I think, the final episode of season 3 is a great reminder that The Wheel Of Time is fantasy TV. Also, I thought that “THAT” Sammael scene was absolutely fantastic and didn’t expect it at all. Since the previous episode was just about Perrin, we don’t get to see him in this episode, which is quite a shame because he’s really grown on me as a character. This episode begins 10 years ago in Tar Valon, where Siuan and Elaida were up against each other to become the next Amyrlin Seat. Elaida comes out of the twisted redstone frame. The Aes Sedai from the White Ajah with Elaida tells her that that was a reckless move because it could’ve killed her. Elaida has a little gold trinket on her bracelet as a memory of going in there, but she tells the other woman that she’s come back safe. When asked what the Aelfinn promised her, she says it’s the seat itself. However, when it comes time to vote, Siuan gets the vote, even of the White Ajah, who had promised to side with Elaida. But, with that, let’s jump straight into episode 8 of season 3.
Spoiler Alert
What Does The Eelfinn Offer Mat?
In episode 8, Siuan has to convince the sisters to side with Rand, but it’s already a bit late because they think she betrayed them by having known that the Dragon was reborn for a long time without telling them. Leane tells her that she needs to make the sisters believe in the Dragon reborn. On the other hand, Elaida’s already preparing to replace Siuan, and she’s taking help from the same sitter from the White Ajah. On the other hand, Rand harvests the little Aiel girl’s farm for her because he owes her Toh. Sure, Egwene can be there for him, but she can’t forget the fact that he’s been sleeping with a Forsaken. At the same time, Moiraine has Sammael captured to teach Rand how to channel, but he is, of course, uncooperative.
In Tanchiko, one of Liandrin’s friends has a powerful ter’angreal that can emit real fire. They’re still looking for Ispan, but she is, of course, dead. They’re distracted when Moghedien, still in disguise, gives Liandrin the bracelet. Liandrin then tells the women that they’re going to go to the Panarch’s Palace to find the collar. Nynaeve and Mat decide to follow them. At the palace, Liandrin’s told they’re uninvited, so she kills the guards without a thought.
Finally, in a dream, Rand has a word with Lanfear and confronts her about threatening Egwene in her dreams. He tells her that he’s leaving her just like Lews did because she’s jealous, petty, and cruel. Rand tells Lanfear that he finally sees the monster in her, but this is all because he’s tempting her to show up in the Aiel Waste. Before Lanfear can react, Egwene shows up in the dream and wills her away, just like the wise ones taught her. When they wake up, the Wise Ones, Moiraine, and a few others are with them, ready to fight. But when she doesn’t show up, Moiraine tells Rand that maybe he’s not the only one Lanfear is looking for. She’s right, because Lanfear first goes to Melindhra, who owes her and tells her it’s time to pay back.
Meanwhile, Mat, Min, Elayne, and Thom meet Nynaeve at the palace to find the collar. It seems Thom knew Elayne when she was a child and has kept an eye on her mother ever since he left because they were good friends. Elayne brings up Lord Gaebril, but Thom has no idea who that is. Thom realizes the gravity of this situation, and I have a feeling he’s going to help get rid of Gaebril in the future. But I don’t think Elayne realizes her mom has a Forsaken in her bed just yet. On the other hand, Moghedien kills Sammael because she’s taking down the Chosen one by one. On the other hand, all the Aiel clans gather together to see what Rand is made of and if he’s really telling the truth about being the Car’a’carn. But Lanfear finds the man who was always against Rand being the Car’a’carn on account of him being an outsider and gives him the second Dragon on his arm to make it look like he’s the Car’a’carn too. If Rand has an army, it will be harder to get rid of him or control him.
Remember the red twisty door? Well, there’s one in Panarch’s palace, too, and Mat accidentally walks into it before Min can stop him. Inside, Mat meets the Eelfinn, fox-like human creatures. The Eelfinn are meant to grant wishes, but when they give some, they take some too. The Eelfinn can sense that Mat has the memories of the ancestors and that it’s bothering him, so it offers to take them away. Before Mat can realize it, a deal’s been made, and the next thing we know, Min’s vision is coming true with Mat being hanged in front of the door. At this time, one of Liandrin’s allies is looking at Mat, so Min attacks her from the back and then cuts the rope that Mat’s hanging by. Finally, she hits him so hard in the chest that he’s brought back to life. While the voices in his head are gone, he starts to realize that his own memories are fading, too (yikes).
