The Wheel of Time Season 3 is here, and it will see a drastic shift for Moiraine, who recently got her Aes Sedai powers back following the events of Season 3.
When Season 3 starts off, Rand and his friends are all together for the first time in ages. However, as one might expect, events unfold that press everyone into action as the Dark One's servants, the Forsaken, close in.
The Direct was able to sit down with stars Rosamund Pike (Moiraine), Josha Stradowski (Rand), Daniel Henny (Lan Mandragoran), and Sophie Okonedo (Siuan Sache) to talk about what Season 3 has in store.
Rosamund Pike on Moriaine's Powerful Season 3 Journey
"She Undergoes a Kind Of Cataclysmic Discovery..."
- The Direct: "Now, Rosamund, I wanted to ask about Moiraine real quick. She's got her powers back now, after the events of Season 2, following a change in the source material that you previously spoke about in 2023 that wasn't necessarily your favorite. So, now that Season 3 is here, how has that experience been now that the character is fully back [and] powered up, and how different will her journey be in these new episodes?"
Rosamund Pike: [It's] massively different, because Moiraine's stillness and poise is all in counterpoint to the power that she knows she can unleash. And I feel completely different playing her when she knows she has that agency.
But you know, nonetheless, she undergoes a kind of cataclysmic discovery in Episode 4, which will change the course of her behavior towards the end of the season. So there's still a big, pivotal turning point. It's not to do with weakening, in some ways. It has to do with strengthening and solidifying her purpose due to the new knowledge she has.
Rand's Season 3 Arc Explained By Josha Stradowski
"Some Might Even Call [Rand] Arrogant or Stubborn."
- The Direct: "Season 3 finds Rand notably scared [and] extremely cautious to a new degree [of his powers], kind of even leaning on swordsmanship instead. Can you talk about where he is mentally and how you got to explore these new facets of the character?"
Josha Stradowski: "Yes, he's scared. Of course, he's scared, yes, but I wouldn't... I would say he's way more confident than he has ever been before. Some might even call him arrogant or stubborn.
The first episode, he is with his friends... But in the back of his mind, he's already saying goodbye. He's just waiting for the right moment. While Moiraine is trying to split them up, I think Rand is already having conversations with Perrin, for example, of saying, 'I know you're gonna go home, and that's okay.'
So, maybe I wouldn't call it scared, but maybe more like Season 1, back-in-the-day nostalgia, Shepherd kind of Rand, but deep down, I feel like there's more of a direction in him than ever before.
Sophie Okonedo on the Aes Sedai's Massive Restructuring In Season 3
Season 3 Starts With a Scene Fit for a Finale
In The Wheel of Time, Sophie Okonedo plays Siuan Sache, the current Amyrlin Seat and a leading voice for the mystical group known as the Aes Sedai.
However, Season 3 starts off with a bang, and a major conflict within the group threatens to change the organization forever.
- The Direct: "Now for you, Sophie, Season 3 starts off with a bang, kind of seeing the Aes Sedai get a massive restructuring, to say the least. How does Season 3 position the Aes Sedai and your leadership, compared to, you know, how the story [has been]."
Sophie Okonedo: I'm on shaky ground... I gotta jump through a lot of hoops. I mean, there's a lot going on that first scene, and it feels like that was a scene you're gonna put at the end of [a season]. The people are like, we kind of need to keep going now because we set the standards really up for that sequence... As an actor, this [season is] the most fun because this is what you want to do. You want to have loads of things going on, loads of chaos, loads of drama... This is a good season for me.
How Will Lan and Moiraine Grow Closer?
"You're Also Going to See a Lot of Growth From Lan Existentially..."
Daniel Henney plays Landragoran, the Warden to Rosamund Pike's Aes Sedai, Moiraine. The two have a strong connection, even if relations between them were rocky for a while.
- The Direct: "Daniel, Lan regained his connection to Moiraine at the end of Season 2. How will the relationship flourish in new ways with these new episodes?"
Daniel Henney: "In the beginning, they're kind of back in business. You know what I mean? As far as the mission that they've always had, which is to support Rand.
And we're seeing Rand come into sort of new personal dilemmas. What's happening inside of him? We know what happens with men who can channel, those ideas that are out there. And so we see him sort of struggling, admitting to Moiraine about how he feels about it, but Lan is there to support.
But you're also going to see a lot of growth from Lan existentially, thoughts about his future, questions about his past, and potentially exploring those questions further as we move forward."
The Direct's full interview with Rosamund Pike and Josha Stradowski can be viewed below:
Our discussion with Daniel Henney and Sophie Okonedo can also be seen here:
Season 3 of The Wheel of Time will premiere only on Amazon Studios' Prime Video on March 13.
