THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES Impresses

Article originally published as THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES Review on Seat42F.

MTV becomes a player in the modern television landscape with THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES, premiering this week. Sure, the network has had some modest hits, such as Teen Wolf, and some quality programming, such as the first few seasons of Awkward. But THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES is a turning point because it’s a big budget epic with complex characters (who aren’t all teenagers) in a sweeping, fully developed world. Based on the trilogy by Terry Brooks (well, mainly the middle volume), this is the first show MTV has aired that I could easily see one of the higher quality networks carrying.

THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES is set in a geographically small area on a future Earth in which mankind has died out. Elves control the height of civilization, with trolls and roamers on the fringes, all living in the ruins of once-great cities and technology, now nearly eroded away.

That’s where this main action begins, but it’s not where this story does. There is a lot of backstory revealed in bits throughout the two-hour pilot (from the first book) that set the stage for this world, and plays into the crisis at hand. Magic, thought to have died out with the Druids, is making its return as demons seek to escape their imprisonment and conquer the planet for good. Can they be stopped?

THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES introduces us to a pair of heroes who may or may not be up to the task. Princess Amberle Elessedil (Poppy Drayton, Downton Abbey) is a headstrong young woman who refuses to accept her place in society, and is formidable enough to make waves, earning a position in a male-dominated force. She is joined by naïve Wil Ohmsford (Austin Butler, The Carrie Diaries), a half-elf with heroism and magic in his blood, though Wil is ill-prepared to follow in those footsteps at present.

Were those the only two principal players, this would be a typical MTV series. Instead, there’s actually quite a few others. Allanon (Manu Bennett, Arrow) is a druid awoken from a multi-decade slumber who takes Wil on as his apprentice. King Eventine (John Rhys-Davies, The Lord of the Rings) is the ruler who has swept the horrors of the past under the rug, and now struggles to hold onto his legacy. Heir-to-the-throne Ander (Aaron Jakubenko, Neighbours) has a different idea on how to handle current events. Younger Arion (Daniel MacPherson, Neighbours) enjoys the perks of royalty without the responsibilities. And roamer Eretria (Ivana Baquero, Pan’s Labyrinth) wants freedom from her clan’s leader (James Remar, Dexter).

Now, while this is not a top-tier cast, it is a group of performers who hold their own in this Lord of the Rings-type fantasy. Together, they make up a varied ensemble who’ll likely face death nearly as often as those on Game of Thrones, though being on basic cable, THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES pulls back slightly on violence, disregards all profanity, and only flirts with nudity. Though it does the latter quite often.

Filmed in New Zealand, THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES feels epic and sweeping, and likely owes a lot of that to the novels it is adapted from. There is no need for the show’s writers to develop a world as they go because one has already been clearly laid out ahead of time. That being said, the source material isn’t enough to keep this show going for more than a couple of years, so the written work is likely to be a jumping off point, rather than the sole inspiration.

I liked THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES a lot. It feels more sophisticated and well-made than the typical MTV fare. It may not win any awards, but it signals that the network isn’t just going to keep churning out sexy teens doing scandalous things as their only programming, and I look forward to seeing if their viewers embrace it, or maybe even earn the channel a new audience.

THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES premieres Tuesday at 10 p.m. on MTV.

"The Return" Of ARROW

Article first published as ARROW Review Season 3 Episode 14 The Return on Seat42F.



This week’s ARROW, “The Return,” flips the setting a bit, with the present day story taking place on Lian Yu, the island Oliver (Stephen Amell) was once marooned on, and the flashbacks happening in Starling City. Oliver and Thea (Willa Holland) are training to take on a villain, but they have no choice in their method when Malcolm (John Barrowman) unleashes a former foe on them. Meanwhile, it turns out Oliver did check in on his loved ones during his “dead” period, even if they didn’t know it.

