Kathy Campbell: Thom has seen the first three episodes and I’ve seen the entire season. Season Three of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video. And now we’re going to tell you about it.

And just so you know, This is going to be a non-spoiler review for the first three episodes from Thom and then I’m also going to provide my thoughts for the whole season. Let’s start with Thom.

Thom DeSimone: The lovely folks who work on the Wheel of Time show on Amazon [Prime Video] deemed us worthy for screeners of Season Three and thank the Light because mother's milk in a cup they're amazing. Really. Cut. We can end there, like that's my feelings for this.

If you're coming into this wanting it to be negative, you're gonna find negative, but honestly as a twenty-five-year-long Wheel of Time fan; as someone who has a character in the books based off of them, I love this show. And this season is by far the best one yet.

First off I want to do the looks of this show.To sum it up in one word, simply gorgeous.

Costuming is next level; the variation of color and texture and material. I paused several times just to look at background characters because they were just stunning. So awesome. We all know at this point that we're going to be seeing more of the Aiel in this season. And what lead costume designer Sharon Gilham did with this particular group is just nothing short of Emmy winning. 

I'm looking at you, Television Academy. They're the ones apparently that vote on who get Emmys or who is nominated.

Sharon produced such a unique beauty with this group of people who wear such a limited color palette and are mostly utilitarian in their outfits (except, you know, looking at you, Savannah) that she had me backtracking to re-listen to dialogue. I was just lost in looking at their costumes.

When we see some particular favorite characters of the Aiel pop up on screen, I was lost in watching them.

Though I really do think that my favorite aspects still, even through Seasons One and Two, is going to be the Aes Sedai, Particularly their costumes, hair, and makeup. The way Sharon Gilham and Davina Lamont capture the Aes Sedai and their uniqueness of culture, personality, and everything within their costumes, hair, and makeup is just, just, like, I love it. It's so great. You can really see how each Aes Sedai comes from a different culture and a different country, different ages, different personalities.

It's beautiful.

Speaking of Divina Lamont, Davina Lamont is a multi-award winning hair and makeup designer and the lead hair and makeup designer on the Wheel of Time television show, which for the layman's that includes things like the Trollocs and Myrddraal or the practical effects on the Trollocs and Myrddraal like prosthetics and things.

Davina and Sharon work a lot together, as you can imagine, more often than not.

I had a unique opportunity to speak to both of them together prior to Season Two, and they are absolutely lovely.

And the passion they have in their work and the camaraderie they share between the two of them was palpable when I got to speak with them.

They spoke at the time about working together to come up with a look for Cairhien and their enjoyment in getting to play with a mashup of 13th century France and feudal Japan was just palpable.

Listening to them talk about how they played with hair and makeup and clothing of both cultures and also putting it into a fantasy setting was just so much fun. You could really hear the passion and excitement in their voices. And they got to play with their toys together again in this season with the Aiel. Everything from armor and weapons and hair. It was just absolutely beautiful.

The Aiel are so individually unique and beautiful that I just like, I want to go through and grab a screenshot of Aiel that pops up onscreen just to pick out the differences in each one's personal armor and cadin’sor.

But according to interviews that both Sharon and Davina did for Season Three, Tanchico is going to be the one that they had the most fun playing. So Davina had to say that one of her favorite designs was the characters of Tanchico, a world and look that we haven't seen on television before, wild and raw bunch of ruthless people. This is where we can really go crazy with our look. And Sharon, on the same thing, said “Tanchico was my favorite, especially because it challenged us to incorporate veils into society in a new and fresh way.” So book readers know that veils are a big thing within Tanchico. Most people wear veils in some form or fashion, regardless of their social standing. So really just be on the lookout for background characters, really, in all of our settings, just at their costumes and hair and makeup. It really encourages watches and rewatches and reWoTches and reWoTches and reWoTches.

Still sticking with the looks for a minute. Two men who I lovingly have given the name the Ondřejs, mainly because their names play hell on an English-only speaker with dyslexia. Mouths [me!].

But I'm going to give it a shot saying both of their names. And I'm sorry in advance if I butcher them. 

Lead production designer, Ondřej Nekvasil and lead special effects coordinator, Ondřej Nierostek. Again, for those keeping track at home, a production designer would be someone that is like leading building and designing the sets. And the special effects coordinator is not, as you might think, anything to do with computer effects, but actual practical effects on the set. So, you know, explosions and things.

 I also had an opportunity to interview the two of them together, and it was so much fun. I don't know why, but my very first thought seeing the two of them sitting next to each other was just like, that they were cute sitting next to each other. And I'm happy with myself that I got them to laugh when I said that whoever put them together had a sick sense of humor because Ondřej Nekvasil builds the sets, and then Ondřej Nierostek blows them up. They laughed at that, which I, you know, I will continue to think about as a highlight of my life. The beauty that Ondřej and his team brought to life seems just really taken right out of the mind of Robert Jordan himself. It just, in one word, it was stunning. The sets are gorgeous. Every single one of them. I have absolutely no notes on anything. No feelings in the negative at all on any of set design. Absolutely gorgeous

And then I was equally as impressed on how Ondřej blew them up, particularly in episode one. Seeing the cold open in episode one had me really excited for posibilities in the future

Speaking of episode one and things that happen, we could talk about the story a little bit. And I will again, still be non-spoilery, I promise. There’s a ton to unpack in the first episode let alone the first three. But I’ll try to keep it short, you know.

Well this is probably a good time to mention that, if you’re interested in a more spoiler filled review, you can check out Dragonmount’s YouTube where Chrystal and I are taking a deep dive into the first three episodes, screenshots, and clips all over the place. 

And, if you’re liking our content, make sure to smash that subscribe and share our channel with some friends who you think might enjoy as well. We’re welcoming to all here, even those who don’t really like the show as long as, you know, you can sit around and have discussion about it and not be toxic

No need to munch on other peoples' bunch of crunch.

Okay, we get taken for quite a ride right off the bat in episode one, both emotionally and physically, with another 17 minute cold open. Yes, 17 minute cold open. Those of you who watched the 11 minute teaser preview will notice the time difference there. I will say that is the cold open just sans a lot of information. So it is still worth watching in its entirety when the episode airs. I will say, steel your hearts and gird your loins, it’s a doozy.

We get tossed right into moral dilemmas, tough decisions, and budding new love; as well as some old flames maybe going out. A few notable changes to some character behaviors that was a bit jarring for me at first but after it cooked a little in my brain I really grew to like it and I’m interested to see how they build out on that particular character. . . See if you guys can figure out who i’m talking about.

I think it'll be pretty epic. There are some trials that our characters go through that were particularly exciting for me to see on screen, both going into those trials and what our characters actually saw in the trial themselves.

Now to harken back to set, costume, hair, and makeup again, damn, those scenes and the actors and crew's creativity really, really just sing through. I absolutely loved it. By the end of episode three, if you're anything like me, you'll end up on your feet cheering and laughing one minute and then wiping tears away from your eyes for a character from the books that you never thought you'd have any emotion other than hatred.

And really that's all I can do non-spoilery for those first three episodes. I really can't tap myself any further without divulging more info. I'm sure we'll have so many edits to cut out my accidental spoilers already. Really just watch and rewatch and rewatch and rewatch The Wheel of Time over on Amazon, especially if we want to see a Season Four! Make sure to just leave it playing on all your devices in your home as much as you possibly can.

With that, I love all of you awesome nerds. Thanks for hanging out with me.

Kathy’s Review

Kathy Campbel: Now, first off, the incredible things. Visually, this season is even more of an upgrade than Season Two.

Season One was good.

Season Two was great.

Season Three: a whole other world.

I cannot even begin to explain to you how many times I paused the show just to look at the incredible visuals that were on the screen. So many massive wallpaper worthy prints. Just the entire world feels so much bigger than it did before and so much more detailed. I cannot wait for you all to see it.

There were so many breathtaking moments with the visual effects, how things were framed and the scenery ,how the One Power was done. Everything was just incredible.

For costuming especially, Sharon Gilham has outdone herself. Her and her team have done some incredible, incredible work this season. There is one particular character that shows up that I actually had to stop because I, like, I audibly gasped out loud with how incredible this costume was. It was , I know I'm, listen I'm gonna say incredible a lot okay because this season was incredible I can't wait for you folks to see this because it truly is just awe-inspiring, just like with Season Two hair and makeup. All of that is another step up, like it just looks so real. There's so many more battles, so many more, let's say arguments, and moments where the hair and makeup just add an extra little something. 

It is flawless on the eyes. When people are having altercations with each other, it still looks stunning in the most  perfect way. It is flawless.

And, of course, let's talk about the casting.

The returning cast feels like they've settled even more into their characters than they did before. There's something really comforting about seeing the Two Rivers Five, and Moraine and Lan, and all of these characters that we've grown to love from Season One. It feels like they're even more real but on top of that the new cast, oh my goodness, the number of Zaddies in the world! Let's just say, so many attractive people it should be illegal. Everyone's going to be so impressed with the new cast this season, all of these characters that we know from the books feel amazing. Even the Forsaken that show up, let me just say, y'all are gonna love it.

It's so exciting to see this world that we've seen, that we've read, that we've lived with for years, come to life. And this season especially feels like authentically Wheel of Time. As somebody who's been reading the books since, you know, the early2000s ,it's exciting to see new surprises with the Wheel of Time. And that's something that this show does.

There's so much packed into this season and yet it still feels like Wheel of Time. There are some scenes that book fans have been waiting for that are here and they are very good. However, there are some things that I know folks are going to be missing. . . There are a few moments that I wish so desperately had been in the show that were not. And you know what? That's okay.

Because I know if there had been more time, more episodes, longer episodes, any of this, the thing that gets me through these moments is the fact that I know Rafe tried as hard as he possibly could to get these bits onscreen because these are iconic moments for the books that I know are sad to be missed.

So maybe we'll see some behind the scenes, or cuts, or here's stuff we filmed that we couldn't put in the scene, like in the show, because of time or whatever. I really hope that we get to see those because again I know that Rafe loves these bits just as much as we do, but again, there are some moments especially ones that I know people have speculated would not show up they're there get ready to be swept away with an incredible season I feel like this season especially is really going to turn around people that maybe have not read the books you can get friends to watch the other seasons and then watch Season Three they're gonna be hooked they're going to want Season Four.  This season shows what the show could be without the pandemic without strikes without all of these things that I know have affected previous seasons. We're finally to the point where I feel like it's spread its wings and it's ready to go.

And I think, I really, really hope that we can get more seasons of this show because this story deserves to be told and these people deserve to be the ones to tell it. So, overall, this season is wonderful. It's high fantasy at its best. It's The Wheel of Time at its best. 

It's the characters that we know and love being their true selves.

It is visually stunning. It is something, it's a world that you're going to want to live in. It's a world that you're going to want to hug and embrace and visit over and over and over again. And I cannot wait for you to see Season Three of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video.

Goodbye.

In the latest press release from Prime Video, more exciting details about the online fan event this Saturday were finally revealed!
So let's do a quick recap of everything we know about this event from this press release!

