The Shannara Chronicles - General Discussion

[UNOSEZ]

This blame allanon-fest is getting ridiculous... Hopefully after encountering Shea and seeing how stubborn he was even after wil told him everything.. He'll appreciate Allanon more... I too am happy for more G. Jax.. And is every girl who sees wil gonna swoon to death.. Ugh

[Writing Wrongs]

If Ander is dead, who will be the King of the Elves or whatever he is?

[snowwhyte]

Am sad to see Ander go. I think he was the last of his line so that could lead to conflict among the elves. 

I know Bandon has gone over to the dark side but I prefer him to Will. He's a lot less whiny. I am annoyed with Will's Allanon hate. He didn't force Amberly to sacrifice herself. She chose to do that to save her people and Will is devaluing her sacrifice by blaming Allanon. Allanon makes hard choices but he makes them for the greater good and he is willing to sacrifice himself if necessary.

I like Merith and I don't want her with Will. I think they have more of a sibling 

like chemistry. 

[paulvdb]

On 9-11-2017 at 7:53 PM, UNOSEZ said:

What happened to the blk elf lady from last season... Shes not around so i assume dead but how...

Commander Tilton was killed in the first season finale. It's been so long that I actually had to look it up because I didn't remember what happened.

[Richness]

I *really* loved the time travelling father/son stuff. The feels, man, the feels! It gave me Terminator/Sarah Connor Chronicles flashbacks. Otherwise, I continue to watch mainly for Manu Bennett and Ander. They killed Ander, you bastards! 

[paulvdb]

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Bandon and his followers race to resurrect the Warlock Lord; Mareth risks everything before she's too late.

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Wil must confront his past; the bond between Allanon and Mareth continues to grow.

There were some posts last week asking about who would be the king of the Elves now. I guess we all forgot that Mareth's mother was the sister of the old king. Not surprising because her story has been all about finding her father and her mother was a character we'd never seen so it's easy to forget about her.

And they brought Catania back to life just to kill her off again. She wasn't a major character, but I liked her.

[Jacks-Son]

Poppy!!!  So nice to see her back, if only for a couple of episodes. I love how everyone travels through the four lands in 30 minutes or less. I liked these episodes and look forward to next week's penultimate and finale, although that means no Shannara for a while.

Glad to see Riga got what he deserved. Dude was a major asshole. Also sad to see Catania come back only to be turned and then killed again. Now, it's Bandon's turn to get the "Riga Special".

Didn't we see Mareth's mom, Pyria, in season 1? I'm pretty sure Wil and Amberle came across her just before she was killed by one of those wraiths.

[snowwhyte]

Poor Catania, brought back to life only to be killed again as a teaching moment for Bandon. She deserved better.

Riga really was the worst character on the show. Very glad the see the back of him. 

I did forget that Merith was a possible throne contender. I did think briefly when she was introduced that she was Amberley's cousin and wondered if the had met. Did Allanon marry her mother? Was she legitimate? Is that an issue in Shannara? Her mother left her position as a royal, did she formally renounce her claim? If we had seen an interaction between Ander and Merith that would have been helpful and interesting. She was his last living relative. Did they have a relationship? There's too many questions.

[Jacks-Son]

I moved my post to the Book Thread with regard's to Mareth's background.

Edited November 16, 2017 by Jacks-Son

[paulvdb]

Quote

Eretria confesses a dark secret to Wil; Bandon's deepest wish is granted, but with a catch.Eretria confesses a dark secret to Wil; Bandon's deepest wish is granted, but with a catch.

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In the final showdown, Wil must save the Four Lands; Wil, Mareth and Eretria grapple with the loss of one of their own.

I was surprised when I thought they killed Wil. He was never my favorite, but the show seemed to like him a lot more than I did. I thought that it meant that they knew the show wouldn't come back. With the move from MTV to Spike it seemed like they were just going to air the episodes that were already paid for, but then they ended it with Wil still being alive after all and a "to be continued" at the end.

So I guess they didn't plan for the show to end here, but as far as I'm aware ratings on Spike were not good and it wouldn't be the first time a show is cancelled with a "to be continued" at the end of the final episode.

[Jacks-Son]

14 hours ago, paulvdb said:

So I guess they didn't plan for the show to end here, but as far as I'm aware ratings on Spike were not good and it wouldn't be the first time a show is cancelled with a "to be continued" at the end of the final episode.

Shades of the "Farscape" season 4 finale. I also thought this show wasn't coming back just before Wil woke up in the demon world. I thought that Spike was burning off the episodes as well. This series has radically changed from the books. I didn't like how Eretria gave in so easily to the evil inside of her since she kept saying how she would fight it. Nor did I like the way Eretria introduced Wil to Lyria. The introduction was so low-key especially after Lyria asked Eretria who was the Wil she murmured in her sleep. So, Allanon has trouble fighting the Demon Lord, but Mareth could practically hold her own against him in sword fighting? Mareth is in love with Wil? Which relationship is this show going to use as endgame?

