I wanted to reach out to fans of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time for one a very specific reason. How long will the show tease the identity of the Dragon Reborn?
Just recently, I completed a short article about the recent casting of Clare Perkins as Kerene Nagashi and what it means for the future of Amazon's adaptation. It gave me a better idea of how the series will play out. If you're reading this, your probably an avid fan of The Wheel of Time already, but there are some readers who haven't had the chance to sit down and read through the prequel, New Spring.
The significance of casting Kerene Nagashi, along with one of her warders played by Peter Frazen, means the upcoming series will include material from the prequel. The easiest way to do this is through flashbacks. Adaptations commonly use flashbacks to pass along vital info from the books, usually internal dialogue, to the audience. And it is likely the main reason the show is casting characters from New Spring is to include scenes about the Foretelling by Gitara Moroso and Moiraine and Siuan's early role in the search for the Dragon Reborn.
To recap, the novel begins at the end of the Aiel War. Meanwhile, a Foretelling by Gitara has told of the Dragon's rebirth. The Amyrlin at the time, Tamra Opsrey, Moiraine Damodred and Siuan Sanche are the only ones to witness it. Tamra then sends the two Accepted to deliver five messages to five sisters. These sisters would becomes Tamra's Searchers for the Dragon Reborn, with one of the five being Kerene Nagashi, who drowns mysteriously after.
It seems like things are lining up to set up flashbacks halfway through the first season. I'll predict that the flashbacks occur when Moiraine and company encounter Siuan and Leane Sharif, who has already been cast and will be played by Jennifer Cheon Garcia. It might be just one scene of the Foretelling or it could be many scenes from their training in the White Tower. Based off of a Twitter comment, we know the first scene will be Padan Fain riding into the Two Rivers, so it is unlikely the show will begin with material from the prequel and instead will incorporate flashbacks.
But here's the kicker. The Hollywood Reporter first reported the first season to have a heavy focus on Moiraine. Here's the quote:
The Wheel of Time is set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it. The drama follows Moiraine (Pike), a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity.
Moiraine isn't the sole hero of the series, but guides our protagonists to the point where the journey becomes their own. "One of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity," is a telling sentence in its own right. Having been familiar with the books for so long, it is easy to forget how long we've known who the Dragon is. For Amazon, new viewers won't have a clue, and as fans we need to be respectful of that fact if we want the show to succeed and the fandom to keep growing.
And that is where I see the connection. These possible flashbacks, which I am assuming come later in the season, will coincide with the reveal of the Dragon Reborn. Eye of the World teases the identity of the Dragon Reborn up until, really, the end of the book when he consciously channels. It might seem obvious who it is now, but I guarantee Amazon will have a field day hinting and misleading viewers as to the identity of this powerful reincarnation all the way until the season finale.
That's all from me for now. If I have any thought pieces that are casual or don't have enough sources to be published over at WinterIsComing, I will post them here. Feel free to reach out to my Twitter handle, @Danceswthspears and join #TwitterOfTime if you are a fan and have not already. As we near closer to this new chapter in our fandom, I can't wait to see what this community has in store.