Tarmon Gai’don is fast approaching and all who hope to stand against the Shadow must be prepared and ready for the fight to come.The Wheel of Timecontinues to spin, with the Pattern weaving threads as it sees fit. The same can be said for showrunnerRafe Judkins, who has made some alterations to the source material provided byRobert Jordan’s writings. Some of these changeshave drawn criticismfrom sections of the fanbase well versed in the original writings. In earlier episodes of Season 3, the show persisted with the changes, one of the biggest being the kiss shared by Aviendha and Elayne.
While Aviendha and Elayne were close in the books, a romance between the pair was never explicitly described. Judkins’The Wheel of Timedoes andAyoola Smart, who plays Aviendha on the show, commented on the change in an interview withScreen Rant. “I feel like there is such a rich depth to their friendship and their relationship in the books that it feels like it’s all in there anyway,” Smart says. The other half of this change is Elayne (Ceara Coveney), the Daughter Heir of Queen Morgase Trakand (Olivia Williams), ruler of Andor. Smart’s sentiments regarding the kiss are equally shared by Coveney, who adds:
“There is such a connection between the two characters and it is really lovely to be able to open up their romantic lives so early in the season as well, especially because we haven’t seen that side to either of the characters.To have a moment of connection… it was really wonderful. It’s a nice seed to plant and, hopefully, audiences will be wanting to see more in the future.”
In Jordan’s books, Princess Elayne and Maiden of the Spear, Aviendha, were romantically involved only with Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski). The Dragon Reborn is not one who is lacking in potential partners, with the likes ofEgwene al’Vere(Madeleine Madden) andthe Forsaken, Lanfear(Natasha O’Keeffe) all numbering in potential romantic interests. Smart was quizzed on if the kiss changes the direction of travel regarding romantic overtures towards Rand from her character and Elayne. The actress responds, saying, “I don’t think taking that very definite step over the line necessarily has to impact their relationship in a divergence from the books, really, in any way.”
How Long Might ‘The Wheel of Time’ Spin?
Jordan’s original book series covers several novels, fourteen to be precise, and so far, three seasons have covered the events in just three of those novels. With Season 3jumping forwardto adaptThe Shadow Rising. This suggests that there is some way to go to bring the story to a satisfactory conclusion, and Judkinspreviously hintedat how many seasons it might take to accomplish that task. “I can see versions of the show that are six or seven seasons, but part of what makes the series great is the length,” Judkins explains. “It’s one of the reasons people read itand it stands alone in that sense.But I’m always realistic. I’m sure everyone will be happy if they’re like, ‘Oh, can you just do a satisfying ending in season 4 because we don’t make shows that long anymore.'”
New episodes ofThe Wheel of TimeSeason 3 premiere Thursdays onPrime Video.
The Wheel of Time
Source:Screen Rant
