The Shannara Chronicles Review

[shavedape]

I'm still happy with the show but I gotta say that the teen angst who-slept-with-who stuff is really dumb. Just give me the story as written. But, at least they started off on their journey, so that's good. I was getting tired of the characters roaming the halls of the elf city (yes, they only show halls of the palace, not much else in terms of the city).

 

[shavedape]

The scenes for the rest of the season look pretty good. I'm hoping the show continues to improve. (Too much emphasis on stuff like old cars and modern machinery in the background though. Saw the girl drink out of an old satellite dish which is dumb because it wouldn't exist that long into the future.)

 

[shavedape]

OMG, they really need to tone down the stupid sex scenes in this show. The lesbian come-on was so dumb. And why are they showing swing sets and merry-go-rounds in the show? These things would be completely disintegrated by that point in the future. I really, really don't like the retconning that they are doing with the story.

Other than that, at least things kept moving.

 

[Overmind One]

OMG, they really need to tone down the stupid sex scenes in this show. The lesbian come-on was so dumb. And why are they showing swing sets and merry-go-rounds in the show? These things would be completely disintegrated by that point in the future. I really, really don't like the retconning that they are doing with the story.

Other than that, at least things kept moving.

Huh? I have not seen any of this yet! I feel like I just walked in on a conversation and all I heard from it is "How did he get that all the way in there?", or "Yes, he was on top and it was screaming bloody murder and thrashing it's tail around...". I do not know the context, but it does not sound good!

 

[Joelist]

It sounds like MTV turned it into - surprise - a teen sex romp.

 

[shavedape]

Huh? I have not seen any of this yet! I feel like I just walked in on a conversation and all I heard from it is "How did he get that all the way in there?", or "Yes, he was on top and it was screaming bloody murder and thrashing it's tail around...". I do not know the context, but it does not sound good!

It sounds like MTV turned it into - surprise - a teen sex romp.

It's a bit confusing. They are following the plot line of the story from the book but they are really sexing it up and putting in a bunch of stuff in the background that is just dumb, like machinery that should have disintegrated thousands of years ago.

And the lesbian thing was really over the top. Nothing like that happens in the book. It was really gratuitous and lame. (And yes, I'd say the same thing about a gay male scene like that too.)

 

[Tripler]

Sounds like they are going to loose me as a viewer . I have only seen the pilot ...

 

[shavedape]

Sounds like they are going to loose me as a viewer . I have only scene the pilot ...

You should try reading the books maybe. They are very "Lord of the Rings" in tone and style.

 

[shavedape]

Okay, this show is definitely showing its limits in terms of production. We have seen virtually nothing of the Elven city other than a room or two in the palace, that's it. There are other very weak scenes but suffice to say this story is simply too large to be properly portrayed in an MTV show.

As it is I have no idea how it's doing in the ratings but unless it's got a guaranteed 2nd season I doubt it will be back. I just don't see how people unfamiliar with the book(s) can figure out what's going on. It's too jumbled and jumps around way too much.

 

[YJ02]

just don't see how people unfamiliar with the book(s) can figure out what's going on. It's too jumbled and jumps around way too much.

i always like to a get a "geographic sense" of stories--written or visual, just always have been like that. I dunno,maybe it has something to do with me being a surveyor for so long?

but the way I 'perceive' what they are trying to show,along with the perceived speed they get from one location to another, and knowing it is set in what we call Washington State (?)-then my "geographic sense" puts the setting of this story in about 1 or 2 contiguous counties of modern day Washington State

I am pretty sure the story is 'bigger' then that though

 

[shavedape]

i always like to a get a "geographic sense" of stories--written or visual, just always have been like that. I dunno,maybe it has something to do with me being a surveyor for so long?

but the way I 'perceive' what they are trying to show,along with the perceived speed they get from one location to another, and knowing it is set in what we call Washington State (?)-then my "geographic sense" puts the setting of this story in about 1 or 2 contiguous counties of modern day Washington State

I am pretty sure the story is 'bigger' then that though

Yes, the geography is much bigger than that. The book is a sprawling epic tale like LOTR. Sure they travel by horse and by walking but still the various locations are not near each other.

