Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 3.
It’s hard to believe how much story The Wheel of Time Season 3 has already packed into its first two episodes, and the same holds true for Episode 3, so let’s dive right in. “Seeds of Shadow,” written by Beverly Okhio and directed by Thomas Napper, doesn’t waste any time in revealing the identities of some of the other Forsaken, especially those who have been hiding in plain sight, as Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe) summons them to an appropriately dark and creepy meeting spot. It seems that Queen Morgase’s (Olivia Williams) consort, Lord Gaebril (Nuno Lopes), is actually a member of the Forsaken known as Rahvin, who has an especially strong talent in the area of compulsion (which explains why he was able to make everyone, including the Aes Sedai, believe he’d been shacked up with Morgase for over a decade).
In addition, we lay eyes on another Forsaken known as Sammael (Cameron Jack), a scarred soldier who seems a bit rougher around the edges compared to the smooth-talking Rahvin. Apparently, there were other Forsaken who weren’t summoned to this meeting — Rahvin namedrops Graendal and Semirhage as two who send their regards — but Lanfear isn’t being coy about the reason the rest of them are present: Moghedien (Laia Costa), and the threat she represents. If an alliance against Moggy is what’s needed, Rahvin says he’ll consider it, but once Lanfear and Sammael have portalled their way back to their respective places, the sneaky Forsaken in question emerges from the shadows to chat with him. “Lanfear’s playing the same game she did last time,” Moghedien says, “but not me. I don’t want to end up in someone’s cage for three thousand years. Not again.” Rahvin tenderly touches her cheek, and the two share an ominous chuckle.
Nynaeve and Elayne Play Good Cop/Bad Cop in ‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3 Episode 3
After the return of the stunning opening credits sequence (it’s back!), we pick up in the White Tower, where Verin (Meera Syal) is filling in Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) and Elayne (Ceara Coveney) on the fact that they’ve successfully captured two members of the Black Ajah — the ones who tried to shield Siuan (Sophie Okonedo) in the streets of Tar Valon. Joiya (Joelle) and Amico (Zenobia Kloppers) have been stilled, taking away their ability to channel or even sense the One Power but even after being interrogated four different times, they’re still refusing to give answers about what Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood) and the Black Ajah are planning. Yet Elayne raises an important distinction about why she and Nynaeve might be able to succeed where other Aes Sedai have failed; as Accepted, they haven’t sworn the Three Oaths yet, and therefore can lie to their captives. Nynaeve also suggests separating Joiya and Amico so they can’t influence each other’s answers. Joiya goes the cold, defiant route, while Amico is tearful and shaken — at least at first. Nynaeve and Elayne get more details out of the former Yellow; the Black Ajah is made up of “hearts,” consisting of three sisters, each of whom only knows about one other Darkfriend within their ranks.
When Amico claims she was only aware of Liandrin outside of her own “heart,” Elayne fibs about Joiya having already told them what they need to know. After that, Amico drops the act. According to her, Liandrin’s going to Tear to secure Callandor, the sword that Rand (Josha Stradowski) needs to take out more of the Forsaken. Yet Joiya’s spinning a different version of the truth, claiming that Liandrin is actually headed for Saldaea to find Mazrim Taim, another false Dragon like Logain (Álvaro Morte). As far as Nynaeve and Elayne are concerned, though, neither of them is telling the truth, so they decide to dig further, with Nynaeve leading Elayne into the city and back to the room where Liandrin once hid her elderly and ailing son, Aludran. Of course, we know that Lanfear ultimately came along and removed that last lingering connection for Liandrin, but these two aren’t aware, even if they spot a strange chalk symbol underneath the now-empty bed.
Later on, in the White Tower’s library, Elayne identifies the symbol as being one-half of two — with one meant to be painted at the person’s place of birth, and the other at their place of death. As for its origin, it looks like Liandrin didn’t go to Tear or Saldaea, but the coastal city of Tanchico. As the two find more clues about whether to start next, Nynaeve barely spots a Gray Man standing in the doorway holding a crossbow pointed at both of them. Elayne knocks him away, but they find the assassin lying dead in the hallway — with a knife sticking out of his chest. When Verin arrives on the scene, they make their excuses and hurry away, but Nynaeve points out to Elayne that the Brown sister never once asked how the Gray Man was stabbed, or who did it.
