These are my (Gary) predictions for Season 2. I will try to incorporate all the news and hints dropped as well as the new role castings. I won't be trying to pull stuff in from future books (TFoH and beyond) to condense the story, which I think the show writers will be doing.
Overall, I think the main story line of Season 2 will be Falme. I don't think they'll include Tear and Callandor until Season 3.
New Characters#
- Gregg Chilingirian
as Ingtar Shinowa (IMDB)
- Ceara Coveney as Elayne Trakand (IMDB)
- Ayoola Smart as Aviendha (IMDB)
- Arnas Fedaravicius as Masema Dagar (IMDB)
- Meera Syal as ? (IMDB)
- Natasha O'Keeffe as Elaida? (IMDB)
- Julian Lewis Jones as Bayle Domon (WoT Series)
- Laia Costa as “Magdelena” (WoT Series)
- Will Tudor as Barthanes Damodred (WoT Series)
- Gary Beadle as Elyas Machera (WoT Series)
- Laura Crowhurst as Verin? (Redanian Intelligence)
- ? as Adeleas Namelle (my guess)
- ? as Vandene Namelle (my guess)
- ? as Gawyn (my guess)
- ? as Galad (my guess)
Likely Locations#
I think that having five locations will push the budget for the season.
Caemlyn has been confirmed by CBR for Season 2 (or has that rumor been busted?). I don't think we'll see Cairhien for budgetary reasons plus I haven't read of any word about Cairhien being in Season 2.
Why Falme?#
It's the next big event in the books.
Why Not Tear until Season 3?#
Having Falme and Tear, two big events, might be too much for one season. I'm pretty sure it will be included somewhere in the series because they already gave us a glimpse of Tear in Episode 106's cold open and I can't see Rafe teasing us with just that glimpse and not letting us see the whole thing later.
Plot-wise, Why Falme?#
There has to be a plot reason for them to go to Falme. I think it will be similar to the books. While in the books (TGH,Ch6), Padan Fain was captured and scribbled a message on the wall of his cell, in the show I think that Fain will stop while leaving Fal Dara and scribble the same message on a random wall: "We will meet again on Toman Head. It is never over, al'Thor." See the Notes section of TGH,Ch6 for why Fain chose Falme.
Padan Fain#
Fain will take almost the same path to get to Falme as in the books: Fal Dara to the Cairhien Waygate. However I believe that the Waygate that he used in the books (TGH,Ch33) at Barthanes Damodred's manor will be moved from Cairhien to Caemlyn. He can't use the Fal Dara Waygate because it's been bricked up. So he'll just head directly south, bypassing Tar Valon and Cairhien and on to Caemlyn. I don't think we'll see much of Fain until the end of the season, except for evidence, like a Fade nailed to a door, that he's still headed to Falme.
Barthanes#
Barthanes Damodred has been cast, but he only shows up for five chapters (TGH,Ch30 through TGH,Ch34). His manor is outside of Cairhien, but I haven't read of any word about Cairhien being in Season 2. Do they move it to outside of Caemlyn along with the Waygate there? The whole reason Rand goes to the manor is because of Cairhien's Daes Dae'mar and that Rand gets an invitation because of it. Will the writers leave all of this out and maybe just make Barthanes a minor character that visits Moiraine at Tifan's Well?
Moiraine and Lan#
Moiraine's going to be at Adeleas and Vandene's place at Tifan's Well in Arafel for a while (like in TGH,Ch22). I say this because in the Decider interview, there's this:
Since Tifan's Well is west of Fal Dara, I think Moiraine's going to send Nynaeve and Egwene south to the Tower to be Apprentices while having the others (Perrin, Loial, Uno, Ingtar and Masema, i.e. the "Hunters of the Horn") go south to chase the Horn. Nynaeve and Egwene will go by river to Tar Valon, meeting Bayle Domon.
While she's staying with the Namelle sisters, we're going to get some exposition on the Karaethon Prophecy, such as it stating that the Stone of Tear will not fall until the Dragon Reborn wields the Sword That Cannot Be Touched (originally in TEotW,Ch13).
In ContentMode, Daniel Henney had this to say:
So, like in TGH,Ch22, she'll send Lan away, but I'm not sure that the part about her bond to him being passed to another Aes Sedai will be included. This tweet gave me the idea that maybe Moiraine will send Lan after Rand to deliver Fain's message. Lan will track him easily enough, and maybe find him in time to save him from a Trolloc or two. This will start Rand's sword training.
Moiraine will find a way to break the shield that Ishamael put on her. I bet that Lan starts returning to Moiraine soon after she breaks her shielding.
Will Rand go back to Moiraine with Lan or continue on to Falme directly?
Still looking for a reason that Moiraine and Lan don't go to Falme.
Min#
Min will make her way down to Tar Valon in time to be part of the kidnapping like in TGH,Ch39.
