An epic fantasy that only the CW could bring us!
All kidding aside, you just know I’ll be watching. It’s based on The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. Anyone ever read them? I haven’t. Oh, and his name is Craig Horner. You’re welcome.
UPDATE: It’s aired now. HERE IS MY REVIEW!
Okay people, I’ve a lot of these posts and I think many of you are taking this TV series way too seriously. First, let’s be honest with ourselves…there is no way that a TV show can replace the fantastic characters and stories as we’ve pictured them in our own minds. I have not seen a single movie adaptation that has come close to meeting my expectations. That includes LoTR which, while a great movie trilogy, can never replace the books in my mind. I’m a big fan of Goodkind’s books, and I agree that the TV series completely butchers the story line and that the casting is weak (except Zedd) and that they should have spent more time on the details. Regardless, I think there is potential for the series if they don’t stray too far from the main story lines. Bruce Spence was a good casting choice and is the only one that comes even close to capturing the essence of his character. Craig Horner must work to tone down some of his ‘beach-boyish’ deliveries so that he stops coming across as a moron. Bridget Regan is close, but she needs to work on some kind of accent…her raw delivery doesn’t match her complexion. Anyway, I’m not going to bash the series until season one is over. Every series has it’s growing pains and I’d like to hold on to the hope that this one will make it through.
Legend of the Seeker, Adaptation of SoT Book 1: 22 episodes, 45 minutes each episode = 990 minutes
Lord of the Ring Movies, Adaptation of 3 books: approximately 178 – 201 minutes per movie, 3 movies = 558 minutes
What’s my point? If you can make a decent adaptation of all three LOTR books in 558 minutes you would think it is possible to do a decent adaptation of a single SoT book in 990 minutes… That is A LOT of time to work with.
Unfortunately this series is brought to us by the same people who made Hercules and Xena (no offense if you liked those shows) so I don’t hold out much hope for it. Also is it just me or does it appear that all references to Terry Goodkind and the Sword of Truth book series have been removed from the show’s website? I can’t even find a place where it mentions the show is an adaptation.
The only references to Goodkind are in the news section of the website.
Do a Google search like this:
Goodkind site:http://www.legendoftheseeker.com/
Makes me wonder if Goodkind is trying to distance himself from what could be an epic disaster.
Or they afraid some people will actual read the books after seeing the series and be real disapointed in the quality offered if they had these books to base them on
.
I’m not going to say that I’m utterly crushed, but it’s a near thing, let me say that. I must say, I’m going to watch this series to the end, and be consoled by the fact that it won’t last onto the other books – unless the quality improves miraculously, in which case it will be win-win for us serious loyal fans. Let’s be fair here – they syndicated twenty-two one hour episodes, which is a lot of screentime, and there’s not enough action in WFR to keep the average viewer interested over twenty-two hours. Of course they were going to mutilate the plot to some degree, but honestly, it could have been a HELL of a lot worse. All I’m waiting for are the Mord-Sith and the Boxes of Orden (which haven’t even been MENTIIONED yet, much to my surprise and fear). Just remember that the series isn’t even half over yet – it could pick up considerably after a rocky start. We just need to see… I don’t know, some good personality and character development to start, and maybe – if we’re really lucky – we might get continuity thrown in somewhere…
No one has even said anythign about richard’s eyes…they are brown not grey liek in the books…goodkind makes alot of referances to Richard’s grey raptor gaze…but I digress. From watching the first two episodes I seriously doubt they are going to bring in the fact that Richard is a wizard…the first with both sides of the magic in 3,000 years. This sadens me because the entire series is about the prophacies surounding the fact that a wizard with both sides of magic will save the world (so to speak), and Richard fighting the prophacies with his free will.
The casting for Richard was way off the man in the role looks to puny.
The castign for Kahlan is ok…but they mis say her name…I’ve always said it Ka–lan not Kay-len.
