I have discovered, thru Hulu, that there is a TV show based on a series
of books by Terry Goodkind. The series is produced by the same team
that did Hercules and Xena: Warrior Princess. However, this is played
seriously and the campiness has been left behind.
The show follows the efforts of Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), a good-hearted fellow who learns that he is the Seeker of Truth. Only a Seeker can wield the Sword of Truth which apparently grants great fighting prowess and a degree of immunity to magic (he can block wizard's fire like Luke Skywalker blocked Stormtrooper blaster fire). As he doesn't wear armor and has a talent for tracking and wilderness lore, he is clearly a ranger in the mold of Aragorn. He accompanied on his quest by Kahlan (Bridget Regan) the Confessor and Zed (Bruce Spence) the Wizard. Zed is a fairly typical wizard and hardly needs description; we all know what wizards do and Zed fits that quite well. Kahlan is sort of a Cleric though her magic is limited to one power: Confessing. By her touch, she can cause anyone to love her unconditionally and become a virtual slave. Worse, once confessed, the only way to regain free will is for the Confessor to die. Interesting power, especially since there is no resistance. Kahlan most often uses the power to convert an enemy into an ally who dies soon after as he turns to fight his former comrades. Mostly, Kahlan will fight with two weapons (daggers) and no armor. Why she is so skilled at such melee compared to professional soldiers is unclear.
The overarching quest is for Richard to kill Darken Rahl, a powerful wizard/sorcerer who seeks to conquer the world. This is all foretold in prophecy. Yeah, the plot is a bit stale but the execution is entertaining. Perhaps the most annoying feature of the show is that they all refuse to carry missile weapons. Richard is a skilled crossbowman but doesn't carry one with him. Why not? Another annoying thing is that Richard and party seem to have this notion of just marching up to Darken Rahl and fighting. Shouldn't you have a few troops before facing the armies of Rahl? Oddly, Rahl is always on the move to avoid assassins and Seekers, so the quest could go on a long time (3 or 4 seasons, easy).
The show follows the efforts of Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), a good-hearted fellow who learns that he is the Seeker of Truth. Only a Seeker can wield the Sword of Truth which apparently grants great fighting prowess and a degree of immunity to magic (he can block wizard's fire like Luke Skywalker blocked Stormtrooper blaster fire). As he doesn't wear armor and has a talent for tracking and wilderness lore, he is clearly a ranger in the mold of Aragorn. He accompanied on his quest by Kahlan (Bridget Regan) the Confessor and Zed (Bruce Spence) the Wizard. Zed is a fairly typical wizard and hardly needs description; we all know what wizards do and Zed fits that quite well. Kahlan is sort of a Cleric though her magic is limited to one power: Confessing. By her touch, she can cause anyone to love her unconditionally and become a virtual slave. Worse, once confessed, the only way to regain free will is for the Confessor to die. Interesting power, especially since there is no resistance. Kahlan most often uses the power to convert an enemy into an ally who dies soon after as he turns to fight his former comrades. Mostly, Kahlan will fight with two weapons (daggers) and no armor. Why she is so skilled at such melee compared to professional soldiers is unclear.
The overarching quest is for Richard to kill Darken Rahl, a powerful wizard/sorcerer who seeks to conquer the world. This is all foretold in prophecy. Yeah, the plot is a bit stale but the execution is entertaining. Perhaps the most annoying feature of the show is that they all refuse to carry missile weapons. Richard is a skilled crossbowman but doesn't carry one with him. Why not? Another annoying thing is that Richard and party seem to have this notion of just marching up to Darken Rahl and fighting. Shouldn't you have a few troops before facing the armies of Rahl? Oddly, Rahl is always on the move to avoid assassins and Seekers, so the quest could go on a long time (3 or 4 seasons, easy).
Turns out it only lasted 2 seasons. While watching the first season, I had a notion of reading Goodkind's books for more background but never did. Bridget Regan recently had a great run as a villain in Agent Carter. After seeing her as the white-clad brunette do-gooder in Seeker, it was a real switch to see her as a particularly nasty blonde Russian agent. Definitely better as a villain.
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