The Wheel of Time season two picks up six months after season one ended. In “A Taste of Solitude,” the bond between Moirane (Rosamund Pike) and Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney) is strained while Egwene (Madeleine Madden) and Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) struggle with learning the ways of the Aes Sedai.
After the first battle between Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) and Ismael, the Dark One Ismael (Fares Fares) retreated to his people and told them about Rand. Padan Fain (Johann Myers) is among the Dark One’s associates. The Dark One knows Rand is in fact the Dragon reborn, but Rand isn’t powerful enough to be a threat. He thinks he may be able to use Rand for his purposes though.
MORAINE
Moraine was exiled from Tar Valon, a city that houses the White Tower of the Aes Sedai. She and Lan are staying with friends in the countryside. Moraine keeps to herself and rarely confides in Lan. Their hosts are Aes Sedai and their warder, who try to smooth things over between Moraine and Lan. Moraine asked Lan to leave her, but he won’t do it.
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Moraine receives a visitor who wants to sell her special rocks that are supposed to be indestructible. A man named Bayle Domon (Julian Lewis Jones) sells her a heart stone, supposedly created by the One Power. And with it is a poem. Moraine is only interested in the poem. Bayle also tells her that there are men following him. She asks what they look like and he describes the Fade. Moraine tells him to get back to his ship quickly and sail away. After Bayle leaves, Lan tries to inquire about who he is, but Moraine doesn’t want to say. Lan gets frustrated with Moraine and shows his anger for the first time.
EGWENE/NYNAEVE
Egwene and Nynaeve are living in the White Tower at Tar Valon, in service of the Aes Sedai. It’s part of their novice training. Nynaeve really doesn’t want to be there, but stays for Egwene. She won’t channel the One Power, no matter how much the Aes Sedai try to push her. Alanna (Priyanka Bose) is her teacher and tries to convince Nynaeve that she is more powerful that she knows. Alanna tells her that she has to stop being afraid of what she is and embrace her power. Nynaeve resists the Aes Sedai no matter what they say to her. She would rather spar with the warders.
Alanna reports to the Mistress of Novices Sheriam Bayanar (Rima Te Wiata). She speaks of Nynaeve’s stubborness. The sisters know that Nynaeve is the strongest novice that they’ve seen in a thousand years. Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood) impresses upon the sister that the world is falling apart. Nynaeve may need a new teacher … like Liandrin, but she is forbidden to teach. She asks Sheriam if she can jus talk to Nynaeve. Alanna thinks it’s a bad idea, but Sheriam agrees to Liandrin’s request.
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The warders try to get through to Nynaeve as well. They ask why she came to the White Tower. She doesn’t answer, but knows it’s something she needs to find the answer too. she goes to talk to Egwene, who is with Alanna. Egwene is searching for some kind of approval from Alanna. Alanna doesn’t give her much advice and Egwene decides to leave. Before she leaves, Alanna tells Egwene to relax and stop trying to be perfect.
Liandrian finds Nynaeve in the classroom and taunts her a little about her powers. She knows Nyanaeve won’t channel so she pushes her with the One Power. Liandrin talks about warders and how they are useless. She mentions Lan’s name and that makes Nynaeve angry. Nynaeve pushes back, but Liandrin is strong. She shields Nynaeve from the one power, causing her some pain. Liandrin says there is more than one way to become an Aes Sedai. She has to learn about power. Liandrin wants to see Nynaeve become so powerful that no one can take it away from her.
PERRIN
Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) left with the Shienaran soldiers to hunt for the Horn of Velere and Paden Fain. They find a man named Elyas Machera (Gary Beadle) who shows them a wreck. There are several dead laying around. With his wolf eyes, Perrin can see a little girl run away from the wreck. Elyas saw it too. They also find the body of a Shienaran soldier who they assume is a traitor. The leader of the company, Ingtar Shinowa (Gregg Chilingirian), decides to bury the bodies and then camp there for the night.
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Perrin asks Ingtar why he buries the traitor. He reminds Ingtar that the trailer opened the gates at Fal Dara and hundreds of Shienaran died. Ingtar says he could be angry, but it won’t bring his men back. Perrin tells Ingtar about Paden Fain. Fain used to visit Two Rivers often. The village liked him. They fed him, shared ale with him and gave him a place to sleep. He led the Trollocs to the Two Rivers. There’s a rage inside of Perrin. The closer they get to fiding Fain, the more it grows. He’s afraid when he sees Fain, Perrin won’t be able to stop himself from killing him. Ingtar suggest Fain had a reason for doing what he did. Perrin may not liek the answer, but it might be worth it to ask.
It’s Bel Tine. Nynaeve forgot, but Egwren reminded her. Nynaeve finds Egwene and reads a letter from Perrin. The letter updates the girls on his travels. He say she thinks of his friends often and hopes next year they can celebrate Bel Tine together. Elsewhere in the tower, Liandrin reads the same letter to Mat Cauthon (Dónal Finn). She leaves out the part of the letter that Perrin says he hopes Mat can join them next year during Bel Tine. He says he’s not a threat to them. He hasn’t touched the dagger in six months. She wishes him a Merry Bel Tine and leaves.
One of the traditions of Bel Tine is for people to put lanterns out. Perrin puts on a a nearby river. He put his ring on the small boat, but changes his mind and wears it. Egwene cries for Rand, believing he is dead. Nynaeve puts out a lantern for Rand. Mat has been digging at the stones in his cell. He continues to do that after Liandrin leaves. And somewhere far away, Rand puts out a lantern of his own.
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Lan prepares food for Moraine, knowing she won’t join him for dinner. Their hosts tell Lan not to take Moraine’s silence personally. He’s been trying to hard to make her talk. His host suggests that Lan try listening instead. Lan takes the plate to Moraine’s room, but she’s not there. Moraine is at the stables, saddling a horse. She leaves, riding into the woods and runs into a Fade. The Fade scares the horse and the horse throws Moraine off.
Moraine gets up and runs out of the woods. She hides near a patch of rocks. The Fade follow her. She is able to kill one, but another appears and cuts her stomach. Lan arrives in time to save Moraine’s life. He fights two more Fade and ends up injured next to Moraine. Their hosts appear to distract the Fade so their warder can kill it. Lan lays next to Moraine and asks her what she is hiding from him.
Stream the entire first season of The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime.
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