs a hand through his hair and takes a deep breath, letting it out ten seconds later. A minute later, he finally speaks, "Just-" he turns his head to look away from Zane, to where the Bounty will presumably show up soon, "We can always get you one from Borg; the guy has everything," he squeezes his hand, "Except- except you. We only have one of you, and I'd like to keep this Zane in one piece."

"I'll..." he leans forward a little, catching Cole's eye, "I will try to restrain myself -  in the future, that is - when it comes to things like this."

The latter just nods, accepting the apology as one might tuck their rightful mail into a coat pocket after a neighbor returns it.

Zane's not forgiven, yet, just understood.

Nya comes up after not much longer and sits on his other side, where his left arm would be usually when it's not shattered into pieces, held in a bag made from the gi of the water ninja.

Soon, the Bounty will descend out of the clouds, but right now it's quiet. Zane closes his eyes, shutting off visual sensors and allowing his head to rest on the AC unit behind them. If he sits here long enough, he just might forget how damaged his legs are.

And how the capacitor sitting right next to his heart has never felt heavier.

///

yes i made the mechanic sound a little bit like an american southerner; yes i am a southerner; yes i edited for clarity so others could understand

also this was very much supposed to just be adjacent to the Curiousity As A Fault thing for Zane, THEN i realized that the Mechanic was in that Prime Empire scene and just gave up and finished writing anyways because this is for fun

edit (2022): WOW this is questionably written... I need to edit this and post to ao3 bc some of these scenes and the grammar is... rough

[jackdaniel69nice]

Walker’s Home Videos

Description: Jay’s powers go a little funky when he sleeps, Cole’s POV

~~~~~~~~~~~

The sound of the tv and faint breathing were the only things to be heard. Lloyd and Kai sat on the floor in front of it with Zane perched on the nearby chair. Jay was laying on the couch curled up, a blanket haphazardly thrown across him while Cole had managed to squeeze his way onto the the other end. The volume was low, for at some point Jay had fallen asleep as they were all tired. It was a lazy day, with low crime and sensei gone, they had the freedom to do as they pleased. Cole let out a yawn and leaned back, sinking further into the worn fabric. Unusually high stress had plagued the whole team as of late and it was important they take some time to themselves, FSM knows they needed it.

Lloyd muttered something to Kai about the show, a cartoon of Lloyd’s choosing, and he responded teasingly in kind earning himself a shove. They tousled a bit and laughed before being lightly reprimanded by Zane to keep their voices down. Lloyd stuck his young out and Kai simply roles his eyes. Cole chuckled a little at their antics then resumed watching, not his particular cup of tea but it soothes him nonetheless and he felt himself start to drift off as well.

After a moment the sound of chatter once again assaulted his ears pulling him from unconsciousness, he attempted to ignore it but sensed the movement of others and opened his eyes. The tv had glitched and multicolored greens and purples covered portions of the screen. Lloyd looked like he was trying to lightly smack it, as if though that would bring it back into working order.

“It’s probably just poor signal, give it a minute” Kai interjected. Lloyd sat back with a huff as the screen seemed to glitch and jump, the audio came and went with it. Cole glanced at the remote half tempted to just change the channel and switch to something more interesting and functional.  Jay was forbidden from touching it, the remote tended to do strange things when the master of lightning held it.

With a crackle the TV fell into static before giving a sharp pop and turning black. Shouts and groans of annoyance were quickly shushed by Zane before he made a move to inspect the seemingly broken piece of machinery. But just before he could reach the cable It flickered back to life.

The colors were muted with patches of glitched video feed jumping across the screen. It seemed to come in and out of focus with the edges fading to a black. Although the most obvious was the change in graphics, the film wasn’t a cartoon to start, it was in the middle of a jungle, with broad leaved plants being pushed to the side as someone ran through it. The faint sound of panting breath whispered through the speakers, there was a loud crack of a broken branch, and a screeching-hiss of some beast.

“Some first-person adventure movie?” Kai suggested. “The channel should not have changed on its own,” Zane reasoned. “Maybe it picked a new one ‘cause the old one glitched out,” He countered. “It is not programmed to-“ As Kai and Zane argued TV mechanics Cole was already moving for the remote and Lloyd sat watching the new show, ever curious, and never one to turn down something with action.

Cole attempted to change the channel, at least to something with better quality, but found the remote un-compliant. He tried adjusting the batteries, and when that proved futile, he tried to turn it off still to no avail.

Zane sighed giving into Kai’s stubbornness and returned his attention to the television reaching into the back to mess with some wires “Just unplug it and plug it back in,” Kai chimed in. “That’s what I am doing,” Zane huffed. There was a click and he poked his head back around glaring at the still playing TV before returning to the cables. The volume was increasing in a few decibels with each moment. 

“Cole, turn the volume down will ya?” “Can’t, he answered shortly, “remotes busted.” “Oh great, you probably broke the whole thing Lloyd.” He didn’t answer, to enraptured with the wild chase on screen. They all watched as the protagonist tripped sliding down an embankment with an indistinguishable yelp. They got up quickly grunting in pain making another sprint away from the beast chasing them.

“Bet it’s a Grundle,” Kai commented offhandedly. Lloyd sniffed, “Grundle don’t sound like that.” “Producers don’t know that” He countered.

Zane stepped away from the TV, a curious expression on his face. “I have already disconnected the power cable, but it still seems to be running.” “Can it do that?” Cole wondered. “No”

The adventurer skidded to a halt in front of a large ravine, the bridge had collapsed, they were trapped. The same echoing-scream, closer this time, made them snap their head around backing as far away from the forest as possible. Cole felt a pressure against his leg and looked down seeing Jay’s foot prodding into his side.

