Warning: Spoilers for Wheel of Time season 3's first three episodes
A surprising scene in The Wheel of Time season 3 previewed a grisly fate for Mat Cauthon, and one with massive connections to the source material. In the midst of an argument at the White Tower, Min Farshaw experienced a new Viewing: Mat being hung. The unsettling sight seemed to carry grim implications for Mat, especially since all of Min's Viewings eventually come to pass in The Wheel of Time books.
Consistent with most Viewings, this vision was brief and only offered a glimpse at a potentially life-threatening event in Mat's future. The circumstances behind his predicament and whether or not he survives is kept ambiguous. However, what happens to Mat in the main novel The Wheel of Time season 3 is adapting sheds on light on what Min's Viewing really means.
Why Min Sees Mat Getting Hung In Wheel Of Time Season 3
Mat Gets Hung From A Tree In The Shadow Rising
Min's Viewing of Mat relates directly to his storyline in The Shadow Rising, the fourth book in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series and the main source of inspiration for season 3's plot. In the book, the main characters encounter red twisted doorways after entering Rhudiean, with Rand, Moiraine, and Mat all stepping through them. It's established that these doors are ter'angreal that operate as gateways for mystical, otherworldly races known as the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn. Almost like genies, they grant three wishes, but they extract high prices for their services, which is where the tree enters the equation.
When Rand exited his doorway, he came across the unsettling sight of Mat hanging from Avendesora, The Wheel of Time's Tree of Life. Apparently, this was the price that Mat had to pay for the wishes he made to the Aelfinn and Eelfinn, which were to be away from Eelfinn since they wouldn't answer his questions, have "the holes" in his memories filled, and to be free of the Aes Sedai. Mat hung from a spear attached to Avendesora for an unspecified period of time before Rand hurriedly cut him down and managed to resuscitate him.
So while Mat's situation seemed dire at the time Rand found him, his "death" is extremely short-lived in the books. Min's Viewing would give Mat plenty of cause for fear, but it's hard to imagine Mat's life truly being on the line in The Wheel of Time. The show may be willing to kill off characters who didn't die in the books, but Mat is unlikely to be one of them since the Avendesora scene serves as a catalyst for more adventures.
Wheel Of Time's Story Changes Will Likely Complicate Matt's Tree Scene
Mat May Be Hung From Avendesora For A Different Reason
Being hung from Avendesora is remembered as an important moment in Mat's Wheel of Time journey, so its inclusion in some form isn't surprising. However, how the show will reach this point in the narrative isn't clear-cut. After all, it only happens because Mat accompanies Rand to Rhudiean. But the TV version of Mat opted to stay in the White Tower before going along with Nynaeve and Elayne to Tanchico. As things stand, it's unclear how The Wheel of Time would go about reversing course and getting him to the Aiel Waste. He could theoretically travel there through the Ways, but it looks like the show has chosen a different path for him this season.
However, Rhudiean is where Avendesora is supposed to be on The Wheel of Time's map. The show could move it to a location that's somewhere closer to Tanchico, but this would call for a rather drastic change to the lore. That would also mean that someone other than Rand would have to be the one to rescue him. But since it's not clear if Avendesora is what Mat is hanging from in the Viewing, it's at least possible that the tree won't even factor into the event at all.
The Wheel of Time season 2's ending created legitimate questions about the Aelfinn and Eelfinn's place in the story.
What's more, The Wheel of Time season 2's ending created legitimate questions about the Aelfinn and Eelfinn's place in the story. With Mat gaining the memories of his past lives through the Horn of Valere and Ishamael's tea, it's possible that the show has decided not to include the two races at all. If that's the case, a different set of circumstances will be needed for Mat's Avendesora scene. Some other party would have to be responsible for Mat's hanging.
What Mat's Hanging Means For His Future In The Wheel Of Time
Mat Should Gain A Formidable Weapon From His Upcoming Avendesora Scene
The uncertainty surrounding the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn's status in Prime Video's show make it difficult to predict exactly how it plans to approach Min's Viewing. So far, the show has only confirmed it'll happen; how it'll play out and why are questions that remain unanswered. As for the repercussions of the hanging, they too may differ from Robert Jordan's books. As previously noted, Mat already has the memories of his past lives, as evidenced by his ability to speak the Old Tongue, his amazing fighting capabilities, and his interactions with the Heroes of the Horn.
Hanging from Avendesora was meant to be "the price" he paid for those memories, so the aftermath of this event may diverge from the books in this regard. However, that's not to say the storyline won't have any impact on Mat's future whatsoever; though it nearly cost him his life, hanging from Avendesora awarded Mat with a powerful weapon, the Ashanderai.
Related
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All three of the male ta'veren in the books have their own signature weapon: Rand has Callandor, Perrin has a battle axe, and Mat has the Ashanderai. The Ashanderei is the spear that was used to hang Mat, and it can be clearly identified in Min's Viewing. As a weapon forged with the One Power, an Ashanderei would be a massive boon to Mat's fighting style in The Wheel of Time. Having it would be a huge step for the show to take, as it would bring Mat even closer to the destiny of his book counterpart.
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The Wheel of Time
TV-14
Drama Adventure Fantasy
6/10
134 7.8/10
- Release Date
- November 18, 2021
- Network
- Prime Video
- Showrunner
- Rafe Judkins
- Directors
- Sanaa Hamri, Ciaran Donnelly, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Thomas Napper, Maja Vrvilo, Wayne Che Yip
- Writers
- Amanda Kate Shuman, Dave Hill, Rohit Kumar, Justine Juel Gillmer, Celine Song, Rammy Park, The Clarksons Twins, Katherine B. McKenna
Cast
-
Rosamund Pike
Moiraine Damodred
-
Daniel Henney
al'Lan Mandragoran
The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine, a member of the powerful all-female organization Aes Sedai, as she leads a perilous quest with five young individuals. Moiraine suspects one among them could be the prophesized reincarnation of a mighty figure destined to either save or doom humanity.
- Main Genre
- Fantasy
