'They Also Serve'

[ithildin]

Highlander Season Three

They Also Serve, Air Date: February 1995

Recent Immortal Michael Christian has been on an incredible string of luck, taking a number of heads from unarmed and vulnerable opponents, including May-Ling Shen, who taught MacLeod the martial arts in 1780's Mongolia. Christian's Watcher, Rita Luce, has been doing more than just watching, supplying Christian with classified information on the other Immortals and their weaknesses. MacLeod, unaware of Christian, goes on a vision quest to his cabin on Holy Ground -- deliberately leaving his sword behind. The race is on for Joe Dawson to figure out Rita's secret before Christian sets his sights on MacLeod. ~ recap via tv.com

Next week: Song of the Executioner

Comments

[mackiedockie.livejournal.com]

I do enjoy this episode--it does much to expose Joe's complicated web of loyalties and commitments.

I may also be in the minority in that I do consider the guild-like Watchers a historically viable organization, from a socio-economic perspective. Not as it exists in the 20th century--serious flaws are obviously damaging the Watcher network from within and without in the modern era.

I suspect the relatively organic and adaptable decentralized Guild structure that supported and trained Watchers through many centuries and societies may have begun to fracture under the weight of centralization and bureaucratization. The Watcher CD debacle was only a symptom. Bean counters may have killed the Watchers *g*. Anomie and disenchantment with the Watcher mission certainly contributed to the rise of both the Watchers and that screwy Sanctuary.

While there's not a whole lot of money in pure voyeurism, the guild itself probably ran a number of cover businesses over the long years. With a very long term investment strategy, they could have maintained a relatively healthy set of coffers. Trading--a trading company not only provides excellent cover for a travelling Watcher, it pays its way on the side. Hudson Bay Company. East India Company. Funerary parlors through the ages would create steady income while making it considerably easier to hide those pesky torsos. And that's even hinted at in canon...*g*

[amberleewriter.livejournal.com]

I suspect the relatively organic and adaptable decentralized Guild structure that supported and trained Watchers through many centuries and societies may have begun to fracture under the weight of centralization and bureaucratization. The Watcher CD debacle was only a symptom.

Yeah. Exactly. I think the "modern" structure of the Watchers made it unsustainable. Sooner or later technological dependence and the weight of a paper trail would have exposed the Watchers as they were shown in the TV show. Joe completely did the right thing by telling Duncan. Duncan (and his friends) were generally the "good guys." By letting the information that they existed out to Immortals in a way that could allow some "spin" Joe, IMHO, saved their sorry skins. Hell, they'd already been infiltrated by at least one Immortal at that point (Methos) and I doubt that a guy like Constantine didn't know. I think the literalism of the way the oath seemed to be interpreted was likely one of those pendulum swing things.

I also think that our increasingly paper/information driven world would, sooner or later, Immortals out into the open. In such a case, both the Watchers and the Immortals would need one another to get through what would surely be a very turbulent period.

And yeah, trading companies, funerary parlors, print/paper manufacturing, universities and schools... the list could go on and on. ^_^