The Big Picture

Marcus Rutherford, the actor behind Perrin, says that the character learns valuable leadership lessons from the Shienarans in The Wheel of Time Season 2, which will prepare him for the dangers that lie ahead. Perrin’s friendship with Aviendha also introduces him to a different philosophy of fighting and helps him overcome his fear of violence, allowing him to embrace his own strength. Season 3 of The Wheel of Time will focus more on Perrin’s storyline, which promises exciting and significant developments for the character and his journey.

We’re further out now from The Wheel of Time’s Season 2 finale, but given everything that goes down over the course of that epic episode, we knew we needed the help of some of the show’s cast to unpack it all. Not only does Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) finally proclaim himself as the Dragon Reborn (with an assist from Rosamund Pike’s Moiraine), but we finally see the Two Rivers group reunited — overlooking the city of Falme in the aftermath of a big battle between Seanchan, Whitecloaks, Aiel, and… what about all the Forsaken that Ishamael (Fares Fares) has freed in his last-gasp effort to turn the tables in favor of the Dark One?

Although there’s still time before the much-anticipated third season drops, that leaves us plenty of opportunity to revisit Season 2’s biggest moments — and throughout the week, we’ll have some of The Wheel of Time’s most recognizable faces to provide their thoughts on what their characters faced (as well as preview some of what we can look forward to). Among them, Collider had the opportunity to sit down with Marcus Rutherford for a spoiler-filled chat via Zoom about the character’s journey this season. Over the course of the interview, which you can read below, the actor behind Perrin Aybara discusses how his relationships with the Shienarans and Aiel change Perrin’s perspective on violence, his own excitement for the big Perrin storyline coming up in Season 3, whether Perrin has finally accepted his wolf side, and more.

The Wheel of Time Set in a high fantasy world where magic exists, but only some can access it, a woman named Moiraine crosses paths with five young men and women. This sparks a dangerous, world-spanning journey. Based on the book series by Robert Jordan. Release Date November 19, 2021 Creator Rafe Judkins Main Genre Fantasy Genres Fantasy , Sci-Fi Rating TV-14 Seasons 3

Perrin Learns How to Become a Leader From Traveling With the Shienarans
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COLLIDER: I wanted to start by asking you about where Perrin is at the beginning of the season with the Hunt for the Horn and spending time with the Shienarans. What do you feel he takes away, in terms of lessons or maybe even skills that he didn’t have, before that part of his journey?

MARCUS RUTHERFORD: Yeah, there’s an aspect of running with that kind of military group that is quite interesting for Perrin. I know time’s passed, but there’s something he kind of feels quite at ease with the camaraderie of it, which is quite lovely, [and] almost watching the likes of Ingtar and Uno in their leadership roles. I feel like he’s slowly taking in things that maybe he’s not even realizing, and those roles that are in front of him, especially in Ingtar, in a way. You see him at the end of Season 2, and he’s got that shield, and he’s standing there amongst Aviendha and Elyas and all the characters he meets along the way. Rolling with that group and being thrust into a lot of violent situations, which he’s been trying to avoid most of Season 1, I think he starts to rise to the occasion a bit more and accept the inevitability of warfare and dangerous cultures that are going to be coming his way.

In the Bel Tine scene, where everyone is celebrating in their own way, the group has been split up, but they’re finding a way to acknowledge the past and lost loved ones. We see Perrin put his wedding ring on the lantern thinking that he’s going to let that part go, and then he takes it back. Why does he decide not to give up that part of himself?

RUTHERFORD: There’s a connection to Laila that is obviously the marriage and everything, but I think it’s a connection to home and everything that he remembers, and the Two Rivers and everything there. As they go on their journey, they’re being put further and further away from everything we knew at the start of Episode 1. He’s about to meet the Seanchan just around the corner, and there’s just something about that moment. No matter how far he’s come, he just wants to go home in a way. That connection to Laila and Two Rivers is something [that] he’s just not ready to give up.

Perrin’s Friendship With Aviendha Changes His Perspective on Violence
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Perrin and Aviendha meeting is a change-up from the book, but I feel like it’s a friendship that makes sense when you finally see it happen. That first meeting, the fight with the Whitecloaks. Perrin gets a crash course in Aiel customs, but maybe Aviendha changes some of her preconceived notions about Wetlanders by interacting with him. How does Perrin’s brief time with the Aiel change him, especially the beginnings of that friendship that we see?

