This article discusses the moment Stepin dies in The Wheel of Time season 1, episode 5 and so will contain spoilers.
Well, after The Wheel of Time said goodbye to Kerene (Clare Perkins), the General of the Green Ajah last week — in season 1, episode 5, poor Stepin (Peter Franzin) has been mourning her loss for days. Stepin took his favorite dagger and cut his femoral artery, causing him to bleed out, and was found by Lan (Daniel Henney). He’s a loyal Warder, and his character gives us some insight into the Aes Sedai and Warder relationship. Let’s examine this for a moment.
A Warder is a male who bonds with an Aes Sedai. He becomes their defacto Kevin Costner, protecting her (I’m guessing Whitney Houston would have rocked out under the Green Ajah). They have stamina, physical gifts — the Dwayne Johnsons of the series and can sense Shadowspans around any corner. They also always have the inside track on their boss’s location and their emotional states (yes, as we all know, women love it when men mansplain their emotions to them).
So, poor Stepin couldn’t take it. When an Aes Sedai passes on, the Warder does not have the highest survival rate, and broken heart syndrome goes into high gear. Sid had lost the will to live. Alanna contemplated trying to find a way to relieve this of Sid but failed to do so. While many may have thought he would avenge Kerene’s death, he did not attempt to kill Logain. And even though Kerene could have had many Warder’s at her disposal, she chose only Stepin (they say once you go Stepin…). He took first pride in this, but it also cost him dearly emotionally.
While the books by Robert Jordan made Stepin out to be a sad, narrow-shouldered librarian type, the Amazon Prime version made him look like the son of Boromir of The Lord of the Rings. Handsome, long hair, and loyal to a fault. He could not live without Kerene. This sets up the emotional bond for the viewer to understand the Warder-Aes Sedai bond and for the viewers to feel a deeper connection for the characters and their relationships.
In other words, look for Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and Lan to have a roller coaster ride for the rest of the series.
So what do you think after Stepin dies in The Wheel of Time season 1, episode 5? Comment below.
