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An epic saga comes to an end with these 22 episodes (on five discs) from the second and final season of the sword-and-sorcery series Legend of the Seeker. Actually, there's a teaser at the end of the last episode that promises more to come, but since the show wasn't renewed, we may never know what its creators had in store. But there's plenty here for adherents to digest in the meantime. When the last season ended, Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), better known as the Seeker, had at last managed to kill his mortal enemy, Darken Rahl (Craig Parker). But although he may be dead, Rahl isn't gone; dispatched to the Underworld, he now answers to the Keeper, lord of that desolate realm (a scene straight out of a Brueghel or Bosch painting, with a fiery landscape crowded with miserable writhing souls). The Keeper, whom we hear but never see, has already set in motion his plan to win the "ultimate battle between good and evil," as it's breathlessly described; he's opened a rift in the Earth's surface, through which he plans to dispatch all manner of monsters, "banelings" (dead souls restored to life--if they agree to kill on the Keeper's behalf), and other bad mojo. Only our hero can stop him, of course. He and three cohorts--Kahlan (Bridget Regan), a powerful "Confessor" and Richard's love interest; Zedd (Bruce Spence), a clever wizard; and Cara (Tabrett Bethell), a member of a band of malevolent warrior women called the Mord'Sith who's now on the side of the good guys--set out on a quest to find the Stone of Tears, which alone can seal the rift. Needless to say, there are many obstacles to overcome (spells, curses, wizards and witches, zombies on the loose, tough chicks in leather catsuits) and battles to be fought along the way. Legend of the Seeker is bound to appeal to fans of The Lord of the Rings and its ilk (like Rings, it was filmed in New Zealand), as long as viewers are willing to lower their expectations. This is television, after all, with its smaller budgets and hurried shooting schedules, and its shortcomings are apparent in the acting (Horner is bland in the lead role, but no one will be winning any Emmys here), writing (the scripts have more than a few hokey moments), and production values like costumes, sets, and effects. But is it entertaining? Absolutely. --Sam Graham
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