The Wheel of Time – Season 2 Episode 2 “Strangers and Friends” Recap & Review

Strangers and Friends

In the first scene of episode 2 of The Wheel of Time season 2, we see Rand attempting to settle into his new life in Cairheien. From a girl’s comment, we learn that he regularly spends the night with her.

In the season one finale, Rand gives up his longing to be with Egwene to protect her and his closest friends. He finds out that men who channel eventually lose their minds and murder their loved ones. He urges Moraine to tell everybody that he passed away given that he appears to be worried about hurting his loved ones.

The scene switches to Perrin and the Shienarans who continue to move forward in their quest to locate Padan Fain to retrieve the Horn of Valere. During their noble quest, Perrin finds himself plagued by disturbing visions from the past. A short while later, Perrin and the Shienarans discover a dead Fade. Following this, they make an effort to learn more about the Fade.

At this point, Moraine fills Lan in on her plans to return to The White Tower with him. Since tensions between Moiraine and Lan continue to exist, she tends to keep their interactions brief and to the point.

On the other hand, we witness Liandrin attempting to convince Nynaeve to join the Red sisters. She explains to Nynaeve how she intends to wield The One Power so that the Aes Sedai will live long lives and never need the Yellow sisters’ healing services again. Not long after, Liandrin brings food to Mat. When she goes away, Mat starts carving a hole in the wall of the room he’s trapped in.

While Nynaeve is nowhere to be found, Egwene meets a royal. Following this, she strikes up a fascinating conversation with her, and the two grow close. Meanwhile, Rand is attacked by a man with whom he had previously argued. He then wields The One Power and manages to murder the man. But he is afraid of getting mentally unstable after wielding The One Power yet again.

Selene is present when Rand enters his room and he tells her that he needs to be alone. She stays, however, and she insists on helping him. Following this, they end up talking about their one true love and bonding by getting vulnerable with each other.

The show then shifts its focus to Moiraine. When questioned about how she met Lan, Moiraine tells a story from her past. At this point, Moiraine and Lan appear to become emotional after reminiscing about the past.

Mat quickly digs a hole in the wall and finds Min, who is imprisoned in the adjacent cell as the opening leads him there. Mat and Min enjoy a conversation and they get along well. However, after a while, Min has a vision of Mat murdering Rand.

Nynaeve is seen following Liandrin, who takes her to her sickly son. Nynaeve is urged to leave Liandrin alone, however, when she deduces the man’s condition, Liandrin slaps her and Nynaeve walks away. When Nynaeve goes to see Egwene, she overhears her conversation with the royal. Egwene complains about Nynaeve not being there for her when she needs her the most. Nynaeve is upset, and she retreats to her room.

The royal, on the other hand, mentions Egwene’s jealousy of Nynaeve and tells her that jealousy does not look good on her. Soon after that, Liandrin appears and takes Nynaeve to the other sisters. She then continues by informing them that Nynaeve is prepared to confront her fears.

Moiraine and Lan are discussing the time when Moiraine made the decision that Lan should be her warder. Following this, Moiraine hands Lan over to Alanna. He initially objects, but after Moiraine hurts his feelings, he decides to let go of his protests.

Meanwhile, the Dark Ones declare an attack on Perrin and his companions, the Shienarans. Liolal is attacked among others. However, Perrin comes through for him in the end. Not long after that, Ishmael and the Dark Ones kidnap Perrin and the Shienarans and take them away.

In the climactic scene of this episode, Rand is volunteering his services to help Logain, who just so happens to be a patient at the same medical facility where Rand works.

The Episode Review

In episode 2 of The Wheel of Time season 2, it reveals crucial details regarding the overall plot. At last, we get a glimpse of Rand and his dire situation. The episode neatly wraps up the plot thread left dangling at the end of Season 1. The show’s mythology is also gradually unveiling itself to the viewers. It’s fascinating to catch glimpses of the Dark Ones in this episode. The episode also features excellent action sequences.

Towards the end of the episode, it is revealed that Rand has agreed to help Logain, who is widely believed to be the Dragon Reborn. Rand assures him that they share a lot in common. Given their shared experiences, he may have found someone he can relate with, making their dynamic interesting.