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The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime revealed the first official The Wheel of Time TV Series Poster, which highlights Rosamund Pike as Moiraine. While many focused on the excitement around the announced November, 2021 premier in the Poster reveal, here are seven things you may have missed!
1. Yes, that is a Waygate
While fans posed various theories about the structure that fills The Wheel of Time TV Series Poster, there is no doubt: it's a Waygate.
Why are we sure? Well, fans noticed the following text-based description found in the alt-text of the tweet, which states:
The poster depicts an iconic moment from The Eye of the World. Moiraine, standing beneath slowly moving clouds and wrapped in a blue cloak that is blowing in the wind with its hood down, looks over her shoulder at the audience as she steps through a Waygate into the unknown. She is inviting us to go on a journey with her. The words "Amazon Prime Original" and "Nov 2021" are overlaid on the image along with the Wheel of Time serpent logo and the Prime Video smile.
If that's not enough proof, the official The Wheel of Time TV Series Twitter account posted a highlight of the Amazon Comic-con Panel where Rafe Judkins, the Showrunner, revealed the Poster, and added the following description of that highlight clip:
It's a Waygate. But, maybe not the Waygate you expected from the following description of the Waygate in Shienar, for example.
The whispers drifted, the blackness lessened, faded, and the Waygate was again murky shimmer seen through an arch of carved stone. The Eye of the World, Chapter 25
It's almost a guarantee that there will be added visual effects, and that this does not represent an actual journey in the Waygate. We'll have to watch and find out.
With that in mind, fans noted during the live coverage of this Poster reveal on The Dusty Wheel, that it is unknown what function the Waygate will play in the TV Series, suggesting differences could be indicative of a multi-functional device leading to The Ways, Mirror Worlds, etc. Only time will tell.
2. Weaves of the One Power? Threads in the Pattern? Both?
Fans were quick to zero in on the lines in the lower left of the Poster, which quickly turned into theories of threads and weaves of the One Power. A fan on Twitter over-saturated that portion of the Poster to highlight those lines, as can be seen below.
The various colors that can be seen to correlate well to the following answer Robert Jordan gave in 2005 about what a channeler sees:
A channeler sees the flows as colored very faintly, according to which of the Five Powers is involved (red = Fire, Blue = Water, green = Earth, yellow = Air, white = Spirit), although the "feel" of the flows are also different to a channeler, so that a channeler can tell one from another without actually seeing them. (That is how someone can tell that somebody else has channeled, say, Fire and Earth, in their vicinity without seeing the flows.) It isn't a physical feel; you might almost as well say that they have different flavors. They appear to be smooth and nearly transparent, tinged with color. Robert Jordan
Considering Robert Jordan's description, those lines appear to intentionally represent the One Power. But, what does weaving the One Power look like? Fans have different mental images, and this has likely been a significant challenge for the visual effects crew, but here is one description from The Dragon Reborn that gives some insight.
I saw it, Egwene thought. I . . . think I did. She was not sure she had even been able to make out all the many flows, much less the way Nynaeve had woven them together. What Nynaeve had done in those few seconds had seemed like weaving four carpets at once while blindfolded. The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 38
While it likely represents weaves of the One Power, fans also noted that these lines could be a symbolic representation of threads in the Pattern. What do you think? The One Power, threads in the Pattern, or are fans just seeing things?
3. Why is the Waygate deteriorating?
Knowing this is a Waygate, taking into account Moiraine and what are likely weaves of the One Power, along with Rafe referring to this as representative of an iconic moment from The Eye of the World, this appears to be an intentional hint that Moiraine will use the One Power to enter or exit the Waygate, because the leaf is not there to open it. This could be indicative of the destruction that will occur, as it did in the books.
Though, this may also reflect the time differential effect, "slow motion," as outlined in the books when passing out of the Waygate in Shienar.
On the far side of the gate Lan and Mandarb slowed to a crawl, stumbling in slow motion as the Warder reined back around toward the gate. The Eye of the World, Chapter 45
Of course, this may be a subtle nod, instead, to the decay of The Ways. Or, even "the Pattern unraveling and crumbling away" as one YouTube viewer put it. What do you think it represents?
4. A Yin Yang or ancient Aes Sedai symbol in the clouds
Soon after the Poster reveal, fans discovered the official Show Twitter account had replaced their banner background image, with a wider version of the Poster. This new view of the Poster made it clear that the clouds were in the color and shape of a well known Wheel of Time icon, even if backwards.
