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Highlander: Timeless

Joe: "Maybe when the candle burns for a shorter time, it burns brighter."

Finally, the obvious question. If someone is destined to become an immortal, why wait for their "time"? Why not get it over with? I know that if I could live for centuries, I'd much rather do it in the body of a twenty year old. And isn't it much easier to master a sword when you're younger?

Not that Claudia Jardine is going to master the sword, since she chose her music even at the probable cost of her new immortal life. Her struggle to regain her exceptional talent after her first death reminded me of what Duncan said in some earlier episode about immortals observing history, but not making it. Will Claudia change her mind the first time a headhunter comes after her? I don't think so. More power to her.

Adding to the "before her time" theme, Methos showed his romantic, impulsive side with a powerful crush on a pretty waitress who turned out to be dying. I could choose to think this was out of character – wouldn't a man that experienced be a little more cautious with his heart? – but instead, I decided to go with it. I think it was, again, because of the way Peter Wingfield chose to play it. Methos was so charming and genuine with the unfortunate Alexa that those scenes just worked for me.

Obvious parallels between Claudia and Alexa. They both had a strange man come along and take them totally out of their current lives. They both took a major risk in order to make the rest of their lives important. And they both probably won't live for much longer.

Flashbacks:

— 1663 England. The Taming of the Shrew way out in the sticks, with Walter as Petrucchio and Duncan as Kate. Loved Walter stuffing Duncan's bodice; maybe it was the hairy chest. Adrian Paul doing a sword fight in Elizabethan drag was also a hoot.


Bits and pieces:

— There was something delightfully cartoon-like about the opener. Claudia was alone on stage playing a huge grand piano with Walter above her, sawing away at a rope.

— Duncan discovered Claudia at fourteen and put her through a lot of major schooling, which was more than he did for bratty potential immortal Michelle in "Rite of Passage." Of course, Michelle had well-to-do adoptive parents, and Claudia wasn't as lucky.

— Claudia seemed like a stuck up prima donna at first, but became marginally more likable when she was so kind to Joe. And she had courage. Not among my favorite guest star immortals, though.

— Does Methos always fall in love so quickly? At one point, he said, "Twenty years, six months, what's the difference?" I suppose that for Methos, they all die too quickly. Alexa will just be gone a little sooner than most.

— I finally saw Methos's watcher tattoo. Doesn't he heal, though? Does he have to keep getting tattooed? Or does he draw it on with pen?

— I liked Walter. He was fun. The actor was clearly good with a sword, too, because that duel outside the Buddhist retreat was a lot of fun to watch.

— Alexa and Methos were planning to go to Egypt. Who wouldn't want to go to Egypt with Methos? Seriously.

— Claudia Jardine had a K/C name, but she wasn't evil, so it doesn't count. Actually, there were no bad guys in this episode.

Quotes:

Methos: "I've traveled a lot."
Alexa: "Really? Paris?"
Methos: "Paris is too full of Parisians. Even the French don't like Paris."
Alexa: "Venice?"
Methos: "Venice. The smell alone will kill you."
Alexa: "A little young to be so cynical, aren't you?"

Jeremy Beaufort: (to Duncan) "He gave you my job because you're younger and prettier."
Duncan: (to Walter) "Is that true?"

Duncan: "Did you ever think maybe there was a reason why Shakespeare or Mozart or Bach were mortal?"

Alexa: "Why do you want to go out with me?"
Methos: "Because the alternative is unthinkable."

Methos: "I thought you liked me a little."
Alexa: "It's not that."
Methos: "It's my nose, isn't it?"

Alexa: "We're going coast to coast in the van. Adam likes to call it our tour of the new world."

Very good. At least a three, and possibly higher,

Billie
---
Billie Doux knows that there can be only one. And that's Methos.

2 comments:

  1. Many people "peak" at a young age and then spend the rest of their lives longing for the glory days. Even though it was immature and petulant of Claudia to feel that her life would have no meaning and to almost welcome death, I cannot imagine having such a great talent and losing it and living forever without it.

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  2. tattooing doesn't require you to scar... it's ink that's basically submerged below/in the skin... there's no reason to think that their healing abilities would do anything to tattooes

    ReplyDelete

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