HLS5: 'Prophecy'

[ithildin]

Highlander Season Five

Prophecy
Air Date: Oct. 1996

When MacLeod was but a wee lad in the village of Glenfinnan, he thought Cassandra, the Witch of Donan Woods, was only a myth, a fairy tale concocted by crafty old men to frighten unwary children-- until the night she found him alone in Donan Woods. Now, four hundred years later, Cassandra comes to MacLeod again, this time to tell him of his role in an ancient prophecy -- that only Duncan MacLeod can challenge and defeat the voice of darkness.
~ recap via TV.com

Next week: The End of Innocence

Comments

[amberleewriter.livejournal.com]

I never liked Cassandra. Though I think the Highlander movie(s) support the idea of Immortals having "magical" powers that extend, at minimum, into things like being able to "call" lightening and "feel" animals; the concept of "the voice" (not to mention the prophesy from which this episode drew its name) fell father into the realm of the typical sword and sorcery fantasy genre than I cared for in the context of Highlander: the Series. Duncan was grounded in our reality and more of a good-guy-lawful-good action hero. It was, for me, one of the two things that really made the whole premise work. When they started moving into the supernatural (aside from the anomaly that people were living forever, hacking one another's heads off, and surviving lightening strikes) I felt it broke down a lot of the backbone of the show. To top it off, I think Cassandra's actions are a little, well, creepy. Personal background means that the implication that Cassandra smexed up young Duncan and screwed with his head as a child really turns me off in more ways than one. Other people's mileage with Cassandra may vary, and I'm perfectly happy to allow other people their opinions and tastes with regard to this, but my personal view is she's two steps short of a pedophile. To top it off, I've never cared for Tracy Scoggins as an actress. Put it all together and you've got a trifecta of reasons I shouldn't like this episode at all.

And mostly I don't.

Still, there are some good moments here on the part of the young man they selected to play "young Duncan." Go casting! The kid really pulled it off. He looks like a young Duncan, acts like a young Duncan, and I totally buy what he's selling (even if I cringe every time he gets around Cassandra and go EWWWW!). Also, go set dressers and set makers! The cottage in the woods (while I completely dislike what happens there) looks great. I haven't watched the extras on this in a while, but I seem to recall that they discuss the fact that they wanted a "fairtale" feel for the set and for it to disappear/appear in a "magical" way and that they weren't entirely certain how it was going to happen when filming yet they managed the task. I really disliked the villain. Part of that also had to do with casting. Two thumbs up to casting on this because the guy they chose gave me the willies as a real creepy sort and that's exactly the feel I think I was supposed to have. I also quite like the moments in which "young Duncan" reminds "himself" during the final scenes how one overcomes evil. Many episodes through the course of the series show Duncan moving away from a "black and white" view of good and evil to a more nuanced "it's shades of grey" attitude. While I dislike most of the premise of this episode, it allows the writers to readjust Duncan a touch and recenter his moral compass – to place him clearly on a hero's path with a hero's mission. They then spend most of the season battering this reinvigorated sense of right and wrong. In that sense, the story is a good one to open the season with even though I have an aversion to the majority of the content.

[pat-t.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't usually go behind someone with a "me too" post, but this time I simply have to. Because I completely agree with everything Amberlee said here. Cassandra was just creepy and finding out about her past later did nothing to change my view of her in this first episode. I also feel the same way about the "magic" and the sorcery. That never worked for me in the show.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Yes to Cassandra being creepy when it comes to young Duncan. That turned me off her character in a heartbeat.

I remember just after the Horseman episodes aired, having to constantly justify my dislike of Cassandra (still do on occasion). The accusation was always that it was because you were some sort of Methos fan girl who wanted to excuse Methos' past. For god's sake, I didn't like the character the first time around! And while I felt for what she went through in her past, it didn't suddenly make me like her.

[pat-t.livejournal.com]

Just. It seems like an easy out to me to say someone doesn't like her because of Methos. I didn't like her long before I knew there was a history between her and Methos. And I certainly don't excuse Methos for what he did. It was horrendous. And she had a right to be angry and want revenge. But she didn't have a right to try and manipulate Duncan into killing him for her. I simply don't like her because of her actions.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

[amberleewriter.livejournal.com]

And here's the thing:
Finding out about her past only made the situation WORSE to me. If she was a slave and had been killed by Immortals but not told about what she really was and treated in that manner and raped and killed over and over then she should have been MUCH MORE SENSITIVE to Duncan and less manipulative instead of the other way around. Not only that but she obviously uses sex as a weapon over and over when you see her. She hasn't changed one damn iota in three thousands years if you ask me: she's still a haughty bitch who needs taking down a peg.

Frankly, I was sad Methos didn't whack the bitch. It has nothing to do with me being a Methos fangirl. I'm a Joe fangirl. The woman is creepy and trying to use the "OMG, they treated me so badly," excuse is IMHO just pure nonsense. Three thousand years and the gal couldn't get therapy at some point? She had to hold on to rage all this time? She had to do to others what was done to her? She can't see herself as a strong woman and not a sex object?

Oh, puleeze.

Okay, I shall now go back to my corner and remove my ranty pants. I've had them on for three days now on various issues. Such things are not good for my karma.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I hadn't thought of it like that, but yes, that's true. She should know better considering her past, but she's all creepy with young Duncan and continues to manipulate him and push all the right buttons as an adult.