Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns & Roses will be adapted for Hulu, and the upcoming TV show has the opportunity to improve upon certain characters whose arcs deserve more attention in the source material. The best-selling “romantasy” books are fairly character-driven, but they focus primarily on Feyre and Rhysand — and that’s something the ACOTAR adaptation can improve upon. The ACOTAR books have a terrible habit of making characters disappear for long stretches. And even when the supporting players are around, they don’t always do them justice.
For a fantasy series that’s ongoing and expansive, this shouldn’t be the case. If Hulu’s ACOTAR TV show hopes to have longevity, it should change this element of the source material and place a greater focus on those surrounding Feyre and Rhysand. All the ACOTAR characters can use further fleshing out — from the leads’ closest friends and family to the villains — and the upcoming TV series feels like the perfect place to deliver on that.
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8 The ACOTAR Show Can Finally Do Lucien Justice
He Needs More Closure After The First Three Books
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Lucien is one of the most intriguing characters from the first A Court of Thorns & Roses book, and it’s a shame that the series fails to keep up with him. When Feyre is brought to live at the Spring Court, Lucien is one of the few people she can count on. He becomes a friend to her, but their friendship is destroyed when she makes the choice to leave Tamlin in A Court of Mist & Fury. They sort of talk things out in A Court of Wings & Ruin, but it’s clear the two are walking on eggshells around each other.
While the books offer Feyre’s thoughts on everything that unfolds, they rarely dig into Lucien’s. The ACOTAR TV show can give Lucien a larger role in the events of the second book, and it should also elaborate on his feelings about Feyre’s falling out with Tamlin. While it’s not unheard of for someone to side with a friend or family member regardless of bad behavior, there’s little doubt that Lucien feels conflicted about his place in everything that happens. It’d be nice to see more of that, even if he’s still impossible to root for when the series concludes.
7 A Court Of Thorns & Roses Must Give Azriel A New Subplot
It Should Cut His Unrequited Love For Morrigan
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While Rhysand and Cassian get plenty of attention in the ACOTAR books, Azriel is quieter and spends less time in the spotlight. Many of his interactions involve his unrequited love for Morrigan, a wasted story the ACOTAR show should cut altogether. Rather than focusing on feelings that aren’t going anywhere, the Hulu series should give Azriel a more prominent role in the narrative. If it does include his one-sided feelings for Mor, it should also make a greater effort to explore him as an individual (and perhaps explain why he feels so strongly for someone who doesn’t love him back).
6 Morrigan Deserves More Attention In The ACOTAR Show
Several Members Of The Inner Circle Fall To The Wayside
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Morrigan is another member of the Inner Circle whose arc falls to the wayside over the course of the ACOTAR books, and the Hulu show should make a greater effort to keep her involved. While Mor becomes fast friends with Feyre during ACOMAF, she’s one of those characters that Maas often sends on journeys, likely because she holds such an important role in the Night Court and Inner Circle. However, this means readers never get the chance to know Mor as well as they could. And considering she’s a strong female presence in Feyre’s life, it’d be nice to see that rectified.
Mor is also canonically bisexual, which could add some much-needed LGBTQ+ representation to the Hulu series, especially if her relationships get more attention on-screen than they do in the books. Of all the ACOTAR characters who need larger roles, Mor probably has the most potential. The TV adaptation should capitalize on that.
5 The Hulu Show Can Offer Elain Archeron’s POV
Elain’s Story Opens The Door For Interesting Discussions
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Both Feyre and Nesta have gotten to share their perspectives in the ACOTAR books, but the third Archeron sister has yet to have that opportunity. Elain will likely get her own book soon enough, but the ACOTAR TV series can explore her POV sooner. Elain’s storyline throughout ACOWAR is fascinating given her seer powers and the toll they take on her. This isn’t explored with enough depth, but the TV series can do this subplot justice, and it can also dig into Elain’s feelings about being deemed the “weaker” of the Archeron sisters.
The fact that Lucien is Elain’s mate, but she has a closer relationship with Azriel, can also serve as an interesting story thread throughout the Hulu show. This will allow the adaptation to explore themes the books haven’t gotten to yet. There’s an interesting conversation to be had about mates and what happens when they don’t connect like Feyre and Rhysand. Elain’s perspective opens the door for this discussion.
4 Nesta Archeron Deserves More Compassion From The Hulu Series
Feyre’s Sister Should Be Depicted With More Compassion
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While Nesta certainly gets more attention in the ACOTAR books than Elain, they don’t always paint a favorable picture of her. In some ways, that’s the point; Nesta’s trauma causes her to be a prickly person with more than a few issues to work through. However, given how much leeway the source material gives other characters, it seems strange that Nesta is often portrayed as too difficult or unlikable. The ACOTAR show can strike a better balance with her character, highlighting her flaws without completely overshadowing her redeeming qualities.
3 The ACOTAR Show Must Spend More Time On Mr. Archeron
His Death Would Be More Powerful
Feyre’s father, Mr. Archeron, has a tragic backstory that lands his daughter in their messy situation at the beginning of A Court of Thorns & Roses. However, the books never explore his dynamic with his daughters in enough depth. Mr. Archeron is absent for much of the series, and it makes his death during ACOWAR feel less powerful as a result. While it’s clear the girls have complicated feelings about their father, the books don’t strike a good balance when it comes to conveying them. The Hulu show can do a better job, ensuring the climax is a tearjerker for everyone watching.
2 A Court Of Thorns & Roses Can Make Tamlin A Better Villain
His Dark Turn Needs More Groundwork
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Tamlin gets plenty of page time in the first A Court of Thorns & Roses book, but he becomes less interesting when he takes on the villain role. While there are hints throughout ACOTAR that Feyre and Tamlin’s relationship could go south, his character does a huge 180 between books one and two — and there’s not enough groundwork to support the change. The later novels also don’t offer enough nuance to truly appreciate Tamlin as a villain. He doesn’t need to be likable in the Hulu show, but he should be more than a black-and-white caricature of an abusive lover.
1 The ACOTAR Show Can Do A Better Job With Feyre
The Portrayal Of The Series’ Lead Does Have Its Flaws
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While Feyre is arguably the ACOTAR character who gets the most development, the books’ portrayal of the lead character is sometimes flawed. For one, while the exploration of Feyre’s trauma is a huge part of A Court of Mist & Fury, it doesn’t always receive the weight it deserves. The books could have gone much deeper into Feyre’s trauma, and the TV show can probably improve on that aspect of her character arc. Feyre’s mistakes are also often glossed over, as the books are from her POV. The show can rectify this as well, with Hulu’s A Court of Thorns & Roses making Feyre feel like a more well-rounded character.
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Based on the A Court of Thorns and Roses fantasy novel series, A Court of Thorns and Roses is a television adaptation that follows Feyre Archeron, a young woman dragged into the world of faeries after slaying one of their kind. The series will follow her journey through the lands of Prythian and her relationship with one of its lords, Tamlin.
- Seasons
- 1
- Story By
- Sarah J. Maas
- Writers
- Ronald D. Moore
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu
