10 Takeaways from the Dagger Teaser

We’re not saying it was a wedding anniversary present, but it was a wedding anniversary gift from WotOnPrime to @WoTUp5 and a fantastic one at that. “Something [Redacted]” (“borrowed”, maybe?). Mat’s Dagger. With a bloody ruby. And Mat’s voice. Check it out, then check out ten interesting takeaways.

1) What Episode?

The tweet from WotOnPrime said “where the shadow waits”. This sounds a lot like it’s from episode two. Remember when showrunner Rafe Judkins revealed the title for the second episode of season 1:

2) Shadar Logoth?

Let’s do the maths on this: dark setting + rubble + dim light through a window + Mat + dagger = Aridhol! This also supports that it is more likely that we see Mordeth, which would be a very welcome inclusion.

3) Location. Location. Location.

A Cauthon coin on this being the Church in Výsluní where the production filmed for a single day in late October of 2019.

Hadonos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

4) Bandages?

Notice how only Mat’s right hand is bandaged? Now combine this with the leaked photo from Mat and Rand, where Mat’s hand seemed to be bloody. Half our writers think these are bandages, the other half see it as part of his clothing. What do you think?

5) First Official Live Action Footage

We’ve seen official photos, videos of still photos with zoom and other effects, main character dialog against a reverse Aes Sedai animation, and how-it’s-built teasers, but never before a live action shot from the show itself. Which makes this one very, very special.

6) Why Move the Ruby?

The book dagger had the ruby at the bottom of the pommel to the top part of the grip? Dragonmount tweeted a very good thread on this:

7) Professional Help

We have reason to believe that creative outfit Refinery Creative had a hand in producing, editing or mastering this teaser, as they’ve posted on a couple of their social accounts.

8) The Box

Everyone is talking about the dagger, but did you see that box? The level of detail and craftsmanship that seems to have gone into making it deserves its own teaser. We really love this box. Rand would disagree, obviously.

9) Of Serpents and Dragons

The teaser video shows a mysterious figure as it fades to black. The fandom seems to be split between Dragon and Serpent. The Dusty Wheel isolated the frame and applied filters to make it more visible. What do you think it is?

10) Community Voice

We reserve #10 to highlighting what the content creators in our community had to say about the video, and as always, they brought it:

• Unraveling the Pattern: NEW WHEEL OF TIME TEASER ! | THE RUBY-HILTED SHADAR LOGOTH DAGGER! | Unraveling the Teaser
• The Dusty Wheel (live!): NEW WHEEL OF TIME TV TRAILER + MAT, DAGGER, & CUT SCENE!
• Reading the Pattern: FIRST Footage of Shadar Logoth Dagger + A MYSTERY (Wheel of Time TV)
• WotUp: Wheel of Time Shadow’s Waiting Trailer Breakdown!!