Warning: this article contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time books and may contain spoilers for season 3 of Amazon’sThe Wheel of Time.While I’ve enjoyed the first two seasons of Amazon’s adaptation ofThe Wheel of Time, and a lot of itscharacter changes compared to the Robert Jordan bookshave 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 (viaWinter is Coming), but I’m stillworried about whatWheel of Timemight cut. Thom Merrilin is just as important to the story ofThe Wheel of Timeas 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. WhileThe Wheel of Timeseason 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.
As with many characters inThe Wheel of Time, Thom’s name echoes a figure from real-world mythology – Merlin, the wizard who advised King Arthur. Like Merlin, Thom has knowledge from outside of his own time, and serves as one of Rand’s closest counselors.
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 whatseason 3 ofWheel of Timechanges from the books, we may see Thom show up at any point, and hopefully, he’ll be bringing his emotional baggage with him.
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.
Morgase is mother of Elayne Trakand, Novice of the White Tower, who we see travel with Egwene al’Vere to Falme in season 2. She is rumored to appear in season 3
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.
“Daes Dae’mar” is the Old Tongue phrase for “the great game,” and is used to refer to the political maneuvering between the nobles of various nations.
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 ofThe Wheel of Timecontinues 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
The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine, a member of the powerful all-female organization Aes Sedai, as she leads a perilous quest with five young individuals. Moiraine suspects one among them could be the prophesized reincarnation of a mighty figure destined to either save or doom humanity.
