REVIEW

Reviewed by BlackDaemon
blackdaemon@ausxip.com

At the culmination of the last episode, "Prophecy", two significant events took place: Richard accepted the name of Seeker and the Sword of Truth, and Darken Rahl , the dark master Richard has now sworn to defeat, became aware of his presence through supernatural means. So begins the legend of the Seeker.

Richard's immediate mission is to catch up with Ranssyn Fane and reacquire the Book of Counted Shadows. This book, which had once been in Rahl's hands but was stolen and brought to Richard by the Confessor, Kahlan, holds the key to powerful magicks that Rahl needs to subjugate the masses and defend himself against Richard.

Meanwhile, Rahl's troops and sorcerers attempt to bring down the Boundary, the uncrossable magical wall between Westland and the Midlands that keeps the lands separate.

In this episode, Richard finds out more about Kahlan and her family, and an attraction begins to grow between the Confessor and the Seeker, though Zedd warns Richard against it. Richard also learns a little bit about the magic he's been raised to abhor, but will now be the key to the success of his mission, and he starts to understand just how vital - and immense - his mission truly is to the people of the Midlands as well as his native Westland. Richard also discovers how many people are willing to die so that he might succeed.

Richard's brother, Michael, councillor of their hometown in Westland, joins forces with Lord Rahl's minion, Fane, and while it seems as if he does so to protect his people, it's also glaringly obvious that he's jealous of the attention showered on Richard by their father, George (murdered in the previous episode by Fain). He's not exactly hesitant to bring Richard to some sort of justice. The Kill-The-Witch sequence, though, was a bit much. I kept waiting for some Python-type commentary ("What floats?" "Very, very small rocks." "Gravy!") but thankfully, the scene was brief.

What's good: Jay Laga'aia's Chase Brandstone is one of the most believable characters in the show, which speaks to his acting experience. Of greater interest is the shallow chasm between Kahlan and Richard as they join forces to accomplish their mission. Kahlan is willing to accept the loss of everything - and seemingly anyone but Richard -  to get the book and get across the boundary to kill Rahl . Richard, on the other hand, doesn't want to see another person die when he can do something to stop it. By taking that position, Richard shows Kahlan and Zedd that he might be the Seeker, but he will not sacrifice his own personal code of ethics to reach his goals. This difference of opinion will be explored in greater detail in future episodes.

What's not so good: Craig Parker's Darken Rahl is evil enough, but he's still too young to be the Rahl of Goodkind's book (though that could be attributed to magic as well). The key to the accurate portrayal of an evil overlord is to make the guy just a little bit sexy, and Parker hasn't managed enough sexiness just yet. Fane has absolutely no depth whatsoever, and I hope this isn't a harbinger of all bad guys to come. If the good guys aren't one-sided, why should the bad guys be that way? Also, the Bone Lady is a welcome sight for fans of "Wizard's First Rule", but the voodoo lingo is overdone.

In one shining confrontation, Richard uses the Sword of Truth for its intended purpose, and defends the defenceless against a gar. The dramatic battle at the end of the episode is visually perfect - it's rare to see slow motion cinematography that's actually stirring, and I enjoyed it immensely.

While she had her doubts in "Prophecy", Kahlan truly believes that Richard is the Seeker by the end of the episode, and Richard sees Kahlan's true power in action. It's clear as the two of them, along with Zedd, head into the Midlands that challenging adventures await them on their quest.

 

SYNOPSIS:

Kahlan Amnell, pursued by soldiers of Darken Rahl, the tyrant who wants to rule the Midlands, flees that province and uses magic to cross the Boundary into Westland. Richard Cypher, a simple Westland woodsman, helps her escape them. Ranssyn Fane, commander of the soldiers, survives his confrontation with Kahlan and Richard and continues to pursue them. Returning home, Richard is sent by his father, George, to find an old man named Zedd.

Richard learns that Zedd is really a powerful wizard from the Midlands, and Kahlan is a Confessor, a woman with the power to make someone tell the truth. Zedd reveals that Richard is the Seeker, the person destined to defeat Darken Rahl. Zedd hands Richard a magical weapon, the Sword of Truth. And Kahlan gives Richard the object of Fane’s pursuit, the Book of Counted Shadows, which contains the secrets Rahl needs to capture ultimate power.

In disbelief, Richard returns to his father, only to find that Fane has mortally wounded him. With his last breath, George reveals that what Zedd says is true. Richard confronts Fane, wanting vengeance. But Fane escapes with the coveted Book. Knowing he must stop Fane, Richard accepts his destiny as the Seeker and begins his training under Zedd.

Rahl orders his forces in the Midlands to take down the Boundary into Westland and kill Richard, while Fane tries to return to Rahl with the Book. Just as Rahl’s forces come through the Boundary, Richard catches up to Fane and retrieves the Book. Surrounded, Richard calls upon the newfound power of the Seeker and defeats the attacking troops. The Boundary now open, Richard, Kahlan and Zedd head into the Midlands to begin their dangerous quest to find and defeat Darken Rahl.