WoT S1E4: The Dragon Reborn

"The Dragon Reborn" is the fourth episode of the Wheel of Time streaming series. Curiously it takes the same title as the third book of the series. It's not based on book 3, though. The events here correspond roughly to the middle of the book 1, The Eye of the World. I say "roughly" because this episode focuses on something not part of the main story in the books. At the center of this episode is the story of Logain, a male channeler who has just proclaimed himself The Dragon Reborn— hence the title.

Here are Five Things:

1) Showing, not telling: Logain

In the books what happens with Logain in this episode is merely told; the main characters hear about it in bits and pieces of news passed by word of mouth from strangers they pass. Here in this episode it's shown. ( episode spoilers )

As NBVs (non-book viewers) might guess from the fact the writers chose to spend time on this story arc, Logain is important later in the story. Seeing this story told as a contemporaneous event and in the first person, rather than in bits and drips or as someone's flashbacks 3,000 pages later, really makes it vivid. I wonder if it also indicates that the writers are making Logain a bigger character than in the books— maybe folding Mazrim Taim into him?

2) Nynaeve shows her power

In another example of the power of showing rather than telling, the writers show us Nynaeve's power. In the books it's only told that Nynaeve is stronger than any living Aes Sedai. "Told", as in people tell her. She doesn't really experience doing it until a few books later. Here she ( episode spoiler )

Note for NBVs: In the mechanics of the One Power, people are born with a certain strength that's the limit of the amount of power they can handle at one time. This is different from most other settings where magic strength is something a person increases through careful study, discipline, and practice, like muscle strength. Study, discipline and practice are still critical in The Wheel of Time— discipline, especially, because if a channeler draws more power than their strength allows they injure or kill themselves— but strength is innate.

I'm curious to see how the writers portray other Aes Sedai treating Nynaeve after this. The Aes Sedai accord a lot of status within their ranks to a woman's innate strength. Despite this, in the books, they often downplay the importance of her strength when talking to her. I wonder if now that she has just put it on display that she's headed for the top of the class— in effect shown them rather than told them— they'll accord her more respect.

3) The Tuatha'an are really well done

An area where streaming shows can excel is in their visuals. With a reported budget of $10 million per episode WoT has some pretty stunning visuals. The depiction of the Tuatha'an, the Traveling People, aka The Tinkers, is spot on. The costume and set design really nail the book descriptions of brightly colored clothing and painted wagons. They're a visual feast. And the clothes are practical. Costume design is something I'd commend the show for across the board. The characters all look like they're people who know how to dress for working and traveling outdoors in the late winter and early spring.

Even beyond the visuals the Tuatha'an are well done. They really sell their nonviolent philosophy. Often nonviolent groups in movies and TV are portrayed unsympathetically, as foolish idealists or hypocritical liars. Perrin does challenge their philosophy— his "Do I choose the Hammer or the Axe?" conundrum is one of the aspects of his character development the show is actually doing well— but the Tuatha'an really live their philosophy and understand its downsides as well.

4) Rand and Mat: drastically condensed, but the basic theme tracks

The plot arc of Rand and Mat traveling across the kingdom, alone and with Thom, is drastically condensed from the books. In the books they visit numerous towns, stay at numerous inns (often working to pay their room and board), bunk in numerous barns, and hitch numerous rides. Here they basically do it twice. The scene with the darkfriend in S1E3 was a good amalgamation of several scenes. There's another good one here with ( episode spoilers )

This scene didn't happen in the books but it's another good amalgamation of how Rand and Mat navigate an unfamiliar world and learn danger can lurk in any shadow.

5) Why Kerene and Stepin?

When Moiraine, Lan, and Nynaeve find shelter with an encampment of traveling Aes Sedai we are introduced to several of the Aes Sedai and their warders by name. Among them are Green Ajah leader Kerene and her Warder, Stepin. As they had multiple talking scenes in the episode I was wracking my brain trying to remember them from the books I last read 25 years ago. I never read all the books so I wondered if maybe they were characters that came later whom the screenwriters have pulled forward. Then I checked a WoT fandom wiki and found they aren't in any of the main 14 books in the series. They're only introduced in a companion book, and it doesn't place them at this scene. It seems their only role here was to help tell the story about ( episode spoiler )

. Enh. Was it really valuable to spend so much precious screen time on that, given all the character development in the main characters they're leaving out?