With two episodes to go, we’re breaking down The Shannara Chronicles quest and unpacking what, exactly, Bloodfire is.
Before the penultimate and finale episodes of The Shannara Chronicles season 1 descend, we wanted to take a moment to check in on our characters and see exactly where they’re at on their journey to save the Ellcrys.
The quest
“When the Ellcrys comes to the end of its days (check) a flower will bloom (check) that will bear a single seed (check). A member of The Chosen must carry that seed to Safehold (working on it – half checked) and immerse it in the Bloodfire (not checked). Only then can the seed be returned to the sanctuary (not checked) and the Ellcrys be reborn (not checked).”
This means that the group is about halfway along on their quest. It took them the better part of the season to actually find out where Safehold even was. But as we’ve learned, it’s buried in the remains of ancient man, a.k.a. San Francisco.
Our heros
We have an idea why Amberle was sought out by the Ellcrys to carry its seed to Safehold. Not only is she royalty, but she proved her dedication to the tree during her race in the gauntlet, and she also stepped up during her vision quest inside the tree. Wil is a descendent of the Shannara family with magic literally running through his veins, making him an obvious choice for the quest. Eretria is the only one whose presence is a little more surprising.
Basically, why Eretria? “Your body is the vessel, your blood is the key,” said Hebel, the only man to have ever returned from Safehold. What is it about her blood in particular that unlocks the fire? Is there something about her we don’t know about? Why not any other lost Rover girl looking for redemption?
The Bloodfire
The Bloodfire itself is just as mysterious as the place in which it’s supposedly located. We have some new teases about what exactly it relates to in the video above, but the messages are cryptic at best. The image of the heart enveloped by fire, surrounded by the ricochet of atomic dust, appears again. The remains of a church are seen and other religious iconography surrounds them. Plus there’s the book that mentions an apocalypse. But is that the apocalypse of the human world that has already passed? Or is another ending on the horizon?
Bloodfire theories
It’s hard not to wonder if someone’s actual heart is going to need to be sacrificed in order for the quest to be fulfilled. And at this point I’m pretty worried for Eretria. Not only do we see her having such a violent reaction to the Bloodfire image, she’s not looking too hot in some of the other promotions we’ve seen. Then again, it’s Amberle who’s been completely engulfed in the mystical flames.
Speaking of Amberle, perhaps the Ellcrys is looking for a different kind of heart: A metaphorical one. She already had to give up Wil once during her vision quest moment. Maybe the Ellcrys requires a life long dedication of her heart, like nuns who forfeit their bodies to Jesus. A drastic concept for an MTV show perhaps, but the religious images above could be pointing us in that direction.
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