Kahlan’s role as the Mother Confessor is a big deal in Terry Goodkind‘s novels. Kings and queens bow to her, because she rules the Council that rules the Midlands. This aspect of her character has been downplayed in the television series, but tonight’s episode did a nice job of demonstrating Kahlan’s authority to rule (though her home town, Aydindril, looked disappointingly ordinary). My favorite moment? Kahlan strides to the throne and tells the usurping Prince Fyren, “Get out of my chair!”
The two Kahlans in “Torn” (whom I will call Duty Kahlan and Desire Kahlan) made for a fun, relatively light-hearted hour. I knew that the problem would be resolved by the end of the episode, so I just took it as an opportunity to enjoy Bridget Regan‘s performance. Duty Kahlan walked and spoke with such cool-headed confidence that I kind of loved that version of her character. She asserted her authority and exuded power. She also wore the white dress — nice touch.
In contrast, Desire Kahlan was weak and whiny. I don’t like to see our mighty warrior woman languishing and swooning over Richard, even if he is her one true love. At least her jealous outburst at Cara was quite funny. I loved how Cara was like, “If I wanted him, I would already have him!” Z-snap!
During the big fight scene, Kahlan confessed herself (very cool!) and also fought Cara. I would have liked a more drawn out, elaborate fight between the Mord-Sith and the Confessor. How did Kahlan lose so quickly? You would think that she would be an even deadlier warrior with her compassion out of the way, right? I suppose the split must have diminished her strength, because I expected Kahlan to be able to hold her own against Cara.
Since both Kahlans mated (one with Richard and one with Fyren) and since both mentioned the possibility of being pregnant, I thought this plot point was actually going somewhere, but it turned out to be nothing. Would you consider that to be good or bad — a disappointment or a relief? I thought there would be more to the story, something to carry over to next week, but I guess not.
So, how about it? What did you think of “Torn”? Leave a comment, and share your thoughts.
Clacked by Ruby T.
on Feb 14, 2010 @ 08:30 EST5EDT
I liked this episode, it reminded me a lot of the Season 1 episodes though I’m not sure why. I thought Bridget Regan gave a great performance. I’m loving Tabrett Bethell as Cara, even her accent slipping into her lines is so cute. Like you I thought the pregnancy thing was resolved rather quickly but it would have been weird had both of them been pregnant with different men. How would they be one again? I really liked that they explored how everyone had to have a balance of compassion and duty to be a real person, a reasonable person. It was obvious when Duty Kahlan (I like those titles :D) wouldn’t let Zedd give that villager back his hand. I also liked how neither halves of Kahlan wanted to be one again. Great episode, and great review.
Yes, I was very curious about what they were going to do with the pregnancy story line – I thought maybe Kahlan would wind up pregnant, but she wouldn’t know whose baby she was carrying. LOL. That would have been so corny!
In case you want to know, this does kind of go with the books. Fyren did take over Aydendril (yes, pretty boring compared to the books’ description & I was hoping to get a shot of the Wizard’s Keep). Kahlan did go to reclaim the city but Richard was at the Palace of the Prophets at the time.
This particular storyline also set up Kahlan’s “death” in the books if i remember correctly.
Interesting. I’m still reading Stone of Tears – should be done by Thursday. As an editor, I sometimes want to use my red pen on Goodkind’s books. He likes to give a blow-by-blow account of everything that’s happening. Some of the dialogue and names also make me cringe. But that’s just me – very nit-picky. Sometimes I prefer the changes made in the TV show – for example, I don’t really care for all the Mud People stuff in the books and am glad that was left out of the show.
you man not like the Mud People, but they do come in to play throughout the series. I actually liked them. Don’t worry, if you plan to read the whole series then you’ll probably not care for other groups a lot more than the Mud People.
The writers of the TV show have started relying way too much on exposition instead of showing the story. I really don’t need 5 minutes of dialog explaining every plot point.
I’ve always considered that to be one of the show’s weaknesses. It’s tough, because there’s so much mythology and magical stuff to explain. Zedd and Kahlan usually get stuck with the exposition. I personally blame Terry Goodkind, because his books are full of exposition as well (that’s why they’re like 800 pages long).
Kahlan and Cara’s fight was necessarily brief, because if had become protracted, Cara would inevitably have missed a block and lost; Kahlan only needs a single touch to kill her. The way they did it, Cara locked Kahlan’s hands away from her while simultaneously threatening the Confessor with a lethal strike from her agiel.
I was hoping for a nod to the obvious inspiration for this episode, like if a stray bird had gotten caught in the teleport and dropped dead on both sides. At least both halves got some Yeoman action this time.
I think that could have been a really cool fight, Ryan, with all the added tension of Cara not being able to miss a single block. This may not be the best example, but it would be like this fight scene from Equilibrium, where they’re constantly blocking each other while both trying to shoot each other.
Dear God, that is the most brilliant, perfect example. Gun Kata and the Clerics of the Tetragrammaton. Noble Bean, unctuous MacFadyen, slimy Diggs, fiery Watson, wild-eyed Purcell, and, for once, a role to which Bale’s wooden and emotionally constipated acting style was ideally suited. For me, the best of the dystopias spawned by the success of The Matrix, and sweetly undiluted by sequels.
It would have been fun to see Kahlan and Cara do that of course, but would also have required a much greater suspension of disbelief. That Cara could get lucky the few times we saw, I could swallow.
Hey, with the site’s new format, your avatar is finally large enough to be discernable, Ruby.
Ahahahaha…. I love your summary of Equilibrium. But when it comes to suspension of disbelief, I’m already suspending my disbelief when I’m watching a (maybe) 100-pound Cara taking down dozens of men twice her size (Agiel or no Agiel). I would continue to suspend my disbelief for a cool fight scene.