The Two Rivers are about to go through it on The Wheel of Time this week. Season 3 Episode 7, titled “Goldeneyes,” sees Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford) and Emond’s Field tackle the daunting task of warding off an encroaching army of Trollocs. Faile Bashere (Isabella Bucceri), Bain (Ragga Ragnars) and Chiad (Maja Simonsen) spotted said Trollocs emerging from the Ways at the end of episode six.
Recently, I had the privilege of chatting with Isabella about what to expect from episode seven, Faile and Perrin’s fun dynamic, the unwavering strength of the Two Rivers and more.
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This interview is edited for clarity.
Isabella Bucceri on The Wheel of Time’s “Goldeneyes”
Melody McCune: We have the penultimate episode coming up this week — “Goldeneyes.” What can we expect?
Isabella Bucceri: A lot. You’re going to see a lot of people stepping up. I think one of my favorite parts of this episode is really seeing the Two Rivers people doing extraordinary things. That’s just so human, and people are going to relate to it a lot. It’s one of the most emotional parts of it. You see these ordinary villagers of all ages working together and fighting for the same cause. It’s beautiful to watch.
MM: Describe episode seven using three words.
IB: Chaos. Madness. Unity.
MM: Oh, I like that. Perrin and Faile have grown closer over the past few episodes. What can you tease about their dynamic going forward?
IB: There’s going to be external pressures that push a lot internally. It’s when everything just comes up to the surface, and they have to deal with it together. You’ll see them really complementing each other and fighting through a lot and working out how they work so well together. They really find that rhythm. I’m excited to see how people [react to it].
Developing Faile and Perrin’s Bond
MM: What has it been like getting to develop this bond with Marcus, considering how important Faile is in the books?
IB: It was so fascinating to dive into these two characters together. They’re written so beautifully. I had Marcus, who was in the shoes of this character for so long. So, I was really lucky in that sense to be able to bounce off someone quite easily. The writing does so much. They’re written in this way that they contradict each other, and they’re finding the parts of themselves that need to be rewired.
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They’re so fascinating; they’re very human. There’s that human thing in a relationship where the other mirrors and really shows you the parts of yourself you’re maybe trying to run away from. That’s what makes it such a fascinating dynamic. They are so relatable.
Fight the Monsters
MM: For sure. You also get to do some fighting this season. What has it been like training and filming those sequences?
IB: So much fun. I had no physical experience before stepping into those. It was overwhelming, the first couple of lessons I had, because I was like, “There’s no way I’m going to be able to do this.” The stunts are incredible. I don’t know how they do it, but by the end of it, you’re like, “I can do anything.” The attention to detail is so amazing.
Even how Faile uses her knives and gets into that kind of physicality helped me as an actor. It’s so important to have that inform how she moves through the world. Especially because Faile, to keep up with the others, really needs to be on her A-game with having her military background and being so agile and fast and fighting these insane monsters. It’s incredible.
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Unity and Community
MM: At the end of last week’s episode, Faile is one of the first to spot the amassing Trolloc army approaching the village. Besides the Perrin part of the equation, what do you think makes her stay behind to help?
IB: She’s inspired by the Two Rivers. As soon as she gets there, she’s observing a lot — she’s reading people. She can see how they all come together. There’s this unity, and she wants to be part of that. There’s this community that is so inspiring to her. Apart from Perrin, it’s wanting to be involved in that. For me personally, I almost cried just watching it and seeing everyone as their characters. Those last few scenes are really special.
MM: All right, last question. Do you have a favorite scene or a highlight from shooting this season?
IB: Every day was incredible. It would have to be the last battle. That was chaos in the most beautiful way. Everyone was on this high. We were shooting at 4:00 AM, but everyone was in it. The stuntees just commit. Seeing all that and everyone coming together, also being one of the last days of shooting, everyone was giving it their all. It was incredible to watch and be a part of.
Thank you, Isabella, for chatting with GGA!
The Wheel of Time drops new episodes every Thursday on Prime Video.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
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