'Through A Glass, Darkly'

[ithildin]

Welcome to the seventh installment of Methos Episode discussion. You can find the last one, for 'Methuselah's Gift,' here. All episode discussion links can be found over on the sidebar.

Through A Glass, Darkly, Air Date: May. 1996

MacLeod's old friend Warren Cochrane is hiding a horrible secret he can't bear to remember. Realizing that an Immortal who won't remember what he is is soon a dead Immortal, MacLeod tries to help Warren by reminding him of the history they shared together, of their battles for Scotland's freedom, and of their mission to return Bonnie Prince Charlie to the throne. But MacLeod might have helped his friend more by letting the past stay buried.. ~ via tv.com

Next up will be Till Death [bounce]. Look for it on Thursday.

One quote below the curtain





Duncan: You know, I never know when you're kidding.
Methos: Part of my charm.

Comments

[amonitrate.livejournal.com]

despite it's annoying bits I've always liked this one. The mourning is very well done, subtle and quiet. And I like the questions it raises about immortal memory. We always take the memory flashbacks at face value, assuming that what we see is what happened. This episode makes you wonder if all of MacLeod's memories are unbiased, or if we're seeing his interpretation of events.

[unovis-lj.livejournal.com]

*g* I have a weakness for heros with skewed visions of reality. I wouldn't want to propose a mentally unstable MacLeod as One True Interpretation, but that would be an awful lot of fun to play with -- especially considering To Be/Not to Be's wonky vision of life without St. Mac.

[(Anonymous)]

mmm. He doesn't even have to be mentally unstable, just biased. I totally take TBNTB as biased, a figment of Mac's imagination, and not the actual alternative reality. the vision of Amanda especially rang false.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

We used to have FB perspective discussions a lot when it came to Forever Knight -- especially season one! As far as Highlander goes, realistically, you'd think that yes, what we're seeing is Mac's interpretation of events, but I suppose in practice, it probably isn't. Though if we were seeing his POV, it brings up all sorts of interesting possibilities.

I liked a lot of the interaction between Duncan and Methos in this one, and as you said, the grieving is handled well. And totally off the wall, one of my favourite Scottish songs is "Will Ye No' Come Back Again?", so that provided a very nice touch for me, though I wasn't at all fond of the version they used.

[enchantersnight.livejournal.com]

I didn't like this episode as much as some of the others but that may have been because of the depressing subject matter. It did make me think about the fB's though and whether they are Duncan's interpretation or not.

I found the whole "bonnie Prince Charlie" thing very sad I almost preferred Warren's version of events as it kept the great man great (could someone clarify what happened at the end)

I am embarrassed to admit I don't really remember Methos in this one *blush* I do recall something about leaving while Duncan was arrested but that is about it any reminders welcome :)

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

One of the things I liked was the realistic take on Prince Charlie, and another reason pairing that particular song with the episode was so heart tugging for me :)

Methos... the episode opens, if I recall, with him at Alexa's grave. He's with Duncan, and as they are leaving the cemetary, they feel the buzz of another immie. Later on, Duncan gets Methos to go through Watcher records to get the scoop on his old buddy. The end of the episode, Duncan asks if Methos would take the chance to forget his past and start over, and Methos says, no, because then who would remember Alexa? (I'm paraphrasing horribly, I know)

[(Anonymous)]

ya, I think TPTB probably meant the flashbacks to be "reality" and not a biased interpretation. But to me that's not as interesting as the flashbacks being colored by POV.

The Methos/DM interactions had interesting undercurrents. There's Methos referring to the Watchers as "we". There's the sense that DM is aware of Methos's sorrow, and maybe isn't sure what to do with it. He's just a bit awkward, even as he's trying to be comforting. Also, Methos seems a bit deflated when he realizes Mac has come for information. All very subtextual, and maybe just my interpretation.

[amonitrate.livejournal.com]

oops, that was me

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

The Methos/DM interactions had interesting undercurrents. There's Methos referring to the Watchers as "we". There's the sense that DM is aware of Methos's sorrow, and maybe isn't sure what to do with it. He's just a bit awkward, even as he's trying to be comforting. Also, Methos seems a bit deflated when he realizes Mac has come for information. All very subtextual, and maybe just my interpretation.

No, I don't think it's just you. I sensed some of that too -- you just do a much better job of voicing it than I do :)

[eveningblue.livejournal.com]

My favorite thing about this episode is the interplay between Duncan and Methos, and how Duncan cajoles Methos into helping him out. They are almost--almost--partners working on a case together. I would have loved to see more episodes just like this.

[pat-t.livejournal.com]

I didn't really care for the Warren storyline, even though I am glad they opened that window of doubt about the flashbacks and how accurate they are. As already stated, they've always been looked at as fact, when in reality, they are only the immortal's memories as he recalls a certain time in his life. And there is nothing to suggest that they have unfaulty memories. I mean - they wouldn't get dementia or alzheimers but people - young people without any kind of illness don't remember everything accurately or even well. Methos admits that some of his memories are *blurred*.

I do like the interaction between Duncan and Methos. How when Duncan tells Methos it will take him 10 years to get the basement cleaned up and he states that Duncan is saying that like it's a bad thing. You can sense his lonliness and how sad he is. It's little moments like these that make you wonder if immortality is really worth it.

[(Anonymous)]

I am glad they opened that window of doubt about the flashbacks and how accurate they are

Funny, I never gave any thought to the flashbacks, not even in this episode. I always took the flashbacks, not as Duncan's memory, but as factual history. In this episode, I just figured Warren's trauma over the killing of his student / son, amplified his sense of loss in failing to re-seat Bonnie Prince Charlie, and thus is warped memory.

I admit however, that if the FB are personal perspectives and not historical backstory, then everything takes on a new twist. For example, can we really be sure Methos was the "good" horseman or is his memory also clouded to make him look better then the others and thus justify his living?

There is an episode in the last season I think, where an immortal comes for Duncan's head, because Duncan killed a mortal friend of his (A soldier who lead a English army in Scotland) - Sorry not good with episode names.

While the FB's seemed to me to replay the same memory, what was different was the interpretation of the flashbacks, not the FB's themselves. For example, the guy after Duncan recalled a friend and family man, he seemed not to care that the General has ordered the slaughter of Scottish women, men and children as he moved through the country. Duncan, remembered that and took vengeance on the "killer" of his people. So the FB's were okay, but the interpretation of them was colored by their feelings and perspectives.

Roberta