TV Review: "The Wheel of Time: Damane" (Season 2, Episode 5)

In the season's best episode yet, viewers get to learn more about the Seanchan, the Forsaken, and everyone's favorite member of the Brown Ajah, Verin Mathwin.

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Wow. What can I possibly say about “Damane,”  the third episode of the second season of The Wheel of Time? It was a triumph from start to finish, with lots of pulse-pounding action, some fascinating interactions with Ishamael and Lanfear, and more chilling insight into the workings of the Seanchan. And how about the BDSM ending? 

Like a lot of other folks, I’ve been really looking forward to the introduction of Aviendha, someone who will become a very important part of Rand’s life and the struggle against the Dark One. Ayoola Smart is perfectly cast as this young Aiel warrior, with just the right amount of knowing, smart-ass attitude and general kickassery. Watching her take down a whole cadre of Whitecloaks is uniquely satisfying. Just as compelling, however, is her subsequent conversation with Perrin, which manages to be both teasing and heartfelt at the same time (and kudos to the show for giving us our first mention of toh). 

This episode also gives us more insight into the Seanchan. I’ll admit that I have always loathed these invaders from the west, even as I recognize why they work as a looming threat to everything the various heroes hold dear. I loved the exchange between Ishamael and Suroth, as well as our meeting Lord Turak. These scenes help us to understand a little more about the Seanchan frame of mind, as well as the various threads of power (and Power) than run through the various factions. I also love the way that the show has leaned into their terrifying strangeness, which was always a key aspect of their characterization in the novels. And how about those damane? I’m still on the fence about the ball gags, but I think that the rest of the way they’re depicted evokes the right amount of revulsion from both the audience and the characters. 

The scene in which Liandrin delivers the bound Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne to Lady Suroth and her companions is one lifted right from the books, but it is rendered even more emotionally compelling by the insight we’ve already been given into Liandrin’s character. By this point it’s clear that she’s not the one-dimensional villain she is in the novels, and I just can’t say enough nice things about Kate Fleetwood. Her conversation with Nynaeve in the Ways is another wrenchingly emotional moment, and we see the hurt and pain in Liandrin’s eyes at the thought of what she’s given up (the black cloak she wears over her usual red is also a brilliant clothing choice, showing as it does her inner conflict). It’s also clear how much she loathes the Seanchan for what they do to women who can channel, and Lady Suroth doesn’t clearly doesn’t recognize what that clenched jaw really means. 

Obviously one of the most fascinating moments in this scene is the tense conversation between Lanfear and Ishamael, as they lay out the terms of their uneasy alliance. As he has throughout this season, Fares Fares gives a truly chilling performance as Ishamael and, as we learn, he is someone who truly believes in the Dark One’s mission to break the Wheel. Whether or not he does so out of a genuine desire to ease the suffering of those caught in the relentless turnings of time is another question, but it certainly does seem as if he is a true believer and, as we know in the real world, there is nothing so terrifying as a zealot who truly espouses what they claim to believe. 

Natasha O'Keeffe is likewise an inspiration as Lanfear, perfectly capturing the various aspects of her book counterpart. She is a creature of casual cruelty, someone who is more than happy to explode the head of a man who stops to offer her help. She is likewise dismissive of the other members of the Forsaken, but O’Keeffe does an excellent job of keeping us guessing about final intentions with Rand. Clearly she wants to bring him under her dominion but, as her little dominatrix bit at the end of the episode reveals, she’s more than willing to put him through a great deal of pain and torment to break his spirit (and possibly his mind). 

As if all of that weren’t enough, we also get some more Forsaken namedrops! I can’t wait ‘til we get to see Moghedien, Graendal, and “the Boys.”

“Damane” also shows three pivotal pairings that I think will have significance as the season reaches its conclusion. I loved seeing Verin back in the halls of the White Tower, where her keen intellect clearly puts her at an advantage of the more staid Sheriam, even as it also makes her an ideal sparring partner for Liandrin. Meera Syal simply is Verin, with her grey-tinged hair, her sparkly eyes, and her ability to cut to the heart of a question in a heartbeat. I also enjoyed getting to see Nynaeve and Elayne lock horns as they try to figure out how they are going to rescue Egwene. It’s another of those moments that is lifted from the books but which also works so well in the show as it is. Lastly, I simply cannot get enough of seeing Rosamund Pike and Lindsay Duncan as Moiraine and her sister Anvaere. The way that they lock horns with one another–and the ease with which they capture the uneasy relationship of two sisters–is simply magical to watch. This episode brought home to us in no uncertain terms just how implacable Moiraine is in terms of her mission with Rand; she won’t let anything–not a horse, not an innocent stablemaster, not even her own family–stand between her and her duty to protect the Dragon.

If I have one complaint about this episode, it’s that we don’t get any Mat and Min at all. It’s pretty clear that the writers still haven’t quite figured out a way to bring them into the story that doesn’t feel forced or contrived, and so they’ve shunted them to the outer reaches of the narrative for the time being. Let’s hope that changes soon.

All in all, I found “Damane” to be a magnificent episode of the show. I continue to be amazed at how much better this season is than its predecessor. We’re now getting into the thick of things, and if the introduction of Barthanes Damodred is any indication, things are about to get very complicated in Cairhien. I don’t know about anyone else, but I simply can’t wait to see what the next episode has in store for us!