Well, re: Kronos-Methos power dynamics - I'm not 100% sure it's so one-sided as that. YMMV, of course, and my viewpoint may be skewed by fandom, though I recall having similar thoughts back when i first saw the Horsemen arc, when I had no idea what a fandom was... Anyways, I'd think that another valid interpretation is not that Kronos has Methos under his thumb all the way, allways, but it's a more two-way (fourway?) tangled web. Let's not forget that in the view of the Game, and the world itself being the way it is - to call someone brother for 1000 years ... it implies more than just 'I follow him 'cause I'm afraid of him and also think he's a manly ideal', also, it carries a hell of a loead of emotional baggage (not to mention that back at the good ol' bronze age days looting and raping was not morally wrong, but rather a good way to obtain a golden seat in Valhalla of your choice). So, for whatever reason, Methos has changed - methinks first he just got bored, but, whatever (also, ther's an outtake with ridiculous wigs pertaining to the topic), he leaves. Kronos ... maybe isn't bored yet. Maybe he has ownership/jealousy issues. Maybe he's just lonely. And now he shows up after centuries ... ready to disintegrate Methos' Adam persona. Yes, that makes Methos afraid. And probably he is not sure Kronos would not take his head. But I don't think fear is the only motivator here. It's also that he still cares at some level for at least Kronos and Silas (the latter one more easily, obviously), or at least he cares for the memory of the best moments of the bloody havoc-wreaking brotherhood. So, another, more complicated twist. It's kind of rather obvious that Methos has problems about killing Kronos himself, and I don't really think that it is just fear that holds him back. So, long ramble short, with Methos and Kronos, I tent to see them more in a swinging, switching power type of relationship, one with strong connotations of co-dependency. Um, also, I hope you don't consider it a spoiler, but there's a bit of a fannish ideas that draw parallels between some personality facets of Methos' ... fascinations? - as in some subtle simialrities between Kronos and Duncan, and I personally find this line of meta kind of fascinating.
no subject
Anyways, I'd think that another valid interpretation is not that Kronos has Methos under his thumb all the way, allways, but it's a more two-way (fourway?) tangled web. Let's not forget that in the view of the Game, and the world itself being the way it is - to call someone brother for 1000 years ... it implies more than just 'I follow him 'cause I'm afraid of him and also think he's a manly ideal', also, it carries a hell of a loead of emotional baggage (not to mention that back at the good ol' bronze age days looting and raping was not morally wrong, but rather a good way to obtain a golden seat in Valhalla of your choice).
So, for whatever reason, Methos has changed - methinks first he just got bored, but, whatever (also, ther's an outtake with ridiculous wigs pertaining to the topic), he leaves. Kronos ... maybe isn't bored yet. Maybe he has ownership/jealousy issues. Maybe he's just lonely.
And now he shows up after centuries ... ready to disintegrate Methos' Adam persona. Yes, that makes Methos afraid. And probably he is not sure Kronos would not take his head. But I don't think fear is the only motivator here. It's also that he still cares at some level for at least Kronos and Silas (the latter one more easily, obviously), or at least he cares for the memory of the best moments of the bloody havoc-wreaking brotherhood. So, another, more complicated twist. It's kind of rather obvious that Methos has problems about killing Kronos himself, and I don't really think that it is just fear that holds him back.
So, long ramble short, with Methos and Kronos, I tent to see them more in a swinging, switching power type of relationship, one with strong connotations of co-dependency.
Um, also, I hope you don't consider it a spoiler, but there's a bit of a fannish ideas that draw parallels between some personality facets of Methos' ... fascinations? - as in some subtle simialrities between Kronos and Duncan, and I personally find this line of meta kind of fascinating.