“Turn it off” Kai commanded. “How do you suggest I to do that, break it?” Zane asked, bewildered. “Sure, whatever, I just don’t feel like dealing with weird TV magic today,” He reasoned. Lloyd groaned, “You can’t, we already busted the TV earlier this month, Wu won’t let us get a new one.”

Cole blocked out their conversation and looked up at Jay’s face, half concealed by the blanket, and caught his rapid breath covered by the sound of the television. He slightly shuttered and twitched curling back in on himself. Cole, now concerned, moved closer and extended his arm attempting to examine him.

The TV screeched at high volume, demanding their attention, as a massive black figure burst through the underbrush. It skittered towards its cornered prey, only pausing a moment to extend its dripping fangs exposing its large spider form. It snapped, closing its jaws over top the hero in an instant.

The TV exploded with smoke the same time Jay sat bolt upright accidentally smacking Cole’s hand away in the process. Everyone reeled trying to process the scenario as Zane coated it in a layer of ice hoping to minimize the damage.

“Great, now we won’t be able to watch anything for a week” Lloyd smacked Kai for his insensitivity and moved over to check on Jay.

He let out a few more gasps trying to still his breathing before speaking. “W-what, happened?” Jay implored. “The TV exploded, nothing to worry about, sorry if we startled you,” Lloyd soothed. He looked at Lloyd then at the busted screen before settling down still looking slightly dazed. “Just the TV, yeah,” He agreed mindlessly. Cole glared at him with contemplation.

“Did you have a nightmare,” He pried. Jay stared at him with owl eyes. He chuckled nervously, “M-maybe a little one, nothing to worry about though.” They all gave doubtful looks, assessing his twitchy behavior. As much as Jay loved the spotlight, this sort of attention was not favorable. Jay smiled.

“Seriously guys I’m fine,” He said with the wave of his hand, “look, I’ll fix the TV and in the meantime you guys can make lunch, I’m craving a pastrami sandwich, and once it’s done we can all watch the recording. Sound good?” Everyone seemed skeptical still but after a moment muttered their agreement and moved to their designated locations.

Cole was obviously excluded from the lunch plan and settled back into the couch resolving to watch Jay work. The whole situation was strange to say the least. The TV going haywire and the strange movie it played left him with questions. Although he didn’t have much time to contemplate as he had to wrestle the vacuum away from Jay to keep him from dismantling it for parts…again. But before he walked out to find the missing pieces, Cole stopped him.

“Hey, for real man, what was your nightmare about?” Jay just shrugged. “I don’t know, something about spiders.” He pulled away then, leaving Cole stunned and unable to question him further. Obviously, he wasn’t going to say any more on the subject.

Cole struggled to come up with an answer but simply shook his head. There was nothing more he could do for the subject if Jay wasn’t willing to talk, which was ironic in itself. It was strange both the movie and his nightmare both had to do with spiders, but there was no way to say they correlated in any way. This was enough trouble for one day. He settled back into the couch trying to clear his mind. Eventually Jay returned and not long after everyone had finished. They ate their lunch and re-watched Lloyd’s cartoon from the beginning (so Jay could see the parts he had missed). The rest of the afternoon was as quiet as it could be in the Ninja household. Cole couldn’t help thinking about what Jay had said though. 

But it was just a coincidence…right?

[colachampagnedad]

In an interview with Zane Lowe, the only one Kendrick has done since DAMN.‘s release, Kendrick was extremely cagey about the overall concept for the album. He did drop 2 major hints, for those listening closely. In discussing the opening song, “BLOOD.,” Lowe asks “Is it the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?” “I can’t tell you that. That’s what I can’t tell you,” Kendrick says with a grin. “Come on, now. That’s the whole thing!,” he continues.

It turns out that was one of the most meaningful exchanges in the entire 44-minute interview. “BLOOD.” opens with “Is it wickedness. Is it weakness. You decide. Are we going to live or die?” That is the key to the entire sonic journey that Kendrick has architected with DAMN.

The theme of “wickedness or weakness” is one that plays out through the entire project. Kendrick asks the question multiple times. It is a deeply philosophical question akin to whether our paths are determined by destiny or whether we have free will to make our own choices. We all sin. There’s no debate about that. What Kendrick wants to know is are our transgressions a result of wickedness that is native to us or do we just have moments of weakness that can be overcome by choosing to walk the righteous path. Kendrick never gives us a definitive answer to the question, but he made 2 albums with 2 different endings—one where the answer is wickedness, which leads to his death, and another where the answer is weakness which finds him alive and flourishing because weakness was overcome. When Kendrick says “You decide. Are we going to live or die,” on “BLOOD.,” those words are deeply intentional. He is literally telling us as listeners that, as many of us did as kids when we read books that allowed us to pick from multiple endings, we have the choice to experience DAMN. 2 completely different ways.

When we listen to the album in the order in which it was released, it takes us down a path of gradual enlightenment. The question of “wickedness or weakness” is explored through several contrasting themes. Kendrick seems to make several choices that show he is not wicked and is often able to overcome weakness. The order of the song titles suggest the evolution. Kendrick moves from “LUST.” to “LOVE.,” “PRIDE.” to being “HUMBLE.,” having “FEAR.” to feeling like a “GOD.”

