Episode 4 of The Wheel of Time takes us on an exhilarating journey, as all our beloved protagonists find themselves separated and facing dire challenges. The show’s ensemble cast, and their individual storylines seem to spread out too thinly, but we remain engaged because we like these characters. Each character undergoes significant transformations in this episode, leaving us on the edge of our seats, eagerly anticipating what lies ahead for them. The intricate web of destinies woven throughout the series continues to unravel, keeping us guessing. One standout moment in this episode was the captivating scene featuring Alanna’s people, which left a lasting impression. It’s particularly noteworthy, how the show incorporates a diverse range of characters, including a representation of South Asian individuals in a fantasy setting. As we continue to follow the adventures of these captivating characters, it’s clear that The Wheel of Time is setting the stage for an epic battle coming soon, or at least that’s what we non-readers are hoping for.
Spoilers Ahead
Moiraine’s JourneyÂ
Moiraine finds herself returning to the place she used to call home before she became Aes Sedai. She has no time for the more than warm welcome of her younger sister, who appears to be withering with age. Moiraine has word, that Rand is in the same town and works at the place where the False Dragon resides. She makes her way to him and tries to get him to give her Rand’s whereabouts. The Inn, he previously stayed at, was burned down just the other night. Logain isn’t keen on answering any of Moiraine’s questions. She’s the reason, he’s not in the tower. Moiraine tells Logain, that if it weren’t for her, he’d be tested and experimented upon by the other Ajahs. Logain is uninterested in the wine she brings him or anything else she has to say. Finally, she brings out a dagger and tells him that she knows very well, what a person who’s been stripped of their powers really wants to do. She tells Logain that, if he trains Rand, teaching him everything he knows about channeling, and helps her, she’ll be happy to leave the dagger with him. Possibly indicating that he can kill himself with it.
Moiraine spends the rest of the day trying to find Rand through her Messengers, but at the end of the day, she returns home with no answers. Moiraine’s little sister awaits her return and asks her to join her for a conversation. Moiraine has no intention of apologizing to her sister for leaving her, and neither does her sister want that. She clarifies that, what Moiraine did, she would’ve done too, had she been given the power to channel. But she’s built a life for herself amidst all the hardship the wheel put her through, and now she can’t watch Moiraine ruin that for her. So, she’s made all of Moiraine’s messengers her own and she promises to give Moiraine the information she needs, provided she can be good to her sister.
The Forsaken
Ishamael breaks another seal and brings out a female member of the Forsaken. He’s slowly building the dark one’s army to fight the big battle that everyone keeps talking about (not so much in this episode though). Alanna gets word of this and hides it from Lan because she doesn’t want him to make any rash decisions. Lanfear is her name, and Alanna and her warders are quite shaken by the thought of her being back.
Lan And Alanna
Alanna, her warders, and Lan have stopped on their way back to the tower to relax a little bit with Alanna’s people. Everything seems to be okay between them, even though Lan gets made fun of for being the fourth wheel. Alanna tells Lan, that he should come back to the tower with her, because Nynaeve is going in the arches. There’s only been one occasion before, when someone else has gone into the arches this early. Given that his bond with Moiraine was masked and that she no longer has her powers, Lan could become Nynaeve’s warder, if he chooses. At the same time, Alanna’s warder, Maksim, suggests that he should go back to Moiraine when things settle. He uses the Metaphor of marriage and asks Lan, if he’s seen any two marriages that are the same. He gives the example of himself with Alanna and Ihvon and how Alanna’s bond with him is masked at most times, except during wars and in bed. Lan confesses to Ihvon that what he’s truly hurt by is the fact that Moiraine didn’t think of him as an equal. Ihvon reminds Lan that there’s no way they would be equal because what Lan can do with his physical strength is infinitesimal in comparison to Moiraine’s channeling.
