The Quest

I was hooked after watching 5 minutes of this show.

The production value is insane, the cast & crew were chosen perfectly, and the storyline is actually incredibly well written.

I'm three episodes in it's just getting better, and better. The would-be hero's are hopelessly enthralled with the world, which just helps improve the immersion. This show is the ultimate dream for anyone who's ever wanted to be involved in a fantasy world, and I'm convinced anyone with a creative spirit and a strong imagination who gives this show a chance will completely fall in love.

Amazing, I hope this show gets 10 seasons.

I don't watch many reality shows, but I have really enjoyed this one, largely because of the immersion of the contestants into the fantasy realm. For many of the contestants, this show is like a dream come true: getting to live in a castle, practice the medieval arts, and fight to save a kingdom.

The set design is absolutely fantastic, and there are so many wonderful pieces of costume and little details sprinkled throughout the show that really help pull in the characters and the audience.

Unfortunately, I think the acting of the most of the non-contestants is often a bit stilted, especially toward the beginning of the season. I'm about half way through, and it seems to be getting a little better.

Furthermore, the story is quite generic and unoriginal so far, but I don't think this is a bad thing so much as simply drawing from all the familiar clichés of fantasy in order to be true to the genre.

That said, the reality show aspect is written in quite well with the story, and I love how the rules are explained without breaking character at all. And I do have to say, they did an excellent job with the Fates!

Overall, a wonderful show that I hope will only get better if it continues on for more seasons!

I will update this review later, but here is a description of this show.

"The Quest" is part Renaissance Faire, part cosplay, part fantasy novel, and part Big Brother. Twelve paladins, who have been carefully chosen for their love of fantasy, are assembled to complete a quest that takes place in Everealm. In the first episode, this fantasy adventure is beautifully staged and one can sense the excitement of the competitors as they are immersed in a "realistic" fantasy world and delivered to Castle Saenctum. (The word paladin, by the way, has come to mean a chivalrous hero.)

The mythology surrounding the game is explained to the paladins along the way. Each is given a piece of the Sunspear, entitling them to fight for the preservation of Everealm against the evil Verlox. They must compete to stay in the quest. At the end of episode one, a bow and arrow competition was used to select the two in jeopardy. Then the other paladins chose the one to be eliminated.

Part of the magic is the total immersion of the paladins in the Renaissance world of the castle, where they live during the competition. The environs surrounding the castle are filled with period actors. And they are guided through the adventure by Crio "The Dreamer", who is an excellent actor. He gives the action an authentic air. The tools in use, the weapons, the costumes--so far, everything lends itself to the creation of this Renaissance illusion.

So what we have here is a fusion of reality show and fantasy, part scripted, part unscripted. Unlike some reality shows, it appears some "action" is created and presented only for viewers, to maintain the illusion.

This should be enjoyable for anyone who engages in fantasy gaming, fantasy novels, cosplay, etc. or for fans of superheroes. What a dream, to be allowed to live and compete in this world. The production values are excellent. At one point, you can hear a competitor say, "This feels real."

Interestingly enough, seven of the twelve paladins are women. But that did not seem to affect the dynamics of the first episode.

One poster on the bulletin board asked what the winner wins. Good question. Apparently, the reward is being the surviving hero of Everealm. That seems like more than enough for those permitted to live the dream.

I think most viewers will root for their favorite paladin. I have already chosen Lina as my champion.

Update 8/17/14: After three episodes--and three eliminations--we find that the social part of the game is significant. If the other competitors like you, it is much more difficult to be eliminated.

The actors that surround the paladins are convincing. The challenges the paladins must face have been interesting (e.g. breaching a series of doors to obtain ingredients necessary for a potion). The paladins themselves are fully engaged. Though their enthusiasm might feel cheesy at times, it fuels the show.

I stumbled across this show somewhat on accident and I'm really glad I did. This is the best reality show and probably one of the best shows in general that I have ever seen.

The fact that it is not your typical reality show is what first piqued my interest. The show is set in a fantasy realm complete with characters and creatures that would be perfectly at home in any fantasy tale. However, twelve people are summoned from the real world to this fantasy realm to aid its citizens in defeating evil.

Another reason I really like the show is that it emphasizes positivity and the good in people. Yes, the contestants or "Paladins" as they are called are whittled down one by one as is the case in most reality shows but these "banishments" do not include much of the backstabbing and politics that seem to be inherent to so many reality shows. The Paladins seem to truly care about each other and just want to do what they believe is for the good of the Quest not worrying about their personal feelings towards each other.

This show is fantastic! It is extremely well cast and acted that I became so immersed in the characters, the quest itself, the plot and subplots that I, at times, completely forgot that it was a reality show. The Quest is more like a TV show that actually left you with a cliffhanger at the end of season 1. The Paladins were charged with tasks to complete to continue on the quest to save the Queen and her kingdom. The makeup, costumes and special effects help you to completely believe you are in this magical world with the Paladins, the Queen and her great general! Hopefully The Quest will have many many more seasons. Love this show it's great!