Legend of the Seeker review: Puppeteer
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legendland journal challenge, "Puppeteer" review. 690 words approx, 5+ pics, two gifs
Puppeteer is one of my favourite season one episodes. More Darken Rahl at last, more Zedd, and less focus on unrequited Richard/Kahlan.
Darken wants the box of Orden from Queen Milena of Tammarang; Egremont thinks they should send in troops to take it. But Darken has a more elegant solution. He is willing to promise Milena whatever she wants in exchange for the box since, once he has it in his possession, he will control Milena and everyone else. Clearly Milena doesn't understand Orden, or doesn't believe Darken has any other boxes in his possession, or she wouldn't be so quick to sell the artefact.
Zedd, Richard, and Kahlan also want the box. Luckily for them there's a party being planned for Princess Violet's birthday and Zedd passes himself off as an entertainer – Reuben Rybnik, Grand Puppeteer.
There's a great montage scene of Violet belittling and dismissing the many entertainers auditioning for the party. When Zedd puts his sock on his hand and pretends to make it talk, Violet (somewhat understandably) shrieks for the guards to remove him.
Guards! Get him away before I have him beheaded. Beheaded, that's foreshadowing you know.
However Zedd uses his magic to make the sock sit up and talk unaided, impressing Violet so much that she hires him.
Zedd spends a lot of time being faux obsequious and introducing himself as the Grand Puppeteer
We meet Rachel, Violet's servant, a brave young girl who Zedd says reminds him of his own daughter. It's a nice moment because we don’t see much about Zedd's relationship with his wife or daughter.
While Zedd wanders around the castle, eating everything in sight, getting the cook – Martha- a stay of execution, and swapping out the box of Orden for a spice box, Richard and Kahlan argue about him trying to protect her even when it might put the mission in danger. They try to trick Darken by giving him directions via a journey book stolen from troops they've killed. However once again, Darken proves smarter then them, and sends a double on the diverted path where Richard hoped to ambush him.
Zedd changes a spice box into a look-alike box of Orden. It's convenient that he found an empty spice box of the exact dimensions.
Something that bothers me about this episode is that Zedd doesn't bother to disguise himself even though he found it necessary to do so in "Listener". It seems incongruous. But consistency has never been a strong point for the show. At first, anyway, Darken doesn't recognise him. Of course he has other things on his mind because he wants the box NOW but Milena insists on social niceties like him sitting through Violet's birthday party first.
Little Red Riding Rahl
The puppet show provides the distraction necessary for Rachel to smuggle the box out of the castle. The guards stop her but she talks her way past them, hinting that Violet will punish them if they prevent Rachel from leaving as ordered.
Darken is not impressed to find the box is a replica. He can tell immediately it's a fake and removes the spell easily – this suggests that Darken can sense magic, or at least the power of Orden, and that he does have some magic of his own (mostly we see him working with Giller when magic is involved). We know he has magic within his blood, through which powers the Mord'Sith magic including their agiels, but we rarely see him use it actively.
This is not my box!
Guards are sent to find the missing box. Richard and Kahlan rescue Rachel from them. Rachel gladly gives them the box, though she's sad about Reuben, believing he's been captured. She's right to worry, because Reuben/Zedd has been brought before Darken Rahl.
Darken gives us some information about wizards; Giller and Zedd are the only current members of a very exclusive First Wizard's club. Apparently only a First Wizard could spell a spice box to look like a box of Orden. Which makes no sense to me because I'd think glamour spells are pretty low down on the hierarchy of magical tools, unlike say, Wizard's Fire. But, whatever. Darken has realised this is Zeddicus Z'ul Zorander.
Zedd taunts Darken with the knowledge that a little girl has outwitted him, enraging Darken. Darken cuts off Zedd's head…oh noes!
But wait! It's just a puppet! Darken, if it's possible, is even more furious.
Zedd takes Martha to Rachel, and of course Martha wants to adopt Rachel because it's Happy Ending Time. Richard and Kahlan are glad to see him again and now they have the box and Darken doesn't, so all's well that ends well for this episode.
Good ink is so hard to find.
Except for Milena, who becomes journey book ink, and Violet, who Darken plans to ship off to the mines. Don't piss off the heroes and never get on Rahl's bad side are the morals of this story.
Despite my gripes/snarking, this is a really fun episode, one I've watched multiple times now, so I give it a five out of five.
legendland journal challenge, "Puppeteer" review. 690 words approx, 5+ pics, two gifsPuppeteer is one of my favourite season one episodes. More Darken Rahl at last, more Zedd, and less focus on unrequited Richard/Kahlan.
Darken wants the box of Orden from Queen Milena of Tammarang; Egremont thinks they should send in troops to take it. But Darken has a more elegant solution. He is willing to promise Milena whatever she wants in exchange for the box since, once he has it in his possession, he will control Milena and everyone else. Clearly Milena doesn't understand Orden, or doesn't believe Darken has any other boxes in his possession, or she wouldn't be so quick to sell the artefact.
Zedd, Richard, and Kahlan also want the box. Luckily for them there's a party being planned for Princess Violet's birthday and Zedd passes himself off as an entertainer – Reuben Rybnik, Grand Puppeteer.
There's a great montage scene of Violet belittling and dismissing the many entertainers auditioning for the party. When Zedd puts his sock on his hand and pretends to make it talk, Violet (somewhat understandably) shrieks for the guards to remove him.
