The Wheel of Time season 2 episode 2 recap: Strangers and Friends

This article contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time season 2 episode 2, "Strangers and Friends". 

Whilst The Wheel of Time season 2 opened with our Dragon Reborn practically absent from the proceedings, we find out exactly what Rand's been up to since leaving his friends behind in The Wheel of Time season one finale in episode 2. Plus, Liandrin continues to try and take Nynaeve under her wing, Perrin and Loial cross paths with the Seanchans, and Egwene and Mat Cauthon both find new friends in Tar Valon.

Here's what happened in The Wheel of Time season 2 episode 2, now streaming on Prime Video.

The Dragon Reborn's whereabouts

The Wheel of Time season 2 episode 2 opens with Rand hiding out in The Foregate in Cairhien. He's suffering a nightmare wherein he is urged to kill his friends, driven by the Dark One. In the city, he’s been working at a sanitarium and appears to have gotten very close to a woman called Selene (Natasha O’Keeffe).

In the sanitorium, Rand comforts Errol, one of his patients who mistakes him for a member of the Aiel warriors he used to do battle with. As they go about their day, another worker comes and torments him, but Rand fights him off, warning that he’s going to annoy the one person one of these days.

At an event in Cairhien, Rand seeks out the other worker. During the ensuing confrontation, the One Power overcomes him and he kills the worker with his bare hands. Disturbed, he returns to his lodgings with Selene. He tries to push her away, but she refuses and they spend the night together.

When he returns to work, Rand is assigned to care for another patient: Logain, the man who previously proclaimed himself the Dragon Reborn in season one.

A broken bond

Back at Verin’s home, Lan and Moiraine are recovering from their fight with the Fades. Verin, Tomas, and Adeleas are determined to accompany her to the White Tower, despite Moiraine’s banishment. Oh, and she still won’t clue Lan into exactly what’s going on. Verin assures Moiraine she will help her, but wants to know how committed to the cause she is.

That evening, Moraine reveals what actually happened at the Eye of the World; Rand had actually released Ishamael, one of the Dark One’s most powerful Forsaken at the Eye of the World, by shattering the hearthstone seal. She also explains that Rand is alive and that she may have had a hand in where he ended up.

Lan attempts to apologize for failing to sense the Fades and is determined to stay with her, but she refuses him, telling him they were never equals. Then, Alanna and her Warders arrive to escort Lan to the White Tower, where she says she will have them take Lan’s bond to her by force, if she must, before riding off on her own.

On Padan Fain's trail

Meanwhile, Perrin and the Shienarans continue to track Padan Fain’s trail to an abandoned house. There, Perrin sees another vision of a Fade attack, and Elyas the tracker tells him its important to learn the difference between his abilities and what he’s actually seeing. At the home, they find a murdered Fade pinned to a door, fearing the kind of creature that could mangle one of the Dark One’s soldiers in such a way.

The group leaves the home behind to rest in a nearby village. That evening, they come under attack from some invading force (eventually revealed to be the Seanchan empire). Although the Shienarans win the battle, the arrival of some Seanchan channelers turns the tide. And when their leader (accompanied by Ishamael) arrives, they’re left in jeopardy.

Nynaeve's new master

Liandrin takes Nynaeve to watch one of the Accepted Aes Sedai heal a sick girl, beginning to change her feelings toward the order. Whilst there, she also spots Liandrin pocket a vial containing the poisonous crimsonthorn root; diluted, this is a powerful sedative, but at full strength, it could be dangerous. Afterward, Liandrin says she will formally take Nynaeve under her wing, despite some resistance from the Warders and Alanna of the Green Ajah.

Later, Nynaeve follows Liandrin out into Tar Valon, finding her new tutor administering the medicine to a sick man. Nynaeve tells Liandrin he’s too far gone for the crimsonroot to help, and she orders her out, before comforting the boy (implied to be her son). Later, she reluctantly takes Nynaeve to the ceremony on the next step to becoming an Accepted member of the order.

Mat meets Min

After taking over Nynaeve’s training, Liandrin went to visit Mat, whom she’s been keeping captive. She drops off a sweetcake, which he regards as a seemingly rare show of kindness, since Mat suspects she has poisoned it at first.

Once she’s gone, he continues to dig away at the wall in his cell. Eventually, he manages to break through… into another cell. Soon, he encounters Min Farshaw, the innkeeper who has prophetic visions, who is being kept on the other side. They work together to widen the hole in the wall, and she eventually clambers through and the duo share a drink.

She discusses her visions with Mat over the wine, and he’s not exactly overly impressed with her skills. She suddenly looks at him with fear, witnessing a horrifying vision of him murdering Rand with the ruby-hilted dagger he took from Shadar Lagoth.

A new Novice

Without her friend at her side, Egwene rubs shoulders with Elayne (Ceara Coveney), a new novice at the White Tower. Elayne is the heir to the Lion Throne of Caemlyn, and is not used to the White Tower’s more… modest decoration. Despite this, she arrives more than ready to be treated exactly the same as the other girls, and quickly befriends Egwene.

One evening, Elayne asks Egwene about her friendship with Nynaeve; she complains that she’s not seen the former Wisdom nearly as much, and reveals her frustrations that she’s working so hard on her channeling but feels like she’s not getting the same level of recognition as Nynaeve is. Elayne warns her against her newfound jealousy, but Nynaeve overhears the conversation anyway.

The Wheel of Time season 2 is now streaming on Prime Video.