The Burning Forest

Beastmaster Episode Review

In which Sharak is human.

What Happened

The Apparition of the Burning Forest turns out to be a former student of the Ancient One. She lures the Sorceress to her cave and imprisons her, so the Ancient One turns Sharak back into a human and sends him to rescue his former lover.

Sharak turns to Dar and cajoles him into helping him find his way through the Burning Forest. The Ancient One distracts the Apparition long enough for Sharak to find the Sorceress and carry her to safety, but turns back him into an eagle before she awakens.

The Good

• Sharak on a rescue mission. Cool.
• Slaver Baha's issues with Ruh. They are packing a lot into this one.
• Curupira: "Any way you want to do it, he must be stopped." That's a change from "he must die."
• "Have you ever had a woman taken away from you?" Go, Sharak. Push that button and manipulate Dar into helping you.

The Bad

• Even his flunkies want Baha to shut up.
• Tao's new girlfriend is useless, pointless and whiney.
• Ancient One vs. Apparition, who is also useless, pointless and whiney. (Which, by the way, is why I was so sure that Tao's new friend was evil in disguise.)
• Baha fell into his own pit. Well... I think that's all I have to say about that.

The Cliche

• Kidnapped lovers as motivation for events that reveal big secrets like the one about Sharak.

Best Lines

Tao: "I've been thinking..."
Dar, to Sharak: "He does that a lot. I don't mind."

Ancient One: "Nothing has changed. Nothing ever will change, unless I permit it."

What Did I Think?

Too much going on. And with such a juicy potential in the forwarding of the Sorceress-Sharak story.