Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episodes 1-3.
The Wheel of Time is finally back for Season 3, and the Prime Video series doesn’t waste any time launching viewers right into the action, as we’re reintroduced to this epic fantasy world with a sequence that showrunner Rafe Judkins once categorized as “bonkers.” It’s also an opener that forces our heroes to realize that nowhere is truly safe; if the White Tower of Tar Valon can be infiltrated by the Black Ajah, right under the Amyrlin Seat’s (Sophie Okonedo) nose, then who else could possibly be a threat?
Ahead of the return of The Wheel of Time, Collider had the opportunity to speak with showrunner Rafe Judkins as well as several cast members, including Okonedo and Daniel Henney, who plays Moiraine’s (Rosamund Pike) steadfast Warder, Lan Mandragoran. Over the course of the interview, which you can either watch above or read below, Okonedo and Henney discuss that incredible Season 3 opener, why this is Okonedo’s favorite season by far, their characters’ respective romances with Moiraine and Nynaeve (Zoë Robins), and more.
COLLIDER: The incredible White Tower scene, which I know some fans got to see a little bit of at CCXP, Rafe described as a bunch of women just shredding each other at one point — which, based on what we see, is pretty fitting. Sophie, what do you remember most, or what stands out most vividly in your mind, from filming that entire sequence?
SOPHIE OKONEDO: I haven’t seen it, so actually I can just go by memories. I haven’t seen the final thing at all. When I first read it, I kept turning the page, like, “This is still going on. This is still going on now. Oh my god, I’m in it. I’m in it a lot. Oh my god, I haven’t done that sort of thing that much. How am I going to manage?” I think it took two weeks and it was actually quite exciting. I thought it’d be lots of repeat, repeat, repeat, but they had it so sorted about the way it was going to look. [Director] Ciaran [Donnelly] is brilliant doing those sequences.
The thing that stood out for me is I spent a lot of time just doing one character with little scenes here and there over the years, and so I actually haven’t met a lot of the characters or don’t get to see them, and I got to spend two weeks in a room with all those women, and we had a riot. I know that we’re not all meant to get on, but we obviously did when we were there, and we had a really good time, and it was a really good way to start that season. I can’t wait to see it.
Sophie Okonedo Explains the Significance of That Siuan/Moiraine Scene in ‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3 Premiere

Image via Prime Video

There’s the fight in the White Tower, but then it spills out into the streets of Tar Valon, and there is a moment that we get between Moiraine and Siuan that I did want to follow up with you about, which is essentially Moiraine saving Siuan’s life. The last time we saw these two was at the Waygate, and that was a very emotional farewell. What do you think a gesture like that from Moiraine signals to Siuan about where Moiraine’s head is at, her current mindset, the state of their relationship, all of it?
OKONEDO: We’re the love of each other’s lives. Of course she does that, as well. We’re the big love in each other’s lives, so no matter what we go through, when and how long we’re apart, ultimately that’s what it’s about, is that they have that love that they have for each other, and it’s so powerful, and it’s so painful, as well, because it can’t happen. All the circumstances that come in front of them just mean it can’t happen. It can’t happen. It can’t happen. So, that’s always the challenge with those two, and it’s kind of heartbreaking.
Speaking of powerful and painful love, Daniel, I’m going to ask you some Lan and Nynaeve questions. He comes in on the heels of all this destruction and devastation and finds Nynaeve among the wreckage, so to speak. How do you feel that moment informs his actions around her? Because it does feel like from that point on, he’s a lot more protective of her.
DANIEL HENNEY: I remember shooting that day. It was pretty powerful. The sets are amazing and it feels very real. I remember feeling bad for Zoë [Robins] that day because she’d been laying in the rubble for hours. Everyone is strong in the show, but they’re also very vulnerable, and I think vulnerability presents itself often. Life is fragile, and to Lan seeing that, it just solidified even more that he needs to protect her and he sees his future in her.
I think it’s the first time he’s had feelings like this for another human, although he has very strong feelings for Moiraine and love for Moiraine, [Nynaeve] represents a new chapter to him, what his future could be. If you’ve read the books, you know what that entails. So, I think it just solidifies even more what he feels for her and how much he does have to protect her, and makes it even harder when he has to leave her like he often does.

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Daniel Henney on the Significance of That Ring Scene in ‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3 Premiere

Image via Prime Video

I did want to ask about [Lan] giving Nynaeve his mother’s ring, because it almost feels like a proposal, as much as he is able to offer one at this moment. Was that your interpretation of that scene, or did you have another read of it?
HENNEY: That was my interpretation. In the States in high school, you have promise rings. I guess that’s the closest thing to it. We couldn’t quite propose, but that’s Lan promising her their future as much as you can. The gesture is huge. It’s his mother’s ring. It’s one of the last few things he has of his lost family, and to give that to someone is a huge gesture.
In this season, you’re going to start to see his shift in thoughts toward his past more. Through another relationship this season [where] he learns more about what’s happened in his past, and he starts to shift his focus toward bigger life questions.
Sophie, it feels like we are getting a lot more Siuan this season, and not just her as the Amyrlin Seat, but she’s more stripped down, she’s a little more casual, at least outside of what we’ve seen before. She’s had these meetings with Moiraine where she’s more relaxed, but we are seeing her in these meetings with Elayne or Mat, characters you haven’t really gotten a chance to bounce off of before. What was that like, getting a chance to really play off of more of the cast this season?
OKONEDO: That’s why this is my favorite season by far. I got to do the thing I do, which is acting. I had funny scenes and then scenes that were serious and then devastating scenes. I get to go through the whole gamut of emotions and feelings, which made it an exciting season for me. I think you just get to see the more human. You do get to see that she’s fallible. She’s all those things.
The first three episodes of The Wheel of Time Season 3 are now streaming on Prime Video. New episodes premiere Thursdays.

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