1. The digital watch-party will begin at 10am PT on Saturday, March 8th 2025
2. Debuting at the start of the event, prior to Episode 301, is Unraveling The Wheel of Time, a unique two-part behind-the-scenes look at the making of the first two seasons of the series.
3. The first episode of Season 3 will be premiered in full after the behind-the-scenes look.
4. After the episode, they will be airing the pre-recorded Q&A from The Dusty Wheel Live event in London, hosted by Matt Hatch as he interviews Rosamund Pike, Marcus Rutherford, Ceara Coveney, and show-runner Rafe Judkins.
5. Special messages from Rosamund Pike will be sprinkled in throughout the event!

Hyped yet? You should be!

If you STILL have not yet RSVPed for this event, you can still register at this link here!
 

Hope to see you all there!

Dragonmount (Kathy Campbell): Egwene is a lot of people’s favorite character, and Madeleine Madden brings her to life. I’m so excited for everyone to see how incredible she is this season, especially with the intensity of season two. Which is in fact my first question. So let's get to it.
Hi, I’m Kathy with Dragonmount.

Madeleine: Hi, How are you?

DM: I’m wonderful. You were so kind to Humberto in Brazil, thank you so much for that.

M: Oh my God, it was. . . Honestly I still think about that. Brazil is on my mind all the time and how wonderful that experience was.

DM: I’m so glad! Well, it was so special for us as well.

M: Good! I’m glad I’m glad!

DM: So thank you. So season two was incredibly intense for Egwene and the audience. And season three is a very different type of intensity. How did you separate yourself from that mental space after filming last season’s trauma, and then again dealing with the post traumatic healing journey this season.

M: It was difficult! To step back into where we left off in season two. Even between seasons, it feels like a lot of time, and sometimes to get back into that mindset and even that physicality, and I mean when I saw in the script it's like “Egwene is back in the cells”  and I’m like Goddddd.
That’s always a bit of a challenge for me as an actor, and I think for any actor, is just trying to find where you left off. However, for me personally, and I know for the audience, I think it’s really important for us to see how Egwene heals from this experience and moves forward and picks herself back up. And that she is going to be okay, but she is going to need the help of other people in her life to guide her into that path of healing. But you know that’s it’s a challenge! But I feel really blessed to have been able to have such an incredible character and character arc so early on in the series.

DM: Many book readers were so excited about the first hints of dreamwalking that were confirmed to be part of the show. And I will say, it does not disappoint, it is incredible. And then as someone of Aboriginal descent, which has a long history of dreaming traditions, what resonated with you in this part of Egwene’s characters and then how you presented it on screen?

M: I mean so much of the magic and spirituality and the lore in Wheel of Time has always drawn me to this series. I think that’s what makes the Wheel of Time such a standout in the fantasy genre and Robert Jordan’s writing in his books and his appreciation for all the elements is really special. So for me like you said, and thank you for mentioning my heritage, we carry a lot of spirituality, in our culture as well and also reincarnation. That is a big element in First Nation Australia culture and that’s obvious something that we have in the Wheel of Time, and it’s such a gentle wonderful way of looking at time and lifetimes and cycles and destiny and it's really wonderful.

DM: thank you.one last question. Egwene travels to the Aiel waste with Moiraine, Lan, Aviendha, and Rand while the rest of the group scatter throughout the world. Which location or experience do you wish you could have taken part of, especially with the temperatures being apparently 45 degrees Celsius, 113 Fahrenheit in South Africa and all of the challenges that that brings.

M: Yeahhh. . . Goodness me, there's I think. . . Goodness, yeah it was SO hot in South Africa but it really helped inform the way our characters moved in where they were at emotionally and energetically. As hard as it was, we were very lucky to be filming on location.
The scene that I wish I was involved in… It’s a scene that involves a Forsaken and two of the other actors that were working in this scene with the Forsaken. They had  such a fun time and like, I don’t know how I can explain this. . .

DM: I think I know what scene you are talking about. . .

M: I think you know what scene! And even Rafe was texting the actors and was like “just watch the dailies.” And I’m like DAMNIT I want to have a little laugh and so I would have loved to have even just been a fly on the wall for that scene.

DM: Amazing, thank you so much for doing this. I'm so excited for everyone to see your incredible season in just a few days!

M: Thank you! Ahh I know! It’s crazy

DM: Finally!

M: It was lovely to see you again!

DM: Lovely to see you! Thank you.

Marcus Rutherford: How are you doing?

Dragonmount (Kathy Campbell): It’s so good to see you both again, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I’m going to start with Dónal. You were absolutely incredible in Hadestown, and thank you for signing my book back in July!

Dónal Finn: Ohh big legend! Nice! Thank you!

DM: The UK version of Hadestown is unique in its choice to allow the actors to use their native accents. In contrast to that, your Mat Cauthon Two Rivers accent is then you also have to speak that Old Tongue in that accent, so smoothly. The parts of season three that I've seen show so much more extensive use of that balance. What was the hardest part about working with an accent and a completely different language?

DF: Do you know what, I feel a little bit kind of liberated when we're working with a character that has an accent because you’re kind of thinking through an internal monologue or something, or your internal thought process, you hear it in a different way. So you kind of hear how they see the world and it’s got to be different than your own voice, so you kind of start to move degrees of separation away from yourself.
So I enjoy working in accents and also it’s not really like the accent is born out of necessity, not just placement but with this, when it comes to the Old Tongue. I think what was great about that was we had our dialect coach Naomi Todd. I have a text that's in the old tongue but I worked with her on it. There was nothing left open to a decision or interpretation because it felt at that point like a science, which was amazing given that it's you know, it's this world of fantasy, and that we get to decide these things based on what's there in the books as evidence. But she knew, given the way that it was written what accent within our world it might draw from, you know given what consonants it uses at the start of something, (then) that syllable is going to be stressed, and it's a case, or it might take some kind of a Russian influence or something, or this is where the verb lands within a sentence. So in the flow of a sentence, this is where you might hit that kernel that might be where you stress if you're trying to make this point. And it’s really imaginative work, and I think that really iit was a great exercise and great a great joy as an actor to kind of get stuck into that and to embody it.

DM: Yeah. . . Alright Marcus. A lot of book readers are very excited about what's to come in this season, especially with some new cast members including Perrin’s Falcon. She is a very divisive character in the books especially for her treatment of Perrin at times. How have you found that to play out on screen? 

MF: It's been amazing man. I knew everyone was kind of anticipating Faile as a character that, even as Perrin, I was kind of so excited. To me, I felt like he'd met all these characters along his journey and I felt like they'd all kind of given him something to reflect about himself, whether it be the Tuatha'an, or Elyas, or the Shienarans, or Aviendha But it kind of felt like there was someone who almost going to slap him into shape a little bit and tell him what's right. And yeah, Isabella (Bucceri) is incredible. She's amazing. She brings a new energy to the show which I think is really tricky to do at this stage. 
I heard some people have thoughts about Faile, and (Isabella) was like, “oh they might not like me,” all this kind of stuff.
But she's incredible. She makes her so strong and so fierce, but so affable at the same time. I think people are going to be really really excited about that. There's, you know, this kind of big gentle giant and this little pocket rocket energy that kind of works. When we were doing chemistry test for that character, she just came in and everyone was just like “yeah this just works.” And she’s amazing, I think all those moments from the books and the little things she has with the beard. I dunno there’s so much there that is so sweet and so much fun to play with that’s in The Shadow Rising and the other books that hopefully all the book fans relate to.

DM: Oh I’m so very excited. Thank you again so much for this time and I hope you have a great rest of your day.

Dragonmount: Hi Rafe! First off, thank you so much for how kind you were to Humberto at CCXP when they talked to you!

Rafe: Oh it was so sweet! We loved spending time with him!

DM: Thank you! We appreciate it so very much.

R: He was so sweet and so excited.

DM: He was so excited.
Book readers will recognize from the press release that the two Wise Ones that were just announced (Bair and Melaine) seemed to have swapped abilities to channel versus just dreamwalking. We even got confirmation just to clarify to make sure that it was correct. What would you like to tell the fandom to help them understand the changes that have been made. Other than just Watch and Find Out.

R: Yeah, for that one it’s pretty simple, which is that we wanted, we needed, to condense Bair and Amys into one character essentially. So she is really Amys and Bair combined. So it felt important for Amys side of the character that she be able to channel, and I think that relationship with Egwene. But we loved the idea that one of the Wise Ones who was really proficient in dreamwalking couldn’t channel, so that became Melaine’s character trait. So it’s not really. . . It’s a technical change from the books, but it’s more about keeping the Amys character alive in Bair, and keeping alive this idea that one of them can’t channel because I really like that.

DM: Yes, well we like that too. We appreciate that, thank you for the clarification so no one will yell as much. Hopefully.
Were there specific moments in the books that you felt were essential to highlight in Rosamund (Pike) and Sophie’s (Okonedo) portrayal of Moiraine and Siuan?

R: Oh that’s interesting! I think one of the most important scenes that we sort of focused on, especially in the first season, was this scene that they have at the top of the second book (The Great Hunt) where you kind of peel back the curtain suddenly and see, oh these two are working in cahoots with each other, and realize that this Amyrlin Seat that we’ve see as so high up above everything has actually has some relationship with Moiraine that we don’t fully understand.
And then I think outside of that, a lot of what we took was from actually their relationship in New Spring which has so much of the richness between them, and their care for each other, and their love for each other. That was really the key places we were pulling from for their relationship and so operating under the idea that maybe their relationship is that close in the books but we don’t hear about it as fully.

DM: Yeah, absolutely. What is a question that you’ve been hoping somebody would ask because you have a perfect answer that you know people really want to know?

R: Oh that’s really interesting. There’s actually, people have been good today about asking so many questions. I wish that someone had asked exactly which Forsaken we’re going to be put on screen and when, because then I would tell them. . . But no one asked. . .

DM: Oh and now I’m out of questions! Dangit Rafe! 

Both laugh

DM: I should've started with that! Well thank you so much for your time and I hope you have a great rest of your day.

R: Oh thank you you too it’s so good to see you as always!
 

Rafe, Josha, and Madeleine: Happy birthday! Happy birthday Dragonmount! Happy birthday, woop!

Dragonmount (Humberto): Hello guys my name is Humberto and as I said I work for Dragonmount which is the oldest Wheel of Time website

Madeleine: Yeah!

Josha: Oh that's sick!

Rafe: It's OG Wheel of Time!

Josha: I love that 

DM: Last time we spoke with you, Rafe, you said that the Wheel of Time fandom is statistically the greatest fandom ever. How do you feel? Does it still hold up or do we need some spanking?

R: Statistics are statistics! They don't change.

M: Statistics don’t lie!

R: It's still the greatest fandom statistically. But I think it's, you know, what they found when they were looking at the statistics was that the response to our show is more positive. I know sometimes it doesn't feel like it in the echo chamber of the internet but like actually the response amongst fans is more positive than almost any other adaptations that are out there and that the fans are more welcoming to people outside of the fandom than any other fandoms and so I think that that's always been a nice thing about Wheel of Time. You guys created that with Dragonmount way before the show ever existed, that this was a fandom who wanted to have people come into it instead of wanting to have people stay out of it, and I think that that’s true for the show too now.

