The Shannara Chronicles: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

59% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings

Based on the best-selling fantasy book series by Terry Brooks, "The Shannara Chronicles" follows heroes in the Four Lands as they embark on a quest to stop an evil Demon army from destroying the universe. Thousands of years after the fall of humankind, the world's fate rests on the shoulders of an unlikely trio: Elvin Princess Amberle, who dreams of a life outside of the palace walls; beautiful, wild and wily Human Rover Eretria, and half-elf Wil, who knows nothing of the great destiny that runs through his veins. Later, a mysterious woman named Mareth joins the fight.

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The Shannara Chronicles — Season 1

The Shannara Chronicles — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

The Shannara Chronicles wears its influences heavily on its sleeve and needs to find surer footing before it can tap its true potential, but it still might suffice for viewers in search of a teen-friendly Game of Thrones.

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Critics Reviews

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The Shannara Chronicles: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Raisa Bruner TIME Magazine Filmed in New Zealand, the landscapes are half the appeal; the comforting quest tropes and predictable, teen-friendly narrative make it a kind of comfort food for fantasy show connoisseurs. May 3, 2021 Full Review The Shannara Chronicles: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Robert Lloyd Los Angeles Times Moving pictures require something different; messianic folderol is best served there with a little sex, and a little seltzer.That has been provided. Jan 6, 2016 Full Review The Shannara Chronicles: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Jen Yamato The Daily Beast Terry Brooks' epic fantasy franchise has been MTV-ified with a tween-friendly cast, a Game of Thrones Jr. vibe, and a hero with boy band locks who resembles a pointy-eared Justin Bieber. Jan 6, 2016 Full Review The Shannara Chronicles: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Karen Rought Hypable The world is rich and mesmerizing, the characters are instantly compelling, and enough mystery is set up from the beginning that you'll want to stick around to see your questions answered. Mar 1, 2019 Full Review The Shannara Chronicles: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Stephanie Cooke Rogues Portal The show is pretty good and despite the fact that it's intended audience is probably significantly younger than me... I enjoy the drama that unfolds in each episode. Aug 21, 2018 Full Review The Shannara Chronicles: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Garry McConnachie Daily Record (UK) The good outweighs the bad in a series that is still finding its feet. Here's hoping the second series is a less bumpy ride - and that Wil stops clumsily losing the Elfstones. Rated: 3/5 Jun 10, 2016 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Shawn C Austin Butler when he was young and sexy, but couldn't really act well yet. To be fair, he had a horrible script to work with. The sets, camera work and special effects are excellent though. It's so cheesy that it's fun (although sometimes I'm laughing at how bad it is). I had to rate it based on it's quality, which overall is poor. That doesn't mean you wont enjoy it. It's low stress and mindless, but beautiful to look at. I am curious enough to see Season 2, which is supposed to be much better. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/11/24 Full Review Audience Member Seriously the worst series I’ve ever watched. Although the way this show was shot was incredibly beautiful, I just couldn’t get into it just because the acting threw me off, again and again. This felt even worse than Disney-channel acting. But this might also just have to do with the way the characters were written. I was just constantly cringing while watching this show (and yes, I have seen all the seasons. Watched it like, two years ago, but have never placed a review on it before) mainly because I felt like the characters were very predictable, and a little stereotypical, if I say so myself. Won’t recommend this to anyone. Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/08/24 Full Review Sharon E Loved this show! Loved the Will Omsford storyline. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/29/24 Full Review Daniel S Hard to bear bullshit… never seen a fantasy series that is so awful… Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/07/22 Full Review ripper j Yet again, a great book is decimated and perverted by modern TV/Movie hacks. Poor casting, horrid acting and modern identity politics meshed together into a mockery of a good story. The acting is this show was sub CW quality. I got so tired of hearing Austin Butler cry out "Amberle." Who copy/pasted that into the script? I enjoyed the books and wanted to like this show, but it was so disappointingly bad. Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I binge-watched the whole thing since the mysterious beginning kept me engaged in season one. The sexual tension between the three characters in season one, and the chemistry were outstanding. However, the storyline went to doom at the end of season 1 and completely went horrible by the end of season 2. The show kept killing the main characters off, without any legitimate reason (like how Will died at the end of season 2 to clean the sacred waters by sacrificing all of his blood in his body, while all it took for the Warlock Lord to pollute it was a drop of blood). The screen exposure and storyline made me committed to Bandon's character development, and I hoped till the end that he would have a chance to redeem himself and turn to be one of the most powerful good druids. Instead, he died by the hands of the only father figure he could resurrect for himself, without ever having felt love. The plot could have been so much better. Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Shannara Chronicles — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

Austin Butler Wil Ohmsford Poppy Drayton Amberle Ivana Baquero Eretria John Rhys-Davies King Eventine Manu Bennett Allanon Daniel MacPherson Arion
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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jan 5, 2016 Chosen Thousands of years after the fall of humankind, grave danger threatens the Four Lands; the Ellcrys, an ancient tree that protects the world from demons, begins to die. Details Episode 2 Aired Jan 5, 2016 Chosen Wil and Allanon discover she may be the key to saving the Four Lands, and set out to find the princess. Details Episode 3 Aired Jan 12, 2016 Fury Eretria and Cephalo kidnap Wil and Amberle; Wil must learn how to use the Elfstones before a Fury kills them all. Details Episode 4 Aired Jan 19, 2016 Changeling Amberle embarks on a deadly task to prove her worth to the Ellcrys; the Dagda Mor sends the Changeling, an ancient, shape-shifting Demon, to kill Amberle and anyone else in its way. Details Episode 5 Aired Jan 26, 2016 Reaper Amberle, Wil and Eretria must overcome their differences in order to survive their quest, and the Reaper; Ander seeks help in finding the Dagda Mor from an unlikely ally. Details Episode 6 Aired Feb 2, 2016 Pykon While fleeing the Reaper, Amberle, Wil and Eretria take shelter in an Elvin outpost; Ander and Slanter make a discovery. Details Episode 7 Aired Feb 9, 2016 Breakline Amberle and Eretria flee bloodthirsty Elf Hunters; Wil searches for Amberle and Eretria with the unexpected help from a friend. Details Episode 8 Aired Feb 16, 2016 Utopia Wil and Amberle search for Eretria, who has been kidnapped by elf hunters; Eretria finds a secret settlement of humans. Details Episode 9 Aired Feb 22, 2016 Safehold Wil, Amberle and Eretria cross ancient human ruins to reach the Bloodfire, but an evil tests their friendship and manipulates them to turn on each other. Details Episode 10 Aired Mar 1, 2016 Ellcrys Wil and Amberle try to reach the Ellcrys, and Allanon and Ander lead the Elvin army against Dagda Mor. Details

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The Shannara Chronicles — Season 1

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Executive Producer
Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Jon Favreau, Jonathan Liebesman, Terry Brooks, Dan Farah

Network
MTV

Rating
TV-14

Genre
Drama, Fantasy

Original Language
English

Release Date
Jan 5, 2016
The Shannara Chronicles: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)
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