sholio | Highlander 4x05-4x07

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tv:highlander

Highlander 4x05-4x07

More episode reactions for eps 4x05-4x07! Now with fresh icons, thanks to the awesome

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4x05 - Double Eagle

Oh my god I love caper stories, and that episode made me laugh so hard. The actors were obviously having so much fun with the comedy of errors stuff. Duncan's FACE, and the running joke with Richie turning up, and awww, Amanda, just a big softy deep down. (I guessed way in advance that the casino was going to burn down, because it was the only way I could think of that they could both end up that furious at each other with no one really being at fault ...!)

4x06 - Reunion

... oh wow. I wasn't expecting Amanda's history with Kenny at all!

I absolutely love this show's approach to immortality. Because the idea that someone would be completely static and unchanging for 500 years or 1000 years, as a lot of fiction treats its long-lived characters, is stupid. No one stays the same for one 80-year lifespan, so why should it be true of a 1000-year lifespan? My first reaction to finding out that Amanda and Kenny were friends was "....WHUT", but Kenny wasn't the Kenny we know when she met him. He became that person by having to survive in a vicious and dangerous world.

And I'm continually impressed by how willing the show is to go to the darkest places, not in a sensationalistic way but in a way that makes sense for the world they've set up -- in this case, Kenny's infatuation with Amanda was a logical step (he's 800, after all!) but I was really surprised that the show was willing to go ahead and make it textual.

Also? I really adore smirky!Duncan. :D

And Anne and Amanda making friends -- heeheeheeheeHEEEEE! Oh show! For a show with a nearly all-male cast, Highlander is actually more Bechdel-passing and better with the overall gender dynamic than a lot of shows with a lot more women in their main cast.

But I'm wondering what happened to Duncan's fixer-upper house during this whole part of the series, since he and Amanda seem to be living at the dojo. It feels like a continuity error, though perhaps the renovations are still going on somewhere off-camera.

4x07 - The Colonel

"Let's picture two gravestones. One says 'He lived by the rules.' The other says 'He was a good friend.' Which one do you want?"

About all I've got for this episode is OH MY SHOWWWWWWW. I love Duncan and Joe, and Duncan and Amanda, and Amanda and Joe ... I pretty much just love them all so much.

I'm not sure which makes me happier -- that the whole episode was pretty much about Amanda trying to get Joe and Duncan to reconcile, or that it WORKED. (Like Duncan said, it's hard to argue with Amanda!) And I love SO MUCH that they gave us a whole episode devoted to resolving the rift in their friendship, rather than just having it as a throwaway bit somewhere else (or, heaven forbid, not doing it at all).

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Wow, you're blitzing through the show! (...okay, I'm one to talk...all of SGA in what was it, a week...?)

Hee, I loved HL's humor eps the best (I think AP is dynamite at comedy - his expressions!), and Double Eagle was one of my faves. 4th season had a lot of great eps in general.

Is The Colonel the one where the guy locks Joe up in a thing? ...or is it Duncan that's locked up? Either way I remember their reunion was lovely.

Hee! I'm TRYING to slow down and make it last, but it's haaaard. I know I'm going to regret it if I just eat the whole thing up and don't have any more ...

AP is brilliant at comedy. The funny side to Duncan's character was what made me really start falling for him in season one, and he's just gotten better at it. HIS FAAAAACE. XD And his timing is really great too.

This is the episode where Duncan gets locked up in a thing. (Does Joe get locked up in a thing? No, don't answer that. XD) Actually, this episode is the source of several clips that I had no idea were Highlander clips, from a vid I have on my hard drive with a couple of "people locked up in things" montages. And Amanda and her protege dancing their way into the store when they're breaking into it is in a vid too! I remember thinking when I saw that, "What show is that from, and what the heck are they doing?" Now I know!

Anyway, I was hoping for "rescue in the midst of danger and peril!" and instead we got "rescue after the bad guy has wandered off for a while" but oh well, there was rescue and then eventually reconciliation, and I was happy. :D Estranged friends getting on each others' good side again -- one of my very favorite things! And Amanda telling Duncan that he's her best friend ... n'awwwww.