He struggles, for sure. He articulates his difficulty staying righteous on “FEAR.,” where he raps “I’m talkin’ fear, fear of losin’ loyalty from pride, ’cause my DNA won’t let me involve in the light of God. I’m talkin’ fear, fear that my humbleness is gone. I’m talkin’ fear, fear that love ain’t livin’ here no more. I’m talkin’ fear, fear that it’s wickedness or weakness. Fear, whatever it is, both is distinctive.” It is also on that record where Kendrick’s Uncle Carl gives him the answers for which he’s been searching. He tells Kendrick that people have been punished by God for not following God’s commandments, but they can lift God’s curses by living righteously.

The album culminates with “DUCKWORTH.,” the ultimate example of how curses can be reversed when people overcome their weaknesses and live righteously. In the song, Kendrick lays out the real-life story of how Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, Kendrick’s mentor and the owner of his label, and Kendrick’s father, Ducky, knew each other as young men. Top had robbed the restaurant where Ducky worked before he started working there, and Top intended to do so again. Ducky sensed that Top was dangerous, and rather than treat him hostilely, he chose to act kindly by offering him free food. Top eventually decided against robbing Ducky. The two men would not see each other again for 20 years, and did not realize their profound connection through Kendrick, until the first time they met in the studio. Had either Top or Ducky acted differently 20 years prior, there lives may have been fundamentally different. As Kendrick raps:

“Pay attention, that one decision changed both of they lives, one curse at a time Reverse the manifest and good karma, and I’ll tell you why You take two strangers, and put ’em in random predicaments Give ’em a soul, so they can make their own choices and live with it Twenty years later, them same strangers you make ’em meet again Inside recording studios where they reapin’ their benefits Then you start remindin’ them about that chicken incident Whoever thought the greatest rapper would be from coincidence? Because if Anthony killed Ducky, Top Dawg could be servin’ life While I grew up without a father and die in a gunfight”

Kendrick lays it all out in that one passage. We have souls and can make choices. Top Dawg could have chosen to rob Ducky, but he did not give in to the weakness of temptation. As a result, both Top and Ducky have prospered and Kendrick is thriving.

In addition to providing a mind-blowing end to the story of DAMN., “DUCKWORTH.” is also instructional. Near the beginning of the song, DJ Kid Capri says “We gonna put it in reverse.” Like most things on the album, that phrase can be interpreted in a couple of different ways. In listening to DAMN. from front to back, it could simply mean the album is going to go back in time. After all, most of “DUCKWORTH.” is about Top and Ducky’s lives decades ago. However, soon after the DAMN. and NATION. theory surfaced, another theory arose that suggested DAMN. was actually meant to be experienced in reverse order. Thus, in saying “let’s put it in reverse,” Kid Capri was being instructional rather than descriptive. That interpretation of Kid Capri’s words also unlocks the significance of Kendrick’s hint about listening to the album “over and over and over again to fully understand the direction.”

When listened to in reverse order, DAMN. takes on a completely different feeling. From the beginning of “DUCKWORTH.,” the wickedness (or destiny) theme begins to take shape. The song opens with “It was always me vs. the world. Until I found it’s me vs. me.” Right off the bat, Kendrick is telling us that in this journey he is not battling the choices that the world presents that allow for weakness. Instead, his battle is internal, likely with wickedness.

Aside from Kendrick progressively moving down a path of wickedness in the song titles–going from feeling like a “GOD.” to “FEAR.,” moving from “LOVE.” to “LUST.,” and going from being “HUMBLE.” to embracing “PRIDE.”–the album has a very different sonic arc, as well. In its original order DAMN. gets progressively more introspective and melodic, ending with the deeply soulful “DUCKWORTH.” In reverse, the album gets increasingly aggressive, culminating in the ultra hostile “DNA.” Where “DUCKWORTH.” is about choice and overcoming weakness, “DNA.” is all about Kendrick’s wickedness being hard wired into him. He literally ends his last verse by forecasting his death and acknowledging his inherent wickedness. “Tell me when destruction gonna be my fate, gonna be your fate, gonna be our faith. Peace to the world, let it rotate. Sex, money, murder—our DNA.”

Of course, the last song on the album in reverse is “BLOOD.,” and the final occurrence on the song is Kendrick dying from a gunshot. In reverse, Kendrick’s death is foreshadowed a number of times, starting on “DUCKWORTH.”–which culminated in a gunshot after the album is replayed at hyper-speed, backwards–and continuing through “DNA.” The person who shoots Kendrick is a woman, and that also likely not a coincidence. On his album To Pimp A Butterfly, he makes a number of references to “Lucy,” short for Lucifer. Lucy is a temptress, always luring Kendrick into destructive situations and, just as Kendrick had an in-person encounter with God on TPAB‘s “How Much A Dollar Cost,” it’s not far fetched to believe that his walking down a path of wickedness would end with his death literally at the hands of the devil.

In addition to the dramatic ending “BLOOD.” provides the album, as the last song, other parts of DAMN. start to fit together differently when it is played in reverse order. For example, going back to “FEAR.,” the last thing Uncle Carl says on the record is “Until we come back to these laws, statutes, and commandments, and do what the Lord said, these curses are gonna be upon us. We’re gonna be at a lower state in this life that we live here in today, in the United States of America. I love you, son, and I pray for you. God bless you, shalom.” In reverse order, the next song is “XXX.” which opens with Bekon singing “America, God bless you if it’s good to you. America, please take my hand. Can you help me underst…”

With nuances like that unlocking, it’s easy to start to believe that the “right” order in which to play DAMN. is, indeed, in reverse. But, again, the very first words we hear on the album, when starting with “BLOOD.” are “Is it wickedness? Is it weakness? You decide. Are we gonna live or die?” “DUCKWORTH.” ends with Kendrick living and thriving because Top resisted weakness and made choices that broke the curses of which Uncle Carl spoke in “FEAR.” “BLOOD.” ends with Kendrick dying because the wickedness coded into his DNA has caused him to fall from grace into the hands of the devil. Is “BLOOD.” the beginning or the end? “That’s the whole thing!”

