The Wheel of Time Season 2 Review: A More Epic and Assured Fantasy Adventure

The Wheel of Time Season 2 is a Prime Video series based on Robert Jordan’s bestselling books of the same name. The series follows the adventures of a group of young heroes who are destined to fight against the Dark One, a mysterious and evil force that threatens to destroy the world. The series stars Rosamund Pike as Moiraine, a powerful magic user who guides the heroes, Josha Stradowski as Rand, the prophesied savior of the world, and Dónal Finn as Mat, a rogue with a lucky charm.

The Wheel of Time Season 2 adapts the second and third books of the series, The Great Hunt and The Dragon Reborn, and takes the story to new heights of epicness and complexity. The season explores more of the rich and diverse world of the series, introduces new characters and factions, and delivers more thrilling action scenes and spectacle. The season also improves on the production quality and visual effects of the series, making it a more immersive and satisfying fantasy adventure.

If you are a fan of The Wheel of Time books or a lover of the fantasy genre, you will not want to miss this season. Here is our review of The Wheel of Time Season 2, where we will discuss how it adapts the source material, expands the world-building and lore, and improves on the technical aspects. You can also watch the official trailer for The Wheel of Time Season 2 here.

How The Wheel of Time Season 2 Adapts the Source Material

The Wheel of Time Season 2 covers two books from the original series, which means that it has a lot of ground to cover and a lot of storylines to follow. The season follows Rand as he accepts his destiny as the Dragon Reborn, the chosen one who can defeat the Dark One, but also risks going mad from using his power.

The season also follows Mat as he becomes entangled with a dangerous artifact called the Horn of Valere, which can summon legendary heroes from the past. The season also follows Egwene and Nynaeve as they train to become magic users in Tar Valon, a city ruled by a mysterious organization called the Aes Sedai. The season also follows Perrin as he struggles with his wolf-like abilities and his loyalty to his friends.

The Wheel of Time Season 2 manages to adapt the books faithfully, while also making some creative changes to suit the medium and the audience. For example, the season follows Rand’s journey to Tear, a city where he must claim a powerful sword that only he can wield.

This is a major plot point in the books, and the season does not deviate from it. However, the season also adds some twists and turns to Rand’s journey, such as his encounter with Selene, a mysterious woman who seems to know more about him than he does.

The season also shows Mat’s imprisonment by Liandrin, a rogue Aes Sedai who wants to use him for her own purposes. This is a change from the books, where Mat is not captured by Liandrin, but it adds more drama and suspense to his storyline.

The Wheel of Time Season 2 also balances the multiple storylines and locations well, giving each character enough screen time and development. The season does not lose sight of the main theme and conflict of the story, which is Rand’s struggle with his identity and destiny as the Dragon Reborn.

The season shows how Rand affects everyone around him, both positively and negatively, and how he tries to cope with his burden. The season also shows how each character has their own goals and challenges, such as Egwene’s ambition to become an Aes Sedai leader, Nynaeve’s loyalty to her friends, Mat’s desire for freedom and adventure, and Perrin’s conflict with his inner beast.

The Wheel of Time Season 2 also ends with a satisfying climax that sets up the next stage of the story. The season ends with Rand confronting Ishamael, one of the Dark One’s most powerful servants, in a spectacular duel in Tear.

The season also ends with Egwene escaping from Falme, where she is captured by the Seanchan, an invading army that enslaves magic users. The season also ends with Perrin fighting Slayer, a mysterious assassin who can enter dreams, in Tel’aran’rhiod, a realm where thoughts become reality.

The season also ends with Mat blowing the Horn of Valere, which summons legendary heroes from the past to aid him in battle.

How The Wheel of Time Season 2 Expands the World-Building and Lore

The Wheel of Time Season 2 also expands on the world-building and lore of the series, introducing new elements and characters that enrich the fantasy setting. The season explores different cultures and factions in the world, such as:

• The Seanchan: An empire that spans across the ocean and has a strict hierarchy and a brutal system of slavery. The Seanchan believe that they are the rightful heirs of the ancient civilization that was destroyed by the Dark One. The Seanchan use creatures called grolm, to’raken, and raken as mounts and weapons, and have a special force of magic users called damane and sul’dam, who are leashed and controlled by collars.
• The Aiel: A nomadic people who live in the harsh desert called the Waste. The Aiel are fierce warriors who follow a strict code of honor and loyalty. The Aiel have a special connection to Rand, as he is revealed to be one of them by blood. The Aiel also has a prophecy about the Dragon Reborn, who they call He Who Comes With the Dawn.
• The Children of the Light: A militant organization that claims to serve the Light and fight against the Dark One. The Children of the Light are also known as Whitecloaks, because of their white cloaks and golden sun emblems. The Whitecloaks are zealous and intolerant, and view anyone who uses magic or associates with magic users as dark friends, or servants of the Dark One. The Whitecloaks have a conflict with Perrin, who they accuse of being a wolfbrother, a person who can communicate with wolves.
• The Forsaken: The most powerful and evil servants of the Dark One, who were once human magic users who betrayed their own kind and joined the Dark One. The Forsaken were sealed away with the Dark One in a prison at the end of the Age of Legends, a time of peace and prosperity. However, some of the Forsaken have escaped their prison and are plotting to overthrow the world and serve their master. The Forsaken have names such as Ishamael, Lanfear, Ba’alzamon, and Aginor.

The Wheel of Time Season 2 also reveals more about the magic system and the history of the world, such as:

• The One Power: The source of magic in the world, which is divided into two halves: saidin and saidar. Saidin is the male half, which can only be used by men, and saidar is the female half, which can only be used by women. The One Power can be used to perform various feats, such as healing, manipulating elements, creating illusions, and traveling through portals. However, using the One Power also comes with risks, such as overexertion, addiction, and madness. The One Power is also tainted by the Dark One, which makes men who use it go insane and die.
• The Dark One: The main antagonist of the series, who is also known as Shai’tan, Ba’alzamon, or simply the Shadow. The Dark One is an evil force that exists outside of the world and seeks to destroy it and remake it in his own image. The Dark One has a network of servants and followers, such as the Forsaken, darkfriends, trollocs, myrddraal, and draghkar. The Dark One can also influence people’s dreams, emotions, and actions, and can grant them power or curses.
• The Age of Legends: A time in the past when the world was at its peak of civilization and technology. The Age of Legends was a time when people lived in harmony with each other and with nature and used the One Power for good purposes. The Age of Legends ended when a group of magic users tried to tap into a new source of power but accidentally released the Dark One from his prison. This event triggered a war between the forces of Light and Shadow, which resulted in the Breaking of the World, a cataclysm that reshaped the world and its history.

The Wheel of Time Season 2 also adds new cast members and characters that play important roles in the story, such as:

• Natasha O’Keeffe as Selene: A beautiful and mysterious woman who meets Rand in a portal world. Selene claims to be a noblewoman from Cairhien, a country that is in civil war. Selene seems to know more about Rand than he does himself, and tries to seduce him and influence him to follow her advice.
• Kae Alexander as Min Farshaw: A young woman who works as a servant in Tar Valon. Min has a special ability to see visions around people’s heads, which indicate their future or their nature. Min becomes friends with Egwene and Nynaeve, and develops a romantic interest in Rand.
• Mira Syal as Siuan Sanche: The leader of the Aes Sedai, who holds the title of Amyrlin Seat. Siuan is a strong and wise leader, who has a secret plan to support Rand as the Dragon Reborn. Siuan also has a hidden relationship with Moiraine, who is her childhood friend and ally.