• When doing an interview promoting Spartacus: Blood and Sand in the UK, Lucy Lawless dropped two pieces of information that shocked me. The first was that her children have no interest in her work: “I may as well work in a bank.” The second was that a man once asked her to sign his axe. She says, “ Was a bit creeped out by that,” but she doesn’t say she didn’t sign it.

• The Catherine Hardwicke-directed, Amanda Seyfried-starring Red Riding Hood movie has just added Saul frakkin’ Tigh to the cast. Michael Hogan is joining the picture as a character known as The Reeve.

• St. Paul University in Ottawa is making waves by offering a course on ethics in The Lord of the Rings. It was inspired by books like The Simpsons and Philosophy (The D’oh! of Homer); The Matrix and Philosophy (Welcome to the Desert of the Real); and The Sopranos and Philosophy (I Kill Therefore I Am), but I’m betting those didn’t cost some kid’s parents $735.

• Only days apart, I stumbled across two lesbian-interest blogs publishing stories of interest. First was the Top 10(ish) Actresses(ish) You Didn’t Know You Need To Know. This brings the ladies of Legend of the Seeker at the top of a genre-heavy list. The very next day came The Top Women of Sci-Fi TV, which definitely leans to science fiction with characters like Seven of Nine, but also includes Cara Mason (Tabrett Bethell) of Legend of the Seeker.

• The world’s shortest teaser-trailer premiered for Smurfs; it has 3 seconds of Smurfs for 53 seconds of trailer, but at least you get to see the little blue guys in Times Square. USAToday also says that Gargamel isn’t out to eat them anymore, just use them to make his magic more powerful.

• HBO has signed Brian Kirk to direct two episodes of Game of Thrones. He’s previously knocked out episodes of Dexter and Brotherhood, but I don’t see a lot of genre work. The bonus is that he’s from Northern Ireland, where they intend to film.

• In other news for Game of Thrones, sci-fi geek goddess Jane Espenson has been tapped to write an episode of the fantasy series.

• And one of the more unusual casting calls I’ve seen has gone out for Game of Thrones requesting amputees in Northern Ireland for the series. They’re also seeking hairy, bearded men, and women with dark hair.

• This featurette from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice explores the legacy of creating a live-action version of the mops and buckets scene from Fantasia, one of the most iconic pieces of film of all time.

• Ther new DLC for Dragon Age: Origins will have you exploring the backstory of a non-playing character. Dragon Age Leliana’s Song will show how the bard got to Ferelden.

• If you had given up on Narnia.com during the long silence between films, it’s time to check it out, because it has been updated in advance of Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

• Buried deep in an interview about Tilda Swinton’s new film I Am Love, she expresses shock that the trailer for Voyage of the Dawn Treader revealed she was in the film. She also swears that she spent less time filming the scene than the interview took, which was only 23 minutes.

• The new international trailer for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World has a “Pee gauge.” Hmmmmm.

• E3 has been going on all week, and there’s been a ton of game news, but we knew most of it already. The detailed specification sheet for Lord of the Rings: Aragon’s Quest looks like it has some new information though.

• And as long as we’re talking about Lord of the Rings, I just have to share this picture, which made me do a spit-take on my laptop. Yes, I’m twelve on the inside.

• And I was unaware that Snoop Dog was a huge fan of True Blood in general, and of Sookie Stackhouse in particular. But HBO has released his Oh Sookie.

What an exciting ride this was!

Last week, we posted an article asking you, our beloved readers, to tell us which recent female fantasy character was the sexiest in your eyes.

Well, you certainly responded in droves — more than 4000 of you voted (and more than 140 of you commented!). Turns out everyone has an opinion on this issue!

And so, without an further suspense, we here at the offices of TheTorchOnline.com give you the winner of the Sexiest Woman of Fantasy 2010 Contest!!

Here she is …

The Dowager Duchess of Thrice

The Dowager Duchess of Thrice made waves throughout the world of fantasy when she appeared in just one episode of Legend of the Seeker, entitled “Princess.” A combination of soft, feminine noblewoman and coy, fan-waving sex kitten, she made all of our geeky hearts leap into our throats, and sent shockwaves throughout the Midlands.

And so we crown her the Sexiest Woman of Fantasy, 2010.

Oh, I’m just kidding. The actual winner is …

Kahlan Amnell

Since the very first episode of Legend of the Seeker, we were all given a special treat, and that treat was named Kahlan. Brought to life by the luminous actress Bridget Regan, Kahlan was a multi-faceted woman, one who shined with beauty and virtue, and yet was a brutal warrior from a similar mold to her predecessor, Xena.

Yet unlike Xena, Kahlan strode about not in armor but a beautiful, feminine white dress, and her most effective power in battle — “confessing” — essentially caused her opponent to fall helplessly in love with her. Of course, over time, we witnessed Kahlan becoming more and more a hardened warrior, even adopting a more aggressive leather costume, which I affectionately refer to as her “Star Trek hooker outfit.”

Throughout two seasons of adversity, Kahlan triumphed over baddies and her own hormones alike, as she couldn’t consummate her relationship with her true love, Richard, lest she inadvertently confess him. But with the final episode, we learn the purity of their love overcame her powers, and they can now be free to express their love however they see fit.

And what’s sexier than that?

But for those of you who have been following the poll, it should be noted Kahlan just eked out a win (literally one percent more votes) over the runner-up, who, interestingly enough, shared the stage with her for a whole season, and just her name invokes images of sexuality. (And leads me to believe we had a lot of Legend of the Seeker fans voting.)