Guards! Get him away before I have him beheaded. Beheaded, that's foreshadowing you know.
However Zedd uses his magic to make the sock sit up and talk unaided, impressing Violet so much that she hires him.
Zedd spends a lot of time being faux obsequious and introducing himself as the Grand Puppeteer
We meet Rachel, Violet's servant, a brave young girl who Zedd says reminds him of his own daughter. It's a nice moment because we don’t see much about Zedd's relationship with his wife or daughter.
While Zedd wanders around the castle, eating everything in sight, getting the cook – Martha- a stay of execution, and swapping out the box of Orden for a spice box, Richard and Kahlan argue about him trying to protect her even when it might put the mission in danger. They try to trick Darken by giving him directions via a journey book stolen from troops they've killed. However once again, Darken proves smarter then them, and sends a double on the diverted path where Richard hoped to ambush him.
Zedd changes a spice box into a look-alike box of Orden. It's convenient that he found an empty spice box of the exact dimensions.
Something that bothers me about this episode is that Zedd doesn't bother to disguise himself even though he found it necessary to do so in "Listener". It seems incongruous. But consistency has never been a strong point for the show. At first, anyway, Darken doesn't recognise him. Of course he has other things on his mind because he wants the box NOW but Milena insists on social niceties like him sitting through Violet's birthday party first.
Little Red Riding Rahl
The puppet show provides the distraction necessary for Rachel to smuggle the box out of the castle. The guards stop her but she talks her way past them, hinting that Violet will punish them if they prevent Rachel from leaving as ordered.
Darken is not impressed to find the box is a replica. He can tell immediately it's a fake and removes the spell easily – this suggests that Darken can sense magic, or at least the power of Orden, and that he does have some magic of his own (mostly we see him working with Giller when magic is involved). We know he has magic within his blood, through which powers the Mord'Sith magic including their agiels, but we rarely see him use it actively.
This is not my box!
Guards are sent to find the missing box. Richard and Kahlan rescue Rachel from them. Rachel gladly gives them the box, though she's sad about Reuben, believing he's been captured. She's right to worry, because Reuben/Zedd has been brought before Darken Rahl.
Darken gives us some information about wizards; Giller and Zedd are the only current members of a very exclusive First Wizard's club. Apparently only a First Wizard could spell a spice box to look like a box of Orden. Which makes no sense to me because I'd think glamour spells are pretty low down on the hierarchy of magical tools, unlike say, Wizard's Fire. But, whatever. Darken has realised this is Zeddicus Z'ul Zorander.
Zedd taunts Darken with the knowledge that a little girl has outwitted him, enraging Darken. Darken cuts off Zedd's head…oh noes!
But wait! It's just a puppet! Darken, if it's possible, is even more furious.
Zedd takes Martha to Rachel, and of course Martha wants to adopt Rachel because it's Happy Ending Time. Richard and Kahlan are glad to see him again and now they have the box and Darken doesn't, so all's well that ends well for this episode.
Good ink is so hard to find.
Except for Milena, who becomes journey book ink, and Violet, who Darken plans to ship off to the mines. Don't piss off the heroes and never get on Rahl's bad side are the morals of this story.
Despite my gripes/snarking, this is a really fun episode, one I've watched multiple times now, so I give it a five out of five.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-14 07:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-14 07:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-15 02:31 am (UTC)This is one of my favorite episodes, and your gifs are priceless - especially the one of Darken whirling around with the sword. He might only have decapitated a puppet - but he did it so gracefully.
And your last pic is our Daily Darken for tomorrow. D
no subject
Date: 2012-06-15 01:49 pm (UTC)The gifs are a little fast but I'm still learning :) And yes, Darken is awesome with a sword, both here and when he fights Richard. I don't think we saw enough of his swordsmanship (and you know you spend too much time online when that sounds like a euphemism!)
LOL, appropriate :D
no subject
Date: 2012-06-15 02:37 pm (UTC)As for Darken's swordsmanship - I agree. I heard that Craig Horner mentioned once that he and Parker were supposed to have an epic sword fight at the end of Reckoning, but that because Craig Parker's wrist injury sustained in their fight in Conversion was still bothering him, they changed the ending.
If you watch the screencaps of the Conversion fight, you can tell they were really going at it, and there were NO stunt doubles.
Anyway - really good job with this. I enjoyed your tongue in cheek recap, the screencaps and the gifs.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-15 03:04 pm (UTC)It's such a pity because Darken did go down so easily at the end of Reckoning and I'd love to have seen another fight scene!
no subject
Date: 2012-06-15 01:32 pm (UTC)Your gifs are lovely :D
Good point about a glamor not seeming like such ~powerful magic~ but maybe it's because Zedd is spelling the Boxes of Orden, which we know are extra epic magically.
This is such a great episode :)
no subject
Date: 2012-06-15 01:52 pm (UTC)I can see the box of Orden not wanting to be magically turned into looking like a spice box and repelling magic, but somehow not the other way around. (Although if he'd been able to make the real box look like a spice box it would have been easier to smuggle out of the castle!) But then I'm trying to apply logic to something illogical :)
no subject
Date: 2012-06-15 07:41 pm (UTC)Thank you :D Of course, while Zedd could never live on yoghurt alone, I could imagine a 'steal the box' scenario like this going down on Burn Notice!
no subject
Date: 2012-06-15 07:55 pm (UTC)