J: And that’s also nice that we're here. We have you in the room because—we just spoke about it—but over the last years everything has been on Zoom, or we weren't able to do any kind of press This is actually the first time after four or five years that we can engage. That's lovely.

R: Yeah, that’s nice, that's nice!

DM: Last time, you said that your favorite dinosaur was the pachycephalosaurus?

R: (laughs) That's what I said, apparently!

All laugh

DM: So now I feel obligated to ask the cast of The Wheel of Time: what's your favorite dinosaur?

J: I mean, T-Rex!

R: That’s what the Dragon Reborn would say!

M: Destruction! There was this one… I worked on a show called The Ark and it was all dinos, dinos, dinos. And there was one, I can't remember the name, but it’s got these spikes on their backs and they can regulate their temperatures through their little spikes and I thought that was really cute. So I love them. The spiky one!

DM: And speaking about dinosaurs and creatures and monsters, one of my favorite things about the Wheel of Time is the shadowspawn like the Trollocs and stuff like that. And in the show we've seen the Trollocs, the Fades but there's still one creature that I really like that we haven't seen it yet. And I think in the Shadow Rising there's a scene with Rand and the Draghkar. . . Can we expect to see other creatures in season three or later in the show?

R: I will say that, every season… well, not the first, but in both season two and season three the Draghkar has been scripted as happening in the show, and then eventually gets removed when we talk to the VFX department and they’re like Rafe, Rafe Rafe, we can’t do this for one scene.

DM: So, not yet. . .

R: We would like to get it in there! And the Draghkar has a real, I don't know if I should say this, but in the writer's room we always joke about the Draghkar being like a car full of drag queens, so when the Draghkar arrives it's just like beep beep motherfuckers!

M: Get in, bitches!

J: But there will be other creatures, right?

R: Yeah! We have a new shadowspawn this season. . .

DM: Nice! So I had lots of questions prepared for you guys, and then I saw the trailer and I had to scrap everything to just talk about what I saw! There's Rhuidean, and there's the Car’a’carn and the Aiel Waste and so many cool things for the book fans. And I would like to ask which scene was the easiest to adapt from the book and not have to say: ‘oh we have to change this and we have to change that.’ Just look at the book and say: ‘ah we can pretty much do this as it is.’

R: I think one scene that was really easy to do this season—and I've been really excited to get to it for a while because I think it's such a beautiful scene—is a scene with Matt and Siuan Sanche and, you know, we don't often get to because we're compressing so much from the books and we have to change little things along the way so we don't often get to have exactly the group of characters, and exactly the place that they were in the books, saying exactly the words that they said in the books. We don't get all three of those things very often and that scene is pretty much exactly the characters, exactly where they were, and saying very close to exactly the words. So it was easy to write that because you just type it up!

M: Copy and paste!

DM: And I want to talk about Egwene a little bit. On the previous seasons Egwene was this character that had a lot of the world building and the concepts about the show and the book being shown through her eyes like the Seanchan and the damane and I believe in the next season we have the World of Dreams and Tel’aran’rhiod. I don’t know if you can talk about it, but how is it to play this character that so much of the world building and core concepts that have to be shown to the audience goes through your eyes?

M: Oh, It's amazing because I get the privilege of you know exploring these different worlds through her eyes and you know we've traveled to some amazing locations like on this show and you know I wouldn't be able to do that if I wasn't playing her. And exploring the different cultures and meeting the people that exist in those worlds has been really wonderful to learn more about the world and her, and who she is, and what her abilities are. You know, I think even with season two in the damane cells you know you're never actually like in there with her? She's telling Min what has happened when that's happening. . .

R: . . .In the books, yeah. . .

M: . . .and so to be able to have a whole episode just to like deep dive into it has been fantastic and it's the same sort of thing with the dream walking (in season three).

DM: That’s perfect. And I think, I don’t know, this is my first time doing this! But it’s just that one minute left. . .

R: Oh no that’s ok! One minute left!

M: Yeah, yeah!

DM: (to Josha) I know this is not your first time in Brazil.

J: It’s not, no

DM: And what about you guys?

M and R: First time!

DM: Please come film here!

All laugh

M: We’re so down!

R: We would love to! You call us and let us know about a government rebate and we’re here!

All laugh

DM: It was great talking to you!

The seals on the press junket embargo have finally been broken, and WoT fans will have been flooded with new interviews that occurred on a recent press tour for Season 3 of The Wheel of Time.

Dragonmount was lucky enough to secure three interviews.

The first, recorded way back during The Comic-Con Expo in Brazil (CCXP), was conducted in person by our own Humberto Tramujas, who attended the convention representing Dragonmount. He was lucky enough to interview Showrunner Rafe Judkins, Madeleine Madden (Egwene al'Vere) and Josha Stradowski (Rand al'Thor).

In this interview, we were able to learn a bit more about their favorite dinosaurs, as well as a hint towards a new Shadow Spawn in season 3 (and one tragic Shadow Spawn that keeps getting left on the cutting room floor).

And good news: still statistically the best!

You can watch this CCXP interview in full here!

The second interview was with Marcus Rutherford (Perrin Aybara) and Donal Finn (Mat Cauthon), as part of the official press junket, and was conducted by our fearless leader Kathy Campbell!

In this interview, Donal reflects on accent work when learning to speak the Old Tongue, while Marcus reflects on Perrin finally meeting his falcon in Season 3 and the "Gentle Giant + Pocket Rocket" dynamic the two bring together.

You can watch this interview with Marcus & Donal here!

Our final interview was part of the same press junket, and Kathy was able to once more interview Rafe Judkins!

In this interview, Rafe reflects on some of the changes made to the abilities of the Aiel Wise Ones, and talks about the essential book scenes needed to successfully bring the relationship between Siuan Sanche and Moiraine Damodred to the screen.

Watch the solo interview with Rafe here!
 

What did you like hearing the most about from these? Let us know!

Today, in spectacular Wot Wednesday fashion, Prime Video released the FULL trailer for Season 3 of The Wheel of Time, with only one month remaining until the premiere on March 13th, 2025. 

If you’ve somehow ended up here without seeing the trailer yet, or you just want to give it another view, please indulge yourself now before continuing the article.

Watch the Trailer here!

 

Alright, you back now? One more rewatch? OK let’s get back to it.

If you’ve avoided any Season 3 knowledge up to this point, then you may be surprised to learn  that storylines of Season 3 are primarily based on The Shadow Rising (Book 4), potentially with a sprinkle of some Fires of Heaven (Book 5) as a treat. 

A common fan favorite among book readers, The Shadow Rising is often referred to as the book where “The Wheel of Time” becomes “The Wheel of Time”, with definitive scenes and chapters that truly set this series apart from other sci-fi/fantasy series. 

This trailer is full of glimpses of such scenes, bringing viewers to new locations such as the dangerous port-city of Tanchico, the throne room of Camelyn, the vast deserts of The Aiel Waste, and the forbidden city of Rhuidean within it. Meanwhile, in more familiar locations, tensions between the Aes Sedai reach a breaking point in The White Tower, as the armies of The Dark One gain more power and begin to move more openly in places like The Two Rivers. 

All of this, and likely so much more to come, when Season 3 of The Wheel of Time premieres on March 13th 2025. Much like the prior seasons, the first 3 episodes of the season will be included in the premiere, with weekly releases until the season finale on April 17th, 2025.

But wait, there’s more!

On a livestream yesterday, Matt Hatch, The Innkeeper of The Dusty Wheel, announced that he would be hosting an exclusive fan-screening event for Episode 1 of Season 3! This event will take place in London, on February 22nd, 3pm GMT, and will feature special guests Rosamund Pike & Showrunner Rafe Judkins, including a Q&A lead by the innkeeper himself. 

Interested? RSVP Here! First Come, First Serve!

Still here and looking for a breakdown of every second of the trailer? 

In that case, you might be interested in one of the many trailer breakdown livestreams within the fandom! Join the conversation, and embrace your inner HCFF!

Dragonmount Livestream

Threefold Talk Livestream

The Dusty Wheel Trailer Gai'don

If you’re currently sitting in a cold, dark basement like I am, then another WoT Wednesday to keep you warm and cozy is just what the Wisdom ordered!

Today, Prime Video unveiled the very first “First Look” images for Season 3 of The Wheel of Time, with 10 incredible stills to keep the TheoryCrew busy (at least until next week’s drop…) as we all pass the time until the new season premieres on March 13th 2025.

Posted below the 10 images here, I will lightly speculate on the potential context of each image, so please avoid that section if you are so inclined. I will restrict any book spoilers to through the end of The Shadow Rising + New Spring, but no further. 

Aiel Overlook

Features: Bair, Melindhra, Lan, Rhuarc, (two unknown Aiel behind Rhuarc), Rand, Moiraine, Egwene (behind Moiraine), Melaine. Overlooking Rhuidean, alternate angle to the opening teaser shot.

Morgase + Elaida

Features: Morgase in full queen regalia, and Elaida at her side in red. They stroll side by side in the halls of The White Tower with people watching along from the sides.

Wonder Girls (Egwene testing?)

Features: Elayne, Egwene, and Nynaeve on horseback. Elayne is in noble green clothing, has a green ajah aes sedai ring. Egwene is in gold regal armor with the flame of tar valon on the chest, with an aes sedai ring that might be gold or yellow. Nynaeve is in yellow accented armor and a yellow dress, ring not visible. Possibly a scene from Egwene’s accepted test where she is the Amyrlin Seat, Elayne is Green Ajah, and Nynaeve is Yellow Ajah. 

Rand & Lan

Features: Rand and Lan back to back, mirroring each other practicing sword forms likely in the Aiel Waste

Siuan blast

Features: Siuan Sanche, in her full Amyrlin Regalia, seemingly shouting in anger, her face contorted in rage, as she channels threads of fire and air around herself and around her outstretched arm towards some unknown entity. 

Lanfear smirk

Features: Lanfear, notably with shorter hair, glancing back over her shoulder as she rounds a corner and enters house, possibly on the streets of Tar Valon. 

Moiraine Orb

Features: Moiraine with weaves of the one power coalescing around her as she holds a glowing palm sized orb in her outstretched hand.

A seer, a wisdom, and a gambler walk into a bar

Features: possibly a bar in Tanchico, an unknown man in a black and brimmed hat holds onto a cloth in front of Mat Cauthon, Nynaeve al’Meara, and Min Farshaw who all stare seemingly at him or his hat in shock. Mat is in an unbuttoned shirt with a loose robe over top of it, Nynaeve in a shoulderless dress, and Min with her hands in the pockets of her loose black pants and a belt that seemingly has a dagger tucked into a sheath on the front where the buckle would be. 

Avilayne

Features: Elayne Trakand and Aviendha, sit together looking into each other’s eyes as they each hold up the glass they are drinking from. They share a small smile as they stare fondly at each other. 

The Boys

Features: Rand al’Thor, Perrin Aybara, and Mat Cauthon all stand near a bar, Rand leaning against a stone column and holding a mug while smiling towards Mat. Perrin is beside Rand looking stoicly at Mat, holding two mugs, one for himself and one for Mat presumably, notably with his eyes still golden. Mat is just nearly out of frame, is somewhat out of focus, but appears to also be smiling or laughing with Rand. 

Season 3 airs on March 13 2025 only on Prime Video

Happy first WoT Wednesday of 2025!

Today, Prime Video officially revealed five new cast members debuting in Season 3 of The Wheel of Time!

Isabella Bucceri is Faile Bashere, a Hunter of the Horn

Nukâka Coster-Waldau is Bair, eldest Wise One of the Taardad Aiel

Salóme Gunnarsdóttir is Melaine, Wise One of the Taardad Aiel 

Björn Landberg is Rhuarc, Clan Chief of the Taardad Aiel

Synnøve Macody Lund is Melindhra of the Taardad Aiel

Isabella Bucceri

An exciting emerging talent, Isabella Bucceri moved from Australia to the UK in 2022 and has already begun to steadily build her resume with credits including the feature films Finally Me, Everything in Between, and Threshold. 

Her character, Faile Bashere, similarly left her home in pursuit of glory. Born in the Borderland nation of Saldaea, Faile left her old life behind and took the oath to become a 'Hunter of the Horn', one who seeks to find The Horn of Valere. Her adventure to locate this treasured relic has led her to a familiar place, The Two Rivers.

Nukâka Coster-Waldau

Nukâka Coster-Waldau is a Danish-Greenlandic actor born in Greenland, and comes with an impressiv resume on stage, as an actress, dancer, and singer. Coster-Waldau previously starred in the thriller series Thin Ice directed by Cecilie A. Mosli, and Anori by director-writer Pipaluk K. Jørgensen, as well as the critically acclaimed theatre production Plus Minus Null in 2011/12, staged by the Swiss director Christoph Marthaler.

Her wealth of experience will be easily matched, as she portrays the Aiel called Bair, the eldest of the Wise Ones of the Taardad Aiel. Her authority and wisdom are held in high regard among Wise Ones, even higher than that of the Clan Chief. If that was not enough for this formidable woman, Bair also has the ability to channel the One Power, as well as an uncommon ability pertaining to the world of dreams. 

Salóme Gunnarsdóttir

Icelandic actress Salóme Gunnarsdóttir has built a robust resume of memorable roles across television, film and theater. Her most recent television credits include The Lazarus Project, The Reunion, Pennyworth, Knightfall, Legends, The Lava Field, and Stelpurnar 5.

Gunnarsdóttir’s character is called Melaine, also a Wise One of the Taardad Aiel. Well respected in her own right, Melaine does not actually have the ability to channel the One Power at all. Despite lacking this access, she does still share the same uncommon ability in the world of dreams that Bair also has.  

Björn Landberg

Kevin Björn Wolfgang Kraus, perhaps a Gleeman in disguise, was born in Berlin, Germany. His artist name, Björn Landberg, was created in 2015 when he started his career as a German pop singer for Electrola and Universal Music, with the album Björn Landberg. It was during this time that he realized he wanted to become both a professional actor and singer. 

Since then, he has portrayed ‘Gaston’ in the German stage production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, he’s used his stage combat skills as the modern gladiator in a German experimental TV show named Galileo Mystery, and began dubbing as a singer in Disney’s Coco for Benjamin Bratt, as ‘Enrico de la Cruz’ for Andy Garcia in Barb and Star go to Vista del Mar, for Jay Hernandez in Bright, Omar Sy in X-Men, Daniel Sunjata in Power Book II: Ghost, Greg Wise in Strange Angel, Victor Webster in Working Mums, Adam Copeland in Vikings and Malcolm Barrett in The Boys and Preacher. 

More recently, in 2023, he founded Dreamwalk Audio, an audio production company for podcasts, audio books, voice-over and advertising, and in January 2025, ‘Bed on the Beach,’ the English version of ‘Bett am Strand,’ will be published. In May 2024, Landberg also published the podcast ‘Mutter Natur,’ featuring lovingly arranged nature sounds, gentle music, and his soothing voice.

Impressed yet? Good, that’s a natural reaction when you’re in the presence of Rhuarc, the Clan Chief of the Taardad Aiel. Certainly a book-reader fan favorite, Rhuarc carries much respect among the Aiel in his own right. As a Clan Chief, Rhuarc was able to complete the perilous Clan Chief trial in the city of Rhuidean, a trial very few return from. As such, he knows what mysteries lie within the fog of that city, though he is forbidden to discuss it with any who have not seen what he has seen. 

Synnøve Macody Lund

Synnøve Macody Lund is a Norwegian actress, director, and journalist. She made her acting debut in 2011, as the lead in Jo Nesbø’s Headhunters, directed by Academy Award-nominated Morten Tyldum. Since then, she has appeared in projects such as The Girl in the Spider's Web, Riviera, and the popular Netflix series Ragnarok (2020-2023), captivating audiences over multiple seasons. Most recently, Macody Lund starred in the Prime Video series Everybody Loves Diamonds, and played fan-favorite Cecilia Pederson in the horror blockbuster film, Saw X.

Macody Lund gets to play another fan favorite, though with a new sprinkle of spice that will entice even a knowledgeable book reader. Her character is Melindhra, an Aiel warrior with a thing for pretty eyes. Per the press release from Prime Video, Melindhra is “a Malkieri survivor who was taken in and raised by the Taardad Aiel”. 

The fallen kingdom of Malkier should sound familiar to a show-only fan, as the lost home to the uncrowned king Lan Mandragoran. After Malkier fell to the encroaching blight, refugees who survived could be found scattered across the Borderland nations. 

Malkieri survivors within the Aiel is an unexplored concept in the books, however Lan himself does carry an almost mythical status among the Aiel, many referring to him, in the Old Tongue, as “Aan’allein” which means “He who walks alone” or “The Man that is an entire people”.

Even with my own knowledge of the books, the unknowns around Melindhra already have captured my attention and my interests in a major way. 

The Wheel of Time Season 3 premieres March 13th 2025, on Prime Video.

CORRECTIONS MADE TO THE BELOW ARTICLE, PER CORRECTED UPDATE FROM AMAZON

LUKE FETHERSTON IS GAWYN

CALLUM KERR IS GALAD

Just last week, we were treated on WoT Wednesday with a casting announcement from Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time which revealed that Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated actress Shohreh Aghdashloo will join Season 3 as Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan, Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah. This was met with great excitement from Shohreh and fans alike on social media, with Shohreh poking fun at this being a poorly kept secret at best.

The excitement continues this WoT Wednesday, as the Royal Court of Andor is finally revealed:

Award Winning Actress Olivia Williams is Morgase Trakand, Queen of Andor

Luke Fetherston is ‘Lord Gawyn’*, First Prince of House Trakand

Callum Kerr is ‘Lord Galad’*, of House Trakand

Nuno Lopes is ‘Lord Gaebril’, consort and advisor to Queen Morgase

Olivia Williams 

Olivia Williams has an impressive resume across film, television, and theatre, well known for roles such as ‘Anna Crowe’ in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense and as ‘Rosemary Cross’ in Wes Anderson’s Rushmore. 

Her wealth of experience should be a major boon in portraying Morgase Trakand, a queen who did not inherit her throne, but instead won it through a brutal succession war against a half-dozen noble rivals. She leads the nation of Andor benevolently, hoping her daughter-heir Elayne (Ceara Coveney) can one day inherit her throne peacefully.

Callum Kerr

Callum Kerr first debuted as a regular on Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, filming 70 episodes during his time there. After moving to the US in 2021, he had roles in Hulu/Fox’s Monarch, and Lifetime’s Flowers in the Attic. Kerr will also soon appear in the second season of One Piece and season six of Virgin River, both on Netflix.

It was widely theorized amongst fans that Kerr would actually be cast as Galad, so news that he will actually be portraying Gawyn Trakand may come as a surprise to many! And it may even be regarded as a welcome surprise, to be sure!

We look forward to your Gawyn!

Update: We learned that the speculation was in fact correct, and that Kerr will indeed be playing Galad.

Another surprise to be sure, time will see if it is a welcome one.

Luke Fetherston

Luke Fetherston has found success on stage and screen, and expects to have an exciting 2025 with Season 3 premiering March 13, 2025, as well as starring opposite Simone Ashley and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin in the forthcoming Prime Video romantic comedy Picture This.

And, yes, it is he who will portray Galad, the quite skilled swordsman who also happens to look like a male model. While Gawyn and Galad are so often compared, they share a mind on one thing: protect Elayne Trakand at all costs. It should be exciting to see how these two fare on the warder training grounds.

Update: As stated above, Luke will instead be portraying Gawyn.

Nuno Lopes

Nuno Lopes was found success and renown for his chameleon-like ability to change across a wide range of characters, his initial breakthrough coming from his role in the film Alice, and his other award-winning performances including Blood of My Blood, and Lines of Wellington. 

A skillset that Lopes can hopefully use to bring Lord Gaebril to life on screen. Any lover and advisor to a queen as savvy as Morgase is going to need to strike a fine balance of being politically capable in his own right, without forgetting that Andor will only ever have a Queen, never a King.

The Wheel of Time Season 3 premieres March 13th 2025, on Prime Video.

Dragonmount, near Tar Valon—Good things come (with the dawn!) to those who wait, and this week we have been treated to some long-awaited information about the upcoming third season of the Wheel of Time on Prime Video. First, like a banner rising above the fog of war, we got a season three poster. Fans, like those of us here at Dragonmount, immediately jumped on the image of Rand (Josha Stradowski) carrying a battered Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) through a barren and spear-studded landscape—are those dragons coiling around Rand’s forearms? Are his footsteps keeping pace with the sunrise, AKA the DAWN? And, as the image strongly implies a visit to Rhuidean in the Three-fold Land, what aspects of The Shadow Rising will we get to experience in the third season? Most importantly, WHEN are we going to see season three on our screens?

We did not have long to wait for the answer to the most important of these questions. Saturday, at CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil, showrunner Rafe Judkins, along with Stradowski and Madeleine Madden (Egwene), participated in a panel discussion where they revealed that season 3 of the Wheel of Time will premiere on March 13, 2025. That is fewer than 100 days from now! Set your countdowns! Tell your friends!

Even more exciting, although it doesn’t answer questions so much as pose a thousand new ones, the CCXP panel included the unveiling of our first teaser trailer for season three. The teaser reveals a world of heightened stakes: Moiraine confronts the incredible challenges of her mission to guide and protect the Dragon Reborn; Ishamael may be defeated, but the remaining Forsaken plot and scheme; the Black Ajah are ascendent; and the dark taint on Rand’s corrupted power continues to grow. Failure is not an option, for any of our heroes.

