WoTWednesday: November 6, 2019

Author: Atarah al'Norahn
Published: November 6 2019 Tar Valon Times Blog Link

Wheel of Time fans have been speculating about what November’s #WoTWednesday might bring since…well, since October’s #WoTWednesday. Theories have abounded. Could it be the casting of a character (or characters) such as Thom Merrilin or Padan Fain? Could it be set photos, given that Brandon Sanderson recently announced that he plans to share some following his recent visit to Prague? Could it be another video such as the one we were given in October?

Turns out that this month’s news is the long-awaited casting announcement for Tam al’Thor, who will be played by Michael McElhatton!

Fans have been pondering who Michael McElhatton might possibly play ever since he was briefly spotted in the video released by @WoTonPrime last month. Having recently played Roose Bolton on HBO’s Game of Thrones, now McElhatton will bring a very different father to life on the small screen.

Showrunner Rafe Judkins shared his thoughts on the casting today:

As for what fans are saying about the casting, there’s plenty of agreement that McElhatton is perfect for the role:

As well as plenty of jokes and comparisons to his previous role as Roose Bolton:

And the dying of some pipe dreams:

McElhatton’s dramatic skill appears to be a perfect fit for a character with as much gravitas as Tam al’Thor. One of the biggest questions going forward will surround his on-screen chemistry with Josha Stradowski’s Rand, given the grounding force that Tam serves for his son and the emotional scenes that take place between these two characters. Other questions, of course, abound as well. What kind of screen time will we see for Tam’s character? Will his role in the story be expanded in any way? And how will McElhatton present such iconic scenes as Tam’s fever-dream in the Westwood?

What are your thoughts on this new casting?