Lots of backstory and moral ambiguity is a formula for success. "Vengeance" worked well for the most part Thaddicus finds Zedd with the location of Panis Rahl, the murderer of their father and long thought to be dead. We learn through a series of flashbacks that Zedd used to teach the Rahls and wanted the wealth and glory. Panis Rahl had disguised himself as Zedd and kill their father. Thaddicus and Zedd, attack a monastery and kill a bunch of monks before finding that Panis is nowhere to be found. However, Darken Rahl tells them exactly where Panis is--with Richard.
At the same time, an old scholar tells Richard he needs scrolls with instruction. Thaddicus and Zedd show up, ready to fight and kill the man. Richard and Cara manage to hold them off long enough for Panis to reveal himself and tell his side of the story. Zedd's father had used magic to give Darken Rahl a disease as a baby. The baby died, but a Mord Sith revived him. To find the truth, Panis had disguised himself as Zedd to find the truth, and after learning the truth did he kill Zedd's father. Ashamed of what his son became, Panis sired a child to oppose Darken Rahl.
It's not right what Panis did and he was a bit selfish, but nobody is completely innocent. Zedd enabled Darken Rahl to be born by working his magic on Panis, and he and his brother did kill a bunch of monks. Panis is helpful and doesn't turn out to be playing them, so he's not as bad as he was perceived to be. Zedd, for the most part, forgives him in the end, an action he, in his younger years, would not have done. People can change and Panis did his part to show that he's different. I'm sure the viewers will have a different take on justice and Panis, but in a land where we've seen far worse people, I think he's actually pretty good.
The Stone of Tears story, which has been used as a frame rather than the driving narrative never had much legs on it, but will be thrust into the foreground. Lost in the flashbacks was the scroll that is necessary to get the Stone working. It's a little contrived since this is the first we've hearing about it, but the Sisters steal it, so at least the characters will have something to do relating to their final goal.
Score: 9.0/10
