Legend of the Seeker [2008-2009] Season 1. 22 Episodes
This is a take on the television show Legend of the Seeker only, not the book series “The Sword of Truth” written by Goodkind. Most who watch the series have not read the books, but all should appreciate our take on this interesting, weird, occasionally inconsistent and sometimes sadomasochistic show.
Ahhh, okay... yeah. Call it a cost saving decision, but seemingly unlike the book there is no dragon riding in season one.
Not a lot of space here, so let us jump right into the one sentence synopsis: In an ancient world filled with magic and ruled by the despot Darken Rahl a man destined to restore freedom called the Seeker will rise and together with a special powered pretty girl and a cantankerous old wizard they will embrace their destiny by fulfilling the prophecy to take down the despot and along the way learn more about themselves and their feelings for each other.
"Hey, I'm the 'Seeker'. I was 'seeking' by the pond. How was I supposed to know you were bathing. By the way, did I mention that I have only 5% body fat?"
"Cantankerous! Old? I am Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, wizard of the 1st Order!" Yup, cantankerous.
The vast world of LofS feels richer than a typical TV show, hearkening back to its literary roots. However some of the plots felt like rushed, compressed versions of longer book entries. There are places where good TV and book plots can overlap. To the credit of LotS, they stayed within that overlap more than they strayed from it.
Bridget Regan's Kahlan gets tarted up again for contrived but ratings boosting reasons.
The Seeker’s special powered girlfriend is of a sect that cannot consummate their passion because the act would force enslavement upon him. Convenient for plot. As a result there are a number of teasing Gilligan’s Island type plots where a solution is oh so near… So close you could touch it, but we digress.
"What? You mean we can't... -you know! That's what this sect is about? That sucks!"
"Well, I guess this is as close as WE are ever getting."
But wait, there is another sect of women. A “warrior” sect that is totally, …sadomasochistic -skin tight leather, bound up hair and pain inducing truncheon included! At first we thought they were a one episode, bad-writing-week decision. But no, they seem rooted in the franchise.
"Come now, do I look 'sadomasochistic'? ...can't breathe ...outfit ...squeezing..."
So let us see, a sect of women who cannot make love without enslaving their men and a sect of women who are outright dominatrices. We do not know if it is Goodkind, but somebody, somewhere along the way has issues.
"I'm in neither sect. Upstarts. I am witch that uses magic to keep young. Old school, I know."
Here Bridget Regan displays the tried and true method of increasing ratings. The classic contrived skinny dip. Is she possessed, an eeeeville doppelganger or is it a harmless accident?
The first 7 episodes established an interesting and complex world. They had a certain rhythm to them. The plots translated reasonably well to the restrictive 1-hour TV drama formula and often climaxed with a slow motion fight scene.
"Hey look, I don't want any trouble. Just let me pick up my Slim Fast and I'm outta' here."
We looked forward to those slow motion fight scenes usually started when the Seeker inevitably found himself in a jam. The special powered girlfriend would run up to him drawing her boot blades, and they would fight back-to-back. Together with his sword of truth, and her twin daggers they would lay waste to dozens of the despot’s soldiers.
After the first 7 episodes the show gets inconsistent. We see less of the wizard. Disappearing for chapters may work for a book, but in a TV show it is weird to see him gone for episodes at a time.
"You kids go ahead. I have a couple loose ends I need to clean up."
The episodes generally became more frustrating and less of the Seeker kicking bad guy butt. In fact one episode is dedicated to the Seeker’s torture at the hand of one of the sadomasochists. Not a fun hour of entertainment.
Exciting for a few we suppose, but for the rest of us about as much fun as dental work.
Kahlan goes 'undercover': "Sheesh, I almost made it through this whole season without having to don one of these ridiculous outfits. ...can't breathe ...suffocating *gasp* ...call my...agent... "
Also you might feel like you missed something. Convoluted plots can make for some interesting books but perhaps are not best suited to fulfilling 1-hour TV dramas. The girlfriend’s entire sect is wiped out -told to us in a couple of lines, leaving her as the new “Mother Confessor”. We found that stretched credulity in a number of ways.
"Hey, what TV relationship is not tested by an attractive old flame? Yup, that's me. It does not stretch credulity as much as I am stretching this dress."
