The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 3, “Seeds of Shadow,” gets the ball rolling for multiple storylines, bringing Rand one step closer to Rhuidean and setting Egwene on her path to becoming a true Dreamwalker. Elaida is one messy lady, stirring the pot and sowing seeds of discord, and I’m all for it. “Seeds of Shadow” is another fun outing bolstered by great performances while laying more narrative groundwork.
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The Wheel of Time, “Seeds of Shadow”
We open with Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe) meeting with Gaebril, aka Rahvin (Nuno Lopes), and Sammael (Cameron Jack). Yes, Gaebril is a Forsaken. He infiltrated Queen Morgase’s court and implanted false memories about his being Morgase’s prince consort for a decade. Lanfear gets down to brass tacks. Moghedien is a rising threat. She’s creating Gray Men, for starters. Lanfear proposes the other Forsaken unite to take her out. She adds that Moghedien is a coward and should be easy to target. Sammael is unsure of this, questioning why Lanfear hasn’t been deemed Nae’blis if she has the Dark One’s ear.
Rahvin declares he’ll take this discussion to the other Forsaken, who are offended that Lanfear didn’t invite them to this reunion. Sammael and Rahvin poke fun at Lanfear for her carrying a torch for Rand and Lews Therin before that. After Lanfear and Sammael depart, Moghedien (Laia Costa) emerges from the shadows. She hangs on Lanfear calling her a “coward.” She’s in cahoots with Rahvin.
Aes Sedai Cannot Lie
Later, Verin (Meera Syal) asks Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) and Elayne (Ceara Coveney) to interrogate Joiya (Joelle) and Amico (Zenobia Kloppers), the two Black Ajah who tried to kill Siuan in the premiere. Elayne admits that while an Aes Sedai cannot lie, she and Nynaeve, who are just Accepted, can. Nynaeve and Elayne tell Joiya that if she doesn’t cooperate, they’ll kill her. They want Joiya and Amico to reveal the other names of the Black Ajah members in the White Tower.
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Amico admits that no one knows much outside the purview of their Heart. A Heart is a collection of three Black Ajah sisters. A member of a Heart is only aware of one other Black Ajah outside said Heart. Liandrin was Amico’s contact. Amico confesses that Liandrin is going to Tear to retrieve Callandor for a Forsaken. However, Joiya has a different story. She claims Liandrin is searching for Mazrim Taim, the False Dragon, in Saldaea.
Meanwhile, Elaida (Shohreh Aghdashloo) sits at her vanity in her chambers. She notices the very visible shaking in her hand. Elaida knocks items off her vanity before calling for her maid. Min (Kae Alexander) appears, volunteering to help Elaida dress for the day. Elsewhere, Nynaeve and Elayne are aware that Joiya and Amico lied to them. So, where is Liandrin? Nynaeve shows Elayne where Liandrin kept her infirm son, although the room is now empty. They discover a peculiar symbol painted on the floorboards beneath the bed.
A Private Audience
Next, Elaida asks Leane (Jennifer Cheon Garcia) and Verin for a private audience with the Amyrlin Seat. They deny her request, citing that only Sitters can do such a thing. Elaida would need to bring a Sitter from her Ajah to make this request on her behalf. So, Elaida visits Tsutama (Diêm Camille), the Highest of the Red Ajah. She brings gifts for her and Galina (Clare Dunne). Tsutama sees through Elaida’s posturing and asks why she’s really there.
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Elaida believes the Red Ajah deserves to rise through the ranks once more. They should be on top. She proposes they cast a vote regarding their next move, which should be to cage Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn. Tsutama reveals they have better things to do like re-earn the trust of their Sisters. Elaida doesn’t like that answer.
Meanwhile, Rand (Josha Stradowski), Egwene (Madeleine Madden), Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), Lan (Daniel Henney) and Aviendha (Ayoola Smart) fall in with the Taardad clan. Rand asks how Rhuarc (Björn Landberg) and his people found them, but Rhuarc explains that that’s “Wise Ones’ business.” Moiraine asks about the Wise Ones; however, Rhuarc provides the same response. Egwene points out Bair (Nukâka Coster-Waldau) as the woman from her dream. Bair corrects her — Egwene was in her dream.
Grieving
Suddenly, the group stumbles upon a gory scene. It looks like Tuatha’an and Rhuarc suspects that the Shaido clan is behind it. If this is the case, they must get to Rhuidean ASAP for Rand’s test. In the Two Rivers, Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) buries his broken wedding ring in Laila’s grave. Alanna (Priyanka Bose) observes him. They trade stories about how they respectively mourn those they lose. Alanna wears Ihvon’s ashes on her face, while Perrin reveals that trees grow in the graves of the dead. It’s a beautiful scene.
