Season 1, Episode 108: The Eye of the World - Season 1 Finale
Written By: Rafe Lee Judkins
Directed By: Ciaran Donnelly
Original Air Date: December 24, 2021 on Amazon Prime Video

Episode summary by Crystal Fritz

3000 years ago...

A man, Lewis Therin Telamon (Alexander Karim), the Dragon Reborn, and a woman, Latra Posae Decume (Katie Brayben) the Tamrylin Seat, sit in a nursery, discussing the very fate of the world. Lewis Therin wants the male and female Aes Sedai to work together to cage the Dark One for good. Latra believes that it is too dangerous and that her old friend is being prideful. She leaves him with the promise that she and the female Aes Sedai will be there to pick up the pieces if he fails. Walking over to the cradle, The Dragon Reborn looks down at his infant and promises that he will make the world safe again. Out the window, just above the crib, is a futuristic world. Triangular planes glide through the sky, flying past buildings made of curvilinear lines and brightly burnished metals. The music reaches its climax and the opening credits roll.

Rand and Moiraine continue to make their trek through the tangled brambles of the Blight. As they push their way forward a body lays on the path before them. The body is half consumed by the vegetation of the Blight, covered in spores, and rotting. Moiraine Sedai warns Rand to touch nothing. The Blight is part of the darkness from the Dark One seeping out into the world, rotting everything it touches.

Inside the city of Fal Dara, bells toll the morning. Egwene frantically packs, intending to go after Rand and Moiraine. Perrin enters her room, attempting to talk sense into her. They have no idea where Rand and Moiraine are headed and are just as likely to die as to find them. Tears well in Egwene’s eyes and spill over as she tells Perrin that she loves Rand. Perrin admits that he loves Rand too. The two embrace and share in their fear.

Rand pushes forward following Moiraine. Through the tangle of branches there are seven spires visible. They indicate to Moiraine that they are getting closer. She says that they are safe to pause for half an hour, no more. The spires are the seven towers of Malkier. That was the land of Lan’s birth, it was lost to the Blight forty years ago. As they rest Rand asks about leaving Lan behind, and if it was hard for Moiraine. She ignores his question and tells him that it is important he keep his strength up, he will need it when he faces the Dark One.

High in the towers of Fal Dara’s keep Lan stands on the balcony, looking north towards the Blight, and Moiraine. Nynaeve watches him from afar for a few moments before approaching. Nynaeve admits to Lan that it was not him that she tracked, it was Moiraine that left a trail. She offers to teach Lan her tell so that he can go and bring them both back. Thinking about her future, Nynaeve tells Lan that while a Wisdom never marries, she may go to Tar Valon and be something else entirely. Tenderly taking her hand Lan tells her. “I will hate the man you chose because he is not me, and I will love him if he makes you smile. You are as beautiful as the sunrise and fierce as a warrior. You are a lioness wisdom...Now tell me how to find them.” Tears fall from Nynaeve’s eyes, she hears what Lan is leaving unsaid.