Perrin And The Wolfbrothers
Perrin finds himself traveling with the man who saved him, along with the Wolves. He sees visions of a stag, and the other man explains, how that is their language and how the animals they use signify different things. Perrin realizes that the man knew, they’d be attacked, but never told them about it. There’s a wolf that chooses to stay by Perrin’s side, and the man explains how he, too, had lost his mate like Perrin. Perrin doesn’t know how to control his mind’s images, which are shared with all the Wolfbrothers and the Wolves when he’s asleep.
Egwene And Nynaeve
It seems, that ever since Nynaeve stepped out of the arches, she’s been more distant from Egwene than ever. Egwene tells Elayne her true feelings, and Elayne reminds her, that it might be because Nynaeve is accepted now. They also don’t know what happened in the arches, so she can’t truly understand what is happening in Nynaeve’s mind. Egwene just wants to be there for Nynaeve the way she was there for her when Rand died (as they believe). Liandrin has a heart-to-heart with Nynaeve and tells her about her son (so we were right!). She says it’s difficult to let go, but at some point, we must learn to be stronger. Nynaeve tells her that she cannot forget her daughter just like that, when she was in the arches for what felt like years. Liandrin tells Nynaeve that there has been word about something going down in the west and that Perrin and Loial have been captured by Shienaran soldiers. Nynaeve immediately packs her bags, but she chooses to do Egwene one last favor and tell her that she’s leaving. Egwene doesn’t know why Nynaeve doesn’t understand that she would do anything to keep her friends out of harm’s way, and she will not fail them anymore. She decides to go with her, but she’s followed by Elayne too. The three of them are making their way out of the tower, even though it would expel Egwene and Elayne, who were found by Liandrin. To everybody’s shock, she uses a huge gust of the One Power to shove them against a wall while apologizing for it. There’s no way of understanding, what Liandrin is really trying to do. Was she just telling Nynaeve all that to see what she would do with the information, to then go and stop her?
Mat And Min
Min is taking Mat somewhere for Liandrin, as we know. They find themselves in a little inn somewhere, and Min gets them two rooms. As she’s trying to sleep, she has a vision from the past that reminds her of how her family forced her to tell people about their future. She then sees Ishamael, who is there to have a conversation with her. It seems Liandrin is working for him, and that’s why Min is taking Mat wherever he needs to be. Min refuses to help the forsaken, but Ishamael tells her, that if she wants to get rid of her curse, i.e., the ability to see the future, she must do what Ishamael asks her to. She has to take him to Cairhien (Moiraine’s home).
Rand And Selene
Because the inn is burned down, Selene tells Rand to go with her to a spot up the hill where no one will bother them for awhile. Out there, he tells her that he used to live in a place like that, and he never cared for cities, only village life (yes, the previously revealed scene). Selene tells Rand, that if he really wants something, he’ll have to fight for it. At night, they sleep under the stars until a fade attacks them. Rand has no choice but to reveal his powers to Selene in order to kill the fade. Rand tells Selene that he hasn’t gone mad just yet, and that’s why he didn’t tell her. He admits to loving her and decides he’ll leave her and go far away because, obviously, the fact that he can channel is a problem. Selene reacts differently, and all she is mad about is the fact that he didn’t tell her that he can channel. Selene takes him in, and she’s about to show him that she, too, is a monster when a sword goes right through her chest, and Moiraine shows up to slit her neck. Ran gets furious and uses his powers on Moiraine. He chokes her physically and asks her why she would kill Selene. Moiraine reveals to her that she is Lanfear, the Forsaken, and they need to get out of there as fast as possible.
Final Thoughts
The Wheel of Time Episode 4 has a lot going on and still feels like a filler episode. Ultimately, everybody must be moving towards a particular place, where the battle will take place. With Rand on Moiraine’s side, how will things continue? Will Nynaeve and Egwene be successful in reaching Perrin, and will they be able to save Loial? What’s the deal with the Shienarans? They seem to be extremely powerful people with no inhibitions.