Kendrick’s response to Zane Lowe and “BLOOD.’s” opening words suggest that the album is meant to be experienced in both directions. A tweet by Sounwave, Kendrick’s longtime collaborator, also supports the theory. Before the album was released he posted a cryptic tweet. It was simply a picture of Laurence Fishburne’s character “Morpheus,” from the film The Matrix. The picture is of Morpheus seated in the chair when he offers the main character the choice of which existence he wants to have. “You take the blue pill — the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill — you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”“You take the blue pill — the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill — you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes,” Morpheus says. Red and Blue. There are those two colors, again.

Kendrick did release two albums on April 14. The first album, the forward version, is the Red album, since it is one of enlightenment. Humans succumb to their weaknesses at times, but are also able to overcome them and live righteously. The second album, which plays in reverse, is the Blue album since it ends in death (and was the second color Kendrick uploaded on his Spotify profile). It is one in which wickedness is fateful and fatal.

Besides the song order and bookends/beginnings of “BLOOD.” and “DUCKWORTH.,” there are loads of other themes and occurrences that take place throughout the album, that change its arc and meaning depending on which direction it is played. Kid Capri’s role is one of the most readily accessible examples. When played in its original order, he does not appear until the third song, “YAH.” He simply says “New sh*t. New Kung Fu Kenny.” He appears several other times, and his presence feels like a throwback to his mixtape days in the 90s and 00s, where his drops were an integral part of setting the energy for the tape. When played in reverse, however, Kid Capri’s words seem more like they are advancing the narrative of the story, rather than ad libs to set the mood. In addition to his directions to put it in reverse on “DUCKWORTH.,” transitions like the one between “FEEL.” and “ELEMENT.” start to seem more like commentary. After Kendrick has repeated his refrain of “Ain’t nobody praying for me multiple times,” Kid Capri affirms it on “ELEMENT.,” saying “New Kung Fu Kenny. Ain’t nobody praying for me.” However, he also says “Y’all know what happens on Earth stays on Earth,” foreshadowing Kendrick’s death.

Other examples include the role Kendrick’s Uncle Carl plays on the album. In forward order, Kendrick briefly references him on “YAH.,” but it isn’t until “FEAR.” that we understand his huge significance. After Kendrick has said “ain’t nobody praying for me” a number of times throughout the album, we learn that his Uncle Carl actually literally is praying for Kendrick, and Carl’s revelations seem to be what allow Kendrick to become righteous and thrive.

When played in reverse, however, by continuing to go down a wicked path after receiving Uncle Carl’s knowledge, Kendrick seems to rebuff his words of wisdom. It leads to an increased sense of isolation, which is heard on “FEAR.,” and he outright rejects Carl on “YAH” where he says “My cousin called, my cousin Carl Duckworth. Said know my worth and Deuteronomy say that we all been cursed. I know he walks the Earth, but it’s money to get, bitches to hit.” His disregard of Carl’s teachings causes him to remain cursed and it ultimately costs him his life.

There are certainly several other examples. DAMN. is as dense as it gets…both versions. In his interview with Zane Lowe Kendrick said of the album “I want it to live for the next 20 years.” Given the unbelievable originality of is double album within an album, it seems very likely DAMN. will live for a long, long time.

[aion-rsa]

Wheel of Time Amazon TV Series: Everything You Need to Know

https://ift.tt/30p6YSh

The Wheel of Time, the sprawling fantasy novel mythology by Robert Jordan, is heading to Amazon Prime as a series.

facebook

twitter

tumblr

One of the most popular fantasy franchises of the literary world, The Wheel of Time, is getting a live-action television adaptation. Originally authored by Robert Jordan, the 80 million-selling 1990-2013 book series depicts a sprawling mythology, amalgamating feudal and magical tropes with elements of Eastern mysticism. Indeed, the books bear philosophical influences from European and Asian culture, notably Buddhism and Hinduism, centered on the idea of time being cyclical in nature.

Amazon gave a series order to The Wheel of Time back in October 2018, setting the project as an hour-long series that will stream on Amazon Prime Video, as reported by Deadline and confirmed by an APV retweet. The move was the culmination of what had been a year-and-a-half process, going back to April 2017, when it was first reported that Sony Pictures Television was moving forward with the TV project.

The Wheel of Time Cast

Amazon recently released this footage featuring The Wheel of Time cast in a table read of the script, which also reveals the presence of Naana Agyei-Ampadu (GameFace), whose role is unknown at this time.

On September 10th, the cast and crew of #WOTonPrime got together to read the first episode of The Wheel Of Time. Production is now on its way and we are VERY excited to see this show come to life! #TwitterOfTime, this is for you. pic.twitter.com/FmWA4zeh2r

— The Wheel of Time on Prime (@WoTonPrime) October 2, 2019

As for the rest of the cast...

Daniel Henney was recently added to The Wheel of Time cast. He will play al’Lan Mandragoran, a.k.a. Lan, the stoic warder (essentially a protector,) of Moraine (Rosamund Pike). However, Lan happens to be the lone survivor of a royal bloodline, and is the uncrowned king of Malkier, a province that was overrun by forces of the Shadow. Henney's announced casting as Lan was accompanied by the following quote: "I swear to stand against the Shadow so long as iron is hard and stone abides - to defend the Malkieri while one drop of blood remains. I swear to avenge what cannot be defended."

