10 chapters from the first Wheel of Time book fans can’t wait to see on TV

“Chapter 26: Whitebridge”

Thom is a beloved character in The Wheel of Times series. Hopefully, by this point in the show, viewers will adore him too, and this scene will tear your heart out.

In the after of the incident at Shadar Logoth, everyone has splintered into groups, with Thom accompanies Rand and Mat as they search for the others. Along the way, they juggle and perform at a couple inns on camera as Thom passes the boys off as his apprentices, but the real drama goes down in the town of Whitebridge.

Thom begins to perform at an inn in the hopes of getting a room and a meal. The talk at the inn is of the False Dragon Logain, a powerful leader and a man who can channel the One Power. In this world, men who can channel are doomed to go mad like Lews Therin and hurt those around them, so the Aes Sedai make it their business to hunt such men down and gentle them before they can amass too much power. We could also learn here about the annual Hunt for the Horn in Illian, which will become important in later seasons.

Anyway, the group learn that they are being chased by Darkfriends, human beings who have pledged themselves to the Dark One, and decide to sneak out of the inn and make a run for the city of Caemlyn. As they head for the road, a menacing Myrddraal appears. Thom turns to face it and tells the boys to run. Rand and Mat hear Thom cry out in pain as they flee, continuing to fight.

This could be a moment where the stakes of the series come home, the first time we lose an important character and feel the pain of loss along with the heroes…for now.