I totally have the multi-fandom vid with Amanda & her protege dancing in! ...I can't remember which vid it is, but I've watched it a bunch. Actually I think I'd seen the vid before I saw that scene myself, though I definitely recognized Amanda (she's kind of hard to miss XD)

If Joe does get locked in a thing I can't remember, but yeah, that's the ep I was thinking it was, just couldn't recall what happened to who! ^^ Mmm, reconciliation...

It's really going to be fun when I can go back and watch the vids that I'm not letting myself watch now. :D There are two that gave me nearly all the Highlander clips that I specifically remember. One's a multi-fandom slash vid that I downloaded years and years ago -- it's in Realplayer format, that should give you some idea -- and watched so many times that many of the montages are unfortunate branded into my brain; the only saving grace is that Highlander is very poorly lit a lot of the time *g*. So in several scenes, while I know it's Duncan and Methos because even at the time I knew that was the couple in that part of the vid, I am not really sure what's happening. The other one is all Highlander, and I quit watching it about a third of the way into the vid because I realized at that point "Hey, I'd like to watch this show someday, and this vid is going to spoil me for EVERYTHING." I still remember a lot from that vid because I did watch the beginning of it several times -- it was, in fact, one of the reasons why I started watching the show, because I was dying to know what was happening in some of those clips! But most of the clips I remember I've already seen (some involving Fitz, some with Darius, quite a lot of Duncan's flashbacks). That is, however, the vid from which I know that we see barbarian!Methos on a horse with blue face paint at some point. :D

ARGH now I want to go watch more show ...

Mmm, reconciliation...

It's definitely one of my favorite flavors. *nods*

And obviously one of fandom's favorite flavors as well; witness all the many stories that played to that kink in SGA, even when they had to invent transparently silly reasons for the characters not to get along! I'm pretty sure that the so-called post-Trinity phenomenon in SGA is at least partly playing to that kink, rather hampered by the fact that the characters get along as well as they generally do in canon ...

That is, however, the vid from which I know that we see barbarian!Methos on a horse with blue face paint at some point. :D

blue face paint AND a silly wig! XDDDDDD *bites tongues on spoilers*

I don't know if I have any straight-HL vids...hmmm, will have to look at what's recced to you, once you're done ^^

And obviously one of fandom's favorite flavors as well; witness all the many stories that played to that kink in SGA, even when they had to invent transparently silly reasons for the characters not to get along!

Hee, definitely! Also why post-Rift future-fics for Smallville (with Lex & Superman learning to get along again - generally the "having lots of sex" meaning of getting along) are so popular. It hits similar buttons as redemption stories, for me...or else as presumed-dead stories? Saving a relationship/friendship/whatever that looks to be doomed...anyway, yes, yays!

Yep, silly wig and all. *g*

Actually, the thought has crossed my mind that the historical flashbacks must be so much fun for the actors! They get to dress up in period costume and play pretend, but they don't have to, say, strap into a corset and get on a horse EVERY time they come on set, like you would in a show that was set in a specific historical period. Also, since it's your basic cracky goofball TV history, it's a whole lot more "dress up, play pretend, and run around with swords" than any serious attempt to keep things accurate, and I keep looking at them and thinking, "That must be a blast." :D

(... well, except in the scenes where it's raining or looks like it's about 30 degrees -- there are times when the actors are acting their little hearts out despite being obviously very cold, and I felt sorry for them! In "Homeland", I couldn't help noticing that every outdoor scene was full of flies or mosquitoes or SOMETHING flying around, and the actors are gamely managing to go on with the scene and ignore them. The perils of filming outside ...)

except in the scenes where it's raining or looks like it's about 30 degrees

There is one clip in the bloopers of AP sitting outdoors, hugging himself and shivering, and he shouts "FREEZING!" at the camera, which Gnine & I quote all the time because it's kind of pathetically hysterical. But yeah...(it's like watching Psych, when they're all wearing short sleeves and pretending they're in sunny California while you can see their breath misting in the cold. Poor actors!)

...also judging by the bloopers, AP must've been grateful indeed that he didn't have to get on a horse every time... XD

I'm pretty sure that the so-called post-Trinity phenomenon in SGA is at least partly playing to that kink

HA. It won't surprise you that Highlander has its own version of post-Trinity fic (making insanely exaggerated drama out of something, I mean), and it's been frustrating me a lot lately. Thanks for the reminder, that's the perfect comparison!

blue face paint AND a silly wig!

I have a strange fondness for the silly wig. :D

...I admit to having a strange fondness for the entire get-up. ^^;

I am loving reading your posts, even if I don't comment on every one of them. :) In a weird retroactive way, it's making me enjoy the show even more (that probably sounds insane). :)

I'm going to have to do a rewatch soon though at this rate - maybe this summer. :)

Well, yes, that goes without saying. :D

(Well, admittedly I have a not-so-strange fondness for everything involving Methos.)

Hee! No, it doesn't surprise me a bit. Actually, I think a lot of fandoms do; Avatar: The Last Airbender had its own example that was every bit as over-the-top as anything SGA fandom ever did.

In a way this is another good thing about not having had contact with the fandom prior to watching the show, because I don't have those preconceived ideas hanging over my head! Actually, in the case of SGA, I *had* read fic before I got to Trinity, and I remember being kind of surprised and confused -- wait, that was IT? Where's the shunning? XD

Not at all! I'm delighted that you're enjoying my posts. :)

... I admit to being seekritly delighted that several people on my flist are rewatching the show after reading my squee posts, too. :D

wait, that was IT? Where's the shunning? XD

That never happened to me, thankfully - I always saw the show first. (I don't tend to read fic for stuff I haven't watched.) But in this case, it'd been so long since last I watched the episodes in question that I'd forgotten much, and I read a lot of fic before I rewatched the eps. And the discrepancy HURTS MY BRAIN. What's worse, I've read episode discussions that show clearly that people actually see things in those eps that ... well, much like people see Sheppard being OMGCRUEL!!!! to poor widdle Rodney at the end of Trinity, I suppose. Why can't people just watch the same show I do?! *whines*

(I can't wait for you to watch those eps. There are several that come to mind right now, and I'm really looking forward to your take on them!)

Given my spoiler-avoidant ways, it does make it kind of funny that I read fic and watch vids for shows I haven't seen on a semi-regular basis. I don't know ... for me I guess it's a way of previewing something without investing myself in watching it. Or there's a vid to a song I like, and I can't help myself. I do avoid things that I can tell are going to spoil me for something big, but, yes, I have accidentally spoiled myself on many occasions. *g* (I mentioned my experience with HP in your journal, I think -- I'd actually started reading in that fandom with, of all things, a widely recced Harry/Draco epic that goes AU after book 4; this would in fact be the story that gave rise to the phrase "leather pants Draco" in the fandom, if you have been in the fandom enough to have heard that. *g* And then I read the actual books, and as well as having had nearly every major plot twist up to book 4 revealed, I had to get to know the characters all over again because they were TOTALLY DIFFERENT.)

Heh. I'm completely the other way round; I've never met a spoiler I didn't want to know. So I don't avoid the fandom to avoid being spoiled - just because fic for something I haven't watched does nothing for me. For me, fanfic is meant to be read against a background of canon, and it's not itself without that. (I have tried on occasion, but it always falls flat for me without that dimension. I can't enjoy it at all.)

And LOL, yes, I know all about Draco in leather pants. I can hardly imagine what it must have been like to go from that to canon! *g*

(I was actually pretty heavily into HP at one time, although a completely different corner of it. Snape-centric, which should come as no surprise to you given my usual character archetypes, and with an OTP of Snape/Black. *uses icon*)

Well, I am a canon girl first and foremost, and I've always viewed fic as a preview of canon (for canons I haven't seen, I mean) and not a stand-alone thing on its own. I know people who get into fandoms and even write in fandoms without having seen canon, and I honestly cannot fathom that! Which is not to say it's bad or anything, just not how my brain works.

... having said that, though, reading fic out of context is kind of a fun experience for me. It's not something I do all that often, and usually I have at least some passing familiarity with the show and/or characters in the first place. (For example, if I've only seen a couple episodes of [x] but have heard that it got better, I might check out some fic after it gets another season or two under its belt, to see if it's worth watching the rest of it -- that's what I did with SGA, actually, because I'd originally rejected it out of hand due to being bored by "Rising".) But it's almost like having some pieces of a puzzle and having to figure out how they go together, like watching an episode of a TV show in the middle of its run and trying to figure out who the characters are and what their history is.

