The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 8, “He Who Comes With the Dawn,” is a pulse-pounding, action-packed, visually captivating finale to a stellar season. Elaida, you’re on my sh*t list. Siuan Sanche will go down as a hero who deserved to be with her love.
So much happens here — Nynaeve makes a breakthrough in her block, Liandrin gets the cuffs and collar, Rand is officially the Car’a’carn with an army to boot and Mat gets into more magical mischief. What a gripping conclusion to the show’s best season thus far. Bring on Season 4.
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The Wheel of Time, “He Who Comes With the Dawn”
We open with a flashback to Tar Valon 10 years ago. Elaida (Shohreh Aghdashloo) emerges from the red doorframe that Min saw in her vision. She looks pleased. Alviarin (Clare-Hope Ashitey) scolds Elaida for taking such a risk by striking a deal with an Aelfinn. Many sisters have walked through that doorframe, never to return. After this, we see the Hall vote on who should be the next Amyrlin Seat: Siuan (Sophie Okonedo) or Elaida. Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) watches the proceedings from afar. Siuan gets the majority vote, much to Elaida’s ire.
In the present, Leane (Jennifer Cheon Garcia) voices her concerns regarding the White Tower declaring for the Dragon Reborn. Siuan claims that if they don’t, they’ll lose the Last Battle. How does Siuan know this? Leane insists that this will only drive a wedge between our Amyrlin Seat and her daughters. Leane suggests they put this to a vote — have the Aes Sedai decide if the Tower should support Rand.
Everything You Know
Meanwhile, in the Aiel Waste, Rand (Josha Stradowski) mourns the loss of Alsera. He still owes her a toh. Egwene (Madeleine Madden) informs him that the Wise Ones are waiting. Elsewhere, Moiraine tells a captured Sammael (Cameron Jack) that he’ll teach Rand everything he knows.
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Later, Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood) asks Chesmal (Mi Hae Lee) and Jeaine (Olivia Popica) if they’ve found Ispan yet (whom Moghedien killed). They assume Liandrin offed her like she did Nyomi. Jeaine toys with a ter’angreal that purportedly creates balefire. Like an irritated mother chastising her child, Liandrin orders Jeaine not to play with something so powerful. Moghedien (Laia Costa) brings Liandrin the second cuff. Now, all they need is the collar, which is at Panarch’s Palace.
After this, Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) and Mat (Dónal Finn) spot Liandrin with her crew departing for Panarch’s Palace. Nynaeve notices that she now has both cuffs. At the palace, Liandrin orders Chesmal and Jeaine to search for the collar.
A Trap
Then, Rand waits for Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe) in his dream. She reveals she sent Sammael as a surprise for Rand and planned to have the Age of Legends general teach Rand. Rand reveals he knows Lanfear tortured Egwene in her dreams. He claims he’s leaving Lanfear for the same reasons Lews Therin did — she’s jealous, petty and cruel. Lanfear pivots, officially turning against Rand and showing her true colors. Egwene arrives and makes the Forsaken vanish. Rand and Egwene wake up. It was all a trap.
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After this, Rand, Egwene, Moiraine, Lan (Daniel Henney), Aviendha (Ayoola Smart), Bair (Nukâka Coster-Waldau) and Melaine (Salóme Gunnarsdóttir) brace themselves for Lanfear’s return. They all, save Lan, start channeling. However, when she doesn’t, Moiraine urges Rand not to assume he’s the only thing she wants. Sure enough, outside, Lanfear approaches Melindhra (Synnøve Macody Lund). She needs Melindhra to do something for her.
Meanwhile, Nynaeve, Mat, Min (Kae Alexander), Elayne (Ceara Coveney) and Thom Merrilin (Alexandre Willaume) arrive at Panarch’s Palace. Nynaeve assumes that a Forsaken manipulated her and Elayne’s memories and stole the cuff (she would be right). Elsewhere, Moghedien visits Sammael in the Aiel Waste. Sammael tries to strike a deal with Moghedien. However, she’s more interested in torturing him.
Alcair Dal
Next, Rhuarc (Björn Landberg) takes his clan to Alcair Dal, where Rand will present himself as the Car’a’carn to the Aiel. Aviendha encourages Egwene to choose her own path, even if that path diverges from Rand. Her destiny is her own. When the Taardad arrive, they see the other clans are already waiting, including the Shaido.
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Lanfear approaches Sevanna (Natasha Culzac) and Couladin (Set Sjöstrand) with a proposal. They don’t want that Wetlander declaring himself the Car’a’carn, right? What if he had a challenger? Lanfear gives Couladin the requisite dragon tattoos on both of his forearms. Now, he can persuade the Aiel to follow him. Lanfear really is petty.
Verin (Meera Syal) informs Siuan that eight Red Sisters have departed the Tower. Their trip wasn’t sanctioned. Siuan orders Verin to tail them.