To throw a spanner into the works of would-be detectives, we have good reason to believe that at least part of what we see in the teaser represents visions that Moiraine, and possibly others, experience. Most likely, these are related to their visits to Rhuidean, but they could also reflect journeys by portal stone or the test to become Accepted of the White Tower. This means that just because we saw something happen, doesn’t mean that it actually has happened in this turning of the Wheel…

The Wheel of Time stars Rosamund Pike (Saltburn, Gone Girl) as Moiraine Damodred, Daniel Henney (Criminal Minds) as al’Lan Mandragoran, Josha Stradowski (Gran Turismo) as Rand al’Thor, Zoë Robins (Power Rangers Ninja Steel) as Nynaeve al'Meara, Madeleine Madden (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Egwene al'Vere, Marcus Rutherford (Obey) as Perrin Aybara, Dónal Finn (Rogue Heroes) as Mat Cauthon, Ceara Coveney (Young Wallander) as Elayne Trakand, Kate Fleetwood (Harlots) as Leandrin Guirale, Natasha O’Keeffe (Peaky Blinders) as Lanfear, Ayoola Smart (Killing Eve) as Aviendha, and Kae Alexander (Game of Thrones) as Min Farshaw.

The Wheel of Time was adapted for television by executive producer and showrunner Rafe Judkins (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hemlock Grove). Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon of iwot productions (Winter Dragon), Ted Field of Radar Pictures (Jumanji: The Next Level, Winter Dragon), Mike Weber (Jumanji: The Next Level, Beirut), Marigo Kehoe (Outlander, The Crown), Ciaran Donnelly (Kin), Justine Juel Gillmer (The Survivor, Halo), Dave Hill (Game of Thrones) and Rosamund Pike (Saltburn, Gone Girl) also serve as executive producers. The Wheel of Time is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios.

All episodes of the first two seasons of The Wheel of Time are now available on Prime Video. 
 

When Amazon asks if you want to talk to four cast members from The Wheel of Time on Prime Video, you drop everything and reschedule your day to make ten minutes for each one available. Now that the SAG-AFTRA strike has ended, the media is finally able to communicate with the cast, and it’s been so wonderful. I know how excited the actors have all been to talk with the fans as well!

We were lucky enough to gather together questions to ask Ayoola Smart (Aviendha), Kate Fleetwood (Liandrin Guirale), Marcus Rutherford ( Perrin Aybara), and Dónal Finn (Mat Cauthon).

These interviews will make you want to rewatch all the episodes of Season One and Season Two of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video…I know they did for me.

Dónal Finn was so charming and clearly excited to be a part of The Wheel of Time. Here’s a snippet of our interview with him.

Dragonmount: So as most folks know, productions often do not film in sequence. And you came into Season Two as new to the cast and the crew, but your character had a lot of previous rapport. What was your first day on set like? Did they throw you right into battle scenes or did you get to vibe with Kate Fleetwood hanging out in your cell?

Dónal Finn: I feel really, really lucky about my first days on set because, for me it was chronological and like, that's a bit of a blessing because like you said, it's not always that.

But the first scenes that I shot on set were the first scenes where you are introduced to Mat, and that's in the cell in the White Tower, and it was with Kate. And then with Kae (Alexander, who plays Min). But I think the blessing was, you know, there were scenes that were all happening in one room. And in that case, like I admired her from afar, like as a someone who goes to the theater a lot in London.

And so we and our brilliant director of that block, specifically Tom Napper, said, why don't we, you know, find a space within our studios and maybe just rehearse these scenes? And so we got to kind of imagine them and play the scenes as though, it was as though it was like for a theater. And like, that made me feel really relaxed because I was very familiar with that experience.

And so it did put me at great ease. And I think there was, even though I didn't know Kate before those days, even the fact that I kind of like was such a huge admirer of the work that I'd seen her do and because she's so, so lovely and that quality that she has and Liandrin is like she can just turn on and then switch it off when they say cause.

And so you can have great, great fun with her like on set that always puts us at ease. And Tom is also such a legend and was so accommodating to all of my questions and ideas for the character. Yeah, my…first days on set were like, really, really blissful. Even though, like with this, what's going on for the character in those scenes is not bliss.

DM: This season almost has four different versions of Mat. You have the regular Mat, you have Mat from the Accepted test, you have the Mat high on the Ishy Tea and then Mat after blowing the Horn. How did your preparation for each of those scenes change? 

DF: I feel like there's a, you know, that there's like one Mat that gets just like, pushed into these different situations. So there's kind of a, there's a healthy kind of core understanding of the character. And then you just kind of go, he was in, you know, he's being pushed into this circumstance.

He's been pushed into the challenges facing today with a different kind of approaches. I think all of them were, I think they all evolved like different things. You know, I'm, but I think, you know, Mat, blowing the horn, that felt like there was maybe two things about that that needed specific like time and effort, as in like there's the fight, there's the kind of, there's the language, there's the Old Tongue.

And then, similarly as well, with Mat drinking Ishameal’s tea. It’s kind of getting into the skin of like or what would that be like. What is, what is it like in our, you know, relative worlds and, and what would that be like physically? What would that do to the body and with all their emotions as well, you know?

In the second kind of chapters of Mat that you described, like they're still really challenging and emotional and you know you don't get some of those things for free. And so you're always trying to find a way to imagine, like, what is it like. In my own experience and what's helped me feel that way as well, and I might be, it might be music or might be, you know, it might be if he's in a good mood, it might be just like making sure I'm having like a really nice time on set or enjoying, you know, having fun with the people behind the camera. And just being present to be hopefully being playful with, with the other actor. 

DM: The stunt team at Jordan Studios said that you jumped all in for fighting lessons once you were cast. And they hinted at something I know fans have been desperate to see on screen that might be happening in Season Three.

Obviously, you can't give anything away, but is there a particular skill or trick that you worked really hard for that you can share?

DF: The guys are unbelievable, particularly Andre, who is kind of the, the guy who has taught me from the start. It's like the karate kid you know, like kind of watching him and learning.

I kind of get a buzz every time they go….”so we're going to teach you this.” He might be talking to me, and he'd be spinning the staff around. And I'd say, well, what did you just do there? And he'd say, “That? Yeah. It's just like, we've got the stuff in your hand, Twirl it over here, and then you spin it, as you put it, behind your back, and then you pull it over here.”

And I kind of go, yeah I don't know how to do that. What's that? And then so he'll kind of like, you know, I get a buzz off of learning at all on like, you know, but he, he is so good that I just stand back and watch him and kind of wait for him to do something cool and then say, okay, I don't know how to do that, show me how to do that. 

So I kind of feel sometimes that the tricks are kind of like, you know, a footballer because you go, God, that's like so impressive, but in a battle sense, in the sense of like actually being in a  battle, that's like super impractical, you know? Like, well, how do you have the time to spin it round like your back, you know?

So I think, you know, that speaks to Mat’s character as well, because I think he enjoys being good at this and kind of the flourish of it, you know? I feel so lucky that, you know, practical experience and journey with the show is that I'm learning how to do this, you know?

So, sorry. I don't have a specific move.

For the full transcripts with the full conversation for this and the other interviews, sign up on our Patreon!

When Amazon asks if you want to talk to four cast members from The Wheel of Time on Prime Video, you drop everything and reschedule your day to make ten minutes for each one available. Now that the SAG-AFTRA strike has ended, the media is finally able to communicate with the cast, and it’s been so wonderful. I know how excited the actors have all been to talk with the fans as well!

We were lucky enough to gather together questions to ask Ayoola Smart (Aviendha), Kate Fleetwood (Liandrin Guirale), Marcus Rutherford ( Perrin Aybara), and Dónal Finn (Mat Cauthon).

These interviews will make you want to rewatch all the episodes of Season One and Season Two of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video…I know they did for me.

Kate Fleetwood was just as amazing as the first time we were lucky enough to interview her. Here is a snippet from our interview with her.

Dragonmount: Last year, when we spoke, you let us know how much fun you have with your castmates off-set and how much you just love to play. Did that continue with Season Two and the just-wrapped Season Three, and how did you add in all of the new cast members into that playtime?

Kate Fleetwood: We always have a really nice time. We did karaoke and I mean, the boys and girls of a certain age are really good at going like waterskiing, things like that. But I don't do any of that. And I've got bad knees, and I like to get to that… but yeah, it is. And we’vehad so many new cast members, and again we've had loads this season as well and they're all international and that's, that's always the brilliant thing about Wheel of Time is that it's so broad.

The breadth of people and the kind of people you get to play with is just brilliant. And I'm so looking forward to meeting some of the new characters this season. It’s just brilliant but we were still suffering a lot of COVID restrictions in Season Two, you know, and that was really tough because we couldn't see each other at all.

You know, we were still eating little boxes in our rooms and not allowed to see or touch anybody. Here is just as a little bit of trivia on the scene where I'm within the way gate with the horses and the girls. 

When we were blocking that scene, our director took her mask off. And it's the first time I'd ever seen her face in three months. It was still really tough on everybody, you know? And we were being like, shut down a lot and having to stop. And so it was actually, it was tough enough to shoot that. And I think people sort of forget that we were still, we were still in a kind of COVID world while you're making something because of so many precautions.

So it has been lovely this year. You know, we've been able to sit in tents together and eat and things like that on set and just like not have to just be shut away all the time. That, that's just been great.

DM: Season One Liandrin’s chemistry with Moiraine was fantastic, and I think the, the amazing chemistry between Liandrin and Mat this season is really off the charts.

You have chemistry with like inanimate objects, with just your presence. Is there something special that you do that allows for this incredible connection on screen, or is that just kind of your amazingness? 

KF: "It's just my amazingness.” No, haha… I think, I think I’m really, really touched that you say that. It's a really kind compliment. I mean, it's really genuine. I'm really genuinely touched by that. Thank you.

DM: It's, it's so true. Like, it doesn't matter any time you're on screen. Just, I'm always just so excited to see how you're interacting with anything. I mean, with the horses, with, you know, I got that little look you did before you went through the gates after releasing Nyn like, I just think it's about being so present.

KF: The thing I think I try and do, which might be the answer is, I don't know if it is the answer because I think it's quite hard for me to answer this. But when I think about playing, I'm always looking for the playfulness. It is always an opportunity to play everything, you know, like you say, you know, whether it's a cushion or a place or how you unlock a door, you know, every gesture or every motion or inflection in your voice you are as an actor. 

You've got, the words and the story and you've got your body and your voice and, you know, and that is your tool and that is your instrument, you know? And so you're looking for tone. And this is probably going to sound really pretentious, but you're always looking to how do you play this, and you play this instrument in this situation.

And that can just be, you know, the look with a glance with it. But you embody and you, I mean, I just spend hours and hours on the set and I spend a lot of time prepping scenes. I just do a lot of work on it. It's like anything, you know, you just got to do, got to do it to work on it.

You can't just turn up one night. I like to play at home, you know, I'll move the furniture back and, you know, and I'll play it, I'll play it, play it, and then something will just go *bing*. And then of course, you play with the other characters because you can't. But I'm always searching for other ways of telling story, and I think this really brilliant experience as a young actress, I was really lucky enough to play in the chorus, in a Western version of Medea with Fiona Shaw.