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Meanwhile, Bain (Ragga Ragnars) and Chiad (Maja Simonsen) try to get Loial (Hammed Animashaun) to play Maiden’s Kiss. He looked horrified by it in Tar Valon, so he’s gonna pass on it. Then, they try to get Maksim (Taylor Napier) to participate, but he denies them, too. It’s not his first time, though. However, he’s mourning the only man he ever loved — Ihvon.
Perrin and Alanna return with news of an unknown group’s impending arrival. Alanna urges everyone to head upstairs for safety. When the group enters the inn, they inform Marin (Rina Mahoney) about Whitecloaks arresting Mat’s mother, Natti (Juliet Howland), and his sisters, Bode and Eldrin (Litiana and Lilibet Biutanaseva). Why? Because Natti’s husband helped Perrin’s family escape. Lord Luc (Michael Lindall), the leader of the group, and Faile (Isabella Bucceri), the sort of second-in-command, meet Perrin. Luc and his crew are hunting for the Horn of Valere (uh, about that…).
For Questioning
Elsewhere, Eamon Valda (Abdul Salis) asks Dain (Jay Duffy) to let him question the Cauthons. He’ll undoubtedly make them disclose where Natti’s husband took Perrin’s family. Dain rejects this, claiming there are other ways to bring Perrin to them. We see Natti, Bode and Eldrin in a cage. Dain reveals he sent reinforcements to deal with the growing Trollocs problem, but if Perrin doesn’t arrive before then, the Cauthons will be at Eamon’s whim.
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Then, Min visits Mat (Dónal Finn) in the latter’s quarters. Mat is still furious with Min. Min reveals Ishamael was going to take away her visions. Freedom was within her grasp. However, she chose Mat instead. Elsewhere, Nynaeve and Elayne research the symbol they found. It’s not one symbol; it’s two — one painted where one died, and the other where they were born. It hails from Tanchico. Elayne muses that Liandrin is from Tanchico. She adds that Joiya and Amico didn’t mention the powerful items Nyomi stole, the ones Verin was cataloging.
Nynaeve discovers sketches of the cuffs and collar the Seanchan used to control damane. However, these look older. Elayne notes the proximity between Falme and Tanchico. The latter is where the Seanchan hailed from centuries ago. Nynaeve believes Liandrin is in Tanchico searching for the matching collar since Nyomi took the cuffs (well, one cuff). Suddenly, a stranger fires an arrow at Nynaeve and Elayne. Nynaeve knocks Elayne down to protect her. Elayne channels a weave in the stranger’s direction before the latter flees.
Leave for Tanchico
However, the stranger is actually dead in the corridor, and he was a Gray Man. Moghedien is behind this. Verin stumbles upon the scene. After Elayne and Nynaeve excuse themselves, Nynaeve persuades Elayne to leave with her for Tanchico that night. It’ll be safer than the Tower.
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Meanwhile, in Tanchico, Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood), Nyomi (Rachel Denning) and the other Black Ajah members crash a wedding ceremony. It’s between the great-grandson of Liandrin’s husband and a very young girl. The Black Ajah kills everyone there after Liandrin rips out the groom’s heart. They leave the bride alive. Liandrin asks Nyomi to erase the girl’s memories to protect her. Liandrin was in this situation as a child, so she feels for the girl.
Later, Elaida reveals she knows Min is a Seer. Elaida is also a Seer. However, her foretellings are less frequent than Min’s visions. Years ago, Elaida had a vision that Andor would play a crucial role in the Last Battle. Instead of sitting on her hands, though, Elaida helped Morgase win her crown and end the succession war for the Lion Throne. Min points out Elaida’s bracelet, asking if it’s a foretelling. “Of a sort,” Elaida replies.
Cage the Dragon Reborn
She adds that she knows Verin and Leane placed Min in her room as a spy. Elaida asks if this discussion can stay between them, which Min vows to uphold. Elaida reveals the Highest of the Red Ajah will call for a vote in the Hall of the Sitters. According to Elaida, Siuan will lose, and the Red Ajah will refocus the Tower on its original mission: to cage the Dragon Reborn.
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Elsewhere, Bair tells Egwene that it’s been a long time since the White Tower produced a Dreamwalker (aka Egwene herself). Bair notes that she and Melaine (Salóme Gunnarsdóttir) are the only Dreamwalkers among the Wise Ones. She also points out Egwene’s bruising. Egwene mentions what Moiraine told her about injuries inflicted in dreams following her to the waking world.
Bair asks about the assailant, Renna, but Egwene responds that she’s dead. “If she can hurt you, then this woman in your dream is alive,” Bair says. Uh-oh. Bair vows to teach Egwene what she knows after they arrive in Rhuidean. Meanwhile, Rand tells Lanfear to stop bringing him to the inn in Cairhien, where they had sex (when she was pretending to be Selene). Lanfear admits that Rand was right to steer clear of Tear and Callandor.
