The wait is almost over! On Thursday, March 13, Prime Video will premiere season 3 of The Wheel of Time. The streaming service is promoting it more than it has in the past, and this could be a make-or-break season for the fantasy show.
The Wheel of Time is one of two epic fantasy shows on Prime Video, with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power being the other. The Rings of Power has a bigger budget and has more promotion, but The Wheel of Time is the better series.
The Wheel of Time is based on the massive 14-volume book series by Robert Jordan (and finished by Brandon Sanderson). The first tome, The Eye of the World, was published in 1990 and the final book, A Memory of Light, in 2013.
The first two seasons of The Wheel of Time TV show covered books one and two, with some storylines from later books bleeding in. As we prepare for season 3, there are some things viewers need to keep in mind.
1. The show is a re-imagining of the books
This is important! Superfans of the books have been critical of the changes to the source material made by showrunner Rafe Judkins, but the story from the books has to be condensed and changed to fit a much smaller timeframe.
Few people are as intimate with the source material as I am (I’ve read most of the book six times); it’s my all-time favorite fantasy series. Yet it is clear that the story has to be condensed mightily if the TV show wants to reach the endpoint. If fans are lucky, the show will have maybe seven or eight seasons to tell the whole story. Considering the length of the books and how each season so far has only eight episodes, it is challenging to fit everything that HAS to be covered.
Fans of the book, including myself, were critical of some key changes made in season 2, but the reality remains that we all need to just get over that and enjoy this version as a modern update. The show is good enough to deserve support as a work of its own.
2. Season 3 will focus mainly on The Shadow Rising, the fourth book in the series
It is doubtful we’ll see much of book three, The Dragon Reborn, this season. That book has some narrative issues that make it tricky to adapt for TV, mainly that protagonist Rand al'Thor is barely present. The second season imported some of that material when it had Rand living apart from his friends.
Evidently, the plotline of Rand conquering the Stone of Tear will be skipped entirely (for now). In an interview, star Rosamund Pike, who brilliantly plays the Aes Sedai sorceress Moiraine, said, “We haven't neglected the Stone of Tear; we've just rearranged the order.”
This is a significant change, but it makes sense to the flow of the story for the series. And the pieces are all in place. In the books, the Aiel people help Rand take the Stone. Aiel characters like Aviendha, Bain, and Chiad were all introduced in the second season of the show, ahead of schedule. It's only a matter of time.
3. The Shadow Rising is the cornerstone of the whole story
The Shadow Rising is the most important book in the series when it comes to establishing the canon. So much takes place, and so many things are revealed. Rand’s persona as the Dragon Reborn is shaped in this book, and he begins to accept his destiny.
Rand isn’t the only character who gets fleshed out. Perrin returns home to the Two Rivers, but things don't go as he expects. What happens to Perrin will shape his destiny just like Rand’s experiences in the Aiel Waste will shape his.
Perrin may have an even harder time accepting his destiny than Rand. The latter at least has had some time to accept that he is the Dragon Reborn, while Perrin will be thrust into a role he doesn’t want or understand. Yet, like his childhood friend, he is ta’veren, someone around whom the pattern of life and death itself is woven, so greatness is unavoidable.
4. The Forsaken are people, too
The Forsaken, minions of the Dark One, are myths in the current Age. They are powerful, and their names carry fear. Some of the things they can do with the One Power have been lost to history.
Yet, they are human and mortal. They are flawed and are not immune to human foibles like jealousy, ego, and lust for power. And there are things they can’t do with the One Power, even if they excel in lost arts.
The heroes in The Wheel of Time are learning that the Forsaken are not infallible. This lessens the Forsaken’s power over our heroes, though only by a fraction.
The Forsaken played key roles in the first two seasons. That will continue as we are introduced to more over time.
5. Some storylines are still shrouded in mystery
Skipping the third book significantly changes Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve's arcs. All three are in the White Tower of the Aes Sedai for a good portion of book three, and how their individual plotlines emerge in season three will be interesting to see.
Mat will also have his plotline altered. In The Shadow Rising, he and Egwene accompany Rand to the Aiel Waste, but based on trailers and promotional stills for season 3, it looks like he'll instead accompany Nynaeve to the city of Tanchico, which he doesn't do in the book. In The Shadow Rising, Nynaeve, Elayne, Thom Merrilin, and Juilin Sandar go to Tanchico to hunt the Black Ajah.
Lastly, it will be interesting to see how the politics in The White Tower fall out. There are some major shake-ups in the White Tower during The Shadow Rising. Will Egwene, Elayne, or Nynaeve be present or involved? How will this change their story arcs from the books?
We’re just going to have to watch to find out!
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