What happens in Perrin's storyline in The Wheel of Time season 3 can make up for an old spinoff idea that never came to fruition. Only one of the 15 books associated with The Wheel of Time wasn't part of the main series; Jordan published one prequel, New Spring, which focused on Moiraine and Lan's efforts to find the Dragon Reborn ahead of their arrival in th Two Rivers. However, New Spring wasn't the extent of Jordan's interests in expanding on the backstory of The Wheel of Time's characters.
Jordan had plans to go further, but they never progressed, with the author dying in 2007 and the main series having to be be wrapped up by Brandon Sanderson. Depending on its long-term success, the TV adaptation has much greater opportunities for going beyond the main story. It's already endeavoring to do just that, as an animated Dark One prequel movie is in development. It could go in other directions as well, considering the scope of the world Jordan created. Regardless of its spinoff plans, the show also has a chance to dive deeper into one of the spinoff ideas that never went anywhere, courtesy of Perrin's next adventure.
Robert Jordan Wanted To Make A Tam Al'Thor Prequel
Tam Al'Thor Had Enough Story For A Spinoff
It's been confirmed by Robert Jordan himself that in addition to New Spring, he wanted to make a prequel about Tam al'Thor. The adoptive father of Rand al'Thor in The Wheel of Time books and the show, Tam was originally presented as a Two Rivers farmer, ex-soldier, and a widower. But it didn't take long for it to become clear that Tam's backstory was actually quite complex. After all, he possessed a heron-marked sword, which distinguished him as a Blademaster, a rare title in The Wheel of Time's world. His Blademaster reputation indicated that Tam must have enjoyed an interesting military career.
Had it been written, Jordan's Tam al'Thor prequel would have served as a deep dive into his past. According to Jordan, it would have explained his decision to give it all up for the life of a farmer in the Two Rivers. It can be presumed that it also would have shed light on his acquisition of the heron-marked sword he gave Rand and his rise to the rank of Blademaster. It made sense that it also would have touched on how he met his wife Kari and his time with the Companions, the military group he served with when he fought for Illian.
How Wheel of Time Season 3 Can Finally Explore Tam's Backstory
Tam Could Get A Fully-Realized Backstory In Season 3
Thanks to what the show seems to have in store for season 3, the TV adaptation can do what the books never could for Tam. Two Rivers is one of the confirmed locations for The Wheel of Time season 3, which all but guarantees Tam returning to relevance soon. Further corroborating that notion is the fact that Tom was a supporting character in the book season 3 is adapting, The Shadow Rising. The Shadow Rising was split into a handful of arcs, one of which being an adventure that centered on Perrin. Perrin's story saw him return to the Two Rivers and team up with Tam against the Whitecloaks and the Trollocs.
By telling this story in live-action, The Wheel of Time can go into detail on Tam's history, using a series of flashbacks to show his life as a soldier. Heading in this direction feels logical for multiple reasons, beginning with the amount of interest there's been for years in a Tam-centric prequel story. This is arguably the closest the show can get to fulfilling that wish, as Perrin's season 3 story makes it a fitting place for that detour. That's because any fighting performed by Tam will make for the perfect jumping off point for a flashback. As soon as Perrin sees what Tam is capable of, the show will have a good reason to explore what got him to that level.
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Even the situation at hand makes it an appropriate story to tell. One of the sides they'll be dealing with is the Whitecloaks, whom Tam has a history with. As a member of the Companions, Tam participated in a few military conflicts, including the Whitecloak War. Illian was one of the nations that assisted Altara when the Whitecloaks were trying to cut into its territory on behalf of Amadicia. Interestingly, the Whitecloaks' efforts were spearheaded by Pedron Niall, who later orchestrated their Two Rivers plot. With that in mind, it's not hard to imagine The Wheel of Time juxtaposing the two storylines.
Wheel Of Time Mysteries Season 3 Can Explain With Tam Al'Thor Flashbacks
The Show Can Answer Questions The Books Didn't
Flashbacks to Tam's past during Perrin's Two Rivers arc would enable the series to examine some unanswered questions about Tam's origins in The Wheel of Time. Through exposition and explanations from Tam himself, the books covered much of it already, but since so much of Tam's life precedes the timeframe of the series, a large portion of it was left open to interpretation. The flashbacks can fix that, and in the process, hit all the areas that a Tam spinoff theoretically would have explored.
It's known that Tam became a Blademaster by defeating one, but the circumstances of that fight and the identity of his opponent were never revealed.
One of the biggest mysteries regarding Tam pertains to his Blademaster rank. It's known that Tam became a Blademaster by defeating one, but the circumstances of that fight and the identity of his opponent were never revealed. Due to being such a major event in his career, it certainly seems like something that's worth addressing. Showing this could benefit the lore as well, particularly since the series has yet to feature a duel where someone earned the Blademaster title. This story could provide context on the guilt that Tam felt over the duel later on in his life.
Additionally, The Wheel of Time could offer some much-needed clarification on what Tam knew about Rand. It's been theorized before that perhaps Tam knew Rand was the Dragon Reborn. That wouldn't have been impossible, since he did find Rand on the slopes of Dragonmount, as foretold by the Dragon Reborn prophecy. Flashbacks about Perrin's decision to retire from military life - which the prequel would have looked at - could explain whether or not the TV version of Tam put the pieces of the puzzle together and surmised that his adopted son was the reincarnation of Lews Therin Telamon.
Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan's expansive fantasy series is brought to life in The Wheel of Time, a fantasy tv series created for Amazon Prime Video. The series follows a woman named Moiraine, a member of the all-female Aes Sedai group who can utilize a great power. Following an attack on a local village, Moiraine heads there to find a villager that may be the reincarnation of an all-powerful dragon that will either save or destroy the world.
Release Date November 19, 2021
Seasons 2
Franchise(s) The Wheel of Time
English (US) ·