I don’t have a long history with The Wheel of Time universe, nor do I have stories of meeting new friends through this fandom. In fact, I’ve only been a fan of the show since February 2025 and I’ve never read the books! Still, in just a few short months, the show came to mean so much to me. I was devastated to hear it’s been cancelled.

I’ve been aware of The Wheel of Time since the release of its first ever trailer, but I genuinely never thought I would watch it. I’ve never been a high fantasy lover – I know from experience it’s usually not my cup of tea, so I steer clear. I resisted the pull of WoT for a long time, even though I knew there were aspects of it I would likely enjoy (women! lesbians! Lanfear!).

Finally, I caved in and decided to give it a go. I could always stop if I didn’t enjoy it, right?

Reader, I never stopped. I devoured the first two seasons in about a week. I almost contemplated ditching my own birthday party because Lanfear had just graced my screen (to quote the woman herself, “Finally.”). By the time the trailer for season 3 dropped, I was a full-fledged fan. I guess that’s the biggest lesson I learned from WoT: there truly is something out there for *everyone*, in every genre, no matter how much you claim not to like it. If you open your heart to possibility and if you’re lucky enough, you just might stumble upon something wonderful.

I wasn’t ready to commit to the books, but I was so enthralled by this universe I had to know more. I started reading The Wheel of Time wiki, collecting information on the lore, characters and things that interested me most and trying not to get *too* spoiled in the process. I shared my findings with my best friend, who’d never even heard of WoT, and it soon turned into a really lovely bonding ritual for us. I got him invested in this universe via 3-hour phone calls and about a thousand voice memos, which he listened diligently. He even started asking follow-up questions and discussing the lore with me! I can’t describe how much fun I had theorizing with him based on the tidbits I knew! Indeed, I may not have had the time to gain new friends in the WoT community, but this show gave me a renewed appreciation of the friends I already have and reminded me that I’m loved and seen.

As a queer woman living in a homophobic country, I can’t stress it enough how much I appreciated the casual queerness of this show! This matter-of-fact representation of different sexualities and sexual expressions made me feel seen amidst censorship and homophobia and reminded me of how things can and should be. I really needed that reminder.

What makes The Wheel of Time truly special, though, is the humanity that infuses it, the passion that the cast and crew so clearly have for their show. In this capitalist world of ours, where too many things are treated like mere products to be put out, consumed, and discarded, WoT is a rare example of true artistry. I always love listening to people talk about things they are passionate about, and that passion was so clear from the interviews I watched! It’s hard not to feel the same enthusiasm. When I was watching the press junket interviews for season 3, I was moved by how eloquently Rosamund Pike spoke about Robert Jordan’s work and the ways they had to shuffle events around and merge books together for the television medium. Another moment from those interviews that struck me was when Josha Stradowski asked the people who were interviewing him (the hosts of one of the WoT podcasts – I can’t remember which one) what *their* favorite moments from the books were. I think that particular interview ended up being a little longer than it was supposed to be because Josha wanted to keep discussing the books and to hear the opinions of longtime WoT fans. I was so impressed by his dedication and respect for the source material! I don’t think book fans could’ve wished for a better Rand.

I’ve never had any particular interest in costuming, and yet I watched and read pretty much every interview Sharon Gilham did for this show. The amount of thought, love, and care she and her team put into dressing those characters is INSANE! Some things truly boggle the mind, like the story behind Moiraine’s armor plate that she wears during the desert fight. What do you MEAN they transcribed a book quote in Old Tongue and made the armor from that?? And oh, all those costumes that were on screen for about five seconds but were so meticulously thought out, and not to mention the huge undertaking of creating entire cultures and dressing all those extras… If I keep listing all of the individual things I adored, we’ll be here all day, so I’ll just say this: Sharon Gilham and the entire costume department deserve at least ten Emmys.

I have to mention the make-up department, the VFX team, the production designers, and everyone else who contributed to making The Wheel of Time’s stunning visuals. Again, I am *so* thankful that despite the general capitalistic push to optimize everything for a quick buck, the WoT creators chose shooting on location and as many practical effects as they could instead of slapping on a green screen and calling it a day. It gives the show so much more depth, so much more warmth. I watched a livestream with Andy Scrase & Brian Shows on The Dusty Wheel where they broke down some of the season 3 visuals, and I loved hearing, among other things, about the scene where Moghedien played in the sand and they intentionally made it look like Alcair Dal. What a fun, playful touch! This kind of dedication is only possible when you truly love the story you’re making and its source material. If these people didn’t, it would be a completely different show.

I applaud Rafe Judkins and the entire writers’ room. I can’t imagine how daunting it is to adapt such a monumental saga for the small screen with the time limits and the budgeting and the frankly criminal amount of eight measly episodes per season (seriously, EIGHT? For FIFTEEN MASSIVE BOOKS? I have issues with streaming making this the new norm in general, but for an epic fantasy show it’s just plain stupid). I can see and feel the respect Rafe has for the source material, even though I’ve never read the books – and thankfully, the debates about the changes mean very little to me. I still have my opinions, and there are certainly discussions to be had about some things, but overall, I can see the reasons behind most creative choices. I know the team did the best they could with what they were given. I’ll just say it: The Wheel of Time became good despite Amazon and was steadily improving season to season. Before the season 3 finale, I remember thinking: “How the hell are they going to fit everything that needs to happen in the finale in an hour?” And oh my god, what an incredible piece of television it turned out to be! The way they stretched the limitations of streaming to fit as much in as they could… and yet somehow it didn’t feel too cramped or rushed. This is where I have to shout out the directors and the editors, particularly the ones who worked on 3×08. I still have no idea how they pulled it off! The construction of that episode must’ve been painstaking.

I wish I could thank each individual person for their work in creating this show. And how have I gotten this far into this letter and barely mentioned the actors?! They are impeccable on all accounts (thanks in no small part to the casting directors!), every single one of them. Everyone’s acting is superb. The younger cast more than holds their own against the greats of the industry, and oh, how I wish they were able to get further into their characters’ story arcs! No matter what happens now, I hope their careers flourish.

And now, finally, the Lanfear of it all. I have to confess, the real reason I finally watched this show was because I kept seeing gifs of her on the internet (sometimes you see a woman and you have to know more about her, haha)! I was delighted to discover she was a villain. It was only a matter of time before I watched WoT, and Lanfear became my favorite character.

I do enjoy a good villain, especially a female one. Ever since I was a small, undiagnosed autistic girl, I gravitated to the characters that weren’t universally liked – not only villains but also the sidekicks, the losers, the generally misunderstood characters, or just the secondary characters no one else cared about. I felt kinship with them, and in the case of villains, I wanted to have their confidence. My tastes haven’t changed since.

I’m so thankful that Rafe and the entire writers’ room saw Lanfear’s potential! Special thanks to the casting department for choosing Natasha O’Keeffe for this part. I can’t imagine anyone else playing Lanfear with so much nuance and humanity – in fact, I can’t imagine anyone else playing Lanfear, period! What a character and what a portrayal! Lanfear is unapologetically evil ,but she also has complex motivations, and the show walks the fine line between exploring her character and not making excuses for her extremely well. This must be such a tricky role for an actor to play because of all the layers and masks Lanfear has and the way she presents herself. She is so calculating and so in control of what she shows others, but she’s also governed by her own emotions; her contradictory nature is something I identify with, actually. Natasha was able to understand Lanfear perfectly in all her dramatic, manipulative, power-hungry glory, and she delivered a showstopping performance that is really fun to dissect on a rewatch. Making so many viewers fall in love with someone like Lanfear is quite a feat! I’m also in awe of the way she’s able to act with *just* her eyes! And her micro-expressions! I’m so glad I discovered this amazing performer through WoT. I know I’ll be following her career outside of this show.

It genuinely moves me to tears to think about how all these talented people came together and created something magical, each person a thread in the pattern of the show. What a beautiful thing the act of creation is! And how lucky we are to have witnessed the results! But I’m also furious on behalf of every single person involved in this production who deserves to see this story to completion. I’m furious on behalf of longtime book fans who deserve to see more of their favorite scenes brought to life on screen. I’m furious on behalf of other show-only fans like me who deserve to see what the show had in store with a clean slate. Indeed, we do still have the books, but for me, the show was what I fell in love with first. I want to see THIS spin on Robert Jordan’s universe. I want to see what THESE people do with the story. I want to see THEIR artistry. I want to see the fun and whimsy THEY infuse this story with. We simply cannot let the living, breathing thing that is The Wheel of Time succumb to corporate greed without at least trying to fight for it, even in a small way, even if we might not win this fight.

(I hold on to a glimmer of hope that we do win, though. And if not, donning a dramatic evil outfit and doing morally questionable things is always an option, right? Right?..)