Name: The Wheel of Time season 2 episode 8
Director: Sanaa Hamri
Released: 2023-10-06T12:30:00

In the season 2 finale of The Wheel of Time, a battle breaks out in Falme as the prophecy draws nearer to being fulfilled. The episode is streaming on Prime Video.

Episode 8 recap: What Was Meant to Be

3000 years ago, the other forsaken turned on Ishamael and suspended him in a prison where he had to live out for eternity. In the present, the White Cloaks are planning an attack on Falme.

Lanfear, Rand, Moiraine, and Lan are traveling through the Way when Lanfear opens up a waygate on the outskirts of Falme and sends Moiraine and Lan through it. Rand says he has no reason to trust Lanfear but she says he has very little choice in the matter.

Perrin, Aviendha, and the other Aiel approach Falme and Perrin tells Hopper to stay behind because it isn’t safe. Lanfear appears before Ishamael and tells him that Rand has arrived.

Ishamael says they aren’t ready but Lanfear tells him that he’s being too hesitant. The White Cloaks storm the city under the cover of white smoke. Nynaeve puts on the sul’dam outfit and puts on the gauntlet to question the sul’dam.

With the city under attack, Renna readies Egwene for battle and tells her that if she disobeys her sul’dam in battle, she will lose her tongue and her hands.

Ishamael tells Padan Fain that Lanfear has betrayed him and then lets him know that Mat Will be the one who kills Rand with the tainted dagger that Fain holds. Fain goes to Mat’s room and places the dagger in front of him, guaranteeing that he will pick it up eventually.

Rand watches on as the sul’dam and the damane head to the tower to defend the city. Lan and Moiraine walk through the desert and Lan talks to Moiraine about their bond. He convinces her to let him back in so that they will be ready for the fight ahead.

Rand comes face to face with Lord Turok and his warriors and takes them out in an instant. Perrin finds Ingtar and Loial who have the Horn of Valere in their possession.

Lady Suroth tells Ishamael that Turok is dead, so he orders her to take their best damane and board some ships at the base of the tower where they have a clear line of sight. Mat cleverly uses a stick and piece of cloth to attach the dagger at the end of a pole to use as a spear.

He escapes his cell and finds Perrin in the city. Nynaeve and Elayne rush through the city and find the tower but their hostage is killed, causing the a’dam and gauntlet to fall off. Elayne is then struck by an arrow to her leg.

The White Cloaks use trebuchets to attack the city and manage to hit the tower. All the sul’dam and damane perish except for Egwene and Renna. Egwene gets her hands on an a’dam and places it on Renna.

The Wheel of Time season 2 ending explained in detail:

What happens on the tower?

Egwene easily overpowers Renna and kills her, causing both their a’dams to come off. Rand arrives right then to help but before they can leave, Ishamael stands before them.

He easily brushes Egwene aside and strikes Rand as well, after which the damane at sea follow Lady Suroth’s order and shield Rand, ready to gentle him once they see the signal.

ishamael implores Rand to join the dark or lose his ability to channel as well as the people he loves.

What does Mat find out?

Amid the battle, Loial opens the box and Mat grabs the horn. Perrin tells him that he needs to get the horn to Rand if they have any chance of winning this battle.

Mat rushes to the tower and faces several Seanchan soldiers. He chooses to blow the horn himself and suddenly his memories come rushing back to him. He is one of the heroes of the horn, and all the other heroes appear behind him ready to join the fight.

What about Rand’s other friends?

Nynaeve isn’t able to channel the arrow out of Elayne’s leg despite Elayne’s efforts to guide her. Instead, she uses her experience as a wisdom to push the arrow through and out.

They make their way to the tower to see Egwene and Nynaeve says that she might not be able to help. Perrin comes face to face with Eamon Valda who attacks him and has him pinned down until Hopper comes to save him.

Geofram Bornhald kills Hopper and this sends Perrin into a rage. He kills Geofram and when Dain sees this, he goes crazy but is pulled back by his fellow White Cloaks who are retreating.

Who wins the battle?

Moiraine and Lan see the tower and the ships where Moiraine senses shielding. She attacks the ships while Lan defends her from attacking soldiers. Mat makes it and throws the spear at Ishamael but it is an illusion and it strikes Rand instead.

Mat holds Rand and apologizes but Ishamael is about to kill them. Egwene comes to and throws up some protection, managing to hold her own against a forsaken.

Just when her defenses weaken, Perrin arrives to give her strength, with Nynaeve and Elayne showing up as well. Elayne heals Rand’s wound, and Moiraine frees him of his shielding.

He then picks up his sword and kills Ishamael, the weapon branding him with a heron on his palm. Ishamael turns to dust, with his final moments filled with peace.

Review

Much like every other episode in the season, this finale is incredibly long and while the final stretch does have something worth getting excited for, the overarching themes are not as intriguing.
Amazon has gone all in on the special effects and it certainly shows, If they put in just as much effort into the writing team, then maybe we would be talking about this series in a different light.
There still remain far too many plotlines to keep track of and this finale is another example of how some characters can be swept under the rug and no one would be the wiser.