Legend of the Seeker - The Most Under Rated Series?

[Indysolo]

I just read this article and was wondering who else watches Legend of the Seeker? I've been watching it since the first episode. I didn't realize it was scoring as well at the IMDB and TVGuide as the article mentions, but I can say I haven't seen an episode yet that has disappointed me. It goes on to say that the series has been picked up for a second season and I know I'll continue to watch it.

Who else is enjoying Legend of the Seeker?

Neil

 

[Top41]

I've been watching it this whole season, too, and really enjoying it. The episodes keep getting better and better. I thought the last one, "Conversion," where Richard finally faces off with Darken Rahl and the bad wizard tried to take Kahlan's Confessor powers was awesome! I've not watched a lot of fantasy shows/movies, but I really like this one and the world its set in.

And Darken Rahl has hot arms. [/shallow]

 

[Peak]

The problem for me (at least) is that it is to different from the book series.

Not that the book series is really good, it ins't (although the first books are quite passable fantasy-books), but there is a little voice from the books in the back of my head that screams "This didn't happen in US!" all the time.

I will see the series eventually, but I wait until the season is over and watch them all over a few days. And try to be impartial, however difficult this will be.

 

[Top41]

I've only read part of Wizard's First Rule (about 200 pages in ) so I don't really have that for comparison, which might help. I always kind of expect a TV show is going to differ from the books, though, if for no other reason than that a show has to sustain a totally different kind of energy than a book. Books can take time with descriptions and build up where TV shows can't.

I hope the show will be out on DVD soon! I definitely want to watch some episodes again.

 

[galleywest]

I adore Legend of the Seeker, which is unusual for me. It's not usually my type of thing, the fantasy series, but I find the three leads engaging--especially Bruce Spence, Puppeteer is a personal favorite--and like the storyline. It's a show that seems to enjoy itself all around (the actors always seem to be having a good time with the material) and even when it's a little cheesy or cliche I feel like it's genuinely entertaining. I never miss an episode, and yay for Hulu which has them all online.

And no, Top41, you are not alone in noticing the high eye-candy quotient.

 

[Indysolo]

You can watch them at hulu right now. I think my favorite episode so far was "Puppeteer".

Neil

 

[Christopher]

I find it moderately entertaining, but nothing special. The leads are amiable but mediocre talents. The violence is excessive; at least when these same producers made Xena, they acknowledged the cost of violence and made it a moral dilemma rather than just gee-whiz action.

 

[Top41]

I adore Legend of the Seeker, which is unusual for me. It's not usually my type of thing, the fantasy series, but I find the three leads engaging--especially Bruce Spence, Puppeteer is a personal favorite--and like the storyline. It's a show that seems to enjoy itself all around (the actors always seem to be having a good time with the material) and even when it's a little cheesy or cliche I feel like it's genuinely entertaining. I never miss an episode, and yay for Hulu which has them all online.

And no, Top41, you are not alone in noticing the high eye-candy quotient.

Yeah, I really like them all, too! I think Bridget Regan is especially good as Kahlan. Richard and Rahl are both hotties, too.

You can watch them at hulu right now. I think my favorite episode so far was "Puppeteer".

Neil

"Puppeteer" seems to be a favorite with a lot of people! I really liked it as well. The lighter tone was fun, as were Zedd's interactions with Rahl.

I find it moderately entertaining, but nothing special. The leads are amiable but mediocre talents. The violence is excessive; at least when these same producers made Xena, they acknowledged the cost of violence and made it a moral dilemma rather than just gee-whiz action.

I'm glad it's not really cheesy or filled with totally fluffy action scenes where people are chopping off heads left and right and not batting an eyelash. I never watched Xena or Hercules, and though I hear they were fun--and long-running!--shows, I don't think the total camp factor would be to my taste. I like that Legend of the Seeker has a more serious tone.

 

[Lt. Trull]

I miss the mudd people....

 

[Othello]

I am greatly enjoying this new series. It will certainly be a DVD pickup as well.

 

[Christopher]

I'm glad it's not really cheesy or filled with totally fluffy action scenes where people are chopping off heads left and right and not batting an eyelash. I never watched Xena or Hercules, and though I hear they were fun--and long-running!--shows, I don't think the total camp factor would be to my taste. I like that Legend of the Seeker has a more serious tone.

Not really. Yes, Hercules and Xena could go to really zany places when they went for comedy, but when they went for drama it was some of the most intense, compelling, gut-wrenching stuff you've ever seen. Either way they went, they pulled out all the stops and weren't afraid to take chances. There was a daring and exuberance to it that was admirable even when the chances they took didn't quite turn out right. Legend of the Seeker is much more middle-of-the-road. It doesn't have their uninhibited goofiness, but it doesn't have their dramatic boldness and passion either. And the cast isn't nearly as talented.

Although the occasional HERC/XENA veteran is bound to show up from time to time, New Zealand having a smallish talent pool. Jay Laga'aia, who plays Richard's friend Chase, was a recurring foe/love interest of Xena's (and was in fact the villain in her series' premiere episode). And just a few weeks ago, in the episode in the tomb with the ghosts of the ancient Seeker and Confessor, we got guest appearances by both Michael Hurst (Iolaus on HERC and one of New Zealand's most acclaimed Shakespearean actors) and Nathaniel Lees (who played at least half a dozen roles in the Herc/Xenaverse and has been in everything from The Matrix to Power Rangers). In fact, we've gotten several cast members from Power Rangers Jungle Fury showing up here, including Lees, Richard's older brother, and the betrothed couple in the episode where the groom-to-be switched identities with Richard. Keeping an eye out for familiar Kiwi actors is one of my main reasons for watching the show.

