HLS5: 'The End of Innocence'

[ithildin]

Highlander Season Five

The End of Innocence
Air Date: Oct. 1996

The last time Richie Ryan saw Duncan MacLeod, MacLeod was about to take his head. He was stopped by Dawson's bullet, but Richie's world was shattered. Now Richie's back -- kicking butt and taking heads. One of those heads belonged to Carter Wellan, and now Wellan's good friend Haresh Clay is out to avenge his comrade. MacLeod has his own long-time grudge against Clay, who humiliated and destroyed one of MacLeod's finest teachers. MacLeod must try to rebuild Richie's trust while they vie to be the one to face Clay in combat.
~ recap via TV.com

Next week: Glory Days

Comments

[macgeorge1.livejournal.com]

Once again, I'm late to the party, but my previous episode description and entire commentary is at:
http://www.wordsmiths.net/MacGeorge/episodes/Season5/Innocence.htm

My summary comments: The theme of the episode is an admirable one, but there was something essential lacking in its execution. The characters of Graham Ashe, Carter Whellan and Harrish Clay were all well drawn in only a few short scenes, the flashback was terrific (and it was nice to see a tacit recognition of a long term, positive homosexual relationship), and we saw Joe and Duncan and Richie work through what had been completely fractured relationships, trying to find some sense of common ground and peace. It was past time for Richie to grow up and realize that Duncan was human and fallible and didn’t have all the answers to life’s problems. Unfortunately, the episode centered on Richie’s angst and it came across, to me at least, as a typical overwrought teenage response to stress, which was that everything in the universe was all about *him*. He was petulant, rude, nasty and generally obnoxious. I didn’t find his fears particularly sympathetic because he was so utterly, completely self-involved.

Reacting to the trauma of his teacher’s attack with anger and acting-out is not particularly surprising, but I find it a little hard to reconcile his initial reaction to Duncan’s attack to his later attitude. Richie knew about Coltec and the Dark Quickening and appeared to initially understand what was going on (“Joe, he needs help!”), but evidently he quickly decided to completely dismiss any explanation for Duncan’s behavior other than that his hero was suddenly just a bad guy following the TCBOO rule – in other words, it had nothing to do with Coltec or a Dark Quickening. It was All About Richie (typical teenage reaction).

I didn’t really blame Duncan for getting exasperated with Joe, given the recent awful history and multitude of deaths (including Joe’s near-death) because of their friendship. In the end, it was a real risk to encourage Joe to rejoin the Watchers. How could Joe not find himself betraying his oath again and again, how could there not be more irreconcilable conflicts potentially costing more lives? I can only assume that Duncan felt they had learned some lessons that might avoid that. Duncan the Ever Hopeful. That’s our guy.

One line I thought was particularly interesting. When Duncan is heading out to fight Clay, he tells Richie, “If he takes me, he’ll take you, too.”

“Then don’t let him.”

To me that seems deliberately evocative of Young Duncan’s line advising Older Duncan how to defeat Kantos: “Then don’t listen.” I still maintain that the key to defeating Kantos had nothing to do with earplugs, and everything to do with Duncan’s restored faith in himself. It is a recurrent theme that we see in this episode, again in the AAA arc and even in the final episode of the series.

Since Something Wicked and OMTM all the characters are among the walking wounded. Unfortunately, in this episode they were generally unpleasant to one another throughout in a way that diminished them all, making it difficult to watch (for me at least) and thus while there are things about it that I like (the kata, the flashback, the scene between Joe and the pretty bartender), it is not a favorite.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

You're not late, heck it's the same morning and everything [g]

Thank you for your comments. I always find them fascinating, and don't always take the time to tell you that.

[macgeorge1.livejournal.com]

thank you! I was sorry to have missed the Prophecy discussion, but I've been struggling with a dying laptop, then the pain of transferring everything and learning the ins and outs of a new one (with Vista, blech).

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Ugh! That sounds like a chore :( Good luck!

[amberleewriter.livejournal.com]

In the end, it was a real risk to encourage Joe to rejoin the Watchers. How could Joe not find himself betraying his oath again and again, how could there not be more irreconcilable conflicts potentially costing more lives?

I felt as if there was a shift for Duncan with this episode and that he gained a certain level of acceptance about the existence of the Watchers and their purpose (or what that purpose should be at any rate). Prior to the "tag" at the end of this episode I always felt Duncan partly resented the very idea of the Watchers; that if they disappeared or the organization imploded/was wiped out it would have been just as well in his book. While he had a certain respect and like for Joe, the fact he was a Watcher only really came to the forefront of his mind when he wanted information. I felt like this was a natural outgrowth from the episode "And They Also Serve" when Joe offered up an actual chronicle -- not as a weapon or information in a hunt, but as a reminder of a happy time in Duncan's life.

I also felt that Duncan might be making a calculated risk with Joe for his own gain. With Joe inside he could keep an eye on a group in turmoil which had faction(s) that might be a threat to him (and all other Immortals). Joe is a known quantity to Duncan. While they might have tension because of the fact that Joe's a voyeur to Duncan's life, Duncan has come to respect Joe and think of him as a man with honor and principals. Duncan knows that Joe will stand up for "the right thing" even if it means going against what the Watchers have to say about it. I think Duncan would far rather have Joe inside where he can be a force for change (and somewhat of a spy) than outside where he can only be just a friendly neighborhood bartender.

And I kept wondering why Joe didn't say, "And you couldn't have said something before I ripped the skin off my arm? Shit! It fuckin' hurt! And now I have to get a new tattoo? Thanks for nothin', Mac." *g*

Overall, I really like how the tension played out. Yeah, it's not very nice and they all are rather hurtful to one another but I think that's actually the reality of the situations. You often hurt the ones you love.