The Shannara Chronicles returns for its second season and the first episode was fair. I enjoyed the first season, it may not be serious acting, top notch visual effects. But it was what it was for an mtv series. The first episode begins a little a year after the events of the last season.
The plot follows Eretria (Ivana Baquero) who gets picked by a person from her past to hide her from evil and hoping she can start a new life in there village. Meanwhile, Wil (Austin Butler) still mourning from what he lost in the last season, he is hoping to start over for a brand new life trying to be a healer. Taking what it looks to be like medical school with some mutated gnomes. Then, Allanon (Manu Bennett) discover that evil is returning with an warlock that is hellbent on destruction.
This episode brings back a lot of beautiful cast ensemble. Poppy Drayton and Ivana Baquero coming back. Austin Butler also returning. Surely, the acting has not improved over the last season. So try not to take the acting seriously with this series. It does have a lot of action and fighting for an episode. May not be top notch with its visual effects which again you can easily spot were there is a green screen in the background. But its all entertainment.
For a fantasy series, it does not beat out Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. Cause it had a bigger budget to work with. The Shannara Chronicles does feel a little bit more aiming for the teen audience for the fantasy genre.
Overall, Episode 1 was a fair premiere. It has plenty of action to be entertaining. There is no room for character development or a well written plot. It just crams everything together from subplots to more characters all in one episode.
I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.