SPOILERS: Richard Learns to Use Wizard Juice in “Dark” (S2E09)
January 24, 2010 by Michael
Filed under Featured Story, Spoilers
WARNING: This post contains spoilers. If you haven’t yet watched the episode and don’t want to know what happens in advance then stop reading right now! No, really, stop reading! We mean it! This post outlines pretty much everything that happens in the episode so make a note; you were warned!
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE FORUM THREAD DISCUSSION ON THIS PARTICULAR EPISODE
Richard arrives at the Palace of the Prophets with Sister Verna. Just on the outskirts of the city Richard has another headache and Sister Verna. informs Richard that the Palace is shielded. Richard and Sister Verna arrive in the city where there are a ton of sisters of the light performing their “devotions”. Richard meets with the Prelate who welcomes him to the Palace of the Prophets and states that they will talk after devotions.
Another fast moving episode because during the daily devotions one of the Sisters of the Light kneels motionless when spoken to by the Prelate. After lifting the red veil we see nothing but red blood and her eyes cast open in deaths long stare. The Prelate claims that this sister’s weak heart finally gave out but that the “radiant look of peace on her face can only mean she is with the Creator now”. Ummm… I didn’t see any look of peace at all, far from it. Anyways, the Prelate seems to believe that Sister Brenna committed suicide and that is why she said that her heart gave out because she did not want to dishonor her in front of the others.
Richard seems to think otherwise; He thinks that she was poisoned. “Why would she commit suicide during devotions”?
Enter what is supposed to be comic relief but what turns out to be nothing more than silly time filler. A Sister of the Light with a sense of “humour” teases Richard about being the new Wizard and not to blast her with Wizard’s Fire.
Cut scene goes Cara and Kahlan as Kahlan fondles the Sword of Truth stating that she misses Richard. A single tear rolls down her cheek as she states she loves him and misses him. The girls have a discussion over love and how it does or does not make you weak; that feelings must be governed. They quickly throw in an after thought of Zedd and their hopes that he is ok.
Cut scene now goes to Zedd, who is creeping up on Shota as she sits on a rock in the middle of a pond fondling the water in an absent minded way. “You know why I’m here” says Zedd. Shota counters with “Blah blah blah, someone wise told you that Richard was going to fail in his quest so you are here to name a new Seeker blah blah blah” Shota does her parlor trick with the water to show Zedd the new Seeker.
Richard meets with Sister Nicci at night time, hidden from prying eyes. She tells him a secret “that can get her killed”. She tells him she is nearly 300 years old to the outside world”. She then explains about the spell on the palace; that for every day that passes inside the palace, 10 days have passed outside. Richard realizes that if he is there a month, a year will pass in the real world. She tells him that if he is there for a year to finish his training, 10 years will have passed. Richard is a little pissed, understandably so. Nicci moves in closer stating that she doesn’t think it’s fair to keep Richard from his quest and a glow forms around him. She is showing his Han (Wizard Juice). “Your Han is the strongest I have ever felt” (undertones of Qui-gon Jin to Obi-wan in Star Wars). Apparently he is going to be the strongest Wizard in 3000 years. She tells him a bit more about the prophecy and that he may deliver the key to defeating evil into the very hands of those they wish to defeat.
Sister Nicci plants the seeds of doubt in Richard’s mind that Sister Brenna was killed by the Prelate but Richard believes that it was someone else because of the time the poison takes to act. He states he must leave quickly, worried that he will be killed. He asks how the headaches can be stopped so he can leave and she tells him about a collar that will inhibit his powers and thus the han. She doesn’t have one but she knows someone who does (the Prelate).
Richard grabs Sister Verna and puts Kahlan’s dagger to her throat “Why did you lie to me, I want the truth!”. She tells him to come with her where she lets him read a prophecy. Saying that the Creator gives them the prophecy to guide their actions.
Slowly, throughout the conversation, the truth begins to come out; Richard has been bamboozled.
At this point we skip back to Kahlan and Cara who have met up with Zeddicus. Some strange man, with a 6 o’clock shadow and a bad hair cut, shows up on the set and investigates one of their horses legs. Cara zaps him with the A’giel however Zeddicus introduces him as the guy they have been looking for. Skip along skip along, Cara apologizes for zapping him and then we get to the naming ceremony where he promises to be good, and faithful and look for the truth in all things. Fire, a little brimstone and wizard’s magic, plus the handing over of the sword and we have a new Seeker!
The Sword words, the Compass works for the new Seeker and apparently they are headed south. Leo (the new Seeker) doesn’t know the ropes yet and offers Cara a hand getting on her horse. She stuffs him by telling him that “You will soon learn, we are here to help you”. Zedd laughs and makes a comment about teaching a bear to dance versus showing a mord-sith compassion.
The party is immediately attacked by Banelings. The new Seeker kills someone with the Sword of Truth but apparently there is no reaction?!?!? (for fans of the book). Zedd says that they have to burn them and does so with Wizard’s Fire. Cara reminds the new Seeker that he really does need their help.
Sister Nicci meets with Richard and slides him the collar (the first hit is always free). Richard thanks her and then hits the bricks trying to get out of the Palace. He gets to the front door and hits a magical barrier. Sister Verna throws one of her Ninja-Star-Like-Thingies (that’s a trade mark by the way, copyright by me) at Richard and tells him he’s not going anywhere. She unleashes the magic in the dagger and Richard goes night night.
When he wakes the Prelate, Sister Nicci, Sister Verna and an unnamed (red shirt?) are all standing around him. She asks him where he got the Raha’dan from (I know, that may not be spell right) but Richard doesn’t cave in, he tells her he is the Seeker. The Prelate states she is 600 years old and not much gets past her (she doesn’t look a day over 300).
The Prelate then goes to show Richard a neato parlor trick where she waves her hand at a wall of candles and one of the candles gives off a green glow, representing a Sister of the Dark (those who serve The Keeper).
Nicci and Richard have words. He doesn’t believe her, she gives him the puppy dog look and says “the choice is yours” (whether to believe her or not) then she leaves.
Nicci and another Sister meet in the woods, apparently they are both Sisters of the Dark. The plot thickens when Nicci states she will kill the Prelate. Nicci states that she has felt Richard’s Han and that his han is so strong that it may over-power her if she tries to take it. The other sister states that Nicci should kill another sister and take her power so that she is strong enough to take Richard’s powers. Nicci agrees and then thrusts a dagger like object into the others chest stealing her powers.
Cara and the new Seeker have a heart to heart in the middle of the night (or as close to a heart to heart as a mord-sith can get). Anyways, from the look on her face Cara seems to have more than a passing interest in the new Seeker (hey, each lady can have a Seeker in this series apparently).
Richard meets with Verna and offers her a choice; help him so he can leave and the Sisters of Light can live or don’t help him and he will allow a Sister of the Dark to absorb his Han, then that Sister of the Dark will slaughter the Sisters of the Light and set him free anyways.
Cara and Leo (the new Seeker) get all flirty with each other and then she jumps on him……. to knock him down and avoid the ninja-star-like-thingy that a Sister of the Dark threw at him. Cara offers to torture her to get info but she pulls the Sword of Truth into her throat, killing herself. Pity.
Richard lets Nicci absorb his Han and she spins around looking all chesty in that red outfit feeling all good about the whole situation. She shoots a bolt of lightning at the door and throws down the barrier. Richard crosses it and she then puts it back into place “There, now another Sister cannot follow you” BUT little does she know, Sister Verna sneaks up behind her and places a Raha’dan on her making her new powers impotent. She pleads to Richard but he isn’t having any of that. Richard has it figured out; Nicci is a Sister of the Dark, she was the one who killed Sister Brenna with the poison at the beginning of the episode.
The Prelate comes forward and tells some Sisters to get Richard, they throw their ninja daggers but they bounce off the shield. Nicci won’t take down the shield, the Prelate can’t break it, Richard wins. Richard double times it out of the Palace of the Prophets.
As one of the Sisters is doing some cleaning in the room where the Prophecy hangs on the walls a sort of earthquake happens and a bright light shins on the rocks. A new Prophecy burns into the stone slabs (I guess they don’t have the Prophet in the television show?).
Cara, Kahlan and Zedd (and Leo too, for as long as he lasts) discover that the compass is pointing towards Richard in an indirect way. Looks like Compass believes that Richard should be the Seeker or is needed in some way.
Check back next week for more spoilers!
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