rime Video’s fantasy show The Wheel of Time is set to return for a second season, with an exclusive new clip revealing one of its heroes is about to face the sternest of tests.
The clip finds one of the show’s protagonists, Nynaeve al’Meara, played by Zoë Robins, standing in a room with three mysterious arches and three mysterious women.
The women reveal these arches are ter’angreal: mysterious objects of the One Power (a super-powerful energy capable of manipulating the universe) that have specific abilities – especially for the Aes Sedai, women who can channel that power. And wouldn’t you know it: these three are indeed Aes Sedai women from the White Tower.
One intones that the arches are from “before the Breaking”, basically the show’s equivalent of the dark ages, “when women could create objects from the One Power itself,” Nynaeve is told.
But hang on, these objects are also very dangerous: they’ve killed many Aes Sedai, and these arches in particular have the rather terrifying power of revealing a person’s deepest fears.
So Nynaeve now faces a test she must pass to earn her place as an Aes Sedai. If she fails the test or refuses to do it three times then she will be cast out from the Tower and never readmitted, the three women tell her.
However, she turns to face them and resolutely replies, “I’m ready.”
Nynaeve has had quite a journey since the start of season one. That series focused on Moiraine (played by Rosamund Pike) as she sought five young villagers from the Two Rivers, believing that one of them was a figure from a prophecy named The Dragon Reborn. This person was supposed to save the world from an ancient evil called the Dark One – or else break it completely.
Nynaeve was one of those selected by Moiraine, due to her ability to channel the One Power. The last time we saw her was on a battlefield as the Aes Sedai battled the Shadowspawn – aka the armies of evil. Nynaeve took part in the battle but was grievously injured; the last we saw of her; she was being healed by her friend Egwene (played by Madeleine Madden).
Since then, she has clearly made it to the White Tower, but quite what awaits for her, her friend Egwene or the other three adventurers she set out with – Rand, Mat and Perrin – is still a mystery.
The Wheel of Time Season 2 will premiere on September 1