HLS4: Homeland

[ithildin]

After a bit of a hiatus, weekly Highlander episode discussions are back.

Highlander Season Four

Homeland, Air Date: October 1995

MacLeod bought a Celtic bracelet once given to the love of his mortal life and after her tragic death he buried it with her. He returns to Glen Finnin to return the bracelet to her grave and learns of several gruesome ritualistic killings based around the one immortal who killed Mac's father. Naturally Mac must get to the bottom of the killings and keep his head in the process. ~ recap via tv.com

Next week: Brothers In Arms

Comments

[amonitrate.livejournal.com]

just a general comment that this is one of my favorite MacLeod episodes. Plus, added bonus, Joe.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's a good Joe ep, isn't it?

And a random thought from me, as much as I like the song 'Bonny Portmore', I never got why they picked an Irish song when there's a wealth of traditional Scottish music out there.

[endaewen.livejournal.com]

They might say something about that in the commentary. I don't really remember though.

[mamamia1964.livejournal.com]

This is also one of my favorite episodes, probably because it gives such an excellent look at DM's earliest life. He seems so young, so naive and oh, I don't know the right word, but he's so different than the modern DM.

I have to admit that I really didn't see the attraction of his first love, forgot her name! (I MUST be getting very forgetful!) I thought the actress looked to old for the part. Plus, I never understood why she had to threaten to throw herself off the cliff. I never got the impression that these two had such a tormented relationship until that last time, when DM's Da attempted to get the marriage between the two arranged.

Duncan isn't the kind, I think, to appreciate the dramatics. While he can be pretty obsessive about his own guilt, he seemed to be unimpressed by dramatics on his own part or others. Perhaps this very incident caused him to be like this.

What a difference there is in Tessa. She's mature, cool headed in a passionate way, direct and well, perfect for the man.

I thought the villian in this episode was pretty lame, and the way that Duncan supposedly takes the message from his mom to always call himself DMotCM silly. (Actually, is there anything in canon that indicates that Duncan NEVER changes his name? I've always wondered.)

Mairi, however, did impress me with how she handed Duncan the sword and tried to get him to take his "rightful" place as leader, despite Duncan's banishment. What a woman! I wonder how Duncan's life would have changed if he's done just that. What would have happened to his clan? Would they have followed him? QWould he have felt guilty for failing to follow his father's command to be banished?

I do like this episode because it gives a good example of how Duncan turned out to be such a good leader and how he could sometimes be so hardheaded and even judgemental. It's hard to shake off the examples our parents set for us, afterall.

OK...I guess I'm long winded. It's nice to see these chats resumed.

[kerravonsen]

Actually, is there anything in canon that indicates that Duncan NEVER changes his name? I've always wondered.

Only that we've never seen him take an alias. Which is reasonable canonical support, but "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence".

[idontlikegravy.livejournal.com]

Didn't Methos make a crack about Duncan keeping the same name at some point? I can't remember exactly, so maybe it was in a fic...But it seems like something the old man would say.

[amberleewriter.livejournal.com]

I think it was "Blackmail" when Joe and Duncan talked about having to leave town and "change your name." During the conversation Duncan said something to the effect of, "I've done it before" (meaning moved on and used another name).

[robi-travels.livejournal.com]

I love this episode. The shooting locations and the way the show was put together were great. I actually think AP is a better director then actor (okay, everyone stop yelling at me - just my opinion). He has a great eye for visual media. The shows he director are the most visually striking in the series.

I agree Debra seemed a bit old. Given the times both should have been married way before (late teens) their early thirties. That was always the hardest part to swallow with the show. Since he did not know he was immortal and sterile, given the times and customs Duncan should have married long before his first death.

The only part I did not like was Canwolf. The actor just did not cut it - to cardboardish.

Roberta

[mamamia1964.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who found Canwulf so cartoonish, Robi_travels. While I thought that the actress was a bit too old for the role, I always wavered on DM's age. He did managed to come across, IMO, as young. Definitely younger than the rest of the series. Maybe that's because he was so serious most of the time.

While this is one of my all-time favorite tv shows, I agree that AP wasn't always the best actor. He's not horrible, just not great. And his directing skills are really good. When he started Tracker, didn't AP produce that series and/or direct? (Sorry if this is too off topic...the conversation led me down this path.) Anyway, what was the general consensus on Tracker and AP's work?

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Feel free to wander off topic :) That's half the fun!

[mamamia1964.livejournal.com]

Well, that's why I love this discussion thingee! I get to yammer with someone about this stupid tv show that I love, but it's been off tv for years! My family makes fun of me..."Oh, reading Highlander again?" I just wish that I could actually get into an indepth, in person discussion, because that's when the conversation really gets good! :-)

I mean really, I could talk about HL for a few hours happily (and, sorry guys!, never mention Methos!) (I like tall, dark, handsome and brooding heroes. I like honorable and stubborn men. I always thought that Methos would be one of those people enjoyable in small doses, annoying if too much time was spent with him. Although, isn't that pretty much what happens on the show?) Ummm, I'm digressing again, aren't I?

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

LOL! I'm just the opposite -- Duncan makes me want to smack him upside the head, whereas Methos... Methos... now where was I? [g]

[mamamia1964.livejournal.com]

Well, I think he's interesting (Methos) as a foil for DM. I think life is difficult sometimes and dreary (It can be wonderful too, don't get me wrong) so I enjoy the escape into fun and/or reassuring entertainment. People like Duncan make our world possible. He'd be tough to live with, which is why Tessa is so danged fantastic as a character. She stands up to him, keeps him fun, sexy and enjoyable. Methos is too much like my husband, on the other hand. I get tired of having to argue about every damned political/religious topic that comes on. One year, for Lent, I made my hubby give up watching any political talk shows. It was wonderful!! Although he did begin watching the 700 Club out of desperation. (He's conservative, but NOT THAT conservative. He actually got a book recommendation from the show that proved useful for our son's baseball team.) So, anyway, Duncan is fun relief from real life, he's worth dreaming about. Methos is too much like real life (minus a few years' existence) for me.

[mamamia1964.livejournal.com]

Did I just ramble?!

I just wanted to say that Duncan, and characters like him, are enjoyable to me, because I see how they make our world safe, even if it's only in our imagination. And what would the world be like without imagination ... and great tv and great fanfic writers that combine the two!

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Oh, I rambled to. Too much wine! But yes, We need Duncans in our world, and we need Methoses for balance :)

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Ah! See, I love the arguing. I've often said that even though I'm a conservative, I'd rather marry a liberal who was involved than a conservative who was uninvolved. Sort of like James Carville and Mary Matalin [g] The one big love of my life was like that. But we won't talk about that! :) So Methos is something of my perfect man. But I'd love to have a Duncan as a friend. You could always count on him.

[mamamia1964.livejournal.com]

Actually, you could count on Methos too, if you're careful about what you're counting on him for. *g* If that makes sense.

As for my hubby...well, his latest argument topic is religion and God and whether God really exists and how religion is the greatest cause of warfare in the world, and so on. Please keep in mind that we're sending our son to a private Catholic school, not even a parochial one, so you'd think he'd be a little more religious.

OK...totally off this topic and back to HL!

Since someone answered my question about DM and his name changing, what about his music choices? All the fanfic has Duncan listening only to opera and Celtic music, usually just bagpipes. But, in one 4th or 5th season episode, can't remember the name, Duncan pulls up to the film studio driving a rented red sports car with some pop/rock/alternative, not sure what it is, music playing. Anyone know where the opera/bagpipes preferences come from??

[mamamia1964.livejournal.com]

:-) I'd probably enjoy the arguing more if I could outhink him on occasion!