It all came down to this. A risky gambit mixing the tremendous power of the boxes of Orden with Kahlan's Confessor abilities. It had to be balanced just right. Nothing could POSSIBLY go wrong.
40 years later in a wrecked desolate future: "Well, THAT didn't go as planned."
Overall, LofS is more fun than not watching LofS. At least to those who have not read the books. If you like sword and fantasy entertainment, it is worth checking out.
Coming in season 2: The noble Seeker and his faithful companions must use the awesome power of love to stop an asteroid's fateful impact!
Awesome review… I started up on watching this show but stopped after the first 5 episodes
Thanks for stopping by again Tom. Yeah, you caught some of the better episodes in our opinion. However if you still have to have your fill of fantasy sword swingin’, 6-22 offer some fun moments -mixed in with all the “other” stuff.
Regrettably it’s faith to the source material is fast and loose at best, but it was overall an enjoyable experience. I like the casting; characterwise everyone is spot on, if not in physical presence (like you mentioned Horner is not the giant that Richard Rahl is.) I’ll probably stalk this on hulu next season.
Thanks for commenting on my blog. I didn’t get around to watching LotS after the 2nd episode, but I’m sure they are not as good as your review
On a serious note, you’re right – it’s probably a fun watch if you haven’t read the books or pretend you haven’t read the books. I think I might try doing that next time. I did enjoy Xena, after all, and that was very… Xena.
Oh, and it’s definitely Goodkind with the issues. He has the most interesting fascination with portraying torture and rape ad nauseum in his books.
Thanks for the props and for confirming my suspicions about Goodkind. Poor guy needs therapy.
So funny how you described Xena. It was too “Xena” for us, but we can see why you liked it. We in the Fortress were more Hercules fans.
Thanks for visiting my blog, FG (can I call you FG?)
Hmm, well, until I read DrunkenScholar’s comment, I was thinking I might need to read the books. Now, not so much
Definitely some silliness in the series, like the female warrior/dominatrixes(ces?) Jeri Ryan (7 of 9 in Voyager) used to actually pass out in the early episodes in her Borg costume. I wonder if these gals suffered the same fate. Fun review!
When you live in a distant Fortress of ice and crystal, you are okay with just being called.
“FG” is fine.
It is when we read Angela HQ’s comment that we were sold on NOT reading the books. We do not need endless description and fascination with rape and torture. That episode of Seeker was too much as it was.
We remember Jeri Ryan and her outfits. She better inform her agent to entertain no calls from the LofS staff. How much oxygen deprivation can one’s brain take?
Right, sorry, Angela HQ’s comment. I had it backwards which name went with which reply. I see now.
Thanks for the link on my blog I read this and the review was quite entertaining. I stopped watching it after a few episodes. Youe captions had me rolling.
I like your blog, and you’re right, LotS is a lot of fun. I don’t think television has been the same since shows like Xena, Brisco County Jr, or any of those Bruce Campbell-esk shows have gone away. LotS is the closest thing we have in this day and age.
I know there are issues with many parts of the process, but over all I’m looking forward to the next season!
I’ve never read the books, mind you, but then again – I would probably not like the show much if I had. But that’s how it always is. With a novel you have the choice to use your own mind to help create a world and with television/movies you are relying on someone else to tell you what to look at.
I’ll be back!
Good points Aryn. Yeah, TV these days is more about being gritty than it is about feeling good or taking down bad guys. I also think the decline of syndication has taken away a lot of fun genre shows. Also reading the books would probably not help in this case.
You are so right about The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., you do not see a whole lot of fun shows like that these days. BTW we did a take on Brisco County (<—– link). Sounds like you would appreciate it.
Hello!
Thank you for your comments on my post. =] I just read this & I agree with about 70% of it. I agree that it does get a bit inconsistent & a lot of plot points you brought up are debatable. However, I found (even as an avid literary fan) that the plot stayed interesting throughout the whole season, even if it did jump around. I personally thought it was more for entertainment & aesthetics than for an entirely literary-to-film crossover, although they did do a lovely job with the crossover.
