Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wheel of Time season 1, episode 6.
The Wheel of Time episode 6’s setup for the season’s final two episodes reveals some big changes to the ending of The Eye of the World. The Eye of the World was the first book in Robert Jordan’s award-winning Wheel of Time saga. Thus far, Amazon’s adaptation has pulled from various books in the series to craft its story, but has primarily followed the main characters’ first adventure.
Like the book, Wheel of Time season 1 has been centered on the travels of the five Two Rivers villagers as Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and Lan (Daniel Henney) secretly try to figure out which one is the Dragon Reborn. Along the way, the show has made numerous changes to the progression of the story by mixing up the timeline of events. For example, Amazon’s Wheel of Time show has seemingly saved Rand al’Thor’s encounter with the Andorian royal family for season 2 and has either cut or significantly delayed Perrin Aybara’s fateful meeting with Elyas Machera. It also moved much of what happened in Camelyn in the book to Tar Valon.
Despite the many adjustments made to Wheel of Time’s timeline, it seems that season 1 is actually keeping pace with the first book. The reveal that Moiraine will be using the Ways to take the group to the Eye of the World indicates that the season will wrap up at approximately the same point in time as the book version. Based on what Moiraine said, it’s likely that the last two episodes of the season will adapt the book’s final act. However, it’s already become clear that it’ll be quite different from the source material. Here’s how Wheel of Time is changing The Eye of the World’s ending.
Wheel of Time Changes What Eye of the World Means
Perhaps the most glaring difference is how the show has changed what the Eye of the World actually is. In Wheel of Time episode 6, Moiraine told the villagers that it was the Dark One’s prison. According to her, this is the place where the Dragon (Lews Therin Telamon) defeated him and sealed him away. But in the book, the Eye of the World and the Dark One’s prison are two completely separate locations. Both are somewhere in the Blight (the northern region of the world that was corrupted by the Dark One’s power), but they aren’t connected. The Dark One is imprisoned at a mountain called Shayol Ghul.
The Eye of the World, on the hand, was a secret pool of saidin (the male half of the One Power) hidden in a hill. Shortly after the Dark One tainted the One Power thousands of years ago, male and female members of the Aes Sedai teamed up to create a source of pure saidin. The plan was for it to one day be found by the Dragon Reborn. Hidden within the Eye of the World was a chest full of important artifacts, including a seal from the Dark One’s prison, the Dragon’s banner, and the Horn of Valere. Moiraine not mentioning the pool of saidin doesn’t mean that it’s not there, but her calling it the Dark One’s prison still redefines one of the book’s core concepts.
Moiraine's Mission In Wheel Of Time (& How It's Different)
Moiraine’s explanation for why they had to go through the Waygate doesn’t match up with the books at all. She told the five Two Rivers villagers that they must stop the Dark One now while he’s weak because if they don’t, armies of Trollocs will be unleashed upon the lands. All of this stemmed from a prophetic dream that Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okonedo) had about fighting the Dark One. Moiraine claims that the Dragon Reborn will be revealed during this confrontation. Her conversation with Siuan also let it slip that those who aren’t Lews Therin’s reincarnation could die by coming between the Dragon Reborn and the Dark One.
Since the Eye of the World wasn’t the Dark One’s prison in Jordan’s books, beating him while he was vulnerable wasn’t the point of their mission. Instead, they were on their way there to stop the Eye from being put out by the Dark One’s minions. Two members of the Forsaken, Balthemel and Aginor, went to the Eye of the World to absorb the saidin. It was up to Moiraine’s group to stop them from accomplishing their goal. Also standing in the way of the villains was the Green Man, a plant-like creature that served as the guardian of the Eye of the World.
Wheel of Time Removed Mat From Moiraine’s Group
At first, there was an impression that Amazon’s Wheel of Time show was attempting to perfectly recreate the group’s Eye of the World mission. After all, Moiraine had assembled a lineup of characters that was identical to the party of adventurers that headed into the Waygate in the first book. In both the book and the show, the people chosen to go with her were Mat, Perrin, Rand, Egwene, Nynaeve, and Loial. Then, Wheel of Time episode 6 threw in a surprising twist by having Mat decide to remain behind. Like the others, Mat was expected to be present for the visit to Fal Dara, the meeting with the mysterious Green Man, the big battle with the Forsaken, and the memorable moment where they entered the Eye of the World. Wheel of Time electing not to take Mat down this road signaled that the show is taking a different path with Mat’s character. Since Mat was supposed to go with them, whatever happens to Mat in the show’s last two episodes won’t come from his arc in The Eye of the World.
Wheel of Time May Keep The Book’s Ending Twist
While it’s true that Wheel of Time season 1 has totally reworked the ending of The Eye of the World, it’s poised to retain the most important part of the story. Moiraine saying that they’ll know who the Dragon Reborn is once they go to the Eye of the World isn’t what she told them in the novel, but it is consistent with her book counterpart’s expectations. During the fight with the Forsaken, the true Dragon Reborn had to use their powers to win, thus confirming their identity to Moiraine. Of course, there’s no guarantee that Amazon’s The Wheel of Time show won’t change the Dragon Reborn’s identity, but it is setting up the reveal – whatever it may be – to happen at the right time. Similar to the situation with The Eye of the World, viewers should finally have the answer to the show’s Dragon Reborn mystery when the season ends.
The Wheel of Time releases new episodes on Fridays on Amazon Prime Video.