Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books, Mat's experience with the Eelfinn was heavily inspired by the source material. In the fourth book, The Shadow Rising, Mat stepped through a red ter'angreal doorway and entered the realm of the Eelfinn, where he made three wishes. All three were carried over to the TV interpretation of the story, albeit with some noteworthy differences.

In both the books and the show, Mat was interested in three things when speaking with the Eelfinn: resolving the issues with his memory, being free of the Aes Sedai and the One Power, and, of course, getting out of the Eelfinn's dimension. In the cases of two of these, what happens in the books makes the meaning and consequences of Mat's three wishes rather straightforward. But in The Wheel of Time season 3 finale, the wish about Mat's memories may have differences from the books that are more than just superficial.

How Mat's Wish About His Memories Differs From The Books

Mat Didn't Ask For The "Holes" In His Memory To Be Filled In The Show

Ahead of his encounter with the Eelfinn in The Shadow Rising, Mat was experiencing "holes" in his memory caused by the taint of the ruby-hilted dagger he had found in Shadar Logoth in The Eye of the World. Because of this, Mat told the Eelfinn, "If I had my way, those holes would be filled." They did indeed "fill" the gaps, but not with the memories he had lost. Instead, they provided him with the memories of his past lives, people who had been military leaders in eons past.

In contrast to his book counterpart, the show's take on Mat possessed the memories of his past lives prior to meeting the Eelfinn in The Wheel of Time. After consuming the mysterious tea prepared by Ishamael, Mat's memories and his knowledge of the Old Tongue were awakened by the character blowing the Horn of Valere in The Wheel of Time season 2 finale. As a result, Mat had no need to ask about any "holes" in his memory. Rather, he was more interested in getting rid of all the chaos going on in his head with all the random thoughts swimming around in his mind.

The Eelfinn recognized the struggle Mat was facing, and offered to "take" the memories that aren't his own. Mat's response, "You can fix me?" facilitated the wish. Mat seemed to notice an immediate difference, but the scene didn't confirm what it was exactly that the Eelfinn did to him.

Despite Mat's Request, Mat's New Memories Probably Aren't Gone

Mat Is Likely To Keep The Memories He Recieved In Season 2's Ending

Considering how this situation is unique to the one that Mat was dealing with in the books, the source material doesn't provide a clear answer as to how the Eelfinn chose to interpret Mat's wish. One possible explanation is the simplest one, which is that the Eelfinn took the memories just as they said they could. However, the memories for a massive part of Mat's story in The Wheel of Time. Reverting him to normal would defeat the purpose of Mat receiving them in the first place, and deny him several of the storylines they brought about in the later books.

Mat has a complex understanding of military strategies, so much that he's more competent than any single general Rand has on his side in the source material.

In fact, they drive most of the value that he has to the Dragon Reborn's cause in The Wheel of Time books. Mat being the Hornsounder obviously lends him plenty of significance as well, but the memories are a military asset on their own. Mat has a complex understanding of military strategies, so much that he's more competent than any single general Rand has on his side in the source material. After all, Mat has the memories of multiple generals in his head, meaning he has countless lifetimes worth of military experience at his disposal.

By taking this away as the Eelfinn implied they would, The Wheel of Time would be depriving Mat of his integral role in Rand's fight to defeat the Last One. What's more, it would stand in the way of Mat leading the Band of the Red Hand, the mercenary group he forms in the books. It was his skills as a general that made Mat an appealing leader to them. With his memories being the backbone of his overarching narrative, it's all but guaranteed that regardless of what the Eelfinn promised, he'll be dealing with them in one way or another for the remainder of the series.

What Mat's Second Wish Could Really Mean in The Wheel of Time

Mat May Have More Control Over The Extra Memories In His Mind

When considering what the Eelfinn might have done to Mat, it's important to note that both their race and their counterparts, The Wheel of Time's Aelfinn, are known for how pedantic they can be when it comes to how requests are worded. While the Eelfinn did offer to "take" the memories, what Mat specifically asked was if the Eelfinn could "fix" him. It's possible that the Eelfinn fulfilled this wish not by removing them entirely, but by making them less jumbled. This way, Mat can carry on with the additional memories without them adversely affecting the way he functions in his everyday life.

The Eelfinn hanging Mat from the ter'angreal doorway in The Wheel of Time may have given the impression that they will purposely distort every wish that's made to them, but that's not actually the case. Sometimes, the "gifts" they can offer can be of genuine help, as evidenced by the silver foxhead medallion he received after asking to be free of the One Power. In the book, the medallion proves to be a great gift, in that it protects him from weaves of the One Power. With that in mind, it's not outside the realm of possibility that the Eelfinn really did make Mat's complicated situation more bearable.

Mat's wish could potentially bear fruit in The Wheel of Time season 4. It's not clear which book the show will adapt next, but as the story progresses, military conflicts will grow increasingly relevant as Rand seeks to add new nations to his side. With The Shadow Rising's sequel, The Fires of Heaven, involving Rand taking the Stone of Tear and Cairhein, Mat's memories being more coherent could allow him to present himself as the unparalleled military strategist that he is in Jordan's novels.