Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episodes 1-3.
Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time has finally returned with its third season, and things are already off to an epic start thanks to a three-episode premiere that opened with a bloody battle between Aes Sedai inside the White Tower and only kept rolling from there. Once we pick up with our heroes after the dust has settled, it’s clear that they all have to go their separate ways — and deal with their respective responsibilities. For Elayne Trakand (Ceara Coveney), the arrival of her family from Caemlyn forces her to grapple with her role as Daughter-Heir to the Lion Throne versus her dream of becoming a full-fledged Aes Sedai. As for Aiel Maiden of the Spear Aviendha (Ayoola Smart), the possibility that Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) could actually be the prophesied Car’a’carn her people have been waiting for butts up against the skepticism she holds for this “wetlander.” While book fans know these two women become more deeply intertwined as the story continues, the TV series chooses to deepen their relationship outside of their future connection to Rand in the Season 3 premiere, as Elayne and Aviendha decide to enjoy their last night of freedom together before duty calls.
Ahead of The Wheel of Time’s Season 3 premiere, Collider had the opportunity to speak with several cast members, as well as showrunner Rafe Judkins, about some of the biggest moments from this initial batch of episodes. Over the course of the interview, which you can watch above or read below, Coveney and Smart reveal how the introduction of new faces — like the Royal Family of Andor — as well as the expansion of the show’s world to places like the Aiel Waste was beneficial to their characters’ respective journeys. They also discuss their reactions to the news that Elayne and Aviendha’s relationship would be deepening this season, and why they’re excited to be sowing the seeds for further development this early on.
COLLIDER: Ceara, I wanted to start with you because we’ve already gotten the heads-up, thanks to casting, that Elayne’s family will be showing up in Season 3, but I did want to ask how the addition of these characters really helped flesh out for you who Elayne is as her story moves forward, especially as she’s navigating her responsibilities as both Daughter-Heir and an aspiring Aes Sedai.
CEARA COVENEY: It was really wonderful to have all these characters introduced because, in Season 2, Elayne is very much presented as a fish out of water. She’s the Daughter-Heir, and everyone’s kind of coming to terms with what that is and what that means, and so to then be in Season 3 and be able to bring that world into her new life and see her relationships with her family and really visualize what the throne and what Andor looks like is a really wonderful journey that Elayne goes on.
Her world has kind of been cracked open at the end of Season 2, and she’s had these experiences that have really made her question whether she is as ready to be the future queen as she thought she was. She’s seeing all these faults in her, and knowledge and places in which she can grow or even apply herself to help the great cause. It’s a real wonderful thing to be playing out these dynamics that are spoken about before, but actually to be able to see them on screen and have incredible actors play these roles, as well. I’ve felt very lucky to be working alongside Olivia Williams and Luke Fetherston and Callum Kerr. They just brought these characters to life so incredibly that there was very little work to do, really.

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They also discuss Lanfear’s begrudging alliance with Moiraine.

For you, too, Ayoola, you’re in a similar position because this is also the season where we’re getting a deep dive into the Aiel culture. We’ve met the Maidens already, but we’ve also had new casting announced before this conversation. What did you really enjoy about getting to dig into the Aiel culture, especially with the characters journeying to the Waste? Did that change your approach to Aviendha at all once you were able to fully immerse yourself in where she comes from?
AYOOLA SMART: Definitely. It 100% informed me this season. I was really blown away by the emotional effect of what it felt like to be in the Aiel Waste, and to bring her home in that sense, and also to be bringing her home with this internal struggle about how she feels about Rand and Rand as the Car’a’carn. In Season 2, we have her in such a driven, direct, goal-orientated state. She has a very strong purpose, and by the end of the season, she kind of achieves that in a sense.
With Season 3 and turning back and getting this expansion to her world, and with the Aiel, we get to see why it’s such a big deal and to feel not just her personal singular responsibility of who this man is and what this prophecy is, but to feel that through a whole group of new people. It was such an incredible feeling to see that world expand and to physically see that world expand, as well, and to see Cold Rocks Hold and [what] all of these places actually look like and be inside of them and all of the new characters that we’re going to meet this season is so fantastic. I think everyone’s going to really, really love them.
Ceara Coveney and Ayoola Smart Were Excited To Develop Elayne and Aviendha’s Relationship in ‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3

Image via Prime Video

Speaking of something that I loved and was delighted by, in the books I always have had the sense that Aviendha has been Elayne’s wingwoman, and is like her number one fan, but the relationship between your characters takes a turn that some people may not be expecting, and it really deepens them beyond just a shared connection to Rand. I wanted to know what your reaction was when you read that in the script and saw that this [was] how the relationship between them was going to be deepening. Were there any conversations about how long these two have been doing this little dance around each other leading up to that moment?
COVENEY: I was really excited when I read that we were going to be diving into this in this season, and so soon, as well. Our characters kind of obviously are only just meeting in the story, in the timeline of the show, but I really loved the idea that they just have such a strong connection and a strong attraction to each other, and I think that is something that’s really evident in the books, as well. So to be able to explore that and to plant the seeds very early and know that this is something that we hope to come back to and to explore and this connection to each other, it was really lovely.
SMART: I agree. I think it’s nice to see two people just go after what they want, and I think that’s demonstrated by how early it happens. I think that connects nicely to them and their relationship, but also to what kind of people they are individually, as well, and the women that they’re becoming. I think it will definitely be a surprise to some people, and not to others, and I think there is that ambiguity that goes through the relationship in the books. We all thought that it feels quite clear, so it’s nice that we are just tipping it over and making it, “This is what it is.”
The first three episodes of The Wheel of Time Season 3 are now streaming. New episodes premiere Thursdays on Prime Video.

The Wheel of Time

Release Date

November 18, 2021

Network

Prime Video

Showrunner

Rafe Judkins

Directors

Sanaa Hamri, Ciaran Donnelly, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Thomas Napper, Maja Vrvilo, Wayne Che Yip

Writers

Amanda Kate Shuman, Dave Hill, Rohit Kumar, Justine Juel Gillmer, Celine Song, Rammy Park, The Clarksons Twins, Katherine B. McKenna