'Epitaph for Tommy'

[ithildin]

Highlander Season Two

Epitaph for Tommy, Air Date: December 1993

Tommy is an innocent bystander who's accidentally killed during a swordfight between MacLeod and the Immortal Gallen. Haunted by the unnecessary death, MacLeod tries to find out more about the dead man -- and discovers he isn't exactly the innocent bystander he appeared. ~ recap via tv.com

Next week: Under Color of Authority

Comments

[robi-travels.livejournal.com]

This is one of my favorite none Methos episodes. But for the life of my I could not tell you why.

Rowdy Roddy Piper was not that great in the role, but he did appear to be having fun. The other guest were so-so. But I think it was the actress who played Tommy's mom who won my heart. Very understated, accepting, bewildered. My guess is Duncan would have left things alone if he did not talk to her. But the "clan chief" needed to settle the heart of a scottish mother especially after what he found out about Tommy.

Powerful theme in acknowledging that sometimes it is best for those left behind to not know the truth about their loved ones.

Roberta

[macgeorge1.livejournal.com]

My episode and TBTB commentary summary are at:
http://www.wordsmiths.net/MacGeorge/episodes/Season2/Epitaph.htm

My comments on this episode are:
All this just so they could do a Q in an amusement park?

There were some huge plot holes in this one, and as a plot-maven that always bugs me. The things I liked about the episode were that they really tried to set up the emotional context for Duncan pursuing the mystery of Tommy’s death. Not only did he have a history of having mortals die just because they were in his proximity, and was deeply bothered by that, but they developed a nice relationship between DM and Tommy’s mother. (“Us Highlanders have to stick together,” says he.)

But Duncan *has* to figure out that it’s a bad idea to turn his back on a beautiful bad-ass woman (the bitch clocked him on the head, eventually leading to DM getting dumped out of a 6th story window). Also, what employer do you know gives out paychecks to “friends” of the employee who drop by to pick it up, much less show/tell them how much the check was for?

But it was a nice Quickening, I guess.

Pyrotechnics and flashing lights aside, it’s one of the few times we see DM welcome a Q, calling “Come! Come!” But then afterwards he almost falls down the stairs in weakness, staggering away like he can barely stay on his feet. (Maybe it was the blood loss from the bad cut on his hand they talk about in the TBTB commentary. ) Seriously, I think this was one of those episodes designed solely to appeal to the core demographic, and since I'm neither male nor a teenager, this one didn't ring my chimes.

[holde-maid.livejournal.com]

I readily agree on both the plot-holes and the emotional context, but would add the mother to the advantages of the epi. :-)

[kathyh]

Yes, I agree that the plot really didn't make much sense, but I liked the emotional heart of the episode, which was the relationship between Duncan and Tommy's mother. I also liked the way the flashback turned from a bit of fun to something tragic so suddenly making me feel the impact it must have had on Duncan more strongly.

It's always fun to see Duncan in antique dealer mode and the Q was a classic.

[shiroken.livejournal.com]

I really liked Gallen's character; he was so arrogantly cocksure of himself. I saw this epsiode three times before I realized that it was Roddy Piper in that role. I also remember thinking that Ritchie sure was in a hurry to get himself killed.