She is in Harry Potter and Killing Eve and a lot of people would know her. I learned it from her that you got to be brave, you got to be playful, and you just got to keep true and you got to try things. You’ve got to experiment and play. I don’t know if it pays off but…

DM: It definitely, it pays off. When you were filming Season One, did you know things that were going to be revealed in Season Two specifically, like your son? 

KF: No, no, no. But that’s the other thing that goes toward this playfulness is that you have to keep completely open. Of course I have to structure my performance because we, shoot a lot of time, not chronologically. So you do have to have some, constant awareness of, you know, the arc of everything. 

But it's part of the fun of playing is not knowing. And you have to be, you have to be open to that as an actor. You got to be open to change. You got to keep things moving and changing and shifting.You have to be always fluid-thinking because anything can happen.

Lots of things happen in Season Three... yeah… they sat me down and were like, “This is what we are planning for you in Season Three.” I was, whoaa! Ok…

DM: You have had some of the best wigs, intricate braid work and all of that. We're wondering which wig is your favorite and do you name them?

KF: I don't (name them), it’s just sort of the great thing about the wigs, it gives you sort of this massive facelift, you know, because it's like they're suddenly like, *eeeee ahh.*

No, but the wigs on the show…. I wish everybody could just go into those departments, the hair and makeup department. And the costume department and every department, actually. 

But when you go into that wig room, in the studio, that all lined up, you know, it's like what Davina and her team have done with the way the braiding is amazing. It's incredible. And they have people just doing it around the clock.

You can walk in and then they'll go, we're just going to try a new wig on today and, they’ll just have four beautiful wigs. And then you try each one on and then you have to have your photograph taken and everyone decides which one's best and it’s a long process to choose to make.

But yeah, I've got some pretty good wigs in Season Three, just saying.

For the full transcripts with the full conversation for this and the other interviews, sign up on our Patreon!
 

When Amazon asks if you want to talk to four cast members from The Wheel of Time on Prime Video, you drop everything and reschedule your day to make ten minutes for each one available. Now that the SAG-AFTRA strike has ended, the media is finally able to communicate with the cast, and it’s been so wonderful. I know how excited the actors have all been to talk with the fans as well!

We were lucky enough to gather together questions to ask Ayoola Smart (Aviendha), Kate Fleetwood (Liandrin Guirale), Marcus Rutherford ( Perrin Aybara), and Dónal Finn (Mat Cauthon).

These interviews will make you want to rewatch all the episodes of Season One and Season Two of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video…I know they did for me.

Marcus Rutherford has such a soothing presence and was wonderful to take some time to talk to us! Here is a snippet of our interview with him.

Dragonmount: You have had the opportunity to befriend some of the bestest boys and goodest girls, specifically the Best Supporting Actress Nom of our hearts, Ka Lupinka. How have those friendships strengthened and grown during S2 and do you have any stories about them that you can share?

Marcus Rutherford: Yeah. It was amazing, man.

I had a very kind of brief encounter in Season One, but I didn't really get to kind of work with the animals. And then Season Two… You kind of forget this is a real animal, man. It's like a real animal, look, it wants to do its own things. It's kind of like when you work with your horse and stuff, you can’t cheat it. 

The animal needs to want to kind of stay near you and work with you and listen to you and all those kind of things. It was insane. I think with that Czech wolf dog, they are sort of like a half breed, so it's not particularly easy to get them to like, you know, there was one scene for me that was really important. Where the makeup and effects built like this sort of “deer carcass,” that the wolves are kind of like eating and they (production) kind of just needed Hopper to stay next to me. It wasn't like on a lead or anything. She just had to sit there. And when you see all, these are the dogs eating, their natural instincts you think would be to follow. It was kind of like a scene that I could tell everyone was like (thinking), this is going to go wrong. 

We just put a load of meat in front of a dog, and its friends were eating… and yeah, it just stayed there instead for the whole scene. It was a really beautiful scene with Elyas and it was just one of those moments that was just so sweet, and I kind of needed the connection there, and you don't really want to have to think about, “Is the dog wandering off or is it not calling for the owner off camera or whatever?” And she just stayed there and she just looked at me at the little moment as a little look where he says, like his mate died too, and all this kind of stuff.

And I think there were a lot of moments with that dog where I was just like, “You've made this really easy for me,” which is just like, really special, really special. It could have been, you know, it could've been really tricky. And she, um, she really trusted me. And I think, I think the owner, an animal handler named Maria was amazing.

She (Maria) was just like, she (Ka Lupinka) doesn't really connect with people that easy. And it was special. And I think, you know, I think Rafe was kind of torn between like sort of big sort of visual effects kind of animals or like, you know, real animals. And of course you can get a bigger scale with some of those kind of things.

But I think for an actual human connection, you just can't like you can with a real animal. I've had so many messages with people talking about their own animals. And I just, I just, I think that's the connection that it needed for, for the show. It needed to be a real bond, a real creature, a real thing in camera that people could connect with and understand with their own dogs when they sort of look at them after the episodes.

DM: Season Two's journey for Perrin has ultimately been the battle between the Way of the Leaf and his desire to protect others. How did you prepare for a role that relied on so much internal struggle in such a visual medium?

MR: Yeah, it's tricky because in the books you have these POVs that can get, especially for a character like Perrin, you get so in-depth with what he's thinking and everything, and then to translate that into a show with just 8 episodes…. is hard, man. It's really hard. And I think what was good about Season Two is he kind of gets thrown into a lot of positions that are quite challenging for him.

You see it with… when he's with the Sheinarans or he's with Aviendha he's kind of like… There are kind of those lovely conversations that he's had with Ila and the Tuatha’an in Season One. You can kind of see that still surfacing. But it's becoming apparent he can't avoid violence at war, and it's kind of surrounding him and something that might be within him as well.

But this idea that you can kind of just like turn away from it is becoming quite a difficult road to take. So I think with the introduction of the Seanchan and that kind of very, you know, horrible, horrific kind of culture in a way, in the terms of how they use violence and stuff. 

I think what was lovely about Season Two is that, for a character that isn't really saying everything that's going on his mind, you can kind of see him going through it. 

Being put in these situations that are hard for him and traumatic. 

That dichotomy between violence and being a pacifist in a way is still kind of put to a test really. It's not just a conversation around some wagons that you had in… Season One.
 
He's getting dragged, but he's getting dragged around (literally)... I think that happens a lot in Season Two. 

DM: What scene from Season Two were you most excited for the audience to see? 

MR: I think…. in general or…?  

DM: Either way! However you answer the question is the perfect answer. 

MR: Um, I mean, ok. I remember (when I was) reading the book, I remember saying to somebody… to Maddie (Madeleine Madden), you know, I remember reading that book and actually feeling quite sick, reading it, like the way it is described is horrific.

It's, it's really, really hard. I remember saying, like, you've got some hard stuff coming man. I've seen this one shot of her where she's sort of like crying. And I don’t know why, but I'm just like, I think it's beautiful. 

But I think in terms of the stuff, the scenes I loved, I really loved when he [Perrin] meets Aviendha. I think you needed to kind of isolate him away from the group a bit in order for him to grow. Like I said, you don't really have a lot of time, and we have to squeeze a lot into those episodes, and they do such a good job.

And I think when you've got a lot of big characters who, you know, who’ve got their shoulders back, they're quite confident. I think they’ll naturally, you kind of speak and Perrin, he's probably thinking in the corner a little bit. So I think I'm putting him by himself and getting to meet someone who has such contrasting ideas and philosophies around violence, warfare, and fighting, I think, I think was lovely and I think Ayoola (Smart) was incredible.

And I think that scene where he releases her from the cage, and they fight together, and even that little scene afterwards where he can't really gauge her humor like at the campfire or whatever… I think, I think that was a really nice part.

DM: I know from speaking with the stunt team at Jordan Studios that you and the rest of the cast have worked to do as much of the stunts and fighting as you can yourself.

How is your training, in particular, different from the others because of your use of an axe versus a sword or a shield?

MR: What's really interesting with Perrin, in particular, is he's not really fighting to kill, or like I said (before), he’s still in this mode of like kind of defending himself and others and being thrust into these positions, whereas you kind of see some of the other characters, like Aviendha, she's just having fun. She’ll just go ham. So I think that was quite interesting. You kind of have to have a fighting technique that isn't particularly kind of like a bravado or showing your skill or your kind of like, a hunger for kind of violence in a way. It's kind of something that, it's really interesting, and I’ll talk too much, but it's really interesting seeing it develop, you know,  going forward and all that kind of stuff and how it all changes. But I think it takes a lot to kind of show off his strength, but also his kind of resistance as well. 

For the full transcripts with the full conversation for this and the other interviews, sign up on our Patreon!

When Amazon asks if you want to talk to four cast members from The Wheel of Time on Prime Video, you drop everything and reschedule your day to make ten minutes for each one available. Now that the SAG-AFTRA strike has ended, the media is finally able to communicate with the cast, and it’s been so wonderful. I know how excited the actors have all been to talk with the fans as well!

We were lucky enough to gather together questions to ask Ayoola Smart (Aviendha), Kate Fleetwood (Liandrin Guirale), Marcus Rutherford ( Perrin Aybara), and Dónal Finn (Mat Cauthon).

These interviews will make you want to rewatch all the episodes of Season One and Season Two of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video…I know they did for me.

Ayoola was an absolute delight and so wonderful to talk to. Here is a snippet of our interview with her.

Dragonmount: It’s been pretty universally renowned that we are all in love with your portrayal of Aviendha. I know that our community specifically would love to know how you discovered The Wheel of Time and were exposed to Aviendha.

Ayoola Smart: Kind of twofold, I didn't know a lot about like her specifically before the audition process happened. But both of my older sisters are huge fans of the books, so I had grown up with The Wheel of Time in my house kind of my whole life pretty much—the world of it and kind of the ideas around it. 

And she [Aviendha] is both of my sisters’ favorite female character in the books. So that was really exciting and I was able to immediately call them and be like I need information! Like now! 

And through the kind of audition process I think when I, when the first sides came through she was labeled as like Annabelle and the kind of character description was like ‘a highly skilled warrior with a dry sense of humor. And you need to feel like she could kill you with her bare hands.’ 

And that was immediately something. I was like yeah I want, I want to do that. That sounds great. 

Her journey in the books in season two, it's really the starting point of such a huge journey that she'll go on over time. So it was really exciting to be able to play a character that starts from such a strong place and starts with such a strong kind of history, characteristics, and skill sets.

DM: Along with Ragga Ragnars (Bain) and Maja Simonsen (Chiad), you are what we call the ‘ABC Maidens.’ You already have such strong on-screen chemistry. What was it like on set with them? Do you guys use Maiden hand talk to have private conversations?

AS: Yes, we definitely did. Over filming we we got to a really nice fluid point with that where we could have these kind of silly little giggly chats about things also because, you know, as we continue, our vocabulary is expanding as more words get put in. So with what we had as it grew, particularly when we would get a new word, and we'd be like, we can do this now, and we’ve had a lot of fun with that. 

We spend a lot of time together outside of shooting and luckily we all did just click really well, which was nice. And so the kind of, kind of playfulness between us was very natural and it was just there and we spent a lot of time together which has helped.

DM: What inspired that absolutely amazing laugh in the campfire with Marcus?

AS: A combination of things, I think like, it’s the writers and it is Naomi, my dialect coach, and I kind of spoke about that, it is that humor that the Aiel have that's kind of, can catch you off guard and isn't necessarily funny to everyone but they find it amusing… just where that hits I think and just kind of the situations and we're able to play with that and bring that in. 

Also, Aviendha is kind of a little bit more cheeky than some of the other Aiel that we will encounter and kind of her humor is very much part of who she is. Just kind of playing around with that, and it just, it just came out and felt right.

-----

For the full transcripts with the full conversation for this and the other interviews, sign up on our Patreon!

The week of The Wheel of Time Season Two's mind-blowing season finale, showrunner Rafe Judkins graced fans with a spoiler-free Instagram Q&A session. This casual tête-à-tête was a much-needed treat, especially since Rafe had been incommunicado during the strike. But fear not, my fellow WoT aficionados, because following a hard-fought agreement, Rafe has made a triumphant return to the heart of the Wheel of Time community.

During this virtual Q&A, Rafe tackled six questions asked by the community posted on the official Wheel of Time Instagram account. His responses danced between behind-the-scenes anecdotes and personal favorites.

Rafe started with some interesting tidbits about Season Two. He discussed the significant risks and rewards, particularly mentioning the beach locations in Morocco ”where no one had shot a TV show or movie before”, He explained the challenge these locations presented and how rewarding it was to see them on screen.

When quizzed about his favorite character introduction in Season Two, Rafe quipped, “I can't decide between Elayne, Aviendha, and Verin”, making us feel like we're all in the same boat with all these fantastic additions to the show.

Rafe even hinted at an Easter egg related to “an incredibly important weave in Episode 7” that allows channelers to travel long distances. We certainly will see more of that in the future!

Halloween is creeping up on us. Rafe couldn't choose a favorite costume from the show, but he confessed, "If I were to go as someone for Halloween, it would probably be High Lady Suroth."

When asked about the outstanding performance of Hopper, Rafe praised Ka Lapinka, the wolf responsible for bringing the pupper to life. “She does something incredibly impressive in Episode 8 that is not CGI”. We know now that he was talking about that heartbreaking death scene. I know wolves are supposed to be scary, but I would love to pet Hopper.

Rafe concluded by hinting at his favorite moment from the Season Two finale but refrained from sharing further details to avoid spoilers. He hinted "a certain moment with Mat Cauthon and a musical instrument."

For the full Q&A experience and more of Rafe's quips and secrets, head to The Wheel of Time's Instagram account.

Coming hot on the heels of the epic Season Two finale just over one week ago, The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins made two surprise appearances in NYC this weekend, bringing exciting Season Three news to delighted WoT fans in the Big Apple. 

His first appearance was at New York Comic Con 2023 on Saturday afternoon during the Prime Video Presents: The Power of Prime panel. Judkins appeared again on Sunday to introduce a special in-theater screening of the Season Two finale at the Whitby Hotel. The charismatic showrunner also stayed after the screening to participate in a Q&A about Season Two with television critic Sean T. Collins.

On Sunday, during the post-screening Q&A, Judkins pleased Ingtar fans everywhere by teasing a Season Two deleted scene revealing that Ingtar is, in fact, a Darkfriend. He also shared that Season Three would be a big one for Rand and Perrin and that the Moghedien scenes are “to die for.” 

Judkins confirmed the Aiel Waste as a filming location for Season Three and teased other iconic Book Four locations, including “tropical” Tanchico and the Two Rivers (already lightly hinted at by a screaming Dain Bornhald in Episode 8). Most surprisingly, Judkins shared that Season Three will feature the Sea Folk, who will show viewers “new versions” of channeling in other cultures.

At NYCC, Judkins confirmed that Season Three of The Wheel of Time will focus “on one book” (Book Four, The Shadow Rising). He also teased the casting of “a Forsaken you have not seen yet,” noting that he enjoys reading the “very serious commentary online” about which of the Forsaken will appear in the show. 

Judkins then promised a visit to Rhuidean and an exploration of Dreamwalking “with the Aiel,” which all but guarantees the appearance of Wise Ones in Season Three. Finally, after praising Kate Fleetwood’s performance, Judkins shared that viewers will find out at the very beginning of Season Three “what Liandrin’s been up to.”

The showrunner also spoke about the “magic” of filming The Wheel of Time, describing two favorite moments from Season Two: Rosamund Pike “channeling fire itself” on a Moroccan beach at sunset, and Dónal Finn sharing that he’d learned of his casting as Mat while standing on the very same wall in Essaouira where he blew the Horn of Valere in Episode 8.

The conversation with Judkins came at the end of The Wheel of Time portion of the NYCC Prime Video panel, which focused primarily on visual effects in Season Two, opening with a NYCC-exclusive VFX highlight reel for in-person ticket holders. The panelists, moderated by Damian Holbrook of TV Guide Magazine, included executive producer Marigo Kehoe, VFX supervisor Andy Scrase, and VFX producer Brian Shows. 

Highlights from the VFX discussion included Scrase’s passionate description of his process for reinventing the look of channeling in Season Two, with the goal of making it look more “organic” and “thread-like,” with specific details woven into each element beyond just the difference in color: sparks when channeling Fire, water droplets for Water, and distorted ripples for Air. Kehoe echoed her appreciation for the meticulous VFX work on channeling, in particular during the “novice kitchen scene.”

Shar from the podcast WOT in Color attended the screening and shared the full Episode 8 discussion with us: 

Showrunner Rafe Judkins wasted no time after the WGA strike ended before coming back to #TwitterOfTime with the perfect post:

He then answered a ton of questions for fans. Book consultant Sarah Nakamura also answered some detailed questions.

Let’s start off with Rafe’s general praise for the writers, actor and crew for Season Two. 

Rafe addressed the many challenges the team faced between COVID and the writers and actors strikes.

Rafe and Sarah answered some questions about the incredible episode 6: Eyes without Pity, and the rest of episodes in Season Two.

The Wheel of Time story contains thousands of characters and are played by incredible actors in the TV show. Rafe answered quite a few questions about our favorite characters for the light and for the dark.

We will never forget “Steve” from Season One, who ended up being left on the cutting room floor, but became a classic meme for the fandom. 

Questions about characters for the Light:

And as the Pattern must have balance, so must the light be balanced with dark and we have questions about Forsaken & Dark Friends:

The next series of questions are deep diving into some of the changes regarding the elaborate magic system: channeling. Lots of book fans have questions about just how channeling works in the TV show since it’s different than in the books. Book consultant & expert Sarah Nakamura took on many of these questions.

WOT Origins was much praised by fans for Season One, and unfortunately we haven’t seen the last two episodes of the first batch, and there are none for Season Two.  It doesn’t look like we’ll be getting any more.

Finally let’s take a look at questions about Season Three and Beyond:

That’s a wrap on all the Q&A from Twitter last week! Make sure you tune in this week for the Season Two finale of The Wheel of Time!! What did you all think of Rafe’s answers? Isn’t it nice to have him back!? Let us know what answer most surprised you in the comments below.

Also don’t forget to tune into Dragonmount ReWOTch every Monday over on Youtube and Twitch.

With the Second Season of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video just a week away (September first) it’s time to rewatch Season One!

Dragonmount is hosting a charity livestream over on Twitch as we re-watch all eight episodes of Season One of The Wheel of Time! 

Beginning at 11am EDT, we will be live all day hanging out with some of your favorite content creators, with appearances from the legendary Harriet McDougal & Maria Simons. 

We will be raising money for the American Red Cross - Maui Wildfire Disaster Relief. If you can't make the livestream you can donate directly here. 

We will also be giving away some awesome prizes if you join us & donate to those effected by the Maui Wildfires. We will be giving away one set of the Eye of the World Graphic Novels for the best Closet Cosplay! Share on to social media and find out more here. 

Ready to Rock the Wheel of Time #reWoTch Closet Cosplay Contest?

Join us tomorrow during our charity stream marathon. Channel your WoT creativity by creating an epic cosplay from home.

Full details here:https://t.co/xsSpdFy4Fc#TwitterOfTime #WheelofTime #WoT pic.twitter.com/2EACFhY1DB

— Dragonmount.com (@dragonmount) August 25, 2023

Other prizes include: 

• Show Tie-In Novel of The Great Hunt + Robert Jordan Signed book plate
• 2 Black Tower Podcast shots glasses and a Frosty Drinking mug
• Other fabulous prizes! 

Add your Twitch account to your active amazon prime account to join the watch party on Twitch. You can also find the livestream on YouTube. 

Don't forget to join us on social media! 

Follow Dragonmount on Twitch

and

Subscribe to Dragonmount on YouTube

Hey there, Wheel of Time fans! It's time to dive into the fun and fabulous Closet Cosplay Contest during our charity stream marathon Aug 26th starting at 11am Eastern on our Twitch. We want you to dig deep and come up with a Wheel of Time themed cosplay. Whether you don an elaborate costume or turn everyday items into an epic ensemble, we can't wait to see your creative genius in action!

When to Strut Your Stuff:

The closet cosplay showdown kicks off at 11am EDT with our livestream. It's your chance to get creative and have fun while doing something awesome for charity! 

How to Get in on the Action:

1. Step 1: Stick with us

First things first, show us some serious love! Hit that subscribe button on YouTube and that follow button on Twitch. Why? Because this is where the magic happens—updates, fun moments, and vibes you won't want to miss.

2. Step 2: Strut your stuff

Time to bring your A-game! Strike a pose and snap a photo of your genius creation. Share your masterpiece on Twitter or Instagram. Remember to tag Dragonmount and throw in the hashtag #reWoTch to join the party.  Twitter- @dragonmount & Instagram- @dragonmount_

3. Step 3: Lock in your shot

Here's where it gets real—lock in your shot at the set of Graphic Novels by Macmillan. Donate any amount to our Charity stream. Then, pop an email with the subject line “reWoTch cosplay” over to social@dragonmount.com with your Twitch and YouTube usernames. Don't forget to attach your cosplay pic!

Everyone's invited to join in for a seriously good time. But if you're aiming for the prize, you've got to go all in with all three steps. The winner must provide a shipping address within the continental United States for us to ship the prize to. 

How We Roll:

The Dragonmount team will pick our top 5 favorite entries. These are the ones that capture the spirit, make us laugh, and have us saying, "Wow, that's pure genius!" Then YOU, your fans, your friends, and fellow Wheel of Time enthusiasts will have the chance to vote in a poll to decide who takes the Closet Cosplay crown. 
 

The Big Giveaway:

We're not fooling around, folks. The winner gets their hands on something epic: the complete set of "The Eye of the World" graphic novels by MacMillan! Yep, that's a whopping 6 issues of pure Wheel of Time goodness.

