Marcus Rutherford and Dónal Finn Preview ‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3 and Mat’s Relationship with Faile [Interview]

The Wheel of Time Season 3 is already looking to be one of the most explosive shows of the year, and fans are getting ready for another adventure with Moiraine Damodred, Rand al’Thor, and more. In fact, it might be the most dangerous quest that the Aes Sedai and the Dragon Reborn have faced yet.

On The Wheel of Time Season 2 Episode 8, “What Was Meant to Be,” the heroes found themselves reunited and confronting Ishamael once and for all. However, the biggest revelation to come from this episode was that Rand finally proclaimed himself the Dragon Reborn, setting an uncertain future that’s yet to come.

I had the chance to talk with Marcus Rutherford and Dónal Finn about what The Wheel of Time Season 3 offers in terms of Perrin and Mat’s arcs, Mat’s new relationship with Faile, and more. (You can watch the full interview below.)

Talking about the new developments that Rand, Perrin, and Mat share together this season, Rutherford and Finn teased the new responsibilities they have. At the end of The Wheel of Time Season 2, Perrin and Mat were reunited after Mat ventured with Min, who had a dire vision of Mat killing Rand.

However, according to Rutherford, Perrin is set on his own path once again. “Perrin initially just wants to go home and step out of any kind of duty or responsibility involving the [Great Pattern],” he said.

“In returning home, he’s thrust into this position of leadership and potentially has to face things on by himself with no external help from his loved ones or the Emond’s Field crew,” Rutherford added.

As for Mat, Finn says that Mat is also trying to fit into his new role the Pattern has for him with his newfound strength. “The Pattern might be expecting something from him,” Finn said.

“Now that he has this newfound kind of space in society… he’s just in a moment of being like, ‘I just need to enjoy this moment for what it is and not investigate the costs that it takes on me,'” he continued.

As such, Mat will be faced with having to face the repercussions of that factor in The Wheel of Time Season 3. “The large bit of it is mental, but also kind of like this thing of he’s not in control of how he speaks at times and giving up that kind of freedom,” Finn said. 

Furthermore, Finn also went further in-depth into the other side of what Mat has to face: how he’s viewed by everyone else. “People see you in this new way and you have this newfound confidence, but there is a responsibility with that,” Finn said.

“If people are going to endow you as this kind of hero that has passed through that, you have to rise to that occasion,” Finn said. “I suppose you can’t unsubscribe from people’s expectation given that you’ve been given that title.”

Watch the interview with Marcus Rutherford and Dónal Finn:

However, The Wheel of Time Season 3 certainly has its new cast of characters to help Rand, Perrin, and Mat overcome the odds. One of these characters is Faile Bashere, played by Isabella Bucceri, who becomes Perrin’s wife.

Perrin recounted what it was like establishing the dynamic that Perrin and Faile share in the books ahead of what Season 3 will present. “She brings a complete new energy to the show on a third season to bring a completely new aspect and new dynamics,” Perrin said.

“I think it’s quite a timely kind of interaction for Perrin,” Perrin described. “I think she has a kind of a no-nonsense approach to his kind of big moping energy, which I think works really well. And they’re a kind of yin and yang with each other.”

As for Mat, there’s one moment that fans really want an explanation for, which occurred back in Season 1. On The Wheel of Time Season 1 Episode 6, Mat decided to stay back as the Emond’s Field gang went into the Waygate, which transformed his arc from the books going into Season 2.

On this, Finn said that the impact of Mat’s decision is “water under the bridge” but to expect its influence to linger in the background.

“I think what is the testaments to the Emond’s Field gang and their friendship is actually that by the time we spend time with them in Season 3,” Finn responded. “The top of Season 3 involves them being in a core group again, and it’s the first time for a while.”

“There is an understanding that there’s water under the bridge, [but] not to say that that choice is totally forgotten,” Finn continued.

However, Finn believes this issue has been rectified by Season 2’s events. “I think that there is a large part of what Mat does in [Season 2]: trying to prove to himself that he is a good friend and trying to prove to himself that he can show up for the people,” Finn said.

“I feel like he’s rectified that by the end of Season 2 because he ends up coming across them and is present in their lives again,” he continued. “When we are at the top of Season 3, there is a sense of their friendship [overriding] that bad decision, but also there’s a lot to contend with at the top of Season 3. I think they have bigger fish to fry.”

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*Interview edited and condensed for clarity.

The Wheel of Time Season 3 premieres on Thursday, March 13, on Prime Video.

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