With both a teaser trailer and the opening scenes of season 3’s first episode revealed this weekend at CCXP in Brazil, it looks likeThe Wheel of Timeis going to hit the ground running when it returns in March 2025, and that’s got me excited about the next season’s direction. Amazon’s flagship fantasy series has definitely been improving over time, with the second season clearly more popular with audiences than the first, and from what weknow aboutThe Wheel of Timeseason 3, it’s likely to continue this trend.
Now, withThe Wheel of Time’s season 3 traileravailable to watch, it’s clear that the show is looking to continue to raise the stakes, and hopefully that means it will continue to deliver the combination of big emotional moments and spectacular action that season 2 was praised for. Certainly,The Wheel of Timeseason 3, episode 1’s explosive openingshown in that footage will make sure the season hits the ground running. It’s a nice change,feeling optimistic about the direction of a show that’s been the target of so much contention.
The Wheel Of Time Season 3’s Trailer Promises Another Step Up For The Fantasy Series
While I do have some concerns about the change in the course of events from the books,the trailer for season 3 delivers a tantalizing enough glimpse at what’s yet to comethat I’m allowing myself to get excited. Rand’s storyline as he travels the Aiel Waste is a colossally important part ofThe Wheel of Timebooks, and everything we see of the Aiel’s domain in the trailer makes it clear that it will be one of the focal locations for season 3.
The glimpse of Rhuidean isn’t the only part of the trailer that I’m eager to see in full, though. The shot of Elayne putting on a crown means we’ll likely get plenty of the conflict surrounding her mother, Queen Morgase of Andor, and the brewing civil war at that country’s heart. We also see Egwene preparing for what looks like her being raised to the rank of Accepted, as two Aes Sedai prepare theter’angrealfor her test.
How Each Character’s Story Ends In The Wheel Of Time Books
The turning of the Wheel brought our many heroes to the Last Battle, but not all of them will survive passing through the crucible of Tarmon Gai’don.
Even more fascinating is the single brief shot of what appears to beLanfear, bloody blade in her hand, at the head of a group of seven other black-clad figuresas they stalk towards someone bleeding out on the telltale columnar basalt ground inside The Ways; these can’t all be the Forsaken, as Moghedien is conspicuously absent, but perhaps the Daughter of the Night has found some new Dreadlords to follow her and take Ishamael’s place. Either way, this next season is clearly promising some exciting action.
The First Look Gives Me Hope The Wheel Of Time Will Continue A Positive Season 2 Trend
While critical ratings for season 1 ofThe Wheel of Timewere generally positive,the audience score for that season is still a less-than-stellar 60% out of over 5,000 ratings. Season 2, by comparison, sits much prettier at a solid 80% out of 2,500+ reviews; clearly, the second season’s attention to character development, as well as clever use of side characters like Elyas Machera and Dain Bornhald, resonated well with audiences.
1
81%
60%
2
86%
80%
83%
70%
Obviously, this trend won’t translate to a directly linear improvement —The Wheel of Timeis still too divisive among fans for next season’s premiere to get a 100% rating — buthopefully, it’s indicative that the showrunners have hit their stride. There are a lot of major events on the horizon for Rand and company this season, after all, and no one will emerge from them unscathed (especially poor Perrin, who we get a moment’s glimpse of clad in armor and covered in blood, which means he’s likely heading back to the Two Rivers to make some new friends).
What The Wheel Of Time Season 3 Needs To Change The Narrative Around The Show
The Wheel of Timehas had an uphill road to climbever since it was first announced, as the books are so venerated that there was no way for the show to make everyone happy. Season 1, in particular, met with a fair amount of derision for what was seen as unnecessary changes from the books, particularly the choice togive Perrin a wife, Laila, just to kill her off immediately, a twist that left a bad taste in viewers' mouths and resulted in accusations of fridging.
“Fridging” is shorthand for a trope also known as “women in refrigerators.” Coined by then-fan-now-comic book writer Gail Simone back in 1999, it describes a trend in fiction where female characters face death, maiming, or assault as plot devices to motivate male characters. The storyline that gave the trope its name came from the 1994 run ofGreen Lantern, which saw Kyle Rayner coming home to discover that the villain Major Force had killed his girlfriend Alexandra and stuffed her body into his refrigerator.
AsThe Wheel of Timecontinues,the changes from season 1 that seemed so jarring at the time may start to make more sense, while others may go unexplained. Laila’s death, for example, may have been intentionally meant to serve as a counterpoint to Perrin’s oddly endearing rivals-to-lovers relationship with Faile. Even so, it’s still a choice that deserves all the criticism it gets, but serves to illustrate that it’s difficult to judge any adaptation before it has been completed.
2 Subtle Differences Between The Wheel Of Time Books & Series Could Have 2 Big Impacts On The Show
The comings and goings of the Forsaken and changes to the prophecy of the Dragon Reborn mean the Amazon show could further diverge from the books.
With season 3 ofThe Wheel of Timereleasing on August 01, 2025, there’s still a lot of time for Amazon to work on building a positive buzz in anticipation of it. I, for one, genuinely hope that as they continue to release teases about the upcoming season, we’ll start getting a better picture of how the changes they’ve made to the story, good or bad, will come together and make their version ofThe Wheel of Timestart to feel like a show that fulfills its own prophecies.
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.
