Just as Glee came forward to address the niche audience dying to see more musically-inclined shows on television, Legend of the Seeker took up the mantle of appeasing fantasy fans with its weekly installments of magic and epic quests. It’s no Middle Earth, but it goes a long way towards filling the hole left by the exit of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess years ago. And wouldn’t you know it, just like with those two predecessors, Sam Raimi has a hand in Legend as well; but almost as if in spite of Raimi’s involvement, the show foregoes camp to try and be an honest to god fantasy epic. It succeeds in a few important ways, but the final product ultimately feels flat, due in large part to writing that feels like it came from the fan-fiction journal of a failed dungeon master.
If you can shuffle past the old man wizard who speaks in hushed tones of prophecies foretold and spells that conveniently solve the immediate obstacle, then maybe you’ll find enjoyment in Legend of the Seeker. If you can resist the urge to laugh at stilted dialogue and mediocre delivery, then maybe Legend of the Seeker will keep you interested. If you can overlook huge flaws in logic and plot, especially in places where the entire season’s story of sealing the underworld hinges upon a single silly detail, then maybe Legend of the Seeker won’t drive you insane. These obstacles could potentially deter even the most devoted fantasy fan from continuing on and instead popping Lord of the Rings in to wash out the bad aftertaste. Should you let yourself get past them though, you might find yourself enjoying the series even with all its foibles.
After banishing Darken Rahl (Craig Parker) to the Underworld, the Seeker Richard Rahl (Craig Horner), the Mother Confessor Kahlan (Bridget Regan), and the wizard Zedd (Bruce Spence), have a few days of celebration before the next hellstorm starts. During a night of camaraderie, a beast busts through the window, decapitates a patron and eventually meets its fate at the Seeker’s hand, but not before the trio discovers that a rift has opened between their world and the Underworld, where the ultimate villain, the Keeper, plans an all-out assault on the world above. To help the first season’s three heroes, a new anti-hero arises. Cara (Tabrett Bethell), a Mord’Sith betrayed by her underlings (notably Charisma Carpenter), joins on with our heroes (though that comes with its share of complications) to help them find the Stone of Tears, the lone artifact that will allow them so seal the opening between the two worlds once and for all.
Each episode introduces a new kind of Underworld monster sent up to wreak havoc in the mortal world, showing a progressive expansion of the breach and imparting some sense of impending peril. The interesting twist added into this otherwise linear story (albeit with lots of silly, nonsensical detours) is the message delivered to Zedd convincing him that a new Seeker must be chosen if there’s to be any hope of defeating the Keeper of the Underworld. With all the emphasis placed on how long it can take to get from one town to the next (with everyone saying “but that’s x number of leagues away! It’ll take forever!”), the team is awfully quick to pick up one sidequest to another with little to no thought as to the distance until the writers need a reason NOT to have someone do something. Or, as in the case of Cara, after a conflict in the middle of nowhere, she’ll run off and be at the home of her sister. Assuming the world truly is a big place, the writers are far too willing to rely on coincidence if it lets them keep a bit of melodrama pumping through the show’s veins. The final weakness of the show lies in its reliance on truly shoddy special effects. Not only do they lean too heavily on it, they lead into the first episode of the season with a truly laughable CGI-created beast whose appearance betrays the show’s atrociously low production values. It’s a recurring issue and one that is only forgotten when the show features a really good physical battle scene with nothing but good old-fashioned swordplay and pyrotechnics.
DVD Bonus Features
The first featurette highlights Cara as the newest addition to the protagonist camp, and sees the cast and crew discussing the character’s growth into a hero from her more villainous persona in the first season. Secondly, the crew discusses the concepts behind their version of the Underworld and the mythos behind it all. Finally, the second season set ends with a few extended scenes.
"Legend of the Seeker: The Complete Second Season" is on sale September 28, 2010 and is not rated. Adventure, Fantasy. Directed by Garth Maxwell, Mark Beesley, Michael Hurst. Written by Terry Goodkind, Kenneth Biller, Stephen Tolkin. Starring Bridget Regan, Bruce Spence, Craig Horner, Craig Parker, Tabrett Bethell.
