Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for Episode 6 of The Wheel of Time, “The Flame of Tar Valon.”
The Wheel of Time, which finally premiered on Prime Video in November, is adapted from the long-enduring fantasy novels by the late authorRobert Jordan. The series takes place in a world where magic is ever-present, though it is typically wielded by an organization consisting of women known as the Aes Sedai. One among their ranks, Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), has been on a secret quest of her own for many years for someone called the Dragon Reborn, an overwhelmingly powerful individual who is prophesized to either save the world or lead it into destruction. Accompanied by her loyal Warder Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney), Moiraine travels to the region known as the Two Rivers, where it’s possible that the reincarnation of the Dragon might exist from within a small group — sheepherder Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski), blacksmith Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford), innkeepers' daughter Egwene al’Vere (Madeleine Madden), gambler and thief Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris), and town Wisdom Nynaeve al’Meara (Zoë Robins). After the Two Rivers are attacked by a band of vicious creatures called Trollocs, the group finds themselves on the run with one destination in mind — the city of Tar Valon, where the White Tower and the rest of the Aes Sedai might be able to help.
Ahead of this week’s episode, Collider had the chance to chat with Henney about some of his character’s most pivotal moments in “The Flame of Tar Valon,” including how Lan is dealing with a significant loss from last week’s episode and how that impacts his relationship with Moiraine as she navigates Aes Sedai politics. Henney also discussed what it’s been like to work with co-star Pike on the dynamic between their characters, how Lan and Moiraine’s connection operates in tandem with the relationship Moiraine has with Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okonedo), the impact that losing Mat at the Waygate has on the rest of the Two Rivers group, and more.
Collider: Before we dive into this week’s episode a little bit, I would love to discuss the closer from last week, that grieving scene with the Warders and the Aes Sedai, which is incredible. How do you feel like Lan, specifically, is dealing with the loss of Stepin, and how does that change his approach, especially with his relationship with Moiraine while she’s navigating some like tricky Aes Sedai politics this week?
DANIEL HENNEY: Well, I think that Stepin was very much a mentor, and perhaps, even a father figure to Lan. Growing up the way he did, being an orphan and being raised by warriors and learning through men from a young age, I think he was searching for mentor figures. I think he found that in Stepin. And so, you know, losing him was an absolutely huge blow.
It was a scary scene to shoot, because we all know that Lan is very stoic and he doesn’t show a lot of emotion. But, you know, when it comes to losing someone that important to you: a father figure, a brother, or an uncle figure, I mean, it’s a deep, deep cut. And so we tried to find that, and I thought it had to be very guttural and very gritty. And that’s kind of how we approached that scene.
I know it’s a stretch from the books, but we felt that it really helped to showcase the bond, as well, between Aes Sedai and Warder. And in that scene, when you see Lan and Moiraine looking at each other, and Moiraine in tears and feeling what Lan’s feeling, it’s very special. And it sets us up perfectly for what we’re going into in Episode 6, which is Moiraine’s mission and how she’s navigating the White Tower and Lan being there every step of the way and understanding what she’s doing, how she has to do things, the choices she has to make.
There’s also a possible finality to the relationship too. And that comes to the forefront in Episode 5, because you’re seeing that both of them realize that they could lose each other and this exact same thing could happen that happened to Stepin and Kerene. And so there’s a lot going on, but overall, it just shows how time, it’s a very special thing in this world. And I think it ups the stakes for both of those characters, realizing how important their mission is moving forward and how little time they have to accomplish it.
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I love the scene between them too, this week, right before Moiraine goes to see Siuan. The thing that I feel like you and Rosamund [Pike] do really well is communicate the unspoken. Was that something that the two of you worked on?
HENNEY: That’s something between Rosamund and me that has come very naturally. And I just, I think I can attribute that to how amazing of an actor she is. She never rushes scenes. And from the very beginning of our experience onWheel of Time, I realized that she was going to leave a lot of room for subtext and for pregnant pauses. And that’s been invaluable for both of us and for me, because I feel like she’s really helped me to improve as an actor, in that regard. So I just kind of take cues off of her.
