Agreed though part of me does not one them to lose the greatest interracial power couple ever. So part of me doesn't want race to change. Now excuse me I need to go cook dinner for my own tuon
One of my favourite scenes is when Mat walks into the Tent looks at the map and describes to the letter the exact plan the Generals had come up with, battle of Cairhien I think.
Mat is the character that other charaters think needs to change. Mat is all actuality is perfectly comfortable in his own skin. He is almost always the person you go to when the chips are down. He is more selfless than he wants to be and he always dives in when people are in danger. Out of the three, Mat enjoyed less of what people call plot armor. He almost died early on wasting away to a shell of himself. He was stalked by a creature that was nigh unkillable. He was hung. He was killed by the forsaken. Almost killed by darkhounds. Almost killed during a seanchan attack. Willingly gave up his own eye to save a friend. Mat survived but no without scars and he still remain the same person at his core. Perrin became more to suit his wife. Rand changed to help save the world. Mat started as the guy would risk his life to save a stranger. He ended the series as that same guy but trying to change a nation.
That reminds me of a scene I really like from the book where Egwene was deciding on whether to give Mat full control of the army. She remembered a time when he dived into the river to save a child, but it turned out the child was just having a swim. Everyone laughed at him and Mat told them, the next time he thought someone was drowning, he wouldn't save them. But then, a day came when a child fell into the river and was actually drowning. No one saw, no one heard, except Mat Cauthon and with no hesitation, he dived into the river again and saved the child's life. No one laughed at him after that. Mat could be wrong, he was often wrong. But when he was right, he saved lives.
If they get Mat wrong, I am going to be very upset. There aren't really any deal breakers for me when it comes to watching the adaptation, but Mat is by far my favorite character and he is basically the pinnacle of my enjoyment of the series (Obviously that is a bit of an exaggeration because I love just about everything about WoT.) But them getting Mat wrong would ruin it for me.
For me, Mat's powers work best when he is essentially at odds with them. His reluctance to use and embrace them fully is what keeps him from being boring and flat with those abilities.
Agree, Mat must be done right. The hardest part is he keeps his thoughts to himself, so as not to worry those around him, that he is trying to protect.
You talked about Mat's character progression as if he didn't really progress, he stayed the same throughout. That's not quite true, even though you are correct in that he had the core of what made him who he was the entire time. Unlike Rand and Perrin, who grew and learned and changed drastically as experiences happened to them, Mat got more experience than they will ever come across in one fell swoop. It was crammed into his brain and then he was hung from a tree. He changed *drastically* after this happened, but he still had that core of himself that was Mat. It would have actually been BAD writing at this point for him to "grow" visibly at this point. He had *lifetimes* of experience all at once shoved into him and with that comes a less notable change over the relatively short period of time from then until the end of the story. That's just how it works, the more experiences you have, the less you change as you go through more experiences. It's diminishing returns and since Mat literally has more experience than anyone living except perhaps the Forsaken, he obviously won't change much after he gets those experiences.
Whatever they do, it's going to be incredibly hard to adapt Matt in a way that makes everyone happy. I mean he's almost everyones favourite character and so many people have an invested interest in the character. So it'll be incredibly difficult to find a young actor with both the charm and wit to portray him without coming across as a bit of a duche. Not to worry, whatever happens we'll always have the books.
Your portrayal of Matt is 100% accurate. There were times when I read when I would get angry at some of the other characters because Matt, despite his bravado, is a really good guy. His luck is so outlandish that he becomes master tactician and heads various military engagements. He is my favorite character in the whole series. When he is not in the narrative the books get a little bit tougher to read.
Christopher Mythic I always thought his military genius came from his memories of past lives, not his luck. His genius and tendency to accidentally speak the Old Tongue were both derived from that.
@@stephengrant4841 Oh no doubt. But his luck led him to the encounter that gave him those memories in the first place. It all circles back to his luck, which is an interesting contrast to Rand who seems to have everything fated and chosen for him.
I wish I could double or triple like this video. Great analysis of a fantastic character. Mat is definitely a character that needs to be understood beyond how he is superficially perceived.
I think a really important scene for a TV audience understanding of Mat is in The Dragon Reborn when Suian tells him he reminds her of her uncle who died saving kids from a fire
Really enjoying these so far. Matt and Thom are my personal favorites from WoT, I love me some jokester, trickster, or gambler archetypes when they're done the right way. You're right that Matt's super lucky plot armor sounds like a terrible idea on first glance, but Jordan totally pulled it off. I hope they do them right in the upcoming adaptation. I'm not the kind of reader who goes all nuts when things are changed from the source materials, not everything that works on paper can work on screen. The important thing is usually staying true to the overall spirit of the particular book or character. Fingers crossed.
Love Mat. My favourite character by a mile. I’ve got no idea how they are going to portray Mat correctly. His thoughts in regards to situations when they happen would crack me up. He always feels hard done by.
Really glad you are filming these now.. They are very thoughtful and demonstrate your deep knowledge and love of the series. I feel that these videos are written for the actor in this role primarily. It is exciting to imagine someone up for a screen test for Mat, looking at YT for help and coming across this video. If GOT season 8 has taught us nothing else, it has shown that writing is the most critical part of a series. I think that these videos really could be a resource for that actor and hope they in some way help to make the series a success.🙂 Edit: just did a quickYT search for Mat Cauthon and this video comes up as one of the first results. So I think the likelihood of an actor researching the character seeing this is high. So it makes these videos very important right now, please continue in earnest. I think you did this for the Moiraine video, but could you in future videos of this type also directly address the actor in your discussion? If you can reach the actors cast in the series and influence them for the better, these videos will be your legacy.
