Based on Robert Jordan’s novels, the new season dives into The Shadow Rising and finally shows what this series is capable of.

Plot: After defeating Ishamael, one of the most powerful of the Forsaken, at the end of Season Two, Rand reunites with his friends in the city of Falme and is declared the Dragon Reborn. But in Season Three, the threats against the Light are multiplying: the White Tower stands divided, the Black Ajah run free, old enemies return to the Two Rivers, and the remaining Forsaken are in hot pursuit of the Dragon… including Lanfear, whose relationship with Rand will mark a crucial choice between Light and Dark for them both. As the ties to his past begin to unravel, and his corrupted power grows stronger, Rand becomes increasingly unrecognizable to his closest allies, Moiraine and Egwene. These powerful women, who started the series as teacher and student, must now work together to prevent the Dragon from turning to the Dark…no matter the cost.

Review: Prime Video has undertaken massive projects in recent years, including the big-budget Lord of the Rings prequel series The Rings of Power. While that series has often gotten bigger exposure due to name recognition, Prime Video’s other epic fantasy adaptation is returning for a third season. The Wheel of Time, based on the beloved best-selling series by the late Robert Jordan, debuted in 2021. While I was not impressed by the heavy-handed first season, audiences connected with entering the vast fictional world. With the first two seasons covering the first three novels in Jordan’s series, the narrative set-up is complete, and The Wheel of Time can explore what makes the books such an important part of fantasy literature. The third season of The Wheel of Time visits new areas of the world, introduces new characters, and dives deeper into the backstories of others while setting the stage for some of the series’ biggest action. Fans of the books and those who enjoyed the first two seasons will surely be excited that The Wheel of Time is back and finally delivering on its potential.

While the first season of The Wheel of Time introduced us to all of the potential candidates to be named The Dragon Reborn, it was not until the finale of the second season that Rand (Josha Stradowski) was bestowed with the mantle of being the Chosen One. With the season concluding with a massive battle and the revelation from the villainous Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe) that all of the Forsaken had been released, the third season opens with a feeling of hope as the band of heroic characters begin their quest to save the world. At the same time, Rand tries to come to terms with what his new title means for himself and those he loves. This season divides the fellowship of heroes as they explore new corners of the world, including realms fans of the novels will be familiar with, including Tanchico and the Aiel Wast,e while also going further into the realm of Andor and more as the factions of good and evil all contend with the coming of the Dragon Reborn, which some view as righteous and others will do anything to prevent.

The Wheel of Time has never shied away from delivering epic scale, and this season is no different, with the premiere episode opening with a shocking and impressively action-packed sequence involving the Aes Sedai. The struggle for power amongst the Aes Sedai involves Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and her mentor/friend Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okonedo), as well as challengers like Liandrin Guirale (Kate Fleetwood) and Elaida a’Roihan (Shohreh Aghdashloo) which draws parallels to Star Wars factions like the Jedi. The battle between good and evil is further complicated by the rising strength of the Forsaken, embodied by Lanfear and Moghedien (Laia Costa). The visualization of the Forsaken and their powers takes a decidedly dark turn this season, with plot elements bordering on horror. The Wheel of Time has a mature rating, and the first two seasons kept the sexual and violent content from the books, but this season amps up the stakes even more with some truly frightening visuals and a fair amount of bloodshed. Without divulging any spoilers, there are a lot of moments this season that fans of the books have been waiting to see, while those watching the series without any background on what is to come are in for some shocks.

This season sees the main cast all returning along with newcomers including Shohreh Aghdashloo, Olivia Williams as Morgase Trakand, Luke Fetherston as Gawyn Trakand, Callum Kerr as Galad Trakand, and Nuno Lopes as Lord Gaebril. The expansion of the world of The Wheel of Time to new settings gives the series a broader scale that is sometimes challenged by budgetary constraints. Having seen the entire third season, the physical shooting locations and production design elevate the material,l but some of the computer effects look cheap compared to other series on Prime Video. It is a nitpick, but it is worth calling out, seeing as both The Rings of Power and Fallout delivered quality special effects alongside top-notch production values. The Wheel of Time remains committed to giving this fantasy world a tangible feel, which sometimes struggles with the challenging dialogue and countless complex naming conventions newcomers must try to keep straight.

Showrunner Rafe Judkins oversees the adaptation of the fourth novel in the series, The Shadow Rising, with writers Justine Juel Gillmer, Kate McKenna, Beverly Okhio, Aje Ibrionke, Dave Hill, and Rammy Park working alongside him to tell this season’s adaptation. Ciaran Donnelly directed four episodes, with Thomas Napper and Marta Cunningham helming two episodes each. Donnelly previously helmed episodes in the first season while Napper directed chapters of the second. Their experience with this ensemble and the scope of the source material helps this season feel expansive and not derivative of other genre projects despite similarities between them. This season is by far the darkest and yet most fun of the three to date, which is largely due to the series’ ability to shift between characters and plot focus without causing whiplash in the audience.

Part Game of Thrones and part Dune, the third season of The Wheel of Time spreads the story further than ever before while building interest in new and existing characters that make every consequence of their narratives resonate. While the special effects remain the weakest part of this series, the talented cast redeems the project, making this season’s most entertaining entry in The Wheel of Time. Rosamund Pike continues to anchor the cast of relative newcomers who all own their roles more than ever. With familiar actors joining in supporting roles, the depth and breadth of The Wheel of Time is finally starting to deliver on what fans have known for decades about Robert Jordan’s mythical tales. This series will still not hit the same mainstream popularity as Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, but this is the first season that shows it has the potential to join their ranks.

The third season of The Wheel of Time premieres on March 13th on Prime Video.