Includes SPOILERS for The Wheel of Time season 3 finale and spoilers from the book series.
Season 3 of Amazon Prime Video’sThe Wheel of Timeadaptation was fantastic, but I have one issue with the series that I hope to see resolved going forward.Robert Jordan’sWheel of Timebooksare prolific and awe-inspiring. They’re everything a fantasy reader could wish for, and they deserve a television adaptation that’s worthy of their scope and intelligence. After a shaky start, season 3 took a drastic step forward toward that destination in a way I couldn’t have expected.I’m more invested in this show than I ever imagined becoming, but it still has flaws.
The Wheel of Timeseason 3’s endingbrought the events ofThe Shadow Risingto a close in a spectacular way, fulfilling much of what I could have hoped for from the novel. There’s a reason book four is such a fan favorite, with it containing so many pivotal moments in several different locations around theWheel of Time’sworld. The show lived up to that in the best way an eight-hour television series could, vastly improving the production value and screenwriting. Most of what remains to be critiqued are nitpicks over writing trends and adaptation choices.
The Wheel Of Time Season 3 Used The Death Fakeout Cliché Too Many Times
This Happened Four Times To Main Characters In Two Episodes
My biggest gripe withThe Wheel of Timeseason 3’s closing episodes was the repetitive cliché of faking out character deaths. We saw Alanna have a spear thrown through her, Moiraine got stabbed by Lanfear, and Mat got hanged from a rope. Four main characters having near-death experiences only for someone or something to save them in the span of two episodes is too much.These scenes ultimately lose their value when they’re used so frequently, and I imagine it’s even worse for people who haven’t read the books.
We saw Alanna have a spear thrown through her, Moiraine got stabbed by Lanfear, and Mat got hanged from a rope.
Keeping viewers in suspense is important, especially when adapting source material. Shaking things up ever so slightly to keep even the most avidWheel of Timereaders on their toes can be fun, especially when the creative choices are fulfilling. However,it’s far more interesting to create authentic stakes rather than use the same fakeouts for every storyline. I understand Nynaeve and even Mat’s near-death moments, but the other two were so needless. I mean, Alanna had already gotten hurt in battle just a couple of episodes prior.
This Isn’t A New Habit In The TV Series
Image via Prime Video
This isn’t a new habit forThe Wheel of Time, which makes it all the more important for it to be broken. We saw Thom Merrilin’s death faked out, though it’s passable, given that they were adapting a choice Robert Jordan made.Loial’s death was faked out in season 1’s finale, only for him to actually die in season 3’s battle episode. Season 1, episode 8, also faked Nynaeve’s death. Sure, this is a trope that’s used several times throughout the book series, but the volume of them in the TV series is much more jarring.
Following the season 1 finale, showrunner Rafe Judkins spoke toEWabout themotivation behind faking out Loial’s death, saying, “I wanted people to be a little on their toes, because real deaths are coming for characters that don’t die in the books.“Sure, I can see the reason behind doing that once, and he’s certainly held true to the premature deaths for book characters, but the point has already been driven in. It’s not necessary to continue using these moments as a source of suspense.
The Fakeouts Ruin Potentially Powerful Moments
The Wheel of Time’sseason 3 character deaths included Natti Cauthon, Loial, and Siuan Sanche, all of which are extensive changes from the novels with lasting consequences. This is neither here nor there to me right now, as we’ll have to wait to see how the ripple effects from the choices pan out before we can really say if they detract from the story. That said,when writing plays around with death too much, the notion of these scenes loses its meaning.
Siuan Sanche’s deathwas upsetting. She’s one of my favorite characters in the books, and the moment came as a shock. However, there was a significant part of watching her die where I assumed it was just another fake-out. We even saw her get skewered multiple times by Elaida and drop to the floor before cutting away from the scene, only to find her standing again just after.The Wheel of Timeis making impressive strides, but this is a bad habit that needs to go.
