Nearly two years after its first season premiered, The Wheel of Time season two dropped on Amazon Prime, and I, as your resident nerd, am here to discuss it (the first five episodes, anyway- we still have three more to go). As a reminder, I am only reviewing this as a TV show- not as an adaptation of Robert Jordan‘s books. Discussing the series as an adaptation would require more than a simple blog post, and a good show should be able to stand on its own without its audience having to be familiar with the source material.
With that said, let’s jump in.
Egwene Al’Vere, Nynaeve al’Meara, Elayne Trakand in the White Tower
Season two of The Wheel of Time picks up several months after where season one left off, with the five friends from Emond’s Field mostly separated from each other. Egwene (Madeline Madden) and Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) are novices at the White Tower, training to become Aes Sedai; Mat (Dónal Finn) has escaped the White Tower’s clutches with the clairvoyant Min Farshaw (Kae Alexander); Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) has been traveling with Loial (Hammed Animashaun) and a group of Hunters of the Horn of Valere; and Rand (Josha Stradowski) is working in Cairhien, hoping to find a certain someone to help him control his newly-discovered powers.
Rand al’Thor
Meanwhile, a now apparently powerless Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) searches for Rand after discovering an ominous prophecy, while her warder Lan (Daniel Henney) grapples with the rift in their bond.
Moiraine Damodred
Lan Mandragoran
While last season was enjoyable enough, this season is absolutely an improvement. The pacing is a lot better, and there’s a little more humor to keep the tone balanced. My biggest gripe writing-wise is that some of the storytelling is still a little messy and rushed; some bits feel like they’d be confusing for anyone watching who hasn’t read the books, and even some of the first episode was a little to reliant on the audience remembering details from last season after so much time has passed. I understand eight episodes is not a lot of room to flesh out a very dense story, but it could be done a little more smoothly.
Aviendha + Perrin
As with last season, the show’s greatest strength is its cast. The returning members are as strong as ever. Zoë gives a fiery, heart-wrenching performance as Nynaeve, and I love the sisterly chemistry between her and Madeline’s Egwene. Marcus strikes the perfect balance between quiet thoughtfulness and simmering anger. Josha brings a beautiful combination of warmth and vulnerability.
Mat Cauthon
In addition to the returning cast, we have several new actors, and while they’re all talented, a few stand out. Dónal Finn, taking over the role of Mat Cauthon from last season’s Barney Harris, is exceptional; he is so charming, and I’m always happy to see him on screen. Ceara Coveney is as sweet and likable as Elayne Trakand, Daughter Heir of Andor and Elayne and Egwene’s fellow White Tower Novice. Natasha O’Keefe is captivating as Selene, a Cairhienen innkeeper, and Rand’s lover before [SPOILER ALERT being revealed as Lanfear, one of the Forsaken, a servant of the Dark One.] And Ayoola Smart, possibly the most highly-anticipated new cast member within the fandom, shines as Aviendha, an Aiel Maiden of the Spear and talented warrior.
The Forsaken
Lastly, the show is just beautiful to look at. it is total eye candy. The sets are elaborate, the scenery is breathtaking, and the costumes, hair, and makeup are incredible; I’ll be shocked if I don’t see at least one person cosplaying Lanfear’s strappy, black leather look at JordanCon this spring. The only costume detail I don’t love is the gold muzzle-type thing Damane wears; I understand the reasoning for it, but it just looks like a fancy pacifier. The rest of the Seanchan costuming is probably my favorite of the season, but that particular accessory is a little too goofy-looking for me.
Damane
Overall, season two of The Wheel of Time is a strong follow-up to the first season. I know the next three episodes will be over far too quickly, but at least we know we’re getting a third season, and hopefully, the trend of getting better and better with each episode will continue.
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