The Other Fantasy Series That’s #1 On Streaming, Even Though No One Is Talking About It
Despite touting massive streaming numbers according to charts on FlixPatrol, Amazon’s The Wheel of Time seems to be failing to make a significant splash in pop culture circles. This is especially surprising in regards to other similar series such as Game of Thrones, Good Omens, and even Netflix‘ recent One Piece live action adaptation which seem to have all taken over social media and launched themselves into the height of the water cooler conversation. The Wheel of Time is available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video.
The Wheel of Time is the #1 streaming series on Amazon Prime Video, yet social media is conspicuously quiet about it.
The Wheel of Time has been touted as one of Amazon Prime’s best original series to date, bringing in massive streaming numbers to the streaming platform, as well as a great deal of critical acclaim.
The series’ first season even broke records back in 2021 for being one of the most watched series on the streamer while also being one of the most pirated television series of the entire year. Now that The Wheel of Time is currently streaming its second season weekly, however, there seems to be very little discussion surrounding the series.
Television events often come in massive waves, bringing with them a host of meme trends, viral in-jokes, and general pop culture discourse and debate amongst online communities. Recent examples include shows such as FX’s The Bear, which popularized the use of kitchen vernacular such as “Yes chef!” and “Corner” in general conversation.
Netflix’ One Piece adaptation touts a similar social media presence, sparking a host of memes and jokes across social media, as well as a ton of cosplay efforts by dedicated fans of the anime adaptation. By all metrics, The Wheel of Time should currently be experiencing the same ripple effect, but fans of the show seem to be making themselves scarce.
The Wheel of Time premiered its second season with a massive three-episode premiere on September 1, with subsequent episodes airing weekly until the season’s thrilling Friday, October 6 conclusion.
The streaming series, which adapts the novel series of the same name by American author Robert Jordan, was developed by Rafe Judkins, who is best known for his work writing for Marvel’s Agents of Shield as well as appearing as a contestant on Survivor. The Wheel of Time‘s impressive streaming numbers have already locked down a renewal for a third season, in a demonstration of Amazon’s assurance that the series will serve as a positive return on investment.
This serves as a monumental vote of confidence from the studio when considering the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes which continually threaten to put a stop to all active film and television productions.
The series stars popular actors as well as Hollywood newcomers sure to make it big following the success on the show, including Rosamund Pike, Hammed Animashaun, Madeleine Madden, Zoë Robins, Daniel Henney, Joshua Stradowski, Kate Fleetwood, Barney Harris, and Marcus Rutherford. The Wheel of Time also boasts a massive budget, clocking in at an estimated $80 million for the first season alone.
By all metrics, The Wheel of Time should currently be experiencing the same ripple effect, but fans of the show seem to be making themselves scarce.
While many studios would be content to consider the lack of public fan fare for the series a loss, Amazon’s streaming metrics point to The Wheel of Time being a certified hit. This could also mean that the series will get its flowers in due time, long after the credits have rolled on the final season, with some shows, such as NBC’s Community and the cult hit Firefly, taking a little extra time to find their vocal audience.
The Wheel of Time follows Rosamund Pike’s Moiraine Damodred, who finds herself naturally capable of performing incredible feats of magic within a high-fantasy world. Moiraine encounters a group of young people, each of whom contain a deeply magical presence, which leads her to suspect that one of them is the reincarnation of the ancient Dragon spirit.
The spirit has long been prophesied to save the world, or plunge it into a state of eternal darkness, depending on who hones the magic within, leaving Moiraine in a delicate tightrope walk for the safety of her world.
The Wheel of Time premiered its second season with a massive three-episode premiere on September 1, with subsequent episodes airing weekly until the season’s thrilling Friday, October 6 conclusion. If you’re a fan of the series, be sure to make your voice loud and proud, as vocal super-fans seem to be mysteriously absent in social spaces. The Wheel of Time is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
