The Wheel of Time season 3 for me is a shocking and riveting enchancment on its predecessors with every episode leaving me extra hooked than the final. Every of the person story arcs we have been taking up had one thing gripping to commend it. So with out additional ado, let’s dive into every of the storylines this third season launched into and the journeys every of the characters undertook.
“To Race the Shadow” – THE WHEEL OF TIME. Pictured: Josha Stradowski as Rand al’Thor, Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara, Dónal Finn as Mat Cauthon. Photograph: Prime Video ©2025 Amazon MGM Studios |
Rand, Moiraine, Egwene and Lan
Essentially the most important arc for the broader story noticed Rand and co. head for the Aiel Wastes so he may fulfil his future because the Automobile’a’carn for the Aiel folks and achieve a military for the Final Battle.
Josha Stradowski has come on in leaps and bounds for the reason that first season and on this season he goes from energy to energy as he begins to return into his personal almost about his powers and his destiny. The fourth episode, ‘The Dragon Reborn’ is a standout within the season because it takes Rand by means of his previous lives and deepens his understanding of himself, whereas Moiraine suffers the trauma of watching herself and Rand die time and again in a number of doable futures.
Rand is extra caught between the Gentle and the Darkish than ever as he faucets into the One Energy increasingly more all through the season. The sixth episode ends with a heartbreaking twist as he by accident kills the little woman he’d taken a liking to and Stradowski is a powerhouse in displaying all of Rand’s grief.
“He Who Comes with the Daybreak” – THE WHEEL OF TIME. Pictured: Josha Stradowski as Rand al’Thor. Photograph: Prime Video ©2025 Amazon MGM Studios |
Moiraine and Lan proceed to show why their friendship is the center of the present however her best second aside from being trapped within the rings in Rhuidean, is when she defeats Lanfear in a blaze of energy after sensing Siuan’s loss of life. The occasions on the Tower orchestrated by Elaida (an excellent flip from Shoreh Aghdashloo) felt a bit rushed however each Aghdashloo and Sophie Okonedo put within the performances of a lifetime in Siuan’s closing scene. It’s a untimely loss of life, so it is going to be fascinating to see how Elaida’s stint because the Amyrlin performs out.
Egwene additionally will get a pleasant arc as she recovers from the trauma of what occurred to her final season, and develops her powers because the Aiel Smart ones educate her about strolling Tel’aran’rhiod. She additionally offers with the rising gulf between herself and Rand as they each come to the sluggish and infrequently painful realisation that they’ve simply grown too completely different since they left Two Rivers behind. They by no means actually fairly had that romantic chemistry that brings different {couples} like Lan and Nynaeve to life so I’m trying ahead to the contemporary perspective on their relationship now they’re starting to just accept the inevitability of their branching paths.
“He Who Comes with the Daybreak” – THE WHEEL OF TIME. Pictured: Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred, Natasha O’Keeffe as Lanfear. Photograph: Prime Video ©2025 Amazon MGM Studios |
Perrin, Alanna, Maksim and Loial
Talking of the Two Rivers, Perrin’s journey this season takes him again to the place all of it started the place he should face the demons of his previous and killing his spouse whereas additionally dealing with off with hordes of Trollocs and a band of Whitecloaks led by a grieving and vengeful Dain Bornhald whose father Perrin killed on the finish of final season.
Grief performs a giant half within the Two Rivers arc with the characters in varied phases of restoration by the tip. Perrin’s assembly with Faile helps him to return to phrases with Laila’s loss of life and a heartwarming new romance begins to develop. By comparability, the important thing enemy of Perrin’s story, Dain, is nowhere close to transferring on from his father’s loss of life. He drinks to an insane diploma, and even betrays his personal morals by turning over Natti Cauthon to Little one Valda, resulting in her horrific loss of life.
“Goldeneyes” – THE WHEEL OF TIME. Pictured: Jay Duffy as Dain Bornhald. Photograph: Prime Video ©2025 Amazon MGM Studios |
Alanna and Maksim in the meantime are in The Two Rivers for Alanna to search out channellers and type her personal military for the Final Battle. By way of all of it, the 2 discover themselves in battle as they grieve Ihvon in numerous methods after his homicide by the hands of Liandrin. So far as subplots go, theirs was most likely my favorite a part of the season and it was gratifying to see them discover a option to come collectively and transfer ahead as they begin to construct one thing new with out their accomplice.
