The Wheel of Time (Season 2), Episode 7: In its second season’s penultimate episode, Amazon Prime’s “The Wheel of Time” raises the intensity to set up a thrilling finale. Carefully thought-out revelations, genuinely intriguing twists, and the different paths of heroes and villains culminating at one common destination have ensured that next week’s season finale will be unmissable. The show’s talented cast has started to shine already. If Madeleine Madden enchanted us in her heartbreaking turn as the imprisoned Egwene in the last episode, Natasha O’Keeffe’s stylishly enigmatic villain, Lanfear, and Sophie Okonedo’s Aes Sedai leader, Siuan, top the performance list in this episode.
The Wheel of Time (Season 2) Episode 7 Recap:
Siuan and Moiraine’s Reunion
In the last episode, the Amyrlin Seat, Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okonedo) comes to Cairhien to meet Moiraine (Rosamund Pike). Moiraine’s warder, Lan (Daniel Henney) had informed Siuan about Moiraine being stilled (being robbed of one’s connection with One Power). In this episode, we get a fond reminder that Moiraine and Siuan are, in fact, lovers, as we see them frolicking in each other’s company in a flashback. The young Moiraine and Siuan planning to retire by the riverside is a bittersweet memory. In that memory, they encountered another older Aes Sedai, Gitara, who could see visions of the future. She informed them about the Dragon being reborn, as we see Rand’s birth while her mother was in a fight.
This memory makes it clear why Moiraine and Siuan secretly searched for the Dragon for all these years. Back in present-day Cairhien, Siuan chastises Moiraine for not informing her about her situation. She decides to meet Rand (Josha Stradowski) in person. Upon meeting Rand, Siuan decides that the plan she and Moiraine had could not be acted upon anymore. Resultantly, she asks Rand to be captured.
Lanfear Comes to Rand’s Aid
The shaky alliance between Rand and one of the most fearsome Forsaken, Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe) comes in handy when Rand asks for her help in his sleep. But it is not only Lanfear who wants to help Rand escape the Aes Sedai imprisonment. Moiraine, with help from Verin Sedai (Meera Syal) already starts to take Rand away. Their destination is Falme, where Egwene (Madeleine Madden) remains captured.
In another sequence, we see Lanfear capture Mat (Donal Finn) and transport him to Falme. It is implied that Lanfear is quite knowledgeable about the Ways (Magical shortcut routes to reach one place from another). Mat is delivered to none other than Ishamael (Fares Fares). Ishamael gives Mat a potion that shows Mat visions of his own life, from this life and other lives. From Mat’s past, as well as from the future.
Perrin Reaches Falme
After missing in the last episode, we see Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) and his wolf friend, Hopper, on their journey. If you remember, Perrin rescued Aviendha (Ayoola Smart), an Aiel warrior woman. Aviendha takes Perrin through the desert and introduces him to some of the Aiel ways when they meet two other Aiel warrior women: Bain and Chiad. These women, or the Maidens of the Spear, have lost one of their comrades. Aviendha was responsible for that woman and consequently, she asks Bain and Chiad to brutally hit her. This punishment was a payment from Aviendha’s side. She calls this ‘toh.’ We are introduced to the Aiel way of “Ji’e’toh.” Perrin, along with this eccentric party, reaches Falme as well.
Liandrin’s Plan
Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood), now free from her love of her son (Lanfear killed him in the last episode), is more determined towards her dark goals. She pays a visit to Moiraine’s familial house, to her sister, Anvaere (Lindsay Duncan). She asks to speak with Anvaere’s son, Barthanes (Will Tudor), alone. Barthanes, who is supposed to be marrying Cairhien’s Queen, reveals himself as a Darkfriend. Liandrin asks him to kill Moiraine, and if needed, Anvaere too.
Anvaere, who was eavesdropping on this conversation, is shocked to find her son doing the bidding of the Dark One. She, sacrificing her love for her son, informs the Queen’s people and has her son captured. She tells Barthanes that despite all their differences, she has learned one thing from her sister, Moiraine. It is the importance of doing the right thing, no matter the cost.
Egwene’s Spirit
In the last episode, we have seen Egwene finally being broken, as she succumbs to life as a Damane. Her Sul’dam, Renna (Xelia Mendes-Jones), seems to be happy to have broken Egwene’s spirit. In this episode, using Egwene’s power, Renna demonstrates how strong she could be, in Sul’dams’ practice. Renna tells Egwene that Seanchan wants to unite the whole world in the name of the Light. To fight against the common enemy. She implies that Egwene should not see her, and all the Seanchan tormentors, as the enemy.
Egwene tells Renna that she still plans to kill her. So, it does not seem that Egwene’s spirit is broken. On the contrary, it appears that Egwene has become more focused, and a bit ruthless when she would need to be. Immense torture would do that to a person.
The Wheel of Time (Season 2) Episode 7 Ending, Explained:
How Did Moiraine Regain Her Power?
One of the big twists that happens towards the end is Moiraine getting her Power back. Thanks to Rand and Lan. It is Lan who asks Rand to look into Moiraine, believing that Moiraine has not been stilled, as she has thought it to be. Lan has read about this ancient magic where a powerful being can put a shield on another channeler and bind it in a way that they would not be able to use One Power. This is similar to how Aes Sedai put a shield up against Rand, or the False Dragon, Logain. But the Aes Sedai’s process of putting a shield is a continuous one. We have seen Aes Sedai maintaining the shield without getting up from their seat. However, this magic is different. Here, this powerful being could just bind the source and leave the victim shielded without continuously using any shielding power.
And Lan is proven to be right as Rand can see the weaves of One Power bound together inside Moiraine, caged by a shield. Ishamael, who is powerful to bind the weaves of One Power inside Moiraine, is not powerful enough to rob Moiraine of her power. At least, not by working alone. So, Rand breaks through that shield, allowing Moiraine to regain her power.
Siuan reaches there and forces Moiraine to close the gate towards Falme. But Lanfear reaches the place as well and she blasts Siuan away. Lanfear is stopped by Rand from killing anyone. Lanfear opens the gate and everyone, including Moiraine follows her. Moiraine throws a last look at Siuan’s teary eyes, who is too weak to stand on her ground. Then she goes inside the Ways.
How would Nynaeve and Elayne go inside the Kennel?
Nynaeve (Zoe Robins) and Elayne (Ceara Coveney) meet Loial in Falme. Loial informs them that Egwene is imprisoned in the prison called ‘Kennel’ by the Seanchan Empire. Only the Sul’dams are allowed to go there. So, Nynaeve and Elayne use the a’dam (the device that chains channeling women and make them Damane to Sul’dams) they got in the last episode. They put it on one Sul’dam, hoping it would allow them to enter the Kennel.
What is the significance of Mat’s Vision?
After drinking the potion from Ishmael, Mat sees a blur of visions. Some are from his past like his mother calling him names. But he also sees himself hanged. He sees a woman stabbing another and a man drowning another. The significance of these visions would be found later in the series. We also see a glimpse of what Ishamael, and other Darkfriends, want with the Wheel of Time. They want to end it to break the chain of reincarnation. They want to introduce a final death. This ideological dichotomy is bound to be a significant point for the war to come.
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