The Wheel of Time turns to a major confrontation in the season one finale. In “The Eye of the World,” Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and Rand (Josha Stradowski) risk everything to defeat the Dark One, but the cost may be too high for everyone.
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3000 years ago, the Dragon Reborn Lews Therin Telamon (Alexander Karim) asked the Amyrlin Seat Latra (Katie Brayben) to join his fight against the Dark One. He wants to cage the Dark One, but Latrai believes doing so will put the world in danger. The Dragon Reborn also has a daughter and vows to make the world safe for her. The world at that time was far more advanced, technologically. It’s the first time we see what the world was once like before the breaking. As we know, Lews succeeds in caging the Dark One. His actions also break the world and corrupts the saidin, the male half of the One Power.
THE DRAGON REBORN
Back in the present, Moiraine and Rand left Fal Dara for the Eye of the World to face the Dark One. Moiraine blocked her bond with Lan (Daniel Henney), so he wouldn’t know what she’s up to. They make their way through the blight, quietly. Moiraine doesn’t explain much, just that the blight comes from the Dark One’s prison. It covers much of the land that was once known as The Seven Towers of Malkier, Lan’s hometown. The Dark One’s power is growing.
They stop to rest and Rand has a nightmare. In the dream, the Dark One (Fares Fares) appears to Rand, killing Moiraine. He laughs at Rand, saying the last Dragon Reborn came with 99 soldiers. He also laughs at the sword that Rand carries and the fact that it comes from a man who is not Rand’s father. Rand realizes it’s a dream, but has a hard time escaping. He stabs himself in the stomach to wake himself up. Moiraine wants to know what the Dark One said to Rand in the dream. Rand says he didn’t believe a word the Dark One said.
Rand asks Moiraine to teach him to channel the One Power. She refuses saying once he wields it, the madness could consume him. And once they reach the Eye of the World, Rand will be forced to embrace the One Power. Moiraine gives him a sa’angreal. It’s a totem forged from the One Power that is infused with the strength of past channelers. The sa’angreal will increase Rand’s power a hundredfold, giving him the boost he needs to send the Dark One deeper into his prison
FAL DARA
Egwene (Madeleine Madden), Perrin (Marcus Rutherford), Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) and Lan try to cope with Rand and Moiraine’s disappearance. Nynaeve reveals that she tracked Moiraine using her powers. She will tell him how to track her, if Lan promises to bring Rand back to them. Lan agrees but before leaving, he professes his feelings for Nynaeve, assuming they won’t see each other ever again. Nynaeve takes the other two to see Min (Kae Alexander). She can’t tell them where Moiraine or Rand went because she can’t see that. She only sees how they react to certain situations. While they stand before her, Min sees Nynaeve with a burning face.
The alarms go off in Fal Dara. An army of trollocs show up between the blight and the city gates. Lord Agelwar (Thomas Chaanhing) and Lady Amalisa (Sandra Yi Sencindiver) evacuate the city and prepare their armies. Min makes sure to jump on a wagon out of the city. Nynaeve suggests they leave as well, but Perrin and Egwene don’t want to leave Rand behind. Loial (Hammed Animashaun) informs them that Lady Amalisa summons any woman who can channel to stand with her.
Lord Agelwar moves his army to the wall, except for a few who make their way to the throne room. Perrin feels helpless and wants to help. Loial takes him to the throne room to ask how they can pitch in. Egwene and Nynaeve stand with Lady Amalisa.
The trollocs, with Fades, easily decimate Lord Agelwar and his forces at the gate. It’s up to Lady Amalisa to stop them. She and the four ladies with her, channel enough power to destroy the trolloc army. In the process, all of the ladies begin to burn from within because it’s too much power. One by one, the ladies fall to their death. Nynaeve saves Egwene by taking in the power into herself. She falls at the same time Lady Amalisa does. Egwene survives the ordeal and cries over Nynaeve’s body.
THE EYE OF THE WORLD
Moiraine and Rand arrive at the Eye of the World and Rand begins to remember his past live as Lews Therin Telamon. He remembers facing the Dark One. He touches the symbol the floor and passes out. Rand falls into a dream.
In the dream, Rand is back at the Two Rivers with Egwene an their daughter. Rand knows it’s a dream and just when he’s about to accept it as reality, the Dark One appears. He says Rand has the power to make this life his reality. All he has to do is release the Dark One and he will show him.
In the real world, the Dark One appears to Moiraine. She begins to channel to defend herself and the Dark One takes her power, cutting her off from the Source. He says Rand is deciding to join the Light or the Dark. Moiraine holds a knife to Rand’s throat. She says if he chooses the Dark, she will kill him so the Dark One can’t use his power.
Just as it appears that Rand chooses darkness, he looks at Egwene and decides his love for her is more powerful and yet he wants nothing for himself. Rand holds the sa’angreal, fusing the power with his own and sends the Dark One further into this prison.
FIVE SPOKES OF THE WHEEL
Meanwhile, Perrin learns that there is an ancient artifact, the Horn of Valere under the throne. When the horn is blown, it calls the Pattern’s greatest heroes to battle alongside the Light. Once they reach the horn, Padan Fain (Johann Myers) shows up with Fades.
Padan and the Fades kill Lord Agelwar’s remaining soldiers and Loial. Paden picks up the horn and explains to Perrin that it’s no coincidence that he showed up just before the trollocs in the Two Rivers. He’s been working for the Dark One, spying on Perrin and his friends. He knows Rand is the Dragon Reborn, but all five of them have a part to play. Paden says this is not the end, but a beginning. He takes the horn and leaves with the Fades.
While Paden talks to Perrin, we see Mat return to the White Tower, looking darker than ever. Egwene cries over Nynaeve’s burnt body. A moment later, Nynaeve is revived by the One Power. She sits up and Egwene hugs her tightly.
Rand decides to leave,asking Moiraine to tell the others that he died. He felt the madness and knows it will overcome him. The madness causes men to kill those they love. And Rand doesn’t want to hurt any of his friends.
Lan finds Moiraine and asks her to restore their bond. She can’t because she is cut off from the source. He asks about Rand. Moiraine cannot lie about Rand’s decision, so she just shakes her head and says he’s gone. She holds a stone fragment from the ground. It’s a cuendillar and supposed to be indestructible. Moiraine fears the fragment means this wasn’t the Last Battle, but instead, the First.
THE NEXT THREAT
On the Far Western shore, a young girl spots a fleet of ships in the distance. Two women on each ship march up to the starboard and channel the One Power. They create a giant tidal wave that approaches the shore and the little girl.
RELATED: Catch up with our recaps of The Wheel of Time here!
Stream the entire first season of The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime.
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