22 - Reckoning

Information

Title: Reckoning
Episode number: 22
Production number: 122
Director: Michael Hurst
Writers: Ken Biller & Stephen Tolkin
US Air date: 23rd May 2009
UK Air date: 22nd October 2009
Gallery: View Reckoning images

Synopsis

Darken Rahl and his Mord'Sith find Richard and Kahlan just as they are preparing to unleash the power of Orden, which would destroy the sinister tyrant once and for all. The resulting explosion of power consumes the Seeker, leaving Kahlan in the clutches of Rahl.

Review by Tracy Casebere

It’s crunch time. The end is nigh, both for fans of the show and for Kahlan. She is now faced with the very thing she’s been running from all series: confess Richard and destroy his soul forever. Will she do it?

By God does she. But not before the hordes Mord’Sith make their grand entrance, spoiling things mid-confession and killing Zedd in the process. Unfortunately, unlike all the other times this isn’t another one of those “could be” scenarios which might be happen. This HAS happened. Richard is reportedly dead, Zedd is very definitely dead, Kahlan is captured and Darken Rahl has his smug smile back.

Not many series can kill off the main characters in the final episode and get away with it, but I think this one might just pull it off.

So then, where is Richard? Is he really dead? Well no. He’s in some place with some Mord’Sith named CARA (I know, the Cara from the books. How exciting.) and he’s fighting for his life. He’s travelled some sixty years into the future – a future where Kahlan is dead and where Rahl’s and Kahlan’s Confessor son is ruler of the world.

We then go back in time, to Kahlan, who has given birth to a son – who is also a Confessor. Sounds like it could be trouble? That’s because it is. We’ve already watched the lengths some people will go to in order to prevent the existence of a male Confessor. Still, at least the kid she has is cute. Nicholas is his name by the way. Nicholas is an evil little shit and Kahlan finally makes the decision to kill her son before he ends up getting evil enough to cause problems later on in life.

She ultimately fails in her task (well duh, that’s obvious, in Richard’s time Nicholas is ruler of the entire world) and she is sentenced to death. To add insult to the injury, Nicholas asks to be the one to kill Kahlan. Isn’t he the sweetest little boy – ever? (Hint, sarcasm.) Not content on killing his mother, he also has his father, that’d be Darken Rahl to you, killed too.

Realising what Kahlan has done for him all those years ago, he concludes she must have done this with the hope that he may one day be able to get back to the past. All he needs is a Mord’Sith (check), an Agiel (check), the three Boxes of Orden (check, check and check) and a Confessor – CHECK. So now you know why Kahlan bore a child, so one day he could use the Confessor to go back in time. She must really love him or something.

Deep down, we know how this will end. Richard and Cara both end up returning to the past, to the moment before Zedd was killed (yay – so he’s still alive) and before Kahlan sacrificed herself to a life with Darken Rahl. Smiles all round then.

On the down side, it does mean that Darken Rahl is still alive. He appears just as Richard “returns” from the future and is in the middle of being confessed by Kahlan. Blinded by fury, Darken Rahl lunges for the Boxes of Orden – and the rest they say is history.

Boom, boom – POW. Darken Rahl meets his maker in an explosive lightshow of green fireworks. And thus concludes Legend of the Seeker, for now.

The most frustrating thing about this episode isn’t the time travel plot, that’s relatively easy to follow (if a bit annoying to explain in this review) it’s the lack of conclusion in Richard’s and Kahlan’s relationship. Can they be together now? Did she manage to confess him? Will they ever be together? I’m all for suspense but what’s the point of building it all throughout the series and then not even mention it once at the end?

Everything Shota predicted was true then. Maybe if he listened to her in the beginning he wouldn’t have struggled so much. But then where’s the fun in a single episode series? The finale left us with as much conclusion as it did cliff hanger. They needn’t have bothered – I’ll still be tuning in for series 2. Will you?

Starring

Craig Horner - Richard Cypher
Bridget Regan - Kahlan Amnell
Bruce Spence - Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander

Guest Starring

Craig Parker - Darken Rahl

Co-Starring

Tabrett Bethell - Cara
Danielle Cormack - Shota
Kevin J. Wilson - General Egremont
Rose McIver - Alice
Tandi Wright - Alina
Paul Barrett - Master Rahl
Stephen Hall - Gram
Jack Hurst - Nicholas
Joy Watson - Old Shota
Thomas Yates - Ethan
Chris Bailey - Old Man