The third season of The Wheel of Time has it all: it never misses a beat in terms of character, plot, and stunning visuals. In my humble opinion, it is the best season of a fantasy show we have seen in a long while. It may very well be the best we’ll see in all of 2025.
I had the privilege of being able to take my time with the season. After I watched the first episode, I deemed it a very strong opener; it asks all the questions that will be answered throughout the season, spends a good amount of time exploring how character dynamics have developed (some for the better, some for the worse) and sets just the right tone. Before continuing to Episode 2, I thought to myself how this premiere would be a very hard episode to match… let alone surpass. I should not have worried: the writing stayed incredibly strong the entire season. So did the directing.
As a TV critic, I found this a near-perfect season. Every episode has its own arc, and each twist is executed with flawless care and efficiency. Characters gain agency, endings foreshadow future events while resolving previous plot points, and various character pairs see interesting role reversals. Everything follows a poetic rhythm of balance and counterbalance. For a show with so many characters and plotlines, the pacing works effortlessly. As in a true wheel, there is endless harmony.
For lack of better words, what we are seeing in season 3 of The Wheel of Time is great storytelling meeting high production value. Too often, lately, fantasy shows have had colossal budgets at their disposals but lacked consistent vision or integrity; The Wheel of Time keeps both close in hand, culminating in a product that is both stunning to see and to reflect on.
I don’t like to pick favorites, but episodes 4 and 8 were the most mind-blowing of the season, perhaps of the entire show so far. Episode 7, an unusually monographic tale in the middle of a beloved ensemble show, was also very captivating.
What I loved the most about the season was the gradual changes in character dynamics, but also how the season succeeded in its mission of introducing us to and delving into Aiel culture and history. The show’s most impressive accomplishment, to me, is how these episodes manage to educate (with no heavy exposition), captivate and emotionally mobilize the viewers to the point where the audience’s emotional axis shifts almost entirely.
The Wheel of Time is a story we can all appreciate. This season explores some of the most human of emotions: fear, ambition, and the irreparable knowledge that history is cyclical, and so are our mistakes.
A show with such complex source material is a feat to adapt for the general public. Dynamics have to be simplified, translated, and rewritten for a savvy audience in 2025. As executive producer and Moiraine actress Rosamund Pike cleverly says of the season, “I suppose you could say we’ve reinvented the wheel and taken ownership of the story in a new way.”
Season 3 of The Wheel of Time premieres with episodes 1, 2, and 3 on Prime Video this Thursday, March 13, with subsequent episodes following once a week. It is an emotional ride, but one worth embarking on.
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