>

Wednesday 27 June 2012

What Game of Thrones Got Right But Legend of the Seeker Got Horribly Wrong


In the last few years, two epic fantasy series have been adapted for TV – The Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, screening under the name of the first book, Game of Thrones, and Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth, screening under the name Legend of the Seeker.

Of the two sets of books, I love The Sword of Truth more. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, don’t hate me, I do like A Song of Ice and Fire, but consider checking out The Sword of Truth if you haven’t already (except book 5 and 7, in my humble opinion…). Same goes if you like Legend of the Seeker – I really cannot emphasise how much better the books are than the TV series. 

Why are the books better than the TV series? Although the books are good I wouldn’t describe them as brilliant, but in my opinion Legend of the Seeker was as much an unmitigated disaster as Game of Thrones is a success. 

One has to wonder why? I have two theories, the second of which feeds out of the first:
  1. Legend of the Seeker was significantly adapted from the books, until it only bore a passing resemblance to the original story. Now I know changes may be necessary to adapt a book for screen, but these changes were so extreme they almost wrote a whole new story – in fact, for season two, it’s arguable they did, because Darken Rahl bit the dust in Wizard’s First Rule (the first book in The Sword of Truth) and that was pretty much endgame for him.

    By contrast,
    Game of Thrones has been very true to the books. In fact, you could almost go so far as to say they’ve essentially made a movie out of the book, and then chopped it into TV show length bites and screened it in succession. Legend of the Seeker instead made an effort to have individualised episodes with a connecting theme or story arc.

    Legend of the Seeker
    failed, but Game of Thrones has been a raging success - at least, Legend of the Seeker was axed after two seasons, and I'll be very surprised if the same happens to Game of Thrones - and I think deviations from the main plot is a large part of the reason.  There is nothing wrong with the story in Wizard’s First Rule or Stone of Tears (the second book in The Sword of Truth) and either could have been done in the same way as Game of Thrones, instead of mangling the story beyond recognition to try and turn it into 22 connected short stories.
  2. As a result of the significant rewriting that occurred in order to film Legend of the Seeker, the violence and dark themes of The Sword of Truth series were significantly dialled back, and it screened as suitable for children with parental guidance (PG rating in Australia). If it had been filmed true to the books, it would have been suitable only for a mature audience – virtually the same audience currently watching Game of Thrones.

    On the other hand, Game of Thrones
    has been more or less true to the violence and sexual themes of the books. OK, maybe toned down a fraction, but it’s still clearly an adult themed show. I’m not suggesting so much that viewers want graphic violence and sex (I don’t know – maybe they do!) but changing this can very much change the nature of the setting. Would Game of Thrones be the same ugly, real world it is without the violence and sex? Probably not. To some degree you can control the way in which you portray it, but it must still be present.

    It wasn’t present in
    Legend of the Seeker, depriving that world of much of the true atmosphere of fear, horror and danger permeating the books, and without that backdrop the effect of the story on the viewer is significantly diluted.
I am enjoying Game of Thrones immensely, but almost the only thing I can think of that was right about Legend of the Seeker is the casting! Definitely no arguments about Craig Horner as Richard...

Have you seen both Game of Thrones and Legend of the Seeker? Which do you prefer, and why? Have you read the books? And if so, which do you prefer and why? Did you find Legend of the Seeker disappointing as compared to Game of Thrones or The Sword of Truth?

If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to check out my previous posts if you haven't already. If you're finding yourself here often, you might like to join as a member, sign up to the blog through RSS or email, or subscribe to my newsletter.

Don't forget to share the love and spread the word on Twitter, Facebook or StumbleUpon (or other social networking site of your choice) if you know other people who might also enjoy this.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting with us!

29 comments:

M. Andrew Patterson said...

I saw a couple episodes of Legend of the Seeker. I loved the books, but was VERY disappointed in the series. Felt like they tried to make the Sword of Truth story more like Hercules.

Haven't seen Game of Thrones, but I have read the first 4 books. From what I've heard, it is an awesome series (wish I got HBO). I hope to watch it at some point.

Dave said...

The only thing that stuck with me about Legend of the Seeker was how it seemed every episode culminated in the same crappy fight scene. The bad guys, no matter how many, attacked one at a time and always ran like lemmings into the range of Kahlan's daggers, even if they were bearing long swords. We got lots of slo-mo dagger slashes and then, at some point, Richard would leap into the air, sword up over his head, and smash whomever was left. (No one ever thought to stick him in the gut while his sword was up over his head and his midsection unprotected.)

Damien said...

I haven't read either book series, however I have seen some of both the TV series. When it comes to actual screenplay, Game of Thrones seems to be a cut above the rest. It has good strong actors who become their characters. Take Sean Bean for example. He fits the role of a medieval warrior perfectly. This was set up in Lord of The Rings and since then, he's carried that image on in films like Black Death and Game of Thrones. The way the show is filmed is very hollywood movie style. It's dark and has an edge to it.

Legend of the Seeker seemed very "TV." B Grade actors, with a film style reminiscent of someone used to shooting soap operas. The actors didn't seem very convincing to me, their fight scenes felt more like interpretive dance. I agree whole-heartedly with Dave. Swords in medieval times were heavy, you don't leap into the air like it's a Toyota advert whilst holding one.

I think Game of Thrones has set a precedence for this genre and any others will be compared to it for a while. It's a bit like no-one can make a roman style epic film without some idiot shouting out "This is Sparta" in the cinema.

Julia Barrett said...

I agree. A Game of Thrones works. Sometimes it's even better than the book because the story is pared down to its bare essentials - but overall it remains true to the characters and story arcs. This is probably why I detest True Blood. It no longer resembles its maker.

Ciara Ballintyne said...

Yes, the TV series was a bitter pill to swallow. It could have been so good and instead it was just SO BAD. We get Game of Thrones here in Australia, but it's delayed. When everyone was talking about how great Season 1 was, I was still waiting. Better late than never!

Ciara Ballintyne said...

Yet another symptom of the rewriting I suspect. There weas so much more to the books than just battles.

Ciara Ballintyne said...

I didn't have an issue with the actors in Legend of the Seeker (at least not the leads) but the style of filming left a lot to be desired. It should have been just as dark and edgy as Game of Thrones. The world of The Sword of Truth isn't any nicer than Game of Thrones - in fact, in some aspects, it's arguably worse, but the reality of it just didn't shine through. I'm happy for Game of Thrones to be the precedent, just sad that it's now too late for The Sword of Truth to follow it!

Ciara Ballintyne said...

The story probably has been pared down to the essentials - it's beena few years since I read it, and I don't remember much more than what's in the Tv series, so I've probably forgotten the extraneous stuff. Sounds like True Blood was just as bad as Legend of the Seeker. They ended up getting a lot of the elements of the main story into Legend of the Seeker, but they were out of order (and I'm sorry, but the order of the plot IS important in heading towards that climactic moment!) and in some cases unnecessarily modified. Ack!

The Dennis said...

The big thing I have noticed with Game of Thrones is that the first season follows the first book very closely, but the second season has deviated from the second book having elements of book 3 & 4 in it plus some changes and omissions.
This parallels what happened with The Lord of the Rings movie series; the first movie was very close to the book (apart from the Arwen stuff). Later movies changed more and more of the original story.
Legend of the Seeker follows a similar pattern, with later seasons diverging (even more) from their parent.
Is this the (Hollywood) pattern for adapting fantasy series? Give the fans of the books a faithful first movie/season, then fiddle with the story to your liking after the fans are hooked? Can no-one adapt a book series without changing it?
So far I am satisfied with HBO's production of Game of Thrones; HBO have always done quality adult programing and have captured the feel of A Song of Ice and Fire successfully. I just have a gut feeling (probably pessimism from decades of disappointments) that there is some director or producer pushing for "more girl powa!", "more love interests!", "more boobs!" or "more flashy unrealistic sword fights!".

Ciara Ballintyne said...

I haven't seen Season 2 of GOT yet, so I can't comment, but I had no complaints about the deviations in Lord of the Rings, for the most part they were appropriate. Season 1 of Legend of the Seeker, however, only bore a passing resemblance to the first book. I mean, for heaven's sake, Richard's mother was dead! That whole episode was a complete fabrication, I don't think we saw Shota, the romance between Richard and Kahlan was not handled at all well, alot of stuff with the Queen and Princess Violet was cut, and the whole captivity by Denna severely watered down. Shame we missed out on that cool scene with Kahlan and Demmin Nass, but I really can't figure how to make that fit in even a mature audience rating LOL. I didn't even finish Season 1 because of it.

Lisa Hunt said...

I was so excited when I heard they were making a tv adaptation of Sword of Truth - they're one of my favourite series of books - but was bitterly disappointed with it. It only bore a passing resemblance to the storyline, and as for the filming...well lets just say the actors did well to do what they did with what they had!
The Song of Ice and Fire I'm not as familiar with book-wise, although I have read it, but the episodes I have seen seem a lot more true, and the casting and filming is first rate. In my opinion, I wish it had been the other way round ha ha!

Ciara Ballintyne said...

I have nothing to say except I agree wholeheartedly with every single point you made! I felt exactly the same way, and I do think the actors did the best with what they had, it just wasn't much...

David Lowry said...

First of let me say that although I loved Terry's "Sword of Truth" series it mirrored Jordan's "Wheel of Time" a bit so that was a bit of a let down for me but only a minor one. I still read and loved both.


"Game of Thrones" was far fresher to me as I couldn't associated with any other series and it was fearless in killing off characters to develop the story. No one is safe in that series "except maybe Tyrion lol." A more unique writing style as well for me at least.


The difference between the TV series I think you covered fairly well. "Legend" is a Sam Raimi adaption. They went for the "Hercules/Xena" type show hoping to capture that cult fan base and stay in syndication forever. It's campy, cheap effects, over exaggerated fight scenes and sub-par dialog. Budget constraints I am sure help along with all of this.


HBO is a powerhouse series maker and they know to keep their subscribers they have to deliver the goods. "GoT" get's the treatment it deserves and another major point is George R.R. Martin actually has a lot to do with the TV series. He is very active in it and makes sure that it holds up to the books. Terry had nothing to do with "Legend."


I enjoy "legend" now and then when I can't find anything else on Netflix but "GoT" is by far superior in every way from script, to sets, costumes, acting etc....


Great blog Ciara :-)

Amberr Meadows said...

So that's the guy who was in the photo about the "constitutional scholar." How funny! It's obvious I don't watch much TV beyond Nick Jr. Sheesh.

David Taylor said...

man game of thrones sure is popular right now. And legend of the seekers ... uh yeah not so much

Ciara Ballintyne said...

Thanks David - I can't say I found a lot similar between the Sword of Truth and the Wheel of Time, as I find the Wheel of Time to be far broader in scope, but I suppose at a very basic level they have parallels Game of Thrones does not. I dislike the fact no one is safe in Game of Thrones - I don't know who I should be 'rooting for' and that keeps me less involved. While Terry never killed any of his truly main characters, it was pretty much no holds barred in terms of what else he would do to them, and I found those threats far more powerful than 'mere' death ;-)

I didn't know Legend was done in the style of Xena and Hercules, but then I never watched either. When they were in vogue, I was in to Stargate and Buffy, shows which had, I think, far bigger budgets, and more talented actors/directors/producers. To some degree, that has set the bar for me in the spec fic genre on screen, and Legend disappointed while GoT has not!

Alas, I am so time poor there will always be something better to watch than Legend LOL

Ciara Ballintyne said...

LMAO so you actually had no idea what the hell I was rabbiting on about. Yes, Lord Eddard 'Ned' Stark from Game of Thrones. No longer a current actor in the series, since he 'got the chop' (quite literally) at the end of the last series.

Ciara Ballintyne said...

That pretty much sums it up! Legend would have done a lot better if it had pitched for the same audience at GoT

Sam Veale said...

Fully agree on what you just said. Am currently reading the Game of Thrones series, but the Sword of Truth will always stand in my mind as my favorite series. I could read another 12 books following more exploits of Richard and Kahlan if Mr. Goodkind ever wrote them. Enjoyed reading this :)

Ciara Ballintyne said...

Thanks :-) I was, sadly, disappointed by The Omen Machine, and I hope Terry picks up his game in the sequel - although I notice he's gone back to write a prequel now. I felt The Omen Machine had been dashed off (same old same old) without much heart or passion.

William Sullivan said...

My wife and I enjoy watch Legend of the Seeker, but neither of us has read the books. Maybe that's the reason why we like the TV show.

Ciara Ballintyne said...

I'm sure it's easier to enjoy if you haven't read the books. I'm torn between saying don't read them, to preserve your enjoyment in the show, and telling you to read them, because they are so AWESOME.

William Sullivan said...

If anything my enjoyment of the series has made me want to read the books. I realize how disappointing it can be when one's favorite book, comic book, or graphic novel is made into a movie that doesn't meet that person's standards. I remember how disappointed I was with both Solomon Kane and The Watchmen but my wife and others who had not read the original material enjoyed both films a great deal. I noticed that the second season of Legend of the Seeker took a much darker turn. Perhaps they were cleaving closer to the source material's tone and that ended up alienating some of the newbies like me while fans of the books had already abandoned the show during the first season.

Anonymous said...

et atmh fvqn rer hick mnhk tuk uyjp uw zq dzg oziu lrhq gmz xwlg eaxm hyx wrfz dh

Robbard said...

Just binge-finished LotS. It's like a cheap drug, loses potency after while and I ended up watching episode after episode thinking : "It has to get better..."
Casting was OK at best. Size differential between the main characters (Seeker and Confessor) is snicker educing. Very much like Titanic, the main guy seems like a kid holding a grown woman. XD
Fight scenes - very formulaic and disappointing, probably because of the PG intent.
Too many plot holes, but I didn't read the books, so....
Game of Thrones - much more everything. Possibly too many characters with similar sounding made up names, but otherwise excellent. I'd say if the Legend of the Seeker was made for a more mature audience, even though it doesn't have any of the casting talent or a fraction of the budget, it wouldn't have been cancelled.

Ciara Ballintyne said...

Legend of the Seeker does have plot holes, but it doesn't in the least follow the Sword of Truth books. It's like someone took the basic concept of the books and serialised it for TV, without bothering to actually follow the books themselves. By contrast, Game of Thrones very closely follows the books. My time spent watching Legend of the Seeker was punctuated by exclamations of 'That's not right' and 'But that didn't happen!'

Christiaan Lennaerts said...

I am not really sure if anyone still reads this however i just wanted to give some input. So First of I can say I am a long time Fantasy fan by now and have read most of the greater works, erikson, tolkien, goodkind, isslemont, weeks, hobb, feist, sanderson, Jordan, Brett, Jones, paolini, Lynch, Mccaffery, Martin, Rothfuss, rioridan and probably many more I am forgetting in this quick sum up. However Sword of Truth held special importance for me as it was my entrance into the genre Epic/high fantasy. Now I when I heard that there would be a tv series for it I was overjoyed since I had never believed that a movie could convey all that was needed.

However reality came with the first episode: disappointment... And yet I did not give up on it yet... After having seen most of it by now I can just say it is an abomination they should not let the TV series be associated with the books not only did they take stuff from future books and include them too early because they where too lazy to think of something themselves they fundamentally ruined it by not even keeping small details and pulling everything out of order and perspective. So I can just say please don't associate this series with the books as you just disappoint anyone who read the books.
As for Game of Thrones I have to say was critical at start afraid of another failure however they kept the story line and the feel of the book to such extent that even I a critic was surprised and happy.

Anyway as a ending to this post, to those that enjoyed the Sword of Truth series and havent seen the tv series just pass it over, it will be better. Same for the movie Eragon and the book Eragon, if you read the book dont watch the movie. And definetly watch Game of Thrones good if you read the books and if you didnt.

Jason Aardsma said...

As someone who loved Sword of Truth and A Song of Ice and Fire (ASoIaF > SoT though), I loathed and detested LoS. The extreme deviation and lore changes just hurt my brain. I'm actually one of the most forgiving book-to-movie/show people out there, but LoS was bad. GoT, on the other hand, has been well done, true to the source material, and I've at least been able to understand why some of the changes were made. (Necro Blog? :p)

Sam Mills said...

I love both shows, but they feed different parts of my viewing appetite. GoT is a serious drama, LOTS is pure fun. Both rank in my mind among the best shows ever made. LOTS deserved much more than it's 2 seasons. The irony is that GoT has more seasons, but LOTS still has more episodes in it's entire run. That will of course change, but my point is that GoT is like a slow burning candle; LOTS burned fast, furious but was extinguished long before its time.

Total Pageviews

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...