So far, the characters of The Wheel of Time have had clear goals during Season 3, and the plotting has steadily advanced toward those goals. And the relationships have developed along the way. All of that has led to this week’s episode, “The Road to the Spear,” and what an episode it is. The Wheel of Time Season 3, Episode 4 features some of the best storytelling of the entire series.
Given where all the other characters are and what they’re doing, this episode is a good time to focus on Rand (Josha Stradowski). He decided to come to the Aiel Waste because he knew he would need an army to stand behind him for the Last Battle. Rand has known he is the Dragon Reborn since the end of season 1, and he has learned a lot from the Aiel, but these desert-dwelling people have a different ideology, and he’ll have to prove to them he is the Car’a’carn. Doing that requires him to go through the ancient Aiel city of Rhuidean. That’s what “The Road to the Spear” is all about.
The Wheel of Time Season 3, Episode 4 takes an important piece of Rand’s journey and brings it to life with stunning visuals. The incredible blend of the past and possible future in the writing of this episode makes it one of my favorite episodes in the entire series. And one of the best too, I think.
MORE: Check out our review of the season 3 premiere of The Wheel of Time!
“We’ve been connected since before I was born.”
Rhuidean is a rite of passage for the Aiel. Men go in to become clan chiefs, and women go in to become Wise Women. It is dangerous. However, if Rand makes it through and he is the Car’a’carn, he will be marked twice. The stakes are high for Rand. He needs the Aiel as his army, and for that to happen, they must all acknowledge him as the Car’a’carn. Before he goes in, the Wise Women Bair (Nukaka Coster-Waldau) and Melaine (Salome Gunnarsdottir) warn Rand about what he will face. “You will learn about the Aiel through the eyes of your blood ancestors,” they tell him. “Every step will take you further back in time.”
Thus begins what just might be the best sequence this show has produced so far. First, there’s the way Rhuidean looks. It is called “the City in the Clouds” for a reason. After Rand goes into the fog, the forest of glass columns creates a force of magic he struggles to walk through. Second, Rand experiences meaningful moments of the past that teach him a lot. He learns about his birth, the origins of the Aiel, and the Breaking of the World centuries ago. All this allows Stradowski to stretch his acting range further than he has before. I was impressed. At this moment, while Rand is still resisting the madness that overcomes men who can channel magic, the viewer recognizes the value of these revelations for him personally and not just so he can become the Car’a’carn.
MORE: Catch up with our review of The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 2!
“Sometimes, fate seems so strong.”
Rand isn’t the only one Rhuidean will change. Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) asks permission from the Wise Women to also go into the sacred city, and for her, the experience is different. Women enter a structure of 3 rings, and they see visions of “a thousand, thousand” possible futures. (Wouldn’t that be a million?) What Moiraine sees is terrifying. Over and over again, through striking camera work, Moiraine watches herself or Rand die, usually at the hand of Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe). It is a grim outlook. How can the Light triumph in the Last Battle if the future looks like that? Or even comes close to that?
One thing, however, is clear. Lanfear is prominent in both the past and future. She claimed to Rand that they had a history because she was connected to the original Dragon, Lews Telamon, but now he knows some of what truly happened. Lanfear is the most powerful Forsaken. Rand and Moiraine can’t ignore what she might do. This episode is an incredible piece of world-building and character development. I don’t know if I’ve done justice to “The Road to the Spear” with this review but The Wheel of Time Season 3, Episode 4 is one of the best episodes of the series. It will no doubt be a highlight for book fans and show fans for years to come.
MORE: Remind yourself what happened in the last episode with our review of The Wheel of Time Season 3, Episode 3!
The Wheel of Time is streaming on Prime Video.