The Red Door
Later, Nynaeve spots Liandrin and pursues her. Elayne and Thom search for the collar. Thom regaled Elayne with an anecdote from her childhood. She’s amused but doesn’t recall Thom being part of Queen Morgase’s court. He admits he left court when she was five. Elayne remarks that his departure preceded Lord Gaebril’s arrival. Naturally, Thom doesn’t know who that is, and he kept a close watch on the court for years.
Then, Jeaine attacks Elayne and Thom with the ter’angreal that produces balefire. They flee. Mat spots that infamous red doorframe. Min tries to stop him from crossing through it, but to no avail. He lands on the other side of said doorframe to find an Eelfinn (Robert Strange). The Eelfinn tells Matt in Old Tongue, “By the ancient treaty, here is agreement made.” Then, the creature asks Mat about his “need.”
Outside, Min searches frantically for Mat. Chesmal appears, so Min goes into hiding. Elsewhere, Liandrin storms into the space Nynaeve is as both hunt for the collar. However, after Liandrin storms out in a huff, Nynaeve hits the jackpot. Liandrin assumed it would look like an obvious collar based on her drawing, but Nynaeve, who has experience with the Seanchan, knows better. She pockets a ring that’s actually the collar.
Balefire
Later, while Thom and Elayne hide from Jeaine, they chat further about Gaebril. Gaebril isn’t who he claims to be. Thom warns Elayne that her mother and the Lion Throne are in danger. Then, he urges Elayne to run. He squares off against Jeaine, but before the latter can deliver a fatal blow, Elayne uses the ter’angreal on Jeaine. The balefire essentially vaporizes her.
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Meanwhile, the Eelfinn informs Mat that he has three wishes or “needs.” So, what is his need? Mat notes a familiar smell emanating from the Eelfinn. Then, he yells that he needs to stop getting bollocked by every magical force on the planet. Mat is sick of the One Power. “Done,” The Eelfinn states.
Next, the Eelfinn offers to “take” the memories racing through Mat’s mind that aren’t his. So, that’s need number two. Mat finally recognizes the Eelfinn’s smell: the scent of the fox den by the old Wisdom’s house. It was always full of dead things. Mat voices his third and final need: to get the f*ck out of there. Relatable. The Eelfinn remarks that it’s unwise not to set terms or a price. So, the Eelfinn will establish the price that Mat will pay. How ominous.
Pay the Price
Suddenly, Mat returns to the room in Panarch’s Palace. He’s hanging from a noose, just like in Min’s vision. Chesmal finds him. Min knocks her unconscious and cuts the rope from which Mat hangs. He’s not breathing. Min tries to blow air into his mouth. Then, she repeatedly smacks his chest until he wakes up. He pokes fun at her for “kissing” him, claiming there are easier ways of doing that.
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Mat comments that while the foreign memories are gone, he doesn’t recall how they got here. There are certain things he can no longer remember. We see a necklace around his neck with a silver fox pendant. Uh-oh.
Outside, Nynaeve anxiously awaits her friends. However, she reunites with Liandrin instead. Liandrin orders her to hand over the collar. When she refuses, Liandrin wraps Nynaeve in chains using weaves and takes the collar from her. Then, she tosses Nynaeve into the sea. Nynaeve sinks to the bottom because there’s also an anchor attached to said chains.
Part the Waters
There, Nynaeve thinks of her daughter. She recalls what she told her daughter during her life with Lan in the Arches. Suddenly, Nynaeve channels, removing her chains. She also parts the waters like Moses. There’s our girl — our badass channeler. It looks like she’s one step closer to moving past her block.
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Later, Melindhra tries to kill Lan per Lanfear’s instructions. Lan senses her presence, though. He wonders when Melindhra became a Darkfriend. Melindhra claimed it was in the name of reviving Malkier. But she now sees that Lan is the future of Malkier. It’s alive through him. She refuses to murder him, thereby breaking her Dark Oaths. Lan realizes that Melindhra’s spirit will die with her, never to be reborn. She perishes in his arms.
Elsewhere, Rand tells Moiraine that he finally trusts her despite her collaborating with Lanfear. He knows it was only to ensure he wins the Last Battle for the Light. Now that Rand and Moiraine are on the same page, Rand must win over the Aiel so he can have his army. Moiraine admits that it was smart to come here instead of going to Tear.
A Deposing
Meanwhile, Verin and a few sisters find the Red sisters’ camp. Galina (Clare Dunne) declares that Siuan can’t prevent the Red Ajah from doing their duty, which is to keep Verin out of the Tower. Uh-oh.
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Sure enough, a coup d’état is transpiring in the Tower. Siuan is brought before Elaida, who reveals that the Sitters ruled by a unanimous vote to depose her. Elaida also accuses Siuan of being a Darkfriend and of thwarting the Tower’s mission to cage the Dragon Reborn. For this, Siuan will be stilled. So, the Sitters and Elaida do just that. It’s heartbreaking. Siuan collapses when it’s done.
Then, Liandrin meets with Moghedien now that she has both cuffs and the collar. She proposes they work together. Initially, Moghedien scoffs at this. Why would a Forsaken want to work with an Aes Sedai, Black Ajah or no? Liandrin persuades her, though. They can cage Rand together.
Goodbye, Sammael
Elsewhere, Lanfear and Rahvin (Nuno Lopes) find Sammael’s body after Moghedien’s fun torture sesh. His blood looks like a spiderweb, so points for creativity. Lanfear reminds Rahvin that Moghedien came for the weakest of them first. They must band together against her.
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Later, Couladin presents himself as the Car’a’carn to the Aiel in Alcair Dal. Rand challenges him, asking what he learned in Rhuidean. Rand states that his father was Janduin of the Iron Mountain sept, clan chief of the Taardad. Born of the blood but not raised by the blood. He reminds the Aiel that the clan chiefs sent them to the Wetlands to search for him, where he was raised. Rand declares that he is the true Car’a’carn.
Then, we see Siuan on the floor of the Hall, bloodied and beaten. Alviarin, who’s the Keeper now that Elaida is the Amyrlin Seat. Elaida arrives. She claims that Siuan must answer for her crimes. Elaida knows that she’s been working in secret with Moiraine for 20 years. She believes Siuan knows where Moiraine and Rand are. Elaida asks Siuan to give them the truth.
The Truth
“The truth is, I love Moiraine. I have always and will always love her,” Siuan starts. We see Moiraine power up the Sakarnen to signal Lanfear. Lanfear sends a blast toward Moiraine, knocking her down. Siuan explains about her and Moiraine bearing witness to Kitara’s vision 20 years ago about the Dragon Reborn, and they set out on a mission to find him.
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Meanwhile, Rand speaks of what he saw in Rhuidean — his ancestors, for starters, and that the Aiel used to follow the Way of the Leaf. Those in attendance at Alcair Dal are bewildered by this reveal. Rhuarc urges Rand to stop, citing that his people aren’t ready to face this truth. However, Rand was born to destroy the Aiel as much as save them. So, he calls them all oathbreakers.
Outrage ripples through the crowd as those within it immediately take opposing sides, spears raised. Elsewhere, Lanfear chokes Moiraine, getting ever closer to fulfilling one of the many visions of the future Moiraine saw in Rhuidean. Rand claims that if the Aiel don’t follow him, they’ll die.
The World Is Changing
Siun continues delivering her speech, reminding the Aes Sedai that the world is changing. They can no longer pretend they have control. Moiraine finally gains the upper hand, slamming the sand in a blast that sends Lanfear flying backward. Lan steps up to assist, his sword brandished. Lanfear regains her footing and blocks Moiraine’s blasts. Then, Lan slashes her thigh with his sword.
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Next, Rand recites the prophecy of the Car’a’carn before demonstrating his channeling abilities. Can Couladin do that? Nope. Moiraine and Lanfear battle it out in a visually stunning sequence. Just two queens trying to kill each other.
The Aiel watch as the weaves Rand creates turn into what resembles black smoke, curling upward toward the heavens. At the same time, Siuan’s speech continues to resonate — well, at least with us viewers. For Elaida, it hits a nerve. Lanfear grabs Lan’s sword and stabs Moiraine in the gut. She twists the blade with delight.
I Am Aes Sedai
“I am Aes Sedai,” Siuan declares. This means her words are true. She cannot tell a lie. She warns the Sitters that if they stay, they’ll burn in the Tower they claim to love. Siuan won’t, though. “I defy you,” she proudly tells Elaida. Damn, give Sophie Okonedo all the awards. What an impassioned, compelling, visceral performance.
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Alviarin sends a blast of Power Siuan’s way to silence her. We learn that Siuan’s sentence is death. Suddenly, Alviarin beheads Siuan. Moiraine feels Siuan die. It’s a punch to the gut, even with a sword fixed through it. Moiraine cries out. I cry. We all cry. My Siuanraine heart.
In grief-fueled rage, Moiraine fights back against Lanfear. She takes Lan’s sword, now engulfed in weaves courtesy of the One Power, and slices Lanfear in the neck. This doesn’t kill the Forsaken. Instead, Lanfear escapes. Lan holds Moiraine as she sobs.
Let Go
Meanwhile, Rand’s channeling brings rain to the Aiel Waste. He’s destroyed them with the truth, and now he’ll save them with rain. Rhuarc shouts out that Rand al’Thor is the Car’a’carn. The Aiel start to bow.
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Elsewhere, Nynaeve, Min, Elayne and Mat head back to Tar Valon — no Thom, though. They see darkened skies in the distance. Elaida moves into Siuan’s quarters. In the Two Rivers, Faile (Isabella Bucceri), Bain (Ragga Ragnars) and Chiad (Maja Simonsen) scope out the base of the White Cloaks, undoubtedly to save Perrin.
“Rand! Let go, please!” Egwene calls out. Rand looks at her with a darkness in his eyes as the weaves appear to consume him, covering his face.
The Wheel of Time Seasons 1 through 3 are now streaming on Prime Video.
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