The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 8, "He Who Comes With the Dawn," capped off an incredible season of the Prime Video original series. There's no doubt that The Wheel of Time season 3 was the best season of the series so far, but after that abrupt ending, it's easy to see why so many fans are wondering if there's another episode on the way.
While I'm going to argue that it was needed this season, The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 9, is not actually happening. There are only eight episodes in each season of The Wheel of Time so far, but I can't help but wonder if things would have ended a little bit differently in season 3 if Rafe Judkins and the creative team had more time to work with.
I loved almost every aspect of The Wheel of Time season 3 finale, but there are some things that I wish worked out a little bit differently. We've talked before about how The Wheel of Time probably works much better with 10 episodes in each season. Even one extra episode in The Wheel of Time season 3 gives all of the huge moments in the finale a little extra time for the story to breathe.
I'm not going to break down all of the events of the episode, but I feel like so many important things happened relatively quickly: Siuan Sanche's death that wasn't in the books, Nynaeve tapping back into the One Power, Moiraine nearly killing Lanfear, Rand becoming the Car'a'carn, and everything that happened with the Forsaken. It would have been great to have a few minutes to take it all in and see some kind of resolution.
Honestly, I understand why Judkins and the team chose to end the season where they did. It works really well if you're really trying to get the show picked up for a fourth season. It's a very abrupt, cliffhanger-y ending, you know? It's a lot to leave fans hanging on like this. It would have been much better to have a little bit more time for the resolution, to see Rand and Moiraine again, to see what's left of Lanfear, or even Perrin Aybara.
Instead, we're going to be left thinking about what's next in The Wheel of Time season 4 for a long time. Hopefully, the renewal announcement comes through soon, but I also hope Prime Video considers the monumental task of bringing this story to life over eight episodes per season. If there were 10 episodes in each season, there would be so much more time for a little bit more nuance.
In this case, allowing Rand and these other characters to take in the gravity of everything that just happened would give fans a better understanding of how these characters are feeling. For the most part, The Wheel of Time does a really good job of not putting the larger story over character development. We usually get to see these characters be vulnerable and process the weight of their decisions.
An extra episode or two in The Wheel of Time season 3 would have really worked out, and it's just a shame that a company run by one of the world's richest people couldn't make that happen.
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