Well that's the first change I'm not happy about. I'd really rather them not give Perrin a wife just to woman in the fridge her. I feel like they could've found a more creative way to get that across. But, it won't stop me from watching/enjoying the show or anything.
They're not going to change who the dragon is. In the posters, Rand is in the middle with a big ol' circle of weaves around him. And, the actor has talked in interviews about Rand's journey in the books and what it means to him. It seems pretty clear to me that the essential plot will stay the same.
This is one of the things I'm most excited about for the show! In the books, so much happens off camera that we don't get to witness directly. But, the medium of TV will let us see things like Winter's Night, not just their aftermath. I think that will be one of the most fun parts of watching...
I've really liked Brandon Sanderson's framing for thinking about the show: it's not a 1:1 replica of the books, but rather a new turning of the wheel.
I think the "five of you" language is very likely a red herring, and that it will quickly become apparent that the Dragon Reborn is Rand. But, I...