Wheel of Time with Audrey Kearns

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

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What is Make Me A Nerd with Mandy Kaplan?

Hey folks. Mandy Kaplan here. I’d like to share a bit about my intentions and mission for MMAN if you’ll indulge me. You will? Huzzah!

Look, I am a lot of things. I’m a writer, actress, mother, and lover of musicals and cats, but NOT Cats, The Musical. Give me a little bit of credit, would ya? So...throughout my life, I’ve been surrounded (and intrigued) by all things nerd. A sister who plays D&D, a Star Wars-obsessed husband, friends who love anime, comic books, video games, and...well, you get the picture. Somehow, I have always held it all at arm's length. Not to get too deep, but maybe I never thought I was smart enough to follow it. Or maybe I have control issues and have never been able to embrace fantastical things like dragons and time travel. Until now!

So, with an open mind and heart, I am ready to join this massive (and beautifully inclusive) club and GEEK THE #%$ OUT! It’s time for all my wonderfully strange friends to baptize me into NERD-DOM. Please join me on this journey. Who knows? Maybe you’ll discover or remember a side of yourself along the way. Or at least make fun of me as I try!