And so we come to the end. Unless the small but vocal fanbase of Legend of the Seeker can cry a magical gem that causes hell to freeze over, "Tears" was the final episode the series will ever see. I'll say that if a show has to go out, it could do a lot worse than this one. "Tears" was as epic as promised and it was actually full of surprises, not the least of which was the addition of a child character who wasn't at all annoying (which I admit isn't a first for this series). All of the actors got to play to their strengths and even though the final moments leave enough room for the further stories we know exist in Terry Goodkind's books, they still gave the series a satisfying conclusion.

Ever since I first reviewed Legend of the Seeker last summer for Catching Up, I've been conflicted about the lovey-dovey romance between Richard and Kahlan. I always wanted it to be depicted less like teenage puppy love and more like the agonizing experience two people in their situation would likely feel. In those extremely dark minutes before their final victory, Richard and Kahlan actually achieved this. Watching Kahlan in the midst of a magically complicated Blood Rage drive a dagger into Richard's heart was a necessary narrative catharsis, even if everyone on Team Good Guy has a Get Out of Death Free card dressed in red leather. If Richard and Kahlan had simply been able to live happily ever after without that lethal bump in the road, the whole thing would have felt hollow.

It's also all kinds of awesome that all of the magic, prophecy and quasi-divine meddling that drives Seeker's plot has a work-around. Sure, the new, Kahlan-manufactured Stone of Tears 2.0 comes awfully close to being a deus ex machina, but it has two whole seasons of character development and dramatic weight behind it. More importantly, the "love conquers all" aesthetic of Legend of the Seeker has resulted in a story that actually depends on its characters rather than its neat-o magic to carry the plot.

Ultimately, that's what made Legend of the Seeker a good show. Television is theater and theater is at its best when characters are at the center of everything. All of the other stuff is just costume and scenery. The high points of Season 1 were deep character moments like in "Revnant" (which may be the best episode of the entire series and certainly of the first season), while Season 2 transcended the groundwork of its predecessor by narrowing the focus of the story to the family unit the protagonists created.

Sad as it is to see this series end before it could achieve the apex I genuinely believe would have come with a third season, I'm glad that none of the core characters got shortchanged. Richard and Kahlan, having discovered the magic-breaking loophole to their, ahem, intimacy problem, can proceed with their lives in a way that makes sense. Cara demonstrated (in a wonderfully underplayed scene) that she has taken her first steps into redemption beyond simple duty. Darken Rahl has endeared himself to the audience, though it's in an "evil addict in recovery" sort of way. Even Zedd, whose character has more or less cautified in his old age, got enough backstory filled in this season that he feels complete.

Best Moment: The formation of the new Stone of Tears. It was just the right combination of magic, prophecy and character.

Notes: The biggest loss of not getting a third season is that we won't be able to see how Sister Nicci evolves. That could have been fun.

Episode Rating: 5/5- "Tears" fired on all cylinders and managed to balance emotion with action. It was everything a season finale ought to be and it let this series go out on a high note.

Series Rating: 4.25/5- I've mostly enjoyed Legend of the Seeker and I definitely think that it accomplished a lot more than a sword and sorcery cable series has any obligation to. The first season was a bit rocky thanks to a chunk of midseason filler episodes, but the second season proved that the story was a lot deeper than it seemed at the outset. Given a more high-profile network or a better time slot, I think Legend of the Seeker would have gotten the critical acclaim and ratings it deserved. At the very least, it introduced American viewers to a few talented actors who otherwise might have gone unnoticed and I think it'll be used as a case in point for Internet-based distribution given its impressive performance on platforms like Hulu.

I want to thank all of you readers for following Legend of the Seeker with me and for contributing to the discussion. I know I didn't touch on the details of this final episode very much, but I felt that a more series-based overview would be appropriate. Feel free to point out your favorite bits in the comments thread and don't be shy about requesting shows for coverage this summer and beyond.