I love that some people actually know Mat's character. He is my all time favorite character. I hope the casting director and screen writer have your insight when the cast and write him. He is one of the biggest hesitations I have for this adaptation.
Through most of the Story Perrin is my favorite, Rand is the character I feel sorry for, And Matt is just there... When I finished it, I realized Matt is the character I loved, Perrin is most like me and Rand is the central character I stopped caring about... He became more of a part of the setting than an actual person.
I feel the same way especially about Rand. Perrin is the character I feel the closest to, but Mat is the character almost every socially awkward kid wishs they could be. I jumped on the Mat bandwagon after his quarterstaff fight with two Warder Trainees. (I know their name, but *Spoilers*)
I remember someone (Leigh Butler maybe?) saying that Mat is the only Wheel of TIme character you could envision kicking down a door saying "Yippee ki-yay, mo**********". I want them to keep that personality as well (though not that particular phrase).
I agree. Matt treats people he cares about with fierce loyalty. Light help whoever is threatening his friends. When he complains about not being thanked for saving someone's bacon, it has nothing to do with ego. It has everything to do with wanting to be treated as an equal the way he treats them. If it has anything to do with ego it is about getting past the perceived ego that others see in him. For appearance, I think he needs to have or be able to pull off a prankster face. Even people who don't know him perceive him that way on sight. In the prologue to book two the man who calls himself Bors is shown the figure of a countryman with mischief on his eyes and a hint of a smile. I think this is important. I'll agree that acting ability is a non-negotiable must on the requirements, here.
Matt is a reluctant hero. He actually loves to keep people safe but won't admit it. Matt is very dutiful and people see him as annoying but Matt will always be one of the first people to offer help. He is like the Avenger's Loki. He is misunderstood. Matt's power is the love of Robert Jordan. He is our guide. He balances Rand's and Perrin's chapters perfectly.
The thing that I always liked about Mat and his luck is that he is very aware of that luck and in the later books he learns to use his luck to a degree. (ie. losing at dice when he needs to lose at dice)
Mat is the going to be hard, the character relies more on what is going on inside more than any other character, I think they may have to change a character around him into a sounding board, like how Olivar is a reflection of how he acts, even if Mat never sees it.
I find it hilarious how when I first read EOTW, I was daydreaming when I read Mat's description, and then I paid attention again as soon as Mat started bringing the barrels of cider into the Winespring Inn. And so I thought that Mat was this old, gray-haired, wrinkly fellow helping Tam, up until the point that I searched him up.... I am an idiot.
Great video, Mat is my favorite character. His Arc is so exciting and adds such fun to the overall sorry. I dressed up as Mat for the Renaissance fair last year. :)
Mat is my favorite charachter in The Wheel of Times, i have read the books atleast 20 times and it still allways makes me smile when i come upon a chapter where i get to follow Mat.
Yeah, Matt and Thom are tied as my favorites. I love when an author can do a trickster, gambler, or jokester character well. They're archetypes that have a lot of potential to go wrong, but with the right author they can really shine.
I agree with you 100%. Mat shows as an immature pleasure loving youngster. But in fact he has such a good heart and such intense loyalty that time after time, unasked he goes to the rescue of his friends. Hopefully the writers, producers and directors will make sure his character on screen matches the character in the book.
In terms of how they show his luck factor, I know that him escaping Tar Valon is a really nice introduction to it, but I've always envisioned something like after he falls from the bridge and takes out the 2 grey men he walks into a shed or something to hide and there's one in there that we see but he doesn't and like a pot just falls on his head or some shit like that. It would show that "this is not just convenience this dude is just inherently lucky" and also be a nice funny Mat moment on screen.
For part of your description, I thought you were describing Han Solo. That is exactly what they need. Not Harrison Ford, obviously, but someone with the same attitude and comedic timing as a young Harrison Ford, or like Chris Pratt in Guardians of the Galaxy. Cocky, mischievous, self-centered and brave on the outside, but selfless and scared on the inside. They need to nail his character, and I can't wait to see who they select. I'm pumped about R. Pike for Moraine.
I love what the WoTSpoilers guys say about Mat: that what he says, thinks, and does are all usually wildly contrasting things that weave into his character
Mat is a big softie with a heart of gold. He doesn't want anything of this, but he will do everything to protect people. He doesn't want people to die. He is also a prankster who doesn't want to grow up. That is what makes him so obnoxious and why he is so flamboyant a lot of the time.
I would love to see a video on Verrin, full end of book spoilers included. This is my first reread and I’m just wow. Her and Sheriam especially. Their characters and motivations, etc.
For me what makes me able to accept Mat's abilities more easily is how muh he doesnt want them. When the dice start rolling in his head and all he can think is "Oh god why now?" those are the times I really connect with him. Who would want to know exactly when they would make a decision that would change there life in some way, who would want that pressure and fear?
just finished the series yesterday, best story i have ever read and feel like there is a hole in my life currently. So many great characters, but Mat definitely top of the list
Im actually not sure if this "memories of the great captains" thing would work very well in real life. Generalship is at least as much art as sience and the approaches are often contradictory. Napoleon for example was a very aggressive, fast and hard driving commander. Would he really be better if he also had the memories of Sun Tzu who was much more of a "strike only when the time is right and rather concede ground than take an unfavorable engagement" kind of guy?
i do think mattrim will be one of the most difficult to portray. he's also my favorite character so i'm pretty biased. Nynaeve may also be slightly difficult to do, as she's also a relatively complex character in my mind.
Hey Daniel! I’m new to the channel (only been watching for about 3 weeks) and even though I disagree with a lot of some of your political views, you are very respectful and it is appreciated. You’ve convinced me to re-read WoT, and I’m going in with a new appreciation for it. Keep up the good work
After seeing this review (great review, btw :) ) I came to think of something that I generally connect with the Doctor from Doctor Who. The Doctor can be funny, light hearted, sometimes a douchebag, a Mary Sue... What makes the Doctor interesting as a character (for me) is that there is a depth to the character. Even though the Doctor might feel shallow at times you can sense that this is the facade of someone who has been through a lot of trauma, someone who is constantly hurt but works to still feel everything out of love for the people around them. And memorywise, the Doctor and Mat might be of the same age. So as you say, it is crucial that there is this depth beneath the facade that he happily puts up
How they adapt Mat is the one thing I am the most worried about. He is without doubt my favourite wot character. I just kept nodding to a lot of things you said. Spot on. Other characters make him seem like egoistical, even though he is not, but they think that because they don't have a clue. What I love about his character is that he is a really good guy. All the knowledge he is given or the artefacts..at least they are written in, not just happening. We know he's a tav'eren, we know he has that crazy luck, we know why he can talk in old tongue, we know why he is so good at battles, I could keep going. All that makes sense. With some other characters, it is not so clearly written.
The actor who portrays Matt will have to have swagger. It will have to be the writing that sets up scenes to show Matt's layers because there is no internal monologue on screen (or at least shouldn't be)
He might be too old but I've always thought Dylan O'Brien would make a perfect Matrim Cauthon. From the goofy characters he played in Teen Wolf and First Time to the bad ass in American Assassin. He could be all of those things. IF they can find someone like him regardless of physical attributes, I think they would have a winner. Then it would be up to the writers to not drop the ball.
Mat is one of my favorite male characters along with Rand. Perrin I like but sometimes to me his story dragged at times but I like him in generally. Back to Mat I always felt that Mat's interaction with Rand was priceless cause he pretty much treated Rand the same all the way through and as I was reading Rand appreciated that. Mat is just a likeable character and I hope they pull it off in the show.
When you say "on paper"....my only thought was, yikes, it is on paper and it really does work xD and its awesome, and Matt is awesome. Fav boi right there. And I haven't even finished WoT yet xD edit: .. I know I'm just being obnoxiously litteral and mistake your meaning by being silly :)
Mat PAYS for his luck and his knowledge with his LIFE!! His physical life and his memories When Rand found him in Rhuidean he was DEAD and Rand revived him. He sacrificed as mudh as any of the other main characters to be molded into what the Wheel Needed to fulfill his role. The things Mat wanted least in life were, Responsibility for anyone but himself, Duty, Obligation, Marriage, War, Anything to do with Aes Sedai or Nobles, and the Wheel forced all of those onto him, to make him the Great General it needed.
I LOVE your point about "Mary Sue... but intentional!" When I bring up the Mary Sue criticism, people IMMEDIATELY seem to think this is malicious or unfair. But to me, suggesting that something is a Mary Sue is about that "unearned (as in, we don't get the development or plot beats to make it feel right) brilliance" and the idea that this character is without flaws and makes no mistakes. There are LOADS of ways to make that entertaining and good. From "One Punch Man" to Caiphas Cain, to any number of power fantasies... they can work! But if you are trying to make a SERIOUS character and fail to include the flaws that make them interesting, you have failed in your objective. (Star Trek Discovery is a good example. Probably the least compelling character in it is Burnham, despite the actress being fantastic... but even when she's wrong, she's "actually right and just misunderstood!" Saru, both Georgios, Stamets, Ash and even Tilly are all more interesting because they are rounded characters) Whatever else Matt is, he's not some untouchable hero who is never wrong. He's an idiot (albeit a very clever one) who gets lucky. Quite literally. And his payoffs are never exactly what he wants. I also love that he DIDN'T have a huge growth arch. Not everyone does, and not everyone needs one. Even in fiction.
Mat is gonna be tricky. For all his silliness and cockiness, he's surprisingly vulnerable. I think all three of the boys show varying degrees of PTSD. Yeah, the Wheel of Time is fourteen books, but that only spans a few years. The first few books are basically a horror show for the main five, fighting monsters from children's stories. That a lot for anyone to go through. Jordan was a Vietnam vet, and he included that in the books. Rand suffers from it in particular, but Matt and Perrin too. I always thought the gambling, the womanizing and the bravado was part of Mat's way of coping.
I must the only person who doesn't care much for Mat (I'm more of a Perrin type). When first introduced, he's an irresponsible brat trying to get out of work, then he loses a good chunck of agency for several books (due to the dagger). I feel like his character doesn't progress beyond those two states. He sits around doing nothing for a while, and then when he finally takes action, it's usually trying to escape authority: leave the White Tower, get away from Rand, flee Ebou Dar... Rand and Perrin both grow by coming to terms with the fact that they have a duty to make decisions and take responsibility for things. Mat just keeps stumbling into it while trying to avoid it.
Caleb Hines Wow, I couldn’t have said it any better than this. I would also add, his unearned ‘perfect General’. While real Generals put in their own real world experience.
This whole video I kept thinking about Garet Jax from the wishsong of Shannara book and the Shannara show and I liked the actor they got to play him and absolutely hated how they wrote and portrayed him. I really hope Matt gets portrayed closer to his book version for the love of fantasy don't fix what isn't broke, although I will say a lot of Matt's redeemable qualities and motives are only known because readers can literally read his thoughts and shows always struggle with that aspect of transitioning books to series.
After Mat and Perrin, Thom (Thomdril Merrilin). For me, it felt like he saw the importance and possible future of these farm boys and tried to nurture them for the world to come.
Hey jerk I was enjoying my summer until I watched your video(s) now I am engrossed in WoT and all the shows i was going to binge watch and all the home projects i was going to do are on hold now because I cant put it down. I hate you, thank you for your content.
It will be interesting to see how they handle Mat's "luck" in the show. I would probably prefer it if they toned this aspect down or even did away with it altogether, since I think there is a very real chance that it wouldn't translate well from the books. Especially without an in-depth explanation of what ta'veren is, which might in itself be difficult to properly communicate.
One of my fav mat moments is when Mat first fights the gholem. He’s trying to run when he thinks Elayne is dead; one of his friends is injured and Mat does not even consider leaving him. The gholem tosses a knife at him and he catches it outta the damn air, sees that Elayne is not dead and charges the gholem with a damn knife. Never once does he consider leaving his friends to die
I am reading the 5th book where he actually got all these memories, his luck (he has had that since a long time) but yess he is here because of Rand, whenever we get to his pov he's amazing rather than the money loving, confident and womanizer people call him. I was surprised people say that about him. He's still my favourite character though.
Well the luck is unclear, since we don’t get his POV until after he’s healed in book 3, I always kind of thought it had something to do with the dagger
Luck aside, just being ta’veren is a huge suit of plot armor. Most all main characters in books get odds twisted in their favor with unnatural frequency. The brilliance of RJ is that he just built that into the story. Wheel ex machina?
Can you please bring up what music that should be on in the WoT series? In fact there is music made already: Blind Guardian - Wheel of Time album. I think it would be totally awesome if this would be possible to have as music for the series.
I think his actions in the Towers of Midnight best sum up Mat. He will spend so much time mistrusting Morraine and trying to avoid her and the other AES Sedai and yet he done what he did and paid a very heavy price for it.
Anyone looking for a good laugh have a look at @Tim Mayo Wheel of Time Fantasy Cast, went to a lot of trouble and there are some very interesting choices, especially for Rand. Got the height and Hair colour right but his families business probably won’t allow him to play Rand
Seriously, does anyone actually read the book? Matt is the slacker, the kid that shirks his chores to pull pranks or goof off. No where does Matt come off as arrogant and cocky unless he is actively trying to act arrogant. Matt and his friends recognize the irresponsible slacker he is, which is why he never sees himself as anything but. Men follow him NOT because he is a charismatic leader, they follow him because when the shit hit the fan he had good ideas that worked. Don't forget that the ONLY reason they ever listened to him in the first place was because he was the Dragons friend and they thought he was some kind of "Lord". Some MIGHT consider him cocky by the way he acts around girls, but thats not really cocky, thats simply flirting, and Matt does that with EVERY girl because he knows hes nothing special and if he wants a little making out, hes going to have to be his most charming even to plain girls.
![เปิดใจ "อาจารย์เบียร์ คนตื่นธรรม" อดีตเคยสุดทุกทาง ถ้าใช้หนี้หมดไปบวชแน่ l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IxeE0xVhy08/mqdefault.jpg)
Who should I discuss next?
Daniel Greene I won’t say Avatar the last Airbender again I swear
Siuan sanche
Black Company.
Elmindreda Farshaw
@@malcomalexander9437 MY MAN!
Well, you say that appearance is unimportant, but whoever they pick will HAVE to be able to wear a hat well.
oh hey, a heart! Cheers man, that's a first for me :D
Agreed though part of me does not one them to lose the greatest interracial power couple ever. So part of me doesn't want race to change.
Now excuse me I need to go cook dinner for my own tuon
And they have to remember that it is a very nice hat
And needs to be able to rock an eye-patch and not look goofy.
And also a scarf.
I would love to see the adaptation capture Mat's unwillingness to admit to himself how good of a guy he actually is
One of my favourite scenes is when Mat walks into the Tent looks at the map and describes to the letter the exact plan the Generals had come up with, battle of Cairhien I think.
Mat is the character that other charaters think needs to change. Mat is all actuality is perfectly comfortable in his own skin. He is almost always the person you go to when the chips are down. He is more selfless than he wants to be and he always dives in when people are in danger. Out of the three, Mat enjoyed less of what people call plot armor. He almost died early on wasting away to a shell of himself. He was stalked by a creature that was nigh unkillable. He was hung. He was killed by the forsaken. Almost killed by darkhounds. Almost killed during a seanchan attack. Willingly gave up his own eye to save a friend. Mat survived but no without scars and he still remain the same person at his core. Perrin became more to suit his wife. Rand changed to help save the world. Mat started as the guy would risk his life to save a stranger. He ended the series as that same guy but trying to change a nation.
fredrick lloyd And yet you don’t see plot armor at work?
Not to mention that he was raped by Tylin and no one even cared.
That reminds me of a scene I really like from the book where Egwene was deciding on whether to give Mat full control of the army.
She remembered a time when he dived into the river to save a child, but it turned out the child was just having a swim. Everyone laughed at him and Mat told them, the next time he thought someone was drowning, he wouldn't save them.
But then, a day came when a child fell into the river and was actually drowning. No one saw, no one heard, except Mat Cauthon and with no hesitation, he dived into the river again and saved the child's life. No one laughed at him after that.
Mat could be wrong, he was often wrong. But when he was right, he saved lives.
fefebracciobianco right? I cared!!! The “ gals” were offended until Elaine ASKED him.
If they get Mat wrong, I am going to be very upset. There aren't really any deal breakers for me when it comes to watching the adaptation, but Mat is by far my favorite character and he is basically the pinnacle of my enjoyment of the series (Obviously that is a bit of an exaggeration because I love just about everything about WoT.) But them getting Mat wrong would ruin it for me.
Exactly
Yup!!!
I'm with you on that one too.
For me, Mat's powers work best when he is essentially at odds with them. His reluctance to use and embrace them fully is what keeps him from being boring and flat with those abilities.
Agree, Mat must be done right. The hardest part is he keeps his thoughts to himself, so as not to worry those around him, that he is trying to protect.
You talked about Mat's character progression as if he didn't really progress, he stayed the same throughout. That's not quite true, even though you are correct in that he had the core of what made him who he was the entire time. Unlike Rand and Perrin, who grew and learned and changed drastically as experiences happened to them, Mat got more experience than they will ever come across in one fell swoop. It was crammed into his brain and then he was hung from a tree. He changed *drastically* after this happened, but he still had that core of himself that was Mat. It would have actually been BAD writing at this point for him to "grow" visibly at this point. He had *lifetimes* of experience all at once shoved into him and with that comes a less notable change over the relatively short period of time from then until the end of the story. That's just how it works, the more experiences you have, the less you change as you go through more experiences. It's diminishing returns and since Mat literally has more experience than anyone living except perhaps the Forsaken, he obviously won't change much after he gets those experiences.
Whatever they do, it's going to be incredibly hard to adapt Matt in a way that makes everyone happy. I mean he's almost everyones favourite character and so many people have an invested interest in the character. So it'll be incredibly difficult to find a young actor with both the charm and wit to portray him without coming across as a bit of a duche. Not to worry, whatever happens we'll always have the books.
Your portrayal of Matt is 100% accurate. There were times when I read when I would get angry at some of the other characters because Matt, despite his bravado, is a really good guy. His luck is so outlandish that he becomes master tactician and heads various military engagements. He is my favorite character in the whole series. When he is not in the narrative the books get a little bit tougher to read.
Christopher Mythic I always thought his military genius came from his memories of past lives, not his luck. His genius and tendency to accidentally speak the Old Tongue were both derived from that.
@@stephengrant4841 Oh no doubt. But his luck led him to the encounter that gave him those memories in the first place. It all circles back to his luck, which is an interesting contrast to Rand who seems to have everything fated and chosen for him.
So adapting this character could be said to be a Cauthonary tale?
I love you lol
That was truly brilliant lol
Noice
Even Matt is tipping his hat to you
I wish I could double or triple like this video. Great analysis of a fantastic character. Mat is definitely a character that needs to be understood beyond how he is superficially perceived.
I think a really important scene for a TV audience understanding of Mat is in The Dragon Reborn when Suian tells him he reminds her of her uncle who died saving kids from a fire
Really enjoying these so far. Matt and Thom are my personal favorites from WoT, I love me some jokester, trickster, or gambler archetypes when they're done the right way. You're right that Matt's super lucky plot armor sounds like a terrible idea on first glance, but Jordan totally pulled it off. I hope they do them right in the upcoming adaptation. I'm not the kind of reader who goes all nuts when things are changed from the source materials, not everything that works on paper can work on screen. The important thing is usually staying true to the overall spirit of the particular book or character. Fingers crossed.
Love Mat. My favourite character by a mile. I’ve got no idea how they are going to portray Mat correctly. His thoughts in regards to situations when they happen would crack me up. He always feels hard done by.
Well done Mr Greene. One of the only youtubers to make me stop watching my Buzzfeed Unsolved
Really glad you are filming these now.. They are very thoughtful and demonstrate your deep knowledge and love of the series.
I feel that these videos are written for the actor in this role primarily. It is exciting to imagine someone up for a screen test for Mat, looking at YT for help and coming across this video. If GOT season 8 has taught us nothing else, it has shown that writing is the most critical part of a series. I think that these videos really could be a resource for that actor and hope they in some way help to make the series a success.🙂
Edit: just did a quickYT search for Mat Cauthon and this video comes up as one of the first results. So I think the likelihood of an actor researching the character seeing this is high. So it makes these videos very important right now, please continue in earnest.
I think you did this for the Moiraine video, but could you in future videos of this type also directly address the actor in your discussion? If you can reach the actors cast in the series and influence them for the better, these videos will be your legacy.
I love that some people actually know Mat's character. He is my all time favorite character. I hope the casting director and screen writer have your insight when the cast and write him. He is one of the biggest hesitations I have for this adaptation.
"It was about a hero who insisted with every breath that he was anything but a hero"
I've read this in the Bastion's narrator tone
We: So, Daniel, how many The Wheel of Time videos are you making this year?
Daniel: Yes
Love it!
Through most of the Story Perrin is my favorite, Rand is the character I feel sorry for, And Matt is just there... When I finished it, I realized Matt is the character I loved, Perrin is most like me and Rand is the central character I stopped caring about... He became more of a part of the setting than an actual person.
I feel the same way especially about Rand. Perrin is the character I feel the closest to, but Mat is the character almost every socially awkward kid wishs they could be. I jumped on the Mat bandwagon after his quarterstaff fight with two Warder Trainees. (I know their name, but *Spoilers*)
To paraphrase Mat’s wife a man of many layers. Matrim Cauthon make an onion look like an apple.
