This pseudo James Bond-ian adventure has always been my favorite Richie-centric episode.
There was nothing particularly profound about it – it was just a fun change of pace. Richie got kidnapped and tied up several times, we had a French damsel in distress facing a fate worse than death, there was a chateau, a Ferrari, a casino heist, what's not to like? Of course, even though the situation was more adult, Duncan still had to get Richie out of trouble. What's a father to do?
For me, the best part of the episode was Duncan playing an older version of himself (almost as if he actually were Richie's father), and having a lot of fun as he relived a past romance and finally solved a twenty-year old robbery. He even got his rather ugly watch back. I particularly loved the way he overdid his death scene. "You got me!"
There was fun to be had, but as comic Highlander episodes go, this one is... good, not great. Which again made me think that maybe it was because it was about Richie. There just didn't seem to be a lot that the writers could do with the Richie character. And I don't think that had anything to do with the charm or acting skills of Stan Kirsch, whom I've always liked.
Flashbacks:
— 1979 France. Duncan, in a very bad wig, played baccarat at the casino with a James-Bond-y guy and a beautiful woman who won a million francs. It was like a parody of a bad movie. But again, fun.
Bits and pieces:
— The title was probably meant to allude to the classic short story, "The Ransom of Red Chief," about bad guys who kidnap an extremely bratty child and eventually pay the parents to take the kid back. I'm not quite sure how that applies to Richie, though. Other than the bratty part.
Quotes:
Eduardo: "He's American. And they have this ridiculous obsession with breasts."
James Bond wannabe: "I'm off to work."
Duncan: "Say hello to M for me."
Richie: "She drugged me, kidnapped me, and tied me to a bed. If you ask me, I think that's a pretty solid foundation for a relationship." And yet again, Richie was with a woman for five minutes and thought it was going to be permanent. Sigh.
Three stars,
Billie
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Billie Doux knows that there can be only one. And that's Methos.
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