If you're looking for a nice bit of escapist fantasy to pass the time, Legend of the Seeker may be just what the doctor ordered. Filmed in good ol' New Zealand, the series is based on the novels of Terry Goodkind (although fans of those epic books may not recognize the television version!) The action gets underway with a pair of mysterious girls, fleeing for their very lives from a gang of well-armed brutes. Both tragedy & magic ensue, and we certainly weren't surprised when their task ultimately led to the obligitory unprepared lad whose fate had been sealed long before he was born.

The cast are certainly likeable in their roles, although it did take the entire two hours for us to warm up to Zedd the wizard (Bruce Spence). Meanwhile, Kahlan (Bridget Regan) and Richard (Craig Horner) had us rooting for them from the first time we met them. To be sure, there is a certain cheese factor here (which isn't necesarily a bad thing - didn't we all love Hercules & Xena??), and some of the story elements pushed the boundaries of things that most of us would take for granted. Wasn't it lovely for the soldiers to pause and allow that touching death scene? Did anyone else wish to own only those white clothes that would not only wash & repair themselves when the audience isn't looking, but also jump back onto your skin when they've finished all that? And who wouldn't smack their brother for taking the word of a stranger, over the word of his own kind & honest sibling??? This list could be a lot longer, believe me, but you get the idea.

But the thing is, if you can get yourself to just sit back and enjoy the ride, that's when you "get it." Grab the popcorn, turn off the nit-picking, and just be. Two fun lead characters, an eccentric old kook of a wizard, a bad guy with a black heart, and plenty of magic to go 'round: what more could you want?

For now, the series is earning a solid 7 out of 10 from us - loosely translated, that's "good, but with the potential to be so much better!" (But that poor chicken is never gonna be the same!! wink wink)

So what did you think of the first two episodes?

 

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