And in that scene, in particular, I thought it was a special scene because Lan is the one person that you see talk to Moiraine in this way, where he’s saying how dangerous it is here, and you have to be careful and there’s people talking. And she listens to him because he is her confidant and friend, and they’ve been together for 20 years in this journey. So she respects his opinion.
I love that scene because at the end, when there’s that softness and he says, “Say hello to her for me,” or “Send her my love,” for some reason that was one of my favorite lines I remember from Episode 6. I’m glad that you see that it’s living between us. It’s something that we’re very proud of. And we’re just happy that people are feeling that like we do.
With the Moiraine/Siuan relationship, obviously, it’s different than the one Moiraine and Lan have, but it felt like a nice acknowledgment of how one kind of intimate relationship doesn’t negate the other one. They coexist and everybody’s a little bit aware of each other in that space.
HENNEY: Yeah. I totally agree. I think that Ros and I were excited about these characters from the very beginning because they were showcasing a new way to show love on screen. And Lan and Moiraine love each other. They do. It’s just not the traditional sense. I mean, their bond is unique to them, and other bonds between other Warders and Aes Sedai may be different. But between Lan and Moiraine, it’s everything you get from a… almost like a marriage, except for the sex and the romance and the fun stuff. (laughs) But she gets that with Siuan, which is great. So there’s a kind of an understanding that relationships start and end in certain places. And as you’ll see, moving forward with Lan and Nynaeve as well, there’s a moment where Moiraine has to acknowledge that. And so that’s really exciting as well.
So, yeah, it’s fun to explore new concepts of love and boundaries. We have these social norms in our society that tell us what relationships should be, and maybe they don’t have to be. And there can be respect and love within different boundaries that can exist. And I think our show explores that a bit. It’s really fun to explore those things.
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I can say, without a doubt, that fans are very excited for the Lan and Nynaeve storyline there.
HENNEY: Yeah, I am too. I had a lot of fun shooting that stuff.
The big plot-driven thing that happens this week is Moiraine getting banished by the Amyrlin Seat. We see that, obviously, this is part of the plan, but it doesn’t make it any less heart-wrenching for her, or for Siuan. Given her and Lan’s dynamic, what kinds of ramifications is that going to have for the two of them moving forward, now that they’re away from Tar Valon?
HENNEY: Well, Lan knows exactly what’s happening up to this point with her and you’re going to see her play with masking the bond on and off as we move on through up to [Episodes] 7 and 8, which is something that’ll unfold, which is really interesting. I think at this point from Lan’s perspective, it’s more about execution. He knows that he has to get the kids to the Waygate. And so he’s very much sort of mission-oriented at this point.
But what happens in Tar Valon, regarding the politics and Moiraine being banished, will play out very heavily in 7 and 8, as you see these really interesting scenes between Lan and Moiraine and Fal Dara. I can’t say too much about it, of course, but you will definitely see how those ramifications affect both characters.
There’s a big cliffhanger this week with the Two Rivers group. Everybody’s reuniting, getting ready to head into The Ways, and then Mat stays behind. What can you tease about what’s in store for the group, now that they’re heading into the unknown?
HENNEY: Well, they’re reunited again, as a unit, that’s the first time we’ve seen them all together since, I believe, the pilot. And losing Mat is a huge thing for the group. And we’re going to see that play out in the first parts of Episode 7, so you will see some of that unfold. And as we walk into The Ways, which is an incredibly dangerous, sort of… I always call it like a warp zone pathway with exits to these different worlds, you’re going to see the younger cast have moments of real trial and question and reassessing their commitment to each other and how much faith they have in Moiraine and the leadership that she’s established up to that point.
So it’s going to get really heavy. And of course, losing Mat is a big part of that. And we know that was not in the books, but I think that the writers have written this so beautifully that it really helps up the stakes, to be honest. I can’t give too much away, but the first part of Episode 7 is super, super exciting.
Episodes 1 through 6 ofThe Wheel of Timeareavailable to stream now on Prime Video, with new episodes releasing weekly every Friday.
