Top 10 Things You Missed In The Wheel of Time Trailer
#10: The Taint
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The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass … and what turns that wheel is the power known as the True Source. As readers of the books know, the True Source is divided into two halves: saidin and saidar. Men who can channel the One Power use saidin, and women saidar, but saidin has a catch. When male channelers sealed away the Dark One, saidin became tainted, driving them mad. In the trailer, you can actually see this dark taint when Álvaro Morte’s Logain uses the One Power. Speaking to IGN, showrunner Rafe Judkins referred to this as “the corruption”. We have to admit, it is less susceptible to jokes than ‘the Dark One’s taint’.
#9: Moiraine's Blue Stone
We’ve had a few glimpses of Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred in previous clips. But the main trailer gave us an even better look. For the uninitiated, Moiraine is an Aes Sedai, an order of female channelers divided into groups called Ajahs. A member of the Blue Ajah, dedicated to righteous causes and justice, Moiraine wears her Ajah colors proudly in the trailer. But that blue stone on her forehead also has another raison d’etre. It’s a jeweled pendant traditionally worn by high-born ladies in Cairhien, where she was born, and acts as a focus for a sneaky skill she’s developed using the One Power. While it’s a small detail, it’s an iconic part of her character that we’re glad made it into the series.
#8: The Warder Bond
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In the books, Lan Mandragoran is stoic and stony, his face all hard ‘planes and angles’. While Daniel Henney’s Lan also seems suitably dangerous, there’s a moment in the trailer, at what looks like a funeral, where he’s overcome by emotion. As Moiraine’s Warder, Lan is Bonded to her, granting him increased stamina and the ability to heal faster, but also meaning that the two share an awareness of what the other is feeling. In this moment, also broken down by Rafe Judkins for IGN, we see Moiraine reacting to Lan’s pain, tears rolling down her cheeks. It isn’t just sympathy; she’s really feeling what he does.
#7: Whitecloak Trophies
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. Nicknamed “Whitecloaks”, the Children of the Light are a zealous military organization dedicated to rooting out Darkfriends, devotees of the Dark One. But they’re not particularly interested in fair trials. Because male channelers went mad and broke the world long ago, Whitecloaks hate anything to do with the One Power. In the trailer, we see Whitecloak Eamon Valda, played by Abdul Salis, burning an Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah at the stake. And in a brief shot, you can see that he actually wears a collection of Great Serpent rings - the rings worn by Aes Sedai. That means he’s killed quite a few already. The Whitecloaks seem to pose a serious threat in this adaptation.
#6: Braid Tugging
We didn’t get any sniffing or smoothing of skirts in this trailer. But we do get a very emphatic braid tug! Nynaeve al'Meara’s habit of tugging on her braid when she’s mad is rather notorious among fans, because … well … she’s mad a lot! In fact, fans did a count, and there are 60 incidents of braid tugging in the books, peaking for some reason in “The Dragon Reborn”. Box our ears if that’s not a lot! As a nice nod to this habit, the Wisdom of Emond’s Field, played by Zoë Robins, reaches for her braid once in the trailer, giving it a very satisfying flip. Hmmm, wonder if we can get some mustache knuckling in there too?
#5: "One of the Five of You"
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When Trollocs attack Emond’s Field, Moiraine concludes that Rand, Mat, or Perrin were their target … at least in the books. But in the trailer, she refers to one of five. It’s a quick snippet of dialogue, but it is curious. Presumably, Egwene and Nynaeve are the other two. But for reasons we won’t go into here, this doesn’t add up. Is it clever misdirection from Moiraine to keep the girls in tow? Mind you, in Jordan’s earlier drafts, the three boys were actually four - Dannil Lewin left with them and appears on a preview cover. The final cover still featured too many characters leaving Emond’s Field - since Nynaeve caught up later. At least Moiraine’s cryptic remark keeps up the funny business with numbers!
#4: Ba'alzamon
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The Dark One might be imprisoned, but his influence is still felt in the world. During the Trolloc Wars, a dark figure showed up to lead the Shadow’s armies: Ba’alzamon, whose name means “Heart of the Dark”. Believed to be the Father of Lies himself, he led the Shadowspawn against the once glorious nation Manetheren. Amazon’s trailer for season one features a “360 Experience” that allows you to look around the screen. And if you look at the right moment, when Moiraine issues a grave warning about the Dark One, you can see faces emerge from the darkness - a Myrddraal, a Trolloc, and Ba’alzamon himself, his eyes endless caverns of fire! You can also see the Aes Sedai symbol and phrases in the Old Tongue!
#3: The Blood Snow
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The Westlands are full of scheming and political intrigue. But all the kingdoms came together for the Aiel War, when the Aiel, inhabitants of desert lands to the East, invaded. It culminated in the Battle of the Shining Walls outside of Tar Valon. However, it was so bloody, soldiers who were there called it the Blood Snow. These moments from the trailer seem to depict that battle, with an Aiel vaulting over a Wetlander. Look closely and you can see the nine golden bees of Illian on the soldier’s breastplate. He may be one of Illian’s famed “Companions”. This could be part of a flashback, since a certain beloved character was a Second Captain of the Companions, before making an unexpected discovery on the slopes of Dragonmount …
#2: Hints of New Spring
Adapting Robert Jordan’s sprawling 14 book series for the screen is no small challenge. Showrunner Rafe Judkins has said he hopes to remain true to the source material while also condensing the story. The first season will pull from the first two books and even some of the third. It looks like we’ll also get some moments from Jordan’s prequel novel “New Spring”. The trailer shows Moiraine swearing the Three Oaths on the Oath Rod in the White Tower, as she’s raised from Accepted to Aes Sedai. This was part of “New Spring”, which detailed how Moiraine embarked on her quest to find the Dragon Reborn and made Lan her Warder. Will we see Lan dunk her in pond water too? Probably not but hey, who knows? Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Tarwin's Gap Beyond the City of Fal Dara, You Can See This Crucial Mountain Pass Leading into the Blight Liandrin & Alanna In a Departure From the Books, Moiraine Battles Logain, Alongside the Red with the Rosebud Mouth & the Graceful Green
#1: Hitherto Unseen Characters
We did get a brief glimpse of Michael McElhatton’s Tam in the teaser. But the trailer gave us a better look as he draws his Heron Mark blade. And is that Narg?! Well, in the book, Narg isn’t the first Trolloc through the door; nor is he described as having horns. But hey, maybe he’s changed it up. Narg smart! Previously, Eamon Valda and Thom Merrilin had only appeared in a behind-the-scenes special. But freeze frame, and that looks like Thom fighting a Myrddraal! We also saw several characters for the very first time, including Aram and Loial, though they’re easy to miss. The handsome Tinker can be seen, apparently unconscious, when Whitecloaks surround Perrin and Egwene. And that’s everyone’s favourite Ogier near the Waygate - about to get into all sorts of trouble with those hasty humans!