The casting for zedd..well he might not look like waht I imagined in my head but I think this is the only actor to have read the books..he plays the hungry ravenous zedd very well…they need to add his leturous side in, he was a horn dog…
The casting for chase, was fairly well done, he just needs more ammo..and he was a boundry warden not a council guard…..
the casting for Michael…faily good
Richards dad…..ok well he was dead at the beggining of the book, but memory wise he would of been fine…but he’s dead….
Richards mom….uh ok Zedd’s daughter, not some random chick in a burning village.
Darken Rahl…not bad casting…needs to be blonde….if Johnny depp or orlando bloom can be blonde so can this dude
Sicne they arne’t following the storyline of Richard being a wizard who needs mord sith….
I could go on and on…nto a bad sries on its own, but as a series based off a book, its horrible, I have to say though its better than Queen of the Damned
Can anyone satisfactorily explain to me WHY directors feel the need to tell their own versions of popular stories. The series has a HUGE fan base all by itself. Why then did Sam Raimey feel the need to alter an already well composed story so dramatically. Also, people fell in love with Goodkind’s stories, not some bastardized versions thereof. When you change the story, you alter the characters profoundly. I for one love Richard Rahl. I totally agree with his views on morality, family, love, honor, and especially justice. He is something that all good men should aspire to be more like. Including his temper. Anger is not inherently evil, and some situations require a vengful wrath. Much like this farce of a T.V. series. Even as a stand alone, it is not that great. And when compared to the grandure of the books, it’s absolutely insulting to fans. I’ve seen better crappy SciFi original programing before. I love Goodkind’s work, and have an autographed copy of Wizard’s First Rule, but this is not a compliment to his series at all.
I read the Sword of Truth series and it is better than LOTR’s. The Legend of the Seeker is like watching Hercules or a Sci Fi Channel B movie. I was diappointed that it didn’t hold true to the books. They could at least picked people who resemble the characters in the book. ): Yet I’m still watching it, lol.
Well I survived episode 4 still lot off unlogical reactions.
Kahlan finds out Zedd is Richard Grand dad which makes his loony wizard of the hill starrt even more unlogical. Some scenes have a hint that they have been taken out of later books. And how funny they are going to introduce a mind reading boy in episode5 as I understood. Well it will be fun to see how many popular other series they going to “borow” from. And they missed the change to make the remark sometimes a clever trick is as good a magic in the You not my son but I help you if you have a problem:(
PS the only thing beter about SOT compared with LOTR was that more details where worked out LOTR is still beter writen in my eyes that author was concentrating on the story not in lecturing his readers, which is a failing in Goodkind
It seems that once again creative license has been taken without regard for the written word. Where did they find these screenwriters. I was like some one said “Okay, so there’s this guy and this girl and a sword and a wizard – GO!!!!” Terry Goodkind should be embarrased to be associated with this utter disgrace of a show. Do us all a favor….just cut your losses Raimi and stop this crap and try again. Your fans are begging you. Kill it before it kills both of you.
Goodkind has every right to put his ideals in his books. He has millions of fans, so he must be doing something right. I am not going to debate which series is better, because that is a matter of personal opinion. I will however say that calling him putting his ideals into his own story a “failing” is pretentious in the extreme. He has a dozen very popular books in his portfolio. Tell us how many you have written Wally. I await that reply with baited breath.
you missing the point LordRahl, the failing is not in putting his ideals in every writer does that. the failing is in him taking a kind of preaching attitude to his readers.
And as a reader I have every right to critism a writer without having writen anything myself.
I base my critism on comparisons to other writers, which is scientifical a sound principle.
They’re HIS books. How is that a failing? He can write whatever he wants, you are not obligated to read it. You would not be surprised if you were attacked by a bear in the woods. Why then are you surprised when a man with obviously strong opinions makes said opinions a central part of his stories? It is in his nature.
You still misunderstand the failing is in him lecturing about them good writers put there ideas in there story’s and don’t feel the need to explain them in detail.
It seems Goodkind is afraid someone miss the mesage so preaches about his opinions from time to time.
I did manage to finish the series at the end it felt more like work them pleasure.
I also have some objections against othere writers for example Jordan who feels he has to add a few new plot lines at every book.
Tolkien managed to write a magic story from start to end I still miss that by both writers.
The closest so far I know off is David Eddings who also magaged to create a world and a finished Story 3 times 2 times very good last time bit weak.
What I have most against both tries is that constructive planning is ignored in favor off spur of the moment actions. Lots a small 5/6 overall LOTS so far a low 2/3 if you set the books on 10.
I’m so upset with this show. The stroy has been twisted substantially. The Barrier being breached? The book of counted shadows being burnt? Richard not spending his child hood rememberising the book? WHAT!
I give up!
Did any1 notice that they use slow-motion way to much?
I did…
The show sucks terry goodkind should be stoned for giving over the rights to make this tv show. It does not follow the bucks the fightings seens suck and the actors are terrible and are not any thing like the book describes them I would rather see the series made into a movie plus the book catered to adults the tv show is for kids, but I don’t know any kids that would watch this sucky show
So far, I’ve only seen negative feedback on the web. Except for the official site of course. It really should be canceled. I only watched part of the first episode, but I decided then that I would rather watch baby seals being clubbed to death than watch one more second of that refuse. On a side note, do any of you know how to speak or type in propper english? Just curious.
I just found out about this series and did a search. It seems like a lot of fans of the books hate it. Well, I never read the books, and I am really enjoying the show. All TV shows take a while to hit their pace, and I can see this one going a long way. It isn’t LOTR, but that is not what they are going for at all. It doesn’t have a crazy huge budget. I am not expecting spectacular effects and oscar performances. Its a guilty pleasure type show, and the quality is far good enough that I can enjoy watching it, and honestly the scenery is gorgeous, the fighting well done, and the actors total eye candy. It is also an episodic show with a plots that conclude every week. This is not the way you faithfully follow a novel length story. Raime said that they added stuff and changed things around to put emphasis on the episodes and not on the background story arc. This is fine because it is a TV show and not a movie or a novel.
So, I guess if you hate it, fine, but at least try to enjoy it for what it is and don’t hate it only on the basis of what it is not.
WOW after this latest episode, The Listener, I give up. The sisters of light in a hidden valley? I want Deaths Mistress, I want the Mord Sith. Why not follow the books like a soap opera? It worked for battlestar galatica. There are to many changes, in the few episodes that the whole Legend of the seeker has had, it now resembles nothing of the origonal Books but in the names of the characters.
All of u complainers on how much the series sux or how other stories were made better in the transition need to realize that its not the book, if it was the book they would be half way through the first book by episode like 10 at least, they are taking the richard and making a wimpy character into a hero that is what catches peoples attention. on goodkinds website he says to take the book series for what it is and the tv show for what it is, if u compare u will only be angry. i like the show i read all the books and i think goodkind is a phenominal writer. if u dont think he was a good writer and thought the tv show sucked then dont post u make no difference anyways cause ur not a fan. eat dirt. ty now leave. as for fans watch the tv show and wait. they are taking a complex book series and making it a tv show, that takes a lot of work let the movie/tv ppl do their job. i saw one person that posted that said they never read the books and they liked the show. so far they make more of a difference to the success of the show than any fan of the books will. if non-book readers enjoy it for what it is then it is succeeding. so quit whinning and just watch it and let the “NEW” story lead to the next part each week. if it bugs u that much then go read the books again and dont waste other peoples time.
oh yeah and for the person that was complaining about goodkind putting “HIS” ideals into “HIS” own book series, plz dont talk anymore. its their books, besides his series is based on his ideals, not the story of a hero, that aspect is just played out really well
For the last time I don’t mind him putting his ideals in the books.
Reading is also a art it seems lost on most people here.
I mind his lecturing a very good writer put his ideals in the story and won’t feel the need to explain them in detail, but trusts in his writing style to get the message across.
And I don’t mind him stealing from other writers all writers do that.
The snake vine bite is for example a copy off the sliver loged in Frodo in LOTR.
Still his adaption is very nicely done. Tolkien stole lots from old stories as well.
The story is absolutely based on the “story of a hero”. I.E. Richard. The entire series is central to him, everyone and everything else is secondary. If you do not believe me, then you either never read the books or you read at a third grade level. With a third grader’s level of comprehension. The show took an impressive man’s origin story, and made it into a series of spagetti western style scrapes. Where are some of the best characters? Brophy, Demin Nass (excellent and easily hated bad guy), the dragon, and Denna for God’s sake. It is not a comprehensive story. It is a T.V. show, and as such every episode seems to act as a stand alone story. I can only describe this whole ordeal as, and I rarely use such language but, a giant sloppy cluster fuck.
And I’d also like to say that maybe he did not trust the average person to grasp his ideas without spelling them out in great detail. If this seems like preaching, then so be it. The average person is an idiot, thus the namesake of the first book. I totally understood his heavy handed way of relating his ideas.
For those of you that are still fuzzy, I’ll make it simple.
BOOK GOOD!
TELEVISION SHOW BAD!
That´s strange you like heavy handed and you don´t like the show, thats made so every idiot can folow it so far.
Well with some characters he cant add them yet they are not to that part in the story yet, so the dragon and denna, especially demin nass, they would be great to add to the story. demin nass should have been added already, i agree on that, and with the story about a hero, that hero is based off of his ideals, which in turn means that anything dealing with the “story of a hero” is based on the ideals that he put into the character, without the ideals the character would not be the hero that we like so much, and i dont care about stealing little things like the whole snake vine thing, who cares, he made it his own and thats what matters. i also agree with them trying to dumb down the story a lot for a lot of ppl but keep it simple stupid is sometimes the best route. and i do not read at a 3rd grade level or have the comprehension of a 3rd grader. The ideals make Richard the most important aspect so the way u just explained it, i guess the best way to look at it is that Richard=ideals so they both are number one and everything else would be secondary. but i wouldnt say that the television show is THAT bad they did only just start and havent introduced a lot of aspects, as for the ideals and the way richard is in the books, that will never be, well that we know of right now cause for all we know, come week 12 the story could be set straight and it could turn into the story we want.
I know I’m probably just repeating what everyone has said over and over on here already, but…I haven’t even seen the show yet. I’ve read the entire series about 7 times. I absolutely adore the books, because Terry Goodkind wrote some wonderful characters that I fell in love with and almost felt like I knew (after 12 books I suppose I could say I did.) Like I said I haven’t seen the show, but I did read the episode guides. The only thing I can tell so far that is the same between the books and episodes is charater names. I don’t know if the show is bad or good, but I don’t think I really want to watch it because I have such a set picture of what it should be. I’m afraid would just be too disappointed. Maybe I’ll just wait until the season or show is over and then just buy it and watch it as a whole and then make my decision, but I don’t think I could watch it right now. Especially since I just started reading the series again and think I would be picking the whold tv show apart, and getting frustrated as hell… Oh well…those are my thoughts for now.
Everybody who has read all the books is most likely not going to fall in love with this series as the screenwriters have gone off on their own tangents with respect to the books. Even if the TV show sucks we have to be grateful that our beloved books and characters are finally getting some screen time. I have been a fantasy reader since the 80′s and can count on one hand the number of books I love that have been adapted to TV/Movies. Nobody has ever done anything like what Jackson did the The Lord of the Rings and if you thought the a TV adaptation of an epic novel would come close you have been smoking your meals. Let us just rejoice that one our stories has been put to the test even if it is some of the worst TV out there right now. I will keep watching and giving all new fantasy a chance for the future.
I am disappointed with the tv show, though some things need to be put into perspective. While the books have plenty of action, and a carefully developed plot, these are spread out over a number of lengthy volumes. Each book’s plot is generally resolved at the end of 800 or so pages. If you did that with the tv show, you would have the resolution only after 5,6,7 episodes. Unfortunately, mass media demands the solution after 44 minutes.
This demand means that tv shows/movies made from complex books will be simplified and altered to fit the format. Having said this, I believe there is plenty in the books that could be used without making up stuff that is irrelevant. (same w/LOTR, but that’s another blog)
In addition, much of the material in the books is just too violent and disturbing for basic cable tv stations. HBO or someone else would have been a better bet, but I guess they weren’t interested.
But maybe more books, novels and series, will be used to make tv shows, instead of whatever crap they pass off as entertainment. The trick is making these into real entertainment, not more crap.
Way to go Drizzt, we must have been psychically linked!
I wish that HBO would have done the series instead of some stupid local cable channel. I bet most of the bitching we have been doing wouldnt be here cause they can do way more with HBO. I do admit that i will be really bummed when they introduce the mord sith who will prolly be as whimpy as the main character is right now. Oh well.
Montella, you are right about the books being too violent to TV. Hell just some of the religious implications would shut some shows down quick. Some people still think Harry Potter is the Devil!! Most epic stories would not work for TV but some would be wonderful to see. Think of the single books and simpler stories out there and we have a whole library of books to use for future projects.
I agree, like you I’m glad there is a renewed interest in fantasy; Fantasy sells! (unfortunately). I think it would have been better to take a shorter series, since it works better for tv format, and has the potential to be fully developed. Eddings comes to mind (someone tossed that series into the mix above), maybe either series by Tad Williams. Unfortunately, scifi/fantasy movies/tv tends to be very good or very bad.
good Fantasy in general should push the envelope, and expose different perspectives on life, the universe, and everything. While some people disagree with goodkind’s “objectivism,” he does a good job in carrying the theme throughout the books, and he makes it work. This tv show isn’t doing much here, but then again it’s going out to a huge audience. Goodkind’s books, while popular and acclaimed, will not have the same scope. First of all, readers are in a different category. How many people actually read? Right; therefore, people who don’t read, even for pleasure, have even more limited imaginations and cognitive skills than those who do, which we know is a very limited portion of the population. So the show has to be dumbed down, at the expense of the reader.
I still am disappointed of course, but considering how little respect the general american public has for reading, this interpretation of the series is expected. I would have been very surprised had it stuck to the plot, character development, and so forth. The scenery is great, isn’t that the scene in the two towers…
I don’t understand why they went to the trouble of getting the rights from Goodkind to say the show is based on his book. It is only similar in the loosest of ways. Why does anyone ever bother to make an “adaptation” from one medium to another when the end result is so very dissimilar to the originating idea. Most movie/T.V. adaptations are nothing like their parent medium. If you wanna make your own story that may happen to be loosely based on something someone else has done, then go for it. I’ll watch that all day long. But if you want to make a story that you claim is based on someone else’s work, make sure it is pretty close. If it is an already established work, people are going to expect it to be very similar to it’s parent idea.
If Lord of the Rings had come out, and Frodo had been killed 20 min. into the first movie and Sam had destroyed the ring, Gollum was not even present, Gandalf had not come back from the dead, and there were no ring wraiths, then it would have sold 10,000 tickets instead of several hundred million. No one would have cared about it being a good independent story. Or at least very few. It’s success was in it’s similarity to it’s parent story. It’s either very similar, and you can call it an adaptation of another medium, or it’s almost nothing like any other story, and you call it an original idea with a few similar traits to another story. End of story, you can not have it both ways.
A tv series can be imagined as a game of dungeons and dragons. You have infinite possibilities of playing out roles and story lines. This series develops one particular way in which these probabilities unfolded. The game, characters, and events mutate as the game advances. Outcomes based on outcomes. That’s what gives the writers’ this “creative license” with the work of an author.
Suffered the Listener, seems black mail is an acceptable in the series makers eyes.
How you get information more important then what you do with it or the ones you give it 2.
A false beard a good disguise even when you tell them you a Wizard of the first order.
The Sisters of Light live in a hidden valley apart from Evil (except there own of course).
A wizard of the first order makes a obvious line of flowers to folow for the Seeker he probally to stupid to track
Kahlan had a bad dad, stupidity is catching it seems all in contact with Richard act like it
Lord Rahl You suck don’t ever comment on my grammer! Like you never made a type-O. You suck your name should be Lord Suck. lol
I hate to say but this last episode didn’t suck as much it actually was watchable.
This one was more tolerable than the others. I liked the wizard sword fight. It was a nice way to work in Kahlan’s turning powers. Also, a bizarre setup for: instead of deciding if something is “good or bad,” it becomes “complex.” Sounds like a historiography lecture.
The first one and this one are probably the episodes so far. Next week’s glimpse seems promising. Finally getting onto some of the story. In bizarre ways, of course.
Anyone miss the Mud People? Have to say that I do. I’m still watching this series and I’ve had to chalk it up to “it’s a different story with the same characters – sort of”. Since the beginning is so completely screwed up from the way we know the series does in fact end, there really isn’t a lot of hope. I’m still trying to figure out what Goodkind was thinking. Thanks man – could’ve had an excellent series. Incredible writer – crappy decisions.
I definitely miss the mud people. Why go mucking about with irrelevant story lines when there is a perfectly good one in the book? Who writes these episodes? While these stories have to fit into tight time restraints and tv plot developments, it is no excuse to be mediocre. Dr. Who episodes are generally interesting, and have few holes in them. Maybe should have got some british writers instead. There’s not much to hope for when Xena writers are running the show.
Well watched episode 6 and looks the series is improving.
, cheap moral messages and flat story line. and they borow heavy from book 2 in this episode.
It’s now on a A-team Knight rider lvl.
Lot of fighting no blood its almost like watching show wrestling
All in all not to bad to watch hope they can keep improving.
Well shoot me down in flames for the next few remarks but I have to stick to my honest opinion. I have read the books and loved the story as it unfolded and was so looking forward to this series. I was really happy that finally a sci-fi series that I like is going to hit the headlines.
Unfortunately I now feel let down. Greatly. The story is confusing me as so many things have changed and have not stuck to the book. The casting is awful it really is. Maybe I can let them off with Kahlan but Richard/Chase/Darken Rahl?? Come on. Darken Rahl is supposed to be one of the most stunning men around and look what they’ve cast as him. An Average Joe. Richard is meant to have a grey eyed raptor like stare and not a brown doe eyed pretty boy look. I know people will probably jump down my throat for this but you get an idea of characters in your head and how the author wants the reader to visualise them. The scriptwriter and director have hardly stuck to this. And I also realise they expect the characters to grow as the story unfolds like they do in the book but come one, getting some of the basics right first is only the right thing to do. It’s fairly insulting to the legion of readers that Goodkind has who know the story and the characters. It’s like saying “oh well they won’t notice”.
Is it me or did anyone else keep expecting Zena and Hercules to burst out of the bushes on occasion? I would have like to have seen better casting and also maybe a grittier type of filming rather than cheesy filming like in Zena.
And to those that say yeah man you suck, don’t watch it etc. Last time i checked freedom of speech was still allowed around here. Each to their own and all that.
I think you already know that you are a Dork! Lighten up. I’ve read the books too and since the author himself is involved with the series, I’m willing to have a little faith in the integrity of the show. Not all self-proclaimed sci-fi geeks are guys. Personally, I think the casting for Richard/Chase/Darken Rahl was pretty spot on. It’s not all the looks (although Craig Horner is spectacular eye-candy), it’s the essence of the person. BTW Bridget Regan has blue eyes, not green, if you want to be that picky. Tell me when you’ve ever witnessed a true translation of novel to screen? I love the books and I’ll keep watching the series – for various reasons.