The Wheel of Time 3×04 Review: “The Road to the Spear”

Rand learns more about his ancestors as Moiraine discovers her potential fate in The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 4 “The Road to the Spear”.

After a three-episode premiere that introduced many intriguing storylines for The Wheel of Time’s third season, “The Road to the Spear” focuses on the storyline in the Aiel Waste. The bulk of the episode features Rand (Josha Stradowski) and Moiraine’s (Rosamund Pike) journey through Rhuidean and the revelations that it brings forth.

Both Rand and Moiraine decide to travel to Rhuidean to learn more about themselves. The tense relationship between Rand and Moiraine is on full display as they enter the trial together. Though some of Rand’s distrust of Moiraine is understandable, he should ultimately see that she is on his side.

After an amusing sequence in which Moiraine pulls several hidden knives from her outfit, the two walk into the fog-filled area of Rhuidean unarmed. They come across a version of the Tree of Life and discuss its history, bonding the two through their ancestors ever since. After this moment, they are separated as Rand begins to see visions of his ancestors while Moiraine is shown a glimpse of her future.

The six visions that Rand experiences allow him to get in touch with his ancestors. Starting with a brief vision of his father discovering his mother’s body shortly after his birth, Rand learns the truth about the Aiel and the history of the Dark One’s emergence. Stradowski gets the opportunity to play each of these ancestors, and it’s fun to see him explore different characters.

The visions each show a vital piece of information Rand needs in his quest to help the Aiel and defeat the Dark One. Rhuidean was designed by the Aes Sedai to show the Aiel how they betrayed their oaths. Further back, Rand’s ancestor Lewin killed a man while trying to rescue his sister, breaking the Aiel’s oath of non-violence and ending up disowned by his mother. Subsequent visions show the continuation of the Aiel’s split into two separate groups and the sword that Rand must acquire.

A final vision shows that Rand’s ancestor was an assistant to Aes Sedai Mierin, who would eventually become Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe). The vision shows how Mierin broke away from the Aes Sedai and released the Dark One into the world. While each vision shows an interesting piece of the past, this revelation is the most surprising one.

In the episode’s most visually stunning moment, Moiraine is shown different timelines where her relationship with both Rand and Lanfear is drastically different. The majority of these visions end with Lanfear killing Moiraine, suggesting that her death in this timeline is inevitable. The reveal would be more surprising if it hadn’t already been teased in the trailer for the season. Whether the vision comes to fruition remains to be seen, but it would be unfortunate to lose one of the series’ most compelling characters.

“The Road to the Spear” ends with Rand exiting Rhuidean, having been proven as the savior to the Aiel. The episode was both captivating and informative throughout, though I am eager to see what comes of these visions and the other storylines in the coming episodes.

Author: Jessica Wolff

Jessica Wolff is a graduate of Drexel University with a BS in Film/Video. She has a passion for entertainment and representation in entertainment. She currently resides outside of Washington, DC.

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