REVIEW: ‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3 Episode 6: What the Dragon Reborn Can’t Do
- Mira Jacobs
- 16 hours ago
- 5 min read
The Wheel of Time Season 3 continues with its sixth episode, “The Shadow in the Night.” This installment bears evidence of some of the difficulties in adapting an epic book series into a visual medium, such as a compressed timeline and keeping each plot thread relevant. Fortunately, strong performances from the cast keep it moving.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time Season 3.
Rand (Josha Stradowski) is indisputably the main character in the books. Until lately, his role was downplayed in the show, making room for others in the large ensemble cast, but Rand’s personal quest as the Dragon Reborn was an undercurrent that’s now coming to the surface. The fate of the world is in his hands, and there are some formidable obstacles to overcome before he makes it to the Last Battle.
One of those obstacles, in a very literal sense, is his own mind. In addition to his new mantle of leadership, Rand has immense strength in the One Power and must learn to channel it, but doing so will drive him mad. Nobody can help: Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) desperately wants to counsel him, but when they speak, it’s beginning to sound more like she’s the one who needs his advice. There’s a lot to unpack in this dilemma and it’s great to see the show finally addressing it, especially through Rand’s relationships with other characters.
In the last episode, Egwene (Madeleine Madden) learned about Rand’s dream-affair with Lanfear (Natasha O'Keeffe), and in this one, she confronts him about it. Their breakup is inevitably explosive, but in context it’s unclear if Rand really handled it as badly as it seems, or if he was deliberately pushing Egwene away to keep her safe from him.
All Dreams Must End
That ambiguity is backed up with another big moment for Rand, this one taken straight from the books. A sudden attack by one of the Forsaken leads to the death of a curious young girl named Alsera (Julie Van Leeuwen), who has been helping Rand learn the ways of the Aiel people. Devastated, he attempts to use the One Power to bring her back to life, even as everyone around him begs him to stop. It’s a raw, heartbreaking moment that shows how painful it is for Rand to accept his duty and fight the allure of corruption. Stradowski’s portrayal of this complex character keeps shining.
Emphasizing that emotional beat in the episode’s climax was probably the right choice, but it came at the cost of some of the action. Constraints of time and budget, in this case, apparently ruled out a lengthier battle that would have raised the stakes and made a nice centerpiece.
Of course, Rand’s arc is only part of the show. His allies on the other side of the world are investigating threats he doesn’t even know about, like the circle of Black Ajah now hiding in the city of Tanchico. Led by Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood), the Aes Sedai Darkfriends have been tasked with finding an ancient device that can enslave Rand before the Last Battle.
Liandrin was a minor villain in the books, but the show has expanded her part, with this episode beginning with her tragic backstory. Although the Black Ajah scenes aren’t the most gripping, they help set the stage for the manipulations of Lanfear and the other Forsaken, keeping the story tied together.
The Hills of Tanchico
Tanchico is a new location, for the viewer as well as Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) and Elayne (Ceara Coveney), who are on Liandrin’s trail accompanied by Mat (Dónal Finn) and Min (Kae Alexander). There are efforts to make the city seem exotic and unique, but the truth is, if you’ve seen one fantasy metropolis in The Wheel of Time, you’ve seen them all. To “blend in,” Elayne wears a veil and speaks in a Cockney accent, which are essentially the only traits that set Tanchico’s culture apart.
Worldbuilding aside, there’s a song-and-dance scene that adds some color (and fun!) to the Tanchico arc, and individual character moments to highlight Mat’s charm, Elayne’s overconfidence, Nynaeve’s temper, and Min’s guile. We also get the long-awaited return of Thom Merrilin (Alexandre Willaume), the gleeman who crossed paths with Rand and Mat in Season 1, and a hint that there’s much more to be revealed about him.
At this point in the narrative, Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) and his companions in the Two Rivers are set off from the other plot threads, not having much to do with Rand or planning for the Last Battle. Perrin also spends most of this episode wounded, but that does open an opportunity for him to bond with Faile (Isabella Bucceri). Of all the changes made to the source material, Perrin and Faile’s romance might be the most positive, trading their sometimes toxic dynamic in the books for a sweetly humorous attraction in the show.
“The Shadow in the Night” is a workhorse of an episode, advancing the story from many different angles. There are plenty of interesting details to catch, for both book readers and new fans, and a sense of rising tension indicating major twists to come.
Rating: ★★★★☆
About The Wheel of Time Season 3
Premiere Date: March 13, 2025
Episode Count: 8
Executive Producer/Showrunner: Rafe Judkins, Larry Mondragon, Rick Selvage, Ted Field, Mike Weber, Darren Lemke, Marigo Kehoe, Justine Juel Gillmer, Sanaa Hamri, Amanda Kate Shuman
Director: Ciaran Donnelly, Thomas Napper,
Production: Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television
Distribution: Prime Video
Cast: Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney, Josha Stradowski, Zoë Robins, Madeleine Madden, Marcus Rutherford, Dónal Finn, Ceara Coveney, Kate Fleetwood, Natasha O’Keeffe, Ayoola Smart, Kae Alexander, Sophie Okonedo
Synopsis: After defeating Ishamael at the end of Season Two, Rand reunites with his friends at Falme and is declared the Dragon Reborn. But in Season Three, the threats against the Light are multiplying: the White Tower stands divided, the Black Ajah run free, old enemies return to the Two Rivers, and the remaining Forsaken are in hot pursuit of the Dragon… including Lanfear, whose relationship with Rand will mark a crucial choice between Light and Dark for them both. As the ties to his past begin to unravel, and his corrupted power grows stronger, Rand becomes increasingly unrecognizable to his closest allies, Moiraine and Egwene. These powerful women, who started the series as teacher and student, must now work together to prevent the Dragon from turning to the Dark…no matter the cost.
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