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WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time Episode 4, “The Dragon Reborn,” and for the book series that inspired the show.
This week’s episode of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video saw Nynaeve (Zoë Robins) suddenly accomplishing something that everyone thought impossible when she channeled for the first time and healed multiple Aes Sedai and Warders who were at the brink of death. Up until that point, Nynaeve was known for being skilled with herbal remedies and first aid as the Wisdom of the Two Rivers, but she never knew that she had the potential to channel. Nynaeve wanted nothing to do with Aes Sedai and was only at the scene when Logain’s followers attacked because she was trying to reunite with her friends from the Two Rivers.
In a post-mortem interview for Episode 4, “The Dragon Reborn,” Robins talked to CBR about what Nynaeve has been through so far in The Wheel of Time. Robbins also examined what’s so interesting about the duality of her fierce temper and caretaking instincts.
CBR: This is really Nynaeve’s episode. There was a spectacular scene at the end with her healing the others. In the books she can only channel when she’s angry — we don’t know yet if that’s also true in the show, but either way, what was going through her mind at that moment?
Zoë Robins: There was shock, and desperation of seeing these people around her dying. Nynaeve is a healer first. So being helpless to help others is what I think angers her the most. And in particular, she’s connecting with Lan in a way that’s just blossoming, and there are questions and feelings there. To see him dying in front of her is takes her over the edge.
Yes. Speaking of Lan, everybody’s shipping it, definitely. But is she aware that anything’s happening there, or is she kind of in denial about it?
She’s definitely in denial. She can feel something’s happening and brewing and that makes her incredibly uncomfortable. But, I can speak for myself. I’ve felt some things for someone and not necessarily wanted that to happen, but you can’t help that type of thing. It’s natural. I think what irritates Nynaeve the most is that she’s someone that longs for control, and she has no control over her emotions in this.
And she’s also got a lot of mixed feelings about Lan and Moiraine and all the Aes Sedai. Would you say, at this part of the story, how has her attitude towards Aes Sedai changed, if at all?
She’s slowly coming around to the idea that perhaps they’re not all bad. I don’t know if she’s necessarily warmed up to Moiraine as such, but I think she’s been able to see them more as humans than she did before. When we first meet Moiraine in Episode 1, and she comes to the Two Rivers, that’s the first Aes Sedai that Nynaeve has ever met. She’s got her own opinions of them. And I think that’s slowly, ever so slowly, changing through being around them.
Does Lan, or the other Warders help with that?
I want to say a soft “yes.” I think her way into understanding the Aes Sedai is through the Warders. But her first connection to that world is through the Warders so we see her bonding, no pun intended, bonding with Stepin and Lan, of course, and understanding their motives and relating to them. Nynaeve has that same drive and passion for protecting her people in the same way Warders do for Aes Sedai.
So now that you’re a channeler — previous to this, we’ve mostly just seen Moiraine as the only main character who’s channeling, and Rosamund has talked a lot about how she chooses her movements to show that she’s channeling. Are you trying to separate Nynaeve’s channeling from Moiraine’s?
They do have to be different. Many Aes Sedai go to the White Tower to hone their skills and learn, whereas Nynaeve is a wilder and she naturally has the spark. When I first did that scene, I don’t remember if I spoke to the movement coach, Scarlett [Mackmin] — she’s amazing.
I don’t know if this is a spoiler, but I have since worked with her a little bit. With Nynaeve, her initial force is so erratic and not in control at all, so those movements have to also be that way as well. So it’s like this burst of energy escaping from her, and she can’t do anything about it — that can’t really be choreographed.
Yeah, you could definitely see that in the healing scene. In general terms, there’s a debate in this episode about the false Dragon and whether he should get a trial, or whether he should just be stilled. What’s your take on that?
Ooh. Maybe you could have a little trial. I think that would spice things up.
Of course, circumstances in the episode make it kind of a moot point. But yeah, I like the questions going on.
Yeah. 100%.
Is there anything else that you can tell us about Season 2?
I think we’re all really excited. Without spoiling anything, there is more of a deep dive into the characters. We get to spend more time with them in this. I think Season 1 is a huge undertaking because we have to establish the world and the lore and the characters. Season 2 means that we can now settle a little bit and breathe, and follow some characters individually for a little bit, which I think is really, really exciting.
That is very exciting. How have you felt about the audience reaction to the episodes that they’ve seen so far?
Yeah, it’s quite surreal. Even the fact that it’s out feels like a miracle. It honestly felt for a while that we were just working into a void, and that was like a weird social experiment, because we’ve just been here in Prague off and on for two years. It feels amazing to to be in this moment, and people are for the most part, I think, really responding to what they’re seeing. I love all the debates that I’ve seen so far about who could possibly be the Dragon Reborn and yeah, it’s lovely. I love that people are liking the show.
Have people been speculating that you’re the Dragon?
Not yet, but they might after this episode, maybe?
I was surprised about that, because it seems like kind of a longshot. But I love that she and Egwene are considered for that.
Yeah. I think it’s a nice way to keep new audience members and non-book fans guessing.
But she certainly has her own journey quite aside from that.
Yes, she does. That’s an understatement.
She’s got so much coming. I heard Nynaeve once described as a “berserker healer,” because she can only channel when she’s angry but she uses it for healing, which is really just this beautiful contrast.
Yes, she’s such a contradiction and juxtaposition. I love her. I love her so much. I’m gonna write that down. Berserker healer. That makes a lot of sense.
It’s such a great thing that she has so much power and what she wants to use it for is healing.
Yeah, I love Nynaeve. I hope people do too.
I also like the way that her journey so far has just been trying to reconnect with her people.
That’s her number one motivator. That’s what gets her up in the morning — making sure that her people are okay. And when she knows they’re not, she’ll get very upset.
The Wheel of Time Season 1 is currently streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes airing every Friday.
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