The Seeker's Journal (1) Prophecy and Destiny
DESTINY! DESTINY! NO ESCAPING THAT FOR ME! DESTINY! DESTINY! NO ESCAPING THAT FOR ME!
This really should be said by Richard at least once an episode, to remind him that unlike Zedd always says, "Prophecy be damned!" some things...just happen.
This pair of episodes forms the two-part premiere of Legend of the Seeker, and introduces us to many of the characters, themes, and pretty-damned-good-for-tv special effects, and most importantly, Kahlan's cleavage and Richard's abs, which will be present, like close friends, throughout our entire journey. Personally, this is an added bonus, but like a boner shoved against leather laces all day, could be uncomfortable to some.
Anywho. Now that I've gotten my general rambling out of the way, I'll get into it.
This started off the show. We're first introduced to Richard as a handsome farm boy oh the porn whom likes to build bridges and talk to kids and their cows. He's affectionate and sweet-natured, and very willing to help pretty ladies in need. That may be why he followed a woman in white fleeing from soldiers and tag-teamed them on the edge of a cliff.
One of my observations about Richard in early season one is he loses his pendant an awful lot. This is instance one.
Anywho, while he's helping her fight the baddies, he notices she's got some weird power that knocks her out and makes the person she's touched fight on her side. It's weird, he pokes, and she tells him basically to take a hike. She's got places to be, Seekers to find. Richard gets bitten by a magical plant, and is getting sick. He heads home, talks to his dad, and gets sent to Zedd's place---Zedd, whom Richard knows as the crazy dude that talks to his chicken.
Well, Kahlan's found him first, making it much more full of dramaz when Zedd heals him, and informs her that he's the Seeker she's looking for.
So, without giving the entire plot away, suffice it to say that there's a lot of fighting, brother betrayal, a father dying, a town turning against one of their own, book burning, slo-mo flying sword leaps, and a lot of generally being hot.
One of the most interesting, and least explained, at the time, characters brought up is Shar. Shar is a Nightwisp that lives in a little...lantern-esque thing. Apparently Kahlan knows the language of the Nightwisps, but unfortunately, like Richard, we are left waiting for Kahlan to translate for her. Nightwisps apparently are excellent guides, and are good at tracking people (and knowing from long distance where people are that haven't been seen or heard from in 23 years), can open the Boundary between the Midlands and Westland, stop arrows from killing Richard...and I was damned sorry to see her go. I almost felt like I should be able to clap and say "I believe in fairies!" and bring her back to life, like I totally did when I went to see Peter Pan at the Muny Opera in St. Louis. That totally worked.
Right?
Anyway. So, yeah, there's some cheese, but damnit, we love the cheese. That's part and parcel with the production team. It's going to be big, it's going to have bagpipe-y music mixed with electric guitars, and there's going to be a lot of slo-mo. But I think it just accentuates the awesome. :D
And they hadn't pinned down how they wanted Kahlan's Confession eyes to work, which we get to see look different every episode for a while! Yay CGI!
I'm going to give this two and a half Agiels out of five, mostly because this is the starter episodes, and I do love them. But there are some kinks to be worked out.