Legend of the Seeker, episode 1
I can't believe that I was disappointed so much by this beginning.
I am, of course, dissapointed that the cool people who seem in love with that series recommended something this awful. But more than that, I am horrified to realize that this series, who was recced as different from the Sword of Truth books and good and with great characters and characterization, is actually worse than the books.
And do believe me, in my opinion, this was no small task. I hated the Sword of Truth books. Granted, there were some interesting ideas in them, but I hated how manichean they were. I loathed how the author keeps making those oh so subtle allusions that Darken Rahl = Stalin. Like, seriously. Bad guy. Reigns in the east. Eating over the poor countries of the middle. His speeches in the books sound everything like an American parody of communism. And he even was called little father Rahl by his people, for fuck's sake!
Oh and yeah, just in case there were some really thick people (or maybe hidden communists?) among us readers, and they still hadn't got that Darken Rahl was EVIL... His one and only true friend and follower is a homosexual pedophile whom he gives little boys to rape and slaughter. Yeah, we're talking that level of manichean.
Also the author has an obsession with SM mistresses, and keeps portraying women's empowering as overtly sexual, and (empowered) women's sexuality as dangerous and destructive for men. See the confessors, who change men into submissive little dogs, the sisters of the light and their incredibly brutal, intolerant and humiliating methods of teaching, and motherfucking MORD SITHS, with their cult of sadomasochism.
Now, this first episode?
Oh, yes, of course it's pretty. The effects for magic come off as somewhat cheap sometimes, but overall it's really pretty.
And it manages to be more manichean than the books. Honestly. Seeker of truth? No! Hero who fights evil! Magic state of uncontrolable rage? No! Flashback of cheap quotes induced power up!
Everything feels rushed - no, wait, everything is rushed, and they keep explaining everything instead of showing us the damn story and I hate hate hate when things are explained and not showed/told. It ruins everything, and it feels like sheer lazyness from the writers. The details in the episode sounded so wrong and empty and just damn illogical. Like, why does Richard speak about the spirit in the lantern as a she, when he wasn't even explained that it wasn't just a magic lantern? He doesn't even sound hesitant about it! How does Fane get to Adie's house?
And the rushing completely ruins the characterization of Richard's brother! Together with the reaction of the other villagers. Also where are my powerfull, amazing female characters?! All I see here is them being weakened compared to their book's counterparts! Where did Kahlan cold godess aura went? And her lady-ness? Her determination? I mean, she just keeps whining and yapping and - book Kahlan sounded cold, detached, put up a ruthless front and was ready to make any terrible choice fir the sake of her mission! She's a confessor, damnit! And not just any confessor, the mother confessor!
Also yay for added moments of female characters being powerless and terryfied and a liability. Yay.
And Darken Rahl. Darken Rahl. What is this generic, empty, plastic-like vilain?! Where is his terrifying charisma? Where did the man who could get people to beg for the privilege of being walked over by him go?! His manipulative speeches? His two-faces? The chilling impression of a terrible power he gave in the books?
So.
I'm downloading the following episode and hoping that this was just a crappy beginning for a good series (since they obviously didn't care about their storytelling...) And the Mord Sith seem worthy to watch. But still, I am so very disappointed.
And here I was, thinking that maybe this show would get me into TV series. Ha.
Edit:
ZOMG. It seems that my poor brain had erased the sheer horror that is Terry Goodkind's style (bad-translated into French!) from my memories. Well, no wonder where the episode's shitty dialogues came from, I guess. X__x
I am, of course, dissapointed that the cool people who seem in love with that series recommended something this awful. But more than that, I am horrified to realize that this series, who was recced as different from the Sword of Truth books and good and with great characters and characterization, is actually worse than the books.
And do believe me, in my opinion, this was no small task. I hated the Sword of Truth books. Granted, there were some interesting ideas in them, but I hated how manichean they were. I loathed how the author keeps making those oh so subtle allusions that Darken Rahl = Stalin. Like, seriously. Bad guy. Reigns in the east. Eating over the poor countries of the middle. His speeches in the books sound everything like an American parody of communism. And he even was called little father Rahl by his people, for fuck's sake!
Oh and yeah, just in case there were some really thick people (or maybe hidden communists?) among us readers, and they still hadn't got that Darken Rahl was EVIL... His one and only true friend and follower is a homosexual pedophile whom he gives little boys to rape and slaughter. Yeah, we're talking that level of manichean.
Also the author has an obsession with SM mistresses, and keeps portraying women's empowering as overtly sexual, and (empowered) women's sexuality as dangerous and destructive for men. See the confessors, who change men into submissive little dogs, the sisters of the light and their incredibly brutal, intolerant and humiliating methods of teaching, and motherfucking MORD SITHS, with their cult of sadomasochism.
Now, this first episode?
Oh, yes, of course it's pretty. The effects for magic come off as somewhat cheap sometimes, but overall it's really pretty.
And it manages to be more manichean than the books. Honestly. Seeker of truth? No! Hero who fights evil! Magic state of uncontrolable rage? No! Flashback of cheap quotes induced power up!
Everything feels rushed - no, wait, everything is rushed, and they keep explaining everything instead of showing us the damn story and I hate hate hate when things are explained and not showed/told. It ruins everything, and it feels like sheer lazyness from the writers. The details in the episode sounded so wrong and empty and just damn illogical. Like, why does Richard speak about the spirit in the lantern as a she, when he wasn't even explained that it wasn't just a magic lantern? He doesn't even sound hesitant about it! How does Fane get to Adie's house?
And the rushing completely ruins the characterization of Richard's brother! Together with the reaction of the other villagers. Also where are my powerfull, amazing female characters?! All I see here is them being weakened compared to their book's counterparts! Where did Kahlan cold godess aura went? And her lady-ness? Her determination? I mean, she just keeps whining and yapping and - book Kahlan sounded cold, detached, put up a ruthless front and was ready to make any terrible choice fir the sake of her mission! She's a confessor, damnit! And not just any confessor, the mother confessor!
Also yay for added moments of female characters being powerless and terryfied and a liability. Yay.
And Darken Rahl. Darken Rahl. What is this generic, empty, plastic-like vilain?! Where is his terrifying charisma? Where did the man who could get people to beg for the privilege of being walked over by him go?! His manipulative speeches? His two-faces? The chilling impression of a terrible power he gave in the books?
So.
I'm downloading the following episode and hoping that this was just a crappy beginning for a good series (since they obviously didn't care about their storytelling...) And the Mord Sith seem worthy to watch. But still, I am so very disappointed.
And here I was, thinking that maybe this show would get me into TV series. Ha.
Edit:
ZOMG. It seems that my poor brain had erased the sheer horror that is Terry Goodkind's style (bad-translated into French!) from my memories. Well, no wonder where the episode's shitty dialogues came from, I guess. X__x