SYNOPSIS:

Darken Rahl's D'Haran soldiers capture Renn, a ten-year-old boy known as a Listener, a person with the ability to read anyone's thoughts, and a very valuable tool for those who control him. When Richard and Kahlan take Renn from his captors, the mind-reading child threatens to reveal their deepest of secrets to each other.

REVIEW:

"Listener"
Reviewed by BlackDaemon

Into every television series a few stand-alone episodes must fall. "Listener" is just such an episode - while there a few elements that tie the characters to the overall Seeker-vs.-Darken-Rahl plot-line, the encapsulated story is of a minor character and his affect on our intrepid heroes.

Once again, the episode begins with Richard, Kahlan and Zedd traipsing through the woods. They happen upon a platoon of Darken Rahl's best soldiers (who happen to have The Punisher's emblem on their backs; coincidence?) and decide to follow them with the hope that they will be led to Rahl's position so they can destroy him. Instead, the soldiers lead them to a young boy, imprisoned by an unkempt merchant, who seems to possess the ability to read minds. He is a "listener", the first in 700 years, and he's about to be handed over to DarkenRahl.

Naturally, Richard wants to free the boy immediately, even though they're significantly outnumbered. Kahlan sticks to her characteristic mission-only arguments, urging Richard to focus on finding Rahl so they can kill him. Zedd dissuades them both and devises another plan to both rescue the boy and follow the soldiers to Rahl. And the adventure begins again.

Soon, Kahlan and Richard meet the boy, Renn, face to face. Renn didn't want to be rescued, and isn't all that thrilled about meeting the Seeker. Renn trusts no one, and expects everyone he meets to look out only for themselves. In this episode, we first hear of the Sisters of Light, an order that resides in a hidden magical valley. When she and Richard discover that he has no family left,Kahlan suggests they take Renn to the valley for his own safety. It seems as if she merely wants to be rid of the boy, so they can continue their pursuit of Rahl, but Kahlan always seems to be focused only on their greater goal.

Kahlan does reveal more of herself in this episode, though of course not at a time of her choosing. When Renn runs away and is recaptured by Richard and Kahlan, Richard begins to bind the boy's hands so he won't run away again. Kahlan reacts strongly, ordering Richard to stop. She doesn't explain why, but insists that his Renn's hands remain free. Later, Richard learns more about how Kahlan came to be who she is. (And hey! She sings!)

Renn is in the enviable position of knowing exactly what everyone is thinking - he knows Kahlan's secrets, he knows Richard's true feelings for Kahlan, he can see into the minds of everyone around him. Renn's a great character. He's a cocky little boy with a powerful gift (or curse) who knows exactly how to use it to get what he wants. The challenge is that he wants little boy things - a better meal, a little coin, creature comforts of the short term - and doesn't think about the lasting damage his powers can cause. After his stubbornness leads to an altercation withRahl's troops, Renn has a change of heart when he sees Richard's wounds and begins to understand that there are good people in the world. He just doesn't believe he's one of them.

He also sees everything through the eyes of a little boy - which means that he doesn't always correctly interpret what he reads, and he doesn't always make the best choice, for himself or for others. When he asks to stay with Richard andKahlan and they refuse, he takes the rejection as a little boy would, and chooses to return to the life he has always known - but for the first time, perhaps, does it with someoneelse's well-being in mind.

This episode also showcases a bit more of Zedd's magical talents, which is a good thing on a sword and magic show. What's the point of having a wizard around if he isn't doing wizardry? One ofZedd's weaknesses is revealed in the form of a D'Haran soldier who is exposed to be a believer in the Seeker's path and purpose. When the soldier's D'Haran comrades torture him and prepare to kill him, he accuses Zedd of being a traitor to the Seeker's mission. Zedd appears unable to bear the thought of one good man thinking the wizard unworthy, even though it jeopardizes his own plans.

While this episode doesn't fall into the "must-see" category, it is still worth watching. It demonstrates Darken Rahl's penchant for using people and objects - or people he sometimes views as objects - as if they are pieces on a game board. This is evident even thoughRahl isn't physically in this episode. We also see one of the few times that Kahlan accepts Richard's word about a course of action (going back for Renn) that she wouldn't necessarily choose, and she admits that the boy has touched her heart.

The only lasting piece of this standalone episode is the romantic sub-plot. Renn tells Kahlan that she should speak of her true feelings for Richard, and tells Richard the same. This will-they-or-won't-they part of the show is so huge that it may never be resolved, but if that's the case, it will mirror the novels perfectly.