Summary
The Wheel of Time’s treatment of Elayne Trakand’s romance with Rand al’Thor is the least of its worries, but for some reason, it’s one of the problems I notice the most. Amazon Prime Video’sThe Wheel of Timeis a fun fantasy. I’ll watch it as a book reader and someone happy to zone out to silly TV after work, but it’s hardly reinventing the wheel. Despite my low expectations, I thinkmore could have been done to set up the canonical relationship between Elayne Trakand and Rand al’Thor,who met inThe Wheel of Timeseason 2 finale.
Robert Jordan’sThe Wheel of Timebook seriesfound new popularity after the Amazon Prime Video TV show of the same name started airing in 2021. I’m a fan of the show for that reason alone. Ultimately, I think an average adaptation is better than no adaptation. But now that Elayne and Rand have finally been introduced, I’m looking ahead toThe Wheel of Timeseason 3 to consider what the show did wrong to set up their romance and how it could make up for its missed opportunities.
Wheel Of Time’s Aes Sedai Colors & Different Roles Explained
The views, abilities, and goals of the Aes Sedai in Amazon’s Wheel of Time show are reflected by their colors. Here’s what each of them represents.
Rand Not Meeting Elayne In Season 1 Was A Massive Missed Opportunity
The Show Could Have Teased Elayne And Rand’s Romance Already
The Amazon Prime Video fantasy series could have started building up to Rand and Elayne’s eventual romance as early as its debut year, which was a missed opportunity for me. There were someThe Wheel of Timeseason 1 moments pulled straight from the books, which I appreciated. While I don’t think an adaptation has to follow its source material to the letter,Rand and Elayne’s romance shouldn’t feel rushedin the show. In the books, the two met in Caemlyn long before they met in Falme, triggering Elayne’s long-term infatuation. Unfortunately, the streamer’s adaptation didn’t go this narrative route.
Can Wheel Of Time Still Do Rand & Elayne’s Romance Justice?
The Wheel Of Time Season 3 Could Make Amends
Luckily, it looks likeThe Wheel of Timeis going to set up its most important romance after skipping the longing of books one and two. It was risky to skip this aspect of Rand and Elayne’s relationship in the show because the grand scale and sense of time in the novels are part of what makes the characters and their arc convincing. I’m still waiting to be convinced by Josha Stradowski’s take on Rand, but regardless,TheWheel of Timeshould already start building his ties to Elayneto make amends for the show’s past missed opportunities to develop their romance.
I’m not sure if it’s a slightly wooden portrayal on Stradowski’s part or writing that veers toward the simplistic. Still, if Rand seems a little one-dimensional, the show will face an uphill battle to present his complex relationship with Elayne moving forward.The Wheel of Timeseason 3should start incorporating Elayne’s “fondness for strays” and Rand’s awe at her beauty to compensate for lost time in seasons 1 and 2. Personally, I think Rand and Elayne’s sensitive and profound polyamorous relationship was what made Jordan’s books special, andI think the show still has time to accurately represent that on screen.
The Wheel of Time
Cast
The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine, a member of the powerful all-female organization Aes Sedai, as she leads a perilous quest with five young individuals. Moiraine suspects one among them could be the prophesized reincarnation of a mighty figure destined to either save or doom humanity.
