Legend of the Seeker

Recently I've been watching the American television series "Legend of the Seeker", which is based on "The Sword of Truth" series by Terry Goodkind. The show stars Craig Horner as the Seeker Richard Cypher, Bridget Regan as the Confessor Kathlan Amnell, and Bruce Spence the Wizard of the First Order Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander and Craig Parker as the evil overlord Darken Rahl. The story takes place in a world separated into three main provinces: Westland, the Midlands, and D'Hara. Westland is separated from the Midlands by a magical border erected hundred of years ago.The story begins after Darken Rahl plans to invade the Westland. Meanwhile Kathlan crosses the border to search for Zeddicus and the Seeker he was supposed to harbor. Prophecy has it that one day the Seeker will kill Rahl, and Richard is soon forced into his role as the Seeker. Together with Kathlan and Zeddicus they journey across the land in search of Rahl.


I really like the series. There is adventure, action, and magic. The actors/actresses are handsome and beautiful and I am rather glad that they did not quite follow the traditional stereotypes of choosing ugly actors for villains. I love the clothing, from its rich fabric to the vibrant colors to the elegant designs. The music is noble and the battle movements are an expert combination of grace and ferocity. There's not much humor in the show due to its seriousness and the few times there are it's somewhat dark in nature. I personally don't have too much of a problem with that as humor would only betray the seriousness of the show.

Craig Horner and Bridget Reagan have great chemistry together and they seemed to be very enthusiastic in their roles. I am amazed by Horner's ability to mask his Australian accent; he is a very talent actor (let alone, HOT! <3). Parker makes for a rather believable and dynamic tyrant. It's rather enjoyable to see the actors/actresses grow into their roles and mature as the series continue.

However, there are a few things that I find annoying. The fact that Kathlan and Richard both love each other but refuse to show it is rather annoying. The entire time I'm thinking "Confess your love already!" Spence's acting isn't quite that good. I find his expression contradicting what his character is supposed to feel. For example, when Zeddicus is supposed to be angry, the mood is ruined by the creepy smile on his face despite his tone. Not only that but Zeddicus's role is unclear. He's supposed to be a Wizard of the First Order, one of the most powerful wizards, but he appears almost useless in the show other than imparting a few words of wisdom. He waits until the last minute to throw wizard fire and sometimes he even gets himself captured. However, his role in the later part of the series seem to magnify as he take on a more active role in helping the Seeker accomplish his quest. Also, minor characters tend to disappear and never be seen again. It was in Episode 02 that we last met Chase and I haven't seen him at all after eight episodes. In one episode, I forget which, they made a big deal about about a boy who was a Listener, who is basically a mind-reader, yet they seemed to have forgotten about the boy too. In the end, I feel that there are several loose-ends left unexplained--What happened to those minor characters the Seeker worked to save only to forget about them? What's the remainder of the stories of those characters?

Other than this I find the series to be quite enjoyable. I wouldn't recommend it to children though because there's bloodshed and cruel tactics involved. But, for the fantasy and adventure lover, it's a great series to watch. I can't wait to finish the first season and move onto the second. I've yet to read the books, but I look forward to getting my hands on them. Judging by the reviews other people have given, the show seems to delineate from the books in several details. Ah well, I like surprises.