Legend of the Seeker: Sanctuary

The one with the magical painting...

Could this be the strangest ever episode of Legend of the Seeker?

The objective of the story is easy to discern: to reunite Richard and Kahlan with the Book of Counted Shadows, or at least a copy of it. The original is what Richard deliberately threw into a fire in the very first episode because he felt that choosing his own destiny was more important than following a guidebook. (And for the record, TV Tropes tells me that the “counted shadows” part of its title refers to the fact it’s meant to be an instruction manual for the Boxes of Orden, which each cast a different number of shadows when they’re in direct sunlight. Here, the boxes contain no such quality, which only adds to the half-baked feeling of this particular MacGuffin).

Deciding that yes, perhaps destiny guidebooks are the way to go (or at the very least to keep it out of Darken Rahl’s hands) our trio go in search of this new copy.

Legend of the Seeker: Cursed

The one with the werewolf that isn’t actually a werewolf...

Like many episodes in this series, Cursed is more important than it initially appears. Though you could get away with skipping it, the story introduces the concept of the Rada’Han, reminds us of Shota’s existence, and fills in a little background on Zed...

In a rare story development, the gang doesn’t stumble upon trouble or meet with a Resistance assignation, but rather receives a message with a request for help. Having long since accepted that helping individuals will be prioritized over any big-picture Rahl-defeating missions, Kahlan and Zed accompany Richard to the territory of King Gregor to hear his story...

Legend of the Seeker: Mirror

The one that’s just comedy filler...

Ah, the comedy episode that I promised you, a light breather before we head into the darkness of the last four episodes. And man, I am so ready to get to the finale and the second season, you have no idea. Not long now!

As it happens, this story also counts as filler, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if it’s entertaining to watch, and for the most part – this is. Heck, some of the best character beats can take place in filler episodes, because the writers are relaxed enough to explore certain dynamics without having to worry about the overarching plots – though this specific episode largely provides an opportunity for Craig Horner and Bridget Regan to show off their comedic timing.

Woman of the Month: Delilah Dirk

Delilah Dirk from the Delilah Dirk webcomics/graphic novels

It’s becoming increasingly obvious that graphic novels for young readers are a great place to find amazing female characters. Cleopatra in Space, Oona in 5 Worlds, Aster, Hilda, Nimona, Zita the Space Girl, the Lumberjanes, Emily from Amulet... even The Babysitter’s Club is enjoying renewed attention as they’re adapted for the pages of various comic books.

Delilah Dirk has a place among them, the main character of Tony Cliff’s webcomic (check it out here) and subsequent graphic novel series. Though I hate to reduce her (or any female character) to a Distaff Counterpart, she’s best described as a gender-flipped Indiana Jones: adventurer, explorer, swashbuckler and treasure-hunter. Though unlike Indiana Jones, she’s also the occasional mercenary.

She’s introduced to us through the eyes of one Lieutenant Erdemoglu Selim, a young soldier whose life she saves and who tags along after her as she travels across the Mediterranean in the early 1800s – half out of curiosity, and half out of the debt he feels he owes her.

There’s a lot to be impressed by: she’s athletic, brash and headstrong, she’s the daughter of an Englishwoman and a Greek ambassador, and she captains a flying sailboat (very little is done to justify this thing’s existence; it seems to operate on Rule of Cool). In her knee-high boots she towers above most men, and she’s a veritable Amazon when it comes to her sword-fighting prowess.

Delilah Dirk is wish-fulfilment, pure and simple. Though not without a few foibles (a tendency to act before thinking, for example) there’s something oddly soothing about getting to enjoy a female character who is written as unabashedly awesome. Plenty of male characters are permitted to swagger their way into palaces, defy the laws of gravity, discover ancient artefacts, deliver witty one-liners, and save the day – and my contribution to the endless “is she a Mary Sue?” discourse is that if a writer strikes the right balance, there’s nothing wrong with that.

As soon as lockdown in New Zealand is over, I’m looking forward to introducing Deliliah to several young library patrons...