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Elsewhere in the Tower, Elaida (Shohreh Aghdashloo) is already attempting to make some moves, starting with a private audience with Siuan. Leane (Jennifer Cheon Garcia) and Verin are there to keep her from simply striding into the Amyrlin Seat’s study outright, and Verin reminds Elaida that only a Sitter can request a meeting with Siuan. It’s interference that Elaida isn’t going to take lying down, and she’s not subtle about the threats she leverages at both women in response — but after that, she has to do her best to butter up her fellow Reds, Galina (Clare Duane) and Tsutama (Diêm Camille), lavishing them with gifts so they’ll ask for an audience with the Amyrlin Seat on her behalf. The scene is a masterclass in backward compliments, as Tsutama and Galina aren’t blind to Elaida’s attempt to buy favors. After what happened with Liandrin, they’re also not eager to push their own agenda, but Elaida insists that now is the perfect time to do so, adding that the Reds are the only ones equipped to deal with Rand appropriately: by collaring and caging him. Tsutama is quick to show Elaida the door in response, but Elaida reminds her that Siuan locked them out of the Hall before — so when did the Red Ajah fall so far from its former glory? Yet Min (Kae Alexander) is someone that Elaida may have successfully wooed over to her side, using their shared power as seers to appeal to the younger woman. Min’s also dealing with a lot this week, given that she unexpectedly has a vision of Mat (Dónal Finn) hanging by the neck from a red doorframe. It also seems that Elaida’s scheming may have paid off, too, because Siuan tasks Tsutama with going to Saldaea — leaving the position of Red Sitter open for the taking.
Before Nynaeve and Elayne leave for Tanchico, she drops in on Mat to let him know where they’re headed — and Mat, eager to get away from a place that has had no success with curing the source of the voices in his head, insists on tagging along. Their conversation attracts the attention of Galad (Callum Kerr) and Gawyn (Luke Fetherston), and if you were hoping this moment would go where you thought it would, I’m delighted to say it does. Mat picks up his quarterstaff against their swords, betting them that he can best them in a fight, and it’s a bet that both brothers can’t resist taking. It’s also a great moment for Mat to embrace the quarterstaff as we’ve finally been hoping he will, and he’s more than a match for these princes, thoroughly trouncing them. Seems like those past memories in his head are good for something after all! Later that night, Nynaeve, Elayne, and Mat board a boat destined for Tanchico — and a hooded Min follows in pursuit.
Lan and Moiraine Sweat It Out in ‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3 Episode 3
As another section of our intrepid heroes — consisting of Rand, Egwene (Madeleine Madden), Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), Lan (Daniel Henney), and Aviendha (Ayoola Smart) — heads further into the Waste under heavy guard from the Taardad clan, their leader, Rhuarc (Björn Landberg), is cheekily cryptic when Lan asks how the Aiel knew they were coming: “That is Wise Ones’ business.” Egwene recognizes the older woman, Bair (Nukâka Coster-Waldau), from her dream the prior night, and whispers as much to Rand, but Bair quickly corrects her: “No, girl. You were in my dream.” As the group nears a source of water (something precious in the Waste, as Aviendha points out that more blood has been spilled between clans over water than gold), they discover that the bodies surrounding it are Tinkers, or Tuatha’an, their brightly-painted wagons destroyed. Rhuarc insists that no Aiel could have done this, indicating a connection between them and the Tinkers — “It’s forbidden to harm the Lost Ones” — but then Aviendha notices a suspicious wound on one of the bodies. It appears to be caused by a sword, but Lan identifies it as a spear wielded to look like a sword. Bair suggests it could be the work of the Shaido, a rival clan locked in a blood feud with the Taardad. If the Shaido are still nearby, they need to get moving to Rhuidean, but Egwene insists they should bury the bodies that have been left behind. Rhuarc offers to be the one to stay, revealing that he and Bair are together when he refers to her as “shade of my heart” (and making me swoon in the process).
The rest of the group makes it to the Taardad Aiel’s camp by nightfall, where Bair pulls Egwene aside for a conversation about whether the younger woman was running from something when she stumbled into Bair’s dream. She also observes the bruises on Egwene’s neck but tells her that the woman who caused them must be alive — and promises that she’ll teach Egwene what she needs to know to protect herself in the dream world. Speaking of dreams, Lanfear is haunting Rand’s again, playing the soft and teary card as she reveals that she could potentially break her oaths to the Shadow. There’s a powerful sa’angreal that can be used by female channelers — Sakarnen — and if it’s used in tandem with Callandor, it might be strong enough to kill the Dark One. Before Rand can get more answers out of Lanfear, she conveniently disappears. Meanwhile, Moiraine and Lan are sweating their tushes off in a tent full of steam, alongside Bair and Melaine (Salóme Gunnarsdóttir), who are initially unwilling to answer Moiraine’s question about Rhuidean before Bair relents, clarifying that it’s where Aiel men go to become clan chiefs and women to become Wise Ones. Apart from that, they’re frustratingly tight-lipped.
After that, Aes Sedai and Warder debate over which of them a tall blonde woman (Synnøve Macody Lund) is making eyes at. Lan reminds Moiraine that she’s allowed to be happy, regardless of her current relationship status with Siuan, but Moiraine’s not so sure that even an hour with a beautiful stranger would make her truly happy. When Lan sees a Malkieri golden crane tattooed on the woman’s back, however, he walks out of the sweat tent to confront her himself. She introduces herself as Melindhra, and even though she’s not Aiel by birth, she was raised by them as one of their own. She recognizes Lan as a fellow Malkieri, and he is insistent that their home is gone, but Melindhra points out that he’s still wearing his father’s sword.
‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3 Episode 3 Checks In on the Two Rivers and Tanchico
In the Two Rivers, Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) takes a beat to honor the dead, starting with his wife Laila (Helena Westerman) as he buries his now-broken wedding ring at the base of the apple blossom tree planted to mark her grave. Alanna (Priyanka Bose) joins him, and the two take a moment to mourn their respective losses — Perrin admits he missed Laila’s burial after being forced to leave the Two Rivers back in Season 1, while Alanna reveals that she’s grieving Ihvon (Anthony Kaye) by mixing his ashes with water and clay and painting them on her face like tear tracks: “We wear the grief until it seeps in, becomes a part of you.” While she’s lost Warders over the years since becoming an Aes Sedai, what she, Ihvon, and Maksim (Taylor Napier) had was different. While Bain (Ragga Ragnars) and Chiad (Maja Simonsen) try to tempt Loial (Hammed Animashaun) and Maksim into playing Maiden’s Kiss at the Winespring — with no luck on either front — Perrin and Alanna make it back to the inn just in time for a big crowd of people to show up, led by Lord Luc (Michael Lindall) and a petite, dark-haired woman (Isabella Bucceri) who stares at Perrin with interest. Apparently, Mat’s mother, Natti (Juliet Howland) and his two sisters have been arrested and taken to the Whitecloaks’ camp in retaliation for Mat’s father helping Perrin’s family escape capture. Speaking of said camp, Dain Bornhald (Jay Duffy) seems to be the only one standing between the Cauthon women and Eamon Valda’s (Abdul Salis) much more brutal methods of questioning. Instead, he plans to use Natti and the girls as bait to draw Perrin out.
Perrin still intends to turn himself in, and some of the townspeople are clearly supportive of that idea, but Egwene’s mother Marin (Rina Mahoney) dismisses it, especially when those of the Two Rivers have always looked out for their own. As the meeting disperses, Alanna and Maksim have a tense conversation in the Winespring’s attic. He pleads with her to turn their bond off, because they’ve never kept it on this long — but now they can feel each other more intensely, and at the worst possible time. Downstairs, the dark-haired woman approaches Perrin; she’s a Hunter of the Horn, along with Lord Luc, and initially introduces herself as Mandarb, which earns a chuckle from Perrin, as it’s what Lan named his horse. That night, Perrin makes an impassioned speech to keep the people of the Two Rivers from leaving for their own farms; if they stick together, they might have a fighting chance when more trollocs show up — and later on, at the blacksmith’s forge, after a flirty exchange, he finally learns the woman’s real name: Faile.
Meanwhile, Nynaeve and Elayne’s sleuthing has seemingly paid off, and we pick up with Liandrin, Nyomi (Rachel Denning), and the other members of the Black Ajah swanning their way through the crowded streets of Tanchico. When they reach a certain house, Liandrin strides in, interrupting a marriage ceremony between Jaq Lounalt (Rob McLoughlin) and his child bride (Stella Ginger Janácková). It’s clear, by the exchange that plays out, that this was a fate Liandrin suffered herself, courtesy of Jaq’s great-grandfather, although she was kept in a dark, dank dungeon and became pregnant with his child by the age of 13. When she discovers that Jaq’s bride is of a similar age, Liandrin doesn’t hesitate to kill the groom in front of everyone, ripping his heart out of his chest. As for the remaining witnesses, Liandrin encourages her Black sisters not to hold back in brutally murdering them, and asks Nyomi to erase the bride’s memories of the past, even if it takes all of her other memories in the process. Down in the dungeon where she was once kept, Liandrin paints the corresponding symbol to match the one in Tar Valon on the stone floor and weeps for the young woman who lost her innocence there. Once she returns upstairs, she and the Black Ajah make themselves at home in the Lounalt house as they search for a way to collar the Dragon — and unbeknownst to all of them, one of the house’s servants is none other than Moghedien, operating “softly, softly, from the shadows.”
The first three episodes of The Wheel of Time Season 3 are now streaming on Prime Video.
The Wheel of Time
Nynaeve and Elayne begin their hunt for Liandrin and the Black Ajah while Perrin crosses paths with Faile.
- Release Date
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November 18, 2021
- Network
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Prime Video
- Showrunner
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Rafe Judkins
- Directors
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Sanaa Hamri, Ciaran Donnelly, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Thomas Napper, Maja Vrvilo, Wayne Che Yip
- We meet Faile this week!
- Mat thoroughly trouncing Galad and Gawyn is one of the highlights of the episode.
- It’s always great to see the Nynaeve and Elayne Detective Agency back in action.
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