I don’t know how, but the first season of Legend of the Seeker managed to avoid my detection when it was on the air this past year. I think I got it confused with Merlin or something. However, it is available through Netflix’s instant queue, and I am really glad that my roommate and I decided to check it out.
Legend of the Seeker tells the story of Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), a 20 something year old, who’s world is quickly turned upside down when he is told of his destiny to fulfill a prophecy that says he is the only one who can defeat the evil Darken Rahl (it’s okay to laugh at his name).
It is clear that in the first couple of episodes the show is still trying to find its footing. It is riddled with cheesy moments, predictable plotlines, and stylistic choices that are clearly inspired by other films/shows. Take the use of slow motion. It is hard to avoid slowmo in anything these days because it looks awesome; however, there comes a point when it becomes overused. Seeker is no exception. Sure, it provides a lot of entertaining facial expressions and action moments, a lot of which can be defended because there are few ways to show just how close an arrow comes to slamming into the back of someone’s head; however, at first it resembled the slow motion fights of 300 a little too closely, especially considering how it moves in and out of slow motion and regular speed during the fight scenes. And there are only so many times you can see someone do their signature moves in slow motion before it gets to be a little excessive (I’m talking to you Richard, and your silly jump with your sword over your head. What are you trying to do? Split some logs for firewood?).
On a different note, another thing that got a little annoying was the dialogue. For the most part it was actually a lot wittier than expected, and I may roll my eyes at the lovey-dovey comments between Richard and Kahlan Amnell (Bridget Regan), but secretly (okay, maybe not so secretly) I was giddy with these interactions of sexual tension. What I could not stand was the use of the word “Seeker”. I understand that this show revolves around the role the Seeker/Richard must play, however, there really is no need to say the word almost 40 times in an episode (trust me, we counted).
As much as my roommate and I joke around about these things in the first few episodes (as well as how creepy Zed, the wizard is. How tall is Bruce Spence anyway?), eventually the show grows into itself, creating a really interesting world full of new mythology and story lines to flesh out the season. But what I appreciate most is that, for as serious as it takes itself at times, there are plenty of moments and episodes to even this out.
However, one thing that I am still a little hesitant to pin a gold star to is the finale of the season. (IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST EPISODE, SKIP TO THE LAST PARAGRAPH BECAUSE I AM GOING TO BE GIVING STUFF AWAY) For all the magic and supernatural elements found in this show, one thing I was not ready for was time travel, and because of this the last episode didn’t really fit with the rest of the season for me as much as it should have. Furthermore, with this time traveling plot line, the end actually seems a little anticlimactic. Richard, Kahlan, and Zed (when not wandering off on random side missions for a lot of the latter part of the season) spend the entire season fighting against Rahl’s (Craig Parker) forces in any way they can, hoping to find a way to destroy him. With all this happening, I thought a really intense, epic battle was going to ensue, but this never came to fruition. Instead, Richard spends the finale trying to get back to his place in time, so when he does and Rahl appears to stop him from using the boxes of Ordin against him, Rahl is killed by the boxes with no fight at all.
Speaking of these boxes: not only was I upset that Richard didn’t become all powerful again by using them, I was more upset by the fact that there is this big to-do about Kahlan’s whole purpose being to confess him in the end so that he doesn’t get out of control with power, yet nothing happens with this either. Again, I say anticlimactic. And one more thing that I need clarifying: confessing someone makes them fall in love with the confessor and do whatever they are asked; nevertheless, Richard seemed completely normal in the end, so I am going to assume that this was canceled out by the boxes power. Does this mean that they can now be together? Or rather, because Rahl destroyed the boxes, was this balance lost, and therefore the relation can still not happen? If the latter is true, I am going to be really upset because sexual tension can only go so far, and this whole “we love each other from a distance” can begin to hinder a show. For now it adds a lot of tension, such as with Buffy and Angel in Buffy the Vampire Slayer; however, it can also begin to weaken storylines, such as in Dark Angel.
One last thing about the finale: what happened to Richard’s sister? She brings the boxes to him, and then disappears. I am assuming she went into hiding again, but I feel like she should have been there in the end.
Though The Legend of the Seeker had a weaker start, it became a really immersive show, filled with comedy, love, great acting, and really interesting storylines, and should be given a chance by both people who love this genre, as well as those who are new to it. It may surprise you.
Final Grade: A-
If you don’t have the instant queue capabilities of Netflix, all 22 episodes of the show can be found on the official website here, or on hulu.com here. Be sure to check it out/catch yourself up before season 2 starts on November 7th.
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