The corruption that is the Blight slowly begins to consume Rand’s hand, and he is startled awake. Moiraine immediately asks him what he dreamed, telling him once again that dreams area powerful, most especially here, so close to the Dark One’s power. He tells her that he dreamed of the Dark One and that he is coming. The words no sooner escape his lips than a sword blooms from behind Moiraine, exiting her mouth, killing her swiftly. Her body crumples and behind her is the Dark One, his eyes glowing with fire. Taking a moment to watch Moiraine’s body fall Rand draws his bow and fires it at the Dark One’s head. His shot is true and takes the Dark One in the eye. Unfazed the Dark One pushes the arrow deeper into his skull and in doing so reveals a human face beneath. He is confident and arrogant, unafraid of Rand. Pacing Rand seems to realize that he is in a dream, but the Dark One tells him that it does not matter if he is dreaming or awake. They are still having a conversation. The Dark One seems insulted that Rand would come at him with only one Aes Sedai, when in his past life he came with 99 companions. The Dark One does seem shocked that Rand possesses a heron marked blade. When Rand tries to say it is his fathers, Tam al’Thor, the Dark one scoffs. Rand’s biological father has been dead for many years. Rand repeats again that this is a dream. Unwilling to stay and listen to the vile manipulations the Dark One spews; Rand takes his own sword and runs himself through. As his body falls to the earth in the dream, he awakes in the Blight. Upon awaking Moiraine’s words match exactly what she’d said in the dream. Rand admits that he spoke with the Dark One but assures Moiraine that he does not believe a word he said. Gathering his belonging from the ground he pushes on. As they walk Rand wants to know the plan Moiraine has created. She tries to evade, but eventually shows him the sa’angreal that she brought with her. It is meant for Rand to channel into, it will increase his power 100-fold. She intends for Rand to fight the Dark One and vanquish him for another three thousand years. Rand accuses Moiraine of believing that Egwene was the Dragon Reborn, and he himself admits that’s what he had believed.

Nynaeve stands on the balcony with her eyes closed, listening to the wind. Egwene asks what she hears, but Nynaeve admits that since the day she first channeled she has heard nothing on the wind. She wants to know if it is the same for Egwene. Egwene can hear the wrongness in the wind, the same sounds she heard on Bel Tine she hears again in Fal Dara. But this time the wind was screaming, what she’d heard then was a whisper.

As they continue their way to Eye of the World Rand and Moiraine hear something ahead on their path. Rand nocks an arrow as she embraces the One Power. A large limb rots away and falls, giving them both a moment of relief. Rand wants Moiraine to teach him to channel, so that he stands a better chance of fighting the Dark One. She explains that she cannot teach him and that each time he touches the Source he gets closer to the madness. She assures him that when the time comes, he will be able to embrace the One Power, whether he wants to or not. She tells him a story of when she was a novice at the White Tower. An Aes Sedai that she idolized took her under the wing and attempted to help Moiraine learn to channel. She used the One Power to beat Moiraine until, without thought, Moiraine was able to grab the One Power and stop her.

Min stands behind, when Perrin, Egwene, Nynaeve, and Loial approach. She offers them a drink, but what they are after are answers. They want to know what she saw for Rand. She refuses to tell them but assures them that the things she sees always come true eventually. While speaking to them she sees Nynaeve collapse, and throughout the bar patrons have images of death surrounding them. There is no further time for questioning as horns blow and bells chime throughout the city. They bear the sound of warning.

Rand and Moiraine draw closer to the Eye. They can hear the guttural roars of Trollocs. As they look back towards Fal Dara they can see the army’s amassing at the wall in Tarwin’s Gap. Rand acts as if he wants to go back, but Moiraine tells him that the only way to stop that army is to stop the Dark One. Reluctantly Rand continues to follow her deeper into the Blight.

In the keep Lord Agelmar and his sister the Lady Amalisa march through the halls; Amalisa giving him a report on the trolloc army. Lord Yakota(Amar Chadha-Patel)and Uno(Guy Roberts) are at his side, Uno swearing to bloody gut them all himself. There are reported to be sixty fades and five to ten thousand trollocs, with more pouring out of the Blight. There were ropes cut on the drawbridge, which means Darkfriends inside the walls. Agelmar says that he will ready his personal guard and move to the fortress in Tarwin’s Gap. He tells Uno and Lord Yakota that they know what to do. The Lady Amalisa is insistent that the Gap will not hold. She knows that Agelmar is facing certain death.

In the Blight Moiraine and Rand reach the Eye, a cavernous hole in the earth that spirals downward into the darkness. Before they begin their decent Rand tries to spare Moiraine’s life, He tells her to stay, that she does not have to face the Dark One. Without a word she leads them down to their destiny. Behind them, but drawing closer Lan uses Nynaeve’s information to track them through to the Eye.

