Entertainment Extra

2 ENTERTAINMENT EXTRA By Dana Simpson TV Media W ithin the realm of the fan- tastic, several novels, mov- ies, video games and series exist to tickle the adventure bone. However, despite the plethora of content, few franchises have the hold that Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings do. One series that has recently re-entered the chat, however, is "The Wheel of Time," which is about to begin its sec- ond season on Prime Video. First written by Robert Jordan beginning in 1990, the 15-book series was expected to comprise just six novels. In 2009, the book series was taken over by fellow fantasy writing powerhouse Brandon Sanderson, following Jordan's death two years earlier. As time progressed and more books emerged, fans of high fan- tasy craved a TV or film adapta- tion that would do the then-still- growing book series justice. Finally, in 2018, following nearly two decades of rights disputes, low-budget pilots and controver- sy, it was announced that Amazon Studios would partner with Sony Pictures Television to make everyone's otherworldly dreams come true. Now, following further set- backs brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and more, "The Wheel of Time" Season 2 premieres Friday, Sept. 1, on Prime Video. Already renewed for a third season ahead of the Season 2 premiere, WOT fans can rest easy knowing that the series' writers did not need to rush to fit several books worth of content into one (potentially) final set of episodes. Instead, audiences get another eight episodes in the second sea- son, while looking forward to even more come Season 3 (likely to be released 2024-25). When Season 1 began, view- ers met Moiraine (Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl," 2014) as she began her quest to find the Dragon Reborn in the Two Rivers. As a member of the powerful Aes Sedai, an order of women with the ability to channel a form of elemental magic called the One Power, Moiraine has been called upon to find a kind of "chosen one," the reincarnation of a channeler called the Dragon, who once destroyed the world. After gathering a small group — any of whom could possibly be the Dragon Reborn — Moiraine, her Warder, Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney, "Big Hero 6," 2014), and the four new candi- dates — Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford, "Bulletproof"), Mat Cauthon (played by "Clique's" Barney Harris in Season 1 and replaced by "The Witcher's" Dónal Finn in Season 2), Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski, "High Flyers") and Egwene al'Vere (Madeleine Madden, "Dora and the Lost City of Gold," 2019) — begin their quest to defeat a pri- mordial evil known as the Dark One. As can be expected from any adaptation, there are a few dif- ferences between details from the novel and those from the series, but as Mashable writer Belen Edwards wrote after the Season 1 release, "A 100% faith- ful adaptation of 'The Wheel of Time' was never going to be pos- sible," due to its "four million words" put to paper since 1990. Regardless, the crux of the tale remains the same, right down to the preview material at the end of the season (or novel). Recently planted directly at the end of the Season 1 finale, titled "The Eye of the World" after the first official book in the saga, the full-scene inser- tion is reminiscent of Jordan's own decision to include a sneak-peek at the end of each one of his books. In fact, the keen observer may have already noticed that the Season 2 clip is an adaptation of the "Darkfriend Social" pro- logue that begins "The Great Hunt," the second book of the literary series and the main source from which this sea- son's material was mined. (Though it should be noted that some elements were also included from Book 3, "The Dragon Reborn.") For the sake of brevity and avoiding as many spoilers as possible, suffice it to say that the first season did not end on a high note for Moiraine and her tribe of villagers. Despite the unveiling of the Dragon Reborn, a battle between the reincarnation and a villain pre- sumed to be the Dark One only appeared to awaken a more sinister energy. Needless to say, a war is on the horizon headed into this new install- ment. "In Season [2], threats new and very old seek out the young friends from the Two Rivers, now scattered over the world," the Prime Video description reads. "The woman who found and guided them is now powerless to help, and so they must find other sources o f strength. In each other, or themselves. In the Light ... or the Dark." Schwering Realty 2 x 2" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" On the Cover Ayoola Smart and Marcus Rutherford in "The Wheel of Time" 'The Wheel of Time' returns for Season 2 Chase Center 3 x 2" American Legion Post 60 2 x 3" Thrifty Muffler 2 x 2.5"

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