The Wheel of Time showrunner defends Prime Video show's big changes from the books following season 3 backlash: "You have to be careful not to be swayed by Reddit"

The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins has defended season 3's big changes from Robert Jordan's novels, as he assures fans of the source material that they're "trying to make something that people love".

The fantasy series recently earned praised from loyal readers of the books for its accurate portrayal of Rand's experiences in Rhuidean – and his spiritual walk through his ancestral history. Prior to that, though, the show has been on the receiving end of pretty intense backlash for its inclusivity and more story-related deviations, like Mat (Dónal Finn) going to Tanchico with Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) to find out more about the Aes Sedai instead of travelling to the Aiel Waste with Rand (Josha Stradowski).

"You just have to accept that you can't do everything that's in the books, and that's not what we're trying to do," Judkins tells SFX magazine in the new issue, which features Black Mirror season 7 on the cover and is currently available on newsstands. He then went on to suggest that "the 20,000 people who post on Reddit" aren't representative of the "millions and millions" who have read the books or are tuning in to the Prime Video series.

"In our current time, you have to be careful not to be swayed by Reddit. It's a wonderful audience and we love the people who engage with the books that much, but we really want to do right by the heart and spine of the books and bring it to a much wider audience," continues Judkins. "I'm always careful to listen to what everyone says, but you have to do what's best for the adaptation at the end of the day. If you try to make something that everyone likes, no one will love it, and we're trying to make something that people love."

Not a subscriber to SFX? Then head on over here to get the latest issues sent directly to your home/device!

"Any time you approach an adaptation, you have to look at the time it was written in and the time that we live in now," adds executive producer Justine Juel Gillmer. "Everyone in the writers' room came to this with an idea of what they loved about the books and what they thought was important. Then we asked, 'What is the modern lens that we see this through?' Because there is a difference between a book published in the early '90s and right now."

Towards the end of the latest episode, titled 'The Road to the Spear', Rand – reliving his ancestor Charn's life during the Age of Legends – encounters Lanfear (Natasha O'Keefe) as a conniving Aes Sedai scientist who brings about the Breaking of the World. Meanwhile, Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) looked into the future to discover that there is no reality where both she and Rand live. Talk about drama!

The Wheel of Time season 3 is streaming now, with new episodes dropping on Prime Video every Thursday. Read more in the latest issue of SFX magazine, which features Black Mirror season 7 on the cover. Check out what you need to be looking out for on newsstands below...