*Spoilers for the first season of ‘The Wheel of Time’ and the second and third books in the series, ‘The Great Hunt’ and ‘The Dragon Reborn’. If you’re a show-only fan or you’re just starting, then read with caution.*
Season one of ‘The Wheel of Time’ wasn’t perfect, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. Luckily, it seems that other people felt the same, because the show was successful enough to greenlight not just a second season, but a third. So we’ve got more Wheel of Time to look forward to.
My question is: how are they going to handle the next season? Season one made a ton of interesting changes to the first book, ‘The Eye of the World’, and it ended off on a very different note with all of its characters in different places. It is impossible for the show to simply pick up right where the second book, ‘The Great Hunt’, picks up.
I have a few theories on this. Are any of them going to come true? I doubt it. This is just a fun bit of speculation.
To briefly recap how the first season ended:
- Rand has admitted he is the Dragon Reborn, ‘defeated’ the Dark One, and left off; everyone except Moraine thinks he is dead
- Mat is separated from the group and he has returned to the White Tower, likely to try and reclaim the dagger
- Perrin watched the Horn of Valere get stolen
- Egwene and Nynaeve survived the battle and both have shown themselves to be extremely powerful Chanellers
- Moraine is shielded, unable to Channel
- The Seanchan are invading
This leaves us off on a very different place than what we got in the book. So, the question is: how are they going to bridge the gap between ‘Eye of the World’ and ‘The Great Hunt’ with the pieces they have? I don’t think they will. I think they’re going to combine books two and three into season two.
First, let’s go over the events of the books. The plot of ‘The Great Hunt’ is fairly simple. The Horn of Valere is stolen, along with Mat’s dagger, and it’s up to Rand, Mat, and Perrin to get it back. Meanwhile, Nynaeve and Egwene begin their training in the White Tower. Eventually, those two are led into a trap by a traitor Aes Sedai and given to the Seanchan. These plotlines meet at Falme, where Mat blows the horn, Rand battles the Dark One in the sky, and the girls escape the Seanchan.
In ‘The Dragon Reborn’, Rand breaks off from his party to infiltrate the Stone of Tear and claim the crystal sword that will prove he is the Dragon Reborn. Perrin, Moraine, and Lan all pursue him. Egwene and Nynaeve are given a mission by Suan to find the Black Ajah, which leads them to Tear as well. Meanwhile, a recently healed Mat tries to escape Rand and the Aes Sedai and leave it all behind, but is drawn back when he learns of a trap waiting for his friends in Tear. Everyone gathers in the Stone, where Rand draws the sword. Also, the Aiel are there.
What makes me think they’ll combine these two books? Well, let’s get into my speculations.
First, I don’t think they’ll include Falme. Instead, I believe the Seanchan will conquer Tear. That way, they can easily combine the climaxes of the second and third book. While some of the characters are dealing with the Seanchan, Rand and the others will go into Tear and retrieve Collandor.
Rand’s plot will be the simplest of the lot. Now on his own, fully accepting that he is the Dragon Reborn, he starts to search out information on the Prophecies of the Dragon. As he reads, he learns about the Stone of Tear and the Crystal Sword and starts to pursue it. All the while, he avoids the Aes Sedai, unknowingly runs into the Forsaken a few times, and slowly starts to descend into darkness and madness.
Mat attempts to sneak into the White Tower to get his dagger back. Predictably, that fails, and he’s captured by the Red Ajah, who were warned by Moraine last season. However, they discover that he isn’t a Channeler, only that he’s possessed by the dagger. They break the possession and force him to stay in the Tower to heal. Maybe he can meet Elayne and her brothers here and introduce them into the story.
Or we could just not with Elayne. That would sure be nice.
Regardless, he’s sent out of the tower by Suane with a message for Moraine. What the message is doesn’t really matter; maybe it’s about the Seanchan, or about the Stone. Either way, Mat ends up trying to escape and not obey the order. But along the way, he learns something that sends him towards Tear. Perhaps he overhears a conversation between the Forsaken? Doesn’t really matter.
Perrin’s plot is also really simple. Together with the remaining Shainarins, he pursues Thayne in order to get the Horn back. Along the way, he explores his odd connection to the Wolves and meets Faile, whom he falls in love with. Then we can get some resolution on his weird wife plot from the first season and we can leave that behind. This chase leads him to Tear, where Thayne gives the Horn to the Seanchan in an attempt to create a trap for the heroes.
Egwene, Nynaeve, Moraine, and Lan are going to likely have the most different plotline. I don’t think Moraine will send the two girls to the Tower for training yet, given that she was banished and she is Shielded from the power. They could go in multiple different directions. Perhaps they’ll travel with Perrin and share his plot. Maybe they’ll go their own way and run into the Aiel on their way to Tear. Either way, they’ll make their way to Tear, where Egwene will be captured and collared by the Seanchan.
In Tear, the climax will be a blend of books two and three. Rand will draw the Crystal Sword and battle the Dark One. Mat will blow the Horn and lead a battle against the Seanchan. Egwene will escape being collared with Nynaeve and maybe capture a Black Sister or fight alongside the Aiel to find Rand. Perrin will go into the Wolf Dream to rescue Faile from a trap laid by the Forsaken. The Seanchan are driven out, the Aiel join forces with our heroes, and Rand becomes known the world over as the Dragon Reborn. With that, the season will end and the stage will be set for season three, which will likely adapt book four, ‘The Shadow Rising’.
Is it going to happen exactly like that? Most likely not. For all I know, the show’s writers will go in an entirely different direction. Maybe they’ll condense some of the plot of book four into it, or maybe they’ll focus entirely on book two. Or maybe they’ll go crazy and not follow the books at all! I doubt that last one will happen, but who knows?
No matter what happens, I’m excited. Season one was flawed, but it had a ton of potential. If season two improves on it, then I’m sure the future is bright for Wheel of Time.
Or maybe it’ll fall flat on its face. It’s still way too early to tell. But what’s the harm in being a little optimistic?
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