Or ogre
Is he an oger? Because Ogres have LAYERS.
@@jessi4894 Do ogier have levels too?
I was just re-reading and came across that quote by Tuon .
When they do Matt they have to incorporate the dice sound somehow and have it stop when shits about ready to go down!
Yeah. "The dice are cast now."
I wonder how they are going to do that.
Roo Lenoir with movie magic!!
Hopefully it's worked tastefully into the score
You're spot on with mat. You should do narg next.
I remember someone (Leigh Butler maybe?) saying that Mat is the only Wheel of TIme character you could envision kicking down a door saying "Yippee ki-yay, mo**********". I want them to keep that personality as well (though not that particular phrase).
I could see birgitte if it was the right door
I agree. Matt treats people he cares about with fierce loyalty. Light help whoever is threatening his friends. When he complains about not being thanked for saving someone's bacon, it has nothing to do with ego. It has everything to do with wanting to be treated as an equal the way he treats them. If it has anything to do with ego it is about getting past the perceived ego that others see in him.
For appearance, I think he needs to have or be able to pull off a prankster face. Even people who don't know him perceive him that way on sight. In the prologue to book two the man who calls himself Bors is shown the figure of a countryman with mischief on his eyes and a hint of a smile. I think this is important. I'll agree that acting ability is a non-negotiable must on the requirements, here.
Great assessment. The depth of the characters is another reason this series stands out and will make a great TV show!
They're all the opposite of egotistical. The running joke being each of them wishing they could br more confident like the other two.
Matt is a reluctant hero. He actually loves to keep people safe but won't admit it. Matt is very dutiful and people see him as annoying but Matt will always be one of the first people to offer help. He is like the Avenger's Loki. He is misunderstood. Matt's power is the love of Robert Jordan. He is our guide. He balances Rand's and Perrin's chapters perfectly.
I love how Mat always talks about avoiding work until he starts working and complains while working but he always does his work.
Mat is my boy. I hope they will capture his character accurately.
Daniel Greene for Mat Cauthon.
I second that motion!!!! LOL!!!
Great idea 😂
A young brendan fraser would have been perfect imo lol
The thing that I always liked about Mat and his luck is that he is very aware of that luck and in the later books he learns to use his luck to a degree. (ie. losing at dice when he needs to lose at dice)
Mat is the going to be hard, the character relies more on what is going on inside more than any other character, I think they may have to change a character around him into a sounding board, like how Olivar is a reflection of how he acts, even if Mat never sees it.
I find it hilarious how when I first read EOTW, I was daydreaming when I read Mat's description, and then I paid attention again as soon as Mat started bringing the barrels of cider into the Winespring Inn. And so I thought that Mat was this old, gray-haired, wrinkly fellow helping Tam, up until the point that I searched him up....
I am an idiot.
Great video, Mat is my favorite character. His Arc is so exciting and adds such fun to the overall sorry. I dressed up as Mat for the Renaissance fair last year. :)
Knowing how they've adapted Mat up till now, what are your thoughts ?
Mat is my favorite charachter in The Wheel of Times, i have read the books atleast 20 times and it still allways makes me smile when i come upon a chapter where i get to follow Mat.
YAAASSSS!!! FAVORITE CHARACTER EVERRRRR
Yeah, Matt and Thom are tied as my favorites. I love when an author can do a trickster, gambler, or jokester character well. They're archetypes that have a lot of potential to go wrong, but with the right author they can really shine.
Lovely! Daniel, it was simply perfect.
"There goes my hero
Watch him as he goes"
*sings*
I have a feeling some key people making the show are watching this channel
We can only hope
based on what?
@@thehoogard Based on a feeling.
I hope they are
Benji Daniels I doubt it
I agree with you 100%. Mat shows as an immature pleasure loving youngster. But in fact he has such a good heart and such intense loyalty that time after time, unasked he goes to the rescue of his friends. Hopefully the writers, producers and directors will make sure his character on screen matches the character in the book.
Mat is, by far, my favorite character.
Mat is the true hero of wheel of time
In terms of how they show his luck factor, I know that him escaping Tar Valon is a really nice introduction to it, but I've always envisioned something like after he falls from the bridge and takes out the 2 grey men he walks into a shed or something to hide and there's one in there that we see but he doesn't and like a pot just falls on his head or some shit like that. It would show that "this is not just convenience this dude is just inherently lucky" and also be a nice funny Mat moment on screen.
For part of your description, I thought you were describing Han Solo. That is exactly what they need. Not Harrison Ford, obviously, but someone with the same attitude and comedic timing as a young Harrison Ford, or like Chris Pratt in Guardians of the Galaxy. Cocky, mischievous, self-centered and brave on the outside, but selfless and scared on the inside. They need to nail his character, and I can't wait to see who they select. I'm pumped about R. Pike for Moraine.
I love what the WoTSpoilers guys say about Mat: that what he says, thinks, and does are all usually wildly contrasting things that weave into his character
I feel like you are describing a Chandler Bing? Weird. Cauthon has such a cool arc.
Padan fain casting please! Love the channel :)
Mat is a big softie with a heart of gold. He doesn't want anything of this, but he will do everything to protect people. He doesn't want people to die. He is also a prankster who doesn't want to grow up. That is what makes him so obnoxious and why he is so flamboyant a lot of the time.
I think Mat is one of the most important to get right because people will love him and his story
I would love to see a video on Verrin, full end of book spoilers included. This is my first reread and I’m just wow. Her and Sheriam especially. Their characters and motivations, etc.
