I was hoping for a grand confrontation between the Keeper and the Creator tonight — not a clip show in the guise of a “trial” episode. While we did get a little taste of that confrontation at the end of the hour, for the most part this episode revolved around Richard and his companions trying to convince the Creator (played by Oscar nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes, star of Whale Rider and The Nativity Story) that Richard is not an agent of the Keeper.
Tell me, does this make for exciting television?
Kahlan: So, Richard, remember when you did that one thing at that one village? Tell us about that.
Clip.
Creator: Oh yeah, well what about when you did that other thing at that other village? Tell us about that.
Clip.
Zedd: But that’s nothing! What about the time when he did that thing at that other town? That was pretty awesome.
Clip.
Are you still awake?
The question of whether Maia is the Creator or just a pawn of the Sisters of the Light was the aspect of this episode that kept me interested. I’m happy that the writers didn’t go the Star Trek route, which would be to prove unequivocally that the divinity in question is a fraud. Actually, while shows like Trek reject the divine in general, within the Seeker universe we’ve already seen that the Keeper and the Underworld are real. From this, one can assume that the Creator exists as well and is not simply a superstition or myth. Thus, the question is not whether the Creator exists but whether Maia is the incarnation of the Creator. Instead of doing the Trek thing and insisting that she’s a fraud, the writers gave us an ambiguous ending. Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t. That’s the nature of faith — some things cannot be known, so you must choose what you will believe.
It’s interesting that Richard refuses to believe in the prophecies, even though he’s been to the Underworld and seen firsthand that there are other forces at work in the universe. Knowing that these forces exist, why is it so hard to believe that those forces can foresee or direct his path? I can certainly understand if his skepticism is directed primarily at the Sisters of the Light and not at the prophecies themselves.
So, what did you think of “Creator”? And did you like Keisha Castle-Hughes’ performance? Do you think she really is the Creator? I liked her performance for the most part, although she seemed a bit wooden. As for whether she is the Creator, I have doubts but suspect that she is. I hope we’ll see her again, because her history with the Keeper sounds intriguing.
Clacked by Ruby T.
on Mar 28, 2010 @ 09:13 EST5EDT
I WAS disappointed when I realized this was a clip show, especially because they had an Oscar winner on their hands and this is how they used her! I just have a question- if she really is the Creator, does that mean that for the 20 or so years she’s been alive the Creator… didn’t do anything? Wasn’t active?
Also, it was strange how she remembered how Kahlan would pray to her, etc. but when they showed how she got her powers and learned she was the Creator it was just that all the Sisters of the Light gave up their Han for her, which they could’ve done for anyone. The Creator in her didn’t suddenly awaken and manifest her body as I thought during the episode.
Kahlan: So, Richard, remember when you did that one thing at that one village? Tell us about that.
Clip.
Creator: Oh yeah, well what about when you did that other thing at that other village? Tell us about that.
Clip.
Zedd: But that’s nothing! What about the time when he did that thing at that other town? That was pretty awesome.
Clip.
That was about the whole episode, unfortunately. And next week is a rerun!
Yeah, you’re right – I was thinking the same thing. Darken Rahl seemed to think that the Creator made a mistake by becoming a human, because that meant that she could be killed. So this suggests that while she is human, she is limited in certain ways and can’t also be … up in the sky, doing divine things.
To accept that Maia is the Creator, I would have to assume that the Sisters of the Light were fulfilling a prophecy in bestowing their Han on Maia (i.e., that was the way that the Creator was supposed to come into the world). However, there is a lot of room for doubt. I’m not sure at all. The main reason I think she might be the Creator is because Darken Rahl seems to believe it.
With all the Sister’s of the Light giving up their Han, do you think that they will have a lesser part in upcoming episodes because they are now basically powerless?
I was disappointed and annoyed at this episode for a number of reasons:
1) A big part of the advertising for this episode was that there was an Oscar-winning actress playing the “Creator”, and it turns out as a fairly dumpy little part.
2) A clip episode — isn’t this what show writers do when they are out of ideas?
3) If Maia is the Creator — granting that for a moment — would not the Creator KNOW that Richard isn’t an ally of the Keeper; or has the Creator been snoozing and not paying attention to what is going on in her creation?
4) If the Creator has been hanging out as a mortal (more or less) and been deficit Creator-powers, who has been in charge of Creator-stuff in the Creator-realm? Do you bring in a temp for this sort of thing? [And how does one get that gig?] (All the more reason to think that Maia, however well-meaning, is delusional.)
5) Again, if Maia is the Creator, why can’t the Keeper sense her presence. For that matter why can’t Darken Rahl figure out where she is. A being who has the power to create/destroy the world/reality would surely generate some kind of glimmer.
6) The Sisters of the Light — ethically challenged and morally ambiguous — give up all their han (Han?). This would imply that the magical ability that han represents is a quantifiable quality. You get 6 liters or whatever, and it has to last you a lifetime. And if one is indeed the Creator, could not one create more han for oneself? Or is the Creator merely one of the lesser-gods?
Okay, maybe I’m being too literal, so to speak. The fundamental problem with trying to portray the ultimate being is the same problem Milton had in Paradise Lost — “god” is dramatically boring.
OTOH, the most interesting thing in this episode is the dynamic between Darken Rahl and the Keeper. Finally, DR is something more than simply the doorman.
Hi Marie! I’ve asked myself those same questions about the Creator/Maia. I guess my problem is that I’m trying to equate my idea of God (the Christian God, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent) with this other divine being (the Creator) – invented by Terry Goodkind and reinvented by the Seeker team – who perhaps does not have any of those qualities that I assume the Creator should have. Maybe in the Seeker universe, the Creator is NOT omniscient, omnipotent, or omnipresent – she is simply a force that created the human race. I don’t know if I’m making any sense, but that’s what I’m thinking.
This was the worst episode of the series.