Moiraine & Siuan’s Hidden Alliance & Romance Explained By Star

The Wheel of Time star Rosamund Pike has provided some new insight into her character’s secret alliance and relationship with Sophie Okonedo’s Siuan Sanche. Based on the best-selling fantasy novels by Robert Jordan, Pike assumed the role of the formidable sorceress Moiraine Damodred, an Aes Sedai tasked with locating the prophesied Dragon Reborn. However, throughout 2021’s The Wheel of Time season 1, the show made a significant departure from Jordan’s original books and revealed that Pike’s character was involved in a forbidden relationship with Siuan, the elected leader of her magical order known as the Amyrlin Seat.

Speaking with TVLine, Pike revealed what The Wheel of Time season 2 has in store for the two co-conspirators. Revealing that while the returning show will provide a backstory that explains the origins of their relationship, moving forward the pair will have to deal with the increasingly difficult task of keeping their secrets hidden. Check out her comments below:

Well, we come to understand more about Moiraine and Siuan’s relationship, where it started. We see the moment that they were charged with finding the Dragon Reborn, and we learn that it was a dual mission. It was Moiraine who had to find the Dragon Reborn and prepare him or her to face the last battle, and Siuan Sanche had to galvanize the tower to support him. And in that time, Siuan Sanche has risen to be the Amyrlin Seat.

Obviously, their love is forbidden. They’ve also, as we saw in Season 1, made this alliance whereby Moiraine appears to be banished — and, of course, they have to adhere to that. So, Moiraine cannot return to the White Tower. They are still supposed to be working in collaboration, but the fact that they’re working together in support of the Dragon Reborn must never be known. The fact that they know who the Dragon Reborn is should never be known. So, it’s secrets within secrets within secrets… and it’s quite hard to keep all these balls in the air sometimes! Even for me, I have to sort of remember that it’s a complex world Robert Jordan laid at our feet, but yeah, we do our best.

How The Wheel Of Time’s Book Changes Could Impact Season 2

Despite providing Prime Video with one of its strongest show launches at the time of its original release, the approach to the source material has not gone without its share of criticisms. Widely regarded as one of the most important fantasy book series since The Lord of the Rings, readers had called for a live-action adaptation of the property long before Prime Video’s 2018 announcement that they would be teaming with Sony to develop the show.

With Jordan’s books spanning 14 massive volumes, the sheer volume of material would require Prime Video to undertake several key changes and omissions. Among all the changes The Wheel of Time season 1 made to the original books, the changes to Pike’s Moiraine proved the most significant. While showrunner Rafe Judkins has previously revealed that Moiraine and Siuan’s intimacy is indeed hinted at in the books, the decision to cut her character off from the One Power during the season 1 finale has no such precedent.

Moving forward into season 2, the repercussions that Moiraine will face being unable to channel the mystical One Power are likely to have far more important implications than her romantic interests. Establishing Moiraine and Siuan as secret lovers merely adds an extra dimension on top of a complex relationship that their book counterparts already shared, but the decision to leave Pike’s character without her abilities is a much bigger problem. Only time will tell whether this change will prove to be a benefit or detriment to The Wheel of Time season 2.

Source: TVLine