The Wheel of Time season 3 episode 3, “Seeds of Shadow,” is the best episode of the season to date, and it begins with some major reveals and incredible scheming on the part of Lanfear, Sammael, and Rahvin, who is playing his part quite well.
Let’s talk about what happened in the third episode of season 3!
Lord Gaebril is actually Rahvin, one of the Forsaken
“Seeds of Shadow” begins with Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe), Sammael, and Lord Gaebril (Nuno Lopes) meeting to discuss an alliance to help the Dark One’s mission after the death of Ishamael in the season 2 finale. Lanfear proposes they work together to stop Moghedien, but in the conversation, she reveals that Lord Gaebril, the lover of Queen Morgase of Andor.
After the meeting, Rahvin meets with Moghedien (Laia Costa), who was present for the meeting. She claims that Lanfear is playing this as she did before, and Moghedien is not going to end up trapped for 3,000 years again. So, things are not going so well among the Forsaken.
Nynaeve and Elayne figure out what Liandrin is up to
Nynaeve (Zoe Robins) and Elayne (Ceara Coveney) take their job very seriously. The Amyrlin Seat has tasked them with finding the other Black Ajah and figuring out what exactly Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood) is up to. After interviewing some of the Black Ajah who were captured, they find a mysterious marking under Liandrin’s son’s bed.
They track down the mark and realize that it leads to Tanchico, where Liandrin possibly gave birth. They also find that Liandrin stole a bracelet similar to the one used by the Seanchan to steal the power of the Aes Sedai. They theorize that Liandrin must be looking for the matching collar to, gulp, use on another powerful Aes Sedai, which would then give her even more power.
As they make the discovery, a Grey Man attacks them, but they fight him off. The Grey Man dies, but Nynaeve notices he was stabbed by someone, but there was no one else around. Verin (Meera Syal) shows up shortly after, and she’s surprisingly not curious at all about what happened.
Recognizing The White Tower is no longer safe, Nynaeve and Elayne make a plan to leave to Tanchico that night.
Elaida Sedai proposes a quest to find Rand al’Thor and cage him
After seeing Elaida’s hand shaking as she struggles to stop, it’s clear why she stayed behind. She tries to make her move to assemble a group of Aes Sedai to stop Rand al’Thor.
Min (Kae Alexander) begins to assist her while she stays in The White Tower, and Elaida (Shohreh Aghdashloo) reveals that she, too, is a Seer, like Min. She tries to convince Min to make a move using her visions of the future. Min realizes there’s something up with the bracelet Elaida wears, but we don’t know what that’s all about yet.
Elaida also reveals that she’s had a vision that the leader of the Red Ajah will call a vote and win the Amyrlin Seat from Siaun Sanche (Sophie Okonedo), which will lead the Aes Sedai to their original mission: caging the Dragon Reborn.
When the Highest of the Red Ajah balks at Elaida’s plan, she uses her means to send the Highest of the Red Ajah on a mission to find a False Dragon across the world, which gives her the path to become the sitter of the Red Ajah and roll out the plan she told Min about earlier in the episode.
Rand travels for Rhuidean
As Rand and his party join the Wise One and other Aiel on a journey to Rhuidean, they come across a party murdered near the water. Aviendha (Ayoola Smart) thinks the wounds look like a sword wound, but Lan (Daniel Henney) disagrees. The wounds are from a spear made to look like a sword. The Aiel worry that it’s the Shaido, and if it is, they need to leave immediately.
One of the Aiel, Rhuarc, stays behind to bury the dead, but before Rand leaves, he leaves him with some wisdom. He tells Rand, “You know too much and too little.”
Later, Rand has another dream with Lanfear. She said that he was right to stay away from Callandor. Lanfear suggested that she can escape her Dark Oaths if the Dark One was killed, but she needs Rand’s help. They would have to work together.
The Wise One (Nukâka Coster-Waldeau) reveals that they are taking Rand to Rhuidean to see if he will become a Clan leader. He will venture into the fog, but that’s all they say.
A woman from Malkier, Melindhra (Synnøve Macody Lund), reminds Lan of his duty as the leader of his people. He claims that he has not forgotten, which suggest that he might, one day, be interested in taking back his home. We’ll share more about that later.
Perrin leads the people of The Two Rivers
In The Two Rivers, Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) and Alanna bond (Priyanka Bose) over the grief of loved ones lost. Alanna explains why she is wearing Ihvon’s on her face until the grief sinks in and becomes part of her. She doesn’t know how to move forward without Ihvon.
Later, a group of Hunters of the Horn of Valere arrive. They claim to be protecting those in the The Two Rivers from The Whitecloaks, but I’m not so sure. Then, we meet The Whitecloaks, who have arrested the Cauthons for aiding the Aybaras in their escape.
Remember, back in the season 2 finale, Perrin killed Geofram Bornhald in Falme, and now the Whitecloaks, led by Geofram’s son, Dain Bornhald (Jay Duffy). Now, they want Perrin to turn himself or his loved ones will pay the price.
He tries to turn himself in, but then he reconsiders. Instead, he inspires the people of the Two Rivers to stick together and fight against the Trollocs in the town, rather than returning to their homes and farms to die alone.
Min sees Mat’s death
Mat finally apologizes to Min for the pain he has caused her, but while they are talking, Min has a vision. She sees how Mat (Donal Finn) dies, hanging somewhere. It doesn’t look great!
Mat panics, and when he learns Nynaeve is going to hunt for Liandrin, he gets mad, which leads to a confrontation with Elayne’s brothers. Mat, searching for the warrior inside of him after Falme, challenges her brothers,and he wins the duel.
He also earns his spot on the boat with Elayne and Nynaeve to Tanchico, and Min follows them.
Liandrin reveals what she plans to do to Rand
In Tanchico, Liandrin and the Black Ajah arrive. Liandrin returns to the home of her husband, who married her when she was just 13 years old. Disgusted the practice still continues all these years later, Liandrin rips the man’s heart out before the Black Ajah lead a massacre on all the people in the home.
Later, Liandrin paints the matching symbol that Elayne and Nynaeve found at the home in Tanchico.
Liandrin tells Naomi her plan: they are going to find the matching collar in Tanchico and use it to do to Rand what the Seanchan did to Egwene. Now, that, would be make someone awfully powerful.
As Liandrin tells Naomi the plan, Moghedien walks by posing as a serving maid pouring tea. What in the world is going on?
The Wheel of Time season 3 episode 3 grade
As I mentioned, this is one of the best episodes of The Wheel of Time so far when it comes to the big reveals! There’s a lot of moving parts in this story, so it’s hard for things to progress too much, but we finally know what everyone is up to, thanks to this episode.
The episode also featured our first look at Tanchico, and it’s important to recognize just how great this set design is. The creative team has a monumental task bringing Robert Jordan’s story and world to life, and they’re doing an excellent job of doing that. There isn’t a show on TV right now with the stunning visuals of The Wheel of Time.
The Wheel of Time season 3 episode 3 grade: A
The Wheel of Time season 3 episode 4 hits Prime Video on Thursday, March 20!