The Shannara Chronicles - 'Ellcrys'

"Who does your hair?"

It's been a long road... Actually, I'm kidding you. It's been less than half a full US season and the physical road laughably short, and here we are at the season finale of The Shannara Chronicles.

In Safehold, Wil brings Eretria back to life with his Elfstones (I suspect that treating 'Elfstones' as a euphemism will never get old) while Amberle is all up in the Bloodfire talking to herself, or rather to the Ellcrys wearing her face. Tree-Amberle tells the real deal that she is the seed, that her love for Wil will endanger all and that she must sacrifice herself. Amberle says that she can't, and the Tree tells her that she will doom them all.

As they flee the tunnels they are chased by trolls, and Eritrea stays behind to seal a door behind the others. The fact that it takes Amberle the rest of the episode to commit to her own sacrifice after this pretty much confirms that the elf princess has no shame.

"Well, that could have gone better."

In Arborlon, the elves and the gnomes prepare for war as the demon army marches in the night. Despite a fairly strong hand of extras for this fight, the whole production still feels small, even compared to other TV efforts such as The 100. Catania's contribution to this prep is to release Bandon, who goes loco and beats a guard to death with his shackles, pretty much putting paid to that romance.

Wil and Amberle escape the tunnels and steal some horses. After an outbound journey occupying the bulk of the season, the return ride takes one day, with ample layover time for the series to expend the last of the skin allowance in its certification as Wil and Amberle swear their love for one another and get groiny before heading to Arborlon by night. They are almost immediately surrounded by demons, but rescued by Allanon, Slanter and a team of gnome commandos.

"We got renewed?"

Ander and Allanon whip the troops up with a speech which more or less comes down to 'Elves fight for your princess, and gnomes... Fight for our princess as well? And world annihilation and all, I guess.'

During the battle, Ander and Diana confront the Dagda Mor's heavy, who turns out to be Arion in demon drag. It's too much for Diana, who gets shanked, but Ander rallies and Arion rattles out a final 'free me' before dying. Allanon and the Dagda Mor duel before the gates in a manner reminiscent of Gandalf and Saruman (movie versions,) but the Dagda Mor busts through to where Wil is apparently trying to convince Amberle that they can somehow get by in a world ruled by demons, because they're supposed to be together forever.

"See that tree? That's your girlfriend, that is."

Fortunately, the Dagda Mor busts in and Amberle jumps into the Ellcrys while Wil is magic arm wrestling with him. Just for good measure, Allanon pops up behind the Dagda Mor and decapitates him right before the Ellcrys sends the demon army back into the Forbidding.

While Ander sets to rebuilding and puzzles over the disappearance of Ario's body and the Warlock Blade, Wil mopes around the tree and finally sets off to try to rescue Eritrea from the trolls.

Evil.

Back at Safehold, Eritrea is taken to the troll leader, whose face we don't see, but she recognises them. Not that this is a huge surprise by now; they probably used to date.

As a final hurrah, and because we need to fill in a lot of material if we're not jumping straight to Wil's teenage children in The Wishsong of Shannara, Bandon shows up in the Breakline, full-on black eyed emo and toting the evil sword of evil.