I’ve always been an absolute sucker for anything fantasy. In fact, growing up, hyper-fixating on one mega fantasy franchise was my thing. Now, as an adult, being taken back to a world where, for an hour or so, I don’t have to worry about the stressors of work or my personal life, and instead can just watch wizards, dragons and elves fight it out with world-ending consequences is the relaxation I need!
A surefire way to get me hooked? Give me an ever-expansive, intricate lore. The bigger the universe builds, the more likely I will fall in love with it. So, when my roommate genuinely recommended Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time to me based on its mythology, my ears perked up. As it so happens, The Wheel of Time’s long-awaited second season was fast approaching. So I did what any time-poor fantasy lover would do — cancelled all weekend plans so I could stream the entire first season in one go. And thank the Light I did.
The Wheel of Time filled every void I needed. It’s a series that embraces the fantasy genre whole-heartedly, gives diverse characterisation, keeps me guessing and presents me with a new rabbit hole to dive down after every episode. The assignment = understood! But now The Wheel of Time season two is finally streaming on Prime Video, and with the events of season one still fresh in my brain, here are some burning questions I have that I need the show’s second season to answer.
Will Moiraine Get Her Powers Back?
Look, I’ve got nothing but admiration for Moiraine. Rosamund Pike always brings certified bad-b*tch energy to every role she plays, and this is no different. But, let me tell you, I was basically yelling at my TV every time she forcibly put herself in harm’s way. That Trolloc wound in the premiere episode of Season 1 looked nasty. So, when it came to taking Rand through the Blight to the Eye of the World, I already knew there would be some sort of sacrifice. But I didn’t realise it would be stripping her of her powers entirely!
The fight with the human embodiment of The Dark One (or The Man? Or Ishamael? Whatever we’re calling him) might have set the evil back, but now Moiraine is left pretty helpless. The whole series has been building up the immense and important power of the Aes Sedai, and now the Aes Sedai sister we know best is without those powers. What happens to her now? What use can she still bring to her quest to lock down the Dragon Reborn?
And What About Lan?
Nothing but respect for my MVP, Lan. The man has literally come back from the dead just to fulfil his duties, and explore his newfound love. His purpose was almost solely to be connected to Moiraine, but her powers are gone. Therefore, so is that special connection — Moiraine told him that she can’t unmask the bond without her powers.
That connection has helped drive Lan’s character and helped them all out of significant danger. But without a clear way to recover that bond, how useful will Lan and Moiraine be as a duo? They’ve always been side-by-side — but is that still a possibility? My optimism wants me to believe that the two inherently know each other so well that the magical bond won’t matter, but my realism tells me not to be so hopeful. Not to mention, this severed connection is inevitably going to impact his burgeoning love for Nynaeve. With a huge part of him and his purpose suddenly gone, the Lan we’ve gotten to know might not even be the Lan we see in Season 2.
What Exactly Do the Seanchan Have In Store?
They were only in the Season 1 finale for a split second, but the threat that the Seanchan hangs over the head of our protagonists already seems large and ominous — and that’s even without taking whatever The Dark One has in store.
Now, as the Seanchan approach across the sea, I can’t help but think about what exactly they’ll unleash. We can see in the Season 2 trailer that they’re working with The Man/Ishamael/The Dark One personified, but they don’t look nearly as typically scary. Instead, they’re donned in ornate, golden uniforms and elaborate headdresses, making their culture seem far more distant from anything that we’ve seen so far. They’re coming for the whole world, after all, which has to mean they’re ruthless and unrelenting. May the Light be with our heroes, folks.
Is Rand Who We Really Think Rand Is?
As I said earlier, this isn’t my first time at the fantasy rodeo, and the clues were laid on pretty thick that Rand is the Dragon Reborn that Moiraine was searching for. Even with signs pointing to Egwene, Mat and Perrin, Rand always seemed like he was the one. Moiraine thought so too, clearly — she didn’t take anyone else through the Blight to the Eye of the World.
But while Rand claims the title by the season finale, Moiraine wasn’t immediately sure when she arrived at the Two Rivers, and therefore we couldn’t be either. Considering The Dark One’s rampage has only just begun in the grand scheme of things, can we really be so sure that Rand is the Dragon Reborn? Are we being led astray, or is there a more complex distribution of the Dragon’s power at play? Or am I totally overthinking it?
Stream The Wheel of Time Season 2, and catch up on all of Season 1, now on Prime Video to see if these questions finally get answers. Start your 30-day free trial today.
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This article originally appeared on POPSUGAR Australia.
