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The Shannara Chronicles |OT| MTV - High Fantasy (ft. Crixus & DJ Douche) - Tue 10/9c

Sober

Member
That was fun for the most part - I mean the Will/Amberle/Eretria parts. The other plot was really boring and feels like it only finally decided to catch up 7 episodes in. Even a moderately paced show wouldn't waste more than 4 episodes killing off the people they needed.
 
Oh boy, what the fuck was that? I mean these last episodes as a whole were a big joke to be honest, I can't believe the nosedive it took since the first 2 episodes.

This show has pretty much lost me. I fast-forwarded through about half of the last episode, including all the elven stuff with the Elessedil family and the non-action sequences amongst Wil/Amberle/Eretria. And I don't feel like I missed anything of note.
 

Effect

Member
Haven't really been watching much of this since the premiere but I'm really not sure how I feel about this show as a whole. There is clear effort being put into but not sure I like the choices that have been made with the show. I've been letting episodes build up though. Hoping that watching more one after another it will play better. I'm glad this season is only 10 episodes.
 

Sober

Member
Deathstroke is the only worthwhile character to watch. Everyone else is terrible.
Manu Bennett is wasted in the Arbalon scenes. As much as most people hate Wil/Amberle/Eretria I wish he just went along with them and just rolled his eyes every time they had a dumb plan he had to follow or something. Would make the show much more enjoyable.

I like that AV Club gave this episode a D- but I liked this one way more than they did, even though I basically agree with their grading of the rest of the entire season.
 

Geist-

Member
It's no Game of Thrones, but I like it. It's a fun fantasy adventure with interesting concepts. Characters are a little dumb, but not a dealbreaker.

I like that there are human societies that are trying to relearn science and technology.
 

LordOfChaos

Member
The whole modernish human colony subplot felt tacked on to extend the plot. Two episodes left, I wonder if they're going to finish the book this season? They did show the Bloodfire in the season preview.

If it is about done - can't say I'm not disappointed with the whole thing. My appreciation of the book kept me going hoping it would get better, but it was pretty cringey, and replaced great book moments with shitty teenage drama.

If Amberlee doesn't become the tree that'll be the cherry on top of a crappy change cake
 

offtopic

He measures in centimeters
It's no Game of Thrones, but I like it. It's a fun fantasy adventure with interesting concepts. Characters are a little dumb, but not a dealbreaker.

I like that there are human societies that are trying to relearn science and technology.

It shouldn't even be used in the same sentence as GoT. The concepts are tired, the world is cliche and the characters and writing are beyond stupid.
 

TDLink

Member
I've watched every episode hoping this show would get better. But I think it's actually gotten worse overtime. Forced teen/YA crap that you can see a mile away. The best character (Alannon) separate from the main crew. Stumbling across modern stuff when this is supposed to be a fantasy world (I understand this stuff was not there at all in the books or at least much more subtle). All of it feels very weird and not well done.
 

Effect

Member
I think that's my issue. Without the ability to hide and obscure the fact that this story take place in a post-apocalyptic world completely alters the tone and flow of the story, characters, and world. It makes everything feel weird and not in a good way. There is almost to many real world items in the show and what they do have is not degraded or destroyed enough. This is why the Alannon sections still work because he's not in locations where this is an issue.
 

vinnygambini

Why are strippers at the U.N. bad when they're great at strip clubs???
Good or bad?

Ratings are good given the lack of scripted series on MTV.

Least favorite episode so far. How many episodes are left?

Agreed, series has turned sour since the quest commenced. I'm not liking it as much as I did previously. 2 episodes left. Hope it gets renewed but they need to work on the writing and the flow - I mean the show seems to drag-on and has nothing to show for. Odd given the material.
 
Just watched this week's ep. Definitely got the CW thing going on full bore here, with Will just about to bed the princess.

Let's go off and save the world? Nah, let's get laid instead.
 
Yeah, I'll stick with it for the last two episodes but I don't know if I'll be back, this show is going too far into the drama for teen girls demo (which I know is its primary target) way too hard for me. Not even reading the books I knew that place was show created and I'm almost certain it was so they could have that party "clubbing scene" thing.
Just watched this week's ep. Definitely got the CW thing going on full bore here, with Will just about to bed the princess.

Let's go off and save the world? Nah, let's get laid instead.

Not even the CW is this bad.
 

LordOfChaos

Member
Not even reading the books I knew that place was show created and I'm almost certain it was so they could have that party "clubbing scene" thing.

.

Yep. They only very subtly touch on that the books took place after the modern world went through an apocalypse, nothing as brazen as crashing a graduation party or going clubbing. There are other books that are based around the modern world before the apocalypse.
 

Wag

Member
10,000 years in the future we'll be dancing with Elves at raves and watching Star Trek. 😄

I'm out.
 
Just seen this advertised, but guessing by the posts it is crap?

To me the biggest problem is they CWed the shit out of the book. They added drama for the sake of drama and most of the changes they made to the book has been nonsensical. Beautiful show though.
 
Just seen this advertised, but guessing by the posts it is crap?

It started out strong but they kind of lost me at the rave scene. I'm sticking it out for the last 2 episodes but something went wrong along the way. Maybe they can redeem themselves. I think the post apocalypse thing could have been used a little more sparingly.
 

Jag

Member
To me the biggest problem is they CWed the shit out of the book. They added drama for the sake of drama and most of the changes they made to the book has been nonsensical. Beautiful show though.

I still can't wrap my head around the fact that an EDM rave was part of a Shannara story. The production is amazing, but the writing and acting are total shit.

Thousands of starving actors and they hired people solely based on eye candy.
 
I still can't wrap my head around the fact that an EDM rave was part of a Shannara story. The production is amazing, but the writing and acting are total shit.

Thousands of starving actors and they hired people solely based on eye candy.

I honestly have a tough time blaming the actors. Not that they're particularly good, but the writing isn't doing them any favors at all.
 
I still can't wrap my head around the fact that an EDM rave was part of a Shannara story. The production is amazing, but the writing and acting are total shit.

Thousands of starving actors and they hired people solely based on eye candy.

As The Outsider said, its not the actors. The writing team fucked up. As for the EDM thing, that is MTV being MTV. It is dumb beyond all measure but not as bad as shoehorning in a love triangle purely for the sake of it. The other thing that has bugged me about the show has been the Races. Gnomes are in the Westland now instead of the Eastland and are under control of the Elves, Trolls are basically monsters instead of being the equivalent of Native Americans, The Federation controls all of the Southland instead of just forming, not to mention there have been no Dwarves even though they are the Elves biggest allies in the books. Nothing they have changed has been good.
 
The characters being quick to fuck each other is what gets me. They're in hostile territory and shagging each other takes priority? Whatever it takes to get their clothes off, eh?

Also, a lot of pre-war human stuff being in good enough condition to work is a bit of a stretch. After a few thousand years a lot of that would be long gone.

But I enjoyed it despite those issues. However, I haven't read the books.
 
This show is in the guilty pleasure territory for me now. Mostly watching it for the stunning sceneries now. I'm a sucker for New Zealand's vistas.
 
Do the books explain why Earth is fucked up and somehow elves and trolls showed up?

Trolls, Gnomes, and Dwarves are descendants of Humans that were mutated from the nuclear and chemical weapons that were used during WWIII. Elves were around before humans, but in their war with the Demons their numbers were decimated. Also, the creation of the Ellcrys took most of their magic. So they are basically humans with better senses.
 

RPGCrazied

Member
Much better than the last episode. But I can do without the love making scenes. Are they doing it just cause game of throne does? The actor that plays Allanon is bad ass. He is really good. Dat voice.
 
Much better than the last episode. But I can do without the love making scenes. Are they doing it just cause game of throne does? The actor that plays Allanon is bad ass. He is really good. Dat voice.

They are doing it because the writers are pandering to the MTV audience. If you think Manu Bennett is bad ass as Allanon, you should watch season 1 and 2 of Arrow where he plays Deathstroke.
 

Sulik2

Member
Finally got around to watching the pilot. Seemed to struggle with tone, but had some fantastic production design. I'll keep watching. Also, Poppy Drayton is stunning.
 

LiQuid!

I proudly and openly admit to wishing death upon the mothers of people I don't like
So.. umm.. This is a thing.

http://www.twitch.tv/twitch

Is currently playing the 2 hour series premiere.. complete with Twitch chat rocking on the side.. I'm confused as to why this is happening but.. there it is.
I ended up watching this whole thing last night. Kinda weird that MTV hijacked the Twitch front page and sponsored a stream just to get 3,000 people watching the pilot and a softball Terry Brooks interview. Leads me to believe they haven't been thrilled with ratings, but I guess it's hopeful that they're trying to "save" the show by attempting alternate marketing. Reception from the Twitch chat, aside from general meme spamming, was typically alright.

