The season 3 finale of The Wheel of Time had an incredible twist surrounding Mat Cauthon, fulfilling a terrific moment from the books I was worried wouldn’t make it in the TV series. The Wheel of Time season 3’s ending saw Mat travel through a redstone gateway, causing him to come face to face with an Eelfinn, a extradimensional being capable of granting wishes. This might have been a bizarre scene for TV fans, but it’s drawn from material in The Shadow Rising, and it introduces an unforgettable side of Robert Jordan’s world-building.
Dónal Finn took over the role of Mat Cauthon in The Wheel of Time’s cast beginning in season 2, and he’s done a terrific job portraying a fan-favorite character from the books. In the TV show’s adaptation of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books, Mat has been displaced from where his book counterpart is in the story at practically every turn beginning in season 2. That makes him incredibly difficult to pin down and predict, which was the case leading into season 3, and will be once again before season 4.
The Wheel Of Time’s Mat Changes Indicated It Was Skipping The Aelfinn & The Eelfinn
Mat Moving To Tanchico Suggested This Scene Might Not Happen
Mat’s story was different in season 2, and it was different again in season 3, with him joining Elayne and Nynaeve for the Tanchico plotline. In The Shadow Rising, Mat travels with Rand and Moiraine to the Aiel Waste, making his trip to Tanchico a major deviation. In the novels, he even ventures into Rhuidean with Rand, which is where he meets the Eelfinn and is granted his wishes. Given that Mat wasn’t in the Rhuidean episode, I had thought the Eelfinn meeting would be taken out of the show, and that the Finn races might not appear at all.
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It wouldn’t be a drastic stretch of the imagination to picture the Finn being taken out of the TV show, given that they require additional resources to introduce, and that the Amazon adaptation has already developed a reputation for chopping aspects of the book series. After meeting the Eelfinn in Rhuidean, Mat is hung from the branches of Avendesora, and even though Min foresaw Mat hanging, I didn’t think it would require the Eelfinn, given that he already gained the additional memories from blowing the Horn of Valere in season 2.
The Eelfinn Was One Of The Wheel Of Time’s Best Reveals
The Eelfinn Was Strange In The Best Way Possible
The Wheel of Time season 3 finale’s Eelfinn was a pleasant surprise, and it turned out to be one of the best reveals in the TV adaptation. The character was played by actor Robert Strange, who’s career has been defined by special effects roles, including the Orc Glûg in The Rings of Power and various other horror movie and TV show monsters. It’d be difficult to find a better actor to embody the Eelfinn, a species that could easily have been dropped by the series.
I want to give props to the Wheel of Time show for producing something so odd
While some book readers might be iffy on the design due to its deviations from the source material, I want to give props to the Wheel of Time show for producing something so odd. This design is inherently off-putting, and I think that benefits what the Finn species represent in the text. The Eelfinn are fox-like in the novels, but the show hammered into that element along with a demon-like face, making them terrifying and mystical in a way I was worried the show would water down.
The Wheel Of Time’s Eelfinn Twist Was Very Book-Accurate
This Scene Nailed The Essence Of The Shadow Rising’s Scene
There are nitpicks to make about The Wheel of Time season 3’s version of the Eelfinn, but this was a fantastic scene that should be a treat for book readers. This is the weirdness of Robert Jordan’s world in all its glory, and the show even managed to find a way to factor in Mat’s three wishes. Mat earns his silver medallion which should prove useful against the Forsaken in season 4, and an alteration seems to be made, fixing his memories from the Horn of Valere.
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Amazon Prime’s Wheel of Time show has rightfully earned criticism for departing from book material, but this season made notable attempts to push certain storylines back on track. Rand, Perrin, and Mat were terribly underrepresented in seasons 1 and 2. Rand and Perrin shined throughout season 3, but Mat was a character who I still found to be lacking. His scene with the Eelfinn is a sign that he’ll be back on track in The Wheel of Time season 3, finally living up to his potential.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
