A new enemy, a perilous journey, a sad back story, and a glimpse of the effects of the nuclear holocaust that destroyed the world.

The Shannara Chronicles episode 5: The Reaper was, once again, an exciting episode to watch.  It begins with a flashback of a pivotal event that keeps getting mentioned in past episodes, and that is the death of Aine, Amberle’s father, and Arion and Ander’s older brother.  The flashback was illustrative in many ways as it shows a young Amberle having her first semi-vision from the Ellcrys, Ander and Tilton having a secret lover’s meeting outside the palace. Ander, unwittingly, shows an invading Gnomes’ unit, who followed him, a way into the palace, which leads to the death of Aine by the hands of the Gnome  rebellion leader, Slanter.

This flashback was really sad as we get to see Aine, the man who should have been king after Eventine, and how he would have been a good king.  We also see how he was an encouraging father to Amberle by not putting limitations on his daughter because she was a girl.  We also get to see him in action and the sword he used to defend Eventine is the same sword Eventine gives to Amberle in an earlier episode.  Now we know why Prince Ander has such a hard time getting over that event because his actions, even if unintentional, led to his beloved brother’s death.

The flashback ends with the scene switching back to a present day Amberle leading the group on horseback with her father’s sword by her side.  The group that is on its way to the fort in Drey Wood to see Rin Katsin, the Elf who claims to have encounters in the Wilderrun, consists of Amberle, Wil, a chained up Eritrea, Guardsman Crispin Edensong, and a select elite guard force to protect Amberle.  Even though Amberle technically is the leader, Crispin has shown several times that he will challenge her decisions, and his general dislike of humans with his treatment of Eretria, who is being dragged along by the guards. Even Wil notes this, and I have a feeling this butting of heads with Amberle and Crispin will continue.

Meanwhile, the newly escaped Changeling reports back to the Dagda Mor via psychic link that it has failed to kill Amberle before she left Arborlon, which highly displeases the Dagda Mor, and we see that the Changeling, despite there being a sexual relationship between the two, is expendable to the Dagda Mor if it is not useful.  The Dagda Mor tells her that he has already sent another agent after Amberle, and the Changeling promises to turn the Elves against Allanon because without his protection, Arborlon is an easy target.

While setting up camp in the forest, Amberle’s group is ambushed by Cephelo and his gang of Rovers.  Their surprise attack leads to the guards, Crispin, and Will tied up, the Elfstones taken from Wil, Eretria given her freedom, and Amberle taken captive.  Crispin is wounded purposefully by Cephelo, and Wil, Crispin, and the guards are left for the wolves.  Amberle is taken to the Rover camp.

Meanwhile, Prince Arion and his men come across another Elvish village ravaged by demons, heads on pikes and all.  He takes back some of the heads to the King as evidence of the brutality. The demons are gathering at the Breakline, and Arion urges Eventine to send their armies, the strongest in the four lands, to the Breakline to fight the amassing demon armies, but Eventine orders him to secure the Ellcrys and the city instead.  Arion is worried that Eventine’s fears will lead to more death and destruction if they do not act soon.

Just outside of the capital city, Catania, Amberle’s maid, is helping refugees and sees Bandon struggle to put on his armor.  I see a growing relationship between these two as she helps him with the armor and thanks him for saving her life.  It is at this point that Allanon finds him, and tells him that he is not meant to be a soldier, and that his duty is to honing his unique gift.  He takes Bandon to the Ellcrys, and hopes Bandon can talk to the tree in order to get a line and a fix on Amberle, who has a psychic link with the Ellcrys.  Allanon thinks that Bandon’s gift is stronger than he knows, but before Bandon can touch the tree, Allanon wants him to practice training his gift on him.  Bandon takes his hand, and for a brief moment he sees Allanon’s death, but it is revealed that Bandon was there with Allanon in his final moments and the future Allanon could feel his presence.  They continue to practice honing Bandon’s control of his ability.  Will this unique ability play a big role in future episodes?  I think it will.

In a secret corridor in Arborlon, Commander Tilton brings Prince Arion to have a secret meeting with Ander, who has a very risky plan in mind.  Under wants to lead a small unit to the Breakline to scout out what is going on, and possibly take action.  He wants to use the captured Slanter, who killed Aine ten years before, to lead him to and through the Breakline.  Slanter was born in the Breakline, and knows his away around that territory.  Arion is incensed with the plan as he hates Slanter, and storms off.

At the Rover camp,  Amberle gets Eretria’s attention.  She tells her that her father will pay her twenty times what Cephelo paid her if she lets Amberle loose.  A drunk Cephelo interrupts the two and gives Eretria the money owed and farewells.  Eretria does not take up Amberle’s offer, and prepares to leave instead.  As she is riding away, we see Cephelo start pawing at a tied up Amberle.  We see that Eretria is bothered by this, but she continues to ride away.

Back to Wil, Wil and Crispin manage to get out of their bonds, and free the other guards.  Wil is treating Crispin’s wound when the howling begins around them.

Back at the Rover camp, it’s night and Cephelo’s attack on Amberle grows bolder as he goes from pawing at her to a more physical attack.  He is thwarted by Eretria, who knocks him out.  It seems what Cephelo was doing bothered her more than she let on, and she wanted to take up Amberle on her offer.  Eretria binds Cephelo, takes the Elfstones back, and takes him as a hostage.  She sets Amberle free.  Together, they leave the camp with a bound Cephelo in tow, and when Cephelo thinks his gang of Rovers will stop them, we see that Eretria is indeed a badass, and has already taken out the Rovers with a sleeping powder.

