Princess (Legend of the Seeker 2x13)

If you've never seen Legend of the Seeker the basic premise is that a young man from the Westlands (a place with no magic), Richard, finds out that he is the Seeker of Truth, and must travel into the Midlands (a place where magic abounds) to save the world from a man called Darken Rahl. His companions are his grandfather, Zedd, a wizard of the first order, and Kahlan, the Mother Confessor, who's touch can make anyone fall in undying love with her, loosing their soul to her (with whom also there is also major UST because of her power). They are later joined by Cara, once part of the deadly, and leather shod Mord Sith, who torture people into obedience to them, and who serve Lord Rahl. The television show is about their adventures through the Midlands, and is thoroughly enjoyable, full of snark and fun, while also having some freaking awesome fight scenes.

Its a classic hero story, with Richard playing the part of the hero, Kahlan being a strong ass kicking heroine, and Zedd being a crazy old man. Cara's addition to the show was a whole new level of sass, snarkiness and being awesome -- setting her at odds against Kahlan.

The Episode:

"Princess" has to be considered a "light" episode. Zedd, played by Bruce Spence gets up in drag, Richard, who usually has brown hair, goes blond, and Cara, who is usually the complete opposite of a lady, has to play a princess of delicacy and grace. Even the promotions played it up as a comedic episode, none of their usual "trying to make it sound much more deadly then it is" crap, it was full on – "look what we're doing to the character's you love! You're going to laugh your ass off."

And I did.

But that's not the point.

Lets go through the major pieces of the story now (I assign positives and negatives based on what I liked and what I didn't like. The number at the end means very little without anything to judge it against. We have to start somewhere though).

The Score:

The tag encompasses a huge amount of information -- probably why this episode felt rushed at the beginning. We had to get Sister Nicci back (+2 for being much sexier then her previous incarnation), Kahlan had to be captured (-1 for awkwardness of the CGI), Cara had to be confirmed a tomboy (+3, because Cara is always awesome no matter what), we had to learn about the Margrave , and his castle (-2 for info dumping, bad writers, bad), and of course Richard had to run after Kahlan (+1 for them being cute), making Zedd yell "Richard wait!" in a totally annoying fake way (-1 for bad line, but +1 for Bruce Spence making the most of it). Then we had to have Kahlan yelling at the Margrave that Richard will find her (+2 for Kahlan fighting against the guards and being super sexy, -1 for awkwardness of her statement about the seeker), and discover Sister Nicci's sinister plan involving getting the Margrave eternal life in return for the life of the Mother Confessor (+3 for Darken Rahl's apperance, as he always makes things better, and this info dump didn't feel too uncomfortable). Oh, and lest I forget, Kahlan gets thrown in a dungeon with a woman who is Magrave's first wife, who explains the subjugation of the women folk in his kingdom (-1 for being kind of boring and being way too much information for a tag). Overall there I have to -3 for the pacing which was all off.

As I said, a lot of information. It did feel rushed, and in some ways I would have liked it to be slower -- since I had watched the show before I like being able to settle in -- but I understand the need to give new viewers a lead in, so they can understand what the hell is going on. Still, writing wise it did feel slightly sloppy to do it in this manner. Information dumping was pretty much all you got, rather then a tension filled tag that leads well into the first act. Still, overall, the tag got a 3, so I suppose it was positive in the end.

On to the first act.

Richard and Cara discuss how to get into the castle where magic can't be used, before Zedd shows up and tells them about the local gossip which includes all the information we learned in the tag about how Magrave wants eternal life in exchange for the Mother Confessor (-1 for repetition, though its necessary for those that might have missed the beginning). We also learn that there a group of travelers heading to the castle, including a princess who Magrave is thinking of marrying whom he has never met (+3 for Richard not getting it and not being a Mary Sue, +1 for Cara being sexy, +2 for Zedd being super amusing). Then Richard gets it -- all they need is a princess. Cara does not get it (+2 for Tabrett Bethell's face at this point, -1 for cliched response).

Anyways, they head off and stop the princess's party from heading towards Magrave's castle, and get the clothes and disguises ready for heading into the castle (+1 for Zedd being hilarious). Then Zedd tells Cara that she must unlearn everything that she is and:

Zedd: Always defer to the opinion of your masculine betters.
Cara: There's no such thing.

