The Wheel of Time actress Zoë Robins has talked about how her character’s connection with Daniel Henney’s Lan Mandragoran “catches her off guard.” No stranger to epic fantasy, New Zealand-born Robbins appeared in the 2016 adaptation of Terry Brooks’ The Shannara Chronicles before later going on to assume the mantle of the White Power Ranger in Power Rangers Ninja Steel. First announced in the role of the tenacious village wisdom Nynaeve al’Meara in August 2019, Robins is currently working on the show’s second season along with Henney and her fellow castmates.
Henney, who is perhaps best known for his role in Criminal Minds, plays the Warder Lan Mandragoran, a companion and bodyguard for Rosamund Pike’s magic-wielding Aes Sedai Moiraine. In addition to being widely known as one of the greatest swordsmen of the third age, fans of the original books by Robert Jordan will know that there is also far more to Lan than his role as a Warder at Moiraine’s side. Similarly, like all of the so-called Emond’s Field Five, Nynaeve possesses her own unique gifts and has a grand destiny ahead of her as well. This has already become apparent when in the recent fourth episode Lan suffered a serious injury and Nynaeve instinctively channeled the magical One Power to heal him.
Most recently Robins has spoken to EW about her character’s journey and the evolving chemistry between her character and Henney’s. Suggesting that the two characters have quite a lot in common, given their shared motivations to care for and protect others, she also says the two “understand each other quite quickly”. Check out her full comments below:
I think her connection to Lan actually catches her off guard. At times, she can be quite solid in herself, but I believe what draws Nynaeve to Lan is how similar they are in their drives and purpose. Lan's sole reason for being alive, really, is to protect Moiraine. That parallels Nynaeve as well. She sees him, she respects his care and love for Moiraine, and that brings down the facade that she puts on. There's this connection there where they both understand each other quite quickly.
One of the key relationships featured throughout the source material, the sometimes tumultuous relationship between Nynaeve and Lan is one which the television series seems increasingly intent on bringing to the screen. However, whether or not the two characters end up in the same relationship that they share in the books remains to be seen, given that the series writers have already made several key relationship changes to their lead characters, including having Perrin’s character married in the first episode. It would not be out of the question for the writers to keep fans of the books guessing, and decide to follow a completely different path for the two altogether.
That being said, Nynaeve and Lan’s budding personal connection seems to be well on track for the pair to begin building upon their mutual respect and explore the possibility of romantic entanglements in spite of their shared head-strong natures. Robins' most recent comments on the matter certainly seem to hint this will be the case. No doubt newer fans of The Wheel of Time will be keen to see how the pair’s relationship continues to evolve over the coming episodes.
Source: EW