 

[Kelthaz]

I'm glad it's not really cheesy or filled with totally fluffy action scenes where people are chopping off heads left and right and not batting an eyelash. I never watched Xena or Hercules, and though I hear they were fun--and long-running!--shows, I don't think the total camp factor would be to my taste. I like that Legend of the Seeker has a more serious tone.

Not really. Yes, Hercules and Xena could go to really zany places when they went for comedy, but when they went for drama it was some of the most intense, compelling, gut-wrenching stuff you've ever seen. Either way they went, they pulled out all the stops and weren't afraid to take chances. There was a daring and exuberance to it that was admirable even when the chances they took didn't quite turn out right. Legend of the Seeker is much more middle-of-the-road. It doesn't have their uninhibited goofiness, but it doesn't have their dramatic boldness and passion either. And the cast isn't nearly as talented.

That's exactly the problem I have with the show. It's neither as dramatic or as wacky as Hercules or Xena. What I loved about both Hercules and Xena was their willingness to completely go with an idea. The shows had no limit on wackiness or melodrama. Legend of the Seeker is too pedestrian -- too safe.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

I'm not a fan of this show yet per se (it's quite watchable sometimes) but I find this show's tone much more agreeable than Hercules or Xena. I will agree it's more straight-laced than them, but that's what Raimi wanted to do. He didn't want to revisit his old shows' style. And post-LOTR trilogy, that type of fantasy is currently passé.

 

[galleywest]

I'll agree with that--the wackiness totally turned me off Xena and Hercules. I see why other people found it appealing and it could be quite watchable at times, but on the whole I found the constant tongue-in-cheek hardy-har-har humor a bit much. Enough already! I like that this is more serious in tone.

 

[the_wildcard]

I've been catching clips of this at random time on the local Fox channel here I think.

It's been a very, very long time since I've watched an original, syndicated television show, let alone a sci-fi syndicated televison show on over-the-air network (not cable).

Reminds me of the good years long ago where you had TONS of syndicated shows. Xena, Herucules, Beastmaster, Earth: Final Conflict, etc, etc,.

 

[Christopher]

I'll agree with that--the wackiness totally turned me off Xena and Hercules. I see why other people found it appealing and it could be quite watchable at times, but on the whole I found the constant tongue-in-cheek hardy-har-har humor a bit much. Enough already! I like that this is more serious in tone.

That's like saying you don't like Neapolitan ice cream because of the constant strawberry flavor. That's just one part of the whole. Legend of the Seeker is more serious than H/X's comedy, but a lot less serious than H/X's drama. It's not more serious overall, just more vanilla.

 

[galleywest]

I'll agree with that--the wackiness totally turned me off Xena and Hercules. I see why other people found it appealing and it could be quite watchable at times, but on the whole I found the constant tongue-in-cheek hardy-har-har humor a bit much. Enough already! I like that this is more serious in tone.

That's like saying you don't like Neapolitan ice cream because of the constant strawberry flavor. That's just one part of the whole. Legend of the Seeker is more serious than H/X's comedy, but a lot less serious than H/X's drama. It's not more serious overall, just more vanilla.

Actually, I don't like Neapolitan because of the strawberry flavor. It totally messes with the chocolate and vanilla, and it's all you can taste. Blech! Even though I like the vanilla and the chocolate, why would I waste my money on a thing that I will not enjoy 1/3 of?* I would just buy the chocolate or the vanilla and enjoy the whole tub, right? So yeah, I'd equate that with my feeling on Hercules, Xena, and LoTS almost perfectly. You don't like LoTS, I do--it's the chocolate for me. I find the tone more enjoyable. It's my Saturday afternoon treat. No biggie. Different strokes, and all that.

*Sorry, terrible grammar, I know.

ETA: Any thoughts on how they will resolve this season? I am wondering if they will stretch out the main plot points of the book (ie the mission to kill Rahl) over all the seasons, or if that will resolve earlier on and they will diverge onto new ground in later seasons. I haven't read the books, so I really don't know how much ground there is to cover or if there is a continuing storyline after the initial quest (or even if/how it is resolved) or not.

 

[Christopher]

^I didn't say I don't like LotS. I like it. I just don't love it. It's a perfectly nice, safe, middle-of-the-road series. It doesn't take any great risks or dare to be brilliant. Herc and Xena dared to be both brilliant and stupid. They had no shame and no fear. Even when I didn't like what they did, I admired their sheer chutzpah.

 

[LitmusDragon]

I was completely unaware of this show. I'll definitely be checking it out.

 

[Bishbot]

Its good, but not a must-watch. I see all the episodes eventually but I tend to save them up for a few weeks and then watch them in a big mindless chunk.

The three leads are all pretty likeable though (and Bridget Regan is stunning). Its not a good adaption of the books, but, well, I'm not going to bitch about the books yet again, but suffice it to say that I don't really care about that.