The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/373051
The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, August 29, 2014 2 By Jacqui Wiens TV Media T he line between reality and non-reality television has always been a bit blurry. The genre has been plagued with accusations of scripting interactions, coercing their subjects into taking atypi- cal actions and even predeter- mining the outcomes of vari- ous shows. ABC's recent venture into the reality genre is sending up smoke signals that obscure the line altogether, as "The Quest" takes 12 brave Paladins into the mystical Everealm, where being knighted is more than a formality and where ogres, dragons and dark lords loom menacingly. Step inside the ad- venture as the Paladins fight to free Everealm when a new epi- sode of "The Quest" airs Thurs- day, Sept. 4, on ABC. Dragons? In a reality series? It does seem absurd at first glance, but while the contestants — called Paladins — will be inter- acting with actors, their actions and abilities will determine the eventual "one true hero" who will take on the evil Verlox to save Everealm. "The Quest" is an ambitious series that aims to seamlessly merge our world with a fantastical realm. The imaginary world is inhabited by various species pulled from the pages of fantasy novels, as well as the essential castle full of good humans sheltered from the evils of the outside world. At the start of the series, the heroes arrive in Everealm and are greeted by the Fates, the mysterious beings who sum- moned the Paladins from our world to save the magical di- mension. The Fates — played by Stephanie Buddenbrock ("Risse im Beton," 2014), Flor- ence Kasumba ("Tatort") and Mai Duong Kieu ("Rought- own," 2014) — reveal that their world is under siege by a dark being known as Verlox (Doug Tait, "Pair of Kings"), and 11 of the 12 kingdoms have already fallen under the might of his onslaught. The heroes venture to the fi- nal free kingdom, led by Crio the Dreamer (Jan Hutter, "Joyeux Noel," 2005), arriving at Castle Sanctum to hear the history of "The Quest" from the Grand Vi- zier (Marcello De Nardo, "My Best Enemy," 2011), chief among the queen's advisers. As the Grand Vizier ex- plained, a similar group of 12 heroes defeated Verlox 1,000 years ago using the Sunspear. Verlox was banished back then, but has since made his way back to Everealm. The new Pala- dins each received a piece of the Sunspear from the Fates and must now train and compete amongst themselves in order to become the one true hero. The morning after their arrival at Castle Sanctum, the Paladins are sent to the training yard un- der the watchful eye of Sir Ans- gar (Peter Windhofer, "Silk Road," 2008), head of the Royal Army. Working in teams of three, the champions use their skills and teamwork to take down fake enemies. Bonnie Gordon, one of the Paladins from the winning team, was nominated by her teammates and awarded the Mark of Leadership, the first of the small badges the contes- tants will wear to indicate they won a challenge. Back on the reality side of this fantasy series, the losing team of three must eliminate one of their members. As with all the future challenges, the competitors receive one last chance to save themselves in the Fates challenge. Christian Sochor triumphed in the inau- gural Fates challenge, leaving his teammates Patrick Higgins and Katie Smaluk to the mercy of the other Paladins, each of whom had to choose which fellow hero to save. Patrick gar- nered the most support from his companions, making Katie return her piece of the Sun- spear as she became the first to be eliminated. Following their training ses- sion, the Paladins are invited to an audience with the ruler of Sanctum, Queen Ralia (Su- sanne Gschwendtner, "The Fairy Who Stole Eyes," 2006). After their conversation is in- terrupted by an injured soldier, the queen decides danger is close and the heroes need some intense training. The competitors participate in a tournament on horseback, tak- ing on a variety of different combat styles and weapons. In the second challenge, it is Shondo Blades who comes out on top and receives the Mark of Dexterity. Ashley Guerrero and Jim Curry end up in the bottom three, joining Christian, who is in danger of elimination for a second time. Jim saves himself in the Fates challenge, and the Paladins decide to save Christian, banishing Ashley back to our world. The Paladins come from all walks of life. Some of them work in professions that could lend them an advantage in Eve- realm, while others have ex- plored more 'modern' profes- sions. Shondo Blades' experi- ence in MMA seems to have al- ready helped, winning him the Mark of Dexterity, although Ashley Guerrero's job as a horse trainer didn't pay off for her. Personal trainer Andrew Fraz- er is the last competitor with a very physical job, but Lina Carol- lo's mental wrangling in her po- sition as a school counselor could be handy. Student Jim Curry, math teacher Patrick Hig- gins, property manager Bonnie Gordon, homemaker Jasmine Kyle, marketing director Adria Kyne, executive assistant Leticia Reyes, bartender Katie Smaluk and server Christian Sochor round out the group. "The Quest" is a one-of-a- kind show that challenges the definition of a reality television series. Real people are thrust into unfamiliar territory and swept along by the carefully planned events taking place around them. Will the Paladins be able to take down the evil Verlox before he destroys Castle Sanctum and the last stronghold of the resistance? Find out whose actions will allow them to become the one true hero when a new episode of "The Quest" airs Thursday, Sept. 4, on ABC. Christopher's Coins 2 x 2 coverstory Marcello De Nardo and Susanne Gschwendtner star in "The Quest" By the fates Reality and fantasy collide in an ambitious 'Quest' By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: Is Michael Weatherly from "NCIS" Robert Wagner's son in real life? Or just on the show? A: Michael Weatherly and Robert Wagner are not, in fact, related in real life, but neither you, nor the "NCIS" casting agents, are the first to notice a resemblance. That distinction goes to the producers of "The Mystery of Natalie Wood" (2004). Six years before Wagner appeared on "NCIS" as the father of Weatherly's character, Weatherly actually por- trayed Wagner in that film, which told the story of the mysterious death of Wagner's wife, rising starlet Nata- lie Wood. Weatherly said in an interview with "Movieline. com" that he and Wagner have become friends since doing "NCIS" together, and he now realizes that his portrayal of Wagner in the film wasn't necessarily true to life. "I think I was more playing what I had seen of him on screen. As it turns out, I was not doing an impres- sion of R.J. Wagner as much as I was doing an impres- sion of the roles he played." To be fair, they were some great roles. The one-time Hollywood heartthrob played a dynamic, romantic lead in such films as "Prince Valiant" (1954) and "The True Story of Jesse James" (1957) and in the spy series "It Takes a Thief" from 1968 to 1970. He's still probably best remembered for playing jet- setting detective Jonathan Hart on the detective series "Hart to Hart" from 1979 to 1984 (and in a couple of subsequent telefilms). It's that long experience that initially thrilled Weath- erly when they started working together. "This is a guy that drank with Humphrey Bogart and got on-the-job advice and training from guys like Spen- cer Tracy and Cary Grant. He bridges a generation of Hollywood that I find really fascinating." For the record, Weatherly's real-life dad (also named Michael — the "NCIS" star is in fact a "junior") was a very successful businessman, having reportedly been the first person to import the Swiss Army Knife to the United States. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. hollywoodQ&A