The Wheel of Time season 2 was largely regarded as an improvement from the show’s first season, edging closer to the source material while also making satisfying changes. Led by showrunner Rafe Judkins, The Wheel of Time season 2 brings many moments from Robert Jordan’s second The Wheel of Time book, The Great Hunt, to life in glorious fashion. The filmmakers’ attention to detail extends beyond the story’s biggest events, though, with painstaking care taken to ensure even the smallest details are informed by the source material.
This is especially the case in season 2, as new players like VFX supervisor Andy Scrase came on board. In an interview with Screen Rant, Scrase detailed one of the biggest changes to the visual effects on The Wheel of Time season 2, which is the evolution of the look of the One Power. It’s closer to how it was described by Jordan this time around, and Scrase reveals why:
Andy Scrase: Obviously, I was new to the show, so there were certain things that I wanted to bring to it. A lot of that was based off of recognizing the fan base and things that matter to them, so one of my main priorities was working on the channeling. [I wanted to] address some of the things [they were] interested in, [the big stuff being] the colors we’ve introduced. Because for me, that’s a really clear, concise way of communicating what goes into a weave, which is obviously part of channeling, and channeling being a very unique magic system that’s very specific and special to Wheel of Time.
How The Wheel Of Time Uses The One Power To Support Its Characters
This spoiler-filled The Wheel of Time VFX reel details the amount of VFX work that goes into building the show’s locations, but it also shows how the One Power is used by a variety of characters including Rand and Moiraine. Visible in the reel is how differently certain characters wield the Power, which is used in The Wheel of Time season 2 to reinforce their personalities. Scrase touched on that process as well:
Andy Scrase: When I came onto the show, I thought it might be a good idea to speak with cast members who could channel. For our main channeling cast, I’d just speak to them about their feelings on channeling, and what they felt when they were channeling. I also asked them their own interpretation of their character. Not the fans’; just their own interpretation. That led to me thinking, “Well, is there a way that I can differentiate a channel that reflects a personality more?”
I think we’ve been successful in that, definitely, [with] someone like Liandrin. If you notice some of her threads, everything’s quite tight and taut around her. She’s holding her power back. She’s sort of rigid; like a viper ready to strike, essentially. So, yeah, I think it’s something I tried to do; I tried to carry on a characteristic from a person into the way they channel.
Considering the level of intention Scrase describes, there is surely plenty of rewatch value for those interested in catching the minutiae of The Wheel of Time season 2. Keeping Scrase’s words in mind, how each character who can channel does so is worth a closer look, as are the effects that bring to life the look of the One Power’s threads themselves. Even more channelers will be introduced in The Wheel of Time season 3; ideally, the care and attention to the marriage of performance and effects will continue.
