The Wheel of Time season 3 has finally done a key villain justice with a bold storytelling choice

Titled Tel’aran’rhiod, the fifth instalment in the series took viewers on a fascinating journey to the World of Dreams, as Egwene (Madeleine Madden) begins to explore her Dreamwalking powers, as guided by the Aiel Wise Ones.

But when Egwene travels with Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) to the dream world, she begins to see the possible futures for her friends, inadvertently discovering Rand’s (Josha Stradowski) painful betrayal with Lanfear (Natasha O'Keeffe) in what she (heartbreakingly) believed was their shared future.

By further exploring Lanfear’s complicated dynamic with Rand and their shared past - along with Egwene’s discovery that Lanfear has been haunting her nightmares - the episode delivers on adding even more intrigue and nuance to The Wheel of Time’s most fascinating villain.

The fantasy genre can often be guilty of falling into the archetypal story trope of the core good vs evil conflict, with very clear-cut characters serving specific roles and purposes.

While this isn’t a criticism of the many beloved novels and adaptations which utilise this form of storytelling - as viewers know exactly what they’re getting with this more traditional approach - the downside is that it can often limit the boundaries of certain characters.

While the major players often inhabit a more black-and-white dichotomy, it’s the morally grey characters which are often more fascinating.

For example, the Dark One (Fares Fares) is undoubtedly The Wheel of Time’s archetypal big bad, but Lanfear is a far more compelling beast.

A standout flashback to the Age of Legends in episode 4, The Road to the Spear, revealed that Rand’s ancestor Charn served the Aes Sedai, and in particular the Collam Daan university researcher Mierin Eronaile​​ - who would later become known as Lanfear.

In this vision, Mierin was working on an exciting breakthrough which she hoped would help advance mankind for good, having discovered a power which can be utilised by both men and women.

However, to access that power, they had to drill through the 'Bore' - a calamitous event which led to the release of the Dark One.

By affording viewers a fascinating insight into her past and her motivations for scientific advancement, along with deepening her relationship with Rand, the showrunners have helped expand upon the novel’s depiction of the villain.

Discussing the flashback with Screen Rant, showrunner Rafe Judkins described how the scene was "really important to the Rand-Lanfear relationship", and how this scene builds upon the book version of the character as "a lot of that’s hinted at in the books… but to actually see this woman in those shoes aspiring to a greater scientific goal lets you feel for Lanfear in a different way".

Furthermore, Lanfear and Rand’s pivotal discussion about her past in episode 5 further highlights the character’s complicated and conflicting nature, as she argues that she isn’t that person anymore.

"You were driven and brave. You wanted the world to be a better place and you wanted people to have more than they had," Rand counters. Lanfear admits that she still wants that and that she loves Rand - the dark parts and the light.

She’s one of the 13 Forsaken, is an incredibly powerful and dangerous channeller, and will manipulate anyone to serve her own means. And yet, it does appear that she truly loves Rand in this moment. Are they the two sides of the same coin, destined to save the world? Or lovers doomed to break it?

It’s hard to know what her true motivations are so far - does she truly love Rand, does she love him because of her relationship with the previous dragon Lews Therin, or is she merely using him for her own personal gain?

You can’t help but feel for Rand, as he’s constantly used and controlled by those nearest to him, while Lanfear embraces him as a whole. Telling him that she accepts and loves both his dark and light parts is certainly a powerful means of manipulation if so, as his friends and mentor consistently reject this notion.

She’s even struck up an uneasy alliance with Moiraine to help keep Rand on the "right" path, heading to the Stone of Tear. Is she doing this to truly help Rand fulfil his legacy so they can both save the world - or merely rule it together?

Aligning herself with the band of heroes is an undeniably risky move for her if discovered by the other members of the Forsaken, which lends itself more to the argument that she does love Rand and is helping to guide him on his journey to save the world.

However, while previously mentioning that she could escape her dark oaths, she hinted that she needs a certain magical item to do so, the item which Moiraine has coincidentally just secured. "There’s a sa’angreal for women, the Sakarnen," Lanfear teases - could she end up wielding it later in the show, perhaps taking on a similar role to Demandred?

Moiriaine’s visions in Ruhidean also reveal that Lanfear kills Moiraine in several alternate timelines, while episode 5 spotlights how she’s terrorising Egwene in her nightmares - undoubtedly born from jealousy of her relationship with Rand.

These added complications highlight the duality of the Dreamwalker, adding further intrigue and character development.

Lanfear is certainly walking a tightrope this season, and this added depth and expansion of the character from the books is undoubtedly strengthening her arc, much like Leandrin’s upcoming flashback in episode 6.

It would be so easy for the writers to position the character so viewers would hate her, but these additions make for a much more interesting and impactful arc.

Plus, it certainly helps that actor Natasha O'Keeffe is one of the best actors in the shows, consistently stealing scenes as she exudes an inimitable swagger and effortless confidence.

It’s genuinely so refreshing to see such a complex fantasy villain, with Lanfear undoubtedly one of the most interesting (and entertaining!) characters.

The Wheel of Time season 3 airs weekly on Prime Video.

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