I have to admit, I did enjoy this show, despite what I am about to say about it. I think this show is two different things: first, a travesty; second, a decent show. I know these opinions conflict, so some explanation is due. This show is based off the books in the Sword of Truth series, authored by Terry Goodkind, and even had the author consulting with the writers on the show. However, this being said, the show has very little to do with the books, and fans of the books will notice the huge, unnecessary changes. For example, in the books, Richard's father George had the Book of Counted Shadows, and forced Richard (in his childhood) to perfectly memorize the contents of the book before it was eventually burned. In the series, Kahlan simply gives the book to an adult Richard that has never before heard of it. Also, Richard's mother in the book was Zedd's daughter, a woman who was raped and impregnated by Darken Rahl, crossed the Boundary and married George Cypher. In the series, Richard's mother was some unnamed young girl that died in the slaughter in Brennidon, and Zedd carried her child alone across the Boundary; George married a woman that was not Richard's biological mother. In the books, Darken Rahl raped Zedd's daughter, thus Richard was his son, but in the show, Darken Rahl is Richard's brother. Wizard Giller was a kind and noble wizard in the books, even sacrificing his own life to protect the Box of Orden (and its carrier, Rachel) from being found; but in the series, Giller is Darken Rahl's personal wizard, and thus contributes directly to Rahl's evil actions. So much was changed between the two forms of media that they are practically unrecognizable as being the same material.That being said, the show does have its own merits. A decent fantasy title with all the normal mainstays: magic, epic battles, betrayal, deceit, love, honour, loyalty. To someone unfamiliar with the books, the show can stand by itself as an enjoyable experience, but for someone that read the books before watching the series, it might be a bit of a challenge to overcome all the ridiculous changes. I was initially very excited to see a live-action adaptation of a book series I love, but I had to separate the two in my mind and think about them as two separate entities, otherwise I likely would have hated the show.

I remember when this show aired on TV, I used to watch everyday coming back from church religiously. Like it became a tradition and my parents would watch it with me sometimes. As a female, I loved Kahlan. However, I liked Cara's fierceness. Things the others would be afraid to do, she was be brazen and do it. Interesting how she used to work for the enemy and then came on their side. Sad how she was ripped away from her parents and forced to be a Mord'Sith. I never understood Lord Rahl's desire for Kahlan. Idk whether it's just wanting a Confessor son. It's so bizarre. Ahh, I miss this show. Haven't watched it in years. Although, I'm start the entire series now.

not only for the preservation of book spirit or for the nice lead character.but for the wise solutions for create a dynamic, mysterious,attractive, seductive and far to be bad series. a film who reminds the old books from young ages about heroes, love, sacrifices and wizards. and more than inspired atmosphere, the right place of details, the balance between characters, the flavor of fairy tale and adventure literature are good pillars for a story about duty and about heroic virtues. and it has the right tone so seems be more than a series. or more than pure entertainment. and that could be a real virtue. so, see it ! it is not a bad idea.

Is it fair to judge a show after watching only three episodes? As a matter of fact, it probably is; you don't have to eat an egg whole to realize it's rotten. LOTS sucks, both in comparison to the source material, and on its own. Here is why.The casting is wrong. Richard looks like a wet-behind-the-ears milk drinker, which is strange for a hero, even disregarding the fact that in the books he was described as big and imposing. Darken Rahl's soldiers look and sound too civilized, while they are supposed to look and sound like convicts on steroids. Darken Rahl himself...well, I admit the actor does a decent job, from what I've seen so far, but he looks nothing like the Darken Rahl from the books. Would it have killed them to at least dye his hair blond? The visuals are wrong. Everything looks too bright, shiny, neat and clean. If you could convert the visual impression from a movie into a gustatory one, LOTS would taste saccharine. All the fights are completely wound- and bloodless, and this in a series based on books that could rival Warhammer 40,000 in their level of gore!The writing is wrong. The Seeker is now a "hero" spoken of in prophecies, and the Sword of Truth fights "evil". Apparently, the concept of evil being subjective, which is pretty darn simple, was considered too complex for the target audience. In the books, the Seeker was a position you had to qualify for, but screw that, anything that interferes with the viewer's vicarious wish-fulfillment has to go. The Seeker is a hero whose coming was foretold! The books aside, hasn't that been done a thousand times already? The Seeker will use the Sword of Truth to kill Darken Rahl! In the books it was established early on that the sword could NOT be used on Darken Rahl, and that created a nice sense of tension, but, of course, convention dictates that the Designated Villain™ be slain with the Designated Sword of Goodness™. The Seeker needs to keep the Book of Counted Shadows away from Darken Rahl because it contains "secrets of power"! What kind of power? Why is it so important to stop this Darken Rahl guy, anyway? We are never told. Anyways, they go off on their quest, and Zedd proclaims that they're going to help people suffering from Rahl's oppression as they move toward their goal, like it's an RPG where you can put off the main objective indefinitely in favor of side quests. Compare this with the book, where Zedd told Richard that he would kill him, or anyone else, without hesitation if he thought they were going to be an obstacle to stopping Darken Rahl. It was somewhat shocking, but it made sense. This show makes none. I'm surprised Terry Goodkind didn't put his foot down.