Leavetaking

***Leavetaking*** is the premiere episode of the television series *The Wheel of Time*. It premiered with the first three episodes on Friday, November 19, 2021 on Prime Video.

## Synopsis

Official episode synopsis for *Leavetaking* from Prime Video:

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> A strange noblewoman arrives in a remote mountain village, claiming one of five youths is the reincarnation of an ancient power who once destroyed the world – and will do so again, if she’s not able to discover which of them it is. But they all have less time than they think.
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## Plot summary

###### Cold Open / Prologue

> At the end of the last Age, called the Age of Legends, the world was broken. In their arrogance, the male Aes Sedai attempted to cage the Dark One, and the male half of the true source was Corrupted, driving all male channelers mad. The leader of the male Aes Sedai, Lews Therin Telamon, was named "the Dragon". The seas boiled, the lands sank beneath the waves and new lands appeared. Humankind was scattered to the far corners of the earth. Now, the Dragon has been reborn. In the White Tower, Moiraine Damodred and Lan Mandragoran prepare to begin their mission to find him before the shadow does.
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###### Episode

It's the holiday of Bel Tine in the Two Rivers region of Andor, with days and nights filled with drinking and dancing. Egwene al'Vere, Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon, Perrin Aybara, and Nynaeve al'Meara are in the Winespring Inn with most of the village when Lan and Moiraine arrive, causing alarm and concern. After things have settled, Perrin returns to his smithy where his wife, Laila, has been working alone. Mat must take care of his little sisters due to his neglectful parents. Rand and Egwene spend some intimate time alone before Egwene tells Rand she might become a Wisdom's Apprentice, which upsets Rand because a Wisdom never marries. Outside in the storm, a black-cloaked figure on a black horse enters the town. In their rooms, Lan and Moiraine share a hot bath, and it is clear their relationship is platonic yet very intimate.

The next morning, the peddler Padan Fain arrives in the village with his trade wagon, and Mat's his best customer. Moiraine and Lan realize that a Fade has been through the village. Egwene tells Rand that she's going to become Nyneave's apprentice. At the Sacred Pool, Moiraine questions Nyneave to discover her age and her upbringing. Moiraine keeps a close eye on Rand, Mat, and Perrin. Nyneave and Egwene Listen to the Wind and hear something *wrong.* Lan discovers a herd of sheep, slaughtered and arranged in the shape of a Dragon's Fang.

In the village that night, murder interrupts the merryment as dozens of trollocs burst in, killing indiscriminately. Perrin and Laila hide in the smithy. Mat locates his sisters and hides with them in the woods. Egwene and Nyneave find each other before Nyneave is taken. Before long, Moiraine and Lan enter the fray. Moiraine unleashes her fury at the Shadowspan to devastating effect while Lan protects her back. The villagers rally, led by Daise Congar. At the smithy, Perrin and Laila fight for their lives, and in a blood rage Perrin accidentally hits Laila and kills her. Moiraine's final attack wipes out the trollocs and the Winespring Inn.

Back at the al'Thor farm, a single trolloc bursts into the house and surprises Rand and Tam, but they manage to kill it working together. Tam is injured, and Rand carries his father towards the village. At daybreak, Rand enters the village with Tam, and Moiraine heals Tam with the One Power. Mat returns with his sisters from where they had been hiding together. Perrin emerges with Laila's body and a terrible secret. Moiraine tells Rand, Mat, Perrin, and Egwene that one of them is the Dragon Reborn, and the trollocs were coming for them, not the village. Suddenly another larger trolloc horde approaches down the distant hills. The group reluctantly flees the Two Rivers with Lan and Moiraine, heading for Tar Valon.

A wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the Wheel of Time. But it was *a* beginning.

## Appearances

### Cast and characters

Starring:

* Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred
* Daniel Henney as Lan Mandragoran
* Zoë Robins as Nynaeve al'Meara
* Madeleine Madden as Egwene al'Vere
* Josha Stradowski as Rand al'Thor
* Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara
* Barney Harris as Mat Cauthon

Guest-starring:

* Kate Fleetwood as Liandrin Guirale

Co-starring:

* Helena Westerman as Laila Dearn
* Lolita Chakrabarti as Marin al'Vere
* Michael Tuahine as Bran al'Vere
* Michael McElhatton as Tam al'Thor
* Johann Myers as Padan Fain
* Naana Agyei-Ampadu as Danya
* Mandi Symonds as Daise Conger
* David Sterne as Annoying old man
* Juliet Howland as Natti Cauthon
* Christopher Sciueref as Abell Cauthon
* Litiana Biutanaseva as Bode Cauthon
* Lilibet Biutanaseva as Eldrin Cauthon
* Petr Simcák as Tom Thane
* Roman Dvořák as Young Man
* Jan Petrina as Old Man

Other characters:

* Bela

Mentioned characters:

* Callie Coplin
* The Dragon
* The previous Wisdom
* Rand's mother
* Unnamed Aes Sedai with white eyes

### Groups

* Aes Sedai
	+ Blue Ajah
	+ Red Ajah
* Warders
* Women's Circle
* Shadowspawn
	+ Fades
	+ Trollocs
* Friends of the Dark

### Locations

* Andor
	+ The Two Rivers
		- Emond's Field
		- The Winespring Inn
		- al'Thor farm
* Age of Legends ruins

### Objects

* Tam's heron-mark sword
* Seated man *sa'angreal*
* Trolloc poison

## Quotes

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was *a* beginning. " -Moiraine Damodred

## Trivia

* On July 23, 2018, writer and showrunner Rafe Judkins revealed the title page for the episode on social media.
* *Wheel of Time* had the most watched series premiere of the year and one of the top five series launches ever for Prime Video. While Amazon Prime did not disclose the exact viewership, they did say the series had "tens and tens of millions of streams".
	+ Additionally, it was the #1 series on social across all releases for its debut weekend, and the biggest Amazon Original series on social this year.
* The title is the same as the tenth chapter  (*book spoilers!*) of *The Eye of the World  (*book spoilers!*)*.

## Navigation

1. ***Leavetaking***
2. *Shadow's Waiting*
3. *A Place of Safety*
4. *The Dragon Reborn*
5. *Blood Calls Blood*
6. *The Flame of Tar Valon*
7. *The Dark Along the Ways*
8. *The Eye of the World*

Season 2
1. *A Taste of Solitude*
2. *Strangers and Friends*
3. *What Might Be*
4. *Daughter of the Night*
5. *Damane*
6. *Eyes Without Pity*
7. *Daes Dae'mar*
8. *What Was Meant to Be*

Season 3
1. *To Race the Shadow*
2. *TBA*
3. *TBA*
4. *TBA*
5. *TBA*
6. *TBA*
7. *TBA*
8. *TBA*

## External links

* Leavetaking at the Internet Movie Database

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 From Amazon's consideramazon.com site: *The Wheel of Time*. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
2. ↑ Amazon Studios press release: Amazon Prime Video Debuts Official Teaser Trailer for The Wheel of Time. September 2, 2021.
3. ↑ Rafe Judkins' Twitter: (image of the title page) Let’s make Monday #WheelofTime day?. July 23, 2018.
4. ↑ Rafe Judkins' Instagram: (image of the title page) Let’s make Monday #WheelofTime day?. July 23, 2018.
5. ↑ [https://deadline.com/2021/11/the-wheel-of-time-premiere-ratings-amazon-prime-video-mass-effect-lort-of-the-rings-jennifer-salke-qa-1234879517/ Deadline: The Wheel of Time Makes Strong Debut As Amazon Doubles Down on Genre