For a long time, I've strived to avoid comparing The Wheel of Time to the Amazon Prime adaptation, but it's getting harder to do so by the day.
Season 3 started well enough, but has disappointingly slid further down the utility meter. Each episode is slightly less satisfying than the previous one. Episode 8, despite the characteristically impressive CGI effects, struggles to really hold my attention for spells.
From a handful of perspectives, we follow Rand, Siuan Sanche, Moghedien, and Lanfear as they scheme for their own interests.
Rand prepares to rise to the demands, not only of the title of The Dragon Reborn, but also the Aiel Chief-of-Chiefs. Finally, he must choose once and for all whether to continue or end his flirtation with the entities of the dark.
Nynaeve, Elayne, Min, Mat, and the rest of the group focus on retrieving a unique artifact from the Panarch's palace in Tanchico, where they each meet interesting adventures.
In the White Tower, the bonds that hold Aes Sedai, sister to sister, threaten to come apart from the pressure of a brimming civil war.
Nynaeve getting through her channelling block isn't consistent with what we know of her, and what we know of the One Power. Depicting her resistance to Compulsion in the previous episodes was a brilliant watch. However, we could have obtained more information on how she managed to get through the block.
The showrunners took liberties with the events of the White Tower coup, paying no mind to the dictates of Tower law. The result is an unconvincing coup, with a lack of clarity as to how Elaida managed to win over the majority of Hall Sitters required to topple the sitting Amyrlin.
And let's not even talk about Mat.
All the lore involving the Aelfinn, Elfinn, Aiel customs, Aes Sedai law and politics, the significance of the Pattern, and the Great Wheel is absolutely annihilated.
Mat's scenes in the ter'angreal are not too bad, and the Elfinn costume is great. But, given how extensive the Rhuidean scene was in episode one, Mat's ascension could've been better depicted there, rather than left to be roughly stuffed within an already-packed episode.
The strength of the Forsaken, some of the most exciting villains in epic fantasy, is underplayed in various scenes, especially in the case of Sammael, Rahvin, and Lanfear.
The decision not to include Asmodean yet is an interesting one, but we don't get any firm confirmation that we won't see the Forsaken in another season installment.
Not all points of deviation from the source material proved disappointing. Liandrin's play to be Forsaken and her faceoff with Moghedien, is interesting to observe. The audience can enjoy the added depth to the Liandrin character, depth that rivals even that of book Liandrin.
The multiple references to Callandor pave a clear path towards a Wheel of Time Season Four, and the Tanchico costumes are stunning, to say the least. And the sets? World-class.
Season three, episode eight, felt rushed, with the story writers keen to cram a lot of information and timeline into an hour of screen time.
At times, they managed it. The scenes were fun, easy to follow, and the costumes and accessories made it visually engaging. However, these props were masquerades set up to hide a serious lack of plot depth.
Calls to renew for season four have ramped up a few notches, and there's every hope that a new installment can be green-lit.
Some say The Wheel of Time is already the best fantasy TV series of all time. Perhaps they are right.
Share your thoughts on Wheel of Time season three in the comments.
