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Legend of the Seeker: The Complete First Season
by Nadya Vlassoff
 Based
on Terry Goodkind’s novels, The Sword of Truth,
the ABC Studios produced Legend of the Seeker
is the newest creation from legendary producer,
Sam Raimi. The series stars Craig Horner as
Richard Cypher, a young man who learns of his
destiny to become the Seeker of Truth. Along
with Kahlan Amnel (Bridget Regan), a confessor,
Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander (Bruce Spence), and the
sword of truth, Richard must battle all types
of evil in his quest to defeat Darken Rahl (Craig
Parker).
Legend of the Seeker takes after other Raimi
produced projects, which include Xena: Warrior
Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
However, Legend of the Seeker differs from Raimi’s
earlier projects in the development of the scripts
and the characters. The series is not as humour
based although a few quips from Zed do keep
Richard in line when his curiosity needs to
be kept in check. However, where the series
excels is in its character development. Horner
and Regan have brilliant on-screen chemistry
as Richard and Kahlan. The discovery of a Seeker
is much needed good news to the Midlands where
Rahl’s tyranny and oppression have diminished
almost any hope of salvation.
Kahlan’s role as a confessor is to aid the Seeker with her ability to ‘confess’ any person by putting them under her command. For Kahlan, the power is both a gift and curse as she struggles to understand her own abilities. To make things even more complicated, Richard and Kahlan discover that while their destinies are infinitely intertwined, their romantic destiny will never be achieved.
Legend of the Seeker also benefits from a hefty
$1.5 million episode budget, which is evident
in the various stop-motion fight scenes. The
production team was also able to give a fantastic
feel for the imaginative, everything from corporeal
transformations to the very realistic demonic
beings that Richard and his friends encounter.
Every episode continues Richard’s journey as
he tries to defeat Darken Raul but at times
has to make difficult choices on whether to
save the people he loves or to fight Rahl to
the death. Along with the legion of Mord’Sith,
a group of powerful women who are immune to
magical attacks, an endless army of Daharan
soldiers, and several powerful sorcerers Rahl
has more than enough allies to destroy the Seeker.
 For
fans of throw-away tid-bits from the cutting
room floor, the 5-disc set of Legend of the
Seeker comes packed with a slew of deleted scenes
along with a series of in-depth and insightful
commentaries. One of the most enjoyable special
features is Words of Truth: A Conversation with
Terry Goodkind where fans of Legend of the Seeker
get an in-depth look at how the author of The
Sword of Truth was instrumental in the creation
of the series in the development of the series
from a series of novels to a successful, syndicated
series. Behind-the-scenes interviews with the
cast on the set give Seeker fans a great insight
into just how influential the setting is to
the series as well as how each actor has grown
into their respective characters. Just like
the Lord of the Rings franchise, Legend of the
Seeker is filmed in New Zealand as it takes
advantage of open plains, forests, and virtually
untouched rolling hills that accent the epic
scenery.
Season 2 of Legend of the Seeker has already been ordered and fans of the sci-fi and fantasy genres will be excited to know that Jolene Blalock will appear in a multi-episode arc. As for season one on DVD, fans looking for a fantasy fix after the bubble burst on the Lord of the Rings momentum can be proud that Sam Raimi has kept the genre going with such a great and creative series.
The second season of Legend of the Seeker begins November 7.
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