The Wheel Of Time Season 3 Episode 1 recap: Is Laindrin an agent of black Ajah?

Season 3, episode 1 of The Wheel Of Time premiered on March 13, 2025, on Amazon Prime Video. The first three episodes dropped together, decoding Rand al'Thor's victory defeating Ishmael, which solidifies his identity as the Dragon Reborn. The show is a high fantasy based on Robert Jordan's book The Shadow Rising. It depicts a world where time is cyclic and history often repeats itself.

Rand is a young man from a remote village who is discovered as the Dragon who has taken rebirth, and according to the prophecy, his existence could either save or destroy the world. Let's explore in detail what happened in season 3, episode 1.

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The Wheel Of Time Season 3 Episode 1 recap

The official synopsis of episode 1 says.

"The fate of the world rests on Moiraine and Egwene's ability to save Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, from the corrupting influence of his immense powers before he is consumed by the Dark One's taint."

In episode 1, two new characters are introduced, Jaichim Carridin and Spider. By the end of the episode, Moghedien transforms Jaichim Carrisin into a gray man. Gray refers to a soulless man who has surrendered himself to the Dark One. They are often used to conduct assassinations by the Shadows. They are people who can blend in with the outer environment without drawing much attention.

"The sword that is not a Sword," one of the dialogues in episode one, sets the tone for the entire narrative that revolves around how things that can be seen are not always real. The characters further go through various challenges, delving into incidents that carve out their complex being and make them relatable to the viewers.

In the book, Jiachim follows the orders of Ishmael, but in the show, the spider, aka Moghedien, has taken up the role.

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What happens in the White Tower in The Wheel of Time?

Egwene is traumatised following the incidents of Season 1 while the news about Rand being the Dragon reborn reaches Aes Sedai. Episode 1 begins with Aes Sedai meeting at the hall of The White Tower. The situation escalates to the point that it leads to further turmoil involving Aes Sedai, Liandrin, Siuan, and NyanaeveNynaeve, revealing new truths.

Liandrin revealed that Siuan let Rand go even after knowing that he is the Dragon reborn. Siuan accused Liandrin of being a Darkfriend instead and called Nynaeve to prove the same. This leads to a massive battle, and Nynaeve says that Liandrin once kidnapped her and sold her to Seanchan.

As a shocking move, Aes Sedai takes Liandrin's side, and it is revealed that Liandrin is a secret Black Ajah agent. 2 Aes Sedin tries to kill Siuan, but Moiraine protects her. This results in the killing of many women in the hall, whereas more Aes Sedai came forward in support of Liandrin, leading to the destruction of the hall for red Ajah. Aes and Liandrin escape, but Alanna fights with them. Amidst this, Ivonh got killed by Liandrin while trying to save Alanna.

The episode gives justice to the title "To race the Shadows". Rand further gets a vision about another mysterious danger looming that is still not known to them.