The Wheel of Time season 2 three-episode premiere reviewed and explained

The Wheel of Time Episode 203: “What Might Be”

The third and final episode of The Wheel of Time’s season 2 premiere block, “What Might Be,” is all about Nynaeve al’Maera’s Accepted trial. Sure, there are other things going on, but Nynaeve is the heart of this episode.

Nynaeve’s trial goes down a bit differently than in the books, but this is one instance where the changes worked. The three arches underneath the White Tower are ter’angreal which make a person face some of their greatest fears. This is an opportunity for the show to give a bit of backstory, like showing us how Nynaeve’s parents died when she was a child.

The second vision shows a plague at Emond’s Field, complete with a cameo from Tam al’Thor (Game of Thrones‘ Michael McElhatton). In both instances, Nynaeve must go back through a portal before she’s trapped in this alternate reality. This goes awry in the third vision, which is a big long fakeout. Nynaeve fails to hear the call to come back because she’s busy making out with Lan. Which hey, fair.

The fallout from Nynaeve getting stuck in the third arch takes up a lot of the episode, and it’s some of the best material of the season so far. Egwene and Elayne eventually go down to try and get Nynaeve out of the arch, but ultimately Nynaeve gets herself out because she’s just that powerful; a point the show is driving into the ground a bit.

My only real issue with Nynaeve’s trial is that this is the third time The Wheel of Time has pulled a fakeout death; Lan got a one in the fourth episode of season 1 and Nynaeve got another one in the finale, when she was burned to a crisp from overusing magic. The Wheel of Time is a long book series, and we know characters like Nynaeve are not going to prematurely get the axe in the third episode of the second season. It worked in this instance because it was done very well, but I do worry that the show is overusing fakeout deaths to create artificial tension.

The Seanchan claim their first victim

We also get a much better look at the Seanchan in this episode. Their costuming and design are excellent, and the cold, militant way they operate is terrifying. Their accent is also interesting; it seems like the show went for a kind of Texan drawl, which does fit with how Robert Jordan described their accent in interviews. These are conquerors from across the sea who have returned to reclaim their ancient ancestral lands. They’ve been gone a long time, and it doesn’t look like anyone is very happy to see them.

Uno is particularly resistant, which leads to him getting his head impaled on a spike at the base of High Lady Suroth’s palanquin-pyramid. It’s a brutal and effective scene that drives home how scary the Seanchan can be. It’s also another pretty large deviation from the source material that I’m sure is going to tick people off. Uno sticks around for a long time in the books, and has a role to play in future events. It’s small enough that I’m not too concerned about the show finding some other way to navigate it, but I’m still surprised to see him go out so quickly.

The other highlight of the Seanchan sequence is Perrin’s discussion with Ishamael, and then the subsequent rescue by Elyas. Hopefully this means we’re going to spend some time with Perrin and the wolves next episode!

Logain gives Rand a side quest

Next let’s talk briefly about Rand and Logain. Like Kate Fleetwood, Álvaro Morte completely commands the screen. I enjoyed his scenes with Stradowski. I wasn’t as big a fan of Logain essentially giving Rand a pointless side quest to get some wine, but if anything it kind of underlines the issue with doing truncated seasons of huge sprawling fantasy shows. When a show like The Wheel of Time only has eight episodes in a season, small dead-end things like Logain’s request for wine can feel a little frustrating.

All that said, I did enjoy all of the individual scenes. It was nice to get an introduction to the nobility of Cairhien, and see how there are multiple societal classes at play in this city. Natasha O’Keeffe also has another very solid episode as Selene. There are lots of little hints about what’s going on here for book-readers. Plus, Rand got to wear his iconic red jacket!

Mat and Min hit the road!

Last but not least, let’s talk about Mat and Min. The more we see Finn and Alexander in these parts, the more I want to see of them. It feels important for us to get acclimated to Finn as Mat Cauthon, and now that he’s finally out of captivity I’m really excited to see where he goes next.

Liandrin setting Mat free is a great touch that allows Finn and Fleetwood to share the screen together…but of course it’s too good to be true. Liandrin enlisted Min for some mysterious purpose to lead Mat somewhere specific. I don’t know where (except I kind of do because books), but I really like the way the episode set it up. I do wish Mat had decided to say goodbye to Egwene, though. Come on, Mat!

The Bullet Points of Time

• Moiraine and Lan largely spent this episode offscreen (outside of Nynaeve’s visions), which was fine by me, since it meant we spent more time with the Emond’s Field five.
• Some fireworks went off in Cairhien, which was a nice little nod to a set piece that happens around this time in the books involving them.
• Logain says the blood of Lews Therin Telamon flows in his veins. Correct me if I’m wrong here…but I don’t think that’s how reincarnation works?
• Nynaeve’s last vision, showing the life she led with Lan, Perrin and Mat was so heartbreaking. Rand wasn’t there…because she believes he’s dead. Even though it was a vision, it was unnerving enough that I was on the edge of my seat during the Trolloc attack. This was a traumatic, powerful moment and I think the show did an excellent job with it.

Verdict

Despite still having some qualms, “What Might Be” is a fantastic episode of television. Nynaeve’s Accepted trial marks a high point in the season so far, and the series as a whole. The Wheel of Time found a way to make a great part of the source material even better. It’s safe to say that The Wheel of Time season 2 is a dramatic improvement on season 1. Even as it makes some adaptation choices which leave me uncertain, there’s no denying how the production has grown in basically every way.

Episode grade: A-

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels