[This article contains significant spoilers from the Wheel of Time season three finale, “He Who Comes With The Dawn.”]
Adapting beloved literature into a TV series presents the challenge of surprising an audience that already knows the plot. This is a familiar hurdle for shows like Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time. Nonetheless, showrunner Rafe Judkins remains committed to surprising his viewers.
The season three finale, which premiered on Thursday, contains many anticipated moments, but it also features elements that catch fans off guard. By choosing to showcase a pivotal battle in the penultimate episode, the finale, “He Who Comes With The Dawn,” not only resolves some major story arcs but also introduces new complexities.
Throughout this episode, the main characters make significant decisions impacting their journeys in The Wheel of Time. Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) harnesses the One Power in a dramatic moment, while Mat (Dónal Finn) encounters a magical fox-like creature after a near-death experience. Rand (Josha Stradowski) eventually accepts his role as the Car’a’carn, but Egwene (Madeleine Madden) resists his authority.
Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) battles Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe) in an effort to protect Rand, but in a deviation from the books, it is Siuan (Sophie Okonedo) who faces death. The episode concludes with Elaida (Shohreh Aghdashloo) seizing the Amyrlin Seat while Siuan receives a death sentence from the Aes Sedai she once led.
In an interview with THR before the premiere, Judkins discussed wrapping up storylines, the ramifications for the White Tower, and the futures of characters like Mat and Egwene while teasing the potential for a season four.
Wheel of Time season three is currently available for streaming on Prime Video.
