Posted in: Movies, TV | Tagged: Austin Butler, entertainment, HRL, Ivana Baquero, Manu Bennett, Spiike, television, The Shannara Chronicles

The Shannara Chronicles Season 2, Episode 1 Recap: The Druid

This article might contains spoilers for the Shannara Chronicles Season 2 premiere, 'The Druid'.

The Shannara Chronicles returned last night, and there have been some major changes in the Four Lands. Things pick up a year after Season 1 and Wil (Austin Butler) has finally moved on to become a healer, but he can't get over the death of Amberle. When asked why he dedicates himself to medicine when he has a far greater power, he explains that he's sworn off magic because the cost of it is too high. But his time, learning to heal is interrupted with the arrival of Mareth (Malese Jow), a mysterious woman who helps Wil fight off a few bounty hunters.

Why are the bounty hunters after Wil? I mean, he did help save the world. Turns out General Riga (Desmond Chiam) and his group, The Crimson, have taken it upon themselves to rid the Four Lands of magic, which makes the guy who uses the Elfstones a high target.

Meanwhile, Bandon (Marcus Vanco) has gone to the dark side and is trying to revive the Warlock Lord, and Allanon (Manu Bennett) is trying to stop him. Bandon succeeds in converting his followers into powerful magic beings who defeat Allanon and then go after Wil — who, when attacked, is aided to escape by Mareth's magic, and she claims to be Allanon's daughter.

And we find out that Eretria (Ivana Baquero) survived last season and ended up with her own people and gained a new love interest in Lyria (Vanessa Morgan). Eretria believes that Wil and Amberle (Poppy Drayton) never came looking for her, but when she has a vision of Amberle, she starts questioning things. She discovers she had been lied to and leaves the group with Lyria, only to be captured by rovers.

This season is a departure from the books into new territory. Along with the move to Spike, comes a increase of the action and magic use. The opening fight between Bandon and Allanon was as good of a magical battle as I've seen on television. The episode does a good job reconnecting us with the characters and introducing us to some of the new ones. It was the perfect start to an epic quest.

The trailer below is a look at the upcoming season. Now that we know the bad guys — Bandon, the Warlock Lord, General Riga and the Crimson — it's time for that bit of hope, the thing to send our heroes after, the Sword of Shannara.

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