Cara

From her first appearance in last year’s season finale, Cara, as played by the gorgeous Tabrett Bethell, was a force to be reckoned with. Seemingly taking inspiration from Catwoman, Star Trek’s Seven of Nine, and X-Men’s Mystique, Cara put her sexuality out there, while at the same time showed her true colors as a decent,  loving human being behind all the eye-rolling and sneering.

Other high-rankers in our poll include two characters from Spartacus: Blood and Sand — Lucy Lawless’ Lucretia (at 17%) and Katrina Law’s Mira (at 9%) — and an animated character, Dragon Age: Origins’ Morrigan (voice of Claudia Black), at 4%.

So there you have it, Torchlings. The results of the Sexiest Woman of Fantasy 2009-2010.

Be sure to come back later this week and vote for the sexiest male character!

Summer’s a great time, isn’t it? Gone are the long overcoats, the big fuzzy sweaters, and the scarves.

That’s right, people. It’s sexy time again.

Last year, we began what is now officially our annual tradition of the sexiest characters of fantasy. This year, we’re doin’ ya one better — we’re going to let YOU, our readers, decide for yourselves.

The guidelines are simple. One, we are judging characters for their sex appeal, not actors, so even if you happen to find Cate Blanchett the sexiest lady around, I think we can all agree that her turn as Galadriel didn’t exactly turn up the heat.

Two, we are specifically dealing with fantasy characters and not sci-fi, which means that Trinity, Aeon Flux, etc. are out of the running. Superheroes are okay, but we’re mostly going for high fantasy or urban fantasy, a la Legend of the Seeker, True Blood, and the like.

Three, we’re looking for recent entries into the world of fantasy. Basically, the character has to have appeared in an entertainment project released from 2009 to 2010.

And now that the rules are out of the way, here are our nominees. You can vote below!

Lucretia

Though Lucy Lawless will always be remembered for playing Xena, she still brings the sexy (and then some!) almost ten years later as the wickedly seductive Lucretia on Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

Naevia

Speaking of Lucretia, most Spartacus fans first got a glimpse of the surprisingly plucky slave girl, Naevia, when she was essentially being used as a human sex toy to get her domina, Lucretia, going so she could have sex with her husband and not have to bother with all that pesky foreplay stuff. But who would have thought that she would  blossom into a strong-willed character of her own who catches not only the eye but the heart and soul of the toughest gladiator in the ludus, Crixus?

Mira

The last Spartacus entry on the list is another humble-at-first-then-proves-to-be-resourceful slave girl. Mira, who only appeared in about the last third of the season, managed to arouse the man himself, Spartacus, and almost make him forget his late wife. Now that’s a woman.

Kate Austin

Over the past few years, Lost became such a ridiculously complex torrent of red herrings (by which I mean, of course, that the writers had absolutely no idea what they were doing) that it almost made one forget how, in 2004, an unknown actress named Evangeline Lilly created the character of Kate who was tough, capable, and looked damn good in a tank top and baggy jeans. Though the show may have ended on a whimper, no one can deny that for six years, Kate looked damn sexy running around that island.

Jennifer

There’s classy sexy, and then there’s slutty sexy. Hey, I’m not judging. To each his own. Though she was more Mortal Kombat’s Baraka than prom queen, the titular heroine/villainess of Jennifer’s Body was certainly not lacking in the sexuality department … even if she was eating boys (literally).

Persephone

A few months back, I reviewed Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and I won’t split hairs — I did not like it. But near the end, just as I was about to nod off, was woken up a big jolt of sexy in the form of Rosario Dawson’s luscious death goddess, Persephone. If that’s what awaits us in the Underworld, kill me now.

Io

Clash of the Titans may have been a gods-awful flick, but at least it did take a few seconds away from the constant boss-fight-after-boss-fight to allow us to soak in the sexiness that was Gemma Arterton’s enigmatic Io. (Gemma Arterton fans? Careful you don’t split your votes by voting for Arterton’s Princess Tamina in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time!)

Neytiri

Go ahead. I dare you to tell me you didn’t feel a little stirring of something for some of the Na’vi when watching Avatar. No need to feel pervy for wanting to mack on blue monkey-cat people: their bodies were clearly designed to be lithe, sexy, and pleasurable to behold. And few were more behold-able than Neytiri, as performed by the delicious Zoe Saldana. (And lest you protest that Avatar was sci-fi, Pandora itself was clearly a fantasy setting, with its blue inhabitants, floating mountains, and soul transferring.)

Morrigan

What’s that, you say? Morrigan isn’t “real,” but is, instead, a character in the video game Dragon Age: Origin? Clearly, you have yet to play Dragon Age: Origin! When it comes to sexy sorceresses, we prefer ours with a “bad girl” vibe and more than a touch of ‘tude — which is Morrigan all the way. Plus, we have it on good authority that things get, uh, interesting if you “gift” her enough necklaces, amulets, and broaches!

Kahlan

Cara

Legend of the Seeker may have been unjustly canceled, but its characters will live on in our memories and imaginations forever. And while the plots and dialogue were fantastic, it certainly didn’t hurt that its two main female leads were so breathtaking to gaze upon. And so we give you the gorgeous Kahlan and Cara.

So there are our nominees. We also have a “none of the above” option for any glaring omissions, but be sure to add the name in our “comments,” below!