Henney, an American actor, can be currently seen on CBS’s Criminal Minds, which he joined in 2015’s Season 10, and is also known as the voice of Tadashi in 2014 feature Big Hero 6 and its current animated series. Besides TV runs on Revolution, Hawaii Five-0 and Three Rivers he appeared in the 2009 Fox-Marvel solo spinoff movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, as Agent Zero, the character known in the comic book mythology as assassin Maverick.

The series recently revealed a quintet of main cast members. The show’s official social media also provides pertinent quoted descriptions for each of the characters, culminating with the message, "It was about them all." The cast members consist of the following (pictured directly below from the left):

Madeleine Madden (Picnic at Hanging Rock, Tidelands) as Egwene Al’Vere. – “It was about a woman who would not bend her back while she was beaten, and who shown with a light for all who watched.”

Josha Stradowski (Instinct, Spangas) as Rand Al’Thor. – “It was not about me. It’s never been about me.”

Marcus Rutherford (Obey, Shakespeare & Hathaway) as Perrin Aybara. – “It was about a man whose family was taken from him, but who stood tall in his sorrow and protected those he could.”

Zoë Robins (Power Rangers Ninja Steel, The Shannara Chronicles) as Nynaeve. – “It was about a woman who refused to believe that she could not help, could not heal those who had been harmed.”

Barney Harris (Clique, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk) as Mat Cauthon. – “It was about a hero who insisted with every breath that he was anything but a hero.”

They will, of course, join the show’s June-announced headliner...

Rosamund Pike officially landed the lead role in The Wheel of Time as Moiraine. A member of an all-female secret society of magic users, called the Blue Ajah of the Aes Sedai, Moiraine embarks on a dangerous journey with five young people she comes to mentor, one of whom she believes could be the reincarnation of someone prophesized to either save or destroy humanity.

Pike, an Oscar-nominated actress for her role as Amy Dunne in 2014’s Gone Girl, is also known from 2005’s Pride & Prejudice and as a Bond villainess in 2002’s Die Another Day. She recently fielded a small screen starring run on SundanceTV comedy State of the Union, and appeared in films such as A Private War, 7 Days in Entebbe, Beirut, Hostiles and The Man with the Iron Heart. She’ll next be seen in the August-scheduled crime drama, The Informer, and, amongst other projects, will co-star as Marie Curie in the fact-based 2020 romance drama, Radioactive.

The Wheel of Time Director

Uta Briesewitz is set to direct the first two episodes of The Wheel of Time, reports Deadline. This should be great news for genre fans, seeing as the German director and cinematographer, Brieswitz, brings small screen experience from directorial runs on shows like Netflix’s Stranger Things (in the recent Season 3), HBO’s The Deuce and Westworld, AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, Starz’s Black Sails and Netflix-Marvel shows such as (the just cancelled) Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and The Defenders, as well as streaming giant offerings Orange is the New Black and the returning Altered Carbon. Plus, she’s fielded runs on Fox’s Lethal Weapon and The CW shows The 100 and Jane the Virgin. Indeed, with a peak television CV like that, The Wheel of Time should be in good hands for its launch.

The Wheel of Time series buck stops with Rafe Judkins, who assumes duties as writer, executive producer and showrunner. Judkins is no stranger to genre television, serving as a producer and writer on ABC’s Marvel series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Netflix horror series, Hemlock Grove. He was also a story editor for NBC’s beloved geek-wish-fulfillment spy series, Chuck. Judkins will be joined by executive producers Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon of Red Eagle and producers Ted Field and Mike Weber of Radar Pictures. Additionally, the property’s authorial legacy is in place with Jordan’s widow, Harriet McDougal, onboard as a consulting producer.

As Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Event Series, Amazon Originals states:

“Developing and producing Robert Jordan’s beloved fourteen-books-series for TV is a big undertaking, and we don’t take it lightly. We believe that Rafe’s personal connection to the material and soulful writing will resonate with the book’s passionate fans.”

The Wheel of Time Release Date

The Wheel of Time has yet to announce a release date. However, a production timeframe was recently spotted in trade magazine Production Weekly, via fan site The Daily Trolloc. The excerpt claims that the series is set to begin rolling cameras in Prague, Czech Republic sometime in September 2019.

The Wheel of Time Details

The Wheel of Time TV series is moving along swiftly, with production having started on September 16, a bittersweet date, since it also marked the 12-year anniversary of author Robert Jordan's passing.

#ThankYouRobertJordan pic.twitter.com/B5MF5LO5aU

— The Wheel of Time on Prime (@WoTonPrime) September 16, 2019

Of course, The Wheel of Time is a large-scale endeavor, since the novels of Robert Jordan (nom de plume of James O. Rigney Jr.), three of which were completed by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan passed away in 2007, build an intricate mythology governed by the titular seven-spoke Wheel of Time powered by an incorporeal celestial source of power. Like the Force in Star Wars, it is a binary power utilized by gifted people, here called “channelers.” The story is spread across epochs in the continuing battle against Shai’tan (or, the Dark One,) who, upon breaking free of imprisonment from the Creator, exerts influence on the malleable to lead the source toward evil.

Amazon's series order for The Wheel of Time arrives after several years of starts and stops, going back to 2000 when author Jordan was still alive. A pilot called Winter Dragon, starring Billy Zane and Max Ryan, aired on FXX on February 8, 2015 (at 1:30 a.m.) to no fanfare or fruition (it was essentially a move by Red Eagle to prevent the rights from expiring). However, McDougal herself made media ripples in April 2016 when she announced “exciting news” about the property; something that required the clearing of some legal issues before moving forward. After the resolution of said legal issues, McDougal speculated that The Wheel of Time would become a “cutting edge TV series.”

