If Thom Merrilin Doesnt Get Better Writing In Wheel Of Time Season 3 Ill Become A Darkfriend

Warning: this article contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time books and may contain spoilers for season 3 of Amazon's The Wheel of Time.While I've enjoyed the first two seasons of Amazon's adaptation of The Wheel of Time, and a lot of its character changes compared to the Robert Jordan books have been for the better – not every innovation has been a success. I've been waiting eagerly for the reappearance of a certain grizzled storyteller, and I'm happy to hear he's confirmed as returning for season 3 (via Winter is Coming), but I'm still worried about what Wheel of Time might cut. Thom Merrilin is just as important to the story of The Wheel of Time as anyone, and the writers need to remember that.

In the books, Thom is a dynamic character from the very beginning (although there are no beginnings or endings to the Wheel of Time). He served as a foil for Moiraine until the party split at Shadar Logoth, and helped Mat and Rand make it to Whitebridge, where, like in the show, he distracted a Myrddraal long enough for the boys to escape, apparently at the cost of his own life. While The Wheel of Time season 2 concluded without any sign of Tom, we know he's returning for season 3. However, when he does come back, the show needs to start treating his character with the respect he deserves.

Thom Merrilin Should Serve As A Counterpart To Aes Sedai Moralizing In The Wheel Of Time

Throughout the book series, Thom sits alongside Moiraine and the other Aes Sedai as they try to direct the course of events. Sometimes he agrees with them, and sometimes he argues, but notably, he is one of the few characters outside the Aes Sedai sisterhood that has a broad perspective on history, thanks to his background as the Court Bard of the kingdom of Andor. Thom knows legends, stories, and historical facts, all of which make him a dangerous man.

Thom is also crucial to the flow of events because, despite his sense of self-preservation telling him not to, he repeatedly puts himself in harm's way in order to protect Rand and the other boys. He serves as a father figure, especially for Mat, at a time when the young ta'veren are unsure who to trust. In the books, he teaches Rand how to play the flute, which lets the young Dragon support himself as he travels the land, and shows Mat some of the finer points of gambling and carousing.

While the broader strokes of that mentorship were absent in season 1, and the events of the show have already moved beyond several points where Thom's advice would have been a benefit to the boys, there are still plenty of opportunities for Thom to help them out. Depending on what season 3 of Wheel of Time changes from the books, we may see Thom show up at any point, and hopefully, he'll be bringing his emotional baggage with him.

Without Thom Merrilin’s Courtly Intrigue Backstory, He’s Just A Sad Old Bard

Thom is more than just a fountain of exposition and a fantastic mustache (though he has a full beard in the show, the books make such a point of his mustache that I personally refuse to acknowledge that change despite all the evidence on-screen), just like he is so much more than a simple gleeman. For years, Thom served publicly as the Court Bard in Caemlyn, performing for Queen Morgase Trakand and others, demonstrating his mastery of the ancient tales and High Chant.

Behind the scenes, however, he also served as Morgase's spymaster, defending her from assassins and other threats and even secretly sharing her bed. There he became as consummate a player of "Daes Dae'mar" (the Great Game) as any noble, until he abandoned his duties to the Queen in order to try and help his nephew Owyn, who was stricken with the madness that takes male channelers of the One Power. Ever since then, he's been living in the shadows, happy to seem a simple gleeman but always keeping one ear to the ground.

Part of why I was so disappointed by Thom's appearance in season 1 was because all of this context for his character was stripped away. Since he only appeared in two episodes, there was no chance for him to even hint at just how ingrained in the greater events of the Westlands he was. I suppose Thom himself would be pleased by his portrayal as that simple gleeman, but his role in the story deserves more screen time, and season 3 is going to lose me and other book fans if it doesn't deliver.

The Wheel Of Time Season 3 Can't Keep Failing Thom Merrilin's Character

As season 3 of The Wheel of Time continues with the story of Rand as the Dragon Reborn, we as an audience need Thom to return to Rand and Mat's side. Thom's unique blend of romanticism and skepticism, as full of curiosity as he is with weariness, is a crucial perspective not only for us as viewers, but also for the young ta'veren (and even Moiraine, eventually). While this turning of the Wheel of Time is clearly different from the one that contains the novels, it's one that still needs Thom Merrilin. Without him, Robert Jordan's world becomes a far more simplistic setting, devoid of essential character complexity.

Source: Winter is Coming

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.