Grab your Warder and watch out for trollocs, The Wheel of Time is back! The first season of the Prime Video fantasy series was good. The second one was even better. Now, the third season is off to a promising start with “To Race The Shadow.” The Wheel of Time season 3 episode 1 covers a lot in one episode. Both the action and the relationships provide emotional beats to savor.
The last time we saw Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski), he proved to the world that he is the Dragon Reborn by killing Ishamael (Fares Fares), second-in-command to the Dark One. Rand wasn’t alone. His friends including his Aes Sedai guide and her Warder all gathered together and played their part. Whether they assisted against Ishamael or fought the Seanchan invaders, they united against the Dark. It won’t be the last time they’ll have to do so.
There are action sequences that will leave you breathless and romantic moments that will bring tears to your eyes in The Wheel of Time season 3 episode 1. “To Race The Shadow” kicks off the season at a brisk pace. It also establishes the emotional basis for the storytelling to come. And I’m here for it.
MORE: Read our thoughts on the season 2 finale of The Wheel of Time!
“They will follow you to the end of the earth.”
This episode, and therefore this season, kicks off firing on all cylinders with a battle among the Aes Sedai in the White Tower itself. The villainous Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood) revealed her allegiance to the Dark last season. Her fellow Aes Sedai finally learn the truth about her now, causing more Dark Friends to show themselves. The fighting is brutal. It will also have lasting emotional effects for reasons I can’t– and won’t– spoil.
Related to this battle, the political maneuvering within the Aes Sedai has always been an interesting subplot for this series. The plot turn here ensures it will stay interesting. The idea that there could be more Aes Sedai sworn to the Shadow than we have seen so far engages the audience for the long term. We wonder who we can trust, and the conflict adds more tension for the other characters than they already have. That’s good potential for future storytelling.
What all this means for Rand is that Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) is pretty much the only Aes Sedai he can count on. At least for right now. Nynaeve (Zoe Robins) may have gone through the Arches to become an Accepted last season but she is still mentally blocked from channeling. Rand’s sweetheart Egwene (Madeleine Madden) is a talented channeler and goes through the Arches herself in this episode, but her trauma from last season is a constant struggle. Their support for Rand never wavers, though.
MORE: Read about some of the new actors coming to The Wheel of Time!
“It’s you and me to the end.”
In a similar way, the writing of this episode shores up the romantic ships viewers like me invest in. Egwene insists on accompanying Rand when he sets out at the end of this episode toward his next goal, and he comforts her as she continues to process her ordeal from season two. They back each other up. We know Egwene will eventually have to find out about Rand’s entanglement with Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe) last season but for now, they are a united front.
The writers don’t forget the other ships, either. Elayne (Ceara Coveney) and Aviendha (Ayoola Smart) have a sweet beginning here. Aviendha joins Rand on his journey so their future will have to come later but you want it to after this episode. My personal favorite pairing, Lan (Daniel Henney) and Nynaeve, really hit me in the feels. Their connection is palpable now that they are back in the same place. Lan may be Moiraine’s Warder but his scenes with Nynaeve are what great ships are made of.
As the characters we care about go their separate ways at the end of “To Race the Shadow,” I’m ready to follow them and find out what comes next. The Forsaken servants of the Dark One will be coming for Rand. Channeling will challenge Rand’s sanity and pull him toward the Dark. But The Wheel of Time 3×01 immerses the viewer back into this fantasy tale in a way that feels effortless and satisfies both the action junkies and the shippers like me.
MORE: See an overview of The Wheel of Time season 3 by watching the trailer!
The Wheel of Time is streaming on Prime Video.
