What happens in Perrin’s storyline inThe Wheel of Timeseason 3 can make up for an old spinoff idea that never came to fruition. Only one of the15 books associated withThe Wheel of Timewasn’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 ofThe Wheel of Time’scharacters.
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
It’s been confirmed by Robert Jordan himself that in addition toNew Spring, he wanted to make a prequel about Tam al’Thor. The adoptive father ofRand al’Thor inThe Wheel of Timebooksand 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 inThe Wheel of Time’sworld.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 ofthe heron-marked sword he gave Randand 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 forThe Wheel of Timeseason 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 Risingwas 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 Whitecloaksand the Trollocs.
By telling this story in live-action,The Wheel of Timecan 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, asPerrin’s season 3 storymakes it a fitting place for that detour. That’s becauseany 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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The Wheel of Time TV show could use two characters to streamline multiple branching plotlines, making them the perfect mentors that Rand needs.
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 imagineThe Wheel of Timejuxtaposing 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 inThe 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 Timecould offer some much-needed clarification on what Tam knew about Rand. It’s been theorized before thatperhaps 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 thereincarnation of Lews Therin Telamon.
The Wheel of Time
Cast
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.
