Season 2 Episode 3: What Might Be

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What Might Be
Season	2
Episode	3
Director	Sanaa Hamri
Previous Episode	Strangers and Friends
Next Episode	Daughter of the Night

Synopsis

Nynaeve is going through the Arches to get raised to the Accepted. Mat is freed and leaves the White Tower with Min. Rand asks Logain for help. Perrin is helped by Elyas and the wolves, while the Shienarans are taken to Falme.

Cast

Main Characters	Supporting Characters	Minor Characters
Rosamund Pike - Moiraine Damodred	Kae Alexander - Min Farshaw	Gregg Chilingirian - Lord Ingtar
Daniel Henney - Lan Mandragoran	Hammed Animashaun - Loial	Guy Roberts - Uno Nomesta
Zoë Robins - Nynaeve al'Meara	Jennifer Cheon Garcia - Leane Sharif	Arnas Fedaravicius - Masema Dagar
Madeleine Madden - Egwene al'Vere	Fares Fares - Ishamael	Gary Beadle - Elyas Machera
Josha Stradowski - Rand al'Thor	Kate Fleetwood - Liandrin Guirale	Karima McAdams - High Lady Suroth
Marcus Rutherford - Perrin Aybara	Alvaro Morte - Logain Ablar	Jessica Boone - Alwhin
Dónal Finn - Mat Cauthon	Natasha O'Keeffe - Selene	Lindsay Duncan - Lady Anvaere Damodred
Ceara Coveney - Elayne Trakand	Rima Te Wiata - Sheriam Bayanar

Summary

Nynaeve is in the testing chamber looking at the looming Arches, a ter'angreal serving the purpose of testing women who can channel by showing them their greatest fears. Three arches, through which Nynaeve must enter and come out, to be raised to the Accepted.

The first test is for what WAS. Nynaeve is back at the Two Rivers with her parents, she is a child. They all get attacked by strangers who want to kill them. Nynaeve gets wounded by one of the men. Nynaeve and her parents manage to run inside their home and Beiren, Nynaeve's father, hides the child in the cellar, telling her to not come out of the cellar and stay very quiet. Nynaeve wants to go out and help her parents, but at this time she sees the arch that will take her back to the real world. A distant voice says "The way back will come but once." Nynaeve goes through the opening.

In the testing chamber, Nynaeve gets water poured over her by Liandrin with the words "You are washed clean of your sins and the sins committed against you, you come to us pure in heart and soul." She then gets Healed by Leane, the wound that she received in the arch gets transferred to the real world.

The second test is for what IS. Nynaeve wakes up in the Two Rivers, where a plague has spread and is incurable for the villagers. Tam al'Thor is dying of it, and Natti Cauthon is the new Wisdom, unable to help everyone. Nynaeve claims that the Aes Sedai can heal whatever this is and Natti retorts that they have written to the Amyrlin Seat for help, but none has come. Natti blames Nynaeve for leaving. Nynaeve tries to heal Tam with the One Power, but she cannot channel. At this point she sees the way back and hears a whisper "The way back will come but once." She tells Tam that she will be back and he begs her not to leave him while she passes through the opening.

In the testing chamber, Nynaeve gets water poured over her again, this time by Leane. Nynaeve begs the Aes Sedai to go to the Two Rivers to help the villagers, she does not realize it is not real, it all looks so real.

The third test is for what MIGHT BE. Nynaeve has a vision of herself in a red dress and hears Lan's voice. She exits the last arch covered in blood, holding Lan's hadori, but she cannot remember what she has done in the third test. Sheriam Sedai gives her the Ring and tells her she is and Accepted of the White Tower. Nynaeve refuses the ring and leaves the chamber. She is getting ready to leave the Tower, when Egwene comes and says that she needs her. Nynaeve tells Egwene she will be an amazing Aes Sedai. On her way out of Tar Valon she meets Lan who says he is no longer bonded to Moiraine and he can come to the Two Rivers with her. In that moment she hears the whisper "The way back will come but once."

In the testing chamber, Sheriam, Leane, and Liandrin are very disappointed that Nynaeve does not come out and after a while leave the chamber.