It was nice to see Perrin get this a lot focus this season with the battle in episode 7 being filled with large moments from Alanna and the opposite channellers raining shards of ice down on the enemy to Loial’s noble sacrifice and the Cauthon sisters burning Little one Valda alive whereas Alanna laughs. The storyline ends with Perrin holding his promise to Dain and permitting himself to be arrested. Marcus Rutherford and Jay Duffy have nice chemistry with one another, whether or not they’re momentary allies or enemies, and their robust ethical values and private battle promise implausible scenes in a possible season 4.
“Goldeneyes” – THE WHEEL OF TIME. Pictured: Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara. Photograph: Prime Video ©2025 Amazon MGM Studios |
Nynaeve, Mat, Elayne and Min
Over in Tanchico, Nynaeve, Mat, Elayne and Min are looking the Black Ajah whereas additionally embarking on a grand MacGuffin treasure hunt to search out an a’dam collar to forestall Liandrin from having the ability to collar Rand. Mat’s refined luck skill will get them a bracelet piece they didn’t even know they wanted although it’s quickly stolen by the creepy and unsettling Moghedien.
Within the eighth episode, Elayne discovers by means of Thom Merrilin that Lord Gaebril has by no means existed and is probably going a Forsaken, organising what ought to be a tense storyline if the present is renewed. She additionally will get to let her hair down in one of many funnest scenes of the season as she performs the Hills of Tanchico, and reveals off her wonderful singing talents.
Nynaeve in the meantime lastly breaks by means of the block on her magic in probably the most visually beautiful scenes as she actually elements the ocean to save lots of herself from drowning. The setup to this scene offered some nice character work as she tries to get by means of to Liandrin, believing they each maintain the identical values of household of their hearts although Liandrin is fast to disabuse her of this notion.
“He Who Comes with the Daybreak” – THE WHEEL OF TIME. Pictured: Zoë Robins as Nynaeve al’Meara. Photograph: Prime Video ©2025 Amazon MGM Studios |
Mat will get probably the most fascinating – and probably complicated for non-book readers – scenes as he transports himself by accident by means of a redstone doorway into the realm of the Eelfinn. He’s additionally fairly confused by this flip of occasions and finally ends up making three needs – to be freed from magic, to have the reminiscences from the Horn taken away and to depart the realm. This final want leads him to be hanged from the doorway as Min foresaw earlier within the season and when he’s revived, there appear to be unusual holes in his reminiscence – I’m wondering if it might have one thing to do along with his want to be freed from magic.
The Tanchico storyline doesn’t appear to get the identical type of decision or time as the opposite predominant storylines this season, seemingly a casualty from having such a broad forged. It might be nice to see this group be given extra to do subsequent season, particularly now Nynaeve has entry to her energy and Mat has a brand new downside to unravel.
“He Who Comes with the Daybreak” – THE WHEEL OF TIME. Pictured: Robert Unusual because the Eelfinn, Dónal Finn as Mat Cauthon. Photograph: Prime Video ©2025 Amazon MGM Studios |
Last Ideas
General, this has been a powerful season with every character getting no less than one second to shine even when the broad scope of the story and the quantity of characters to juggle go away some storylines (particularly the Tower and Tanchico storylines) feeling shortchanged.
Other than Sammael, all the antagonists make it out alive. Lanfear escapes Moiraine’s wrath, Liandrin and Moghedien type a tense alliance, Rahvin lurks within the shadows, Dain and the Whitecloaks have Perrin of their grasp and Elaida is firmly planted on the Amyrlin Seat. Even Padan Fain manages to make off along with his life intact due to Perrin’s mercy.
With all these threats crowding in, if The Wheel of Time is renewed for a fourth season, our heroes can have their work lower out for them. And with powerhouses like Rand and Nynaeve coming into their very own, it guarantees to be an electrifying journey.
What have been your ideas on the season? Pontificate within the feedback beneath!