We cold open 3,000 years ago. Ishamael is on his knees, surrounded by male channelers, including Lews Therin. Lews tells him he’s already captured the remaining Forsaken. Ishamael says to kill him, and they can do this again in their next lives, but Lews doesn’t like that idea. So instead, he’s going to seal him away, a much worse punishment for a guy who hates being alive. The other channelers seal Ishamael up, as Lews walks out.
Some Whitecloaks, including the Bornhalds and Valda, are camped in an oasis outside Falme, where they discuss plans to take the city. Geofram is pinpointing the Tower where the witches are kept. Dain thinks they can’t win the fight against their larger enemy, but the people of Falme sent a request for help and only the Whitecloaks answered. He asks his father if he believes the prophecy of the Dragon Reborn. Geofram seems to hate witches a lot more than he did in the first season, and says with disgust that all prophecies come from them.
In the Ways, Lanfear leads the group to a waygate that she says will take them to Falme. Moiraine tries to pretend she can’t channel but Lanfear is done with her bullshit. She tells them to raise the banner when the time comes, before tossing Lan and Moiraine through the waygate on their asses, and onto a sandbar that is definitely not in Falme. Rand freaks out about impending Machin Shin, but Lanfear says she has a faster way to travel.
Perrin and the Maidens approach Falme, and the Maidens just know there will be a ton of fighting and dying today. Perrin asks Hopper to wait outside the city, where it’s safe.
Lanfear appears in Ishamael’s room and says she has brought Rand to Falme, way away of schedule. Ishamael thinks it’s too soon to ensure that Rand will choose the dark. He wonders aloud why he chose to wake her and she says he needs her, they balance each other. Pan over to the other six seals just chilling in the corner. I’m sure that’s not important.
Whitecloak servants use incense to create a haze as the Whitecloaks charge the city gates. The Seanchan have no time to react and they are inside. Geofram rallies them to the tower.
Nynaeve is dressed as a sul’dam, while the sul’dam they captured is now her damane.
In the kennels, Renna tells Egwene that the Whitecloaks are attacking and they have to help. Egwene doesn’t want to, she’s too busy enjoying her new bed, but when Renna threatens to cut out her tongue, she complies. Not soon enough to avoid Renna chopping off her braid. Her braid!
Ishamael tells Padan Fain that Lanfear has betrayed them and he will have to remove her from the board. He’s worried that Rand won’t choose the dark, and he may have to kill him and wait for his next life to start over. Fain offers to kill him but Ishamael already knows who kills him and how.
Fain enters Mat’s room to his complete surprise and lays the dagger on the table in front of him.
Nynaeve tortures her damane for information. The damane finally admits Egwene will be on the tower. Nynaeve orders her to take them there and if she doesn’t… well, it’ll be bad for her.
Hooded Rand, creeping around Falme, sees Egwene walk by with other damane and sul’dam.
Fain knows Mat left his friends to go back and try to find this dagger, and he wants Mat to accept the dark parts of himself. He is not a hero. Fain will just wait outside his room until he gives in.
Moiraine and Lan walk along the water’s edge. Lan wants his bond back but Moiraine hesitates. Lan has accepted the mean thing she said about them not being equals, but no! She meant because Lan has always been better than her! Tears all around. Finally, Moiraine restores their bond.
In the city, the Maidens and Perrin run into Ingtar and Masema, dressed in Seanchan armor, and Loial, holding the box with the Horn of Valere. Apparently, a “lady from Cairhien” helped them get to it, and this is a side quest we don’t have time for right now. Loial says they can’t leave without Egwene but Ingtar explains how important it is to get out with the horn. Loial is less interested in the heroes of the horn than he is in saving these soon to be heroes.
On the tower, the damane rain fire on the Whitecloaks below. Egwene is not about this, but then she sees the Whitecloaks marching through yelling “Kill the witches” and wouldn’t you know it? Something snaps. Renna is so proud.
Turak and his voice emerge into a courtyard surrounded by soldiers. He’s so mad that he lost the horn that he almost doesn’t notice Anakin al’Thor stepping into his path. Turak sees Rand’s heron marked sword and prepares for the epic sword fight we have all been waiting for, but Rand magic missiles the whole crew and that’s that. Turak’s voice immediately commits ritual suicide.
In the streets, Ingtar orders Perrin to take the Horn as he dives in to hold off a group of approaching Seanchan soldiers. He does some damage and they all try to help, but he eventually gets killed.
Lan and Moiraine discuss how the other Forsaken may have been too dangerous to wake. Lews, Lanfear, and Ishamael used to be best friends. They finally realize they are approaching Falme and Moiraine thinks she knows why Lanfear dropped them here.
Speaking of Lanfear, she approaches Bayle Domon, who has been taking this opportunity to pocket some things in the marketplace. She is the one who gave Domon the broken piece of cuendillar, and now she wants him to take the remaining seals and drop them in the ocean. She tells him to wait for her on his ship.
Ishamael walks into Suroth’s room dusting off his hands- more on that later. Suroth wants to be on the front lines defending Falme, now that Turak is dead and the horn stolen. This is news to Ishamael. He tells Suroth to gather her strongest damane on a ship below the tower and wait for his signal. They know how to gentle a man, right?
Mat decides he’s tired of being stuck in rooms this season and I couldn’t agree more. He uses some items in the room, including the dagger he manages not to touch, to cobble together a spear. A spear that melts anything it stabs, like the lock on his door. Fain calls for help as he emerges but Mat destroys a Seanchan guard and hauls ass with more guards after him.
Egwene sees the people of Falme suffering below her and she is done. She spits out her muzzle.