THE POLL IS NOW CLOSED! SEE THE RESULTS HERE

Tune in soon for the men!

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter

Five Torches (Out of Five)

Warning: The following review contains spoilers for the “Tears” episode of Legend of the Seeker.

I can’t remember the quote exactly, but at one point during The Lord of the Rings, when hope seems lost and a victory in battle seems all but impossible, stoic King Theoden says something like, “If this truly is the end, let it be such an end.”

That pretty much sums up the season — and yes, probably series — finale of Legend of the Seeker.

That the show will probably not return for a third season is a tragedy, but after having viewed the season finale, shot before the powers that be had knowledge of this fact, I can gladly say that the episode “Tears” serves as a fitting and extremely satisfying series finale.

In a way, the episode serves as a microcosm of the entire series: they proudly display the incredible combat choreography that sets the show miles above most other action shows on television, a great deal of magic is used that never feels like a plot cheat, and while “Tears” incorporates a sizable handful of secondary and tertiary recurring characters, it never skimps on character moments for our four heroic leads, namely Zedd, Cara, Richard, and Kahlan.

Speaking purely as a fan and not a critic, one thing I’ve always appreciated about Legend of the Seeker is that while an abundance of magic is used as plot fodder, the writers always define exactly what the magical properties are, and exactly what a person, spell, or object can and cannot do. Therefore, with the crazy magical battles that occur in “Tears,” everything follows logic and no rules are broken.

Everything that happened with Nicci confessing Kahlan worked because of the rules they so carefully set up. That Zedd’s magic is useless against Mord-Sith is well established, and so the Mord-Sith were a true threat. The episode-opening spell on Dahlia worked given what we learned last week, and the Richard-saving Breath of Life that capped everything off resonated not only for its emotional payoff but because it made sense.

It’s easy to cheat as a writer when you’re working with magic, but the writers of Seeker never did, and I applaud them for it.

The plot of “Tears” is so complex I won’t even try to recap it for you, but suffice it to say that while betrayals and fireballs are flying fast and furious, the core of the show — our four heroes — keep the pace moving, even when Kahlan is under Nicci’s thrall. (And might I say, that was one of the several shocking moments of the episode. Who would have thought Kahlan, the Confessor, could ever be confessed?)

While we begin in the alternate reality that dominated the previous episode, much of the story takes place in the real world, as is befitting a series conclusion, and getting back the good Cara we’ve come to love was a moment of pure joy. Much of Seeker’s underlying arc is the love story of Richard and Kahlan, and for those shippers out there, this was the episode to put all your desires to rest.

I won’t lie — I was terrified the show would end on a cliffhanger, with a confessed Kahlan having killed Richard and the Keeper in possession of the Stone of Tears. Fortunately, such was not the case.

But I’ll tell you what I really loved. I loved that, in spite of the twist-heavy plot that had built by show’s end, they let the camera linger on Kahlan weeping over Richard’s dead body.

That was a moment that needed weight, and that’s what they gave us. With bodies littering the ground and a demonic adversary holding the key to their salvation, it’s Richard’s death and that alone that Kahlan can focus on. Because the writers had the confidence in their story to stay in that moment, we felt that sorrow with Kahlan.

In a way, they couldn’t have made a better series finale if they tried. It would seem somehow dishonest if the episode implied they would never have to face an enemy again, and the tiny scene with Darken Rahl resurrecting Nicci hinted at problems to come.

But that wasn’t the conclusion of the episode. The true ending was the revelation that the love shared between Kahlan and Richard was stronger than any dark magic they might ever face, and we end the show the way all good stories should end.

With a kiss.

Five Torches (Out of Five)

Warning: The following review contains spoilers for the “Unbroken” episode of Legend of the Seeker.

You know what’s been missing in a high fantasy show like Legend of the Seeker? Alternate realities.

In the first part of Seeker’s season finale — and, most probably, series finale — we learn that Cara’s turn to the dark side wasn’t through your standard Mord’Sith brainwashing, but rather a heavy bit of black magic. Zedd works some serious mojo to undo the badness done to her, only to wind up in an alternate dimension where the events of last year’s season finale were altered slightly, in that Cara was not involved.

What ended up happening was the original plan succeeded, and Richard totally owned Darken Rahl using the powers of the Box of Orden. This brought about an era of piece in D’Hara in which Richard rules as a just Lord Rahl and married Kahlan. Yay! Happy ending! He even controls Darken Rahl and the Mord’Sith. Not bad, Mr. Cypher.

But of course that’s not to be. It turns out that the world really isn’t that much better off, because the Keeper, you see, exists outside space and time, and so is aware that the world has been changed.

I’m not sure if this is a plot cheat or not, because I’ve always been a little confused as to the extent of the Keeper’s power. But you know what? I’ll buy it, because the show hasn’t let me down yet.

The Keeper advises the Sisters of the Dark to murder Richard’s sister and use her blood to make them immune to the magic protecting the palace. They do, and remove the Box of Orden, stealing Richard’s power, and so he becomes helpless to Rahl’s rule.

Meanwhile, Zedd and Kahlan discover that the Cara in this reality is a kind, unassuming mother of two, who gets caught up in a brief, sweet love affair with none other than Leo, the one-time Seeker. But they decide the best thing to do is to try and reverse the spell, and so tie up this docile Cara against her will and begin the spell again. Unfortunately, the Mord’Sith tracked them there and kill Cara before the spell can be completed.