 

[YJ02]

Yes, the geography is much bigger than that. The book is a sprawling epic tale like LOTR. Sure they travel by horse and by walking but still the various locations are not near each other.

as i am sure you realised, they did condense the travel time in the LOTR's and Hobbit films as well

at the least-there wasn't the seasonal changing emphasis that Tolkien had in the books

ex: the movie makes it seem they stayed in Lothlorien (with Galadriel's ppl) for a day and a night, when,by the book, they were there for more like over a month

it is a shame, that TPTB's still feel they need to do these condensing of time and geography especially given the use of modern SFX that could help them expand at lower cost and production times

 

[shavedape]

as i am sure you realised, they did condense the travel time in the LOTR's and Hobbit films as well

at the least-there wasn't the seasonal changing emphasis that Tolkien had in the books

ex: the movie makes it seem they stayed in Lothlorien (with Galadriel's ppl) for a day and a night, when,by the book, they were there for more like over a month

it is a shame, that TPTB's still feel they need to do these condensing of time and geography especially given the use of modern SFX that could help them expand at lower cost and production times

Well in the last episode they had some characters get stuck inside an old high school that was replete with a prom setting. It was fairly ridiculous. I think the writers are trying to retcon the original story to make it seem like not that much time has passed between the age of man and this world of elves and gnomes, etc. Frankly I think it's not helpful to people who aren't familiar with the story.

 

[Overmind One]

Well in the last episode they had some characters get stuck inside an old high school that was replete with a prom setting. It was fairly ridiculous. I think the writers are trying to retcon the original story to make it seem like not that much time has passed between the age of man and this world of elves and gnomes, etc. Frankly I think it's not helpful to people who aren't familiar with the story.

And there is where I am. I am not familiar with these Shannara stories, and watching the first episode was just not enough to get me to watch any more. Last night, I watched another episode, I think the third one...and I was not feeling it. It's like they are trying to appeal to a teen audience and connect it to teen life today yet have the scenarios happen in this elven fantasy setting thing...not working for me, I bugged out a while back.

 

[Rac80]

OK they lost me this week! The totally preserved high school is waaay too much for me! I have ffwd through all the gratutious sex (none of that is in the book) and ignored the new characters BUT not giving us the witch sisters or Hebel!!!! and these elf hunters?? huh??? Peck and the Roc was well done though. But overall the storyline is SO FAR OFF the book it's unrecognizable-- Eventine isn't killed until the end of the book - the changeling never assumes his identity. Arion is an asshole not a hero from the series- Ander is a hero not an asshole and why in hell did they bring in Slanter (a good-guy gnome) from the WishSong to have killed Amberle's father?!?!?!?!?!? it's also well into the teen angsty stuff!

 

[shavedape]

OK they lost me this week! The totally preserved high school is waaay too much for me! I have ffwd through all the gratutious sex (none of that is in the book) and ignored the new characters BUT not giving us the witch sisters or Hebel!!!! and these elf hunters?? huh??? Peck and the Roc was well done though. But overall the storyline is SO FAR OFF the book it's unrecognizable-- Eventine isn't killed until the end of the book - the changeling never assumes his identity. Arion is an asshole not a hero from the series- Ander is a hero not an asshole and why in hell did they bring in Slanter (a good-guy gnome) from the WishSong to have killed Amberle's father?!?!?!?!?!? it's also well into the teen angsty stuff!

The sad thing is that Terry Brooks is neck-deep in this production. He's given his approval to all these stupid, pointless changes.

 

[Tripler]

Thanks for the updates . I am not going back to watch anymore eps ...

I guess they never watched this show which perhaps the writers should have .

 

[shavedape]

Are we going to have to change the name of this thread to: The Shitnara Chronicles? I hope not, but it is looking like a distinct possibility.

 

[YJ02]

Are we going to have to change the name of this thread to: The Shitnara Chronicles? I hope not, but it is looking like a distinct possibility.

scenes for next ep looks like they'll be going to a flower child hoe-down--yeee-haaa!

 

[YJ02]

question about the Druids...

book wise, don't care if it applies to the show or not

the magic the druid(s) and Dagda Mor are using, is it magic or some type of tech?