For me what makes me able to accept Mat's abilities more easily is how muh he doesnt want them. When the dice start rolling in his head and all he can think is "Oh god why now?" those are the times I really connect with him. Who would want to know exactly when they would make a decision that would change there life in some way, who would want that pressure and fear?
just finished the series yesterday, best story i have ever read and feel like there is a hole in my life currently. So many great characters, but Mat definitely top of the list
Me too. Tok me 20 years.😂 was depressed a few days after i finnished.
Im actually not sure if this "memories of the great captains" thing would work very well in real life. Generalship is at least as much art as sience and the approaches are often contradictory. Napoleon for example was a very aggressive, fast and hard driving commander. Would he really be better if he also had the memories of Sun Tzu who was much more of a "strike only when the time is right and rather concede ground than take an unfavorable engagement" kind of guy?
i do think mattrim will be one of the most difficult to portray. he's also my favorite character so i'm pretty biased. Nynaeve may also be slightly difficult to do, as she's also a relatively complex character in my mind.
"Mat! They said you was hung..." "and they was right." ;)
Hey Daniel! I’m new to the channel (only been watching for about 3 weeks) and even though I disagree with a lot of some of your political views, you are very respectful and it is appreciated. You’ve convinced me to re-read WoT, and I’m going in with a new appreciation for it. Keep up the good work
After seeing this review (great review, btw :) ) I came to think of something that I generally connect with the Doctor from Doctor Who. The Doctor can be funny, light hearted, sometimes a douchebag, a Mary Sue... What makes the Doctor interesting as a character (for me) is that there is a depth to the character. Even though the Doctor might feel shallow at times you can sense that this is the facade of someone who has been through a lot of trauma, someone who is constantly hurt but works to still feel everything out of love for the people around them. And memorywise, the Doctor and Mat might be of the same age. So as you say, it is crucial that there is this depth beneath the facade that he happily puts up
Nailed it. Mat was my favorite character.
Someone please give this video to the casting director. Please!!!
How they adapt Mat is the one thing I am the most worried about. He is without doubt my favourite wot character. I just kept nodding to a lot of things you said. Spot on. Other characters make him seem like egoistical, even though he is not, but they think that because they don't have a clue.
What I love about his character is that he is a really good guy. All the knowledge he is given or the artefacts..at least they are written in, not just happening. We know he's a tav'eren, we know he has that crazy luck, we know why he can talk in old tongue, we know why he is so good at battles, I could keep going. All that makes sense. With some other characters, it is not so clearly written.
Matt = Odin. And I want all the flaws and perks that go with that
The actor who portrays Matt will have to have swagger. It will have to be the writing that sets up scenes to show Matt's layers because there is no internal monologue on screen (or at least shouldn't be)
Agreed
Reading only book 2... slow down with these videos :D
Lel dont worry ull drink em up quickly...at least i did lol
@@bisifen8521 its fine, if i (slow reader) read the whole series in 6th grade you will be totally ok!
Wining kid to greatest general ever! Also my favorite character....in the WOT.
He might be too old but I've always thought Dylan O'Brien would make a perfect Matrim Cauthon. From the goofy characters he played in Teen Wolf and First Time to the bad ass in American Assassin. He could be all of those things. IF they can find someone like him regardless of physical attributes, I think they would have a winner. Then it would be up to the writers to not drop the ball.
Mat is one of my favorite male characters along with Rand. Perrin I like but sometimes to me his story dragged at times but I like him in generally. Back to Mat I always felt that Mat's interaction with Rand was priceless cause he pretty much treated Rand the same all the way through and as I was reading Rand appreciated that. Mat is just a likeable character and I hope they pull it off in the show.
When you say "on paper"....my only thought was, yikes, it is on paper and it really does work xD and its awesome, and Matt is awesome. Fav boi right there. And I haven't even finished WoT yet xD
edit: .. I know I'm just being obnoxiously litteral and mistake your meaning by being silly :)
Matrum was the real MVP
Mat PAYS for his luck and his knowledge with his LIFE!! His physical life and his memories When Rand found him in Rhuidean he was DEAD and Rand revived him. He sacrificed as mudh as any of the other main characters to be molded into what the Wheel Needed to fulfill his role. The things Mat wanted least in life were, Responsibility for anyone but himself, Duty, Obligation, Marriage, War, Anything to do with Aes Sedai or Nobles, and the Wheel forced all of those onto him, to make him the Great General it needed.
Give him an Irish accent. Goes with all the Two Rivers
I can totally see Mat swiping some Lucky Charms now.
Proceed at your own Cauthon! ;)
I LOVE your point about "Mary Sue... but intentional!"
When I bring up the Mary Sue criticism, people IMMEDIATELY seem to think this is malicious or unfair.
But to me, suggesting that something is a Mary Sue is about that "unearned (as in, we don't get the development or plot beats to make it feel right) brilliance" and the idea that this character is without flaws and makes no mistakes.
There are LOADS of ways to make that entertaining and good. From "One Punch Man" to Caiphas Cain, to any number of power fantasies... they can work! But if you are trying to make a SERIOUS character and fail to include the flaws that make them interesting, you have failed in your objective. (Star Trek Discovery is a good example. Probably the least compelling character in it is Burnham, despite the actress being fantastic... but even when she's wrong, she's "actually right and just misunderstood!" Saru, both Georgios, Stamets, Ash and even Tilly are all more interesting because they are rounded characters)
Whatever else Matt is, he's not some untouchable hero who is never wrong. He's an idiot (albeit a very clever one) who gets lucky. Quite literally. And his payoffs are never exactly what he wants.