As for my thoughts on the show, I thought it was a little too sterile, glossy, and had a lot of questionable YA acting, but it was still pretty interesting and watchable. I dunno, I know it's based on material from the 70s and 80s, but it's still kind of shocking how derivative it is. Not sure if there's enough compulsion to continue watching the adventures of Will Skywalker and Obi Wan Crixus. Twitch chat might have helped make it a little more palatable too. I know they're tired memes at this point but there's something viscerally pleasurable about seeing BibleThump spam when the main character's mom dies, or "RUINED KappaRoss" when the sexy naked lady turned into a gross orc/goblin/thing. This show seems self serious to the point that those moments without the levity of Twitch chat might start to grate on my nerves.

I guess I'll keep it in mind if I'm ever bored of the dozen comic book shows I'm trying to catch up on.
 

aku:jiki

Member
I can't believe they actually spelled out the Safehold thing on the sign... I thought this was a show for teens, not toddlers?

Much better than the last episode. But I can do without the love making scenes. Are they doing it just cause game of throne does? The actor that plays Allanon is bad ass. He is really good. Dat voice.
Oh boy, if you've never seen Manu Bennett before you need to watch Spartacus immediately. Like drop what you're doing right now and run.
 

LordOfChaos

Member
Lol when he's writing on the board with chalk, they'd make the worst jeopardy players ever. "Safe Old? We still don't get it, keep going!". Also iirc, anything from the modern age in Shannara books wasn't readable, they were just old runes?

That was almost as bad as the constant stare into the distance and flash red eyes thing to remind everyone that the Changeling was still the Changeling. I know this is MTV, but it's really hand holding to the extreme.

Well, we're almost done at any rate. They better do the
flying battle between Dagda Mor and Allanon
well.
 

Sober

Member
Lol when he's writing on the board with chalk, they'd make the worst jeopardy players ever. "Safe Old? We still don't get it, keep going!". Also iirc, anything from the modern age in Shannara books wasn't readable, they were just old runes?
I mean I can forgive that they can either can read English (they also could read the book, so whatever, honestly) or elves still know English or whatever but literally writing out SAFEHOLD was kinda cheesy and unearned. Like it pretty much spelled "SaF Old" so I mean if you saw it and took it in it wasn't a stretch to assume someone mistranslated it but seriously.

Also I lol'd cause when the Councillor arrested Ander she didn't give a fuck about Allanon at all. Like the guy who's basically the right-hand man of the king you just deposed, you're just gonna let him waltz around after your coup?

Oh well, I guess they're just gonna go for stupid flashy battles in the finale which I guess will turn everyone around on the show for a while.
 

firehawk12

Subete no aware
Trolls, Gnomes, and Dwarves are descendants of Humans that were mutated from the nuclear and chemical weapons that were used during WWIII. Elves were around before humans, but in their war with the Demons their numbers were decimated. Also, the creation of the Ellcrys took most of their magic. So they are basically humans with better senses.
Wait, so elves existed first, then went into hiding for thousands of years while humans did their thing. Then there was a nuclear war which ended civilization and turned some humans into gnomes and trolls and then the elves decided to come out of hiding?
 

LordOfChaos

Member
Wait, so elves existed first, then went into hiding for thousands of years while humans did their thing. Then there was a nuclear war which ended civilization and turned some humans into gnomes and trolls and then the elves decided to come out of hiding?

Yep, that was the explanation in the books. The whole thing is cyclical, when the mythical age of the elves ends humans take more and more ground and elves just go into hiding, then the humans wipe most of themselves out in war, and the elves come back.

That's what I liked about Brooks's books, you could start at the apocalypse, or legendary times, or human times, and it would still look like a full circle no matter where you started or ended.
 
Wait, so elves existed first, then went into hiding for thousands of years while humans did their thing. Then there was a nuclear war which ended civilization and turned some humans into gnomes and trolls and then the elves decided to come out of hiding?

Yep, basically what LordOfChaos said. First it was elves and other races, that was known as the Age of Faerie, and only one of those creatures still exist. After the Elves lost most of their magic when they created the Ellcrys, Man came about and they didn't really want anything to do with us. The prequel novels that take place 100 years after WWIII details the Elves coming back. With the Elves and Humans, and the other species that branched off, living together magic and science exist at the same time. About 200 years after this season ends, the Rovers create airships and things take off from there.
 
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