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Rating: 3.5/5
Review: "The Shannara Chronicles season 1 TV review"

For a TV fantasy series, the scope and visuals are pretty decent considering TV series do not have the budget as a film would have.  Aside from decent visuals, The Shannara Chronicles is fairly engaging though it veers off to the safe fantasy young adult romance cliches.

Episode 1-10: Adapted from the popular novels, the first episode spends little time introducing the massive amount of characters, clans, the world and whatnot. It thrusts straight into the story where Ellcrys, an ancient tree, is dying.  Amberle, the Elven princess, must set on a journey to save it. Each episode is one step closer to the goal. Friendship and romance are forged. For a young adult series, it surprisingly has many deaths, major and minor alike. The pacing may not be as fast-paced as some big-budget fantasy films but it is packed with enough conflicts and action. Honestly, I would rather watch a condensed 3 hours film rather than watching a 10 hours long series where at times, pacing is bogged down by fillers extended to fit the TV time slot.

Ultimately, the development of most characters is almost the same when the series first introduced them. Some deaths may be a surprise but do not come across as emotional. The relationship between the trio, Wil, Amberle and Eretria is the one that stands out from the weak character's development. In the climatic battle scene in the final episode, you would be rooting for the trio to succeed. Predictably, season 1 ends with a cliffhanger to entice viewers to wait for the second season.

Overall: With decent production values, visuals and action, it is not a bad series to watch. At times when it is generic and cliche, it is saved by the attractive relationship of the trio and the tense political or evil conflicts. Not as a page by page adaptation, it is wise for fans to lower their expectations. As for the general audience, it is a decent watch if you choose to overlook the sometimes stiff acting and bogged down pacing.

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