Television Review - Legend of the Seeker

Syndicated (Times and air dates will vary, airing on Saturdays in most markets)

Rating (after 5 episodes): 2.5 our of 5 Stars

Fantasy shows of the Sword and Sorcery bent are a rare find in the medium of series television. In fact, glancing over our list of Science Fiction and Fantasy television shows, I see no more than a dozen which would come close to qualifying in this sub-genre. This is unfortunate as Sword and Sorcery presents a wealth of story-telling potential. Even more unfortunate is the fact that when we do see it emerge on the small screen, too often it descends into formula and cliché.

And sadly, I must report that Legend of the Seeker does nothing to break this pattern, as this syndicated series explores very familiar ground. Stop me if you experience déjà vu: the dark lord Darken Rahl threatens the realm, the Seeker is the chosen one who has been prophesized to defeat him, the wizard Zed acts as a mentor to this chosen one, a female warrior who kicks and sports ample cleavage tags along to help, they set out on a quest to find the true path to defeating the dark lord while at the same time they help the down-trodden people of the land on their way. Throw in the fact that entire sections of dialogue through the episodes I have viewed so far seem as if they could have been lifted unaltered from other sources, and you have a series driven by connect-the-dot plots and hackneyed scripts.

I have not read the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth series of books that Legend of the Seeker is based upon, so I do not know if the fault lies with the source material or the translation, but I can say that I find little in the television series that I have not already seen in books, comics, movies, television, Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, etc. Not that the series is altogether bad, it just has a strong air of “been there, done that” about it. Executive producers Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert are no rookies to the subject as they shepherded powerhouses Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: The Warrior Princess through multiple years of syndication success. With their newest entry, they steer away from the humor of the previous two series and go for a more straight-forward action-adventure approach. Unfortunately, they have done little so far to make the series seem like more than just a rehash of Fantasy and action-adventure formulas.

The series does find strength in its cast, though, whose presence and chemistry help to keep it from fading into the television landscape. Craig Horner takes center stage as the woodsman Richard Cypher who finds that he is the prophesized “Seeker” who will slay the evil Darken Rahl. Richard is a bit too goody-goody and head strong (again throwing the genre clichés at us), but Horner is an appealing actor and definitely steps up for the role. Bridget Regan also shines as Kahlan Amnell the priestess/warrior “Confessor” who can compel others to her will, though the series producers and wardrobe department do not skip out on the opportunity to highlight her plentiful bosom. But most of all, it is Bruce Spence as the wizard Zed (this entry’s Gandalf/Obi-Wan Kenobi) who helps the cast gel and propels them from good to great. He provides a commanding presence and manages to offer just enough of a twist on the eccentric wizard character to rise above stereotype.

A second strength comes from the beautiful cinematography that highlights the gorgeous landscapes of the location shooting (courtesy of the show’s New Zealand setting, and yes you may very well recognize some of those locales from the Lord of the Rings movies, Hercules, and/or Xena). This helps provide a fully realized world for the series as opposed to gussied up television studios. The scenery along with the cast provide the show’s saving grace and make it at least enjoyable to watch on a weekly basis even if we feel rather unsatiated by each episode’s end.

Legend of the Seeker has pulled good ratings so far for a syndicated series and likely will continue to thrive in that market. The first season will run twenty two episodes with a good bet that more seasons will follow. Fans of the Sword and Sorcery genre will find enough to keep them coming back, and perhaps as the series develops it will start to find the confidence to steer away from the formulas of the genre and to create its own unique mark on Science Fiction and Fantasy television.

Buy the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth books from Amazon.com: