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Rating: Country: USA Release Date: October 13, 2009 Distributor: ABC Studios Cast: · Craig Horner · Bridget Regan · Bruce Spence Related Sites: · IMDb: Legend of the Seeker Grade: B+

Based on Terry Goodkind's voluminous epic series, The Sword of Truth, Legend of the Seeker tells an old, oft-told story of a prophesied savior sent to deliver the people from tyrannical rule. It's a classic paradigm that's stood the test of time, and is just as enjoyable in this television adventure series with some lighthearted humor and outstandingly choreographed fight scenes.

Richard Cypher (Craig Horner) is unaware of his heritage. Learning too late that the family who raised him had adopted him, Richard is told of legend of how a Seeker would be born who would overthrow the rule of Darken Rahl (Craig Parker). To thwart the prophecy, Rahl takes a page out of King Herod's book, and orders all of the firstborn children of the town of Brennidon to be slaughtered. Richard was hidden and carried away by the wizard Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander (Bruce Spence, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader") -- Zedd, for short -- and taken far off across a magical border that's nigh-impossible to cross.

Deciding that the time for the Seeker is now, a Confessor named Kahlan (Bridget Regan) sets off in search of the Seeker. (And wouldn't that officially make him the Sought? What is it that he's meant to be seeking, anyway?) This forces Zedd to reveal a paucity of truths to Richard, including handing over to him the Sword of Truth and the Book of Counted Shadows, tools which would be used to defeat Darken Rahl.

Thus armed, and with a deep-rooted sense of fairness and justice, Richard leads our trio back into the lands overrun by Darken Rahl, bringing the light of hope to the oppressed, and helping those in trouble wherever he finds them.

It doesn't take long for the lesson-of-the-week format to settle in to a familiar pattern. There's the "Say No to Potions" moral learned when they group comes across a town that's been selling everything it has for easy answers via magic from a single provider. There's the "Be Nice to Your Enemies" that comes into play more than once, because once they see how good a person you are they'll be won over to your side. More often than not, Richard will get into a tight spot because he doesn't listen to the overly-cautious Zedd, who feeds him facts at a trickling rate. Richard also begins to develop feelings for Kahlan, which she feels as well, but which she cannot reciprocate -- and she won't tell him why until late into the season, dragging out the sexual tension at an excruciating pace for something that didn't need to be such a secret in the first place.

Upon the eighth episode, "Denna," I began to question how the series aired on ABC Family. Yes, it conveyed morals and had a light tone despite all the implied violence. But with "Denna" I underwent a double-take. Denna is the name of a Mord-Sith -- a special type of torturer employed by Darken Rahl who can turn magic attacks back on the one wielding them. They break men down to where they'll gladly do anything to please their "mistress." The Mord-Sith wear tight-fitting leather like dominatrices, and torture their victims with a phallic-shaped taser called an Agiel. Uh, what channel was airing this again?

The Mord-Sith would continue to figure into the series as it progressed through the first season. A secondary quest was soon introduced, as Richard finds himself racing Darken Rahl for the three "Boxes of Orden" which -- if put together like a puzzle -- would possess the owner with the mystical power to be unquestionably obeyed. In Rahl's hands, this power would cement his conquest of the Midlands. In Richard's hands... well, they do say that absolute power corrupts absolutely, do they not?

This five disc collected set includes a number of very nice bonuses, including commentary for a number of episodes (listed below). Additionally, the fifth disc provides a montage of deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the series -- which truly is stunning, visually -- and an in-depth documentary on author Terry Goodkind on art and music.

 

Legend of the Seeker The Complete First Season

Disc 1 Disc 2 01. Prophecy (optional commentary with Craig Horner, Bridget Regan, Executive Producer Ken Biller and Co-Executive Producer Stephen Tolkin) 02. Destiny (optional commentary with Craig Horner, Bridget Regan, Executive Producer Ken Biller and Co-Executive Producer Stephen Tolkin) 03. Bounty 04. Brennidon 05. Listener 06. Elixir 07. Identity 08. Denna (optional commentary with actors Craig Horner and Jessica Marais) Disc 3 Disc 4 09. Puppeteer (optional commentary with actors Craig Parker and Bruce Spence) 10. Sacrifice 11. Confession 12. Home 13. Revenant 14. Hartland 15. Conversion 16. Bloodline 17. Deception 18. Mirror Disc 5 Richard, Kahlan and Zedd hear a tale. (L-R: Craig Horner, Bridget Regan, Bruce Spence) 19. Cursed 20. Sanctuary 21. Fever 22. Reckoning Bonus Features: - Forging the Sword: Crafting a Legend - Words of Truth: A Conversation with Terry Goodkind - Deleted Scenes