“It’s not what I signed up for” - When Rosamund Pike’s remark on The Wheel of Time season 2 surprised fans

It wasn't very long ago that The Wheel of Time season 2 was released. The season brought some of the most dramatic changes when it came to its main characters, including Moiraine.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Readers' discretion is advised.

Moiraine's plot in The Wheel of Time season 2 was a total departure from the text source, the novels of the same name by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. To those who don't know, she lost all her abilities towards the end of season 1 of the show. A significant part of season 2 of the show chronicled Moiraine's loss of power and her efforts at getting it back.

Rosamund Pike, who plays the character on the show, even discussed the revelation with Inverse following the season premiere on September 1, 2023. She playfully acknowledged her disapproval towards it, saying:

"It's not what I signed up for. One of the things that attracted me to the show was developing the [physical] language of channeling, and interpreting how you channel the elements of the universe. So the idea of Moiraine being cut off from that was problematic for me.”

About Rosamund Pike's thoughts about her character being stripped of her powers in The Wheel of Time season 2

After the premiere of The Wheel of Time season 2, Rosamund Pike, who plays the role of Moiraine Damodred, an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah, revealed that she was disappointed that her character lost all her powers during the finale of the first season of the show.

Talking of the same, in the above-stated Inverse interview, she said that among the things that attracted her to her character was the fact that she could tap powers. But since she no longer had these powers during season 2, Pike found it "problematic."

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Does Moiraine get back her powers in The Wheel of Time season 2?

Aes Sedai Moiraine Damodred lost her powers at the conclusion of season 1 of the series. The Wheel of Time season 2 explored this unexpected situation and expanded on it. Most of the season focused on Moiraine attempting to regain her powers and others assisting her in that endeavor.

By the end of The Wheel of Time season 2, Moiraine was able to get back her powers. It turned out that she was never "stilled" but was "shielded". While the former implied that an Aes Sedai’s connection to One Power was permanently cut off, the latter meant that the weave between them was temporarily cut off so that the power could be used to shield a channeler.

When Lan was able to understand that Moiraine had been shielded, with some assistance from Logaine, he realized that the shielding was performed by Ishamael by binding the weaves of the One Power. Rand, through his powers, was able to untie the knots of the weaves, which restored Moiraine's powers.

Also read: The Wheel of Time season 3: Release date, cast, plot, and more explored.

What does Moiraine getting back her powers in The Wheel of Time season 2 imply?

Moiraine's recovery of her powers in season 2 of The Wheel of Time implies that she will be able to give it her all towards waging war against the Darkness. It also implies that there would be an end to her mental sufferings since her loss of power had brought so much pain to her.

Talking to Decider on September 29, 2023, actor Rosamund Pike, who plays the character, spoke about her character's mindset during the start of season 2 of the series and said:

“I think Moiraine is feeling deeply ashamed and she’s feeling this kind of aching belly loss of a depression, and we all know, people who when they feel ashamed, they fight, they lash out, because shame is one of the worst emotions.”

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The Wheel of Time is currently in its third season. The next episode releases on March 13, 2025, on Amazon Prime Video.

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