All the anticipation I have ever had boiled down to that final moment when I pushed play on my PS3 to watch the recorded first two episodes of the Legend of the Seeker (My area did not carry the show. I acquired it through other means). The sheer awesomeness I was about to witness ran through my head. I had just finished reading all the books and  everything is fresh on my mind. This will be epic.

Now, I’m going to take a time out here and state that yes, I am aware certain deviations were going to take place in the translation to an episodic TV formula. I did read the announcement letter.

Continuing, I watched with a twinkle in my eye as things familiar started happening. Then slowly, my mind started fumbling with pieces of a puzzle that should fit together but were now in the wrong shape. Things were familiar but different. It was like the show was rubbed on cheese grater and instead of using what was left of the block of cheese, they used the scraps. Filaments of the books exists, mostly in names of characters, but these aren’t the same characters. No, no - they are mere shadows of the characters in the book during an eclipse of the sun.

I found myself distracted during the show. Things that I knew held importance in the books were cast aside. I could not stop thinking about them and how the show could even follow the arcs in the books without them. My frame of mind was my prison. Having read the books barred me from watching the show. My fiancee got up and left at the end of the first episode. Her mind wouldn’t even let her get past the first fundamental flaw (all I’m going to say is: Book of Counted Shadows) and she is only on Blood of the Fold.

I really wish I could open my skull take out my knowledge of the books. If I was able, I’m pretty sure this could be one of those awesome shows that I rush home to see in time. Sadly, for me and I suspect many others, this might just be torture.