As the third episode of The Wheel Of Time begins, we see a Trolloc dragging Nynaeve (Zoe Robins) by her hair. It drops her when it sees an injured Trolloc nearby. She watches as the Trolloc attacks and kills the injured one before making a run for it. She makes it to the sacred cave and hides in the water as the Trolloc arrives and begins looking for her. The Trolloc suspects she is in the water so it pokes it stick in the water multiple times. Then, it climbs into the water to look for her. Nynaeve sneaks behind the Trolloc, grabs its blade, and kills it. She climbs out of the water as the intro begins. After the intro, Nyn holds a sword to Lan’s throat and demands to know where her friends are. Lan (Daniel Henney) admits they’re not there before asking how she found him. He warns her that the Dark One is coming for her friends and Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) has done everything she can to protect them.

Lan admits he left the others. He suspects Nyn will help Moiraine because she also wants to help her friends. He doesn’t think she will try to kill him, but she does. He quickly disarms her and knocks her out after she bites him. Meanwhile, Rand (Josha Stradowski) and Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris) search for Egwene and Perrin. Mat promises they’ll find them and won’t be any help to them if they get themselves killed. Rand tells him they can’t go back home because the Trollocs would follow them. Instead, he wants to go to the White Tower. Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) and Egwene (Madeleine Madden) walk together as they hear wolves around them. They stop to light a fire in hopes of keeping the wolves away from them. As Perrin struggles to get the fire lit, Egwene uses her magic to get it done. He asks whether that was him or her before asking her to channel them some food or water.

Egwene doesn’t know if the others will be okay, but she suspects Rand will be headed back home. Perrin doesn’t believe that because he thinks Rand will go where Egwene is going. When Nyn comes to, she finds herself tied to a tree. Lan checks on Moiraine’s wound before giving Nyn a drink and asking if she is ready to help now. Nynaeve wants Moiraine to answer her questions after she helps her. Lan doesn’t think she is in a position to make demands, but Nyn says it is a threat because she is going to die without treatment. Before long, she begins collecting the items she will need to treat Moiraine’s wound. As she collects the items, Lan asks how she tracked him although she isn’t going to answer that question. Then, Nyn reminds Lan that there is a bond between an Aes Sedai and her Warder so the Warder will feel the Aes Sedai’s feelings and pain. He is warned to get ready because this is going to hurt.

She takes care of the wound and tells Lan that they’ll have to give it time now. In the middle of the night, Perrin has a nightmare in which he sees Laila being eaten by a wolf and a frightening monster with red eyes. Laila says she knows just before he wakes up screaming. Egwene and Perrin have to flee their camp because the wolves are getting much closer. Meanwhile, Mat complains to Rand that it is cold and tries to convince him to share his coat. Rand encourages him to think about the kids who will read stories of him one day. Mat learns that they’re going to be traveling downhill because there is a town below them. As they approach the town, they find a dead man tied up in a cage. Rand encourages him to be on his best behavior. Once Rand steps away, Mat looks at the body and notices a jewel around the man’s waist.

They walk through the mining town and enter the pub nearby. Dana (Izuka Hoyle) welcomes them. When she offers them drinks, she learns they only have money for food. They also learn that nobody their age has visited the pub. The gleeman is the only one. The gleeman Thom (Alexandre Willaume) enters and plays a sad song for the locals. Once he finishes, Dana offers everyone another round. The gleeman walks through the crowd to collect tips while someone bumps into Mat. Thom pumps into the man before asking them for tips. Dana arrives with their food and tells them he is the only one who sings there. The others are found in the river. Mat soon finds out that Thom has taken his money and he isn’t going to give it back.

The wolves lead Egwene and Perrin to tracks that head east toward the White Tower. Although they decide to follow the tracks, Perrin recommends hanging back until they find out who they are. Meanwhile, Rand and Mat decide to ask Dana if she has a room for them. They offer to pay or work for a place to stay for the night. She takes them outside and tells them to split the big pile of wood nearby. Once she leaves, Mat questions his chances with her although Rand thought Moiraine was more his speed. Rand offers to alternate while splitting the wood, but Mat isn’t interested in helping. He is told they’re going to have to do things harder than this to reach the White Tower. Mat suspects everything Moiraine has been saying is a lie. He believes the others are dead. Even if they aren’t, Rand doesn’t need to go to the White Tower for Egwene since she wouldn’t do it for him.

Rand calls him a prick before telling him to do whatever he wants and he’ll handle it like always. Mat goes back inside to talk to Dana about other tasks he can do. Ultimately, he ends up serving drinks and joking with the guests. When he receives a tip, he tells Dana he is trying to save money so he can return home. She admits it is hard to find a guy who can string a sentence together around there. Then, she learns that they’re from Baerlon. She tells him how much he’ll need to get back home and how much he’ll need if his friend goes with him. Mat admits he believes he is only going to need one ticket. She tells him how nice it would be to go someplace new where nobody knows who she is. Mat confesses he would beg, borrow, or steal to get back home, but she cautions him against stealing around there. Lan decides to leave Moiraine in Nyn’s care since he knows she will keep her safe.