Callandor and Sakarnen
That said, she reveals there’s a way to escape her Dark Oaths if the Dark One is killed. There’s a sa’angreal as strong as Callandor — the Sakarnen. If they use it with Callandor, perhaps it could kill the Dark One. However, upon Rand rejecting her advances, Lanfear regrets telling him this. She vanishes.
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Next, Lan and Moiraine join Bair and Melaine for a nice steamy spa night. The Aiel duo explains that Rhuidean is where men go to become clan chiefs and women to become Wise Ones. If Rand is the Car’a’carn, he, too, will venture into Rhuidean. Moiraine asks what’ll happen to Rand if he becomes the Car’a’carn, but Bair and Melaine remain tight-lipped.
After this, Lan points out Melindhra (Synnøve Macody Lund), a woman who seems interested in Moiraine. He encourages Moiraine to have some fun with Melindhra. “Do you think a night with her would make me happy?” Moiraine asks. Lan doesn’t see why it would hurt. However, Melindhra wants to chat with Lan. He spies a familiar tattoo on her back.
Malkier Lives
Lan asks who she is, remarking that Aiel don’t have tattoos, let alone the Golden Crane of Malkier. Melindhra reveals she was only a girl when the Blight took Malkier. She escaped, and then a Wise One took her in. She admits she would break her spears and follow Lan if it meant restoring Malkier to its former glory. Lan reminds her that Malkier is gone. Melindhra insists that as long as they’re around, Malkier lives.
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That night, Marin defends Perrin’s return to the villagers. The Two Rivers defends its own; it always has and always will. Alanna finds Maksim upstairs in the inn. Maksim asks Alanna to turn off their bond. She reminds him that there are Trollocs and Whitecloaks everywhere, danger lurking around every corner. He’s upset that Alanna inexplicably feels nothing for Ihvon’s murder. Alanna insists she’s trying to protect herself because Maksim is drowning in his grief.
Downstairs, Faile and Perrin chat for a spell. She claims she came here looking for the Horn, which garners a chuckle from Perrin (but he doesn’t tell her the truth). They flirt a bit. Loial sits across from Perrin. Perrin reveals he plans to rescue Natti and Mat’s sisters. He promised Mat he would protect them.
A New Vision
Meanwhile, Min has a vision of Mat swinging from a noose before a red doorway. She doesn’t disclose this to him, though. Mat sees the panic on Min’s face and tries to pacify her, but she flees. Galad (Callum Kerr) steps in, thinking Mat is harming Min. Mat tells him off.
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Leane visits the Red Ajah quarters. She tells Tsutama that Siuan wants our Highest to send seven of her best Sisters to track down Mazrim Taim, who still evades them. Elaida remarks that the Highest cannot leave the Tower now. Leane urges Tsutama to meet with Siuan to discuss the plan. The tracking party will depart that night. Elaida asks Galina who will replace Tsutama as the Highest while she’s gone. Saldaea is on the other side of the world, after all. Galina agrees with Elaida; the Red Ajah needs a new Sitter.
Then, Perrin gives a rousing speech about the village sticking together to ward off the threats posed by the Trollocs and Whitecloaks. He’s becoming quite the leader. At the same time, Galad and Gawyn (Luke Fetherston) tease Mat while the latter practices with a quarterstaff. Nynaeve arrives to bid farewell as she and Elayne are departing for Tanchico. Mat invites himself along, believing Nynaeve can help his mind issues.
The Horn Blower vs Two Princes
Galad misinterprets an interaction between Mat and Nynaeve, assuming Mat is bothering her (well, he kinda was). Mat challenges the royal brothers, armed only with his quarterstaff. Two marks each says he can best them. Sure enough, Mat channels the strength he acquired from blowing the Horn of Valere to beat their asses with a stick. Damn.
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After this, Faile and Perrin chat about his leadership while he works in the forge. Once a blacksmith, always a blacksmith. Elsewhere, Min watches from afar as Nynaeve, Mat and Elayne sneak out of the Tower to their ship. She follows them.
Next, Liandrin paints the Tanchico symbol on the floor, reciting, “From where you died, to where you were born.” We see flashbacks to a young Liandrin cradling her son in that room. Liandrin returns to the others, where Nyomi researches the cuff from the White Tower. Liandrin remarks that the cuffs and collar are used to control a man. Somewhere in Tanchico is the matching collar. Liandrin wants to collar the Dragon Reborn.
We see Moghedien among the Black Ajah sisters, working undercover as a servant.
The Wheel of Time drops new episodes every Thursday on Prime Video.
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