The Shannara Chronicles

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Season 1
Season #: 2, 1
Metascore
52

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 15
  3. Negative: 4 out of 15
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Critic Reviews

  1. Colorado Springs Gazette
    Reviewed by: Terry Terrones
    Apr 6, 2016
    91
    First rate production value, interesting characters and an intriguing story make for a world well worth escaping to.
  2. Collider
    Reviewed by: Adam Chitwood
    Jan 21, 2016
    80
    Some of the romantic elements are a cheesy, and the exposition is really clunky at times, but for the most part the show is continually compelling and complex.
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Jan 5, 2016
    70
    The series is sassier than the book.... Moving pictures require something different; messianic folderol is best served there with a little sex, and a little seltzer. That has been provided.
  5. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    Jan 4, 2016
    70
    Give this reasonably absorbing series a little credit, even though it often seems to be merely reworking various fantasy formulas. It moves quickly and does a nice job of weaving together two story lines involving an elfin world that is threatened when a giant tree.
  6. Variety
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    Jan 4, 2016
    70
    Sure, Shannara, which harks back to the golden age of syndicated genre fare, is a standard quest journey in which there are troll, gnomes, living trees and magic books, and characters say things like, “If Allanon is here, there are dark days ahead.” But there’s conviction in the show’s execution.

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Most Discussed TV Season of 2016
18
#18 Most Shared TV Season of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 319 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 195 out of 319
  2. Mixed: 49 out of 319
  3. Negative: 75 out of 319
  1. Mooncalfian
    Feb 3, 2016
    3
    I've changed my score from a 6 to a 3, because even though the second episode picked up a bit and felt more interesting, it goes so farI've changed my score from a 6 to a 3, because even though the second episode picked up a bit and felt more interesting, it goes so far downhill after that.

    The action scenes are vicious and well made, and the art department did a wonderful job, from the costumes to the set design. However, except for those two points I can't say anything redeeming about The Shannara Chronicles at all.

    The script is fairly bad, even though I get why it was modernised slightly (it's post apocalyptic after all). The acting is mostly pretty mediocre, and at times fairly bad. But those two things are the tip of this great iceberg of awfulness. The story changes are 80% pointless, stupid, and added in to cater towards teens with poor attention span, and for absolutely zero other reason. Some of the story choices, such as everyone sleeping together (including the demons!), or making the Reaper into a big dumb slow hulk are downright idiotic. They've abandoned the heart of the show to make way for cliched corny tripe, and some of the absolute best scenes and plot lines from the book have been completely butchered, or in some places taken out entirely (and I'm not talking about small plot lines). The characters all act like horny bros and clubber teens, which feels so far out of place. Moreover, some of the decisions the characters make during the first 5 episodes are so head-numbingly unrealistic and idiotic that it makes me wince.

    But worst of all is the choppy and poorly paced directing. Sure, some of the scenery shots are very nice, but the actual plot directing is abysmal. Seriously, one of the worst directed things I've ever seen. It just jumps from half-baked scene to scene without allowing the audience a chance to feel immersed or even interested. I bet somewhere in the world Mulder and Scully are investigating a coffin that's spontaneously spinning around, and in 10 or 20 years it will hold Terry Brooks. Poor guy.

    Steer clear of this vacuous eye-candy unless you're 15 years old and kinda liked Eragon.    … Full Review »
  2. brentwshelton1
    Jan 10, 2016
    0
    4 minutes - 6 Seconds. That was all I could take of this show. I read the original The Sword of Shanarra trilogy back when I was young and it4 minutes - 6 Seconds. That was all I could take of this show. I read the original The Sword of Shanarra trilogy back when I was young and it was an awesome fantasy adventure and a great read. This was also way before YA Dystopian future novels were all the rage. I was assuming this series was based on that series.....I was horribly wrong. In 4 minutes they managed to smash in so many YA dystopian future cliches that I about threw up in my mouth! Opening credits....remnants of our technological society. Check. Long shot camera pan down to someone running in woods? Check. Running in woods = training for the "BIG TRIAL". Check. Plucky, non-PC heroine bucking the system. Check. Plucky non-PC heroine's sassy female sidekick (doomed to die....I'm sure). Check. Not quite sure what they were trying to accomplish by throwing in what appeared to be a Ambercrombie photo shoot with shirtless "elves" (by elves I mean overly gym bodied twinks with pointy ears.........(after all pointy ears = elf.....right? Everyone knows that!) but I'll give it a Check anyway. Photo shoot masquerading as "preparing for the big trial" in which boys immediately cheat against plucky, non-PC heroine. Check. God Awful....remember all this inane nonsense happened in the first 4 minutes and 6 seconds of the pilot. My judgment: Download deleted!!!!!!!… Full Review »
  3. vizard00
    Jan 8, 2016
    10
    This show is sure awesomeness from acting to fashion and music , forget about the 100 or that teenager who run this an awesome productionThis show is sure awesomeness from acting to fashion and music , forget about the 100 or that teenager who run this an awesome production , and every episode amaze me by the magical environment and the music , its like you will watch lord of the ring every week . TNX MTV… Full Review »
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