Really enjoy this show. Just nice and fun. Can't wait for CC to appear, though I don't think 'feisty' is the word I'd used to describe the Mord-Sith.

Leaf | September 23, 15:57 CET

Will this involve her having any action scenes? Cuz I might just tune in.

CowboyCliche | September 23, 16:06 CET

Well, the first season the Mord-Sith were working for the big bad so they mostly just did your typical dominatrix torture. There were a few fighting scenes but not many. This year they may or may not be the big bad -- I avoid spoilers -- but they are definitely at odds with the Seeker so I would guess there's some fighting going on, whether it involves her specifically who knows. Is that a clear enough answer? ;)

cabri | September 23, 16:48 CET

Can anyone tell me if the TV show is good or not? Please, don't tell me they are like the books. I despise the books.

Egghead | September 23, 17:00 CET

I only made it halfway through the pilot. I thought it was pretty bad. I enjoyed the earlier parts of the first book.

"Feisty warrior women" is a rather glib description of Mord-Sith. Are they less awful in the tv version?

Sunfire | September 23, 17:12 CET

It's lightweight, escapist, popularized, fantasy-genre fun done by the same production company as Hercules and Xena (Sam Raimi). They take a lot of liberties with the book's plot and characters, but nothing egregious. While it's not Joss Whedon level quality, it does have decent acting, tolerable plot lines, and good production quality. And there's none of that "winking at the camera" approach that turned me off with Hercules and Xena.

What I like best is the "found family" feel of the three main characters. It doesn't really start getting enjoyable until midway through the season, so that may be too much of a wait for some.

StinkyCats | September 23, 17:21 CET

I’ve not read the books so I can't compare but on TV the Mord-Sith are pretty awful (well, if you overlook the titillating aspect), torturing and enslaving with apparently no emotion (of course, tragic backstory etc.).

As for the series itself, it took me a few episodes to get into it but once the writing settled down a bit I found it enjoyable (not at all intellectually challenging though). It's your basic good guy with destiny vs tyrant - Robin Hood-esque, especially all the running around in forests/sword fighting. Plus, doomed love (if they ever sleep together her power will cause him to lose his soul...). Has some interesting fantasy elements (the confessors and Mord-sith being two of them) which I'd guess are faithful to the books as they're definitely more interesting/original/developed than some other aspects of the series.

Also I think it has to be impossible to watch without developing a crush on Bridget Regan (Kahlan).

Leaf | September 23, 17:35 CET

They've definitely strayed from the books, they told us they would going in. They have a good mix of arc and stand-alone episodes; some great action scenes -- the visual f/x are darned good -- and some cheesy digital f/x, about what you'd expect for syndication; awesome locations; good young actors; and one of my favorite good old actors (Bruce Spence from the Mad Max film series). The magic they've shown so far is pretty interesting although I don't know how consistent it is -- I don't pay attention to that stuff unless it gets really obvious. It's not great TV, but it's the only true fantasy currently on TV (that I can think of) so it fills a void.

cabri | September 23, 18:15 CET

Well Charisma looks amazing. I've always thought she was the prettiest woman in the 'verse (her and Morena), and I swear she has a portrait in her attic.

Willowy | September 23, 20:17 CET

She totally has Leia hair. :-)

Which is fitting, I guess, since the pilot felt like a remake of Star Wars (with worse dialogue and no Han), filmed with leftover LOTR sets and costumes.

erendis | September 23, 20:30 CET

Watched a few of these and I must admit the early episodes made me worry for New Zealand - what if someone else needed some inappropriate slow-motion and these guys had used up the entire country's ration ?

There's not much to it IMO, it's a bit too earnest and it's got a tedious will they/won't they unrequited love thing going on but the acting's OK, the dialogue's only occasionally clunky and it has the Aviator from the Mad Max movies in a lead role so not all bad. Must admit, when I watch it it's usually on the level of "Bridget Regan is teh hotzor", bit of a guilty pleasure (glad Ms Carpenter's working though and as the article points out, I can't imagine her looking bad in head-to-toe skintight leather ;).

Saje | September 23, 22:23 CET

As usual, she looks amazing. Amazing.

And as for the Leia hair and slow motion rationing (erendis and Saje), I cant get the prom scene from Romy and Michele's High School Reunion out of my head. While dancing, Romy swings her Madonna pony tail around and around until she accidentally smacks someone in the face with it.

I can only assume Charisma doing the same ponytail spin in slow motion wearing skin tight leather would be one of the greatest things in the history of film. Maybe that's a slight embellishment (but only slightly).

alexreager | September 24, 06:22 CET

Willowy: She's only 39, for corn's sake. Of course with those hot lights, and I've heard partial Native Americans tend to age early, but still.

DaddyCatALSO | September 24, 06:35 CET

Yep, native Americans have two genes for entropy, something to do with the land-bridge bottleneck.

... would be one of the greatest things in the history of film. Maybe that's a slight embellishment (but only slightly).

Well, it'd at least be an appropriate use of slow-motion ;).

(there's an episode where Kahlan disguises herself as a Mord-Sith with all the leather etc. and we see her walking - yes walking - in slow motion. It was like a montage out of 'Baywatch'. Only dryer)

Saje | September 24, 07:01 CET

"Can anyone tell me if the TV show is good or not? Please, don't tell me they are like the books. I despise the books."

i love the books, and the show is nothing like it.

Unfortunately.

m0j0NL | September 24, 07:44 CET

It was like a montage out of 'Baywatch'. Only dryer

Although there are wet ones too. I think the shamelessness of these scenes is hilarious, and at least it's equal opportunity with Richard.

As long as you just take it for what it is, it's fun, enjoyable fantasy television. The pilot is definitely derivative of Star Wars, but it gets better (IMO anyway). Every time we have one of these threads, the opinions vary widely, so really you just gotta try it out and see for yourself. I'm looking forward to seeing Charisma anyway. I love that she said Craig Horner geeked out over meeting her.

hacksaway | September 24, 08:38 CET

Yeah, absolutely true, Richard seems to spend a lot of time Seeking his shirt. And how he fits in the bazillion crunches a day he must need to stay in that shape I do not know. It's pretty even-handed in the skin department.

(and also yep, the shamelessness is pretty funny, I just think i'd appreciate it more if I thought the show was laughing along with me. Seems a bit too earnest for that though and i'm kinda with Jack O'Neill on that one - I don't trust people or TV shows that don't have a sense of humour ;)

That said, it's harmless enough, the leads are likable and nobody's phoning it in, they're all trying to make the best show they can so it's hard to be too mean about it.

Saje | September 24, 12:28 CET

I have never seen an episode of Legend of the Seeker, but wow!! I love that photo of Charisma!

Little Green Kid | September 24, 12:34 CET

More Charisma, damnit! :)

iwantthefireback64 | September 24, 13:05 CET

The mord-siths are trying to "sex him up"? Weird way of expressing it, but since I've only read the books where Richard gets repeatedly raped, I don't know if that's the way to express it.

Kinda makes it sound as if between the torture sessions they take him out to dinner and buy him flowers.

Skytteflickan88 | September 24, 13:26 CET