Wheel of Time—a sprawling, epic fantasy series filled with magic, palace intrigue, and, apparently, an unlimited budget for breathtaking visuals and absurdly attractive people. This week, Mandy welcomes back Audrey Kearns, aka the Geek Girl Authority herself, to painstakingly explain what the hell is going on in this Amazon Prime behemoth.

We start with Mandy, who thought Wheel of Time was a fitness tracker before being thrown into a world of Trollocs, Aes Sedai, and, oh yes, an alarming number of dismembered animal carcasses. Audrey, meanwhile, is here to reassure us that, yes, this is all normal, and no, we should not be alarmed by the sudden disappearance and recasting of a major character. It happens. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Together, they navigate the show's Game of Thrones-esque political machinations, Lord of the Rings-style reluctant heroes, and an inexplicable hot tub scene that Mandy found deeply relatable. Also, there’s a villainous peddler, a terrifying Björk-esque sorceress, and a lot of people who seem very angry for reasons that remain somewhat unclear.

Come for the nerdy deep dive. Stay for Mandy and Audrey debating which Aes Sedai faction they’d belong to in an alternate universe. (Spoiler: It's probably not the evil one. Probably.)

Links & Notes

• Geek Girl Authority – geekgirlauthority.com
• Follow Mandy on Instagram: @mandy_kaplan_klavens
• Support the Show for Bonus Content – makemeanerd.com/join