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The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 2 “A Question of Crimson” finally introduces us to the royal family of Andor, House Trakand — and Elayne’s (Ceara Coveney) handsome brothers Galad (Callum Kerr) and Gawyn (Luke Featherston). The two princes soon prove to be strutting peacocks, flirting their way through the White Tower and showing off in a shirtless sparring match.
Fans of The Wheel of Time books have been waiting to meet House Trakand for years now. The characters were originally introduced in the first book in the series, but that storyline was excised from the show. Similarly, Prime Video‘s Wheel of Time seems to change a few details about Elayne’s brothers. Namely, there’s no hint that Galad, uh, might be adopted by their mother, Queen Morgase (Olivia Williams).
While it makes sense that the show would streamline the princes’ introduction for new audiences, showrunner Rafe Judkins revealed to DECIDER that there may yet be plans to introduce eldest brother Galad’s complicated origin story in future seasons of the show…
**Spoilers for The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 2 “A Question of Crimson,” now streaming on Prime Video**
The chilling cold open of The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 2 “A Question of Crimson” takes us back 20 years in the past, when a young, pregnant Queen Morgase resorts to ruthless violence to secure her claim to the Lion Throne. After her rivals in a bloody succession war begrudgingly pledge fealty to her, Morgase orders their own family members to murder them. She does this in the open, letting the whole court see exactly what she’s capable of doing to protect her young son Galad, baby boy Gawyn, and unborn daughter and heir Elayne.
Then, we jump back to the present day at the Tower. Morgase, her consort Lord Gaebril (Nuno Lopes), Aes Sedai advisor Elaida (Shohreh Aghdashloo), and sons arrive in Tar Valon to fetch Elayne home. Galad is introduced as “Prince Galad of House Trakand” and Gawyn has a spiffy title marking him as the “First Sword of Andor.” Again, it seems like the show is skipping a key element of Galad’s backstory on purpose.
“We’ve kept it streamlined for this season so that people can just take him in as Elayne’s brother,” Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins told DECIDER, “which we think is kind of the best way to meet for a fresh audience to the show.”
So what’s so complicated about Galad’s background in the Robert Jordan’s books? And why is it potentially important to the future of the series?
Well, the show sticks with the idea that Morgase unexpectedly won the Lion Throne of Andor after the last queen’s died without an heir. In the books, this happens because the daughter heir of Andor, Tigraine, abandons her husband and son Galad because of an Aes Sedai prophecy. What is that foretelling exactly? She’s got to go to the Aiel Waste. There, she falls in love with a warrior and becomes the mother of…drumroll please…Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski)!
Yes, Elayne’s half-brother Galad is also Rand’s half-brother in the books! (But Elayne and Rand are NOT related, okay?)
In the books, Morgase swoops in and marries Tigraine’s ex and adopts little Galad. This strengthens her claim to the Lion Throne, which she ultimately wins in that succession crisis.
Judkins teased that The Wheel of Time might yet weave this backstory in future seasons of the show. “Never put it past us to bring things out later that you might have seen differently earlier in this show,” he said. “Can I say that much? I think so.”
Even without Galad’s backstory, though, he and brother Gawyn add some much needed sexy silliness to The Wheel of Time. Two of the most fun scenes in the first three episodes of The Wheel of Time Season 3 focus on the princes’ fighting skills. Everyone seems to enjoy watching the brothers spar, except for Mat (Dónal Finn) and Elayne.
“I think it’s a big eye roll for her,” Ceara Coveney said of the flashy Episode 2 scene where Fetherston and Kerr fight shirtless. “She’s grown up with them fighting around the palace and, yeah, she is so used to this display.”
“She hasn’t seen her family in so long so I think there’s a real warmth of like, ‘Oh gosh, they’re doing it again.’ But yeah, I think she’s really happy to have them around. But equally maybe not so happy with the message that they brought with them.”
The first three episodes of The Wheel of Time are now streaming on Prime Video.
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