The Wheel of Time season 3 episode 4, “The Road to the Spear,” is one of the most interesting episodes of the the series so far, and it’s all about our guy, the Dragon Reborn, Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski). It’s also one of the weirdest episodes of the series so far.
I have not read The Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan, but I’ve known this moment was coming for a while as I prepared to watch this season. It seems like Rafe Lee Judkins and the creative team hit it out of the park.
Overall, the episode changes the pace compared to the season premiere and the other episodes of season 3 so far. While there are a few characters present. This episode is all about Rand and Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), along with a few scenes with Aviendha (Ayoola Smart).
The episode begins on Rand’s journey to Rhuidean, as Bair (Nukâka Coster-Waldeau) leads the way.
Rand and Moiraine learn they will must go through Rhuidean or die
During one of the nights, Bair and the other Aiel reveal that had Rand and Moiraine not journeyed to the Aiel Waste and to Rhuidean, they would have died, but they slip up. They spill a secret to Moiraine a little bit too soon.
Before Rand enters Rhuidean, Moiraine offers to help, but they have a real conversation about Moiraine’s intentions. She claims she’s only trying to help Rand, but Rand asks her to swear, plainly, that she will not try to hinder him in any way, no matter what he tells her he is going to do. Remember, Aes Sedai can’t lie, and she doesn’t, but her answer isn’t good enough for Rand.
Aviendha answers the call to be a Wise One
After sparring with Lan (Daniel Henney) at their camp and nearly besting him, Aviendha (Ayoola Smart) is summoned by Bair. The Wise Ones inform Aviendha that she must answer the call to become a Wise One.
Apparently, there’s some history here. Aviendha was not ready to accept her fate, but now she is. Bair breaks her spears in two. It’s a pretty devastating scene. You can almost feel her spirit break a little bit when her spears break.
Bair tells her a story about her obligation to the Aiel people and her own journey from Maid of the Spear to Wise One. Eventually, Aviendha accepts the call and asks permission to enter Rhuidean. Then, Aviendha flees on her new quest.
Rand and Moiraine enter Rhuidien
Before they enter Rhuidien, Rand and his party come across the Shaido, awaiting the return of Muradin, a person who entered. Rand asks the Wise Ones if he can enter, and they grant his request, but then Moiraine asks as well. And, she also gets permission, as well. They inform Moiraine that she will see thousands of turns of the Wheel, so she knows what is for her and what is not. Rand, on the other hand, sees what happens to his ancestors.
In Rhuidien, Rand and Moiraine find the tree of life, Avendasora. Moiraine reveals why the Aiel War began. It was all her uncle’s fault for cutting down a second Treee of Life, which resulted in Rand being born on Dragonmount and becoming the Dragon Reborn. He realizes just how connected his path and Moiraine’s path have been since before he was even born.
With each step Rand takes, he has another vision of one of his ancestors.
Rand’s Visions
Then, Rand’s real visions begin. In the first vision, he becomes Janduin, his father. In the vision, he finds Rand’s mom, dead, after she has given birth to Rand. Janduin admits that he killed the King, Moiraine’s uncle. He also feels Janduin’s pain after learning the the baby, Rand, had been lost.
In the second vision, he becomes Mandien on his walk through Rhuidean. I believe he’s the first to enter because his wife plants the first spear around the city. He also see the Tree of Life, and he finds Latra. She recites the The Prophecy of Rhuidean, the one that reveals Rand will be the Car’a’carn. Mandien take the walk through, just as Rand is doing now. And, it appears that he dies on his walk through the columns.
In his third vision, he becomes Lewin, and he learns a group of bandits took Lewin’s sister. These travelers are a peaceful group, but Lewin obviously has other ideas. Under the cover of night, Lewin and his friends sneak into the camp where the women are being held. The try to save them, but Lewin and his friends are attacked by the captors. Lewin’s friend, Charlin, dies, and Lewin kills a man to save them.
The following day, Lewin is banished when he returns to camp and it’s revealed that he killed the men to save his sister. Then, he becomes a protector of the camp because they can’t protect themselves.
In Rand’s fourth vision, he finds a group of travelers massacred as Jonai. He finds his son amid the chaos. He tries to convince the travelers to continue on to the spine, but the woman says they are going to find a place to put their roots down after the Aes Sedai stopped the last man who can channel. Jonai continues on with his son and the Tree.
In his fifth vision, Rand is Rhodric, who finds Latra Sedai, and she gives him an orb of some kind,the Sarkanan, which is the partner to Callandor. She makes him promise to keep peace as a oath and to follow The Way of the Leaf. He puts the orb in the Tree in his carriage.
In his final vision, Rand is Charn, who is visited by Mierin Sedai, who later becomes Lanfear (Natasha O’Keefe). They look out over his people harvesting grain. Mierin reveals that she has found a way to harness the “true power,” so everyone can use it, not just the Aes Sedai or Lews Therin.
He goes to harvest with his people, and then, I don’t totally understand what happens, but this big Death Star-looking thing crashes and a hole opens up in the sky. He flashes back through all the visions of his ancestors, and then he collapses among the columns. As I learned from our friends at Winter is Coming, this is the first time we’ve seen the Dark One in the series. It is the Dark One breaking from his prison.
So, to recap, Rand basically sees the foundation or formation of the Aiel through his ancestors. These key points in time lead to where he is now, the Dragon Reborn preparing for The Last Battle with the Dark One and the Forsaken.
As he lays among the columns, the marks of the Dragon Reborn appear on both of his arms.
Later, he finds Aviendha, and she sees the marks, and she knows that he is the Dragon Reborn. Rand apologizes for drawing the sword near the city. He claims he didn’t understand, and he knows that he will never know enough to fully understand. She reveals that Moiraine is still in the Three Rings.
Rand won’t leave Moiraine behind, but Aviendha leaves on her own.
Moiraine learns how she will die
In Rhuidean, Moiraine comes upon the three rings, as the Wise Ones told her. She finds Aviendha there, too. Moiraine sees thousands of turns of the Wheel, including visions of Rand dying, Rand becoming her warder, Lan losing the bond, Rand dying again, swearing herself to Rand, the Dragon Reborn, etc. It goes on and on.
Then, in Moiraine’s visions, her future is revealed. In almost every ending, Lanfear kills Moiraine. I believe this implies that Moiraine will always be killed by Lanfear, and her death is unavoidable.
The episode ends with Rand carrying Moiraine out of Rhuidean and back to Egwene and Lan at the tends waiting for them.
Episode 4 grade
Overall, this was a super interesting episode, and it was executed flawlessly. Stradowski played like seven characters this episode, and he crushed it. Pike doesn’t have much to work with in this episode, but she plays it perfectly.
Bringing Rhuidean to life is no easy task. The visuals in “The Road to the Spear” are stunning, from all the VFX work to the shoots in remote locations. This is one of the most beautiful shows on TV, and that’s on display in this episode.
Then, in terms of story, this episode is s terrific example of taking a really complex part of the story, breaking it down, and making it snackable and understandable for viewers who don’t necessarily understand all of the lore. Our friends at Winter is Coming did a terrific breakdown of Rand’s visions and what they mean.
Obviously, this is confusing for many, but I feel like, by the end of the episode, we all have a greater understanding of what’s to come and what has come before.
“The Road to the Spear” grade: A