In the village of Atuan's Mill it is the day after the Seanchan attack and people are being gathered in front of a big palanquin. Loial claims to have never read or heard of these people. All of a sudden, a couple of women approach the people and start pointing at girls, who get taken away by the soldiers. Uno wants to help the villagers and appears suspicious to the Seanchan soldiers, they push him in front of the palanquin, where he is told to kneel and "to swear the oaths." He refuses and gets killed, which serves as an example to the other Shienarans and Perrin that they must do what they are told or they will meet the same end.

In Cairhien, Rand is taking care of Logain at the sanatorium. Logain reveals to Rand that he knows him, he has seen him in Tar Valon, where Rand appeared to have had a glow. This showed Logain that Rand could channel and that he will be way more dangerous to the world. Rand asks Logain if there is any way that he can control saidin. However, for that information, Logain requires that Rand bring him wine.

Rand goes back to the Foregate where he meets Selene and they find out that the Hunt for the Horn of Valere is gathering in Illian. Many of the people in the Foregate will probably travel to sign up for the Hunt. Rand asks Selene where he could get a Ghealdanin red wine from, and she agrees to help him.

Back in the White Tower, the morning after Nynaeve's test, Egwene goes to search for her, but finds the Mistress of Novices in Nynaeve's room. She announces to Egwene that Nynaeve has died in the arches. Egwene wants to be left alone to grieve.

In Mat's cell, Liandrin tells him that a Sister has died today, and that he is free to leave. She is not going to waste any more of her time with him, because he does not matter. He could look for Egwene, who is in the Tower, if she wishes to see him at all.

Mat walks out of the cell and finds Egwene in the gardens. She does not see him, because she is crying. He decides not to disturb her and does not go to her. He, instead, goes back to his cell, where he talks to Min, who finds out that the door to Mat's cell is open. She convinces him that they should leave together. Min is, however, working with Liandrin to take Mat to some place.

Later, Liandrin brings the ring that was supposed to be Nynaeve's Accepted ring into the ritual fire at the top of the Tower and melts it. Egwene finds her there and blames her for Nynaeve's death. Liandrin cautions Egwene to watch herself, but Egwene retorts that Liandrin does not know what she is capable of.

At a court dinner in Cairhien, Rand is looking like a noble in a fancy red coat. Selene tells him they will be making the Houses talking looking like outland lord and lady. Rand is approached by a Cairhienin High lady, who tells him the Hunt for the Horn is not real, but is just an excuse to get the people living at the Foregate to leave. Cairhien is full of ploys and schemes, especially at the high levels, everyone has their own agenda. Rand is even suspicious that Selene also has one to be with him.

Rand brings the Ghealdanin red which Selene stole from the nobles, to Logain at the sanatorium. Logain reveals to Rand the secret that … he cannot stop himself from channeling. Rand tells Logain that he is mad and that he cannot help him in this state. In his room, Rand dreams of himself and Selene, and accidentally channels both in the dream, and in real life, causing the inn he was staying at to burn down.

On the way to Falme, Perrin wakes up shackled in a carriage. In the same carriage is Ishamael, who tells Perrin that there is something inside of him that wants blood. In the distance, wolves howl and the caravan gets attacked. Perrin is the only one who gets saved by Elyas.

At the testing chamber with the Arches, Egwene is channeling the One Power, trying to turn the arches back on in the hopes of bringing back Nynaeve. Elayne comes into the chamber, begging Egwene to stop, because she might hurt herself. Nyneve would not want Egwene to throw away her life because the Wisdom is dead. Egwene does not want to give up on Nynaeve and Elayne proposes they stay the night in the chamber for some consolation.

Inside the arches, during Nynaeve's last test, several years have passed, she has given birth to a daughter and them and Lan live happily together in the Two Rivers. Until, one night, Trollocs attack the village again. They kill everyone Nynaeve loves, the only one that survives is her daughter. In sadness, desperation, and anger, Nynaeve channels to push back the Trollocs. In that moment, the arch for the way back opens again, and Nynaeve, holding her daughter, runs through the opening.

Back in the testing chamber, Egwene and Elayne cannot believe Nynaeve has come out of the Arches and Egwene runs to hug Nynaeve, while the now Accepted is sobbing.

Quotes

"It's not always the most powerful women who write history. It is the ones who survive." - Liandrin Sedai

Production

• Directed by: Sanaa Hamri
• Written for Television by: John McCutcheon
• Aired on: September 1, 2023
• Runtime: One hour and nine minutes

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