About The Wheel of Time Season 1 – TV Series

The Wheel of Time Season 1

The Wheel of Time is an American high fantasy television series developed by Rafe Judkins for Amazon Prime Video. The series is based on the book series of the same name by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.

The first season, consisting of eight episodes, premiered on Prime Video on November 19, 2021, with the first three episodes released immediately and the remaining five on a weekly basis after that, culminating in the season finale on December 24, 2021. The series was renewed for a second season in May 2021, before the first season premiered. The second season premiered on September 1, 2023. In July 2022, over a year ahead of the second-season premiere, the series was renewed for a third season.

The Wheel of Time

STORY

Episodes 01

“Leavetaking”

Moiraine is an Aes Sedai, who can channel an elemental force called the One Power. Years past, the male half of the One Power was corrupted, driving male channelers insane, and Lews Therin Telamon, a channeler known as the Dragon, tore the world apart in his madness. Some Aes Sedai wish to eliminate male channelers, but Moiraine and her Warder Lan Mandragoran search for the Dragon’s reincarnation to defeat the Dark One, a force of primordial evil. Their search leads them to the Two Rivers and four possible candidates – villagers Rand al’Thor, Perrin Aybara, Mat Cauthon, and Egwene al’Vere – whom they plan to take to the White Tower, the center of the Aes Sedai. Rand, besotted with Egwene, is disappointed that she intends to become the next Wisdom, a village leader and healer who cannot wed. Trollocs, beasts following the Dark One, ambush the Two Rivers. Nynaeve al’Meara, the current Wisdom, is taken, and Perrin accidentally kills his wife, Laila. Moiraine battles the Trollocs with the One Power and is injured. The four villagers reluctantly join Moiraine and Lan on their journey to keep the Trollocs away from their loved ones.

Episodes 02

“Shadow’s Waiting”

In a Whitecloak encampment, Eamon Valda burns an Aes Sedai. The Two Rivers villagers flee with Moiraine and Lan from pursuing Trollocs and a Fade. They flee across Taren’s Ferry. To prevent the Trollocs from following, Moiraine uses the One Power to sink the ferry, incidentally killing the ferryman, disturbing the villagers. Along their journey, Egwene learns she has the potential to channel, Perrin encounters strange wolves, the villagers have disturbing dreams about the Dark One, and mistrust and tension between Moiraine and the villagers grow. Moiraine grows wearier and exhausted from her injury, and when Trollocs catch up, Lan makes the hasty decision to have them enter Shadar Logoth to escape. While in Shadar Logoth, the group is attacked and separated by Mashadar, the evil darkness that inhabits the city. The group is separated and disoriented. Nynaeve is revealed to be alive and confronts Lan about the villagers.

Episodes 03

“A Place of Safety”

Nynaeve escapes, outsmarts, and kills the Trolloc that captured her. The Two Rivers villagers are separated from Moiraine and each other – Mat and Rand trekking across the wilderness in one direction, Egwene and Perrin in another, and an angry Nynaeve confronts Lan and an injured Moiraine, demanding to know the location of the villagers. Wolves follow Egwene and Perrin, and Perrin has a nightmare about the wolves and the Dark One. They find safety and rest with the Tuatha’an or Tinkers, a peaceful nomadic group. Mat and Rand argue about whether to go home or to the White Tower, with Mat showing darker tendencies that Rand dislikes. They encounter a gleeman, Thom Merrilin, in a village where he steals their gold. Later, Thom rescues them from a Darkfriend. Nynaeve and Lan argue about the villagers and whether Nynaeve should heal Moiraine. Eventually, Nynaeve concedes, using herbs to help the Aes Sedai while Lan scouts. Moiraine recovers enough to travel, and they encounter Red sisters on the road, including Liandrin, who have captured the self-proclaimed Dragon Reborn, Logain Ablar, a man who can channel the One Power.

Episodes 04

“The Dragon Reborn”

Moiraine is healed by the Aes Sedai and shown an imprisoned Logain, held by the continual channeling of several Aes Sedai. Liandrin and some Aes Sedai want to “gentle” Logain, permanently severing his connection to the One Power. However, Moiraine believes he might be the Dragon Reborn. Egwene and Perrin travel with the Tinkers, heading towards Tar Valon, and they learn that through “the Way of the Leaf”, they have vowed never to use violence. Rand, Mat and Thom stay the night with a rural family. Thom tells Rand that he suspects Mat may be able to channel. His suspicious behavior resembles that of Thom’s nephew Owyn, who could channel but killed himself after being gentled by Aes Sedai. That night, a Fade kills the family. Thom distracts it, allowing Rand and Mat to escape. Logain’s army of followers arrives just as Logain uses the One Power to escape. Kerene Nagashi of the Green Ajah is killed protecting Moiraine and Liandrin from Logain’s attack, while Lan’s throat is slit. Nynaeve heals Lan and the injured Aes Sedai through a stunning display of the One Power. Liandrin and the Aes Sedai gentle Logain.

