Warning: The following article on the problem with the Dragon Reborn in Amazon’s Wheel of Time series contains spoilers for the show and the books on which it’s based.
Wheel of Time Season 2 has officially ended, and to me, it’s an improvement on the first. Unfortunately, the sophomore season has notable issues that continue to plague the epic fantasy. Showrunner Rafe Judkins and his team have made surprising decisions with regard to the characters and the world.
Whether it be how Perrin is now a remorseless killing machine, exhibited when he slaughtered Lord Captain Bornhald, to humanizing notable Dark Friends such as Liandrin, there have been many unnecessary changes. Perhaps the most unnecessary and baffling changes to the Wheel of Time story, though, are the choices surrounding the man himself: Rand Al’Thor.
Wheel of Time Season 1 had several issues, and Rand got barely any time to shine. Many newcomers to the series believed his journey would be to become Egwene’s Warder. Another faction saw Mat as the Dragon due to his far more intense storyline revolving around the dagger. Others believed that either Egwene or Nynaeve would be the Dragon Reborn. With Nynaeve’s immense power and Egwene’s fervour for learning and growing stronger. All this served to push Rand further into the background within the first season.
In the Wheel of Time Season 1 finale, after several episodes of buildup, The Dragon Reborn was finally facing “‘The Dark One.” Now when Rand faced him, with a powerful Sa’angreal in hand he limply pointed it at his foe and Rand’s opponent disappeared. Meanwhile, a few hundred leagues away several female channelers decimate an army of trollocs. It’s a sight to behold, however when compared to the book it feels unearned, in my opinion.
This was a moment to showcase the power of the fledgling Dragon Reborn, blasting the army with lightning, raining fire, and swallowing them up with earthquakes. This was all that Rand did in a moment of rage and fear in Book One. Within the series, we get him pointing an object at a guy.
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My frustration only grew as we entered Season 2 of Wheel of Time. This is mainly due to genuine moments that I was impressed by. Nynaeve’s Accepted test was emotional, Elyas’ brief appearance was memorable, Lanfear was a a standout. This brings me to the two MVPs of Season 2: Newcomer Dónal Finn who carried Mat’s uncertain story to an emotionally charged climax. And Madeleine Madden gave us not only the closest book-accurate storyline but also the most impressive storyline of the series.
Compare this to Rand’s journey in Season 2 in the Wheel of Time. He is constantly told he is the most important being in the universe, yet he does nothing of import throughout the whole series. He’s not a character, he’s a plot device. He’s used to push other characters’ storylines. He frees Moiraine from her shielding, he’s an accessory for the Forsaken storylines. And worst of all he’s simply a weapon for the Aes Sedai. In none of these moments does he shine as a character.
One moment that stood out to me involved him being shielded by Leane. If you remember in Season 1 of the Wheel of Time, Logain the False Dragon had to be shielded constantly by two Aes Sedai around the clock. He himself stated Rand was far more powerful than him, yet Rand is shielded by a single Aes Sedai. In raw strength, he should be almost impossible to hold by one person. It’s a woeful piece of visual storytelling and further exemplifies the power, or lack thereof, of the supposed Dragon Reborn.
Then along came the Wheel of Time season finale and I loved almost every moment of it. Mat and Egwene as I stated earlier are a significant highlight for myself. Meanwhile, Rand is sauntering around the city of Falme trying to find a purpose. When he “clashes” with Lord Turak, he simply kills him with a weave. Now you might think this a display of power. However, in many fans’ eyes, this was another missed opportunity to showcase an aspect of Rand as a character, his impressive swordsmanship.
This all came to a cataclysmic collection of choices that turned Rand into an observer of his own story. Instead of Rand fighting Ishamael in the skies above Falme and then proclaiming himself, Rand found himself stabbed by Mat, being protected by Egwene and Perrin and being shielded again by a bunch of Seanchan (who Moiraine definitely kills but that’s another issue for another day).
And when Rand was finally freed, was there an explosion of power? An eruption of rage toward the man who has hurt so many of the people he loves? No, instead Rand walks up to a dumbfounded Ishamael and stabs him in the chest with his sword. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Rand doesn’t even proclaim himself. He stands under the banner of a dragon clueless.
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This was a massive misstep and I believe that this could have been rectified. I simply look to another series about an overpowered being. This series is emotionally charged and full of grandeur and scope. It’s also done on a budget that does not come close to this series. I’m of course talking about Legion starring Dan Stevens. Legion dealt with a godlike character with mental issues and gave the character the proper time to evolve as both a character and as a force of nature. All the while building up his supporting cast of eccentric characters. This series even has a scene that is reminiscent of the original battle of Falme in the book iteration of Wheel of Time.
When it comes down to it, the character of Rand Al’Thor as well as the actor Josha Stradowski are underutilized by the series. In the brief moments of genuine emotion Rand is given, Josha excels. Unfortunately, they are barely even touched upon within the Wheel of Time series. By stripping Rand of the supporting cast he had around him in the books, Rand cannot grow in a convincing or compelling manner in the series.
Going forward, I hope that the team behind the Wheel of Time realise that they’ve caged their Dragon for too long and he needs to be let loose.
