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Warning: Spoilers for The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 8
Juilin Sandar was curiously absent from The Wheel of Time season 3, but thanks to the setup for the next story, his live-action debut shouldn’t be far off. A thief-catcher and a key ally to The Wheel of Time‘s principal cast, Juilin Sandar featured prominently in multiple installments in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time book series. Among those was The Shadow Rising, the book season 3 just finished adapting to the small screen.
Juilin Sandar was a supporting player in The Shadow Rising’s Tanchico arc. The character joined Nynaeve al’Meara, Elayne Trakand, and Thom Merrilin in tracking down the Black Ajah and finding the male a’dam that was also being sought by Moghedien. The Wheel of Time’s take on this storyline copied several of the story beats from The Shadow Rising’s Tanchico plotline and included several of the characters from the book. However, it notably drifted away from the source material in a few notable areas, with one of the biggest differences being the absence of Juilin Sandar.
Why Juilin Sandar Wasn’t In The Wheel Of Time Season 3
The Wheel Of Time Skipped The Book Where He Was Introduced
Juilin Sandar was with Nynaeve, Elayne, and Thom throughout their stay in Tanchico, using his skillset as a thief-catcher to aid in their pursuit of the escaped Black Ajah members. Despite this, the show cut him out, possibly on account of the show’s changes to the sequence of events. In the books, Elayne, Nynaeve, and Egwene first met Juilin Sandar during their stay in Tear in The Dragon Reborn. Because the show jumped straight from The Great Hunt’s ending to the start of The Shadow Rising, the event that introduced Juilin Sandar was skipped entirely.
The name of Juilin Sander’s chosen occupation in The Wheel of Time’s world – “thief-catcher” – is essentially the same thing as a bounty hunter.
Of course, this didn’t necessarily block the show from using him, considering that it hasn’t been averse to moving character introductions to different locations in the past. He technically could have been encountered in Tanchico instead, but to do so would have called for considerable changes to his backstory and roots in Tear. What’s more, Juilin Sandar’s potential role in season 3 had already been made less consequential with the inclusion of Mat Cauthon and Min Farshaw, two characters who didn’t participate in the book’s Tanchico arc. As a resourceful, competent fighter with a solid dynamic with Thom, Mat was a fitting replacement for Julin.
The Wheel Of Time Season 4 Provides A Perfect Opportunity To Introduce Juilin Sandar
The Show Has Set Up Juilin Sandar’s Place of Residence As A Season 4 Location
A more appropriate chance to introduce Juilin Sandar is likely to present itself when The Wheel of Time returns for its fourth season. All the talk of Rand taking the Stone of Tear has made it abundantly clear that even though his acquisition of Callandor wasn’t a plot point in season 3, it’s still relevant to the story. The book version of Rand claimed Callandor before going to the Aiel Waste, but the books are going in reverse order. The Wheel of Time season 3 provided a reminder that the Stone of Tear is still part of the plan, with Moiraine mentioning that Rand now has an army he can use to seize it.
With each major location it covers, The Wheel of Time introduces a new assortment of supporting characters, and with Tear being Juilin Sandar’s place of residence (and birth) in the books, it makes sense for him to be one of them.
With at least a portion of The Wheel of Time’s cast headed for the Stone of Tear in the very near future, season 4 looks to be the ideal time to debut Juilin. With each major location it covers, The Wheel of Time introduces a new assortment of supporting characters, and with Tear being Juilin Sandar’s place of residence (and birth) in the books, it makes sense for him to be one of them.
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The circumstances for his introduction will differ, but could still be inspired by the source material. In the book, Juilin was hired by Nyaeve, Elayne, and Egwene to help them before being placed under Compulsion by Liandrin and forced to betray them. Liandrin is hardly in a position to appear in Tear, but a character adept in Compulsion is on track to be involved in Rand’s quest for Callandor – Rahvin, one of The Wheel of Time’s 13 Forsaken.
In the season 3 finale, Lanfear floated the idea of Rahvin laying a trap for Rand at the Stone of Tear. This may come in the form of Juilin Sandar, who Rahvin could use as a pawn in his schemes. And similar to the book character, Juilin Sandar could try to redeem himself after coming to his senses, and in turn, establish himself as an ally to the main characters.
Several Upcoming Wheel Of Time Stories Involve Juilin Sandar
Juilin Sander Is Needed For Nynaeve, Elayne, And Mat’s Stories
Admittedly, Rand’s group is in a better position to meet Juilin Sandar than anyone else, even though it’s Elayne, Nyaneve, and Mat with whom he shares the most connections. As a major supporting character in their adventures, The Wheel of Time needs him on hand if it’s to offer an accurate adaptation of their upcoming stories. By bringing on board when it introduces the city of Tear, the series can pave the way for Juilin to join them. The easiest way for that to happen is for them to help Rand claim the Stone of Tear, but for the time being, there’s no setup for that to happen.
Alternatively, Rand, Moiraine, Aviendha, or perhaps a different character in his current group could send Juilin to rendezvous with Elayne, Nynaeve, Mat, Min, and Thom. With them, he could follow in the footsteps of his book counterpart by playing roles in the search for Moghedien, the rescue of Brigitte Silverbow, their time as circus performers in Ebou Dar, and their experiences in Salidar where the Aes Sedai rebellion was taking place.
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Many of these are stories the show has either already set up or is likely to adapt soon. Since Brigitte Silverbow had a cameo as a Hero of the Horn in The Wheel of Time season 2 finale, the show has the framework for the story where Mogehedien yanks her out of Tel’aran’rhiod. The Ebou Dar arc could be coming as well, considering that it was previously namedropped and thus confirmed as a location on the map during Elayne and Nynaeve’s season 3 arc.
On top of all that, there’s the matter of Amathera Aelfdene Casmir Lounault, the Taraborner noblewoman and Seachan captive that gets mixed up in the adventures of Elayne, Nynaeve, Mat, and Juilin in Ebou Dar and Amadicia. Ultimately, she becomes Juilin Sandar’s main love interest in The Wheel of Time. With the Seanchan already having a place in the show’s lore and also relevant to the futures of Elayne, Nynaeve and the others, Amathera could be around the corner. If she is, it would be a missed opportunity for the books’ most famous thief-catcher to remain overlooked.
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