(+4 for being AWESOME).

Then it turns out that women in Magrave's court only can speak in a rhyming scheme (because clearly they must go out of their way to make sure women think before they speak). This leads to further hilarity (+1). And then cut to Cara heading into a ball room. There is a furious amount of fan flapping -- was the heat on or something? (-2 for being distracting). Then there's a little bit of a duel between Cara and Drusilla, mostly about who can curtsy the lowest (amusing but no points for it as its minor). Cara gets points though for her painfully stated lyrical comment -- so in character and lovely to hear (+1). The Magrave tells her that she basically sucks and we cut out of the first act. Overall, I felt the need to -1 for the lack of Kahlan. Because Brigit is so pretty.

Actually pretty well paced after the mess of the tag. We end up with a score of 10, which is much higher then the tag, and there were only a few negatives.

Luckily, Act Two begins with Kahlan in the jail cell. She talks to Magrave's wife (who, coicidentally is Susan Sarandon, which I totally did not realize) about how if they can just get out of the cell, she can take all five gaurds. Because Kahlan is a BMF (-5 for Mary Sueism, +4 for Kahlan thinking of a way out instead of waiting for Richard to get her out). Meanwhile Cara must learn to dance, while Richard is all mopey because his girlfriend isn't there, and gets kind of prissy, asking why on earth he's there (-2 for Richard being mopey about Kahlan). There is more fan flapping (-1 seriously, turn the heat down). Then there is awkward flirting with a herald by Zedd.

Richard then tries to wonder around the castle -- obviously to find Kahlan (I'm tempted to take points off for it, but there are some amusing moments were Richard doesn't even realize that women are flirting with him because he's taking on the role of a womanizer, which is so not his kind of guy and Craig Horner is so amusing and pretty good at acting in it). There is more exposition, but its done well (+1).

There is more rhyming, but Magrave is looking at Cara's breasts (-1 for mixed messages). Cara then goes on to rap about torturing people, and its so much more in her style its awesome (+1). Richard complains to Zedd about getting some (-1). Zedd then tells Richard to try and seduce the Magrave's sister, who is... not attractive. And a thoroughly amusing non-verbal conversation goes on then (+1 for Richard being amusing). Then Drusilla tries to show up Cara, but there's no way that bitch could manage it, so Zedd gets them to go out and hunt, which Cara is really in to. Then we cut to Richard and the Magrave's sister making out -- which leads to them getting caught (+2 for Craig Horner's abs). Things are not looking good for our heroes as Act Two comes to an end.

Act two comes to a total of -1. First act to be a negative, though I didn't mind it all that much, it was a little slow (wow, pacing guys, its important). Things get exciting in act three though. Have no fear.

We start with Richard getting sentenced to marriage to the Magrave's sister. They head out to hunt, and Cara is finally able to be herself (+2 because Cara as herself is awesome).

Cara: I don't need magic to make a man beg for mercy.

More flirting between the herald and Zedd, creating more awkwardness (-1 for the awkwardness and attempting human with it). While Drusilla screams at the idea of hunting, Cara shoots the beast, goes over to it, cuts it open and offers the meat to Magrave in a very suggestive manner (+1 for sexiness). The Magrave is not happy about Cara's forwardness, he's apparently really attracted to it (+1 for Cara getting the guy by being herself). She's stopped talking in rhyme (+2 for thaaaaaaaank god). They head back to the palace and have dinner, with more fan fluttering (-1 for distraction).

But its okay because Nicci's about to appear. Richard and Zedd look at one another in shock and Richard attempts to hide behind his new blond hair (like it would work) when the sisters of the darkness come in (+2 for preeeetty outfits). I'm adding an +2 for the right pacing in this act, and ending in the right place, and just letting things go the way they should.

So we cut out of act three and we find ourselves with an 8 for act three.

We head back in right where we left off, and now the Magrave and Nicci talk -- in front of Richard who's using a wine goblet to hide himself? (-2 for making Nicci appear stupid). We go back to the prison, where Kahlan is making a knife thing with her plate which the guard doesn't seem to notice (-1 for the actor, not the writers). Kahlan tries to convince the Magrave's wife to help her, and manages it, pretty well (+1 for good writing).