The Lady Amalisa helps her brother ready himself for battle, for his death. They talk about their father and the first time they helped him don his armor for battle, one much smaller than they will face today. She repeats once again that the Gap will fall. Lord Agelmar tells her that the men will hold the Gap, and if they cannot the women will hold the city. He agrees that they should have called for Aes Sedai long ago. He tells his sister that both the Gap and the city will fall. He believes that this the Last Battle, that the world will burn from this day forward. He promises to slow the forces so that their messengers can reach the rest of the world and buy them a fighting chance. Lady Amalisa swears not to let the city fall.

The decent to the Eye of the World is slow and when they reach its depths it appears nothing more than a decrepit chamber with a shallow pool of water surrounding a seal on the floor. Rand has memories that he has been here before, but they are unclear. He sees a glimpse of himself, as Lewis Therin, fighting the Dark One in this place. Rand reaches down to touch the symbol in the floor and as he does the world changes. Birds chirp and the sun shines through the windows. He stares down at an empty baby cradle and then he hears them, Egwene and their daughter Joya outside in the sun. She speaks as if nothing is strange about his sudden appearance, as if he has been there all along. Back in the Eye Moiraine tries to rouse Rand from his slumber, as she calls his name the Dark One appears, in the form of a man. He stares down at Moiraine with condescension. She immediately embraces the One Power and attempts to laugh an attack. Unphased the Dark One channels and weaves flow into Moiraine, cutting her off from the Source. He mocks what he has just done to her.

At the Gap the trollocs and roar and rage, eager to begin their attack. Lord Agelmar and his personal guard sit on their horses, well back from the Gap listening to their cries. With a battle cry the army charges forward, ready to pay with their lives to protect the world. In the city all foreigners are allowed to leave, but every woman and child from Shinear must stay to fight for the city. Every torch in the city is lit, so that there is no shadow for Fades to hide. The call is put out for every woman in the city who can channel, to help defend the city. Min boards one of the many wagons heading south out of the city.

In the throne room Agelmar’s men remove his chair and begin to chip away at the stones beneath.

Nynaeve is urging Perrin and Egwene to leave with her, but before her argument can gather any traction Loial approaches and tells them of Lady Amalisa’s need for channelers to protect the city.

In the fortress in the Gap, Agelmar and his men stare out at the hordes. Agelmar calls their ready, as outside the Fades cry out signaling the start of the attack. Agelmar wants them to buy every step they take with their blood. He intones, “May the last embrace of the mother welcome you home” and they fire. Behind the Gap Egwene and Nynaeve step out to join Lady Amalisa. Inside Perrin is livid, he does not know what to do with his fear and anger. He wants to rage, to fight, and to help. Loial helps him see that all he needs to do is ask how he can be of service.

In Rand’s dreams he begins to see the beautiful life with Egwene and Joya for what it was, a false concoction of his greatest heart desire. Rand questions Egwene and realizes that it is truly her, but that this is not more than a dream. He allows himself to be taken with it, and they kiss. Suddenly the world is frozen in time and the Dark One appears. He continues to tempt Rand to give in to him, so that he can remake this world, make his life as he wants it to be. In the Eye the Dark One speaks to Moiraine, taunting her with Rand’s choice between Light and Dark. Moiraine pulls a knife and press it to Rand’s throat, threatening to kill him if he does not chose the light.

Perrin and Loial join Agelmar’s men in chipping away at the stones. The Lady Amalisa watches from behind the wall as her brother fights on. Inside the trollocs have reached the fortresses and are using their giants axes to tear at it walls. Literally using each other as trolloc ladders to reach the windows.

In the dream the Dark One slits Egwene’s throat in a further attempt to push Rand the direction he wants him to go. At seeing Egwene’s blood Rand asks how to make their world real.

In Fal Dara’s keep Padan Fain and two fades are freed from his cell, and cut the throats of the guards, to saunter out and do as they please.

