12 - Home

Information

Title: Home
Episode number: 12
Production number: 114
Director: Charlie Haskell
Writers: Stephen Tolkin
US Air date: 21st February 2009
UK Air date: 17th September 2009
Gallery: View Home images

Synopsis

On his quest to uncover the final Box of Orden and achieve ultimate world domination, the evil Darken Rahl enlists his wizard, Giller, to cast the Spell of the Lying Moon on Richard. With the Seeker now caught in the grips of a mysterious dream-like trance, it's up to Kahlan and Zedd to free him of the spell before Richard reveals where he has hidden the third Box of Orden.

Review by Tracy Casebere

It was all a dream I tell thee! A dream! That's how episode 12 presents itself at any rate. Richard awakens at his home in Hartland, with his brother Michael standing over him and his father, George, being very much alive. It's explained to him that he fell from a cliff and had been out cold for two days. Not believing this for a minute, Richard refutes Michael and says Darken Rahl must have used "some kind of magic to wind the clock back to the day I met Kahlan." Oh please, Richard! If it was that simple, why wouldn't Darken Rahl simply re-wind time to when you were a baby and kill you the first time round?

Well for a start if he did that, there wouldn't be a need for a series in the first place. So what exactly is going on?

Darken Rahl has in fact cast some magic; it's just not the time travelling type. A powerful spell was cast over Richard - and by powerful I mean extremely lucky - the kind where the moon had to be in a certain position and every strand of Darken Rahl's hair had to be just so (ok I'm lying about the last one but the rest is true!) The point of this spell is to convince Richard that everything he experienced with Kahlan and Zedd was simply a dream caused by the supposed fall he had. He reasons his argument by telling his family and Zedd (who isn't a wizard, merely an old man with a penchant for chickens - nothing new there then) of the adventures he went on with them.

Can you see where this is going? Darken Rahl's hope is that Richard will eventually reveal the location to the third box of Orden through his story-telling. Quite an ingenious little plan really - except it's quite boring for the viewer having to re-watch big chunks from previous episodes. What new material there is does advance the storyline, at least where Richard and Kahlan is concerned. And once again it's their love for each other that ultimately saves Richard. It's becoming quite the theme but then again, perhaps this is the key to defeating Darken Rahl.

Love has been described both in this series and outside of it, as the most powerful force on earth. What better way is there to defeat an evil madman than to kill him with something he will never have?

Despite all the regurgitated scenes, this episode fulfils its destiny (like what I did there?) It helps the newer viewer come up to speed with the series and it keeps the long time viewers happy with the progression of the Richard and Kahlan love triangle. And yes I said triangle; Richard, Kahlan and magic.