Legend of the Weeker: Fury

Plot Synopsis: The episode opens with Richard and Cara tracking a deer. Richard tries to teach her how to track with minimum success. They hear a scream and stop a few barbarians slave hunting a group of people called the Minders. They're a bunch of peaceaholics who refuse to fight even against some bandits that stole their village and have been kidnapping them into slavery. The Minders refuse Richard's help. As he walks away his compass points back to the Minders' camp. Just then the elder's son runs up and asks for Richard's help to train them to fight.

After a Braveheart-esque speech on the benefits of fighting, half the camp decides to join Richard. As he tries to teach them to fight, all the Minders pass out with their eyes glazed over. Apparently they were hit by a binding spell, which reins in powerful emotions such as anger, lust, or revenge. Zedd offers to remove the spell but is hesitant to do so. Richard says to risk it. After the villagers get healed they ask to fight again. Back to training montage.

Cara hunts down some fawns for Zedd and the villagers. They are also vegetarians too. Bunch of hippies. As they're picking berries they are attacked and Cara fends the bandits off. While training one of the guys challenges Richard. He strikes Richard's face and Richard gets furious and disarms him holding him at the point of a sword before Kahlan stops him. He angrily tells her to leave him be. Side effects of the spell perhaps? Kahlan dutifully reports to Zedd.

Apparently the sword was glowing which signifies Richard's anger. Zedd runs off to talk to Richard but before he has a chance, Richard leads a raiding party to steal weapons from the bandits. One of the villagers manages to kill a bandit to prevent the alarm being raised. Richard then antagonizes the villagers further to take back the village. They raid the village slaughtering the bandits.

The rest of the gang as well as the Minders elder go to the village to see Richard's path of destruction. Kahlan and Cara run off to get Richard who plans to burn the village to the ground. They try to stop him and Richard knocks Cara out with the Sword of Truth. Kahlan disarms him causing him to return to normal. Richard convinces the Minders elder to heal Cara. Zedd tells him a story that there was madman who led the people of this village in a bloodthirsty campaign. The wizard who defeated him, cast a binding spell causing the Minders to become so peaceloving.

The madman was an ancestor of Richard so that's why everyone was listening to him. WHOA! Zedd explains with an elementary school experiment that now the people, Richard, and his Sword are bound together. Zedd suggests that there was something he needed to do or learn here as nothing happens by accident. Just then, the bandits approach. Hesitant to use the Sword of Truth and with a hobbled Cara and Zedd, Richard gathers everyone to stand off against the bandits.

The bandits seeing that they are outnumbered reconsider fighting. Just before their leader is about to order the attack, a man who was healed by the Minders elder speaks up that she is honest and trustworthy. The bandits decide to leave. Richard tries out using the Sword again with the villagers restrained. Zedd eggs him on telling him to bring out all of the things that make him angry. He ends the lesson directing his anger at Zedd nearly killing him in the process. The compass beings to point east and the gang heads off in search of the Stone of Tears. Kahlan and Zedd have a discussion worrying about the Rahl ancestry in Richard and the effect that it might have on him in the future.

Commentary: Yet another episode of Legend of the Seeker borrowing heavily from the Star Wars series. This time we find out that Richard is not as good at controlling his emotions as he seems. Since the Sword of Truth draws from his rage, something about those Minders did not let him control his anger. Did anyone else not fully understand the explanation that Zedd gave with the vinegar and baking soda? Why exactly is it that these three things combined caused Richard to go off the deep end? I can understand why the people freak out, but why him?

Richard once again has something working strongly against him. Now he can't lose control of his emotions or else this group of people will freak out. It seems pretty weird. Richard did get to work out some of his latent anger issues. He came out as against his father and brother being killed. He also was not happy about Darken Rahl, not being able to be with Kahlan, or that Zedd dragged him into this thing being the Seeker and all. I guess we all now know about what Richard is thinking the whole time.

I did love the differences between Kahlan and Cara. Kahlan was really understanding of the Minders situation. On the other hand Cara was all about teaching them how to be violent. It was great to see Cara's reaction to all the peaceniks and their ways. It was interesting to see that the power of the Sword of Truth is enough to overcome Cara's power of the Mord Sith. Though this makes sense since Richard learned this power through his training with Denna.

Lastly, I was not sure what the point of the Minders was. There is a pretty terrible movie called Never Back Down. The theme of the movie is that violence is not the answer. In the end, the main protagonist has to resort to violence to solve his conflict. Here there was the same theme but backwards. Richard is teaching everyone that violence is the answer to their problems. That violence ends up harming everyone and cunning and nonviolence carries the day in the end. Though they kept the trained soldiers in the village and also Richard needed to teach them to fight to fulfill his quest. Paradox!

Richard and Kahlan Romance Index: 7 out of 10.

When reciting all the things that keep Richard up at night, he names not being able to be with the woman he loves. Zedd kind of tells him to get over it. Thanks grandpa. There was also that look that Kahlan gives him when he talks about fighting. They may not be able to get together but what they feel for one another can't be stopped with simple magic.

Zedd's Creepiness Factor: 6 out of 10.

Zedd your healing abilities were a bit creepy. Lastly his therapy session with Richard was pretty creepy. Actually I wouldn't mind Zedd yelling things at me that I was concerned with. Then he could cavalierly dismiss things that was concerned about until I actually insulted him. That would be sweet.

Notable Quotes:

Richard: "I don't like leaving those people by themselves."
Kahlan: "They have a right to follow their own beliefs."

Zedd: "Cara! If Richard is truly out of control, then maybe only Mord Sith magic can stop him from using the sword."

Richard: "We're going to burn them while they sleep."

Zedd: "Lots of people can't be with the ones they love. Some of us have even lost their children. You don't see us flying into rages. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?!?"

Kahlan: "Richard learned to control the sword. He mastered the rage."
Zedd: "Yes. He controlled the Sword today. What about tomorrow?"

Editor's Note: Have your own favorite quote from the episode? Did we forget to mention your favorite moment and now you're angry? Leave it in the comments and we'll update with the best of. Like the blog? Sign up to receive our Feed through Feedburner.