How Mat’s Episode 6 Decision Changes His Wheel Of Time Book Story

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wheel of Time season 1, episode 6.

Mat Cauthon’s shocking decision in The Wheel of Time episode 6 threatens to change his story in Robert Jordan’s books. Despite being Healed by Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), Mat (Barney Harris) surprised his traveling companions by choosing not to accompany them through the Ways. The episode ended with Mat ignoring their pleas to follow them through the Waygate.

All season, Mat has been one of the leading candidates to be the Dragon Reborn. In the eyes of Rand (Josha Stradowski), it made sense for him to be the one Moiraine was looking for, given his growing paranoia and apparent madness. Thanks to warnings he received from Thom (Alexandre Willaume), Rand sought to keep her and the other Aes Sedai away from Mat, believing that they would try to gentle him. But now he knows that what was ailing Mat wasn’t the One Power at all – it was the ruby-hilted dagger he stole from Shadar Logoth. Thankfully, Moiraine discovered Rand and Mat’s presence at Tar Valon and managed to purge him of the dagger’s evil taint.

At first, it seemed that the show’s dagger reveal cleared him of Rand and Thom’s suspicions, but Moiraine said that this didn’t rule him out completely, especially since Mat demonstrated an impressive amount of resilience by living through the ordeal. At the end of Wheel of Time episode 6, Mat was supposed to go with them to the Eye of the World to solve the Dragon Reborn mystery, but elected to have no part in their next adventure, which risks complicating Moiraine’s plan. Most importantly, this has major implications for Mat’s story in Wheel of Time season 2, since it could keep certain events in the books from happening. Here’s what transpired in the book’s version of the story, what motivated Mat’s choice, and what it can mean for his future.

Mat’s Role in The Eye of the World’s Ending Explained

Toward the end of Wheel of Time’s first book, The Eye of the World, Moiraine used her Healing ability on Mat, but it didn’t totally sever his connection to the dagger. She said that he would later have to be taken to the White Tower and Healed properly. Afterward, she put together a group for a mission that would take them through the Ways. Aside from herself, it consisted of Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, Nynaeve, and Loial. Their objective was to reach the Eye of the World, which housed a hidden pool of pure saidin (the male half of the One Power). It was believed that the Dark One’s minions were after it.

They passed through the Waygate and went on an adventure through Fal Dara and into the Blight. Mat, like everyone else in the group, experienced all the obstacles that they had to go through to get to the Eye of the World, including an encounter with Padan Fain, the Darkfriend who caused the Trollocs’ attack on Two Rivers. They also encountered two members of the Forsaken and the Eye of the World’s plant-like guardian, the Green Man. While in the company of Lan, Loial, and Perrin, Mat entered the Eye of the World and found a secret chest of treasure. It was there that they found the banner of the last Dragon (Lews Therin) and a powerful artifact known as the Horn of Valere.

Why Mat Didn’t Go Through The Waygate (& What It Means)

Wheel of Time episode 6 assembled the exact same gathering of characters for the Eye of the World mission, but curiously left one out when it came time to enter the Ways. Why Mat remained silent during their departure was never explained, but it makes sense that his decision was motivated at least in part by his mistrust of the Aes Sedai and fears about channeling. When the Aes Sedai were parading Logain (Álvaro Morte) through the streets of Tar Valon, Mat asked Rand to kill him if it turns out that he can channel. He may be avoiding the trip to the Eye of the World because he’s afraid of finding out that he’s the Dragon Reborn. There’s also the matter of the dagger. If Moiraine didn’t fully Heal Mat, its taint may still be affecting his judgment. If so, this would be a sign that just like it was in the Wheel of Time books, Mat’s dagger story isn’t over. Mat needs to be brought before the Aes Sedai and Healed by the combined powers of the Aes Sedai.

Wheel of Time Is Giving Mat A Different Eye of the World Story

If Wheel of Time follows through with leaving Mat behind, this would effectively write him out of the journey into the Blight and everything that’s supposed to happen at the Eye of the World. It also means that he likely won’t be around when the Dragon Reborn’s identity is finally revealed. Wheel of Time choosing not to do any of these things with Mat raises questions about what it plans to do with him instead. Unless the show pulls from an event far into Mat’s future, his story in Wheel of Time season 1’s remaining two episodes must be different from what happened in the books.

Mat’s Decision Could Retcon His Next Book Story

Wheel of Time may have done more than just change his role in The Eye of the World’s ending. His story in the second book, The Great Hunt, would never have occurred had he not entered the Ways. Mat’s arc in The Great Hunt revolved around an incident where Fain stole the dagger and the Horn of Valere that they recovered from the Eye of the World. This happened when the group went back to Fal Dara after the visit to the Eye of the World. Fain stealing the dagger and the horn forced a separate group to be formed for the purpose of tracking him down. It was established that if they didn’t get the dagger back, it was impossible for Mat to ever be Healed. Since Wheel of Time has already cast some of its Fal Dara characters, it looks like the show is indeed gearing up to tell some version of this story, but where Mat will fit into it has just become a major mystery.

The Wheel of Time releases new episodes on Fridays on Prime Video.

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