I’m seriously getting tired of seeing the gorgeous Tabrett Brethell get killed on screen.

This episode seems a fitting counterpart to last year’s season finale, which featured an alternate future in which Kahlan maried Darken Rahl. I like that the show can bend its formula for its season finales, shaking things up and putting the characters n new situations. Sure, it doesn’t have the heavy, intellectual gravitas of episodes like “Torn” and “Hunger,” but it does shed more light on its awesome mythology.

Even though we all know it wasn’t meant to last, it was so gratifying as a long-term fan to see that one moment of bed-oriented joy with Richard and Kahlan, especially when she tells him she’s pregnant. Even though it had only been days since they had consummated their relationship, Kahlan looks at him with a maternal glow, saying that a Confessor just knows. It was a beautiful moment, and it made my heart ache to think we may not see these two on screen together anymore.

All in all, this ep was a fantastic set-up for next week’s season finale. Cue the violins. This is one of my favorite shows on television right now, mostly because it’s so unique. If you have any more oopmh left, Save Our Seeker campaign, do it up. We here at the Torch have your back.

We’re all holding our breath for next week. This week was mostly set-up, which means that next week is going to be insane. I can’t wait.

Five Torches (Out of Five)

Warning: The following review contains spoilers for the “Eternity” episode of Legend of the Seeker.

Every episode makes my heart ache a little bit more for Legend of the Seeker. Imagine if Xena had been canceled just as it really hit its prime. Or Buffy. Think of the great episodes we would have been robbed of. That’s exactly what’s happening with Seeker, and with episodes the quality of “Eternity,” it’s a damn shame.

The addition of Cara to the main cast this year was a brilliant stroke, and Tabrett Brethell is a stunning actress to watch. I’ve become so fond of her that this episode was devastating, but the very thing that made it such a bitter pill to swallow is the same thing that made it amazing.

Cara’s evil again.

Probably. Possibly. Well, it certainly looks that way, but it’s possible there’s some deception going on.

This episode earned its five torches for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it really went there in terms of making its characters suffer. Seeing Cara being tortured at the hands of Darken Rahl was agonizing, but it was so rewarding to see what a bad-ass she was for the most part — how strong she was, and how resistant to cracking under torment.

(And is it pervy to mention how sick her abs were? That is a lady who knows her way around a sit-up.)

Sure, the plot once again featured a scenario where it was absolutely essential that the main four split up (amazing how often that happens), but all is forgiven for the situations that provided. Richard and Kahlan head off to find the Stone of Tears, which has proven to be the most elusive rock in the history of the universe, while Zedd and Cara head off with Cara’s friend and fellow Mord-Sith, Dalia, to protect the son that none of us knew Cara had, who just happens to also be the son of Darken Rahl.

Wow, so that’s a lot of new information. Fear not, though — the son was a red herring, and was actually killed at birth. But before we learn this, we see that Cara and Dalia are way, way more than friends. While miles away, Richard and Kahlan are controlling their hormones, Cara and Dalia show no such restraint. As the next scene picks up, Cara and Dalia are getting dressed, and it occurred to me how far we’ve come in the ten years since Xena went off the air.

Xena was a show very much about the love between two women, but the show was always coy about their relationship and never committed to their love being romantic and sexual. As Cara helped strap Dalia into her leathers after a night of lovemaking, it was cool to see that progress has clearly been made.

Another landmark of this episode is that the Stone of Tears actually gets found, but there’s a devastating last-minute revelation that Darken’s torturing of Cara actually worked and turned her back into an evil minion, and she steals the Stone and returns it to Rahl.

They could not have set up the finale any better than this, with the enemy possessing not only their magical object but also one of their own whom they trusted with their lives.

I don’t want to see this show go, but if this truly is the end, it looks as though it will be a fitting, exciting finale.

Four and a half Torches (Out of Five)

Warning: The following review contains spoilers for the Extinction episode of Legend of the Seeker.

It’s a strange thing to review Legend of the Seeker now, a show that I’ve grown to love over the past two years, given what we all learned last week. Even if they aired one of their great comedy episodes, there would be an overlying sense of sorrow, as we know that each minute that ticks by is one less that we’ll have to spend with our heroes.

But the latest episode, “Extinction,” wasn’t a comedy episode. Rather, it was an ep with an exceeding amount of action and adventure, as well as some fantastic character moments, particularly for Darken Rahl and Cara.

Oh, what a fantastic villain is Craig Parker’s Darken Rahl. He was, of course, the big bad of Season One, and in this season has mostly been relegated to featured cameos. But as events hurtle towards the finale and the discovery of the Stone of Tears, Darken Rahl has been restored to life (in a different body … that looks exactly the same) and we’re all the better for it.

Last week, we learned that the Night Wisps, Kahlan’s Tinkerbell-esque buddies, are needed to decipher the instructions for how to use the Stone of Tears. But Darken Rahl also knows this, and sends his D’haran officers to burn down their forest home. This leads to a fantastic fight scene showcasing the rarely seen, utterly brutal side of Kahlan. We’ve seen her kick all sorts of ass over the series, but watching her rip the D’harans apart was something else.

Darken Rahl has saved one Wisp, however, which he uses as a bargaining tool — he wants to join their band and be the one to save the world. And here is one more example of the quality writing on Seeker: their main villain is coercing himself into their company … so he can save the world. But he is only doing that, we learn, to secure his place in Heaven.