Doing “The Return” this way greatly limits the screen time of a couple of the main characters, but almost everyone is worked into the hour in some way or another. Better, a number of long-missing players, such as Robert Queen (Jamey Sheridan), Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell), and Detective Lucas Hilton (Roger R. Cross), get a chance to pop up. By letting these returning guest stars take screen time away from the main players who logically wouldn’t have a large role in this time and place, “The Return” manages to tell a strong, cohesive story, rather than delivering the flimsy stunt it could have been. Sure, cameos by Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Diggle (David Ramsey) are unnecessary, but they’re small enough not to distract from the main piece, which is a very good installment.

The Starling City of the past is one we’re aware of, but there’s a new twist tossed in by Oliver’s presence. We get to witness, through his eyes, just how bad some of the people in his life were doing, and see how Tommy tries to pull them out. We also get to see Oliver as a murderer again, and while he does so for a noble purpose, it’s more disturbing than I remember it being, highlighting his growth in the present.

Malcolm wishes Oliver would return to his killing form, which is why he unleashes Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett) on the island. Trapped with Thea to protect, Malcolm believes Oliver will have no choice but to kill his old enemy. Not only does Oliver not give in to the temptation, Thea also passes up the kill shot when she has the chance. Slade doesn’t deserve their mercy, but they are too moral to kill him if they don’t have to, which is a good thing for their journey towards being heroes.

Thea faces a major setback when, much to Malcolm’s chagrin, Oliver tells her she is the one that killed Sara. It’s a hard thing for Oliver to say, but Thea knows he’s keeping something from her, and he eventually decides she deserves to know. I get why Oliver makes that decision, because he doesn’t want his sister to distance herself again due to his secrets. But he hasn’t told her everything, including, I’m assuming, murdering her drug dealer, as we see him do in the flashbacks of “The Return.” Secrets have always been a sticking point between the siblings, and even as Oliver makes progress in being open with her, his growth isn’t complete.

It is really nice to see Thea and Oliver together, though. Whatever obstacles lie ahead, they get this time to be brother and sister, working together. Malcolm does many bad things, but helping Thea get to a place where she can be on Oliver’s level is not completely one of them, his methods of doing so aside. Thea justifiably hates Malcolm now, telling him he will never be her father, but that doesn’t erase what he did for her.

Are Oliver, Thea, and Malcolm ready to face Ra’s al Ghul yet? I don’t know. Oliver and Thea manage to take down Slade, but it’s quite a struggle for them to do so. Ra’s is arguably harder to beat than Slade, but they will have Malcolm helping, too. I kind of wish Oliver would ask Team Arrow for help, which would not only give him a better shot at winning, but show how he is developing into a team player, moving further and further away from the lone wolf he begins Arrow as.

The other subplot in “The Return” finds Quentin (Paul Blackthorne) mourning Sara’s death and considering drinking. Laurel (Katie Cassidy) tries to help her dad, but now that the news has set in, he has found anger at Laurel for keeping Sara’s death a secret. Worse, he feels betrayed by the daughter he has always shared a bond with. Their relationship needs much work, and even if most viewers saw it coming, it’s no less painful.

“The Return” is one of my favorite episodes of the season so far, and that’s saying something since ARROW is having a stellar year. The character development is strong and story is surprising. The producers have promised season three will only get crazier from here, and I can’t wait.

Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

ARROW Has More Than "Three Ghosts"

Article first published as ARROW Has More Than "Three Ghosts" on TheTVKing.

The CW's Arrow ended its fall run with an exciting two-parter, the second half of which aired this week. In "Three Ghosts," Oliver (Stephen Amell) hallucinates people from his past after his near-brush with death. There's no time for rest and recuperation, however, when Brother Blood (Kevin Alejandro) kidnaps Roy Harper (Colton Haynes).

The visions Oliver sees in this episode are a logical development for his character. He is constantly thinking about his past, with much of each episode being set in flashback. It makes total sense that that's where his mind would go when it wonders, even with the surprise final ghost that is as satisfying as it is unexpected. It's just an extension of what we've already seen.