We head back to the banquet, where Cara goes for the Magrave's nuts (in a good way). Cara gets him to leave the banquet and checking over his agreement with the Keeper (+1 for Cara being awesome). Cara then sweet talks the Magrave and threatens him (+1). They get into a fight and Cara is really being herself finally (+1 its awesome). Nicci figures out that Zedd is Zedd (+1 for not making her terribly stupid). A battle begins (+2 YAY!). Act four gets no add ons or subtractions, and we end up with a 3 for it.

Act five starts out where we left off. Richard killing left and right. Cara being freaking awesome -- theatening castration, and then punching out the Magrave while speaking in rhyme (+2). Then we head back to the jail where Kahlan gets involved in the fight and takes out the gaurds with a knife she made from a plate (+2 for her being awesome). Cara heads down to the jail, and more fighting ensues (+5 for all the battles). By the time Richard gets down to the dungeon, Cara and Kahlan have managed to kill all the guards (+1 for them being BMFs). Nicci gets cornered, and realizes that if she jumps through a window she can use her magic -- which she does, escaping in a clap of lightning light (+1 for awesome departure).

The Magrave wakes up to find out that everyone has left, and there's no eternal life (+1 for just comeuppance). The four heroes head out, and Kahlan teases all of the players, and is thoroughly cute (+2). Act five gets a 12, because its a good ending, and wraps up nicely while still opening up the rest of the season.

Overall this episode gets a 35. What does this mean? Nothing really. Its just the number I got when I added everything together.

Act Breaks:

So, I've given you the break down of the episode. Let's talk about how it was written now. TV shows are based on where to cut for commercial breaks to make sure the viewer will return. It used to be a tag, three acts and then an out tag, but as the commercial side of television has worn on, the episodes have gotten shorter and the commercials need to be squeezed in more, so now we have a tag and five acts.

LotS has the right kind of atmosphere to do really dramatic breaks. Its a fantasy, were the most dramatic and ridiculous things can be said and still be taken seriously. The first break of this episode was with Nicci talking to Rahl about her evil plan to kill Kahlan. The camera moved on to her face and watched the slight satisfaction that crossed it. It falls very well into a usual scene break for any show, but it feels very LotS: "Dramatic statements made, let's head into comercial break."

The second break is another dramatic statement, with the music swelling in the background for a terrible doom for our heroes. However, it raises the stakes for the characters by making it clear that if Cara fails massively, there will be consequences. There is an up of the stakes for the third break. Richard is in trouble, Cara is the one who's going to have to make the play to help save Kahlan. Again the stakes are raised at the end of the act when the Sisters of the Dark come in, and Richard finds out that Sister Nicci is among them. They know what Richard and Zedd look like and are unlikely to be fooled by the get up the characters are in.

I do feel as if the act felt more ended at the point when Cara offer's the Magrave the liver of the beast she had just killed, but I do understand the compulsion to make the end of an act more of a dramatic "Oh shit" moment then a "Cara is fucking hot" moment.

Of course the final break comes in the middle of a battle. That I can get behind quite well. The structure of raising tension and then raising it again in order to get to a point where it has to break is a good one, and a way to keep viewers watching.

This show has the blessings of being good at dialogue (well amusing dialogue and most of the time) and also knowing how to set up an epic arc with smaller side stories to break up the major arc. You can see it in the way they break the show -- set up, build the tension, add complications, action, action, and then a softening moment at the end to tie up the loose ends. Its why LotS, despite having moments that are not good in the show, is really an excellent watch.

Devices:

This episode uses two main devices: back from the dead, and playing with gender roles. How well they worked is what I’m going to talk about.

