It is absolutely shocking how The Wheel of Time, which is touted as one of the best of the high fantasy genre and is constantly called the equal of Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings, has disappointed us with two consecutive seasons. It is pointless to argue otherwise because neither have we seen exemplary magic nor any horrifying politics, and least of all, a strong and interesting central character. But since The Wheel of Time season 3 has already been approved, and we are assuming that it must be in the works, we know that the story continues. Our gripe with it has been the same since it started: that there is not enough depth to the development of the characters. This would have been good enough for the early 2010s, but not anymore.
Either way, we had been hopeful at the beginning of season 2 of The Wheel of Time that we would get what we wanted, but that was not the case. The production value has certainly increased, but it is all for nothing if the quality of the story is stubbornly mediocre. We are not talking about the actual books, but the way they have been picked apart and adapted for the screen. However, let us try to see whether The Wheel of Time season 3 will give us something more. It will undoubtedly be released at least a year or two later, meaning in late 2024 or somewhere in 2025. Therefore, we expect some time to pass between the events of Season 2 and Season 3. That would mean a lot of changes, which have probably been set in motion already.
Spoiler Alert
What will happen to Rand?
Moiraine and Siuan may have been at loggerheads about how to treat Rand, but it is undeniable that the latter was right about the disadvantage of him being untrained. Rand has to start putting himself through the hoops and stop running away from what he was destined for. Lan says it right when he points out that Rand protecting his friends does not mean putting the rest of the world in danger. Right now, Rand will have to undergo a transformative journey, since the hopes of the entire world and the Aes Sedai will rest on him and what he can do. Meanwhile, there is also a part of him that has always been scared and apprehensive of the powers he has. There has to be a journey of him fighting that and overcoming that part, much like what Nynaeve and Egwene had to go through in The Wheel of Time season 2. On that note, Egwene and Rand are reunited, and there are certainly going to be a lot of hurt sentiments thrown into the mix. Egwene may also be a changed person due to everything she has gone through, and she will probably not be able to love Rand the same way as before. It will take them some time to find their way back to each other.
We also expect to see Elayne Trakand play a significant role in Rand’s life in season 3. She is the ‘daughter heir,’ and her interest in the fate of the kingdom is tied to Rand. She will be his political ally and teach him how to navigate the gray areas in his training process. On the other hand, we may also see Logain play a greater role in Rand’s life. He is the only man we know so far who has used the One Power and lived to tell the tale. He has also helped Rand so far, and the Aes Sedai may use his services again. We expect that living and training with the Aes Sedai will lead Rand to his real parents. We want to see Rand having his moment, not as an accessory to the story but as a character with personality, in The Wheel of Time season 3.
What can we expect from Egwene and Nynaeve?
Something tells us that Egwene and Nynaeve are the successors of Moiraine and Siuan. We saw in a flashback that the latter pair were supposed to advise the ‘daughter heir’ before they found that the dragon had been reborn. While they are on that mission, Egwene and Nynaeve have already formed relationships with the new daughter-heir, and it is going to be as politically charged as it will be emotionally. Egwene may not like the developing relationship between Rand and Elayne, and Nynaeve was never well-written, to begin with, so there is the issue of how the three women’s friendship develops.
We also think something might finally progress between Nyaneve and Lan. This is a better couple than Egwene and Rand, and we have missed seeing them together despite the obvious lack of the actors’ chemistry. Season 2 gave us enough proof of Nynaeve’s love, and it is time we saw Lan reciprocate it for her. That might mean that Nynaeve and Moiraine may pick a few fights, since Lan is quite dedicated to his Aes Sedai.
These petty fights and rivalries aside, one of the biggest plots of The Wheel of Time season 3 has to be about Liandrin. She is an absolute troublemaker, and the true extent of her involvement is yet to be revealed. We expect a sort of double-bluff trap to be laid for her by the Aes Sedai and the others, which ends up leading them to something crucial that will win them the war to come. She might even be the primary villain of season 3, bringing together the Forsaken and trying to take over the institution of Aes Sedai once and for all.
How will the Dark One move?
We have avoided talking about Mat and Perrin so far because we knew that Ishamael had an eye on them. Mat was easy prey for him, but Perrin was tougher. There is also the matter of the long-standing rivalry between Perrin and the Children of the Light. Perhaps we will see a conclusive fight between them that also strengthens Perrin’s ability to use his power over the wolves and his newfound association with the Aiel. As for Mat, he still needs to grow a strong head on his shoulder despite his discovery of his past, and Min may help him with that.
There is also Lanfear to think about, and we suspect that she will mess with the friends as much as she will with Rand. There is no reason for her to not utilize her powers to the best of their manipulative abilities. There is a lot that can happen with the characters, as long as the writers don’t take the audience of The Wheel of Time for granted.