Nynaeve and Egwene#
Nynaeve and Egwene will arrive at Tar Valon in time to be part of the kidnapping like in TGH,Ch39. Nynaeve will block herself from any more channeling. We already had a hint of that in Episode 108 when she couldn't hear the wind anymore. They might get a (mud) flat and meet Aviendha while on foot to Tar Valon.
Mat#
Last we saw, Mat was entering Tar Valon. He'll be captured by the Red Ajah and probably be (mostly?) healed of the dagger by some other Aes Sedai(s). He'll speak the Old Tongue during the healing. He will meet Gawyn and Galad, who probably have been there the whole time and just not introduced, and have the quarterstaff fight (TDR,Ch24) and will also reunite with Nynaeve and Egwene.
How will he join the Hunters of the Horn? Will the Hunt for the Horn lead them to Tar Valon so they can pick up Mat on their way to Caemlyn?
Perrin, Loial, Uno, Ingtar, Masema and Mat#
The Hunters of the Horn will continue to Caemlyn. They'll all meet Elayne. Afterwards, they'll take the (moved) Waygate to Falme. It could be that the Waygate is blocked by Machin Shin and they have to take a Portal Stone, but I doubt it.
In the books, this group plus Rand uses the portal stone near Stedding Tsofu, which is a day and ahalf from Cairhien, to get to Toman Head.(TGH,Ch37).
Rand#
I'm guessing that Rand will head off into the Waste and not Tear. I'm not sure what he'll do there, except maybe meet Aviendha, but Rhuidean is too early in the story to happen (TSR,Ch23). He'll end up at Falme, though, for the battle.
Like I said above, Lan might catch up to him and save his skin and that will be the start of Rand's sword training. Rand will then know that he needs to go to Falme.
Aviendha#
In the books, Aviendha meets Nynaeve and Egwene on their journey to Tear (TDR,Ch38) and first talks to Rand in TSR,Ch22. In the show, will she meet Rand first?
Thom#
My bet is no Thom this season. In the books, Rand runs into Thom who is performing in Cairhien. (TGH,Ch25) I don't know, maybe they'll change it so that Mat runs into him in Tar Valon, but I just doubt it.
By Episode#
Episode 201 - Split the Party#
There will be a scene showing Fain writing something on a wall. Then a scene with lots of grief from Nynaeve, Egwene and Perrin over Rand's "death". Ingtar and Masema will be introduced. Someone discovers Fain's writing and tells Moiraine. There will be a scene showing Fain leaving Fal Dara leading a Fade and many Trollocs. Moiraine tells the Two Rivers folk that she and Lan must leave them to research stuff and that Nynaeve and Egwene should take a boat to Tar Valon and that the others plus Uno, Ingtar and Masema should follow Fain and the Horn (the "The Hunt for the Horn"). Nynaeve and Egwene board Bayle Domon's boat.
Mat will be captured by the Red Ajah in Tar Valon. They'll try to gentle him, but of course that will fail. The Reds will be asking themselves, "WTF, Moiraine?" Mat will be (mostly?) healed. Maybe Elaida and Verin are introduced.
Lan leaves Moiraine to go find Rand (or maybe this happens in the next episode).
There will be some scene with Rand entering the Aiel Waste.
Episode 202#
Nynaeve and Egwene journey to Tar Valon. Maybe they get a (mud) flat, leave the boat, meet Aviendha and continue to Tar Valon.
The Hunt for the Horn heads south. They encounter Elyas.
Moiraine arrives at Tifan's Well and settles in. Maybe this is where Lan leaves Moiraine.
Also some scene with Rand. Maybe Lan catches up with him, saves his life and they start Rand's training while continuing into the Waste.
Episode 203#
Mat's quarterstaff fight.
Nynaeve and Egwene arrive at Tar Valon, become apprentices, reunite with Mat and Min.
Elaida and Verin are introduced, if they haven't been already.
The Hunters of the Horn find a Fade nailed to a door.
Episode 204#
The Hunters of the Horn arrive at Tar Valon (why? still working on that) and leave for Caemlyn a bit later. Mat and Verin join them. There's no reason for that bunch to stick around Tar Valon long.
Episode 205#
Nynaeve, Egwene and Min kidnapped. Well, like the books, I think only Egwene will actually be captured and the other two escape.
Something with Rand.
Episode 206#
Caemlyn. We'll meet Elayne and Morgase. Like others think, I also think that Morgase will be relegated to a minor role and her main plot will not be included in the series.
Something with Rand.
Something with Egwene.
Episode 207#
Caemlyn. Last scene is all entering the Waygate to Falme.
Episode 208 - Battle of Falme#
Battle for Falme. Verin and "Five ride forth, four return." Ingtar will have his moment (TGH,Ch46). Mat will blow the Horn.
Other Predictions#
There are others out there who have their own predictions. I'll include them here as I find them or someone tells me about them.