Summary
The final fight inThe Wheel of Timeseason 2 may hold the explanation for an upcoming story shift. Prime Video’s adaptation ofRobert Jordan’sWheel of Timebooksset a pattern for itself by providing a full season each to the first two novels in the series. But rather than moving to the third book forWheel of Timeseason 3, the show is breaking with the formula by choosing a different installment to adapt.
It’s been confirmed thatWheel of Timeseason 3will be a live-action retelling ofThe Shadow Rising, the fourth book in Jordan’s series. That creates questions about what it intends to do about book 3,The Dragon Reborn. Chances are, parts of it will be acknowledged or incorporated into the story in some form, but it won’t get the same level of attention provided toThe Eye of the World,The Great Hunt, orThe Shadow Rising. The decision to skip a book is an interesting choice, but one that seems to tie into a fight from theWheel of Timeseason 2 finale.
How Wheel Of Time Season 2’s Final Fight Could Change A Major Rand Decision
Rand May Not Abandon His Friends A Second Time
For the final fight against Ishmael,Wheel of Timemade some noteworthy changes to how this battle played out. In the book, Rand battled Ishamael one-on-one and defeated him in the sky above Falme. The show, on the other hand, cast other characters into the fray, having Egwene make a failed stand against Ishamael and Rand receive such much-needed Healing from Elayne. According to Rand actor Josha Stradowski, these changes to the story served an important lesson:they helped Rand realize that he needs to lean on his friends. That being the case could explain whyThe Dragon Rebornis being sidestepped.
Rand’s loner mentality is a crucial part of the books, especially in regards to his arc (or lack thereof) inThe Dragon Reborn. The character is missing through most of the book, with it being understood that Rand has headed off on his own. For that reason,The Dragon Rebornspends a lot of time with Perrin and his allies, who go on a long journey to catch up to Rand, who’s on his way to Tear. Because this takes up so much ofThe Dragon Reborn’snarrative, it makes sense that if this adventure doesn’t happen, it wouldn’t be necessary for the novel to get an eight-episode adaptation.
Based on Stradowksi’s comments, it can be presumed that Rand now has a reason not to follow the same course as his book counterpart. InThe Dragon Reborn, Rand left all of his friends behind to go to Tear, not believing that he needed anyone else. If getting help from Egwene and the others in the season 2 finale really did teach Rand that he can’t accomplish his goals by himself,it’s possible that he’ll remain in the company of his friends and forego his solo trip to Tear(for now).
Other Ways Wheel Of Time Has Set Up Dragon Reborn Being Skipped
The Setup For His Arc In The Shadow Rising Is Already In Place
Rand ultimately deciding against leaving the group could be the primary foundation forWheel of Time’schange in direction from the books, but it’s not the only way the move has been set up.Because of Aviendha’s arrival at Falme,The Wheel of Timehas a clear direction to point Rand inwhen season 3 begins. After seeing him atop the tower, Aviendha identified him as the Car’a’carn, just as the Aiel do in the books. This is a significant step forward, as the Aiel teaming up with Rand is what leads to his adventure into the Aiel Waste inThe Shadow Rising.
Not only that, but it looks like the character central to finding Rand inThe Dragon Rebornwill be occupied with other concerns. With Dain Bornhald and the Whitecloaks bearing witness to Perrin killing Geofram, the stage has been set forPerrin’s return to the Two RiversinThe Shadow Rising. With revenge likely on their minds, it’s not hard to imagine Dain Bornhald traveling to the Two Rivers and subsequently luring Perrin back home. Perrin is in Two Rivers for the majority ofThe Shadow Rising, contending with the Whitecloaks, the Trollocs, and the Slayer in Tel’aran’rhiod.
Taking all of that into consideration, Rand coming to the conclusion that he was wrong to walk out on his friends afterWheel of Timeseason 1’s ending should support the change toPerrin’s story in season 3. If Rand doesn’t repeat his mistakes, there shouldn’t be a need for Perrin to lead a search party and chase his friend all the way to Tear. Instead, he can focus on saving the Two Rivers community from the Whitecloaks and the Trollocs.
Why Wheel Of Time Is Unlikely To Permanently Change Rand’s Loner Mentality
By giving Rand a reason to stay with his friends,Wheel of Timecan make sense ofThe Dragon Reborn’sstory not happening in season 3, but not without opening the door for more changes down the road. After all, it’s important to note that what Rand did in that book was not an isolated incident.He has a long history of ignoring the advice of his allies to do what he thinks is best, even if it means going it alone. Were Rand to move away from this tendency in the show, several of his stories from the books would be altered significantly or removed altogether.
So for the sake of accuracy to the source material,it may be for the best if this teaching moment has a short-lived impact on Rand’s decision-making. That’s certainly plausible, especially if a mishap inThe Wheel of Timeseason 3 causes Rand to once again reevaluate his partnerships. If that were to happen,The Wheel of Timecan revert Rand back to his loner status, just in time to accommodate some of his other solo activities in the books.
