Almost two years have gone since The Wheel of Time season 1 debuted, and the wait for additional episodes has been torturous following the death-defying cliffhangers in the conclusion.
Finally, season 2 is about to be released on Prime Video, and we can declare without a doubt in our review that this series is a magnificent example of fantasy at its most amazing.
The outstanding ensemble cast returns, led by producer Rosamund Pike as Aes Sedai legend Moiraine, who appears to have been separated from the One Power that permits her to channel magic.
The video gave a look into the lives of Moiraine’s teenage friends who embarked on a risky adventure with her in the first season, including the Dragon Reborn Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski), who was assumed dead following a battle with the Dark One (Fares Fares).
Egwene (Madeleine Madden) and Nynaeve (Zo Robins) approach their training to become Aes Sedai at the White Tower in vastly different ways, while Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) is on his own suspenseful, unpredictable mission with a group of sword-wielding comrades to find the traitor Padan Fain (Johann Myers).
Meanwhile, Mat – whose whereabouts are unknown to the remainder of the characters – has returned, with Dónal Finn taking over for season one star Barney Harris and seamlessly filling his predecessor’s shoes.
The first thing to mention is that, while this series may be fully appreciated by people who haven’t read Robert Jordan’s original books, it is certainly a love letter to his captivating writing.
If watching The Wheel of Time is your first encounter to this universe, there is a lot of fanciful discourse to get your head around.
The drama, on the other hand, expertly pulls in its viewers by ingeniously reminding them of what’s happened previously and introducing new characters without appearing forced or unnatural.
There are numerous scene-stealers to praise, from Kate Fleetwood’s merciless portrayal of Liandrin, an Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah, to Lan (Daniel Henney) venting his rage over frosty, devastating developments in his journey with Moiraine, to whom he previously devoted his life.
Nonetheless, our highest praise must go to Zo, whose character Nynaeve is still coming to grips with the fate that may lie her now that she has realised the entire scope of her ability.
With her visceral performance in the first four episodes (we’ve seen four of the eight episodes coming in season two), Nynaeve will make you feel as if your heart has been ripped out of your chest.
You’ll be astounded by Nynaeve’s powers as you are by Zo’s depth, and we’re certain that she has many more surprises in store for us in the second half of the season.
While there’s no disputing that the Dark One was a powerful foe in season one, as Moiraine predicted, the showdown with him was only the beginning.
The latest episodes have terrible hostile threats that will have readers of the novels, in especially, screaming in glee and dread at their televisions.
When fans finally have an opportunity to return to the realm of the Aes Sedai, there will be no escaping the obvious parallels to other fantasy franchises like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
The Wheel of Time does not have the same platform as Game of Thrones, which became a worldwide sensation over the course of eight seasons. However, we believe it should.
And, in comparison to The Rings of Power, which was considered as the most costly TV show ever produced, we must state that we feel more emotionally engaged to people in The Wheel of Time while following their disparate storylines.
In addition to the show’s established stars, there are also compelling newcomers, such as Ceara Coveney as White Tower newbie Elayne and Natasha O’Keefe as the alluring Selene.
In an age where TV series appear to be cancelled in an instant for very inexplicable reasons, we can only hope that this adaptation of The Wheel of Time is given the multi-season journey that it richly needs.
The Wheel of Time season 2 premieres on Friday September 1 on Prime Video.
