The Wheel of Time, season 3 review: fantasy fans rejoice, this series is finally starting to soar
There's one colossal caveat, however: you really do need to like this kind of thing. Where Game of Thrones won over sceptics by pretending to be about the politics rather than dragons (a ruse that worked almost right up until the end), The Wheel of Time is fantasy for people who enjoy fantasy. Five minutes into the latest run of episodes, it's already swords-and-sorcery pedal to the metal. Olivia Williams turns up as a scheming queen merrily slitting the throats of her rivals. Elsewhere, messiah-in-waiting (and Ed Sheeran lookalike) Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski) is moodily resisting mentor Moiraine's advice that he set off in search of a magical sword that will cement his status as the 'Dragon' of ancient prophecy – a figure destined to stand against the Sauron-like Dark One.
You have to admire the Wheel of Time for not being afraid to scare off the sort of people who gave up on Lord of the Rings the minute it stopped being about hobbits drinking themselves into a stupor. Yet, for those who enjoy a protein-packed hero's journey, it delivers quite a punch. The action kicks off with the outbreak of civil war in the headquarters of Moiraine's Aes Sedai – a school of esoteric nuns who are the sole wielders of magic in this world.
Rand, meanwhile, has woes of his own. He has come to the attention of the Aiel – a race of desert fighters who believe the farm boy turned mystical warrior could lead them to salvation. If that sounds a lot like the dilemma presented to Timothée Chalamet's character in Dune, it's because Jordan pinched ideas from all over. The Aes Sedai bear a strong resemblance to Dune's Bene Gesserit; Rand's ascent to power draws on Arthurian legend – Rand al'Thor being a wink to 'Arthur Pendragon'.
Fantasy has had a tough time since Game of Thrones imploded in an anticlimactic final season. Tolkien's legacy has been blemished by the appalling Rings of Power; Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon spiralled worryingly in its second year. Amid such disappointments, The Wheel of Time is coming into its own as the slow and steady saga that could well finish top of the class. It (finally) looks great, and the cast has committed to the silliness. True, the weird names and labyrinthine mythology will put many viewers off – but for those open to the show's grandiose charms, it might just cast a spell.
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