I hope this show comes back and is not cancelled because so far, I have enjoyed the seasons. These last two episodes were pretty good but went by so quickly.

[Impish Dragon]

4 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

Shades of the "Farscape" season 4 finale. I also thought this show wasn't coming back just before Wil woke up in the demon world. I thought that Spike was burning off the episodes as well. This series has radically changed from the books. I didn't like how Eretria gave in so easily to the evil inside of her since she kept saying how she would fight it. Nor did I like the way Eretria introduced Wil to Lyria. The introduction was so low-key especially after Lyria asked Eretria who was the Wil she murmured in her sleep. So, Allanon has trouble fighting the Demon Lord, but Mareth could practically hold her own against him in sword fighting? Mareth is in love with Wil? Which relationship is this show going to use as endgame?

I hope this show comes back and is not cancelled because so far, I have enjoyed the seasons. These last two episodes were pretty good but went by so quickly.

I had a problem with both the romantic relationships this season.  I liked Lyria but never felt the connection or chemistry between the two actress that convinced me they really did love each other.  As for Mareth and Will, I swear they were going for a sibling vibe until someone commented on the way Mareth looked at Wil.  And up until the last ep I would have sworn Wil didn't feel anything for Mareth.  If anything, I kept getting the feeling Eretria and Wil were going to hook up again, or at least start down the path to hooking up.  I haven't read the books so I don't know endgame couples.  Still I'm hoping the show isn't canceled. 

[paulvdb]

I expected Wil and Mareth to get together since the first time they met. I was concerned that we were going to get another love triangle with them and Eretria, so I was happy that Eretria stayed with Lyria and showed no romantic interest in Wil this season. The Wil/Amberle/Eretria triangle was my least favorite part of the first season and was one of the reasons why Wil was my least favorite character.

[Jacks-Son]

3 hours ago, Impish Dragon said:

If anything, I kept getting the feeling Eretria and Wil were going to hook up again, or at least start down the path to hooking up.  I haven't read the books so I don't know endgame couples.  Still I'm hoping the show isn't canceled. 

Right after Eretria introduced Wil to Lyria and Mareth came into the room and said, "It took you long enough" and Wil started walking towards Mareth, watch Eretria. She leans out to observe Wil greet Mareth. There's jealousy there. Eretria tries to pretend that she no longer has feelings for Wil, but it's very clear that she does.

I actually liked the love triangle between Eretria/Wil/Amberle. Both Eretria and Amberle were respectful of each other's feelings towards Wil and didn't try to block each other, they seemed to be willing to let Wil decide. That's a pretty mature way to handle the situation.  Impish Dragon, the endgame relationship is in the books, but who knows with this version.

Edited November 24, 2017 by Jacks-Son

[snowwhyte]

So the deaths that are likely permanent are Banden and Allanon? I like that Banden finally realized that servant of the Dark Lord is not a good gig but it was pretty stupid of him to try and kill him with no planning or assessment of his chance of success.

[AngelKitty]

I remember being sad when Bandon went to the dark side, so I was hoping he would be redeemed.

Of course Will isn't really dead. That "death" was just too easy.

Maybe Bandon and Allanon are in the same place where they have to work together to fight the bigger bad.

[navelgazer]

I finally noticed that these different places either have transporter systems or are connected by wormholes or some such because everybody seemed to get where they were going instantly (except when there was an aerial shot of horses running along a beach).

[Loandbehold]

4 hours ago, snowwhyte said:

So the deaths that are likely permanent are Banden and Allanon?

We did see Bremmer, Allanon's mentor, appear as a shade earlier this season.

[paulvdb]

4 hours ago, navelgazer said:

(except when there was an aerial shot of horses running along a beach)

Speaking of that, the place where they were riding at the end looked familiar. Was that the same place where Kahlan and her sister were trying to get away from Darken Rahl's soldiers in the pilot of Legend of the Seeker? When the soldiers shot Kahlan's sister.

[Loandbehold]

Do they shoot Shannara in New Zealand? LotS was shot in that country.

[paulvdb]

Yes, Shannara and LotS were both filmed in New Zealand.

[Richness]

I really hate when wizard fights are settled mostly with swords and not magic. It happened here, and it happened in Lord of the Rings. And the epic magic fights in Harry Potter weren't seen until the last half of the movies. I realize they have budgets to work within, but it really ruins a wizard fight for me. Maybe a little less location shooting, and more special effects. Though I will admit those cinematic long shots and establishing shots are breathtaking to see.

 

While I was somewhat expecting Allanon's death with the introduction of his daughter, I wasn't expecting Will's "death". However, I'm really going to need them to stop killing off their major characters only to have them comeback in some other form later.

 

Regardless, I hope this show continues since it's the only one of it's genre currently on TV. There are too many superhero, zombie, vampire, cop, and medical shows out there as it is.