We’ll keep you updated on Amazon’s The Wheel of Time as things develop.

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Joseph Baxter is a contributor for Den of Geek and Syfy Wire. You can find his work here. Follow him on Twitter @josbaxter.

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Joseph Baxter

Oct 18, 2019

Wheel of Time

Sony Pictures TV

Amazon Prime Video

from Books https://ift.tt/2Is5rVJ

[mx-julien]

You know how nightmares can do that thing where they equate normal things/people/places/etc. to the terrifying? I wonder if Zane, after being taken advantage of by Vex in season 11, is scared of repairs, software checks, and anything that causes him to lose awareness/mobility (sleeping included). The connection is rather linear: people that know even the crudest way to rewire/reprogram/rebuild him could also use their knowledge to take advantage of him (i.e. mechanics and software engineers).

We know he dreams because of Jay's comments after he wakes up from his vision. And the last time he went unresponsive, he was turned into a ruthless, genocidal tyrant for decades (not to mention the whole thing with Mr. E putting a mechanical spider in his chest after nearly destroying him).

If he was in a relationship including Pixal, Jay, and/or Nya, he might be suddenly rather hesitant to leave himself in a physically compromising scenario around them. He may even have nightmares revolving around the idea that his lover(s) take away his agency or his memories.

It'd open up an interesting dynamic because then the others who aren't so savvy with technology would be the only ones he'd feel comfortable going to. They'd need to find ways to console him while he's being repaired so that he doesn't bolt from the room, half disassembled.

I can see him procrastinating repairs in a roundabout way until he can't avoid it. Flinching when Nya goes to open up a plate and his brain running on overdrive as Jay reconnects and solders wires. Pixal goes in to check firewalls and run a diagnostic or two and he nearly dents the table with how hard he's gripping it, willing his memories to stay and body to obey the commands of him and him alone. Clawing at and then examining his chest the second he comes to and hurriedly flicking through security camera footage from when he was out after battle.

The others are talking about him during breaks with their eyebrows furrowed, tones hushed, and backs facing towards him.

HC partially inspired by @rinas-ninjas beautifully descriptive fic about Zane's repairs ft. lovely glacier. As well as some art on Pinterest of out dear robot boy being not 100% in robot terms.

Might write something on it later.

(I did! It's here on Tumblr and Ao3)

[aion-rsa]

Wheel of Time Amazon TV Series: Everything You Need to Know

https://ift.tt/30p6YSh

The Wheel of Time, the sprawling fantasy novel mythology by Robert Jordan, is heading to Amazon Prime as a series.

facebook

twitter

tumblr

One of the most popular fantasy franchises of the literary world, The Wheel of Time, is getting a live-action television adaptation. Originally authored by Robert Jordan, the 80 million-selling 1990-2013 book series depicts a sprawling mythology, amalgamating feudal and magical tropes with elements of Eastern mysticism. Indeed, the books bear philosophical influences from European and Asian culture, notably Buddhism and Hinduism, centered on the idea of time being cyclical in nature.

Amazon gave a series order to The Wheel of Time back in October 2018, setting the project as an hour-long series that will stream on Amazon Prime Video, as reported by Deadline and confirmed by an APV retweet. The move was the culmination of what had been a year-and-a-half process, going back to April 2017, when it was first reported that Sony Pictures Television was moving forward with the TV project.

The Wheel of Time TV series is moving along swiftly, with production having started on September 16, a bittersweet date, since it also marked the 12-year anniversary of author Robert Jordan's passing.

#ThankYouRobertJordan pic.twitter.com/B5MF5LO5aU

— The Wheel of Time on Prime (@WoTonPrime) September 16, 2019

The Wheel of Time Cast

Daniel Henney was recently added to The Wheel of Time cast. He will play al’Lan Mandragoran, a.k.a. Lan, the stoic warder (essentially a protector,) of Moraine (Rosamund Pike). However, Lan happens to be the lone survivor of a royal bloodline, and is the uncrowned king of Malkier, a province that was overrun by forces of the Shadow. Henney's announced casting as Lan was accompanied by the following quote: "I swear to stand against the Shadow so long as iron is hard and stone abides - to defend the Malkieri while one drop of blood remains. I swear to avenge what cannot be defended."

Henney, an American actor, can be currently seen on CBS’s Criminal Minds, which he joined in 2015’s Season 10, and is also known as the voice of Tadashi in 2014 feature Big Hero 6 and its current animated series. Besides TV runs on Revolution, Hawaii Five-0 and Three Rivers he appeared in the 2009 Fox-Marvel solo spinoff movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, as Agent Zero, the character known in the comic book mythology as assassin Maverick.

The series recently revealed a quintet of main cast members. The show’s official social media also provides pertinent quoted descriptions for each of the characters, culminating with the message, "It was about them all." The cast members consist of the following (pictured directly below from the left):

Madeleine Madden (Picnic at Hanging Rock, Tidelands) as Egwene Al’Vere. – “It was about a woman who would not bend her back while she was beaten, and who shown with a light for all who watched.”

Josha Stradowski (Instinct, Spangas) as Rand Al’Thor. – “It was not about me. It’s never been about me.”

Marcus Rutherford (Obey, Shakespeare & Hathaway) as Perrin Aybara. – “It was about a man whose family was taken from him, but who stood tall in his sorrow and protected those he could.”

