While the first season of The Wheel of Time was airing, my sister Danica and I (Bryan) discussed each episode in depth. Since we missed doing that during season 2, I invited her to record this bonus episode with me in which we talk about the show as a whole.
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At long last, everyone has arrived in Falme, and it’s time for the Dragon to proclaim himself! As the Children of the Light assault the town, Perrin and Aiel track down Loial and Ingtar, who have escaped captivity and acquired the Horn of Valere in a thrilling and action-packed scene that takes place entirely off-screen. Rand wanders around killing people at random. Egwene gets tired of waiting and rescues herself. Mat releases all of the ta’veren he’s evidently been storing up over both seasons. Moiraine makes another bid for being the main character. And Elayne and Nynaeve may as well have stayed home.
But all of my snark aside, this was a terrific episode that had us in tears and on our feet cheering by turns. A fitting finale for season 2!
The Woolheads will return to our mics when season three is released.
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“Daes Dae’mar” is the penultimate episode of season 2 of Amazon’s The Wheel of Time. There was a big list of things that needed to happen before the end of the season, and the writers ticked off most of the boxes. Everyone’s in or on the way to Falme, Moiraine and Lan are back together, and Elayne and Nynaeve enact a plan to rescue Egwene.
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Our heroes are swept along toward a confrontation with the Seanchan at Falme in episode 6 of The Wheel of Time, “Eyes Without Pity.” Madeleine Madden steals the show as Egwene is tamed by her new sul’dam handler; Lanfear ties more strings to Rand; Nynaeve and Elayne learn more about the Seanchan and the a’dam with the aid of a new ally; Rand and Mat have a joyful reunion; Moiraine considers a return to Cairhienin politics, and Lan engineers a meeting between Rand and Siuan Sanche.
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Liandrin has kidnapped Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve and hands them over to the Seanchan Darkfreind High Lady Suroth; Perrin rescues the Aiel warrior Aviendha; Rand and Moiraine flee Lanfear; And Mat is nowhere to be seen in Episode 5, “Damane.” Just what kind of trauma or ambition does it take to turn a person’s heart to evil? The question is asked several times, but only partial answers are given.
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Schemes are ripening in “Daughter of of the Night,” episode 4 of Wheel of Time‘s second season. Ishamael reveals his influence over Liandrin and Min; Liandrin herself attacks Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne; Selene is revealed to be Lanfear, possibly the most dangerous of the Forsaken. At least Perrin seems to be in a good place, though, learning more about himself and about being a wolfbrother.
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In “What Might Be,” episode 3 of the second season of The Wheel of Time, Nynaeve disappears in the ter’angreal during her test to become an Accepted of the White Tower. Egwene and Elayne deal with the aftermath of Nynaeve’s apparent death (this is the third time Nynaeve’s been presumed dead so far). Perrin, Loial, and the Shienarans face captivity by the Seanchan, and Uno pays the price for defiance. Selene introduces Rand to Cairhienin high society, and Logain tells Rand that he’s doomed to channel whether he wants to or not.
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The Woolheads talk about Season 2, Episode 3, “Strangers and Friends.” In this episode, new alliances are formed and new enemies found. Moiraine pushes Lan away “for his own good,” no doubt, Liandrin gives Nynaeve a compelling offer but comes to regret it, Matt meets Min Farshaw, and Rand reveals some dangerous liaisons.
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Season 2 of The Wheel of Time opens with our heroes isolated from one another, emotionally or physically. Lan and Moiraine find their relationship tested by the loss of the Warder bond. Nynaeve and Egwene train as novices in the White Tower, unaware that Matt is imprisoned there. Perrin and Loial chase after the Horn of Valere, and Rand is alone in an unknown village.
Correction (yes, already!): Bryan said Vandene and Adeleas were throwaway characters, but they did turn up later on in the books, joining the Tower-in-exile in Salidar and eventually joining an expedition to Ebou Dar with Nynaeve, Matt and Elayne.
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Welcome to Woolheads, a new podcast from the voices that bring you Geek@Arms! James and I have been big fans of The Wheel of Time novels for decades, and we were beyond excited about the Amazon TV show. While we do have some Coplin Talk to share, there’s an awful lot we do like, too, and we want to share our appreciation of the show with you.
In this episode, we look back at Season 1 and discuss the production, how we feel about Changes in the Pattern with regard to characters and storyline, and do some Theorycrafting to predict how the show will develop as a result of those differences. Will Season 2 continue to please us as much as Season 1 did? The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills!
Correction: Listener Patrick Landers corrects us on a couple of points. He did so on Twitter with its character limit, so I’ll paraphrase rather than quote him: In the novel The Eye of the World Rand, Matt and Perrin were nineteen years old; I’d asserted they were younger. And he points out that Matt was susceptible to betrayal and disloyalty, as evidenced by his reaction to traveling through the portal stone to Toman Head in chapter 37 of The Great Hunt. Thanks for listening, Patrick! —Bryan
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