[navelgazer]

10 hours ago, Richness said:

Regardless, I hope this show continues since it's the only one of it's genre currently on TV. There are too many superhero, zombie, vampire, cop, and medical shows out there as it is.

Isn't Game of Thrones in the same genre as this show, medieval fantasy?  One might be more epic than the other, but they both have swords, horses, and magic. 

[Jacks-Son]

5 minutes ago, navelgazer said:

Isn't Game of Thrones in the same genre as this show, medieval fantasy?  One might be more epic than the other, but they both have swords, horses, and magic. 

Isn't "Shadowhunters" still being aired. It's Freeform, but still, it's a viable channel and "Shadowhunters" has a larger viewership. It has two of three of the requisite  swords, horses, and magic. 

Edited November 25, 2017 by Jacks-Son

[NeenerNeener]

According to The Futon Critic, this show has "on hiatus or fate to be determined" status. I'm not sure if I want it to come back or not since they killed off Ander this season and his equally hot brother, Man Bun, last season.

Edited November 25, 2017 by NeenerNeener

[Richness]

12 hours ago, navelgazer said:

Isn't Game of Thrones in the same genre as this show, medieval fantasy?  One might be more epic than the other, but they both have swords, horses, and magic. 

You're absolutely correct. I need to have my geek guard revoked for not remembering GoT. In my defense, I consider GoT  so much better than Shannara Chronicles, that GoT transcends the fantasy genre.

12 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

Isn't "Shadowhunters" still being aired. It's Freeform, but still, it's a viable channel and "Shadowhunters" has a larger viewership. It has two of three of the requisite  swords, horses, and magic. 

While Shadowhunters has fantasy elements (werewolves/vampires/magic/etc), it's set in a city during modern times. It fits into the same urban fantasy genre as Supernatural. And while SC is technically set in the far future post-apocalypse, it falls into the classic swords and sorcery fantasy genre. 

[AudienceofOne]

This season was terrible. Not that season 1 was great television but it was at least watchable. This was awful.

I think the entire season could be summed up at the end of this episode where everyone thinks Will is dead and they're like, "whatever". Eretria turned evil, "whatever". The Elvish monarchy is in chaos, "whatever". Even the show's own characters don't care about what happened this season.

I didn't think anything could be worse than Allanon's "please impregnate my daughter" speech but Eretria's utter indifference to the most important person in her life being dead tops it.

[AudienceofOne]

On ‎24‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 1:20 PM, Impish Dragon said:

I had a problem with both the romantic relationships this season.  I liked Lyria but never felt the connection or chemistry between the two actress that convinced me they really did love each other.  As for Mareth and Will, I swear they were going for a sibling vibe until someone commented on the way Mareth looked at Wil.  And up until the last ep I would have sworn Wil didn't feel anything for Mareth.  If anything, I kept getting the feeling Eretria and Wil were going to hook up again, or at least start down the path to hooking up.  I haven't read the books so I don't know endgame couples.  Still I'm hoping the show isn't canceled. 

I completely agree with both these points. I actually thought "I'm so glad that Will isn't in a romance plotline this season and he and Mareth are just friends" right before someone raised her romantic feelings towards him. Austin Bulter gave it his all in the final episode but I still couldn't see any connection there.

Not only did Eretria and Lyria not have any chemistry, but the actors looked actively uncomfortable around each other. I didn't buy that they were even attracted to each other let alone in love.

[Artsda]

[Jacks-Son]

Whiplash. From back-to-backs to cancelled. Make up your damn mind. Don't get us all juiced and ready for season 3 then cancel it. Aren't you supposed to plan these things way in advanced?

[navelgazer]

Damn. 

I always tell myself not to fall in love with a show until Season 3, but I can never stick to it. 

[Adira]

I'm not surprised.  I kind of assumed the back-to-back episodes was to get them all aired and over with sooner and knew it probably wasn't a good sign.  And with the death of Allanon, I'm less interested in another season.  But I am still bummed.  This show always reminded me a little of Hercules, Xena, and Legends of the Seeker, so I'm sad that it wasn't a little better and didn't last a little longer.  These types of shows just don't do well anymore it seems.

[AngelKitty]

Aww, that's disappointing.

[Artsda]

They're shopping it around.

http://ew.com/tv/2018/01/17/shannara-chronicles-canceled/

Still, the cancellation may not be the end of the road for Wil (Austin Butler), Eretria (Ivana Baquero), Allanon (Manu Bennett), and the series’ sprawling cast of colorful characters. EW has confirmed that Sonar Entertainment, the studio behind The Shannara Chronicles, has begun shopping the series to potential other networks, including streaming outlets that may want to capitalize on the series’ epic scope.

[Sibirsciy]

Of course the series is good, but season 2 is much weaker than the 1st. We are looking forward to the 3rd, I hope the directors will not let us down, etc.

[TimetoShine]

Has it been uncancelled?