A number of fans, including the Dragonmount community, were chatting about this on Twitter. But, it was this fan on Twitter, Fresh Prince of the Ravens, who created a composite of both images, to give us a more complete look.
Then, with a bit more Photoshop work this fan on Twitter, Александар Бре, filled in those missing corners, giving a good approximation of what both of those images would look like as a single poster image.
Finally, another fan, Rainbow Everything, sent in this image showing how the various elements of the Poster could also be construed to represent the the yin yang symbol as you see below.
Possible A Memory of Light Spoiler
A final note about these clouds, this could also be a nod to Darrell K. Sweet's unfinished A Memory of Light cover. Consider the clouds and the Yin Yang symbol, and the tall, dry grass.
Whether or not this was purposeful, nicely done Amazon!
5. Is that a symbol on Moiraine's cloak?
During closer examination of the Poster, a fan noted what appears to be a light symbol on, or superimposed over, the middle of Moiraine's cloak, as is highlighted in the image below. If it's anything beyond an artifact of the image itself, the most popular fan theory suggests the Aes Sedai symbol.
(Of note, my daughter believes it's just dust.) Are fans making something out of nothing on this one?
6. A better First Look at Rosamund in Costume
If this is an accurate portrayal of what will be seen in the show, this Poster provides fans the closest thing to an official look at what they can expect for at least one of Rosamund's costumes. Of course, she's in blue, and the appearance in a cloak is iconic, and by zooming into this image, fans can see a unique style for the sleeve and shoulder of this particular outfit. One more thing noticeable in this close-up, no kesiera, recently noted by Geekyeri. Though, Rafe has assured fans the kesiera will appear in the show, in this Instagram Q&A as captured by WoTSeries.
7. Location. Location. Location? Shienar?
Finally, fans noted what looks to be tall, dry grass at the base of the Waygate. If this were the entry location as the description of the image implies, it is not a basement in Caemlyn. Though, considering we know Moiraine will use a Waygate and we know the show intends to go to Fal Dara, in Season 1, this image implies this is the exit location in Shienar, as occurs in The Eye of the World, despite the description.
Do you agree? Do you think this is the entrance at a different location than Caemlyn? Or, do you think that the tall, dry grass was an artistic decision unrelated to what we'll see in the TV show?
Before you decide, consider this description of The Waygate in Shienar as Rand leaves The Ways.
The Waygate stood in a jumble of stones at the base of a hill, hidden by bushes except where the falling pieces had broken down the bare, brown branches. Alongside the carvings on the remains of the gates, the brush looked more lifeless than the stone. The Eye of the World, Chapter 45
Is there anything else?
While nothing substantial from an evidence standpoint, fans have suggested that the trefoil leaf normally used to open and close a Waygate, may be represented in that section of the Waygate that looks to be deteriorating. Others have suggested the description of the image of it being Moiraine at a Waygate, isn't where Moiraine actually is, which they believe pairs better with Shadar Logoth. And, some have even suggested there is writing on the bricks that make up this Waygate, but we were not able to confirm that in our own examination of the image.
Watch Rafe's interview on the Amazon Comic-con Panel
If you missed the interview where this Poster was revealed, make sure to watch Rafe Judkins discuss where his love of The Wheel of Time originated during Amazon's Comic-con Panel. Rafe describes why The Wheel of Time is meaningful to him, how he would describe The Wheel of Time, and answers many more questions about the TV Series. You can read a transcript here, kindly created and provided by @AratouialSedai.
Also, did you catch the 3-hour Live Coverage of Amazon's Comic-con Panel?
All of the above was discussed by thousands of Wheel of Time fans who gathered at The Dusty Wheel Show on YouTube, for their Live coverage of the Comic-con panel. The show included guest panelists Daniel Greene and Nae'blis, along with other content creators who joined later in the event including Joe from Talk'aran'rhiod, Rebecca from Reading the Pattern, and Joe from tWoTcast, Jenny from LezbiNerdy, and Recappa Sedai from Wheel Talk.
Finally, what about the memes?
It didn't take long for fans to craft memes based on this newly revealed Wheel of Time TV Series Poster. In fact, WoTSeries.com posted a template for any fan to use, leading to some hilarious and heartfelt memes. Enjoy!