Hi, FlixChatter readers! I know JordanCon was a month ago; I apologize for getting this post to you so late. The con was a blast, and I’m looking forward to attending in 2023 (I’m already planning my cosplay for next year). While there wasn’t a lot of official Wheel of Time show content (mostly just fan-led panels), Amazon did put together a video of cast and crew members answering fan questions, which premiered at JordanCon.
You can watch the whole video below (which I would highly recommend because there are some adorable and hilarious moments from several cast members as well as interesting creative insights), but before you do so, are a few interesting pieces of information about the next season.
1. Ayoola Smart has been cast as Aviendha.
The casting of Aviendha was a highly anticipated announcement for a long time, so fans were excited to finally put a face to the iconic Aiel woman. I won’t go into too much detail about her character, since I don’t want to spoil anything for non-readers, but I’m excited to see Ayoola bring her to life; the intensity in her headshots alone makes me optimistic that she can do the role justice, and showrunner Rafe Judkins‘s enthusiasm for her performance seems like a positive sign as well.
2. There will be more LGBTQIA+ representation in the show.
The fantasy genre, and especially older works within it, isn’t known for its representation of different sexual orientations. There’s some subtext in The Wheel of Time books, but I can count the explicit references to any non-heterosexual characters or relationships on one hand. That’s why it’s so refreshing to see some of that subtext become text.
Rafe explains that they’ve been taking things that were suggested or hinted at in the books as being LGBTQIA+ and expanding on them, as well as taking characters whose orientation we don’t know anything about and giving them something, and that’s something they plan on continuing to do. “You will see us lean into those places that are already so present in the books and then try to find room to tell more of the emotional history of some of those characters,” he states.
3. There will be more focus on polyamorous relationships in season 2.
When I saw this question, I assumed the answer would be centered around a more high-profile polyamorous storyline from the books, but while the show will certainly explore that eventually, it won’t be the only one that gets attention.
We already had a glimpse at a polyamorous relationship in season 1 between Green Aes Sedai Alanna (Priyanka Bose) and her warders Ihvon (Emmanuel Imani) and Maksim (Taylor Napier), and that relationship will be explored more in season 2. “[..]There’s not just one relationship happening there, there are three relationships,” Rafe explains.
4. Season 2 will blend more practical and CGI effects.
Because of Covid, season 1 was more heavily reliant on CGI special effects, but the showrunners want to have more of a balance between practical and digital effects going forward.
According to Rafe, they’ll use more of a combination of the two, saying with a laugh, “[Y]ou hopefully are never looking at the show going ‘Oh that’s a cool CGI effect…or not a cool CGI effect,” going on to explain that they want to create a more immersive experience.
5. We are going to Falme.
Falme, a large harbor town in The Wheel of Time series, is the setting of a couple huge plot points that I won’t spoil for those of you who haven’t read the books, but suffice it to say that I am hyped.
Source: WOT Wiki
Book fans, are there any specific storylines or plot points you hope to see in season 2? Show fans, what were some of your favorite moments from the video? Let me know in the comments!
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 