When Egwene and Perrin reach a foggy area, he offers to go first because it could be dangerous but she says they’ll go together. She reminds Perrin that it isn’t his fault. As they walk through the fog, they find themselves surrounded by strangers. Since they don’t know the song, they’re asked to repeat that. Once they do, they’re introduced to Ila (Maria Doyle Kennedy), Raen (Narinder Samra), Aram (Daryl McCormack), and the others. They reach the camp and sit around the fire. Ila explains they’re the Tuatha’an or The Traveling People and are often accused of stealing peoples’ gold and children. Ila says their fires are open to all for as long as they need them. Perrin and Egwene begin eating furiously. Dana joins Rand as he continues chopping the wood. She tells him that is enough before taking him inside so they’ll have a real roof over their heads for the night.

After they go inside, Dana suggests Rand and Mat might be lovers, but he quickly refutes that. She gives them free beers and he gives her Mat’s since he hasn’t done anything useful. Lan rides to the edge of a cliff and looks over. Nyn checks on Moiraine and her wound as Lan returns and says he has found what they’re looking for. Nyn believes she can ride for a few hours. Mat approaches the dead prisoner in hopes of stealing his gem only to be stopped by the gleeman. Thom reveals he is there to bury the prisoner. He also knows Mat is from the Two Rivers and wonders why he met a Trolloc. The body is cut down while Thom insists the murder was not justice. He explains he hear them in town bragging about killing an Aiel. Although Mat has heard stories that they’re as bad as Trollocs, Thom says they’re fighters but honorable. You only have to worry about the Aiels when they wear veils. The dead Aiel was not a threat to anyone and was murdered by cowards who feared something they didn’t understand.

Thom asks Mat one last time what he is doing there. Mat admits he was going to steal from the dead man in hopes of getting enough money to return home. Thom turns around to give Mat enough time to steal the jewel and a little figurine. Once he is finished, Thom urges him to help bury the Aiel since he took his belongings. Meanwhile, Rand talks to Dana about his home and the fact he had to get away from there. He says he is headed east although he won’t say where. They discuss the Wheel giving them choices and Rand says he just moved from one thing to another while trying to do what was right. Now, he isn’t sure what is right or what he should do. When she leans in to kiss him, Rand leans back and apologizes. Dana wonders if it was the hair because it made her look too much like Egwene.

She shuts the door and admits she knows more than she is letting on. She points the sword at him while saying she is waiting for Mat because she needs him too. He tries to break down the door and escape. Thom and Mat finish burying the man before exchanging names. Mat asks if he is going to give his money back now that they’re acquaintances although he has already stolen it back. Before Thom goes, he tells Mat not to let him find him hanging in a cage one day. As Rand tries to break down the door, Dana tells him it is made of ironwood so three men his size wouldn’t be able to break it down. Plus, nobody can hear them. He keeps hitting the door until it finally breaks and he makes a run for it. Outside, he catches up with Mat and they begin running from Dana who has the sword. She eventually corners them and says only one of them matters since only one is going to be the dragon.

She won’t say who she is but she thinks who she is going to be will be important. She says everyone remembers the last time someone brought the Dragon to the Dark One and his name was Ishamael. She believes she’ll be the one to turn over the Dragon this time. She confirms she has already alerted one of the Eyeless. However, Thom has over ideas and kills her. He approaches and explains she was a Dark friend so his actions are justified. He encourages them to flee with him because he will be better company than the Fade. When he says he is headed east, Mat and Rand decide to go with him. Then, we join Lan, Nyn, and Moiraine. As they ride together, they’re approached by Liandrin Guirale (Kate Fleetwood) and her group. Liandrin tells Moiraine that it is too late if she is there to help because they’ve already got the man who claims he is the Dragon Reborn. They watch as the name is led away in a cage.

 

The Wheel Of Time Review

Despite a few twists in this episode, it feels like The Wheel of Time has never really got going. The action has been slow while the dialogue hasn’t been too eventful either. I sincerely believe The Wheel of Time could get much better, but I am not confident it will. The series seems content with being stuck between bad and okay.

It is too formulaic and predictable considering each episode is a repeat of the one before it with different characters. I hope they hurry up and reach the White Tower so the story can jump forward significantly and something interesting can happen. If the dialogue was better, this show could likely pull it off. However, the writers obviously thought too highly of the dialogue considering 40 minutes of each episode focus on the characters sitting around and chatting.

We can only hope it ramps up the action and intensity because the story is dreadfully slow right now. The episode scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of The Wheel Of Time are available on Reel Mockery here.