Things take a darker turn, however, when Oliver chooses to save Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) at the expense of Shado (Celina Jade) while trapped on the island. It's an impossible decision to make, two women he cares about being held at gunpoint, and both going to die if he doesn't pick. Ivo (Dylan Neal) is just plain sadistic for putting Oliver in this position, and it's this type of thing that helps one understand why Oliver was so psychologically damaged upon his return to society, explaining why this time occupies his thoughts.

Honestly, I am getting a little tired of this stuff in the past. I understand that it informs who Oliver is, and in "Three Ghosts," it's used effectively. But sometimes it's just another story that doesn't connect much to the present, and when that happens, the installments drags in those scenes. Perhaps this isn't a popular opinion, but as Arrow becomes more and more of a hero, it's time to put the past behind him and move forward with his life. I think this should happen sooner, rather than later, by the end of season two, not seasons five or six.

That being said, it is kind of neat how Slade (Manu Bennett) is revealed as the villain behind Brother Blood, and that's only because we've gotten so much of Slade in the past. He has understandable motivation, blaming Oliver for Shado's death, and apparently he didn't survive the island as well as Oliver did, which is also something one can be sympathetic about, given what we've seen of that place so far. Plus, Slade is a genuine super-powered bad guy because of the injection he received, so he's a formidable foe with a personal grudge, whom Oliver doesn't even realize is in town. And he looks cool with the eye patch, even if the grey hair looks fake. Nice setup for the back half of the year!

As Oliver battles an external force, he also needs to pay more attention to an internal one. No, not whether he should be good or not; his vision of Tommy (Colin Donnell) indicates that that struggle is pretty much over). I'm talking about his feelings for Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), which he is in denial about.

Oliver has plenty of reason to avoid a new relationship. He hasn't been a good boyfriend in the past, which he feels bad about, and people he cares about are constantly in danger. He thinks he needs to focus on the mission, not his personal life. Yet, Felicity knows the truth about Oliver and fights by his side, proving she is strong and worthy. She may consider him out of her reach, he being her boss and the vigilante hero, but she's wrong. Almost no one is as close to Oliver as Felicity, so it's time he paid her a bit more attention. He deserves love, too.

If Oliver doesn't come around, Felicity has Barry (Grant Gustin, Glee) to fall back on. The boy who becomes the Flash at the end of "Three Ghosts," presumably, is definitely interested, and has made that interest known. While Felicity seems a little older than he and they live in different cities, it's not inconceivable she could go to him for his planned spinoff. It would be a loss for Arrow, but as long as Felicity is happy, fans should be happy, too.

Gustin is doing a good job with Barry. Given his evil-ish role in Glee, which was mostly one-note, I had my doubts about his abilities. Yet, in two hours he has established a likeable character who could realistically grow into a crusader to root for. Enough history has been mentioned to provide an origin for his part, and I'm actually really looking forward to the new series, should it go forward.

Oliver's other challenge will be dealing with Roy. Now that Roy has been injected with the super venom, he is vulnerable to Brother Blood and Slade's influence. The extra powers that come with it may make him eligible to be Arrow's sidekick, but it's more likely Arrow will try to do right by Thea (Willa Holland) by continuing to try to keep Roy out of harm's way. Clearly, that is not a choice Roy is willing to live with, and could encourage Roy towards the wrong side of the battle.

Arrow is shaping up nicely in its second year (not that the first was bad), developing its characters further and bringing in nice, big arcs that are well thought out. It has set itself apart from Smallville, which was a concern at first, and it has the elements it needs for a nice, long run, as long as it keeps doing what it's doing. There are few complaints to be found at this point, as while Arrow is somewhat limited by the rules of the format, it does a credit to its particular genre, pushing the boundaries where it can.

Arrow will return with new episodes January 15th on the CW.