HLS3: Song of the Executioner

[ithildin]

Highlander Season Three

Song of the Executioner, Air Date: February 1995

In the 1600s, MacLeod sought refuge for a time in a monastery founded by Paul, another Immortal. There he encountered Kalas, an Immortal monk with a heavenly singing voice. When MacLeod discovered that Kalas was routinely taking the heads of Immortals as they left the sanctuary, MacLeod and Paul expelled Kalas from the monastery, separating him from the music that was his life. Now in the present, Paul and his choir have been lured out of their monastery for a concert tour.

When Paul disappears after a concert, MacLeod discovers that Kalas is after his revenge. Meanwhile, two mysterious deaths at the hospital seem to be linked to negligence on Anne's part. Later, when drugs are found in Joe's bar, it becomes obvious that Kalas is trying to destroy MacLeod's friends before coming for him. MacLeod confronts Kalas and finds that Kalas is a strong and skillful fighter, better than MacLeod has faced before, and is nearly the victor. To save himself, MacLeod throws himself off the concert hall roof, landing, dead, at Anne's feet on the street below. Kalas escapes and MacLeod is forced to leave his life in the U.S. and flee to France, leaving Anne believing that he is dead. ~ recap via tv.com

Next week: Star-Crossed

Comments

[horsedoovers.livejournal.com]

I remember that ep.

[macgeorge1.livejournal.com]

TPTB commentary and episode description at:
http://www.wordsmiths.net/MacGeorge/episodes/Season3/Song.htm

My observations: This is far more of a standard plot than something like “Blind Faith” - it has the old enemy come back to threaten Duncan and everyone he cares about. The flashbacks were well done, and it was interesting to see Duncan gradually pulling himself together after what was evidently a long, difficult time of violence and despair in his life.

The monastery was also where he seemed to really take to reading and learning, even if the monastic life chafed after a while. We have to assume he spent quite a while there, and it is interesting to speculate just how long that period was - six months? A couple of years? Long enough, at least, to have him reading Shakespeare fairly proficiently.

It was also good to see MacLeod meet an opponent who was presented as a swordsman at least as good as he was, and a real threat.

Frankly, however, I prefer episodes that deal with more substantive themes than this one does. Kalas is a straightforward Really Bad Guy with no real gray areas about who he is or why he is after MacLeod. However, this story sets up better episodes for the future, where we meet Methos, and have Finale I and II, so I can’t complain too much. All in all, it was an okay episode, but certainly not one of my favs.

[simonesa.livejournal.com]

I like my villains a little more gray as well. Kalas was more irritating than terrifying. Truly the best of this episode does not actually occur in the episode. Methos is the best thing to emerge from Kalas.

[pat-t.livejournal.com]

There were some things I really liked in this ep, but some things I really didn't like. And you guessed it, it was most of the medical mess-ups. You can tell it was written by people who don't have a clue how hospitals and the medical community work. Kalas couldn't have just wandered in there, picked up someone's chart and written an order, falsiying Anne's name. And even if he did, the nurse would have known the pt was allergic to the drug, as would the pharmacy who would not have dispensed it. And the other patient would not have taken something they know would kill them. Wasn't it a diabetic? I would have to go back and watch it again.

But I liked Brother Paul. And Kalas was an okay bad guy. As MacG stated, it set up a good arc where we meet the ROCG. (really old cute guy)

[simonesa.livejournal.com]

The patient was hypoglycemic and she was given insulin. And the patient was a hospital employee, maybe not a nurse, but surely aware enough to not confuse insulin with whatever Anne gave her for this flu bug. What was even more amazing that how easy it was for Kalas to cause trouble was how quickly Mac walks into the hospital administrator's office and clears everything up.

I thought Brother Paul was a bit cardboard. I rather resented a connection I felt they were trying to make with Darius. Forcing another reformed immortal secluding himself on holy ground on us. Well, this one was completely lacking the charisma of Darius. Also, these immortals are gradually getting older. Paul was over 2000 years old. Remember when Darius was considered one of the oldest ones.

Kalas was terrible. I never liked him. There is nothing appealing about him to my sensibility. It is such a waste too. When we see what a really fascinating villain like Kronos can do and wonder what if Kronos could have had the same number of episodes to unravel. I think the raspy voice was more irritating than evil. He was just ugly and annoying. I wish anyone else had been cast as Kalas.

The best part of the episode for me was Mac trying to explain to Richie why he had to leave. Why he would not reveal himself to Anne. He couldn't survive another Tessa.

I have not ever had the opportunity to discuss these episodes with a group. It sounds like it is old hat for you guys. I am curious what is everyone's opinion regarding the scar on Kalas. Was it because Mac came so close to a killing blow that Kalas did not heal?

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I am curious what is everyone's opinion regarding the scar on Kalas. Was it because Mac came so close to a killing blow that Kalas did not heal?

I think that's the general consensus. The one part of their bodies where they're vulnerable.

[jotribe.livejournal.com]

This is a lovely brain-wash to get the other baaaad thing out of my head.

I like the whole arc. It was nice to have it go over so many eps. But it was far from my favorite story. Too bad Duncan didn't stay dead to Anne. He should never have called her from France *g*

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Heh! I did a brain-wash myself last week -- Messenger, Valkyrie, and the Horseman episodes.

[mamamia1964.livejournal.com]

I so totally agree about Kalas. He was a boring and irritating character.

Ok, I don't have the episodes avaiable to watch, so I'm doing all of this from memory. I may have the sequel in mind as I write this, so forgive me if I'm wrong here.

After Anne sees Duncan die, wouldn't she have expected a funeral service to be held for him? It's pretty obvious that he's a well-respected member of the community, after all. And she's been his steady girl for at least a while. (And, while I really couldn't stand her, I did appreciate the fact that the two of them gradually developed their relationship, rather than diving right into bed and intimacy. And then....but I'm getting off track about things that irritate me! *g*)

So, Anne hops into bed with some guy out of grief, gets a call from Joe to stop by and talk, whereupon there's a special phone call from Paris for her. It's her dead lover who's not dead after all.

What about the stupid funeral????

Ummm, sorry if I sound irritated. But, really! Where's the logic?