In the throne room the men reach their goal. The Horn of Valere, it is for the Dragon to blow at the last battle, to call back heroes of the dead to fight on their side.

Outside Nynaeve and Egwene open themselves up and allow the Lady Amalisa to link with them and use them as a conduit for the One Power. The power following through her is greater than anything she has ever experienced, and she trembles as she takes control. At the Gap the trollocs break through and run at full speed towards the women, and the city behind them. Inside Perrin and Loial uncover the chest, as she rises Perrin sees Padan Fain in the hall.

Back in the dream the Dark One walks Rand through embracing the One Power, he must release every feeling he has, and turn it to want. To desire. Then he must release everything inside of him and allow the Power to flow. In the Eye the Dark One tells Moiraine that Rand is channeling. She presses the knife more firmly to his throat, ready to slit his throat if she belives he is choosing the Dark.

On the battlefield below the walls the Lady Amalisa draws more of the One Power through the women. Pulling them all to the brink of what they can hold. As the chest with the horn is removed from the ground a Fades cries within the keep and then men leave the Horn of Valere unattended. In the dream Rand continues to channel, allowing the One Power to flow through him. A smile spreads on his face as she stares into the Dark Ones eyes.

Using all of the Power the women posses, the Lady Amalisa calls lighting from the sky to tear apart the Trolloc horde. As she pulls more and more the women of Fal Dara who can channel begin to burn out. Rand too begins to draw even more of the One Power. A great ball of white light forms in his hand and he turns to face the Dark One. He tells him that no matter how much he wants this life with Egwene, he knows it is not what she wants. Both in the dream and in the Eye Rand raises his arm in front of him, the glowing ball raging like the sun as the sa’angreal gives him access to more power than any one man can hold. With a final release the Power flies towards the Dark One and shatters him where he stands, shattering the seal in the floor at the same time. Moiraine attempts to catch Rand as he falls back. Moiraine asks him what happens and he tells her that he did it, that he vanquished the Dark One.

In the keep Perrin stalks the halls in search of Fain. He enters the throne room just in time to see him stab Loial, the rest of the Fal Daran men lay bleeding before him. The Lady Amalisa is unable to release the One Power and it begins to burn them all to a cinder. She is mad with the Power she holds. As Egwene lays dying on the ground Nynaeve crawls to her and reminds her that they will always stands with her as she draws the power from Egwene and into herself. The Lady Amalisa draws to much, burning both she and Nynaeve out, killing them instantly. Inside Padan Fain admits that he knows they are all Ta’veren. It is why he came to the Two Rivers every year. His lord, the Dark Lord, told him. His job was to help find them and create balance. He tells Perrin that some of them with turn to the Dark. Far south in Tar Valon a haggard Mat stares up at the White Tower, hatred in his eyes.

In the Eye Rand asks Moiraine for one thing, to tell everyone that he died on his quest. She tells him he cannot lie, but she eventually lets him go. She tries to ask him where he will go, but he only says Goodbye. Padan Fain tells Perrin that today is just the beginning of their journey and what they will face.

In the Eye Moiraine sits, holding a broken piece of the seal in her hands. Lan finds her, and she lets him think that Rand has died. Lan knows the pain she is in and asks to be let back in, for he to unmask the bond, but Moiraine tells him that she has been cut off from the One Power. Perrin looks out into carnage below. Where far below him Egwene cries over Nynaeve’s body. As her tears flow so does the One Power, and Nynaeve breathes again, and they embrace.

Rand begins to make his way out of the Blight. Moiraine tells Lan that this was not the Last Battle, but the first. And with those words the screen fades to black.

The ocean hums and seagulls call out. On the beach on the "Far Western Shore" a young girl digs in the sand. She stands to see large ships with red sails on the horizon. On those ships are men in strange armor and woman whose mouths are covered with gold. Those women can channel and with the One Power they call the oceans to rise and a giant wave races towards the shore. The end credits roll on the season.