“Wheel of Time” recap: Lan makes a game-changing discovery
Episode 7 opens with a flashback to a blissful moment between Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and Siuan (Sophie Okonedo) twenty years ago. They're deeply in love, frolicking through the halls of the White Tower and preparing for a visit with Moiraine's family, who will meet Siuan for the first time. They talk of their future together – serving their time at the White Tower then retiring and living out their days in peace. But first, they've got some good news to deliver to their superior, Gitara Sedai – the Aiel War is over.
But this celebration is short lived, because upon hearing this news, Gitara has a vision of the Dragon Reborn being… reborn. Like, at that very moment. She sees Rand's mother in the snow, dying as she gives birth to him. As Gitara relays to Moiraine and Siuan what she's seeing, she dies. This puts quite a kink in Moiraine and Siuan's retirement plan, because now they've got a mission.
Back in present day, Siuan and Moiraine meet again under very different circumstances. Once they're alone, Siuan chastises Moiraine for keeping secret the truth of what happened at the Eye of the World and what Ishamael (Fares Fares) did to her. Siuan, playing on her authority as the Amyrlin Seat, demands to meet Rand herself. Oh how far they've drifted in 20 years.
Meanwhile, in Falme, Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) and Elayne (Ceara Coveney) sneak through the city after narrowly escaping capture by the Seanchan. They're trying to find a way to save Egwene, though they have no idea where she's being held. But soon, they run into someone who does – Loial (Hammed Animashaun). He's figured out that Egwene is being held in a prison called "The Kennels" on the edge of the city, but it's heavily guarded. No way they're getting in. Nynaeve and Elayne thank Loial for his help, and promise to free both he and Egwene.
To Nynaeve and Elayne's credit, they've actually got a halfway decent plan. They've got a Seanchan collar, though it's not clear what exactly they plan to do with it… until they find a Seanchan Sul'Dam (translated: leash holder) in the city and slap it on her neck. With this hostage in tow, it seems like they've got a fighting chance of freeing Egwene.
But they better do it fast, 'cause Egwene (Madeleine Madden) is not having a good time. We find her in the desert with her Sul'Dam, Renna (Xelia Mendes-Jones), along with a group of other damane and Sul'Dam. They're here to test the powers of the newly initiated damane, to see what they're capable of. When it's Renna and Egwene's turn, we watch Renna tap into Egwene's powers and unleash a magical blast so powerful it's felt all the way back in Falme.
Prime Video Dónal Finn as Mat
Renna is proud of her damane, and she tells Egwene as much when she takes her back to the kennels. Renna's sure that this experience has bonded them together, and so she's surprised when Egwene tells her that one day, she is going to kill her. Utterly taken aback that the slave she's tortured could be so rude to her (shocking!), Renna storms out, pouting.
Over in Mat's story, we find him moping about the Foregate when he's knocked out and kidnapped by Lanfear. Mat (Dónal Finn) wakes up in Falme, and soon meets his true captor: Ishamael. He's not sure who this guy is, or if this is "a sex thing or a murder thing," as he says, but Ishamael assures isn't here to cause him pain, he's here with an opportunity. Ishamael brews Mat a pot of some sort of special tea that he claims will allow him to see his past lives.
Mat's not inclined to trust this rando, but Ishamael convinces him to give it a try so he can see "his true potential." He can see the ambition inside Mat, the darkness… and he preys on it. Ishamael leaves Mat with the tea, letting him make his own decision.
Of course, Mat can't resist, and he drinks the tea and sees some vague visions of his mother being mean to him, of him hanging by a rope, of him murdering some peeps… not really sure what this trippy sequence was supposed to tell him about his past lives, but whatever. Either way, this trip seems to have a significant effect on Mat. So when Ishamael offers to help him in some unspecified way, it's clear he's interested.
Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) was absent from the last episode, and if you remember, last we saw of him was the escape from the White Cloaks with his Aiel buddy Aviendha (Ayoola Smart). Now they're trekking through the desert, and they soon run into some Aiel friends of hers… who beat her to a bloody pulp. Seems Aviendha owed a "toll" to the Aiel, after one of her companions died protecting her. After this bizarre reunion, Perrin follows them to the edge of the desert, where they look out at an ocean standing between them and the city of Falme.
And that's… the end of Perrin's story this episode. Gotta say Marcus Rutherford is really getting shafted this season. Guy's a great actor and he's spent seven episodes basically doing nothing but wandering through the wilderness, playing with wolves, and cooking at campfires. Poor guy. Hopefully they'll make better use of him next season.
Prime Video
Back to Moiraine: she and Lan (Daniel Henney) have their long-awaited reunion. There's a touching scene between them where Lan asks if Moiraine has ever thought about suicide, as most Aes Sedai who are stilled end up killing themselves. Moiraine insists she hasn't, still walling herself off from him. And Lan's come to accept that… but he encourages Moiraine to trust someone. If not him, maybe Siuan.
Elsewhere in the palace, we see Siuan meet Rand for the first time. Rand tries to show off his powers to her, but Siuan basically bitchslaps him into submission without a second thought. His powers are pathetic, she insists. She's disappointed Moiraine hasn't taught him a thing about channeling, and since he's clearly still got no control whatsoever over his powers, she decides that, per tower law, he is to be caged until the Aes Sedai decide how to use him.
Later, Moiraine visits Rand in his cell, where he's being magically held in place by Siuan's No. 2, Leane Sedai (Jennifer Cheon), and shielded from the Source. Without Moiraine's powers, there's nothing she can do to save him… but luckily, she's not alone in this fight. Verin Sedai (Meera Syal) pops into the cell and convinces Leane that Siuan sent her to take over watching Rand. Leane buys it, and as she leaves, Verin frees Rand, and they regroup with Lan and slip away.
Lan takes Moiraine to a hidden waygate that needs to be opened with magic. Moiraine encourages Rand to open it, but Lan insists Moiraine do it. Moiraine laughs this off. Good one, Lan. I'm cut off from magic, you dope. But now, Lan reveals a crucial bit of intel he's learned from Logain – Moiraine wasn't stilled. She was just shielded from the Source, much like Rand was being shielded by Leane in the prior scene. Rand concentrates on Moiraine and confirms this – there's some kind of knot over Moiraine's heart that's blocking her connection to the Source.
In a tense scene, Rand taps into the Source and is able to slice through this knot without harming Moiraine… who shivers in pleasure as she finally feels magic flow through her once again. Shaking off the cobwebs, Moiraine channels and opens the waygate.
But this moment of ecstasy is cut short by Siuan, who appears and asks — no, commands — Moiraine to close the gate. And Moiraine, who's pledged an unbreakable oath to the Amyrlin Seat, has no choice but to abide. And as she closes the gate… Lanfear (Natasha O'Keeffe) shows up and blasts the s— out of Siuan, nearly killing her, then re-opening the gate.
Without much of a choice, Moiraine, Lan, and Rand follow Lanfear through the gate, leaving Siuan in the dirt, bleeding and betrayed by the woman she once loved.
Stray Observations:
Lanfear strolling through the Foregate shooting off Michael Bay level explosions all around her is one of the most badass images this show's ever given us, and I'm deeply grateful for it. #TeamLanfear
Saddened to learn Barthanes Damodred (Will Tudor) was a darkfriend… finally Moiraine opens up to someone and it turns out they're conspiring to assassinate her. That one's gonna sting. But gotta say, it was deeply satisfying to see Anvaere (Lindsay Duncan) flex her power and throw his traitorous ass in a cell. Don't f– with the Damodred sisters!
Last season set up an epic, climactic battle for the finale only to sort of cheap out on showing it… I really hope they follow through this season, because the showdown in Falme could be really cool if it's allowed to blossom to its full scale. Guess we'll see!
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