Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time Season 3.
Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time has deviated from the books that it is based on many times, but one early change that seemed particularly odd was when Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford) was introduced as a married man. His wife, Laila (Helena Westerman), does not remain in the show for long, as she dies when trollocs attack the Two Rivers, and Perrin, thinking there is a trolloc behind him, accidentally kills her. For the first two seasons, Laila’s rapid introduction and death seemed to do little apart from creating angst for Perrin, making it an odd change, but Season 3, Episode 6, “The Shadow in the Night,” finally gives it a better purpose.
Throughout Season 3, Perrin has been developing a new relationship with Faile (Isabella Bucceri), a Hunter of the Horn whom he meets after returning to the Two Rivers. Though their romance is straight from the books, the haste of it initially seems odd given that Perrin is still mourning Laila. Season 3, Episode 5, “Tel’aran’rhiod,” reveals a dream Perrin is having where he and Faile seem to be a couple, living in the Two Rivers while Perrin works as the blacksmith, much like the life he previously shared with Laila. In the show’s most recent episode, they take their relationship even further. Yet Perrin’s past enhances his new relationship, as Perrin and Faile bond over their losses, and she helps him heal. Perrin’s guilt over Laila also explains why he treats Faile the way he does, which makes their dynamic from the book more understandable. Though it took almost three full seasons, The Wheel of Time has finally justified this early, controversial change for Perrin.
‘The Wheel of Time’ Uses Perrin’s Grief To Help Him Bond With Faile
As Perrin returns to the Two Rivers in Season 3, he is initially still mourning Laila. Episode 3, “Seeds of Shadow,” even shows him visiting her grave and burying his broken wedding ring, once again highlighting his grief. While he has long struggled with these feelings, they have not motivated all of his actions, yet they play an important role when it comes to his growing relationship with Faile. Initially, Faile confesses that she left home after discovering her mother was a Darkfriend, knowing that she would be killed if she stayed. Yet as she left, she told her brother the truth, and he confronted their mother, losing his life in the process — an outcome that Faile now blames herself for. The guilt Perrin and Faile both feel over the deaths of their loved ones allows them to create a connection that few can understand.
There has already been a respect building between them; Faile sees Perrin stepping into a bigger leadership role, while Perrin notices how willing Faile is to defend a place she has no ties to. After learning about Faile’s past, Perrin feels comfortable opening up about his abilities as a wolfbrother and even shares the dangerous secret about Mat (Dónal Finn) blowing the Horn of Valere, which disrupts Faile’s quest. The trust created by Perrin and Faile sharing their grief and pain fosters the growth of their relationship, helping to explain its rapid progression in the series.
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Faile Helps Perrin To Heal in ‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3
Throughout Seasons 1 and 2, Perrin has been under a cloud of pain, but Faile leads him toward healing, given that she understands how Perrin feels in a way no one else can. She reminds him that his wife died with courage while defending her home from the trollocs, despite having no training. While this doesn’t address Perrin’s role in the tragedy, it is impossible to deny the courage of Laila’s choice. Faile explains that in her culture, mourning anyone for so long takes away the honor earned by fighting. While it is not how Perrin was raised, he seems to take it to heart, partially because, from Faile, these are not empty words. She has dealt with the same emotions, giving her more credibility than anyone else Perrin has spoken to.
Faile also tells Perrin that he needs to take care of the living, and considering the Two Rivers is under threat of both trollocs and Whitecloaks, that is a monumental task. Perrin has, unintentionally, become a leader for the Two Rivers, and now it is his job to protect the home that Laila gave her life defending. Faile’s encouragement allows Perrin to adjust his own perspective, and the next time he appears, he is in a lighter mood than he has been throughout the series.
Perrin’s Past in Prime Video’s ‘The Wheel of Time’ Explains His Biggest Book Flaw
Perrin may have many good qualities, but he is not without his flaws, and in the books, one of them is his overprotective nature, especially when it comes to Faile. As the two develop a relationship, Perrin becomes overly patronizing to the point of exhaustion, acting as if Faile cannot take care of herself when she has proven herself a skilled fighter many times over. While they haven’t known each other long in the series, The Wheel of Time has already started to reveal this side of Perrin; he tries to tell Faile to sit out from their raid on the Whitecloak camp, but given the previous changes to his character, his attitude towards her makes a lot more sense.
Ultimately, Perrin’s past is the main reason why he treats Faile the way he does. He’s still struggling with his trauma and guilt, especially while developing feelings for another woman. His history and the fact that he blames himself for Laila’s death make his behavior towards Faile more understandable, if not excusable. Though this story change occurred back in Season 1, the series finally justifies it, allowing Perrin to remain a flawed character while rendering his overprotectiveness more tragic than unbearable. When Laila was first added to the show, the change seemed random, creating an unnecessary backstory that didn’t seem to make sense for Perrin’s path, but the impact of his past on his relationship with Faile makes it a more reasonable change in the long term.
New episodes of The Wheel of Time Season 3 premiere Thursdays on Prime Video.
- 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
- Writers
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Amanda Kate Shuman, Dave Hill, Rohit Kumar, Justine Juel Gillmer, Celine Song, Rammy Park, The Clarksons Twins, Katherine B. McKenna
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