Warning: This article contains spoilers for the final episode of The Wheel of Time season 3.
Summary
The third season of Prime Video’s hit fantasy seriesThe Wheel of Timecame to an explosive end this week with the action-packed ninth episode “He Who Comes With the Dawn.” The episode saw the culmination of several key arcs, includingRand’s journey to becoming the Car’a’Carn. The show’s third season — which adapts the fourth book, “The Shadow Rising” — has been the most successful so far with both fans and critics alike. It currently sits at its highest rating onRotten Tomatoeswith 97%, along with episode four, “The Road to the Spear,” unseating the season two finale “What Was Meant to Be” as the top-rated episode onIMDbwith an impressive 9.4/10.
But despite the high ratings and general praise,two controversial deaths of fan-favourite charactersthis season have left the dedicatedTheWheel of Timefan base reeling. Furthermore, as they deviate from the original story written by Robert Jordan, the events have split the #TwitterOfTime book and show fans across social media, with many up in arms about one brutal death in particular. So why didThe Wheel of Timeshowrunner choose to kill off these fan-favorite characters now? And seeing as this is a fantasy show, will they really stay dead?
A Major Change From Both Characters’ Arcs In the Books
One of the major frustrations surrounding these shock deaths for book fans is that both events are major changes to both characters’ fates in Robert Jordan’sThe Wheel of Timenovels, particularly Siuan Sanche’s (Sophie Okonedo) death. The writers' room wholly deviated from both Siuan Sanche and Loial’s (Hammed Animashaun) trajectories in the overall story. To remove them at such an early chapter shocked fans.
Siuan Sanche’s Death
Siuan Sanche,the Amyrlin Seat at the White Tower, is deposed in a coup d’état led by Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan and stilled. But in the books, she goes on to play a major role in forming the new Hall of the Tower. She persuades the rebel Aes Sedai, who fled the White Tower, to choose and elect a new and younger Amyrlin who can be guided by the group, changing their traditions.
The character also has a significant role inEgwene’s (Madeleine Madden) upcoming arc in Salidar, acting as her mentor as they work to undermine Elaida’s rule. Siuan guides and supports the Dreamwalker on her journey, sharing her political knowledge and influence. She also works with Nynaeve to help her study those who have been stilled. This raises the question of who will be taking her place in the Aes Sedai rebellion arc, along with both Egwene and Nynaeve’s arcs. Perhaps her right-hand woman, Leane Sharif (Jennifer Cheon)?
Loial’s Death
Fan-favorite character Loial, the gentle and devoted Ogier, played an integral role in protecting the Two Rivers’ friends along their journey, particularly Perrin (Marcus Rutherford). He alsomet his end far sooner than his book counterpart. While his sacrifice in the show was particularly noble, in the books he went on to play an integral role in enlisting the other Ogiers to fight alongside humanity in the Last Battle.
Just like Bilbo Baggins writing “There and Back Again,” Loial also chronicles the events of the end of the Third Age. The book series ends with his poignant epitaph:
“He came like the wind, like the wind touched everything, and like the wind was gone.”
The Back-To-Back Deaths Feel Like Game of Thrones' Shock Tactics
There’s no denying the cultural impact ofthe HBO seriesGame of Thrones,the award-winning adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s (unfinished) fantasy series. The eight-season show had a significant effect on the fantasy genre, with viewers' expectations shifting significantly to more adult themes, politically-driven stories, and shock twists. Martin’s penchant for unexpectedly (and often brutally) killing off main characters,beginning with major protagonist Eddard Stark(Sean Bean), has seemingly become a mainstay in modern fantasy shows.
While subverting expectations is important to keep viewers engaged and the stakes high, this element is beginning to feel like a cheap trope to elicit shock. While a few other characters have died this season, theback-to-back nature of Siuan and Loial’s deathsin the seventh and eighth episodes feels particularly harsh and unnecessary. It feels like the writers' room is using this trope to raise the stakes in the closing moments of the series.
Siuan’s death was also particularly bloody, brutal, and cruel. She was stilled (stripped of her power), humiliated in front of the court, and violently killed on screen. It’s so disappointing, especially after the writers’ so strongly set up that Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) would, in fact, be the one to be killed this season (“in every future where I lived, Rand dies.”) The brutal nature of her death also leaves a bad taste considering that Siuan is a queer character. The decision has been met with a similar backlash to Commander Lexa’s cruel death inThe 100.
Could Loial’s Death Be a Fake-Out or Misdirection?
While viewers assume thatLoial has died while sacrificing himself to close the Manetherin Waygate, we never see his body. In fact, we only see him falling into the dark abyss Gandalf style. And viewers are all too aware of the “if you never found the body” trope, meaning that there’s still a slim chance that fans could potentially see the Ogier once again inThe Wheel of Time.
Similarly, there’s Siuan’s comment to Moiraine back in episode five, “Tel’aran’rhiod”:
“I will find you in the next life, again and again until I get it right.”
Could this indicate that we will potentially see the character return at some point in Moiraine’s future?Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow is a prime examplethat even if a fan-favorite character has died, there are certainly ways to bring them back, especially in the fantasy genre.
What is Showrunner Rafe Judkins’ Stance on the Deaths?
In an interview withTheWrap,showrunner and writer Rafe Judkinscited that character deaths in the show are“never done without extreme amount of thought”and that“we’re super thoughtful about it, there’s a lot that goes into it in the writers’ room.”However, it appears that the showrunner hinted that the deaths potentially could have been down to casting practicalities/actor schedules, especially when it comes to the incredibly busy Sophie Okonedo:
“Robert Jordan loves his character so much that he lets them all just collect and they all go to The Last Battle – like everyone makes it there. Which is wonderful for a book series, but is not something that’s practical when you’re casting actors.”
The Wheel of TimeSeason 3 is available for streaming exclusively on Prime Video.
