The newest episode episode of The Wheel of Time, "The Road to the Spear," hinted that the show will not follow a plotline from the books involving the Aes Sedai sorceress Moiraine and the Forsaken sorceress Lanfear. During season 2, there were plenty of clues that the series would diverge from author Robert Jordan’s literary version on this point, and more clues supported that theory early on during season 3.
Without spoiling any storylines from the books, "The Road to the Spear" verified the change when Moiraine entered the sacred Aiel city of Rhuidean and saw visions of her future. In the book The Shadow Rising, we know that she goes to Rhuidean and sees visions of her future, but don't find out what they are. All we know is that her handling of Rand al-Thor changes radically from then on. The show made things much more explicit by actually showing us what Moiraine sees.
During her visions of possible futures, Moiraine sees her death at Lanfear’s hands over and over, some different than others. In many of her visions, Lanfear kills Moiraine with a sword in a desert. In other visions, Moiraine dies by Lanfear’s hand in other places, by other means. Some visions show Lanfear killing Rand or Egwene; a couple even featured Lanfear’s death. One showed Moiraine ending her bond with Lan; another showed Moiraine bonding with Rand. Another show her executing Rand.
None of these visions are close to what happens in the books.
On the show, Moiraine has a much more significant role than she does in the books. While she's a key figure in The Eye of the World, the first book in the series, she's mostly absent from The Great Hunt, the second book. She returns in the next several books, but the focus shifts to other characters and Moiraine became almost a secondary, background figure.
Actress Rosamund Pike has been a force playing Moiraine in the show. It’s obvious she will remain a central figure for the remainder of the series. This is a smart and welcome change from the books, where the character was often short-changed. Moiraine’s expanded role on the show is an improvement on the source material.
"The Road to the Spear" clarifies why there were so many radical changes to Moiraine’s storylines during season 2. Her having a greater role is a positive, not a negative. It also builds up some anticipation for a future battle between the Aes Sedai and the Forsaken.
Combine that with the vision revealed to Rand about Lanfear during his trip to Rhuidean, and it’s evident that a major confrontation looms on the horizon for the Dragon Reborn, his friends, and Lanfear. Don’t blink, Wheel of Time fans! You won’t want to miss a moment as this show grows stronger with each episode.
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