Warning: The article contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time season 2, episode 8, “What Was Meant to Be.”
The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins discusses how that Moghedien scene sets up season 3. Already renewed for its third installment, the Prime Video fantasy drama took major steps to set up its future with the introduction of Moghedien (Laila Costa) in The Wheel of Time season 2 finale. The character will play a part in the show’s upcoming focus on the Forsaken, who are powerful magicians that have been kept away for thousands of years.
In comments to Entertainment Weekly, Judkins addressed how Moghedien’s inclusion will impact The Wheel of Time season 3. The showrunner talks about Moghedien being driven by other motivations compared to some of the show’s ensemble. In the quote below, Judkins also discussed how the Forsaken will impact the series more broadly and previews some of the other stories:
“Once they’re all out, you get two really fun things. One, each of these characters is an immortal person of incredible power that has three thousand years of history behind them. Hopefully that scene with Moghedien is a real signal to the audience that you may love Ishamael and Lanfear, but also each of these people is totally unique and crazy in their own way.”
“Are there any Forsaken hiding in our world that we’re meeting in season 3? In the books, each of them appears in their own way that’s unique to that Forsaken. And so it’s a really fun thing to unravel in the show because they’re almost like representatives of these different versions of evil. Moghedien’s fun because she is not driven by love in the way that Lanfear and Ishamael are, and she is a much more dangerous character because of that.”
What To Know About Moghedien
The reveal of Moghedien comes into play near the very end of Wheel of Time season 2, in a scene that involves Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe) and Ishamael (Fares Fares). Lanfear doesn’t realize that Ishamael broke the seals offscreen. This means that the final six Forsaken that will be a part of the Prime Video series have been freed, which Judkins elaborates on in his comments.
In the Robert Jordan books on which Wheel of Time is based, the Forsaken are a group of what’s known as channelers. They’re quite powerful, having pledged themselves to the Dark One. In the books, there are thirteen. The adaptation has focused on eight, including the recently introduced Moghedien. Originally known as Lillen Moiral, Moghedien was a skilled channeler and worked as a double agent for the Shadow. Moghedien’s reputation is formidable, as Lanfear looks to be scared of her.
In his previous comments about Moghedien, Judkins mentions how the fun of the Forsaken is that they have a very human face but perform evil things. The showrunner discusses how the Forsaken approach their surroundings from a human perspective, and they’re not opposed to enjoying the wreckage they cause. It all adds up to an intriguing Wheel of Time season 3.
