The season 3 finale of The Wheel of Time has some great moments, though it feels rushed and scattered at times as it both ties up plots and foreshadows what’s to come in season 4. “He Who Comes with the Dawn” further demonstrates that the show is willing to pull the rug out from under book readers with surprising changes to the source material, even as it embraces some of the weirder aspects of Robert Jordan’s worldbuilding.
Case in point, when season 2 skipped Rand and Lanfear’s trip to another world, I assumed that meant the series wasn’t going to get into dimension-hopping. But the finale opens on a flashback of Elaida visiting the wish-granting Finn and coming back with a charm bracelet and a promise that she would become the Amyrlin Seat. She’s smug about the warning that their gifts always have a price, and it’s unclear if hers was waiting 10 years to get what she wanted or the odd tremors she’s been having.
By going back in time a decade, we see just how tenuous Siuan Sanche’s control of the White Tower has always been, and how long Elaida’s resentment has been building. It also shows just how far the Aes Sedai have fallen as they go from a contentious but orderly election to a violent coup where Siuan’s allies are deceived so she can be stilled and killed. There are certainly still Black Ajah in Tar Valon, but declaring Siuan a Darkfriend is an obvious pretense by those who want the power of the White Tower and the Dragon Reborn for themselves.
I was excited as soon as I heard that Shohreh Aghdashloo was cast as Elaida, and she absolutely shines in the role, drawing on the same ability to project superiority and look absolutely fabulous in garish outfits that made her such a standout in The Expanse. She makes a fantastic foil to Sophie Okonedo, who brought such a sense of hardship and loss to Siuan’s toughness. After so much foreshadowing that Moiraine would die, it caught me entirely by surprise that Siuan is killed instead – the Amyrlin sticks around until the Last Battle in the books. That makes me even more convinced that Loial actually died closing the Waygate last week.
Moiraine and Lanfear agreeing that Sammael should become Rand’s teacher shows their shared ruthlessness – as well as the devotion to the Dragon Reborn that drives them to try to kill each other this episode. Rand training with a Forsaken is in the books, and keeping that plot could have built on the excellent scenes Rand had with the False Dragon Logain last season. Iinstead, Sammael is quickly murdered by Moghedien. The Wheel of Time has done so much to build the Spider up, but the one-dimensional psychopath just doesn’t interest me. I’m not looking forward to more scenes between her and my other least favorite character, Liandrin, as the two team up to take on the other Chosen.
Rand is doing better than I might have thought given the end of “The Shadow in the Night,” fulfilling his promise to harvest Alsera’s squash and then teaming up with all his allies to lay a trap for Lanfear. The way the dream scene shifts from twisted flirtation to outright hostility provides a perfect transition for Rand’s relationship with his Forsaken lover. His visions in Rhuidean and conversations with Egwene have finally allowed him to grasp what a monster she is.
That knowledge also gives Rand a newfound appreciation for Moiraine, who in turn has come to realize that Rand can sometimes make good decisions on his own. Their conversation is perhaps the most honest Moiraine has ever been, with her composure just barely cracking as she sees her life’s work finally bearing real fruit. It’s particularly moving considering she expects she’s going to give her life in one more attempt to protect the Dragon Reborn.
Lanfear has many plots in motion that she uses for her counterattack. Melindhra had felt like an unnecessary addition to this season until this week, when the Malkieri provides another example of how the Dark One preys on desperation. Her decision to put Lan’s life before her own soul is something that Lanfear couldn’t predict because she has no loyalty to anyone but herself. That oversight gives Moiraine a key edge in their fight.
That battle is excellent and brutal, displaying the real power of an Aes Sedai and a blademaster warder. Ciaran Donnelly has directed most of The Wheel of Time’s biggest battle episodes and shines again here, skillfully interweaving Moiraine and Lan’s fight with Lanfear with Rand’s attempts to win over the Aiel and Siuan’s final speech to the White Tower. As a result, we get to see multiple fronts in the fight to prepare the Dragon Reborn to face the Dark One, with Siuan’s death balanced by the victories in the Aiel Wastes.
“He Who Comes with the Dawn” blends moments that could be found in Dune, Game of Thrones and Pan’s Labyrinth, which is true to Jordan’s work even if the quick transitions between them didn’t always feel coherent. Just one example: Mat accidentally entering the realm of the Eelfinn after stepping into a ter'angreal. The complexities of The Wheel of Time’s world are in full view as he stumbles his way into making three wishes and barely survives his encounter with the foxman creature.
Considering the writers have gotten into the business of killing characters early, I was really worried for Thom Merrilin as he prepared to sacrifice himself after giving Elayne a bunch of very important information about Lord Gaebril. Luckily Elayne stepped up and saved him with a blast of balefire. This is the first time the extremely dangerous weapon has been used on the show, and it looks phenomenal – just one of many seeds laid in this episode that should bear fruit next season.