Is Nynaeve Dead?
At the palace, Nynaeve sees Liandrin leave behind a ring-like thing that looks like a collar, but not the one from the image. She picks it up because she realizes it’s the collar they’re looking for. But she waits for the others outside the palace, and Liandrin finds her. Nynaeve tries to reach out to the old Liandrin to remind her of the light, but it has the opposite effect on her. Liandrin tells Nynaeve that she’s going to be the first Chosen from a new generation and the most powerful of them all. She takes the collar with her powers from Nynaeve and then drops her in the sea in front of the palace. Just as Nynaeve is about to give up, she sees her daughter from when she gave the test as an Accepted. Nynaeve basically tells herself that she’s there for her, and this makes her connected to the One Power again. Finally, Nynaeve is able to channel, escape the bonds Liandrin put her in, part the waters like Moses, and step out of it. On the other hand, Elayne gets her hand on the fire ter’angreal and kills the woman who was using it to save Thom’s life.
What Happens To Siuan?
Back at the tower, Siuan sends Verin and the strongest Aes Sedai to find the Red Ajah because they’ve apparently got plans to defy her. But, it turns out the whole plan was to get a majority of the sitters out of the tower so Elaida can take over the seat. This works for Elaida, and with 11 sitters on her side, she takes the Amyrlin Seat and sends Siuan to be tortured for breaking her oaths. I think Leane is still alive, though. On the other hand, Liandrin tells Moghedien that she will prove herself to her because two women are needed to use the collar. At the same time, Lanfear finds a dead Sammael with parts of his body turned into web-like structures coming out of him. Lanfear tells Rahvin that she’ll come for them next if they don’t team up, and she brings up the Callandor. Lanfear tells Rahvin that she’s ready to kill the Dragon Reborn.
Siuan is made to tell the truth about the Dragon Reborn, and she tells the sitters that Moiraine and she were told by the previous seat that the Dragon will be reborn. Siuan says that she loves Moiraine and that she’s never broken her oaths because she will always be on the side of the light. She tries to show them the side of the light because all Elaida wants is power, which they’re unable to see. Finally, Siuan is beheaded in the hall, and Moiraine can feel it all the way in the Aiel Waste because of their bond.
Do the Aiel Bow to Rand?
At the Aiel Waste, Melindhra goes to Lan and tells him that she will die for Malkier and the Golden Crane because Lan himself is the Golden Crane. She’s meant to kill him, but because she defied her dark oath, which she made to save Malkier, she ends up dying in Lan’s arms. At the same time, Moiraine apologizes to Rand for not backing his decision to go to the Aiel. She now believes it was the right decision. He then asks her if it was she who attacked him and Egwene with the mirrors to drive a wedge between them. Moiraine says it was and that she wanted to push him away from both Lanfear and Egwene. Moiraine tells Rand that she’s always been the knife at his throat because she was ready to kill him if he ever turned to the dark. She tells him that she only wants him at the last battle if he’s going to win it for the light. Rand says that she’s the only person who wants the same thing he wants. Rand tells Moiraine that he wants her to be by his side for as long as they’re both still around, but Moiraine tells him that he has to get the Aiel to join forces with him by himself, no Aes Sedai involved. Moiraine says she’s going to protect him from Lanfear in the meanwhile, or die trying.
Moiraine and Lanfear fight in the desert, where Moiraine uses the Sakarnen. Lanfear is still too powerful for her, but I wonder if Lanfear is using the Callandor here. Lanfear buries the sword in Moiraine’s chest, and it looks like the latter is basically dead before she feels Siuan’s death, and the power of her love helps her pull out the sword and attack Lanfear again. Moiraine gets Lanfear in the neck before she escapes.
At the end of The Wheel Of Time episode 8, Rand and the other Aiel man make their case in front of all the Aiel clan. It only takes Rand to talk about what he saw in Rhuidean to get the Aiel to look at him differently. One of the chiefs tells Rand that he will destroy them if he tells them what he saw in Rhuidean, but Rand reminds him that that’s what the Car’a’carn is meant to do. Rand then channels the power, which turns black because he has both the light and the dark within him. But it begins to rain, and the chief declares Rand their Car’a’carn, bowing to him. The only person standing is Egwene, and when she tries to tell Rand to stop, he stares blankly, almost as if he doesn’t know what he’s doing. I wonder if Aviendha may be able to stop him or if he will end up hollow before Moiraine shows up to save him again.
