The Wheel Of Time Season 3's Book Moments & A Character "Fans Have Been Waiting For” Teased By Perrin & Mat Actors

The Wheel of Time season 3 continues to bring Robert Jordan’s iconic fantasy epic to the screen with an adaptation of his book The Shadow Rising, which means big things are to come for the characters of Mat and Perrin. Both characters have formative arcs in the novel, which many readers agree is one of the most important to The Wheel of Time as a whole. While the series has strayed from the books’ story in some key areas, The Wheel of Time season 3 marks the first time the show has not had to endure game-changing production shakeups.

The return of season 2 Mat actor Dónal Finn is one boon for the new season, as The Wheel of Time season 2 was completely rewritten after the first season exit of original actor Barney Harris. Reprising their role alongside Finn is Perrin actor Marcus Rutherford, who has been a part of the show since the beginning. Although neither Mat nor Perrin are the Dragon Reborn, the bonds they make in The Sh`adow Rising are key to how the whole saga ultimately ends, making The Wheel of Time season 3 sure to be a thrilling watch.

ScreenRant interviewed Marcus Rutherford and Dónal Finn about their work on The Wheel of Time season 3. The pair discussed big book journeys for their characters and what audiences might expect to see on screen. Read on to see what they have to say–The Wheel of Time season 3 premieres on Prime Video on March 13.

Perrin Will Reckon With His Grief In The Wheel Of Time Season

Although He Will Return Home To Find “Chaos Encroaching”

One main storyline of The Wheel of Time season 3 is Perrin’s return to the Two Rivers after the tragic events of the first season, in which he mistakenly killed his wife. “It was quite cathartic to actually return to that set and go back there,” Rutherford said, “Pardon the pun, but it’s quite a cyclical journey.” According to the actor, part of why that journey will be healing for Perrin is because, “having left and gone on this journey, [Perrin] hasn’t really had time to finalize that grief and move past there.”

But, “there isn’t a stillness there,” Rutherford promises–in The Shadow Rising, Perrin returns to the Two Rivers only to find that the Whitecloaks have taken up residence nearby–”there’s danger and there’s a lot of chaos encroaching.” In terms of what that means for Perrin, Rutherford said the following: “I think he quickly has to finalize and return and understand and forgive himself, ultimately, before allowing anything else to happen in his life.”

“Mat’s Arc Is Really Well-Considered By Our Showrunners”, Promises Dónal Finn

The Actor Weighs In On If Mat’s Big The Shadow Rising Moments Are In The Show

Mat is one of the most popular characters in The Wheel of Time saga, and many of the things that make him so recognizable (outside of his general wit and attitude) find their way to him during the events of The Shadow Rising. Dónal Finn spoke on the subject: “There are great moments that the fans recognize as pivotal to Mat’s journey within the books, and I think they are realized within the show.”

Finn went on to praise how Mat’s storyline has been incorporated into the larger vision of the series, as well, saying, “The books are pretty dense, and what I think is really great about their show is that it works so much as this ensemble piece So, there are a lot of people to look after, [but] I think Mat’s arc is really well-considered by our showrunners.”

“I think the pivotal things–the things that I imagine the fans might be looking for, in my reading of it–the things that make Mat, Mat … are present in the show,” Finn continued, “there are lots of things that I was pretty excited to shoot, having read the episodes, and [that I’m] excited for the fans to see.”

Rutherford Teases The Arrival Of A Character “A Lot Of The Fans Have Been Waiting For”

Audiences Will Finally Meet Faile In Season 3

Faile and Perrin snogging in the Wheel of Time Season 3 trailer

In The Wheel of Time novels, one of the characters most important to Perrin’s life is Faile, a fiery adventurer whose name means “Falcon” in the universe’s Old Tongue. “I know that’s a character a lot of the fans have been waiting for for a while,” Rutherford said. He went on to tease Faile’s dynamic with Perrin: “In the book, she has a completely fierce and fiery direct energy that balances with Perrin’s weary shyness.”

Rutherford went on to praise Isabella Bucceri, the actor who plays Faile: “I think Isabella is incredible, and I think that interaction is kind of what Perrin’s been waiting for, in a way. He’s met a lot of characters on his journey, but [she’s] someone with a new approach to Perrin’s inwardness and his self-doubt in terms of his guilt-stricken, shoulders-slumped kind of way that he goes throughout the world.” Rutherford also revealed that Faile “almost sees him as a project in the way that she approaches him,” and, naturally, is “so excited to see everyone’s reactions to Bella.”

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