RUTHERFORD: It’s such a cool introduction. I know it was obviously taken from Gaul in the books, but I think, like you said, it’s right to condense everything into this. There’s something about being taken aback by meeting someone who has such a different philosophy to fighting and warfare and the skill of it, and it’s almost like an art form. It was quite interesting that they used almost capoeira-style fighting. It’s completely different, how [Aviendha] views it and respects it. I think that’s so far from where Perrin is, when you think about Season 1 with Ila. To not even be involved and to just navigate yourself around violence, to then have someone be like, “Embrace it,” and it’s almost fun. To call it a dance is something that’s so different for Perrin, and it helps in understanding its necessity and its inevitability in terms of fighting and that violence. He starts to fear it slightly less, slowly, in a way, and her playfulness, as well, I think, brings something out of him.

What’s been quite good about Season 2 is that you’ve had these characters that he’s just been sat around a fire with, and you can almost see them poking at him and seeing what he actually thinks. Sometimes in those big group scenes and all that in Season 1, a lot’s going on in his head, but you haven’t had time to really see what he’s thinking. Aviendha is such a completely different energy for Perrin that I think he learns a lot.

Related What Is Perrin in ‘The Wheel of Time,’ and How Can He Talk to Wolves? Is Perrin becoming a wolf?

You talk about Perrin embracing a different side of himself, and that perfectly leads into what I was going to ask you about his wolf side and how he has started to tap into different parts of that power, that strength, that makes him unique. Are the events of the finale, especially with what happens to Hopper, going to push him more toward the wolves? Or do you think he’s going to back away because he’s afraid that he’s losing his humanity?

RUTHERFORD: It’s interesting because that’s always been the thing, especially when he meets Elyas. There’s this thing that he’s saying, “You can’t really live amongst them, they don’t understand you. If you are one of these people, you have to live outside of that realm.” And that’s something Perrin’s been terrified of, that there’s something within him that he can’t particularly control, obviously with the attachment to Laila and everything like that. But at the end of Season 2, I wouldn’t say he’s fully ready to embrace every aspect of it.

I don’t think he’s like, “I’m this person,” yet, but he’s realized that it’s something that he can’t run away from. Fr most of Season 1 and Season 2 he’s trying to avoid it, but it’s within him, and it’s an essential part of the prophecy. He starts to realize that some of these abilities have actually helped him and helped people, and can help him understand the way he can track and understand things. It is something that can be used to his benefit and not be seen as a curse as much as he’s kind of viewed it throughout the story so far.

Marcus Rutherford Is Excited for Fans to See Perrin’s Storyline in Season 3
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Rafe has teased that while Season 2 was very much centered around Egwene and Nynaeve and their respective storylines, Season 3 is going to be a big Rand and Perrin season. People who know the books, myself included, kind of know what that means. I’m sure you can’t go into too many spoilers, but maybe in broader terms, what has been your favorite part about getting to have a big Perrin season and exploring him more?

RUTHERFORD: I remember reading the books and I remember going to Maddie [Madden] and saying, “There’s some heavy stuff for you, man.” It made me feel quite sick to read. I was like, “No, this isn’t light at all.” And Zoë [Robins]’ stuff in the Arches was so beautiful. I’m sure I can talk myself into trouble, but like you said, the people who know the books know the storyline, and there’s some really, really exciting stuff. I’ve always kind of known where the character starts and where he goes, but each season is getting bigger and bigger and it demands more from each character, particularly Perrin, and it’s really exciting. I’m so excited with everything that we’ve done. It was a lot, but I’m really excited for all of you to see it, because I know for Perrin fans it’s a big one.

I wanted to ask about filming what I like to call the Avengers moment for the Two Rivers group in the finale – all of you standing on the tower, the fiery dragon in the background. Everyone’s been reunited for the first time after being so split up for the bulk of Season 2. What was the mood like on set in terms of having everybody together again?

RUTHERFORD: Yeah, that’s the thing as well. You do these press things and sometimes most of you are actually hanging out with some of the people, especially for myself. It’s kind of a running joke, I never really film in the studio. I’m always outside in a forest somewhere in the dark late at night. There’s something really special, and on a show of this scale, there’s actors you don’t meet, there’s locations you don’t go to – I don’t know what the White Tower looks like inside. So when you all get to meet again, and you have been away doing different things, when you all come together, it just permeates into the work and it’s really special. I hadn’t seen Josha [Stradowski] or Maddie or Zoë, Ceara [Coveney], or Dónal [Finn], particularly, for most of that season. You hang out, of course, when you’re all in Prague, but in terms of the work relationship, you’re very out of sync and working at different times. There’s always something really special when you get the group together again, and I think it comes forward in the scenes.

Both seasons of The Wheel of Time are available to stream on Prime Video.

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