Wait, what?

Celestial aspirations aside, this is a great twist on the old mustache-twirling villain who always acts in his own best interest, because the side effect is to everyone’s benefit. So do we want him to fail? Kinda. It’s complicated.

But the big example of the quality writing occurs late in the episode in a quiet moment between Darken and Richard, when it seems that Darken is once again at death’s door. He tells Richard that before Richard killed him, he killed himself years earlier, and made a deal with the Keeper: if he was allowed to live again, he would kill at least one person each day.

Darken Rahl was the world’s first Baneling.

That’s great writing, because not only does it bridge the first season with the second, it also makes you want to rewatch Season One armed with this knowledge. Bravo, Seeker writers.

The other great moment is also a quiet one between Cara and the one surviving Wisp, who gets her to admit that she loves Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd. Cara’s been such a great character this season, and when I think about how she started the season off, this moment had such emotional payoff. So much so that you can overlook the fact that it was really just Tabrett Bethell talking to her hand for three minutes.

I’m going to miss this show so much when it’s over. It’s the only true high fantasy show that I’m aware of on television right now, and its loss will leave a gaping hole. I know there’s a fan campaign that’s attempting to reverse this decision, and while I obviously hope it’s successful, the outlook is grim.

But on the bright side, we still have a small handful of new episodes left, and I, for one, am going to revel in them.

The search for the Stone of Tears may lead to actual weeping.

This has not been a good couple of years for fans of sci-fi and fantasy. Sadly, The Legend of the Seeker now joins Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Dollhouse in the ranks of shows that reached their second seasons only to be unjustly canceled just as they really started to work their mojo.

I’ll admit it — when I first saw ads for Seeker, I didn’t think I would like it that much. It looked so old school, with its Xena-esque costumes and firmly un-ironic dialogue. The Sword of Truth? A Wizard of the First Order? Surely the show wouldn’t be any good.

Man, did I eat my words after seeing the very first episode.

From the get go, Seeker knew exactly what it was doing at every turn, crafting excellent high fantasy plots with kick-ass action and small but delightful sprinklings of humor. The main cast — Craig Horner, Bridget Regan, Bruce Spence, and the superbly villainous Craig Parker — were top notch, and with the addition in the second season of the sublime Tabrett Bethell, the show hit a truly awesome streak.

One of the characteristics that made it stand out was its incredible fight choreography and cinematography. Rarely do combat scenes ever look this beautiful and brutal on the small screen, but Seeker brought cinema-worthy fights, from one-on-one duels to large-scale melees, with every single episode.

Legend of the Seeker has been a mainstay for us here at TheTorchOnline.com. Over the past two years we’ve reviewed most of the episodes, as well as conducted interviews with the producers and stars, including Craig Horner, Bridget Regan, and Tabrett Bethell, all of whom were gracious and charming. (And I learned, to my eternal delight, that Bridget Regan reads our reviews when she quoted something I had written about her costume!)

Last year, Horner’s Richard Cypher even made our list of the Top 7 Sexiest Men of Fantasy (and don’t be surprised to see more of the cast making the lists again this summer!) and the aforementioned fight scenes made our list of Best Magical Fights.

Though the show only had a third of the life of its predecessor Xena, it has delivered two full seasons’ worth of excellent episodes, and thanks to DVDs and the internet, the show will live on.

The adventures of Richard and company will not be forgotten any time soon by its legion of fans, and you can be sure we here at TheTorchOnline.com won’t forget them either. We still have the rest of this season to review — and the next episode looks awesome, with the newly-resurrected Darken Rahl — and who knows what retrospectives, lists, or other wacky articles the folks of the Midlands may find their way into?

One thing’s for sure. There may not be a new season of Seeker next fall, but its spirit will be kept alive.

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Three Torches (Out of Five)

Warning: The following review contains spoilers of the “Bound” episode of Legend of the Seeker.

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Legend of the Seeker, which has been on such a roll as of late, was destined to eventually deliver an episode that wasn’t quite up to par with the rest, and this episode was “Bound.”

It was by no means a bad story — that sneaky Sister Nicci casts a spell that links her health with Kahlan’s, and then threatens to kill herself if Richard doesn’t take her directly to the Stone of Tears. (Why she didn’t think to do this a long time ago is anyone’s guess.)

While Richard is coerced onto this road trip, Cara, Zedd, and Kahlan work to undo the spell, which involves restoring the preternatural link between mother and child. In other words, Kahlan needs to re-bond with her mother, which will supersede the new, artificial bond with Nicci, and undo the spell. Still with us? Okay, moving on …

The problem is that Kahlan’s mother is dead. But fortunately, she travels with a wizard of the first order who is capable of temporarily raising the dead, if only they have an object the deceased treasured greatly. But all of her mother’s possessions are kept by her deadbeat father. But he’s in jail … what’s a Confessor to do?

If I have one beef with Seeker, it’s that some episodes get bogged down by overly complicated plotlines, which seem to be tangled webs for no reason — there’s no real payoff. Though well-acted by its core cast, as well as by the guest actors portraying Nicci and Kahlan’s father, I never felt engaged in this particular story because it didn’t seem to concern itself too much with what all of this means to Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, and Cara … and they are, after all, the reason we keep coming back to watch each week.

But enough negativity. There were definitely some fun parts of the show, particularly when Richard has to carefully lead Nicci through a field scattered with Dragon’s Breath mines (just go with it) all the while dodging the giant floral ninja stars (or dacras for all you fanboys) being hurled at them by a pursuing gang of Sisters of the Dark.

Also of note was the moving scene where Nicci is dying and Richard is cradling her but, in his mind, talking to Kahlan. He kisses her tenderly on her eyelid, cheek, and lips, and the effect was both slightly erotic and incredibly sad. Craig Horner has proven he’s an actor of some depth, and in interviews he’s shown his charmingly goofy sense of humor. I wish the show let him stretch a bit more, because when he does, it’s captivating.

And because there’s apparently some interest in this sort of thing, I’ll point out that the Sisters once again employed a creep-crawley spider to deliver some magical poison. Commence involuntary shivering now.

Well, even on days when it’s slightly off, Legend of the Seeker never fails to entertain. I’m looking forward to seeing more of this new Nicci, who ended the episode declaring to Darken Rahl that she’s no longer in service of the Keeper. Interesting …

Four and a Half Torches (Out of Five)

Warning: The following review contains spoilers for the “Princess” episode of Legend of the Seeker.

Sing it with me now: “The rain in the midlands stays mainly in the Valley of Perdition …”

Legend of the Seeker has had a string of great episodes, and this week it continues its winning streak with “Princess,” which at long last gives us something I didn’t even realize I was craving: a comedy episode!

The action starts immediately, as Kahlan is plucked off the ground by a pair of dragon-monster-things and taken to the castle of a wicked monarch who has made a deal with the Sisters of the Dark and the newly resurrected Nikki (in a new body … just go with it): he’ll hand over Kahlan in exchange for eternal life.

So, what’s the only way into the castle? In disguise, of course! And from an eavesdropping spell that Zedd cast, he heard that a princess and her entourage are on their way to the castle even as they speak. How does Zedd know where to find them? Magic!

If this all seems incredibly contrived to you, that’s because it is. But guess what? It’s supposed to be funny! Seeker has proven that it can bring the drama and the serious plots when it wants, but this week they kicked back and had a little fun, and invited us along for the ride.

The purpose of the ep wasn’t to create a Shakespearean tragedy, but rather come up with an excuse to turn Cara into Eliza Doolittle, to bleach Richard’s hair, and to put Zedd in drag for almost the whole show (which he seemed to really enjoy, by the way).

And it was funny, particularly the scene in which Zedd is attempting to train Cara in courtly femininity, telling her to always defer to her “masculine betters.” Her response? “There’s no such thing.”

Genius.

Also amusing was having Craig Horner, now under the persona of a blond lothario prince, strutting around the castle as women throw themselves at him. The show sometimes seems to go out of its way to ignore how freaking sexy its three young leads are, and I’m pretty sure that Craig Horner gets a similar reaction from women wherever he goes in real life, so it brought a chuckle to see it lampooned on screen.

Interesting that in such a silly episode they snuck in the very plot-centric fact that Nikki has been brought back to life, now younger and blonder. I also liked the world building in the very first scene: apparently, you can get a Mord-Sith for hire whenever you want to resurrect someone. Did you know that? I didn’t. It was similar to the discovery last week that if you’re clever enough, you can make money off of a Baneling’s plight.

Also interesting was the slight subplot involving Kahlan and the king’s wife. We learn that in this kingdom religion is used to oppress its women, so Kahlan must give her a crash course in Feminism 101 while simultaneously Richard is busying himself cracking the skulls of the Sisters of the Night. Another joke, maybe?

Finally, the adorable ending scene with Kahlan teasing her comrades about their respective costumes was almost worth the price of admission alone. They concluded the show the way every good comic episode should end — with a smile.

All photos courtesy of Disney-ABC Domestic TV

What would it be like to interview Cara, the take-no-prisoners Mord-Sith-turned-sorta-good who is currently shaking up the second season of the hit syndicated fantasy series Legend of the Seeker?

I’m sure if you asked one wrong question, she’d bite your head off. (On the other hand, what a way to go! Am I right?)

Anyway, I was understandably a tad nervous when I landed a chance to speak to Tabrett Bethell, the actress who plays Cara, by phone from New Zealand, where the show is just wrapping up the filming of its final episodes for the season.

I needn’t have worried. This Australian native, a former professional cheerleader but a relative newcomer to acting, couldn’t have been kinder or more pleasant. She is, of course, not the character she plays on television.

Or is she? As we talked, even Tabrett (which is pronounced with the accent on the first syllable) admitted there are occasional similarities: she can be very blunt, she’s very private and self-protective, and she was initially annoyed by Bridget Regan and Craig Horner’s humorous on-set antics (and was blunt enough to tell me that!).

Hmmmm. Where does Tabrett end and Cara begin? That, of course, is for you to decide:

TheTorchOnline: I know everyone must ask you this, but you have such a beautiful name that I wanted to ask you about it. Is there a story?

Tabrett Bethel: Well, I was born in Syndey, and my mother wanted to name me Siobhan, and my father wanted to name me Murray. They couldn’t agree. So my father left the hospital and went for a drive, and saw a sign that said, “Tabrett Street.” He went back to my mother, and said, “How about Tabrett?” And she said, “Yes, that’s it!”

Tabrett Street in Sydney, Australia

[Editor's Note: I looked up Tabrett Street. It's near Sydney's Barton Park and the Lance Studdert Reserve.]

For years, I was told by people that it was Welsh. But no. It’s actually also a Hebrew word that means “Celebration,” which I think is quite beautiful.

TTO: That is beautiful, but it’s a good thing that it happened to have such good connotation!

TB: [laughs] Isn’t it?

TTO: At what point once you were cast as Cara did you realize, “Okay, this is a great character.”

TB: Oh, right away. Well, no. It was obvious from the start, she’s the counter-point to the other characters. She’s totally honest, she gets to say all these funny things. That’s who Cara is.

But by episodes four and five [of this season], we really started to have fun with it, we really started playing around.

TTO: She’s the character who has the major character arc, the one who is changing the most.

TB: You hit it right there. This is all new to her. She’s constantly evolving, and that’s what’s exciting. She takes three steps forward and five steps backward. Cara has many moments of confusion that are interesting to play.

It’s a character that’s all about growth. Who can’t relate to that?

TTO: Which is the perfect lead-in to my next question! How much like Cara are you?

TB: I really bounce back and forth with this. I was having a conversation with one of the producers last week, saying, “This character is so different from me!”

But one thing this particular producer had said to me right from the beginning is, “She’s closer to you than you think.” I do find that when I connect to the truth of her, we are very similar.

Cara is incredibly honest — she speaks her mind. It’s often to her detriment, and it’s often something great. And that’s something that I can definitely relate to. I’m constantly being told that I’m way too honest. Often it gets me into lots of trouble.

She’s a very complex character, very troubled. She has so many elements that so many people can relate to. She has this shield around her heart. She’s constantly trying to protect herself, because that’s all she knows. And I think a lot of people can relate to that: don’t get too close to her, or you might get burnt — that kind of thing.

TTO: I’m not an actor, so this may be a dumb question, but has playing this character made you even more assertive or honest in real life?

TB: No, I’ve always been majorly honest. That I’ve always had.

What it has done — and I think this is part of the acting process — you get to know yourself really well as an actor, and I think playing a role like this has made me know more about myself. She’s definitely made me stronger.

TTO: Tell me something about this weekend’s episode “Princess.”

TB: “Princess” is fantastic! When I read that script, I jumped up and down twenty-five times. It’s like the ultimate.

What’s so great about this ep is that she — without giving it away — she has to play the absolute opposite of who she is. The mission is to save one of the cast, and [Cara] has to be a lady, she has to be elegant, she has to be able to dance, she has to do all these things that are completely foreign to her. She has to have grace and just be really feminine. And Cara’s used to doing everything at her best. Everything she does, whether it’s fighting, getting with men, she knows how to get the job done.

Now she’s faced with this obstacle. It’s quite funny watching a very powerful character be vulnerable. It’s quite hilarious.

And we actually see the whole cast wearing hilarious outfits.

But it’s pretty funny for Cara, because she has this mission to rescue someone, and it becomes a competition, and she plays to win. It’s really funny — clever writing. It’s a great director named Garth Maxwell — I love workshopping scenes with him. We have the same left-of-center humor!

It was a great piece of writing to get my teeth into — not just me, but all the characters. It’s excellent writing for everyone — everyone gets a golden moment.

TTO: My personal theory is that the introduction of your character has made all the other characters, and even the other actors, far more interesting. It goes back to what you said about being the contrarian.

TB: Yeah! Well, Cara’s the counter-point!

You have these three characters, Zedd, Kahlan, and Richard who all pretty much think the same way, and go on big quests. Then someone comes along and questions everything they do. She’s got a reason to question everything! And she, in turn, makes them question themselves.

It’s a hilarious kind of a merry-go-round that keeps going on. It’s always interesting to have a counter-point.

TTO: Cara has been really well-received among the fans — there’s very strong buzz around her. Are you aware of how popular she’s become?

TB: No! I’m not aware of it!

It’s kind of funny, shooting here in New Zealand. It’s a little bit of a cocoon. You get up, you go to the work, you give your best, and you go home. It’s quite insulated here. And the schedule is so heavy, and for me, the focus is on the day-to-day, filming and shooting. So that’s really great to hear.

TTO: It’s really gone over well, and I think it’s part of the reason why there’s such a good energy about the show lately. And I think one of the things people appreciate is how the show has gotten so sexy! The show seems to really be embracing that this season, with Kahlan’s new outfit and…

TB: Yeah! How hot is Kahlan’s new outfit! Yeah! The wardrobe people are so talented.

I watched a few episodes from season one. But they seem to be doing things very different [this year]. The writing seems more fun. And the support cast we’ve had is fantastic.

TTO: Talk to me about your outfit.

TB: My outfit — it’s kind of a funny one. For some reason, the air goes straight through it. It gets very windy here in Auckland, and very cold. I can’t describe how cold it is for me.

In winter, it’s very cold, but in summer, I’m saturated, I’m dripping with sweat. It gets so hot.

It’s a different kind of leather than I’ve ever found — it’s very stretchy, very movable. Yeah, it’s comfortable. It’s just at the moment, it’s very hot and humid here. Sometimes in this outfit I feel like I’m going insane.

I’m standing in the middle of a forest going, “I swear I can feel my outfit cooking! I swear I’m going insane!”

[But] in terms of comfortability, it’s great. The wardrobe department has made it as comfortable for me as possible.

TTO: A couple of people contacted me asking me to ask if you’re ever going to go on Twitter, and also if you’re willing to share your birthday, which is apparently unknown. But you don’t have to give it out if that’s too personal!

