HLS3: Methos

[ithildin]

Highlander Season Three

Methos, Air Date: March 1995

When two Watchers end up dead by Kalas' hand, Joe realizes that Kalas is looking for Methos, the mythical "oldest Immortal." MacLeod knows that, with Methos' quickening, Kalas would finally be strong enough to defeat him. Kalas and MacLeod race to be the first to find Methos. Meanwhile, Richie muscles his way onto a top level motorcycle racing team and the champion, Basil, starts to get nervous. ~ recap via tv.com

Next week: Take Back the Night

Comments

[giandujakiss.livejournal.com]

This episode really encapsulates for me some of the weirdly bad directing of Highlander. They've got this interesting new character and this ongoing terrible villain fresh off of killing Fitz, and clearly enough visual sense to have that startlingly beautiful silhouetted D/M swordfight confrontation, and half the episode is -- Richie on a racing track? With characters who are never developed and we'll never see again? Whaah -- ?

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Yep, the infamous Richie bits, that I never watch to tell the truth. I always FFWD past them.

[dejla.livejournal.com]

Although the scene of Richie showing up in the sheet is rather funny. But pointless.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Heh! Yep.

[pat-t.livejournal.com]

Really? *blinks innocently* I have the version without Richie's racing scenes.

[ekaterinn.livejournal.com]

I completely agree with you! The Richie subplot doesn't highlight anything in the A story, and it just seems completely out of place, considering the heavy stuff that's going on in the main story.

[sinanju.livejournal.com]

Holy Serendipity, Batman! It's the Guest Star Who Ate The Fandom!

As I understand it, they had intended for Methos to get killed pretty quickly. But the writers/crew had the same reaction to seeing him in the dailies that fans did when the episodes aired: "Wow! Must have more!"

As for the Richie scenes--I agree that the whole racing subplot wasn't very interesting, but I thought it made for some good interactions between Duncan and Richie in the end. (Though I have to think that Anne had to be wondering if everyone but her was immortal by then....)

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

(Though I have to think that Anne had to be wondering if everyone but her was immortal by then....)

No kidding!

[timberwolfoz.livejournal.com]

You know, I've never watched the Richie bits of that ep. and I never will.

What sticks in my memory most is not the aired footage, but the original raw footage of the scene with Methos and Duncan walking beside the pond. They're so obviously smitten with each other and -- I'd say feeling each other out, except for the connotations. ;) It's utterly gorgeous. Also, there's a sense of quiet power about Methos that doesn't come across so much in the aired scene, interestingly enough.

Also of note in the aired footage is the scene where Duncan first meets Methos and the change in his manner; first almost growling "Adam? You Adam Pierson?" and then changing to astonishment and almost awe when he realises just who this Adam Pierson bloke is. *g*

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

While I don't agree with 'smitten', I do agree that the unaired stuff is very cool. Would be nice to re-edit the episode, taking out the Richie stuff, and putting the unaired footage back in [g]

That's a great scene, as Duncan puts two and two together. I always wished we'd gotten a scene where Joe sees Methos/Adam again for the first time after finding out he's Methos. As they say, that's what fic is for!

[robi-travels.livejournal.com]

Did I miss something? Is there unaired footage? And how do you get an episode without the B story?

Roberta

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

It's part of the extra stuff on the DVD sets.

You'd have to make it yourself. I've never bothered, it's easy enough to fast forward.

[robi-travels.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Will need to go back to them to watch.

Roberta

[pat-t.livejournal.com]

Definite awe in the way Duncan says Methos' name. And definite smitten. Did you notice that *Adam* had to decided to change his clothes before he and Duncan went out on their little walk and talk?

And I absolutely adore that icon. Can I steal borrow it?

[simonesa.livejournal.com]

LOL. I am pretty sure their 'first time' was in the barge after Duncan did NOT take Methos' head.

[timberwolfoz.livejournal.com]

*chortles* I think you were the one who pointed it out! Ah, the interesting places one's mind goes to once you notice that...

As for the icon, go for it. raya_macgiver is the clever person, anyway.

[elychari.livejournal.com]

I rewatched this ep a couple of weeks ago. :) Yay for torrents! Anyway, what struck me was how beautiful and young Peter looked. Yes, I'm that shallow. He really has the most astonishing eyes.

I fastforwarded all the Richie scenes...which really looked out of place in the whole Kalas-Methos storyline.

