The third season of The Wheel of Time is marching forward on Prime Video, and it continues to impress us. Adapted from the fourth book in Robert Jordan's massive fantasy series, the third season has stepped things up in terms of scope, depth and even visual effects; we've never been more enthralled by characters like Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn (Josha Stradowski); and his Aes Sedai advisor Moiraine (Rosamund Pike).
And that's why we're a bit worried over the fact that Amazon and Sony, who co-produce the series together, have yet to announce a fourth season. There's still time, but with huge series like this, the earlier a renewal announcement comes, the better, so the cast and crew can start prepping for what comes next. And in the cast of The Wheel of Time, what comes next is at least eight more books of source material. Fans would love this show to be around for the long haul.
Rosamund Pike, who is an executive producer on the series as well as one of the stars, hopes so too. Speaking to WTHR, she called The Wheel of Time "one of the greatest fantasy series ever written," and explained where things stand. "It's in the hands of Amazon at the moment," Pike said. "You know, they haven't yet greenlit season 4. It's a big show for them. But as I keep saying, there is no other property like The Wheel of Time out there available. There are very few of these truly global fantasy IPs out there, and Amazon and Sony are incredibly lucky to have this one...I really hope that we get to continue this journey, because the fans deserve it, the books deserve it, and our actors deserve it."
How The Wheel of Time listens to the fans
I fully agree with Pike. Watching the show, you can tell that the people making it are invested. That includes Pike herself, who takes care not to portray Moiraine in a way that fans of the series might not vibe with.
"We are constantly thinking about the fans and thinking about what will please them, what will excite them and what they would love to see. We listen to them," Pike told Parade. "I remember being mortified when, in Season 1, somebody felt Moiraine wouldn't ever put her boots on the bed. I think our directors of Season 1 really wanted to feel that these characters were sort of, in a real sense, battle-ready. Sleep was a high-stakes commodity that opened you up and made you vulnerable. If you were to sleep, then you must be ready. So that's why I made the decision to leave my boots on. And then I know that people were dissecting that and up in arms about her having boots on the bed. So we listen, and we pay attention."
"It's interesting, because Moiraine is learning to trust and ask for help from the younger cast, The Two Rivers crowd in this season. You know...she has to ask Rand for help with understanding how to use the Sakarnen, because he's the only one she knows who's [handled] that level of power. And then she asked Egwene for help visiting Suan in a dream, right? But I made sure that when I got on the bed to dream walk or to go to dream, I did not have my shoes on."
That's the kind of commitment I want to see! New episodes of The Wheel of Time drop Thursday on Amazon Prime Video.
As for whether we'll get more seasons, it may depend on viewership. Although The Wheel of Time has struggled to break into the top spot of the most watched shows on Prime Video in the U.S., it's still placed respectably. And in many foreign markets — including Australia, Japan, the Netherlands and India — the show is at the top of the charts. And India has almost 1.5 billion people living there, nearly 18% of the world's population, so that's a good market to get.
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