TB: [Laughs] Uh, you wanna know my age? Well, my birthday is in May, which means I’m a Taurus.

As for Twitter, well, I’m not even on Facebook. I’m such a private person, and I barely have time to check my email. If I had Twitter, I’m sure I would be hooked and not able to tear myself away.

But it is something that I’m thinking of doing! I don’t have a computer-technology bone in my body.

TTO: Well, it increases your sense of mystery, which is probably not a bad thing.

TB: [laughs] Well, I am an incredibly private person.

TTO: The last thing I wanted to ask you about, when I spoke to Bridget Regan a couple of weeks ago, she mentioned how the cast members have become good off-camera friends as well.

TB: I think it’s a little different for me, not coming in and playing the same character from the beginning. But it’s a really beautiful, all the friendships — and the crew, you know. You are family.

But especially the friendship that has developed with Bridget. It’s really beautiful, actually. She has this quality that she just makes you feel very warm. She’s actually very funny. They’ll say, “Action,” and all of a sudden, she’ll break into some dance. And I think, “What are you doing?!”

At the beginning, that used to drive me crazy. Her and Craig [would pull their jokes], and I would say, “What are you guys doing! It’s so irritating!” But now it’s completely endearing.

She’s turning out to be a really integral part of my life. She’s so professional. Craig’s lovely, Bruce is lovely. I feel really lucky to work with those guys.

Follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Special thanks to Kim, Kate, Lugdivine, Jeremiah, Jasmine, Tamara, Elisabeth, Victoria, Shirley, Joachim, Raphael, Elodie, Katy, Lola, Persia, and all those who suggested questions that I didn’t get a chance to use! (And Nini, I was too embarrassed to ask her that!)

Five Torches (Out of Five)

Warning: The following review contains spoilers for the “Hunger” episode of Legend of the Seeker.

This show is on a roll.

After last week’s brilliant double-Kahlan episode, which used a fantasy gimmick as a lens for a great character study, this episode does the same with Cara. And since Cara has such a dark past, this story understandably gets really grim.

When helping a woman who’s husband has been kidnapped, Cara is killed — yeah, actually killed, and in the first act, no less — and wakes up in the Underworld (or Naked Gooey Hell as I call it) where she immediately tells Darken Rahl she wants to come back as a Baneling. Her logic is clear and immediate: since she already kills so many evil people while protecting Richard, what’s the difference?

Cara returns to life, and she and the gang find the woman’s husband, who has been taken by a man who’s in business with the Banelings, providing them people to kill for a price. They bust up the place, and Cara is confronted by a Baneling woman who recognizes her for what she is. She keeps Cara’s secret, but tells her and the rest about a magic peddler who’s selling a potion that restores Banelings to life and frees them from the Keeper’s clutches.

It turns out the magic peddler is Sebastian (Ted Raimi), who we saw last season, and who’s assisted by Zedd’s brother Thaddicus. The cure for Baneling-itis is a substance called Shadow Water, and they’ve just about run out, so they’re selling watered down cures that only work for a few days.

The heroes arrive and discover the scheme, and Zedd is disappointed in his ne’er-do-well brother. They learn that there’s more Shadow Water to be found, but it’s three days’ journey. Cara, miserable, realizes that means she must kill at least three more people, not easy if you’re traveling in the middle of nowhere.

One night, Darken Rahl comes to her in a dream and encourages her to kill Thaddicus. She almost does, but can’t go through with it, so Thaddicus, surprisingly, grabs her hand and forces her to kill him.

They find the source of Shadow Water (but can only cure Cara before Darken Rahl destroys the rest) and she uses the Breath of Life on Thaddicus. All turns out well, and they go on their not so merry way.

Okay, so there’s your recap. Now what made this episode so stellar? In a word, metaphor.

I’ve really enjoyed Seeker so far, but last week was the first time I realized that beyond beautiful people, crazy awesome action sequences, and fun high fantasy adventure, the show was much, much smarter than it seemed. By splitting Kahlan into two people — one with just her intellect, one with just her emotions — it not only examined what makes her tick, but opened up a lot of questions about human beings in general.

Much of Cara’s arc so far has been about her regaining her humanity. This is someone who was abducted as a child, radicalized through torture and brainwashing, and turned into a lethal, remorseless killer. Though she has left the Mord-Sith, she is struggling to fit into a world that doesn’t want her, and she tries to be good when a lifetime of training so often tells her to be vicious.

Now, we all know that Mord-Sith don’t exist in real life. But the fact that people can be brainwashed to do terrible things is very real, and when these people attempt to be rehabilitated and re-integrated into society, the outcome is very often disastrous.

This episode uses the device of Cara becoming a Baneling perfectly. This fine-tunes her story, making it literally about her desperately trying to regain her humanity. No longer is it an emotional or philosophical battle — now the stakes are truly life or death.

Tabrett Bethell, the actress who plays Cara, is pitch-perfect in this role, and she really shines in this episode, even more than in the last Cara-centric episode from several months back. She makes you want good things to happen to Cara, and not feel bad about smiling when she kicks some dude’s ass.

She can also speak volumes without saying a word. I swear, if you guys tell anyone about this I’ll deny it, but I admit to getting a little choked up in the scene where she revives Thaddicus, and he tells her he sacrificed himself for her because what she does matters — she’s important, and a force for good. She didn’t respond, but the look in her eyes said it all.