We agree with you that as far as TV adaptations go, LotS is pretty good and even has involvement from the author to keep it at least spiritually right. We know the ending is different in the book than it was in episode 22. Some changes are indeed made for better TV which is fine and probably wise.
We are glad to have you stop by and we will take your 70% agreement with appreciation. (We hope in the humor department it was more like 90%.)
That was awesome! Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed this. Yeah, you hit the nail on the head with the outfits (LOL), and your interpretation of the plot line as it translates to television. I like how you pointed out the tidy convenience of the 1-hour tv drama formula too. I will definitely be watching season 2, because it is interesting to me, and I imagine will only make me appreciate the books all the more if I ever get around to reading them.
Thanks for your interesting take on the series. You nailed the main flaws as well as its strong point. All in all it is an entertaining show right out of the sword & scorcerer genre. Unfortunately there are not too many around, so what other choice do genre fans have than to stick with LotS? Hope they do focus some more on the overall storyline in season 2…
Thanks for the laugh, I really enjoyed the slim fast remark.
While the tv show doesn’t reflect the characters of the book, I can enjoy it enough since I know that Goodkind has no immediate plans to continue writing the series anytime soon. So once the show will be *based* on the characters, unlike Xena, it will have a treasure trove of goodies to resort to should the writers ever need some material.
witty review
(Sorry for the length of this…)
Phenomenal job on the animated banner. I DO feel like I’m riding a dragon through the clouds. *scratch that off of things not experienced when watching LotS*…
You hit on a lot of good and not so good parts of the show. I’d have to agree with you on almost all of them. Starting with rating boosters. Sheesh. I tried to look away or let my eyes glaze over every time Kahlan or some other female ratings ploy was dressed in a highly contrived manner. I did not think it was necessary, but more so I do not think it did justice to the original characters either.
It was a fun fantasy romp, with some misguided steps here and there in directing. There were MANY additions and subtractions in the plot when compared to the text version, so to come down to it LotS is its own entity. I really did enjoy “Wizard’s First Rule”, regardless of what others have said of Goodkind’s writing. The book was dark, and at other times hopeful, sad, and still humorous and light. It was a very good mix and I was glad to read the ending. A very fulfilling read with an ending I very much appreciated. (I would recommend the first book to anyone who wants a well-rounded fantasy read).
LotS, while not the same, is good in its own way too, but I can’t compare the book with the show anymore. They are just too different. I was surprised to see so many things changed. Especially the ending, which I accepted because, hey, things need to be wrapped up in a 42 minute episode for TV, so okay, I give.
The combination of agiel, Confessor, and Orden was an interesting idea. Time travel? Also well done.
Ahh, the Mord-Sith. Yeah…not pleasant, and overused in the TV series (when compared to the book). They just went on for episodes, yay… I do have to say the sect itself had a beneficial purpose in the series and the “torture” episode with Denna was needed, even if it was brutal–Richard needed to become stronger as part of the main plot. The rest of the episodes with Mord-Sith I thought were overkill. But, then again, perhaps the directors thought leather-tight outfits were rating boosters?
I really liked Zed’s character in the show! I think of everything they transferred from the book they got that spot on. ^_^ He was wise, insightful, goofy, crafty, and yes, cantankerous. Ha. Richard and Kahlan were pretty good, after I warmed up to the changes they made to their characters. Kahlan was pretty much what I had imagined, except for the vastly-lowered neckline. Richard was far more impulsive and rash than I thought he’d be, but in the end his instincts were right and that was how I always remembered him. Darken Rahl? He’s evil, so yeah, he looked the part. Except…I always thought they’d share a certain plot point in relation to…oh but that doesn’t matter now. Heh.
I also agree on the rushed feeling of some of the episodes. I would not have minded if they did two-parters or an ongoing plot that dived right into the next episode. Perhaps single wrapped-up episodes weren’t the way to go? But they kept my attention through the series well enough and it is indeed a better series than other schlock I continually ignore these days. It’s a fantasy, sword-fighting, magic-wielding series. You don’t get many of these anymore. *sad*
The Confessor women are indeed a sad magical people. While everyone wonders why Goodkind would make such a tragic character like Kahlan, I always knew the ending would be a sweet one, otherwise I would never have read the book, heh. There is always great trial in the best of happy endings and Goodkind set it up very well. Going through such dangers and times of sadness makes the ending so much sweeter. It kept the drama and desire alive through the book and series too. Now…had Kahlan died or Richard been left as a slave I would have had something to say to Goodkind.
The fight scenes! At first I was bowled over by them. I didn’t quite understand the change from the serious setting to bad-ass overzealous fight sequence. But, I came around and started to understand the Hercules-like nature of the series. I guess I just needed to get over my “If I was directing this series from the book I’d–” syndrome. So, after watching more of Kahlan swing her boot knives around and Richard slash with Seeker fury, I was ready to get into the action.
Some of your captions really got me chuckling. Slim Fast? Wow, lol. I like the character/actor digs you slide into your commentary. The “Pond seeker” and “Asteroid: Season 2″ pics were very funny. The looks on their faces in that last picture, ha!
I’m glad we shared many similar thoughts on this show. Your summary is realistic and accurate, and you know how to keep things alive with a little humor. Should season 2 come to pass I’ll be looking for your next review. And I haven’t read the second book so I’ll be waiting out this new plot eagerly and in the dark. Oh what kind of trouble will Richard get himself into this time…
Congratulations! At almost 900 words your comment blew away our self imposed 599 word limit (not including captions) and may be the longest in Fortress Takes history. We definitely appreciate your passion, thank you for expressing it here.
We are glad you appreciated that opening cloud animated gif. It took some time but just seemed so appropriate – especially if one watched the show and heard the choral strains during that shot. As for the season two nemesis – the asteroid – we too cannot wait to see the seeker get out of THAT one.
Your knowledge of the first book brings a lot to the table. We understand the battle that goes on within one’s mind in situations like that, especially in properties we care about. (We should do a review on the Tek series versus books!). However we do have a hard time believing that the book was “humorous and light”. The other stuff sure, but that not so much.
You reiterated and expanded on the points nicely. We still do not necessarily see the point to making the Confessor order so pathetic, weak and selfish (outside of Kahlan). It seemed out of place in a world that revered them so. As for those back to back slo-mo fights! Yeah, welcome aboard!
While we enjoyed the series, if they had kept the fun feel of the early episodes for the entire season we would have liked it more and recommend without so many reservations. Let us hope that season 2 picks up the right trail and leaves ones that lead to torture, filler and pathetic outcomes behind.
In the books Darkem Rahl was Richards father, but in the show, he is his half brother.
When the HBO series, A Game of Thrones, starts are you gonna start a blog about that show? It will be cool!
Thanks for stopping by. Yeah, we are not sure how Rahl being Richard’s father would have gone over in the TV version. We can understand their modifying that fact.
Regarding “Game of Thrones”, we in the Fortress are not afraid to admit to not caring at all for that series. Each book got longer, slower, and more depressing. Less and less happened while pages were filled with more and more endless description. Everything seemed to be going wrong for the good guys – the few that there were. Even 1000 pages into the series there was little comeuppance for the bad guys. Do we really need to read 3000 pages to experience that?
Additionally we are not keen on HBO’s bias and how they interpret the material. See our take on John Adams. However that bias may fit the dreary Game of Thrones universe. We may check it out.
Um, yeah. I totally loved the series and you certainly have the “book fanatic- male point of view” going on. Maybe you should expand your horizons.
We are sorry you did not pay more attention Danielle to what we had written before making your comment. We keep our takes to 599 words or less for easier digestion.
We clearly stated that the series had its good points (that we enjoyed) but also suffered from convoluted and unpalatable plots sometimes derived from the book series/TV show merge. We stated that we did not read the book series, so it is hard to pin us as “Sword of Truth” fanatics.
As for the “male point of view” issue, we say loosen up. If you cannot laugh at contrived skinny dip scenes and ridiculous sadomasochistic outfits, look for a sale on senses of humor.
i sat and watched seson1 God it was great.i watched it over and over again.after which i did not want to watch any other movie or serrie.it was great once again
Hahahhahahahaha these r real funny the books are awsome but when the show was released it kinda ruined it….. But in saying that I have seen every episodeso far and I will watch all of season 2 “marked” was kinda weird but owell!!