I watched the first season and I'm already confused and irritated.
Why is Saber a completely different character from herself in Fate/Zero?
Why does Rider get offed immediately instead of getting a proper arc like in the 2006 anime?
Why is everything structured so differently from the 2006 anime period? Does this adapt a different route from the VN or something?
>Does this adapt a different route from the VN or something?
Yes
Is this b8
>Why is Saber a completely different character from herself in Fate/Zero?
Because Urobuchi hates her and wanted to spend as much time in F/Z shitting on her as possible.
this here answers pretty much all of your questions.
Which part of Saber is completely different than Zero? Her master isn't Kiritsugu and Shirou isn't as retarded as his Fate route counterpart so she's a bit laid back here.
Do these also explain why he doesn't constantly stop Saber from fighting because she's a girl like in the 06 series? Because that was by far the most retarded thing in that version.
Archer is the red man.
Read the VN, jesus christ. Everything is explained in Shirou's internal monologue which every adaptation cuts out.
So the MC is canonically volatile, got it. I thought he'd been edited in an attempt to not be completely unlikable for the ufotable adaption.
It's pretty damn obvious from the imagery who Archer actually is.