Meanwhile Wil, Crispin, and the guards are in trouble as the wolves get closer. The guards have built a fire and have circled around Crispin and Wil as he attempts to cauterize Crispin’s wound to stop the bleeding.  The wolves are circling and one of the female guards is pulled out of the circle into the darkness and brutally killed.  We hear the wolf yelp as we assume it is killed by none other than Eretria, who has come back to help Wil’s group.

Dawn appears, and  Wil is at a nearby waterfall washing off Crispin’s blood, shirtless of course, when Eretria comes up on him.  We see that she still has some feelings for him, and we see that Wil still does not trust her.  Eretria gives the Elfstones back to Wil.  Back at the camp, a newly healed Crispin is beating the crap out of the tied up Cephelo in anger.  We see more of his anti-human sentiment come out, and he is only stopped after Amberle steps in and stops him.  We see Amberle and Crispin butt heads again as Crispin is angry that because of what Cephelo did, Crispin lost one of his guardsman (or guards woman).

The group gets back on the road, and on the road, Eretria, sharing a horse with Crispin no less, notices that there are no sounds of wild life around them.  Crispin gives his horse to a scout, and orders the scout to ride ahead.  The scout comes across a foul land of what we know is a toxic waste dump.  He takes his horse through the dump, but the fumes from the dump startle the horse.  The horse unseats the scout, and the scout lands face first in the toxic waste.  Amber and Crispin watch helplessly as the scout dies from what looks like radiation burns.

Back at Arborlon, Ander visits the prison where Slanter is being held.  He tells Slanter about the Dagda Mor, and offers Slanter his freedom if he helps him.  Up in the garden of the Ellcrys, Bandon touches the Ellcrys for the first time, and sees a future where Amberle is killed by the Dagda mor, and Bandon is imprisoned.  It looks like the Dagda Mor from the future is either attempting to take over Bandon or attack him because he starts convulsing and his eyes turn black.  Allanon pulls Bandon away from the Ellcrys.

Back to Amberle’s group, Crispin is even more angry that he lost another man to what he considers are the evils created by man, and Wil has to remind everyone that when the demons attack, it won’t matter who is a human or an elf.  Everyone will be attacked and killed by the demons.

It is at this point that Amberle points out that they have finally arrived at the fort in Drey Wood, but she quickly notices that there are no guards at the gate.  Crispin sounds a horn to alert the fort, which is answered with severed heads being launched at them.  The gate opens, and we get a first glimpse of the new bad guy, the Reaper.

The guards leap forward to fight the Reaper as Amberle cuts Cephelo free.  Amberle, Eretria, and Crispin run to the woods while Will and Cephelo  work to distract the Reaper.  The Reaper kills the guards.  Cephelo tells Will to use the stones, but when he tries to use them, they don’t work.  Out of options, they run as the Reaper follows them, but not for long as it turns around to go after Amberle.  A savvy Cephelo cuts Wil in hopes that his blood will attract the demon, which it does, and they lead it away from Amberle.  They come back to the toxic waste dump, which they carefully cross after covering their faces from the poisonous fumes.  The demon follows them into the dump.

Once across, we see some of Cephelo’s survival skills come into play as he lights up a lighter, and sets the combustible waste dump on fire, killing the demon.  Now I’m guessing there are a few things that humans still have or can make like a lighter.  I’m also guessing that this is not the last we will see of this demon as it seems he died way too easily, especially after the demon singlehandedly slaughtered the Elves at the fort.  Does this redeem Cephelo’s character?  Not in my eyes yet.  I still see him as a sketchy character especially after what he attempted to do to Amberle.  It does definitely add a new dimension to his character as he was willing to help distract the demon to save Amberle, but I digress.

Back in Arborlon, Ander is leading Slanter out the secret entrance out of Arborlon when they are met by Commander Tilton and Arion.    Commander Tilton tells Ander that she is coming with Ander on his journey to the Breakline.  Even though Arion is against the idea, he agrees that something must be done, and decides to help Ander.  He tells Ander that he will cover for him with the king, and then wishes Tilton farewell.  Slanter chuckles at the fact that Tilton is now with Arion and not Ander, seeming to be delighted by Elvish misfortunes.  We see there is definitely a lot of animosity towards Elves from the other races.

Back in the throne room, poor Eventine is looking for his loyal dog, which was killed long ago by the Changeling.  Arion comes in seeking his father’s forgiveness, and brings up the conversation in an earlier episode where Eventine decided not to abdicate as he thinks Arion is not ready for the throne.  The father and son have a moment, and things seem to be on the mend.  While Arion goes in to hug Eventine, he stabs the king in the stomach and kills him.  It is at this point that we see that it was not Arion at all, but the Changeling, who has now changed from Arion into Eventine.  The episode ends with the Changeling, now looking like Eventine, taking the throne and ominously stating, “Long live the king!”

This episode was flush with excitement and adventure.  I thought the Reaper was terrifying and epic, and I really do wish it is not the end of that particular bad guy (in the show at least) as I think he was killed a little too easily.  I’m starting to like Eritrea more and more, but I have mixed feelings on Cephelo.  Why is he helping them?  Is he doing it because he wants to, or does he have darker ulterior motives?  My guess is that he has darker motives for helping them as he seems obsessed with those Elfstones.

I can’t wait to see what is in store for the rest of the season as, at the end of this episode, we get a sneak peek of things to come, and it all looks epic.  What are your thoughts on this episode?  Post your comments below!