Episodes 05

“Blood Calls Blood”

The Aes Sedai bury Kerene and Logain’s army. Lan, Moiraine, Nynaeve and the Aes Sedai travel to the White Tower of Tar Valon for a month. Moiraine warns Nynaeve of the Aes Sedai’s political machinations. The Whitecloaks waylay Perrin, Egwene and the Tinkers. With Aram’s help, Perrin and Egwene initially escape, but are captured by Eamon Valda. Valda suspects Egwene can channel, torturing Perrin to force Egwene to channel. Egwene and Perrin escape when wolves attack the camp, seemingly connected to Perrin. Rand and Mat arrive at Tar Valon, where Rand is disturbed by Mat’s odd behavior. Rand meets Loial, an Ogier, who notes that Rand resembles a foreign Aiel. Loial helps Nynaeve reunite with Mat and Rand. Logain is paraded around Tar Valon, laughing madly when he notices Rand and Mat watching. Lan and the other Warders console Stepin, Kerene’s Warder. Moiraine and Alanna discuss Stepin’s mental state. Alanna warns Moiraine of both Liandrin’s motives and the impending return of the Amyrlin Seat. The following morning, Lan finds Stepin dead by suicide. Lan serves as the primary mourner at Stepin’s funeral, overcome with grief.

Episodes 06

“The Flame of Tar Valon”

Siuan Sanche, the Amyrlin Seat, questions Liandrin for Logain’s gentling and Moiraine’s traveling for 20 years. Visiting Rand and Mat, Moiraine detaches Mat from the tainted dagger from Shadar Logoth. Moiraine has also found Egwene and Perrin. Maigan, a Blue Sitter, orders Moiraine to remain at the Tower and Moiraine tries to hide her motives from Liandrin. Moiraine asks Loial a favor. Moiraine and Siuan meet secretly, and the two lovers discuss their plan to find the Dragon Reborn. Moiraine takes a reunited Nynaeve and Egwene to meet the Amyrlin, where Egwene is awe-struck and Nynaeve is suspicious. In the Hall of the Tower, Moiraine is exiled by Siuan in a ruse, allowing her to leave the Tower with the Two Rivers villagers. Moiraine gathers the Two Rivers villagers and Loial at a Waygate where they will travel to the Eye of the World to confront the Dark One and uncover who the Dragon Reborn is. Mat hesitates, and the other villagers, Loial, Moiraine, and Lan enter the Ways without him.

Episodes 07

“The Dark Along the Ways”

The Two Rivers villagers who followed Moiraine into the Ways argue about returning for Mat but continue forward. Loial guides them along the Ways, which have been corrupted. The group encounters a Trolloc. Egwene repels the Trolloc, but the One Power attracts Machin Shin (Black Wind), which provokes their deepest fears. Nynaeve repels Machin Shin with the Power while Moiraine opens the Waygate to Fal Dara. A man also in the Ways follows them to Fal Dara. Once there, they argue with Moiraine, who reveals whoever is not the Dragon would die if they reach the Eye of the World. Moiraine visits the seer Min Farshaw. Nynaeve and Lan (the heir to the lost kingdom of Malkier) have sex. Egwene and Rand reconcile. Rand recalls that Tam was present at the Battle of the Shining Walls and encountered a pregnant Maiden of the Spear who died giving birth to Rand whom Tam raised. Machin Shin taunted Rand he is the Dragon. Rand had channeled to escape both an earlier Darkfriend and the Trolloc in the Ways. Rand and Moiraine leave Fal Dara to go to the Eye of the World, leaving the rest behind.

Episodes 08

“The Eye of the World”

3000 years ago, the Tamyrlin Seat warns Lews Therin Telamon of the dangers of his plan to imprison the Dark One. In the Blight, Moiraine gives Rand a sa’angreal, an ancient object to enhance his power to defeat the Dark One. At the Eye, Rand sees a vision of him and Egwene starting a family, which the Dark One tells him can come to fruition if he gives his power to the Shadow. The Dark One cuts Moiraine’s connection to the One Power. As the Fal Dara army falls to an attack by thousands of Trollocs, five women – including Nynaeve and Egwene – channel against the attack and destroy the Trollocs. All but Egwene burn from excessive channeling. Egwene then heals Nynaeve. Perrin finds the Horn of Valere, which can summon history’s greatest warriors. Padan Fain steals it, revealing he is a Darkfriend who visited the Two Rivers to find the five ta’veren. Rand resists the Dark One with the sa’angreal and fractures the unbreakable symbol he stood on. Fearing madness, Rand goes into hiding and informs Moiraine to remain secret. Lan finds Moiraine, who tells him this was not the Last Battle. In the west, great ships arrive, whose channellers generate powerful waves.

