TV Review: Legend of the Seeker
Originally published at Grasping for the Wind. Please leave any comments there.
Legend of the Seeker, based on the NYT bestselling novels by Terry Goodkind, has finished it first season, begun its second, and is gathering quite a following among fantasy fans. Executive produced by Sam Raimi (whose other credits include Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess and the Spider-Man trilogy), Legend of the Seeker builds on the original epic fantasy world built by Goodkind, but moves beyond it to become more than the paean to Ayn Rand’s objectivist philosophy that Goodkind’s work is.
Though the characters of Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), Kahlan Amnell (Bridget Regan), and Zedd Zorander (Bruce Spence) are all here, their story has been broadened and the characters deepened in the TV series. In part, this is because it must, as the original novels do not have enough small plot lines in them to allow for a series of one-hour shows. But the overarching plot remains the same. Richard is ripped from his safe village and life as a forester when Kahlan appears and tells him of a great destiny he must fulfill. Sought by the evil Darken Rahl (Craig Parker) it has been prophesied that Richard will be the one to destroy him. The forbidden love of Kahlan and Richard also makes it into the story, but each individual show has is mostly self-contained, as Richard, Kahlan and Zedd try to fight Darken Rahl by supporting those who oppose him and undoing his evil where they can.
Though at times campy, Legend of the Seeker is unique television among its contemporaries. Though there are many “sci-fi” shows on TV right now, the majority of those are true science fiction, like FlashForward, or V or are paranormal fantasy like True Blood or The Vampire Diaries. No others (to my knowledge) are exploring fantasy in the traditional sense and its themes. For that alone Legend of the Seeker is to be commended. Not that those other shows are not good, just that they don’t always appeal to the demographic of which I belong, that of epic fantasy fans.
The show is fairly well-acted. At times, Horner and Regan can overdo their lines, forcing emotion where there should be none or a different one. But for the most part, these two relative unknowns have captured the essence of the characters and make for an appealing couple with great chemistry. Bruce Spence shines as Zedd, having both the look and the delivery to pull off the eccentric character. Spence plays him as a powerful sorcerer with just the right amount of self-deprecation. Craig Parker makes a good Darken Rahl as well, though he is a bit typecast, and does not appear in the show often enough to really get a sense of his skills.
The sets are obviously constructed, having a sense of unreality like a viewer might find on a stage rather than on a TV set. This adds to the feeling of campiness in watching the story, but for some reason it works. Sure, you know that you are watching a fantasy, and the set reinforces this, but I think it makes the acting and CGI stand out more. And of course, the use of slow-motion is used to great effect. I love watching as Kahlan and Richard fight Darken Rahl’s forces, each motion of their knives and swords move slowly through the air as silent death. It might be considered a cheap cinematic trick, but I think it is one of the best parts of the show.
The season 1 DVD has a great interview with Goodkind and a good “Making of” documentary. The audio commentaries are enlightening, explaining a lot of the reasoning behind the show as well as why the novels and show diverge.
Legend of the Seeker is a great epic fantasy, and wonderful TV escapism, and I am glad the show has gotten renewed for a second season.
See and interesting featurette on the sets:
And here’s a good clip from the show: