Legend of the Seeker review: Denna
Jun. 1st, 2012 12:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_roseMini review, picspam, for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
legendland.
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brontefanatic commented in her review that there isn't any mention of a Confessor's touch being fatal to a Mord'Sith at this point and she's right. On rewatching the fight scenes myself, I agree that there's not much effort made by Kahlan to Confess Denna. Only once did it look like she was trying to grab Denna's throat. This is particuarly odd given that Kahlan thinks she could have prevented Richard from being kidnapped had she been there, suggesting she thinks she's equal to multiple Mord'Sith - and in terms of her powers being deadly to them, she is. (Although if Confession is a type of magic, shouldn't it be turned back against a Confessor? But they're immune to Concession, I suppose. The rules on magic are hazy at best)
However that it's such an important point later makes me think about the neck guards and how they might have been especially designed to protect the Mord'Sith from the Confessor's touch, and that is the case, how meaningful it is for Cara to discard her neck guard despite Kahlan's constant presence.
Given that we later discover Darken is Richard's half-brother, or given the slash potential, there's more than one way to interpret the idea of Richard pledging his "undying love" to Rahl as Denna intends as a result of his training.
"Denna" is a great episode and introduces us to the Mord'Sith in general, and to Denna in particular. We learn more about Confessors, and see Richard turn Denna's lessons back on herself. I give it a four out of five.
Drinking game: I counted eleven drinks – eight of which were due to the constant mentions of prophecy :D
Picspam:
legendland.brontefanatic commented in her review that there isn't any mention of a Confessor's touch being fatal to a Mord'Sith at this point and she's right. On rewatching the fight scenes myself, I agree that there's not much effort made by Kahlan to Confess Denna. Only once did it look like she was trying to grab Denna's throat. This is particuarly odd given that Kahlan thinks she could have prevented Richard from being kidnapped had she been there, suggesting she thinks she's equal to multiple Mord'Sith - and in terms of her powers being deadly to them, she is. (Although if Confession is a type of magic, shouldn't it be turned back against a Confessor? But they're immune to Concession, I suppose. The rules on magic are hazy at best)However that it's such an important point later makes me think about the neck guards and how they might have been especially designed to protect the Mord'Sith from the Confessor's touch, and that is the case, how meaningful it is for Cara to discard her neck guard despite Kahlan's constant presence.
Given that we later discover Darken is Richard's half-brother, or given the slash potential, there's more than one way to interpret the idea of Richard pledging his "undying love" to Rahl as Denna intends as a result of his training.
"Denna" is a great episode and introduces us to the Mord'Sith in general, and to Denna in particular. We learn more about Confessors, and see Richard turn Denna's lessons back on herself. I give it a four out of five.
Drinking game: I counted eleven drinks – eight of which were due to the constant mentions of prophecy :D
Picspam:
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Date: 2012-06-01 12:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-01 03:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-01 05:22 pm (UTC)Interesting theory about the neck pieces of the Mord'Sith unifiorms.
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Date: 2012-06-01 05:33 pm (UTC)There may be a fic or two come out of this rewatch!
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Date: 2012-06-02 01:50 am (UTC)Kahlan thinks she could've stopped Richard from being kidnapped, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Watching the fight, Denna seems in control for most of it, and Kahlan doesn't get much chance to try and confess her.
My theory is that Mord'Sith turn back wizard magic, or that their power works best against wizards at least. Confessors, the show seems at pains to tell us, are different.
Although Nicci confessed Kahlan with her own power, so there's a possible inconsistency there.
how meaningful it is for Cara to discard her neck guard despite Kahlan's constant presence. Ooh, I hadn't thought of that. What a lovely gesture/symbol of trust.
Or it could be that Cara figures she deserves to be confessed, so why not make it easier for Kahlan?
Poor Cara. I miss her in these early episodes.
I love the picspam, and the quotes you chose are perfect :D
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Date: 2012-06-02 09:33 am (UTC)Yes, I wish Cara had joined the group earlier - and that we'd had more Darken in season one, of course.
Thank you :D I ended up rewatching the episode because I couldn't find enough decent quotes online, and in the finish I enjoyed the rewatch anyway :D
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Date: 2012-06-13 11:01 am (UTC)I hate the neck pieces which probably do limit motion
and cover Cara's boobsbut I'd never much thought about how they might protect from Confession before, only that they protect against weaponry. You're probably right but I still rather like the idea :)Sure, explain away :D Might help me figure out some of the contradictions. And I love more reasons to roll my eyes at Goodkind! The show has issues but I don't think I could make it through the first book.
awesome explanation! 1/2
Date: 2012-06-15 01:19 pm (UTC)He even complained about readers who complained about inconsistencies so I'm mostly using what was in the first five books. LOL, really? If someone tells me my writing is inconsistent I'm likely to be annoyed at myself primarily, then any beta/editor, and to feel pleased that people are loving my work enough to pay attention to detail!
If Zedd starts the campfire and then lets it burn naturally, he is no longer expending energy on it. And if he died just afterwards, the fire would continue to burn, then. I'm still a little hazy on 'all spells undo after the spellcaster's death' – or maybe that's not specifically mentioned in the bookverse.
She doesn't have to understand the elements she's calling on to do so. She just does it. I have mixed feelings about the genders here. Pratchett's Discworld works simiarily where wizards train in universities, while witches go around being practical/useful. But in my personal practices there's this struggle between studying and practising, between understanding and doing, between natural talent and acquired knowledge. But that's a whole essay!
Instinctive Gifts: There are as many of these as the plot demands. LOL, I can see this happening!
the only protection against him is to swear loyalty to Lord Rahl and mean it – That detail is new to me, that just saying the words is not enough.
In bookverse, Zedd can magic himself a beard but he can't magic it away. That's a fantastic example which makes this dichotomy clearer to me, thank you :D
Mord'Sith powers come at least in part from the energy of the thousands who swear loyalty. "Small Gods" uses this trope to great effect, where the deity of an orgnaized relgion has lost power because no one really believes anymore, they're only believers in the system; on the other hand the unnamed female spirit of the sea is powerful as hell because deep down, regardless of their professed faith, every seafarer believes in Her. It certainly explains all the "Lord Rahl…" devotionals!
The thing the Mord'Sith don't advertise is that their powers are directional. They can repel magic or control it but only if it is offensively aimed at them. This is another great detail. So Zedd can't set fire to Denna or set a building on fire with her in it. But if she were to step into a circle which he set on fire, not aiming the fire at her directly, she could be trapped? I like the possibilities here.
The item that does the actual control and deflection is the agiel itself. I did not know this! I am getting an education here :D
Because there is no intent to harm, the agiel can't lock onto the Confession magic. I'd disagree with Goodkind that Confession isn't harmful, whether or not a Mord'Sith dies. It's enslavement, after all.
awesome explanation! 2/2
Date: 2012-06-15 01:20 pm (UTC)Gollum lizard men. No, I don't know why this seemed like a good exchange. LOL, scifi/fantasy always has this thing somewhere and the heroes and audience are WHY? And there's no answer except that it seemed like a good idea at the time. (see also The Mummy; the curse means no nice afterlife for Imhotep but if he escapes he'll be super powerful and kill everyone!)
There are other, less successful projects scattered across the continent. I'd like to have seen more of these in some respect, especially with a tongue in cheek approach, and the observation "Bloody Wizards" attached.
(or she! there were women Seekers in the books) OMG! This amazes me. It doesn't make up for the gender mess but it's a good start.
He's so sparkly he glows in the dark. *grins* LOL! Gary Stu Richard is the best of the best! With honors!
fetish for the number threeIngrained deeply in Western magical thought and religion from the Triple Goddess to the Holy Trinity. That said, wtf is with the weird and random side effects?! I always thought Westland had no magic merely because of the barrier, as if it keeps the tide of magical energy back in the Midlands.
There are entire books that are obsolete because the creation of the book allowed another prophet to avoid that future. This amuses me and I imagine someone writing on the flyleaf "DO NOT READ THIS BOOK FOR AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED YEARS, I spent three whole years writing it, don't go messing about and changing things!!"
Richard's death or Richard's failure. I would have loved to see how the show might have dealt with that. :D Oh noes, Richard is dead! Wait, breath of life/shadow water/stone of tears! All good :D I love this show but seriously, the Underworld has a revolving door for the Rahls.
Thanks for giving me so much to think about and telling it in such an interesting manner!