The HP thing ... I knew nothing whatsoever about it, just was bored one day, started reading a widely rec'd fic and couldn't stop. Canon!Draco was SUCH a disappointment, though! I kept expecting a redemption arc that never came. But then I met the canon Snape, Sirius and Lupin, and that made things a lot better. *g*

For example, if I've only seen a couple episodes of [x] but have heard that it got better, I might check out some fic after it gets another season or two under its belt, to see if it's worth watching the rest of it

I suppose I'm too used to being out of step with fandom - I wouldn't expect to be able to draw any conclusions about the canon from reading fic! The things I enjoy best are generally not the things others pick up on, and then there's the Trinity effect on top of things ...

And heh. I always liked canon!Draco much better, and I thought he got a great story in the 6th book even though there wasn't nearly enough follow-through in the 7th. But yeah, the adult generation was always where my heart was in that fandom. I don't generally get emotionally invested in kids or teens; I prefer adults.

Um, hi? After seeing this comment, I kind of had to delurk and tell you that you have inspired me to rewatch Highlander too.

Total stranger here ... long-time fan of your SGA stories, but I'm terrible about reviewing. I periodically check your journal for fic (was absolutely thrilled to find your Sanctuary fic, since there is NOT ENOUGH good gen in that fandom), and also, you were pretty much single-handedly responsible for getting me to watch Avatar: the Last Airbender a while back. And I completely loved it, so thanks for that. :)

Anyway! Just wanted to let you know that your revival of the Highlander fandom is spreading. Enjoy the rest of the show!

But I'm wondering what happened to Duncan's fixer-upper house during this whole part of the series, since he and Amanda seem to be living at the dojo. It feels like a continuity error, though perhaps the renovations are still going on somewhere off-camera.

He doesn't live there, he's just fixing it. He lives on the barge or in the dojo. And he's still working on the house...

I haven't re-watched these eps yet so no comment XD

Ah! I guess I'd assumed that the house would be fixed up in a couple of episodes and he'd move in. I like that they're going at a more realistic pace. :)

Edited 2011-03-25 03:43 (UTC)

Hi! :D Thank you very much; I'm so glad you've been enjoying my fic -- and always glad to spread the Avatar love, as it's still one of my favorite series of all time! And squee! I'm happy you're rewatching the show; feel free to drop in and comment on my squee-posts anytime if you feel like it, since I'm sure they will keep coming as long as I have more episodes to watch. (Or lurk, as you like. It's all good.)

*rubs hands together* Plans to take over the world with army of Highlander fangirls: proceeding nicely!

Yeah house fixing will bring you more joy in the future eps :-)

Oh wait did I just spoil you? :P

Hehe, well I'w watched the episodes you describe there...I'd forgotten so much. I mean I remember Kenny and Amanda, and the girl who immitated her, but I'd completely blocked out the kidnapping part -- which was pretty awesome I have to say. Duncan going all out to get out is kinda chilling to be honest, just as it should be with someone who's 400 years old, been there before and is very interested in his own survival.

I have to say that I also really like many of the villains in Highlander, they don't feel at all carbon cut to me. Despite all of them ending up on the wrong side of Mac's katana, there's a certain charm to them.

Oh wait did I just spoil you? :P

LOL, I had figured out that much on my own. *g*

I like the villains too! For one thing, they're so varied, and they have such diverse motivations and personalities, beyond just "evil tool of the week".

And, yeah, I love seeing Duncan's hardass side, too. He's so sweet so much of the time that it's easy to forget just how dark he can go and how badass he can actually get -- a guy who's been fighting for his life for 400 years, who spent at least 200 of those years fighting in various wars and working as a sword-for-hire, is not a person who's going to lie down and give up.

Edited 2011-03-25 05:02 (UTC)

*butts in*

I like the villains too! For one thing, they're so varied, and they have such diverse motivations and personalities, beyond just "evil tool of the week".

Except most of their names begin with "K"
Which gave them the fandom name of "Kimmie" for the bad immortal of the week :D

*giggles* Oh, that's funny. I never noticed the similarity of the names before!

Ken Gord did a great comedy routine at one of the cons about the Kimmies.

Never fear about the house. No continuity issues and it will make you insanely happy.

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Highlander 4x05-4x07

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