The Wheel of Time Season-Premiere Recap: The People of the Dragon

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According to the creator of Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon, George R.R. Martin, there are two types of writers: those who are architects, like J.R.R. Tolkien, who carefully design their detailed worlds, complete with numerous characters and storylines. These architects have a clear plan for their construction. On the other hand, there are gardeners, such as Martin himself, who plant seeds and watch them grow, knowing what they’ll eventually become, but not predicting exactly how they’ll develop along the way. The gardener’s role is more about nurturing and shaping the growth rather than following a pre-drawn blueprint.

I haven’t had the chance to read “The Wheel of Time,” a 15-volume epic-fantasy series by Robert Jordan, who was also a close friend of Martin’s and, after Jordan’s death, worked with Brandon Sanderson to complete it. A quick search suggests that Jordan may have been more of a gardener writer, meaning he didn’t extensively plan out his stories in advance, as evidenced by the fact that the series ended up being much longer than initially planned.

Following the airing of the first episode in season three of The Wheel of Time, I’m not entirely convinced that Rafe Judkins and Justine Juel Gillmer, as creator-showrunner and writer respectively, can be compared to architects or gardeners. Instead, they appear to work more like Abstract Expressionist artists, using large buckets of epic-fantasy elements and applying them boldly across the canvas. At first glance, their work might seem chaotic or disorganized, and it certainly is overwhelming. However, given time, a coherent image starts to take shape, one that effectively expresses the artists’ thoughts and feelings. Although it may be challenging to discern these elements now, there’s no denying that they’ve certainly covered the wall with a lot of vibrant paint, haven’t they?

Under the guidance of TV mastermind Ciarán Donnelly, the series opens with turmoil in the White Tower, a place akin to David Bowie’s “Panic in Detroit”. Here, we find ourselves months after the dramatic events of season two, where young Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) unveiled himself as the prophesied reborn warrior and sorcerer known as the Dragon Reborn. Alongside his band of supernaturally endowed and handsome companions, he defeated Ishamael (Fares Fares), the right-hand man of the evil Dark One, and thwarted an attack by the Seanchan, a faraway empire that enslaves magic-wielding women while sporting armor that echoes Eiko Ishioka’s design. All seems well thus far, correct?

In contrast to women, men in this world are prohibited from utilizing magic, or “channeling the One Power,” as it has a tendency to corrupt them and push them towards violence, even against their loved ones. The Aes Sedai were established with this very issue in mind. The reasoning behind this is that the emergence of the Dragon Reborn (DR) is crucial for preventing darkness. However, if the DR should turn out to be a man, a force of powerful women would be necessary to restrain him before he loses control and unleashes the destructive power of a full nuclear arsenal. Two significant Aes Sedai, Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) who dedicated her life to finding the DR, and Siuan (Sophie Okonedo), Moiraine’s former lover and leader of the order, were aware of this situation but failed to bring Rand under their control, which is considered a grave offense.

However, unlike the revelation by Siuan, who holds the title Amyrlin Seat following her throne, it’s Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood), the intense head of the Red Ajah division within the Aes Sedai order, who is clandestinely a Darkfriend. She has violated her oaths and pledged allegiance to the Dark One, which allows her to bypass the Aes Sedai’s rules that are magically enforced against lying and using the One Power as a weapon (though it appears these rules may not be very effective if they only apply to the righteous).

Regardless, chaos erupts as Liandrin’s secret followers, known as the Black Ajah, who are scattered among all the color-coded factions of the Aes Sedai, reveal themselves and create turmoil. They manage to elude the Amyrlin Seat and a key witness, Nynaeve (Zoë Robins), a friend of Rand’s with magical abilities who was once held captive by Liandrin. Overpowering several secondary characters, Liandrin and her group raid the White Tower’s library containing powerful artifacts and flee. As expected, Rand, the adversary of the Dark One, is their primary target.

The question of what action to take next has become more urgent than ever. Alongside the Black Ajah, Rand and his companions are being pursued by beings reminiscent of the Ringwraiths from “LotR”, but with their own personalities and more appealing attire – let’s call them the Forsaken. Moiraine is insistent that Rand should proceed to the renowned fortress, known as the Stone of Tear, in order to retrieve Callandor, the mythical sword that possesses the power to slay Forsaken. This sword has been embedded within the stone since ancient times.

In this scheme, Moiraine also finds an unexpected ally: Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe), a seductive Forsaken who has had a surprisingly genuine romance with Rand. Given her character, it’s likely she’s plotting something underhand, but she appears genuinely eager for him to obtain the sword, so he can safeguard himself from her wicked associates.

The predicament, as is often the case on this program, is that Rand’s loyalty towards his friends prevents him from taking necessary actions. It’s hard to fault him for this, given the multitude of friendships he has amassed now. After the battle, a scene unfolds where Moiraine, Rand, and their companions deliberate their next course of action. As the conversation progresses, it becomes apparent that they have an unusually large group with them, which includes (taking a deep breath):

  • Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski), doing the Aragorn–Paul Atreides bit.
  • Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike), Rand’s surly and scheming female Gandalf figure.
  • Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney), Moiraine’s sworn and magically linked Warder/bodyguard, heir to a fallen kingdom and owner of a magic sword.
  • Nynaeve al’Meara (Zoë Robins), Rand’s old pal and Lan’s love interest, an Aes Sedai trainee possessing mega-powerful magic barely under her own control.
  • Egwene al’Vere (Madeleine Madden), an even more powerful channeler and Aes Sedai acolyte, suffering from PTSD after her enslavement and physical and psychological torture at the hands of Renna (Xelia Mendes-Jones), the Seanchan handler she slew and escaped from.
  • Mat Cauthon (Donal Finn), Rand’s ne’er-do-well pal who can’t seem stop picking up magical items, like a cursed dagger and the legendary Horn of Valere, that grant him great powers at the expense of his sanity.
  • Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford), a hulking, sad-voiced blacksmith turned werewolf (it happens).
  • Loial (Hammed Animashaun), a gentle giant and member of the magical race called the Ogier, also known as Builders.
  • Elayne Trakand (Ceara Coveney), an influential princess turned acolyte at the White Tower who has impressive healing powers and with whom there’s a budding thing going on with Rand.
  • Aviendha (Ayoola Smart), a spear-wielding member of the red-headed desert warrior people called the Aiel, sworn to find and protect their prophesied messiah, the Car’a’carn (yes, it’s the old Kwisatz Haderach/Lisan al-Gaib routine); Elayne has a budding thing going on with her too.
  • Bain (Ragga Ragnars) and Chiad (Maja Simonsen), Aveindha’s Aiel sisters-in-arms, who are loyal to Perrin because he freed Aviendha from captivity and who enjoy flirting with the various hunks they now hang out with.
  • Plus there’s Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okonedo) and Alanna Mosvani (Priyanka Bose), Moiraine’s closest Aes Sedai allies, who also know who and where all these important kids are.
  • And Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe) is hanging around somewhere.

Apologies for the lengthy information, reader. If you can find a clearer way to describe the main characters of the show (around 15 of them), please go ahead! I’m getting a drink; this is quite challenging.

To make Rand take action, Moiraine and Lanfear devise a strategy. Lanfear will employ her powers to orchestrate an assault on Rand and his companions during one of their sleepovers, cleverly mimicking the signature spells of other Forsaken to avoid suspicion. However, they hadn’t anticipated the involvement of other Forsaken – specifically, Moghedien (Laia Costa), the eerie goth-like Forsaken who resembles Dark Björk, sends one of her Gray Men. These nearly invisible and indestructible undead assassins are only under her control. In the end, it’s Nynaeve who comes close to being killed by this Gray Man. (Much like everyone on this show who gets wounded or electrified, she eventually recovers. Magic seems to be an extraordinary healthcare system!)

To put it simply, Moiraine and Lanfear’s scheme seems to have succeeded, but only partially. The larger group splinters apart. Nynaeve and Elayne opt to remain in the city of Tar Valon, where these events unfolded, to carry on their education within the White Tower. Mat chooses to stay with them, hoping that Nynaeve can find a way to control her abilities once more and use them to mend his mind, which now operates in ancient languages and is haunted by memories that aren’t his own. Perrin embarks on a journey back to our old hometown, the Two Rivers, with Loial as my guide and Bain and Chiad accompanying us. Rand, however, intends to venture forth independently: Aviendha can’t seem to leave him, and Egwene swears she will never be far from his side again.

However, when Moiraine and Lan discuss the journey to Tear with him, it becomes clear that he has been manipulating them. He won’t make the trip to the ancient stronghold to claim his fated sword unless he has a substantial army supporting him first. This necessitates traveling through the Aiel Waste, where he intends to persuade Aviendha’s people that he is indeed their long-awaited Car’a’carn. If successful, he plans to lead them into battle against the Dark One and his followers, using them as his personal army, the People of the Dragon.

I believe there’s a technical term for all this: “a lot.”

Frankly speaking, the series I’m fond of has a challenge – it’s overcrowded, even in the initial fight scene where there are numerous CGI effects such as lasers, force fields, bloodshed, and destruction. There are literally many characters, quite a few of whom you may recognize but not know by name. It seems that around 20 characters have dialogue before Rand and Egwene make their appearance, which only adds to the complexity, not simplicity. Following everything becomes like trying to understand a 60-year-old soap opera when you accidentally tune in on a random Wednesday while you’re off work.

This episode is more like a puzzle than a straightforward storyline. It’s intentionally complex and packed with numerous characters and concepts, which might be challenging for both new and returning viewers. It’s an extravagant season premiere that showcases its vast array of characters, rather than providing a clear introduction or easy transition back into the series. The confusing mix of information and emotions you experience is not a mistake, but a deliberate aspect of the show.

This episode is intentionally complicated and full of different characters and ideas. It might be difficult to follow for some viewers, but that’s part of its charm. It’s designed to demonstrate all the characters it has, rather than making things easy to understand. The confusing feeling you get from watching it is not a problem, but an intended feature.

While I believe that’s the intended concept, it might not resonate with everyone, including myself. After all, what appeals to one person may not appeal to another. I did find this particular episode intriguing, yet it didn’t capture me like the highlights from season two did. For instance, Nynaeve’s harrowing journey into an emotional otherworld through the magical Arches, a rite of passage for the Aes Sedai; Egwene’s ordeal under the Seanchan and her eventual escape; Rand’s complex relationships with Lanfear, a captivating villainess, and Ishamael, a charming antagonist. The strength and clarity of those narratives made them stand out. However, this episode seems to lack that same level of depth and detail. For example, Egwene experiences the Arches similarly to Nynaeve, but we only get a fleeting glimpse into her thoughts within, which pales in comparison to the richness of the earlier experience. Essentially, it’s like comparing apples: the apple from season two is more flavorful and memorable.

There are still two more episodes in this initial series of events, not even considering the rest of the season. A premiere’s role is to bring you up to speed on all the characters it can, as rapidly as feasible, regardless if there are 40 of them and some meet an untimely end due to excessive CGI. Give the show a bit more time, then a few more weeks, and come back to the broad picture again. I’m sure you’ll notice something new.

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2025-03-13 18:57