Wheel of Time: Season 2

After a somewhat disjointed first season, Wheel of Time returns this summer with a much more promising start to season 2.

Many fans of the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan were, understandably, skeptical upon first learning Amazon Prime was planning to adapt the series into a show. And following the release of the first season in 2021, some of these doubts seemed to be well founded.

In addition to necessarily ceasing filming in the middle of production due to COVID, the show also suffered from the sudden and mostly unexplained departure of Barney Harris, the actor who portrayed one of the main characters, Matt Cauthon. Which, subsequently meant it was pretty obvious the writers had to rush to rework the end of season one. 

When taken together, it's understandable why so much of the first season left fans a bit wanting and disgruntled. On top of this, the show’s writers also suffered from the main affliction that plagues most large scale fantasy adaptations: the challenge of successfully capturing the all encompassing lore, structure and scope of the source material. 

With this in mind, it is no small wonder that there’s been some hesitation and reservations going into this next season. However, despite the complications that were presented by season 1, the first four episodes of this second installment is attempting to fill some of these gaps. 

The first, and most obvious improvement is what seems to be the clear acknowledgement that an 8 season show, that appears to be allowed only 8 one hour episodes each, simply won’t be able to check every single box. The writers of WoT have a lot on their plate when it comes to condensing the very elaborate world and detailed plot of this fourteen book series into an eight season show, which inevitably means some corners will be cut and some artistic liberties will be taken. Many of which are questionable. (Why was Perrin married?!)  

Nevertheless, with one shaky first season under their belt, the studio has returned seemingly more confident in how they plan to restructure the story in order to make it fit in the amount of space they’re being given to work with.

This commitment to telling a more cohesive story rather than one that adheres strictly to the plot progression of the books has benefited season 2 the most by giving the characters some room to breathe. With this narrowed focus the actors have more time to let the interactions between, and personality of these characters come through in a way that makes them more intriguing than they may have seemed at first.

Rand in particular, portrayed by Josha Sadowski, who desperately needed to be more dynamic in season one, is further humanized in this season by being given time to interact with the other characters, have more meaningful conversations, and develop relationships. This time around we’re also able to learn more about the relationship between Warders and their Aes Sadai by seeing, and learning more about, the relationship between Moiraine (Rosamond Pike) and Lan (Daniel Henny) as they struggle to cope with the events at the end of season one. 

Speaking of characters, this season approaches the introduction of new characters in a way that is both more organic, and does more to demonstrate the essence of who they are and the role that they’re going to play in the narrative. This is especially evident with Elayne’s extravagant, yet on point and excellently executed arrival to the White Tower in Tar Valon.

Along with the introduction of new characters, this season also had to grapple with the introduction of Donal Finn as the recast for Matt Cauthon after the original actor Barney Harris left the show. This transition was pulled off surprisingly well under the circumstances, and was done in a way that wasn’t extremely jarring. Which is better than I can say for most shows being forced to deal with the departure of crucial characters. 

Although the creators of WoT have made a marked improvement to their overall character structure and presentation, the casting is an element of the show that was spot on since the beginning and the actors' portrayals have only gotten more compelling. Markus Rutherford’s character, Perrin, is benefited the most by the increased quality in writing and who’s altered story line makes him one of the most interesting characters in the first half of season 2. 

But its not only the writing that’s improved, so has the overall production value. The costuming and make up for a variety of characters has been upgraded considerably this season, along with the editing and cinematography. For starters, the prevalent “agelessness” and role of the Aes Sadai in the series is made more evident.

Additionally, the cinematography does a much better job of showing how vast this world is, but also more clearly communicates how the various locations where different parts of the narrative take place are connected. 

This improvement is only further highlighted by the noticeably increased quality in editing. Where the first season’s editing often made the passage of time and the location of different characters in relation to others unclear, this season feels more consistent and less ambiguous about where certain characters are and when. This tighter focus on making it clear where characters are makes the overall story easier to follow and does a lot when it comes to maintaining the structure of the story. 

Despite its missteps, season one of “Wheel of Time” did possess a lot of potential that the beginning of season two is trying, not unsuccessfully so far, to capitalize on.

Those who have read the beloved book series are likely to still be somewhat unsatisfied with the changes and adjustments being made to the story, but that shouldn’t discourage those who haven’t from giving it a chance. It may take some time for the studio and writers to really find their footing but they seem to be moving in the right direction.

“Wheel of Time” has already been green-lit for a third season and the series appears to be gaining traction with a larger audience, inspiring new fans to pick up the books. But only time will tell if the show is able to see the series through to the end.