Nynaeve, Elayne, and their damane walk nervously down the chaotic streets toward the tower. They hear some machinery clanking. Beyond the city gates, Whiteclook catapults start launching boulders toward the tower.
Renna gives Egwene one last chance to obey her, but some boulders take care of this problem for Egwene, smashing the top of the tower and killing most of the women there.
Dain is happy to see that their plans are working and Geofram rallies the people of Falme to fight with them.
An archer fires an arrow from the top of the wall that instantly kills Nynaeve’s damane, and the bracer falls off her arm. Another arrow hits Elayne in the leg and she drops.
Atop the tower, Egwene surveys the carnage. Beside her, Maighan lies dead. Her collar falls off and rolls away. Renna, of course, emerges from under some debris.
Perrin hears some approaching soldiers and they all prepare to fight, but out of the fog runs bloody Mat Cauthon. The boys embrace but are immediately set upon by Seanchan and the fighting continues.
Renna blames Egwene for the massacre on the Tower. She tortures her for a moment, until Egwene slams Maighan’s collar around her throat. Renna says, “Hey, stupid! It only works on women who can channel.” Then watches in horror as she is fully collared. Egwene has figured out that their affinity is a link between two channelers, only the sul’dam were too weak in the power to be noticed. Egwene uses the Power to hang Renna up on a wall to choke out. Egwene can feel the choking too but she is too badass to care. Renna removes her bracer and Egwene’s collar falls off. She watches with no emotion as Renna dies, then falls to her knees, three seconds before Rand gets there. Rand, her dead boyfriend.
Fighting, fighting, fighting. No one’s touching the Aiel.
Mat, Perrin, and Loial look at the Tower where Egwene is and Mat knows Rand will be headed there. They have to get him the horn but how to open the box? How about a magic dagger that melts everything it touches?
On the Tower, Rand apologizes for lying and they try to leave but Ishamael shows up and tosses Egwene aside. What’s that concussion count at now? Ishamael gives his signal and, from the ships below, damane weave a shield onto Rand. Ishamael tries one last time to get him to turn.
Mat cuts the box open and we finally get a full glimpse of the horn. They are set upon by soldiers and Mat takes off to get the horn to Rand. Dain appears, fighting too, and is shocked to see his old pal, Two Rivers.
Nynaeve tries to Heal Elayne’s leg but the power is still not working for her.
Perrin gets trapped in a hallway with Whitecloaks and once he is knocked down, Valda leaps on top of him. Never fear, Hopper is here! He goes after Valda’s good arm, which pleases me greatly. Geofram comes across this scene and, please God no, but yes, he axes Hopper in the back. Valda slinks after him as he walks away, with no idea of what he’s done. Perrin watches Hopper die, and his hopping spirit ascends to the wolf heavens. Suffice it to say, Perrin is a little upset. He finds Geofram and kills him the only way he knows how.
Mat emerges on the wall with the horn and sees a squadron of Seanchan soldiers on the other end. They charge at him and he blows the horn! As Perrin kills Geofram. As Nynaeve can’t channel. As Egwene opens her eyes. As Rand kneels, shielded. From behind Mat, a mist appears and from the mist, the heroes of the horn. Led by Artur Hawkwing and including Uno! Mat suddenly remembers he is one of them and has fought with them before. Doviandi se tovya sagain! And I get chills every time as Mat and the heroes charge at the Seanchan.
Dain turns around to see Perrin’s finishing move, axe to the gut, killing his father. Before Dain can get at Perrin, Hero Uno appears and smashes Dain with his magic shield, and the Whitecloaks drag Dain off as he screams Two Rivers!!! No!! Uno gives Perrin his shield and Perrin takes off toward Rand.
More fighting on the wall, more Mat killing soldiers with his spear/quarterstaff, finally. He takes off into the tower.
Elayne tells Nynaeve to forget channeling and just heal her like a wisdom. So she does and it hurts but Nynaeve gets Elayne up and half carries her because they are going to need her channeling.
Rand tells Ishamael he has never joined him in all his lives, and he never will. Mat appears and tries to spear Ishamael but he was an illusion and the spear goes through him into Rand. Ishamael walks forward to finish them but Egwene Al fucking Vere is awake and her theme music kicks in as she shields Rand and Mat from a CHOSEN.
Moiraine sees channeling coming from the ships and she’ll kill them all for a chance at saving Rand. A group of Seanchan soldiers appears and Lan takes them all on while Moiraine channels.
Egwene is starting to falter from Ishamael’s attacks but Perrin shows up with Uno’s shield and helps her. Nynaeve and Elayne are also there. The band’s back together! Elayne heals Rand’s dagger wound but it leaves a scar. Rand wants to know who she is, as no one predicted. Rand may be healed but he’s still shielded.
That is until Moiraine blows all the damane off the ships. Shield removed. Rand strides toward Ishamael with his sword, surrounded by the power, and runs him through. Burned onto Rand’s palm is the heron mark from his blade. Ishamael collapses, and smiles as he turns to dust and ashes away. See: Voldemort and Thanos.
The Seanchan are retreating. Moiraine channels the image of a huge dragon atop the Tower. Below in the streets, the people of Falme cheer, the dragon is reborn!! Also, the Maidens have found their Car’a’carn. Lanfear is pleased, look at her man! The heroes of the horn fade into the mist. We get a shot of our new heroes atop the tower with proud Loial looking on.
Hot close! Lanfear is on top of the world! Ishamael dead, Rand the official dragon! But softly, softly, from the shadows… Ishamael broke the remaining seals and here sits Moghedien. Lanfear used to think she was too weak but how the turntables… Moghedien warns her to stay away from Lews and his friends, they belong to the other Chosen now. Lanfear shudders when she disappears. And thus ends season two of the wheel of time.
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