The Wheel of Time season 2 will show Liandrin’s “darker side”

JordanCon, a large fan convention held annually to celebrate The Wheel of Time and its author Robert Jordan, was held this past weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, and as you might guess it was the perfect place for teasers about season 2 of the television adaptation. Several prominent cast and crew members appeared virtually to talk about the first season of the Amazon series or hint at what lies ahead in season 2.

The biggest announcement was that Killing Eve veteran Ayoola Smart will be playing the Aiel Maiden of the Spear Aviendha. But there’s more. Per Screen Rant, Kate Fleetwood, who plays Liandrin Guirale in the show, talked a bit about the second season.

Liandrin is a member of the Red Ajah of the Aes Sedai who has made it her personal mission to rid the world of male channelers and to keep the peace in the most authoritarian way possible. Liandrin was a mid-level villain last season, often butting heads with Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and trying to convince Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) that the Red Ajah was the best choice for a budding Aes Sedai.

The Wheel of Time season 2 will explore Liandrin’s backstory

Liandrin is actually quite a bit grayer in the first season of the TV series than she is in the novels, where she is just generally loathsome. There are good reasons for her attitude in both versions of the story, but the show has done a really fascinating job of fleshing out her character. Credit must be given to Fleetwood, whose multilayered performance makes Liandrin more likable than she ever is in the novels.

Next season, however, it sounds like book readers will be seeing a much more familiar Liandrin. Here’s what Fleetwood had to say about season 2:

"I’ve really enjoyed the playfulness of Liandrin. But there is, there are — there’s a deeper and a darker side to Liandrin, but also her own personal backstory I’ve really been able to immerse myself in the second season which has been a real gift… there’s definitely some surprises in store in Season 2."

Honestly, no big surprise there. We won’t get in to spoilers here in case you haven’t read the books, but yeah…Liandrin’s got an agenda. I’m curious to see if the show delves into her backstory to give that agenda a bit more depth, which seems to be what Fleetwood is teasing here.

Per CBR, The Wheel of Time season 2 reportedly wrapped principal photography last month, though Amazon has thus far not made any official announcement. Season 1 of the show is available to stream on Prime Video.

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