Let's start at the beginning. Sister Nicci, who was killed a few episodes ago, came back. LotS likes to do this -- have characters come back that is. They did it with... well let’s just say, if a character dies, they tend to get better (I will admit that this season at least they have a pretty good reason for it, what with banelings wandering around killing people, and true, its not really in the spirit of 'Getting Better', but it’s the best description I can come up with). Richard and Cara have both died. Zedd has been far into the underworld. I suppose Kahlan hasn't been killed yet, but she's been split in two, so I think that should count. Evil people have come back, middling people, like Kahlan’s sister have come back. Its all a little murky and seems like everyone can come back from the dead depending on plot. I like the imagery of coming back from the dead -- and I think that it works only if you use it sparingly.

Returning from the dead is a way of cheating death -- certainly an understandable wish -- but it breaks many laws of the universe -- especially, as with Cara, if your throat cuts cut. Using it to pretend to kill someone, as they are doing in these episodes, is a cheap shot at publicity. You don't create any sort of tension if you know the character is going to be back in the next episode.

Denna was killed recently (I love Denna, but that might be because Jessica Marais plays her, and she's preeeeetty). I know she's going to come back which makes her death -- which came after a redemptive moment, less of an emotional blow, which you could just feel was what the writers wanted (then again, if you watched Denna's death, then you might have been confused by Zedd's response to it -- which was to pretend nothing had happened, despite the fact that he saw Denna's redemption).

When you trivialize death and rebrith like this show does, then you lose its power. Sure it might be the point -- the main characters kill people all the time in the show -- but without the punch you got from it the first few times, it feels like the writers are falling back on old cliches to make the writing work for them -- rather then letting the story take them where it needs to be.

I was having a conversation with Bryan about how people write. He is a very concept driven, plot driven writer, while I am much more of a character driven writer. I feel like the characters speak to me and tell me where things are going much more then I am directing their actions, something that he makes fun of me for all the time, because "You write the story Rosey, you are God." but for me the plot happens naturally, because the characters do things, and it evolves because I know how things should happen because I've had practice and I've read and watched a lot. The writers of LotS aren't listening to their instincts -- they're listening to what will make the next promo bold and dramatic, instead of looking at the characters and what they need to have happen.

So, there, my little rant about being back from the dead.

On to the humorous part of the episode.

Ah humor based on gender roles, when will you ever get old? Cara and Kahlan are out gathering firewood while Zedd and Richard argue about herbs. Gotta tell you, despite my messed up view on feminism (more on that at a later date), I still find this amusing. I think its more that I like to see women taking active roles and making fun of boys for being silly. I realize its an over used cliche, but it can always give me a giggle. Plus Bruce Spence was thoroughly amusing at telling Cara that she can't cook, and the look Cara gave him was priceless.

All of Cara's looks are priceless though.

Then, of course, we get to the bit about Bruce Spence being in drag. Do you know how tall this guy is (6'7", that's how tall)? He's in a dress that's too short for him, and his hair is a little curly, and he still looks better then Richard, who's hair is blond in this episode. Yes, again, humor based on gender roles. There is a bit about how Zedd gets a look over by a man and it goes on throughout the episode. I will give it to the writers though -- they are made of win.

Cara: I think you have an admirer.
Zedd: Is there any reason why I shouldn't?

Is there always going to be something ultimately hilarious about a man dressing in women's clothes? At least with Zedd there was a reason it was so ridiculous -- his dress was too short because he's way too tall -- but if, say, Richard had been the one to dress up, it would have been just as funny. Our fundamental state it to find transvestites funny (going from male to female, I don't think many people find the other way as amusing, given that women can wear pants easily). The fact that it is always played for comedy is somewhat worrying, to my addled mind at least. Still, its effective. You want cheap laughs, you certainly get them with putting a man in a woman's dress.

The thing the writers did with this episode (and Bruce Spence did with his acting) was take the inherent humor and turn it up to eleven. I'm not saying that it was fundamentally funnier because it was Zedd in a dress, I'm saying that it was funnier in moments that weren't hackneyed, and when it a situation where it should have been for laughs, it didn't feel like they were writing it that way. And I salute them for that.

To be honest the funniest thing about this episode was Cara in a dress, trying not to be her usual self -- which is to say, kind of a wild child, with no manners -- and then turning back to it and getting what they needed by being herself instead of someone else.

A brief note: I found this episode hilarious, and funny, and totally cracktastic. My issues with it are on an artistic level, not on enjoyment level. Keep this in mind.