Mark Your Calendar:

The Closet Cosplay Contest starts at 11am EDT at the start of our live stream.

Make sure you've done all 3 steps by 8pm EDT during the marathon.

The winner will be announced on Monday!

Get ready to show us your Wheel of Time style, and may the most epic closet cosplayer win! 🌟

With two weeks to go until the premiere of the second season, we can share Dragonmount’s interview with the cast of the Wheel of Time Season two!

Kathy Campbell was lucky enough to get five minutes to chat with Madeleine Madden and Daniel Henney, and then Marcus Rutherford, Dónal Finn, and Ceara Coveney. The cast reveals what they are most excited (and nervous) for book fans to see in Season Two! 

The interviews occurred in June 2023, before the SAG-AFTRA strike began.

Check out the video over on YouTube:

The second season of The Wheel of Time will be released on September 1st. We cannot wait to see our favorite characters on screen again! 

Rajiv Moté is Dragonmount’s book blogger with a lens on the craft of fiction writing. When he’s not directing software engineers, he writes fiction of his own, which can be found cataloged at his website.

The trailer for Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time season 2 has arrived at last, and fans of the books are wondering whether their favorite scenes will appear, or if this turning of the Wheel will spin things differently.

Dragonmount has a helpful set of summaries if it has been a while since your last re-read. The end of Season 1 left things in a different place than the end of book 1. Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, has set off alone to protect others from the madness that he knows will consume him. He seems more the Rand of the beginning of book 3. Moiraine has been exiled from the Tower by Siuan, shielded from the One Power by “the Dark One,” and her bond with Lan is inaccessible. (It raises the question if this shield has affected other things, like the oaths taken on the Oath Rod, or if it was just “stuck on fuzzed.”) Nynaeve and Egwene are still in Fal Dara with Moiraine and Lan. Perrin is dealing with his pacifism having allowed Padan Fain to escape with the Horn of Valere, seemingly at the cost of Loial’s life. In the biggest departure from the books, Mat stayed behind in Tar Valon, never making the trip through the Ways to Fal Dara.

The prologue of The Great Hunt kicks us off with the “Darkfriend Social,” a gathering of hooded and cloaked Darkfriends from across the land, assembled to take orders from “the Dark One.” The trailer for Season 2 does show us a group of hooded and cloaked individuals gathered around a table (we see even more of this gathering in a bonus scene following the season 1 finale!), and even Liandrin sneaking around Tar Valon with her hood up--although she has plenty of others to meet, and standing business in North Harbor. Speaking of Liandrin, she’s also shown with the Great Serpent Ring forge. In the show, Great Serpent Rings are Ajah-specific, so Novices and Accepted couldn’t pass for Aes Sedai if they were to venture out into the world on secret business. Just saying.

The Great Hunt continues showing that some time has passed following the meetings at the Eye. Lan is training Rand to use his heron-mark sword, an investment that will pay off when Rand faces the Seanchan High Lord Turak. Lan also teaches Rand a warrior’s comportment; how to stand with pride even when facing as imposing a figure as the Amyrlin Seat. In the trailer, Rand does face Siuan Sanche, but given that he has wandered into the Blight/Waste at the beginning of the season, this meeting seems likely for later in the season. Without Rand or the Horn, there isn’t much reason for Siuan to make the trip to Fal Dara.

Padan Fain has already made off with the Horn of Valere, so the inciting incident for the Hunt for the Horn has already happened, and without Rand’s presence, or Mat needing his dagger, the duty falls to Perrin. His stake is the most personal--he let Fain get away--and unless Hurin has been cast, Perrin’s ability to talk to wolves is their only way to track the Horn. Will we see a Fade nailed to a door by Padan Fain? I sure hope so.

In The Great Hunt, Siuan and Moiraine plot to use the Hunt as a way to groom Rand to lead the Shienarans, including supplying him with fancy coats and the Dragon Banner. The trailer also shows Rand swaggering in fancy coats, but this new sequence suggests that someone else is responsible for Rand’s new confidence. Lanfear, rising from what looks like a pool of blood, has been freed, and her first priority is to cozy up to Lews Therin reborn and groom him to stand beside her at the apex of power. Rand appears to be learning how to channel as well, and is even conversing with Logain. How much of this is through Lanfear’s orchestration (in the books, she caught Rand his first male teacher, at the end of book 4) remains to be seen. The Dark is still in pursuit of Rand, and it looks like Rand is learning enough to put a sword of flame through a Fade. By the time Rand reunites with Moiraine, he’s angry, full of his own power, and willing to choke an Aes Sedai. Siuan says he can’t be controlled, though it’s unclear if she’s telling Moiraine and if, despite the Oath, the lovers are reunited outside of a flashback.

There are scenes of Rand bound to a wheel, a rather on-the-nose representation of his fate. These images are likely Lanfear messing with Rand’s dreams, trying to get him to rebel against his destiny. Indeed, when Rand faces the Amyrlin Seat, he tells Siuan that he doesn’t want to be a spoke on the Wheel, and Siuan responds that Rand is the water that turns it.

The trailer confirms that Nynaeve and Egwene reach the White Tower, and are joined by Elayne. Verin is cast, so perhaps she takes them, since Moiraine can’t return to the Tower if her Oath holds. Nynaeve takes her test for Accepted and emerges with wounds. There is a scene in the trailer where Nynaeve is wielding a sword, with two other swordsmen visible. This could reference the book conversation with Siuan, where Nynaeve says that she doesn’t need the Power when a sword would do. It could even be a scenario in her testing. Or maybe she’s just wielding a sword. She killed a Trolloc with one, after all.

There is probably no need for Portal Stone flickering realities, as Rand and Lanfear have already been separated from the Hunt for the Horn, but the trailer does show us a laughing Perrin with a young girl who could be his daughter or a little sister, which may be one of his alternate realities. Or, it could be a Wolf Dream. The trailer shows Perrin coming to terms with talking to wolves, and his eyes turn golden.

There’s no indication from this trailer whether Moiraine visits Adeleas and Vandene (with the Dragkhar attack), Rand encounters the Choeden Kal, or Min reconnects with Nynaeve and Egwene at the White Tower. We know Thom does not appear this season. We know Elayne is at the Tower, and a glimpse of the business end of Mat’s quarterstaff suggests that book 3’s sparring with Gawyn and Galad may occur. The Shadar Logoth dagger is still somehow associated with Mat despite his separation from it last season. There’s a fiery explosion, but whether it’s an accident at the Illuminator chapterhouse or Seanchan damane doing battle is yet to be seen. The trailer doesn’t indicate how much of Cairhien and Barthanes’s cocktail party will be in the adaptation. In the book, it’s Barthanes who tells Rand that Fain is waiting on Toman Head.

Ultimately, the book has everyone converge on Toman Head, and this is reflected in the trailer. Perrin’s party, after fighting Whitecloaks (and being aided by Aviendha and the Aiel), becomes prisoners of the Seanchan High Lord Turak, and the Horn of Valere falls into the invader’s hands. Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne come to the rescue (sent along by Liandrin, in the book), and Egwene becomes a prisoner of High Lady Suroth’s sul’dam. She goes down fighting with the Power, in the trailer. We do see High Lord Turak, a blademaster, unsheathe his sword, but it’s uncertain whether the show’s Rand has had sufficient training with Lan to beat him like in the book. Could Lan fill the role of Turak’s slayer? I kind of hope not.

This trailer does not show the Horn of Valere being blown, nor the Heroes of the Horn doing battle with the Seanchan. Season 1’s finale was sufficiently different from The Eye of the World that the show may have its own conclusion planned. Does Mat get bound to the Horn? Or does Perrin? Or does the Horn get blown at all? The press interviews promise us a huge battle this season. Watch and Find Out, I suppose.

If I’m interpreting the trailer correctly, this season is hewing much closer to the outline of the second book than season 1. The major differences are with Mat and Thom. But as a fan of the books, I felt like I was back in familiar territory, among friends. I’m excited for the first three episodes streaming on September 1st.
 

With the second season of The Wheel of Time just a few weeks away we are getting weekly WOT Wednesday news. 

Today was a new trailer with the big news that the first three episodes of the second season will drop on September first. 

The other big drop today was a behind-the-scenes look at the Trollocs the “nightmare fuel” monsters for the dark. 

We hear from Rosamund Pike showrunner Rafe Judkins producers Mark Weber and Justine Juel Gillmer and make-up designer Nick Dudman. 

The trollocs are genetically engineered creatures created through a mix of human and animals like birds boars and bears. The show used a mix of practical and visual effects for the trollocs. We see both the creation of the practical with stilts and horns.

And the cgi visual effects:

The featurette shows how some of the stunts were performed and more behind the scenes of the creation of the Trollocs. 

“They are more than just monsters there is a human piece”

The humanity of the Trollocs is what makes them horrifying, not knowing how much they understand and think for themselves. It seems the second season will explore the complexity of the dark and hopefully will explore the humanity of the Trollocs. 

We can’t wait! What are you looking forward to seeing in the first three episodes? Let us know in the comments below!
 

Our newest WOT Wednesday drop is here and it’s a sneak peek of the first scene in Season Two of The Wheel of Time!! Today started off with a quick video that hinted at our new drop - that the first scene of Season Two will play directly after the finale of Season One.

It’s a scene many of us fans have been hoping to see, and we get to see it a month early! 

Head over to the Prime Video app, and at the end of Seasons One, episode 8, the new sneak peek will play. The scene will be familiar to fans of the books of a scene in The Great Hunt that starts off from the perspective from a new character, a dark friend who calls himself “Bors” who attends what fans endearingly call “the dark friend social.”

The sneak peek scene starts off with a young child playing outside, who sees monstrous trollocs appear out of the mist. She runs into to a gathering of figures robed in black. The Man/the Dark One/ Ishamael (played by Fares Fares) pops his head down to let her know she’s interrupting their meeting.

A meeting of who appear to be dark friends!! We see: a Seanchan with long fingernails, an Aes Sedai with their stone colored black, a warrior with a hawk sigil, and the child’s mother. We also see Padan Fain pull down his hood and grin at the child. The main theory is that the girl and her mother are tinkers, but there’s a suggestion that they might be from Falme.

Ishamael discusses a man, not yet the dragon reborn, called Rand Al’thor. The scene ends with an intriguing and very creepy chat between Ishamael and the child about hungry trollocs and who we consider to be monsters.

It’s not an exact recreation of the book scene, but it is a gathering of dark friends where the name Rand Al’thor is revealed. There are more figures around the table, maybe fans will dissect the scene until we figure out who’s there, or maybe we will have to wait until we see the whole of Season Two!

If you want to see thoughts from Thom at Dragonmount, go check out the livestream he did all about the sneak peek!

Today we also got a (previously recorded) video featuring Rosamund Pike, Josha Stradowski, Marcus Rutherford, Dónal Finn, and Ceara Coveney explaining five things to remember about Season One of the Wheel of Time.

 

 

 

 

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Season Two of the Wheel of Time will release on September 1st 2023 on Prime Video.

What do you guys think of our preview? It’s so creepy and gives us lots to theorize about!