I have a feeling that The Wheel of Time season 3 is going to stop a little short of an actual full-fledged battle. Since everyone’s been split up, it’s going to take the entire season for everybody to come back together, but maybe, like last season, we’ll see them fight the Forsaken before it ends. I haven’t read the books, so my predictions are solely based on the TV show, but as it normally goes in the fantasy genre, Rand’s the “chosen one,” and just like in Dune or Star Wars or any other story that’s got a chosen one, everyone’s after Rand, but everyone’s also afraid of what he’ll become. This is the classic pattern, and though it seems like the women of this series are the most important, it is the Dragon reborn that still stands tallest and breathes fire through its mouth. Anyway, episode 2 focuses on Elayne’s family. In this episode, we get to see how her mother took the Lion Throne (I know, it does sound like that other one) and what followed.
Spoiler Alert
Why Does The Queen Visit The Tower?
The Wheel Of Time episode 2 begins with a flashback to 20 years ago, when Morgase Trakand, Elayne’s mother, took the Lion Throne at Caemlyn, high seat of Andor, for the first time. She announces that she’s won a battle to become the queen of Andor, so all the other houses should pledge allegiance to her. But even when all these women, high seats of their own houses, agree to join forces with Morgase, she has them all killed to make sure there won’t be another succession war and her daughter, who is still in her womb at the time, will be safe to take the throne next.
In the present day, the queen visits the tower in Tal Velon to meet Siuan because she wants to know that her daughter is fine and well after everything that went down in Falme. She wants to take her daughter back because they’re literally battling Forsaken and the Black Ajah now. Along with Morgase comes her Aes Sedai advisor, Elaida, from the Red Ajah. It appears Elaida nearly beat Siuan back in the day. In the meanwhile, Rand and his gang are nearly at the Aiel Waste. At the same time, Perrin and his gang make it to Two Rivers, and Perrin can sense that somebody else has come through the same way just before them. His eyes are now permanently yellow. This duo happens to be Alanna and Maksim, who Perrin will soon meet in hiding. Two Rivers has been taken over by the Whitecloaks because they’re looking for Perrin. The Whitecloaks have been calling him a Darkfriend because he killed Geofram Bornhald. An old acquaintance takes Perrin to where Alanna and Maksim are so that they can hide for the night and leave the next day. Loial also tells the Aiel and Perrin that, as an Ogier, if he’s too far from the “Stedding” then he suffers from a thing called the “Longing.” It’s simply a feeling that makes them ill, for staying away from home, but he claims it’s good to feel it.
Meanwhile, back in the tower, Mat gets treated by some of the Aes Sedai. As you can guess, it doesn’t really work, but Nynaeve worries it’s going to get worse, and the situation looks pretty bad already. Elayne’s brothers tell her that they’re there to take her home rather than stay back for Warder training. Morgase meets with Elayne in her room and tells her she’s taking her back. She tells Elayne that she’s going to get an honorary ring before she returns, but Elayne is, of course, against this idea. Later, Elaida tells Morgase about how things are looking a bit scary in the tower, seeing as there was a Darkfriend right in the White Tower. Near the Aiel Waste, Rand practices sword fighting with Lan, and Aviendha doesn’t understand why. She also tells Egwene that the Wetland prophecies are too black and white, while the Aiels don’t believe in such a strict divide. Yes, she has to protect Rand, but she doesn’t have to worship him while doing so.
What Happens In The Dreams?
At the tower, the princes perform a show of swordsmanship for all the novices, which makes Mat jealous. Min tells Siuan that she’s been seeing dead Aes Sedai at the tower. She’s working for Verin in disguise as a servant at the White Tower. Min also mentions that a battle is coming, but she obviously doesn’t know when. She mentions at least 9 Aes Sedai are dead. Siuan then invites Nynaeve and Elayne for a private meeting. She basically asks them to become spies for her because she can’t trust anybody else in the tower, seeing as Liandrin could’ve converted dozens more of the Aes Sedai, but those Aes Sedai might just be in the tower to spy on Siuan. Meanwhile, at Two Rivers, Perrin learns that Alanna’s been injured by a Trolloc on her shoulder, and it’s basically his fault. Perrin plans on turning himself in.
While they’re asleep, Egwene and Rand have dreams of their own. From what I understand, Lanfear visits both of them, but to Egwene, she comes as Renna, the Damane who tortured her through her time with the Seanchan. Egwene gets choked by Renna until she can’t breathe, but suddenly, she finds herself in the desert, where an older Aiel stands before her and tells her she doesn’t belong there. I think she’s specifically referring to the dream itself because we find out later that Egwene was in the Aiel woman’s dream.
Back at the tower, Min meets Mat and apologizes for selling him out to the Forsaken. She also admits that she’s working for Siuan at the Tower in disguise. Min then sends Mat to meet Siuan, who tells him how the Horn of Valere is a very dangerous tool. She tells him that anyone who uses the horn after he’s dead can become its next owner. Basically, now that he’s paraded the horn everywhere, anybody could kill him, steal the horn, and use it next. But Siuan offers to keep the horn safely with her, and Mat happily gives it to her.
Who Is Lord Gaebril?
Elayne visits her mum’s room in the Tower and tries on the crown. The prince consort notices her, and they get talking. He tells her that the reason Morgase wants to take her home is because things aren’t looking great at Andor. He claims the military is posing a threat and that Elayne’s right to the throne is, for the first time, vulnerable. Elayne then tells her mother that she’s not going back with her because she needs to forge her own path, and she will be the first-ever Aes Sedai queen of Andor. Finally, Morgase leaves, but she has Elaida stay back at the tower, I’m guessing to spy for her and keep her daughter safe.
Meanwhile, Rand tells Moiraine that she doesn’t understand what he feels about the One Power. She thinks he’s afraid of it, but he is eager to use it every second because it makes him feel wonderful, although it also gives him some terrible dark thoughts, which is why he chooses not to do it. Moraine then tells him that he has to use it anyway if he wants to separate those two sides; he’ll need a taste of both sides.
At the end of episode 2, Rand and the gang reach the Aiel Waste. There they meet the old woman from Egwene’s dream; she’s the clan leader. The woman announces the Aiel prophecy about Rand, according to which it sounds like Rand isn’t just the savior but the destroyer, too (is it me, or does this sound a bit too Paul Atreides?).