Zoë Robins (Power Rangers Ninja Steel, The Shannara Chronicles) as Nynaeve. – “It was about a woman who refused to believe that she could not help, could not heal those who had been harmed.”

Barney Harris (Clique, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk) as Mat Cauthon. – “It was about a hero who insisted with every breath that he was anything but a hero.”

They will, of course, join the show’s June-announced headliner...

Rosamund Pike officially landed the lead role in The Wheel of Time as Moiraine. A member of an all-female secret society of magic users, called the Blue Ajah of the Aes Sedai, Moiraine embarks on a dangerous journey with five young people she comes to mentor, one of whom she believes could be the reincarnation of someone prophesized to either save or destroy humanity.

Pike, an Oscar-nominated actress for her role as Amy Dunne in 2014’s Gone Girl, is also known from 2005’s Pride & Prejudice and as a Bond villainess in 2002’s Die Another Day. She recently fielded a small screen starring run on SundanceTV comedy State of the Union, and appeared in films such as A Private War, 7 Days in Entebbe, Beirut, Hostiles and The Man with the Iron Heart. She’ll next be seen in the August-scheduled crime drama, The Informer, and, amongst other projects, will co-star as Marie Curie in the fact-based 2020 romance drama, Radioactive.

The Wheel of Time Director

Uta Briesewitz is set to direct the first two episodes of The Wheel of Time, reports Deadline. This should be great news for genre fans, seeing as the German director and cinematographer, Brieswitz, brings small screen experience from directorial runs on shows like Netflix’s Stranger Things (in the recent Season 3), HBO’s The Deuce and Westworld, AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, Starz’s Black Sails and Netflix-Marvel shows such as (the just cancelled) Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and The Defenders, as well as streaming giant offerings Orange is the New Black and the returning Altered Carbon. Plus, she’s fielded runs on Fox’s Lethal Weapon and The CW shows The 100 and Jane the Virgin. Indeed, with a peak television CV like that, The Wheel of Time should be in good hands for its launch.

The Wheel of Time series buck stops with Rafe Judkins, who assumes duties as writer, executive producer and showrunner. Judkins is no stranger to genre television, serving as a producer and writer on ABC’s Marvel series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Netflix horror series, Hemlock Grove. He was also a story editor for NBC’s beloved geek-wish-fulfillment spy series, Chuck. Judkins will be joined by executive producers Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon of Red Eagle and producers Ted Field and Mike Weber of Radar Pictures. Additionally, the property’s authorial legacy is in place with Jordan’s widow, Harriet McDougal, onboard as a consulting producer.

As Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Event Series, Amazon Originals states:

“Developing and producing Robert Jordan’s beloved fourteen-books-series for TV is a big undertaking, and we don’t take it lightly. We believe that Rafe’s personal connection to the material and soulful writing will resonate with the book’s passionate fans.”

The Wheel of Time Release Date

The Wheel of Time has yet to announce a release date. However, a production timeframe was recently spotted in trade magazine Production Weekly, via fan site The Daily Trolloc. The excerpt claims that the series is set to begin rolling cameras in Prague, Czech Republic sometime in September 2019.

The Wheel of Time Details

Of course, The Wheel of Time should be a large-scale endeavor, since the novels of Robert Jordan (nom de plume of James O. Rigney Jr.), three of which were completed by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan passed away in 2007, build an intricate mythology governed by the titular seven-spoke Wheel of Time powered by an incorporeal celestial source of power. Like the Force in Star Wars, it is a binary power utilized by gifted people, here called “channelers.” The story is spread across epochs in the continuing battle against Shai’tan (or, the Dark One,) who, upon breaking free of imprisonment from the Creator, exerts influence on the malleable to lead the source toward evil.

Amazon's series order for The Wheel of Time arrives after several years of starts and stops, going back to 2000 when author Jordan was still alive. A pilot called Winter Dragon, starring Billy Zane and Max Ryan, aired on FXX on February 8, 2015 (at 1:30 a.m.) to no fanfare or fruition (it was essentially a move by Red Eagle to prevent the rights from expiring). However, McDougal herself made media ripples in April 2016 when she announced “exciting news” about the property; something that required the clearing of some legal issues before moving forward. After the resolution of said legal issues, McDougal speculated that The Wheel of Time would become a “cutting edge TV series.”

We’ll keep you updated on Amazon’s The Wheel of Time as things develop.

Joseph Baxter is a contributor for Den of Geek and Syfy Wire. You can find his work here. Follow him on Twitter @josbaxter.

facebook

twitter

tumblr

News

Books

Joseph Baxter

Sep 18, 2019

Wheel of Time

Sony Pictures TV

Amazon Prime Video

from Books https://ift.tt/2Is5rVJ

[aion-rsa]

Wheel of Time Amazon TV Series Cast and Everything to Know

https://ift.tt/2yYOz3B

The Wheel of Time, the sprawling fantasy novel mythology by Robert Jordan, is heading to Amazon Prime as a series.

facebook

twitter

tumblr

One of the most popular fantasy franchises of the literary world, The Wheel of Time, is getting a live-action television adaptation. Originally authored by Robert Jordan, the 80 million-selling 1990-2013 book series depicts a sprawling mythology, amalgamating feudal and magical tropes with elements of Eastern mysticism. Indeed, the books bear philosophical influences from European and Asian culture, notably Buddhism and Hinduism, centered on the idea of time being cyclical in nature.

Amazon gave a series order to The Wheel of Time back in October 2018, setting the project as an hour-long series that will stream on Amazon Prime Video, as reported by Deadline and confirmed by an APV retweet. The move was the culmination of what had been a year-and-a-half process, going back to April 2017, when it was first reported that Sony Pictures Television was moving forward with the TV project.