CAST

Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred, an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah who is searching for the Dragon Reborn
Daniel Henney as al’Lan Mandragoran, Moiraine’s Warder and companion
Zoë Robins as Nynaeve al’Meara, Wisdom of Emond’s Field
Madeleine Madden as Egwene al’Vere, a villager and daughter of the mayor of Emond’s Field in the Two Rivers suspected of being the Dragon Reborn
Josha Stradowski as Rand al’Thor, a villager and shepherd from Emond’s Field suspected of being the Dragon Reborn
Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara, a villager and blacksmith from Emond’s Field suspected of being the Dragon Reborn
Barney Harris (season 1) and Dònal Finn (season 2) as Mat Cauthon, a villager and gambler from Emond’s Field suspected of being the Dragon Reborn
Kate Fleetwood as Liandrin Guirale, an Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah
Priyanka Bose as Alanna Mosvani, an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah
Hammed Animashaun as Loial, an Ogier who meets Rand in Tar Valon
Sophie Okonedo as Siuan Sanche, the Amyrlin Seat, head of the Aes Sedai
Kae Alexander as Min Farshaw, a tavern keeper in Fal Dara who can see the Pattern
Fares Fares as Ishamael, also known as Ba’alzamon, “the Betrayer of Hope” and “the Father of Lies”, one of the Forsaken and the right hand of the Dark One
Álvaro Morte as Logain Ablar (recurring season 1, main season 2), a male channeler claiming to be the Dragon Reborn
Johann Myers as Padan Fain (recurring season 1, main season 2), a traveling merchant and Darkfriend
Jennifer Cheon Garcia as Leane Sharif (recurring season 1, main season 2), an Aes Sedai and the Keeper of the Chronicles at the White Tower
Taylor Napier as Maksim (recurring season 1, main season 2), one of Alanna’s Warders
Emmanuel Imani as Ihvon (recurring season 1, main season 2), one of Alanna’s Warders

PRODUCTION

Development

A new adaptation of the series was announced on April 20, 2017, produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with Red Eagle Entertainment and Radar Pictures. Rafe Judkins was expected to serve as showrunner for the series and executive produce alongside Rick Selvage, Larry Mondragon, Ted Field, Mike Weber, Lauren Selig and Darren Lemke. McDougal was set to serve as a consulting producer. By October 2018, the series had been in development for a year, and Amazon Studios had agreed to produce it. In January 2019, Judkins announced that two additional writers, Michael and Paul Clarkson, had joined the production’s writing team. By April 2019, Kelly Valentine Hendry had been attached as casting director.

In June 2019, it was announced that Rosamund Pike, who portrays Moiraine Damodred, would also serve as a producer. Brandon Sanderson, who had completed the book series following Robert Jordan’s death, was also confirmed to be serving as consulting producer along with McDougal. On various occasions, Sanderson wrote about his contributions to the production, which he described as “reading the scripts and offering feedback directly to Rafe, the showrunner”. Judkins has said that Maria Simons, a long-time editorial assistant to Robert Jordan and McDougal, also provides feedback on scripts. The lead characters from Emond’s Field were written as older than their book counterparts. The production team thought that television shows with seventeen-year-old lead characters could feel like young adult fiction, which was not a genre they felt was suitable for the series.

Uta Briesewitz was confirmed as the director of the first two episodes in February 2019. Salli Richardon-Whitfield was confirmed to be directing episodes five and six in November 2019, and Wayne Yip was confirmed to be directing episodes three and four in December. The director of episodes seven and eight, Ciaran Donnelly, was revealed in February 2020.

On May 20, 2021, Amazon renewed the series for a second season ahead of the series premiere. The script for the second season’s first episode was posted in May 2021, six months before the series’ premiere. Thomas Napper, Maja Vrvilo, and Sanaa Hamri have been reported to be directing episodes of the second season, with Hamri directing half of the season and serving as an executive producer. The second season combined elements from both The Great Hunt (1990) and The Dragon Reborn (1991), the second and third books in the series.

On July 21, 2022, ahead of the second-season premiere, Amazon renewed the series for a third season. The third season will cover the fourth and fifth books, The Shadow Rising (1992) and The Fires of Heaven (1993).