[ekaterinn.livejournal.com]

What I love most about this episode is when Duncan says incredulously, "Methos?" and Methos just tips his head in acknowledgment. It's a very quiet scene, compared to how Duncan meets some other Immortals (a crossbow in the shoulder comes to mind) and it highlights how so much of Duncan's and Methos's friendship seems like they've known each other for years - that moment of understanding is what, as it seems to me, allows their friendship to survive so much turmoil later on.

And also, we got a wonderful closeup of Peter Wingfield's face in that scene, which is truly lovely!

[yabyumpan.livejournal.com]

Ignoring all the Richie stuff (as I always do), what a fantastic introduction of a great character. One thing that always gets me though, and something I've never seen discussed in the fandom (not that I've been around that long), is at the end when Duncan tells Joe that Adam is really Methos. Unless Methos left a note telling him to do it, it always seems to me such an enormous breach of trust. Yeah, we know Joe's an OK guy but he's still a Watcher. Duncan couldn't be sure the he wouldn't "out" him to the Watchers or even just tell someone else 'in confidence'. It just makes me uncomfortable when ever I see it, what do other people think? Was Duncan out of line to tell Joe? Did Methos leave note asking him to tell Joe?

[simonesa.livejournal.com]

I think Duncan thought Methos had cleared out. That is the impression anyway, that we won't see him again. I think that Duncan has the relationship with Joe that he would confide, but at the same time he does not tell Richie. It takes an imposter to get Mac to tell Richie who the real Methos is. As far as notes, I don't think there was one.

[robi-travels.livejournal.com]

That was a bother. But I think it was one of things Duncan did without thinking. As he said, an inside joke and he was sharing the punchline. Most likely he really thought Methos was gone forever into the land of myth again.

But that doesn't excuse that Duncan told. Thankfully, Joe can keep a secret.

Roberta

[amberleewriter.livejournal.com]

Given that Joe is the one that sent Duncan to "Adam's" place to begin with, I thought the phone call to Joe was only a partial breech. Yes, it seemed like a large thing for Duncan to tell him, but "Adam" was also a Watcher and Joe obviously knew him well enough to have his address. Also, Joe's friendship with his "assignment" was obviously against Watcher rules. For Joe to have sent Duncan to Adam as a protector was a real risk for Joe. If "Adam" hadn't been Immortal there could have been some huge ramifications.

As a result, I think Joe did a rather presumptuous and risky thing sending Duncan to "Adam." Methos, in turn, took a calculated risk staying to meet him and exposing the fact that he was an Immortal hiding in the Watchers. Duncan, I think, figured both men had a little explaining to do to one another and took it upon himself to give Joe the FYI both as warning and information. Then Methos put all Immortals at risk by interfering in the fight and having Kalas thrown in jail. After all, not aging or reviving after a knife fight in the big house would probably let mortals know pretty fast that there's something not quite right with the world.

In short, all of them did a lot of things that seem pretty odd when you come down to it. Duncan's telling Joe was the least of them and likely the one that could have been predicted by Methos (thus packing up and bugging out). Do I think it was the right call? Not really, but I do think wasn't that out of character.

[silvercobwebs.livejournal.com]

I really want to be the black sheep and say how valued the Richie scenes are, and how it's a clever twist to have the title focusing on one character whilst actually showcasing another, but if I did, I'd be a big fat liar.
Let's face it, for a lot of us, this ep is all about the Really Old Guy. It's a relatively quiet (and far too short) introduction, and (cover you eyes for a moment) a heck of a flirty one to boot. (Sorry Ith!)
What I really enjoyed about this ep:
+ A very young and perfectly sprawling PW.
+ Duncan's surprise, realisation and amusement at Methos' existence and 'Adam' (so who does that make Eve? *g*) name. I love his facial expressions throughout.
+ The fresh blood it brought to the whole series. I think it was important to see Duncan playing off another older immie.
What I wasn't very impressed by:
+ Excessively long scenes at the racetrack.
+ Richie's little neckerchief. I just wanted to tug it off.
Ending it there, before I ramble even more!

[simonesa.livejournal.com]

Richie's little neckerchief. I just wanted to tug it off.

OMG! The neckerchief. WTF?! Did Richie think it would make it more difficult for someone to take his head?

