The Wheel of Time Season 3 on Prime Video introduces a fascinating wrinkle to the relationship and rivalry shared by Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and Lanfear (Natasha O’Keeffe): They team up!
In a departure from Robert Jordan’s novels, we see Moiraine and Lanfear work together in The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 1 “To Race the Shadow,” to try to move Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) towards taking the mythic sword of Callandor from the Stone of Tear. Lanfear sets off “Bubbles of Evil” with Moiraine’s tacit approval. The plan sort of works. Rand’s friend group splits up, meaning only Moiraine, Lan (Daniel Henney), Egwene (Madeleine Madden), and Aviendha (Ayoola Smart) remain in his immediate entourage. However, Rand still decides to resist the pull of the Stone of Tear, instead opting to travel to the Aiel Waste.
Nevertheless, The Wheel of Time Season 3 continues to deepen the complex relationship between the noble Aes Sedai and Daughter of the Night by introducing multiple scenes where they confer on their plans. While they ultimately have opposing aims — Moiraine wants to ensure that Rand makes it to the Last Battle to save the world while Lanfear wants to seduce him to her side so they can rule it — for now, they can appreciate that their immediate goals overlap.
In this week’s all-new episode, The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 4 “The Road to the Spear,” Moiraine undergoes a journey that will once again underline the fact that she and Lanfear are rivals. They also feel like reflections of each other in terms of power.
“They’re both very intelligent women,” Wheel of Time star Natasha O’Keeffe told DECIDER. “They’re front-footed. Very different, obviously. Different worlds that they occupy.”
“But I think this is what makes it all so interesting in this series, because they need to use one another. So they become unlikely, not friends, but alliances. It was so wonderful to get to do that this season with Rosamund,” O’Keeffe said.
O’Keeffe’s costar, Rosamund Pike, echoed that offscreen respect and praise.d
“It’s so lucky that we have Natasha O’Keeffe as Lanfear,” Pike, who is also an executive producer on the show, said. “I mean, when different women were auditioning for Lanfear — and obviously, she appears first as Selene — and there were many, many actresses who could play Selene very well, but it was Natasha who killed it as Lanfear as well.”
“It’s about her having the same poise as Moiraine, the same ruthlessness as Moiraine, but with this dark energy,” Pike said.
“Yeah, and those two characters have a lot together in the books,” Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins told DECIDER. “So it was one thing that we intentionally brought out more in the show.”
“You know, how their relationship resolves in the books is so important to each of those characters that we wanted to see more of their relationship on screen, so that you can really identify how important those two characters are to each other’s lives, ultimately.”
However, Moiraine is not Lanfear’s only rival when it comes to Rand this season. Sure, there are now other Forsaken out hunting the Dragon Reborn, but the character who’s really obviously getting on Lanfear’s nerves is Egwene al’Vere.
In The Wheel of Time Season 3, we learn that Rand and Egwene are still a couple, despite the fact that he not only shacked up with Lanfear as Selene, but is continuing to do so in his dreams.
When DECIDER asked Natasha O’Keeffe how Lanfear feels about Egwene and Rand’s other friends, she joked, “They’re just in the way. That is really as simple as that.”
“In her mind, and all I kept thinking while I was acting out some of the scenes, was like, ‘They really need to get out of my life,” O’Keeffe said, laughing.
“Yeah, you can tell that she just wishes she had a clean runway with him, but she’s got these other things and [Rand would] probably be mad if she killed them all,” Judkins said.
That said, O’Keeffe admitted that Lanfear and Egwene’s rivalry will evolve to a point where there could some notion of respect?
“I mean, with Egwene, there’s the past with Lews Therin, and I think at times the audience may actually see Lanfear understanding this other woman, Egwene,” O’Keeffe said. “I don’t think Egwene ever understands Lanfear, but whether this is like subtext, but I think…”
“I think she starts thinking, ‘Ugh,'” Judkins added. “And you see a change in Lanfear by the end of the season. You know, Egwene is one of those characters that the more time you spend with her, the more you respect her. And in a weird way, even Lanfear is able to experience that with her.”
O’Keeffe and Judkins weren’t the only ones teasing DECIDER about where Lanfear’s multiple rivalries might go. Rosamund Pike gave us a sneak peek at what Lanfear’s bringing to The Wheel of Time Season 3 finale!
“I can’t wait — I mean, I not that I want to hasten you through Season 3 — but I can’t wait for you to see Episode 8, where the battle of these two formidable women really comes to a head,” Pike said.”She’s wicked and she delivers a line like a blade.”
“And she wears even better costumes than me, but, hey, you know, I can take it,” Pike said, shrugging.
The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 4 “The Road to the Spear” is streaming now on Prime Video.