Includes SPOILERS for The Wheel of Time season 3 finale and spoilers from the book series.
Amazon Prime Video’s adaptation ofThe Wheel of Timehaskilled off a major protagonist who doesn’t die in the books, leaving questions about the narrative ripple it will create. The TV show’s third season offered an adaptation ofThe Shadow Rising, the fourth book inRobert Jordan’sWheel of Timeseries. A TV adaptation comes with obvious practical limitations, as there’s no budget that could provide the infinite imagination of Jordan’s texts. A fine example of this is the sheer number of characters it can make time for in eight-hour seasons.
The Wheel of Timeseason 3’s endingsaw Elaida capture the White Tower from Siuan Sanche, an integral plot point inThe Shadow Rising. However,unlike the book, Siuan Sanche was killed by her opponents, leaving a plot vacancy going forward. Following the ending of the show’s first season, showrunner Rafe Judkins warned book readers to prepare themselves for premature character deaths [viaEW], saying, “We have to, because we can’t hold 2,000 series regulars through multiple seasons.” Aside from the apparent hyperbole, his point was that there’s simply not enough room for everyone, and he held true to that statement.
Elaida Imprisoned Siuan Sanche In The Shadow Rising
Siuan Sanche’s TV Death Was A Significant Deviation
The TV series depicts Elaida and Siuan Sanche in a final confrontation within the White Tower, where the two discuss how their rivalry originated from Elaida’s previous attempt to become the Amyrlin Seat.Elaida isn’t a Darkfriendlike Liandrin, butshe believes that Rand, the Dragon Reborn, needs to be gentled, and that anyone who opposes her is a servant of the Dark One. Elaida is adamant that she’s serving the Light, and in turn, inadvertently helps the Dark One.
Elaida is adamant that she’s serving the Light, and in turn, inadvertently helps the Dark One.
As we saw earlier in the season, Moiraine tells Siuan Sanche that the White Tower needs to supportthe Dragon Rebornin order for the Light to win the Last Battle. In the novels, Siuan Sanche holds a meeting where this plan is discussed, and the Aes Sedai reluctantly agree. Following the meeting,Elaida captures Siuan and has her beaten and stilled, stripping her of her access to the One Power. She then imprisons her, but she doesn’t kill her like in the TV series.
This provides Min, who remained in the White Tower rather than traveling to Tanchico in the books, an opportunity to rescue Siuan. They escape the White Tower, even picking up the False Dragon Logain on the way, leading to one of the most compelling narrative arcs in the series. The TV show will likely recreate the storyline in the aggregate with other characters.
Siuan’s Escape From The White Tower Won’t Happen
Image via Prime Video
Siuan Sanche’s death removes her subsequent plotline from the books, but this likely could have been predicted. None of the pieces were in the right places. Min spent the season in Tanchico, and we haven’t seen Logain since season 2, when he was in Tanchico. Theclues were there to suggest that Siuan wasn’t going to be making her escape, including her dramatic goodbye scene with Moiraine in Tel’aran’rhiod. Still, it’s worth breaking down what these events included.
In the novels, Siuan, Min, Logain, and the Blue Ajah Aes Sedai, Leane, are on the run at the start ofThe Fires of Heaven, where they come across Gareth Bryne, who’s yet to appear in the TV show. He arrests them, but Logain helps them escape, andthey continue their journey to Salidar, where they’ve learned that a faction of rebel Aes Sedai has begun forming. In Salidar, Siuan reunites with Nynaeve, who studies her and Logain to see if she can heal someone who was stilled, restoring their power.
Siuan Won’t Be There To Help The Aes Sedai Rebels
In response to Elaida taking the White Tower,an entire faction of rebels forms inThe Fires of Heaven, hoping to oppose Elaida and restore Aes Sedai tradition. The Aes Sedai reform in Salidar, but they only summon roughly a third of their numbers at the start. A council of six forms to oppose Elaida, though it’s composed of Aes Sedai we haven’t met in the TV show so far. Upon Siuan Sanche’s arrival, however, the rebel Aes Sedai worked toward deciding on a new Amyrlin Seat.
It could end up being Moiraine who fills her role in the show, working in support of Egwene.
Siuan Sanche eventually regains a portion of her power from Nynaeve, but she’s not nearly as strong as she once was. Instead,Siuan manipulates the circumstances so Egwene can become the new Amyrlin Seat, which occurs inLord of Chaos.Despite losing a significant deal of her power, Siuan remains a prominent part of this narrative for the remainder of the books, using her political prowess to aid the Aes Sedai rebellion. It could end up being Moiraine who fills her role in the show, working in support of Egwene.
Will We Even See Gareth Bryne In The Show?
Gareth Bryne hasn’t appeared yet in the TV show, but he first appears in the novels inThe Eye of the World, serving as Captain-General to Morgase’s Queen’s Guard. InThe Fires of Heaven,Lord Gaebril, a Forsaken in disguise, advises Morgase to relieve Gareth from his position. He later becomes a prominent ally to the Aes Sedai rebellion, despite having previously captured Siuan and Min. He helps them accomplish their goals with military support and even becomes Siuan’s primary love interest.
Given that the TV series pursued a romantic connection between Siuan Sanche and Moiraine, a notable portion of Gareth Bryne’s arc was already going to be absent. He still could have become her Warder, which he does in Robert Jordan’s novels. However, with Siuan being killed off early,there’s a chance Bryne might not even appear on the TV show, lest they solely introduce him as a military leader from Andor in season 4.
Egwene is the most prominent character in the TV show who will be affected by Siuan Sanche’s absence.
Egwene is the most prominent character in the TV show who will be affected by Siuan Sanche’s absence. They share numerous scenes together betweenLord of ChaosandTowers of Midnight, with Siuan becoming a chief mentor to Egwene. Again, this role will probably be overtaken by Moiraine, who isn’t likely to disappear for several books like she does in the novels, given Rosamund Pike’s role as a producer and the top-billed star on theWheel of Timeshow, but Siuan’s absence will be notable.
