Bad news for fans of Legend of the Seeker, the TV adaptation of Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth novels. Reports over the past two days have confirmed that ABC Studios, Seeker's parent network, has decided to take the show off its docket due to poor ratings. The Tribune Station Group, which makes up the majority of the show's UHF markets, has more or less dropped Seeker following its nosedive in the ratings during its second season. The remaining episodes of the season will air as scheduled, but nothing short of a miracle will bring a third season to the air.
While I personally wouldn't be averse to a third season of Legend of the Seeker, I would rather see it go out on a relatively high note, creatively speaking, than flounder as studio and fan support diminished during a barely-there run of Season 3 episodes. All in all, I think Seeker has had a good run and I think the people involved with it have done more with the show than was strictly necessary.
Last summer when I was reviewing Season 1 as part of our Catching Up feature, I was skeptical about Legend of the Seeker's ability to fit in the modern mode of speculative storytelling. Adventure for adventure's sake saw its last days in the mid 1990's with the likes of other Sam Raimi productions like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. These days, science fiction and fantasy on television have trended a lot more philosophical and dark. It's hard to look at some of Seeker's early episodes and not think of them as being children's programming, though slightly more violent. It wasn't until the last moments of the first season and most of the second that the show really embraced the grimness and moral ambiguity that made Seeker more than just a bit of juvenile fantasy.
The other thing that elevated Season 2 was the decision to turn Legend of the Seeker into a full-fledged ensemble show rather than a starring vehicle for Craig Horner and to a lesser extent Bridget Regan. They have both done their jobs well, but Horner and Regan aren't really breakout stars. Craig Horner is the Australian equivalent of Josh Duhamel. He's a capable actor with enough range for popcorn entertainment, but he doesn't carry heavier material with as much nuance as one would want from an A-lister.
If anyone from Legend of the Seeker has the ability to make a splash beyond the show, it's Tabrett Bethell. Of all the characters on the show, Cara is the most complex and is also the easiest to screw up. Bethell's portrayal has been both sympathetic and a appropriately tragic. She's a fan favorite and I'm glad she got to be the center of a couple episodes in the second season. Bethell has picked up a couple starring roles in Australian films that likely won't see the light of day Stateside. Given her talent, I think it would be worth it for her to try her luck for a year or two in Hollywood. Tabrett Bethell's gift for understated intensity would do well in the independent film circuit, as would her subtle comic timing.
TV World will be reviewing the concluding episodes of Legend of the Seeker Season 2. I've enjoyed watching and writing about the show. I hope you viewers have as well.
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