The Wheel of Time TV series appears to be moving along swiftly, evidenced by the latest news, the announcement of its main cast.

The Wheel of Time Cast

The Wheel of Time revealed a quintet of main cast members. The show’s official social media also provides pertinent quoted descriptions for each of the characters, culminating with the message, "It was about them all." The cast members consist of the following (pictured directly below from the left):

Madeleine Madden (Picnic at Hanging Rock, Tidelands) as Egwene Al’Vere. – “It was about a woman who would not bend her back while she was beaten, and who shown with a light for all who watched.”

Marcus Rutherford (Obey, Shakespeare & Hathaway) as Perrin Aybara. – “It was about a man whose family was taken from him, but who stood tall in his sorrow and protected those he could.”

Josha Stradowski (Instinct, Spangas) as Rand Al’Thor. – “It was not about me. It’s never been about me.”

Zoë Robins (Power Rangers Ninjas Steel, The Shannara Chronicles) as Nynaeve. – “It was about a woman who refused to believe that she could not help, could not heal those who had been harmed.”

Barney Harris (Clique, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk) as Mat Cauthon. – “It was about a hero who insisted with every breath that he was anything but a hero.”

They will, of course, join the show’s June-announced headliner...

Rosamund Pike officially landed the lead role in The Wheel of Time as Moiraine. A member of an all-female secret society of magic users, called the Blue Ajah of the Aes Sedai, Moiraine embarks on a dangerous journey with five young people she comes to mentor, one of whom she believes could be the reincarnation of someone prophesized to either save or destroy humanity.

Pike, an Oscar-nominated actress for her role as Amy Dunne in 2014’s Gone Girl, is also known from 2005’s Pride & Prejudice and as a Bond villainess in 2002’s Die Another Day. She recently fielded a small screen starring run on SundanceTV comedy State of the Union, and appeared in films such as A Private War, 7 Days in Entebbe, Beirut, Hostiles and The Man with the Iron Heart. She’ll next be seen in the August-scheduled crime drama, The Informer, and, amongst other projects, will co-star as Marie Curie in the fact-based 2020 romance drama, Radioactive.

The Wheel of Time Director

Uta Briesewitz is set to direct the first two episodes of The Wheel of Time, reports Deadline. This should be great news for genre fans, seeing as the German director and cinematographer, Brieswitz, brings small screen experience from directorial runs on shows like Netflix’s Stranger Things (in the upcoming Season 3), HBO’s The Deuce and Westworld, AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, Starz’s Black Sails and Netflix-Marvel shows such as (the just cancelled) Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and The Defenders, as well as streaming giant offerings Orange is the New Black and the returning Altered Carbon. Plus, she’s fielded runs on Fox’s Lethal Weapon and The CW shows The 100 and Jane the Virgin. Indeed, with a peak television CV like that, The Wheel of Time should be in good hands for its launch.

The Wheel of Time series buck stops with Rafe Judkins, who assumes duties as writer, executive producer and showrunner. Judkins is no stranger to genre television, serving as a producer and writer on ABC’s Marvel series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Netflix horror series, Hemlock Grove. He was also a story editor for NBC’s beloved geek-wish-fulfillment spy series, Chuck. Judkins will be joined by executive producers Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon of Red Eagle and producers Ted Field and Mike Weber of Radar Pictures. Additionally, the property’s authorial legacy is in place with Jordan’s widow, Harriet McDougal, onboard as a consulting producer.

As Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Event Series, Amazon Originals states:

“Developing and producing Robert Jordan’s beloved fourteen-books-series for TV is a big undertaking, and we don’t take it lightly. We believe that Rafe’s personal connection to the material and soulful writing will resonate with the book’s passionate fans.”

The Wheel of Time Release Date

The Wheel of Time has yet to announce a release date. However, a production timeframe was recently spotted in trade magazine Production Weekly, via fan site The Daily Trolloc. The excerpt claims that the series is set to begin rolling cameras in Prague, Czech Republic sometime in September 2019.

The Wheel of Time Details

Of course, The Wheel of Time should be a large-scale endeavor, since the novels of Robert Jordan (nom de plume of James O. Rigney Jr.), three of which were completed by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan passed away in 2007, build an intricate mythology governed by the titular seven-spoke Wheel of Time powered by an incorporeal celestial source of power. Like the Force in Star Wars, it is a binary power utilized by gifted people, here called “channelers.” The story is spread across epochs in the continuing battle against Shai’tan (or, the Dark One,) who, upon breaking free of imprisonment from the Creator, exerts influence on the malleable to lead the source toward evil.

Amazon's series order for The Wheel of Time arrives after several years of starts and stops, going back to 2000 when author Jordan was still alive. A pilot called Winter Dragon, starring Billy Zane and Max Ryan, aired on FXX on February 8, 2015 (at 1:30 a.m.) to no fanfare or fruition (it was essentially a move by Red Eagle to prevent the rights from expiring). However, McDougal herself made media ripples in April 2016 when she announced “exciting news” about the property; something that required the clearing of some legal issues before moving forward. After the resolution of said legal issues, McDougal speculated that The Wheel of Time would become a “cutting edge TV series.”

We’ll keep you updated on Amazon’s The Wheel of Time as things develop.

Joseph Baxter is a contributor for Den of Geek and Syfy Wire. You can find his work here. Follow him on Twitter @josbaxter.

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Joseph Baxter

Aug 14, 2019

Wheel of Time

Sony Pictures TV

Amazon Prime Video

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