I also love that he DIDN'T have a huge growth arch. Not everyone does, and not everyone needs one. Even in fiction.
Mat is gonna be tricky. For all his silliness and cockiness, he's surprisingly vulnerable.
I think all three of the boys show varying degrees of PTSD. Yeah, the Wheel of Time is fourteen books, but that only spans a few years. The first few books are basically a horror show for the main five, fighting monsters from children's stories. That a lot for anyone to go through. Jordan was a Vietnam vet, and he included that in the books. Rand suffers from it in particular, but Matt and Perrin too. I always thought the gambling, the womanizing and the bravado was part of Mat's way of coping.
I must the only person who doesn't care much for Mat (I'm more of a Perrin type). When first introduced, he's an irresponsible brat trying to get out of work, then he loses a good chunck of agency for several books (due to the dagger). I feel like his character doesn't progress beyond those two states. He sits around doing nothing for a while, and then when he finally takes action, it's usually trying to escape authority: leave the White Tower, get away from Rand, flee Ebou Dar... Rand and Perrin both grow by coming to terms with the fact that they have a duty to make decisions and take responsibility for things. Mat just keeps stumbling into it while trying to avoid it.
Caleb Hines Wow, I couldn’t have said it any better than this. I would also add, his unearned ‘perfect General’. While real Generals put in their own real world experience.
Him being the designated Idiot Ball Holder in the first book doesn't really help his case either.
Here Here! I whole heartily agree!
Not sure about that silver platter thing. He was hung for it, after all. Love your channel, though!
This whole video I kept thinking about Garet Jax from the wishsong of Shannara book and the Shannara show and I liked the actor they got to play him and absolutely hated how they wrote and portrayed him. I really hope Matt gets portrayed closer to his book version for the love of fantasy don't fix what isn't broke, although I will say a lot of Matt's redeemable qualities and motives are only known because readers can literally read his thoughts and shows always struggle with that aspect of transitioning books to series.
I always thought he wanted things to be fair or what he perceives to be fair. When everything is fair then his luck and skill can push him ahead.
Mat is one of my FAVORITE characters in fiction. Please, Rafe, don't f*** this casting up. lol
After Mat and Perrin, Thom (Thomdril Merrilin). For me, it felt like he saw the importance and possible future of these farm boys and tried to nurture them for the world to come.
Cadsuane!
no change for Matt. Love Him !!
Hey jerk I was enjoying my summer until I watched your video(s) now I am engrossed in WoT and all the shows i was going to binge watch and all the home projects i was going to do are on hold now because I cant put it down. I hate you, thank you for your content.
It will be interesting to see how they handle Mat's "luck" in the show. I would probably prefer it if they toned this aspect down or even did away with it altogether, since I think there is a very real chance that it wouldn't translate well from the books. Especially without an in-depth explanation of what ta'veren is, which might in itself be difficult to properly communicate.
One of my fav mat moments is when Mat first fights the gholem. He’s trying to run when he thinks Elayne is dead; one of his friends is injured and Mat does not even consider leaving him. The gholem tosses a knife at him and he catches it outta the damn air, sees that Elayne is not dead and charges the gholem with a damn knife. Never once does he consider leaving his friends to die
I am reading the 5th book where he actually got all these memories, his luck (he has had that since a long time) but yess he is here because of Rand, whenever we get to his pov he's amazing rather than the money loving, confident and womanizer people call him. I was surprised people say that about him. He's still my favourite character though.
Well the luck is unclear, since we don’t get his POV until after he’s healed in book 3, I always kind of thought it had something to do with the dagger
Well said sir!
Wow, you say his powers were given to him. That may be, but I wouldn't pay the price he did willingly. ouch! :)
Luck aside, just being ta’veren is a huge suit of plot armor. Most all main characters in books get odds twisted in their favor with unnatural frequency. The brilliance of RJ is that he just built that into the story. Wheel ex machina?
I get scared when he says " heavy spoiler warning" and I have read the entire series. Definitely a good sign.
Can you please bring up what music that should be on in the WoT series?
In fact there is music made already:
Blind Guardian - Wheel of Time album.
I think it would be totally awesome if this would be possible to have as music for the series.
Well said
He may not be egotistical but he sure loves beautiful stuff. I can't way to see him (enjoy) dress(ing) as Tylin's mignon.
I think his actions in the Towers of Midnight best sum up Mat. He will spend so much time mistrusting Morraine and trying to avoid her and the other AES Sedai and yet he done what he did and paid a very heavy price for it.
Anyone looking for a good laugh have a look at @Tim Mayo Wheel of Time Fantasy Cast, went to a lot of trouble and there are some very interesting choices, especially for Rand. Got the height and Hair colour right but his families business probably won’t allow him to play Rand
Seriously, does anyone actually read the book? Matt is the slacker, the kid that shirks his chores to pull pranks or goof off. No where does Matt come off as arrogant and cocky unless he is actively trying to act arrogant. Matt and his friends recognize the irresponsible slacker he is, which is why he never sees himself as anything but. Men follow him NOT because he is a charismatic leader, they follow him because when the shit hit the fan he had good ideas that worked. Don't forget that the ONLY reason they ever listened to him in the first place was because he was the Dragons friend and they thought he was some kind of "Lord". Some MIGHT consider him cocky by the way he acts around girls, but thats not really cocky, thats simply flirting, and Matt does that with EVERY girl because he knows hes nothing special and if he wants a little making out, hes going to have to be his most charming even to plain girls.
it's Mat, not Matt. I'm Matt. please take note.