‘Eye of the World’ is the final (8th) episode of season 1 of the series ‘The Wheel of Time.’ The series has been adapted for the screen by Rafe Judkins and is based on the novels of Robert Jordan.
Also Read – ‘The Wheel Of Time’ Episode 7: Ending, Explained – Is Rand The Dragon Reborn?
The Wheel of Time Episode 8 Recap
The Wheel of Time Episode 8, titled ‘Eye of the World,’ opens with a flashback from 3000 years ago. We see an argument of sorts happening, in the Old Tongue, between two individuals. There is a state of disagreement between Latra Posae Decume, the Tamyrlin Seat, and Lews Therin Telamon, the Dragon Reborn. Lews puts forth his reasoning. He says that they have a genuine chance of doing something that has never been done before, i.e., caging the Dark one. But Latra seemed to be an austere woman who had made her decision, and no matter how much Lews persuaded her, she was obdurate on her resolution.
Though we get privy to the conversation betwixt and between, the scattered fragments of information give us a good idea of what precisely the context would have been. Latra felt that camouflaged behind this desire to do that righteous thing, Lews had a selfish motive to satisfy his ego. She thinks that he would risk it all by exposing the source of One power to the Dark One. Not able to come to a common ground, they part ways and decide to go ahead with what they individually feel is the right thing to do.
What Do Rand and Moiraine Witness in the Blight?
In The Wheel of Time Episode 8, Rand and Moiraine make their way through the gloomy and murky stretch of area, known as The Blight. Rand starts getting visions as he inches closer towards the Dark One. He receives a vivid dream where he sees a man he believes to be a personification of the Dark One. It is a dream or a reality he does not understand. All he knows is that it would have implications on his real-life for sure. The Man, played by Fares Fares, tries to create doubt in Rand’s mind. He mocks his master plan and tells him that no matter what he and Moiraine do, it would not be enough to curb the rapidly growing powers of the Dark One.
Moiraine gives Rand a special stone called the Sa’angreal. She tells him that when the time would come, Rand would be able to channel consciously and would be able to proliferate the power manifold with the help of the Sa’angreal. With doubt, dilemma, and a feeling of consternation about what the future held for them, Moiraine and Rand forge ahead.
What Happened at Tarwin’s Gap?
The army of Trollocs was moving towards the Tarwin’s gap with full tilt. Lord Agelmar Jagad prepares his men for what he, together with others too, considered to be the last battle. Tarwin’s Gap was a structure created to give a strategic advantage to the army of Fal Dara. The enemy could be spotted from a distance and could be stopped from entering the city. But this time, the Trollocs were in huge numbers.
Lady Amalisa did not approve of her brother’s plan of action. She knew that it was a death wish. Lord Anglemar wasn’t living in his imaginary world. He knew very well that his army would not be able to hold the Gap for long. He knew that the city would fall soon after that. But his motive was not to win but just to buy some time. He was ready to sacrifice his life so that the world could get a fair chance to prepare itself for the impending battle.
Who Took The Horn of Valere?
Perrin gets agitated and tells Loial that he cannot just sit and wait for the battle to get over. He was done following the Way of the Leaf. Loail knew exactly where they could be of help. They meet Lord Yakota, who was digging something with his men. The tension builds as on one end, Nynaeve, Egwene, and Lady Amalisa, with other women who could channel, were trying to stop the army that had already penetrated through the Gap.
Lord Yakota and his fellow soldiers were actually digging for the Horn Of Valere. The horn was to be blown before the Last battle as it was believed that Pattern’s greatest heroes would aid in the cause, though nobody was really certain whether it was actually true or not.
Padan Fain, a peddler whom Perrin knew from the Two Rivers, revealed that he was tracking the five potential Dragon Reborn from the inception. He kills Loail, Lord Yakota, and other soldiers.
He revealed that even though only one would ultimately become the Dragon Reborn, all five, i.e., Egwene, Rand, Nynaeve, Perrin, and Mat, played a significant role in the battle. Leaving Perrin to ponder over the doom that awaited them all, Padan Fain left the scene taking the Horn of Valere with him.
‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 1: Ending Explained – Did Rand Defeat The Dark One?
Rand reaches a dark and dingy place, which he felt he had seen before. Moiraine tells him that she doesn’t have any knowledge about it since every record of the place was destroyed by the dark friends. Once again, the Dark One takes Rand to a utopian land. Though Rand’s body lay unconscious with Moiraine, mentally, he was transported to this vivid dream where he met the Man once again. Rand saw Egwene and his child. Everything seemed just about perfect, and Rand incessantly gets allured towards making this dream into reality.
Though Rand gets tempted for a moment, he reminds himself of his virtues and morals. He knew that Egwene would have asked him to do a similar thing. He uses the Sa’angreal, to end this dream. The dream ends, but Rand knows that it is not the end. He knew that the Dark One was still not defeated. What they were thinking of as the Last Battle, was just the beginning, as said by Padan Fain.
Rand understands the situation in profundity. It feels like his questions have been answered. He knows there is no going back. Moiraine tells Lan, who reaches the scene just as Rand leaves, that she could not touch the Source. In a melodramatic sequence, Egwene was able to bring Nynaeve back to life, who had gotten burnt to death while channeling. In the ending scene of The Wheel of Time Episode 8, we see a little girl standing on the western shore and a fleet of ships approaching her. Some of the women on the ships had muzzles and mouthpieces covering their mouths. Together they channel through the water and raise a gigantic wave no less than a tsunami.
The first season of The Wheel of Time ends, leaving much to explore for the upcoming seasons. What will be the role of Nynaeve, Egwene, Perrin, and Moiraine? Will Mat become an ally of the Dark one? Will Rand be able to do what he had set out for? These are the impending questions that would probably be answered in the subsequent seasons.
The Wheel of Time is a 2021 Fantasy Drama Television Series streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