[macgeorge1.livejournal.com]

Sorry to be a little late to the party (as usual!). My original description of the episode, and a summary of TPTB commentary, is at:
http://www.wordsmiths.net/MacGeorge/episodes/Season3/Methos.htm

My comments were: This episode has as its singular attribute, the introduction of Methos, who projects instant, vibrant electricity on screen, and the fascination MacLeod feels for who and what he is, is palpable, as are the unseen depths in Methos’ character. There are so many wonderful enigmas left in the wake of that event that we can’t help but be desperate to see more of Methos, know more about him, learn a little about his vast past. Why did he let Duncan find him? Was it an act of trust based on what Methos knew of MacLeod from the Chronicles? Was there some other agenda going on? And what was with his offering of his head to Mac? I agree with Mac on this one: “So after 5,000 years, your only solution is that I kill you?” I don’t really believe that (and you’ve got to wonder if Mac really believed it, either). Another interpretation is the old classic “show the alpha male your belly, and he won’t hurt you” strategy. If he has Duncan MacLeod looking our for him (even though he *says* Duncan can’t fight his battles for him), having such a protective Immortal friend can’t hurt.

What we see in this episode also belies the fannish notion I’ve frequently encountered that “Methos is really one of the best swordsmen in the world, and just ‘pretends’ otherwise around MacLeod.” There is no one to pretend for as he flails away at Kalas. He looks neither graceful nor powerful, and almost loses his head. Methos isn’t kidding when he tells Mac that he’s rusty, and Peter Wingfield even tells us that he thinks that Methos’ survival skills weren’t about being the best fighter. Methos is a man of extraordinary wit and an expert on reading and anticipating human reactions and behavior, especially in moments of crisis when his life is on the line.

We also learn that Methos is perfectly comfortable with deceit when it serves his purposes, as he smoothly lies to the police about being a witness to Saltzer’s murder. And since it is obvious that interrupting the fight would piss MacLeod off, we also learn that Methos does what he thinks is best without regard to how others might feel about it. It also implies that Methos gives short shrift to the Rule about not interfering in an Immortal battle - giving rise to speculation about what other Rules Methos violates when it suits him.

All this in the first episode where he is introduced, and during which he has relatively few lines. Whew.

Oh, and does anyone give a rat’s fuzzy behind about the motorcycle race, who won, who lost, or why?

Not me.

[robi-travels.livejournal.com]

Thanks, nicely said.

Roberta

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I'm way late to the party, and I live here :)

Just the random thought I often have of how different the episode might have been, how different Methos might have been, if they hadn't been planning on killing him off. What would be different if he'd been planned as a recurring character?

Maybe I should make that question a post.

[amberleewriter.livejournal.com]

This is an example of the A/B story formula that, IMHO, didn't work. After the emotional death of Fitz in the prior episode, to have half of this episode focus on Richie in a rather pointless story arc seemed more than a touch anti-climactic. To top it off, the introduction of Methos in this episode overshadowed everything and made a weak B story even weaker.

That being said, it was nice that the writers tried to give Richie a purpose independent of Mac no matter how little it worked. The sidekick that gets into trouble/kid that doesn't listen routine was getting rather old. At some point they had to let Richie grow up and move out from under Mac's shadow (or kill him, which is what they ended up doing). Having him get a "career" was a good move even if the execution failed.

Instead, this episode is all about its namesake -- though the percentage of screen time he gets is not that large. The scenes with Methos and Duncan jump off the screen (even if you aren't a shipper) and give hints of things to come. Peter plays Methos with such subtlety compared to the heavy-handedness of David Robb's Kalas. He is quite likable so that when the infamous scene under the bridge occurs, you feel betrayed along with Duncan. Later you easily empathize with Methos and his desire to ensure his quickening doesn't end up with a "lesser" man. Finally, when he manages to bring the police and end the fight (and when he disappears after) you see a glimpse of the elusive pragmatic chameleon we'll come to know and love.

Overall, not the strongest episode Highlander ever made, but without it the show would have been very different indeed. As such it has to go onto the list of "must see episodes."

[catyuy.livejournal.com]

I got into Highlander again recently but watching this episode made me an obsessive Methos/Peter Wingfield fan.
He totally rocks.
I think we should start up a new petition and campaign to get a Methos show.
They might say with PW getting older that it wouldn't work.
But I have a suggestion on how they could work around that.
A TV highlander movie or a feature highlander film, in which somehow Methos, in the end, is cursed, blessed or otherwise given mortality.
Think of what they could do with that idea.
An at least 5,000 year old immortal, suddenly being mortal.
We could even get Alexa flashbacks.

Hell if they ignore the new movie, Joe could be in it.