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Right, time to tackle the episode when we first run into the really old guy. 'Methos'.

This episode has an A and a B story. The A story is the interesting bit with Methos and Duncan and Kalas while the B story has something to do with Richie and motorcycles. I figured it would be best to get that out of the way first.

Ok now that's over we can concentrate on the good bits.

The k'imme of the week is Kalas, a powerful man with a grudge. He's actually a pretty cool villain

He realises someone is following him and captures his Watcher. After abit of encouraging the watcher spills the beans, tells Kalas all there is to know about the Watchers.

Kalas immediately gets the idea of going after Methos the world oldest immortal. His quickening should be powerful enough to make Kalas almost invincible! So he starts going after the watchers in charge of the Methos Chronicles.

Meanwhile Duncan persuades the barman at Kalas' pub to talk (lots of 'convincing' going on in this episide)

Duncan then goes to Shakespear & Co. but he's too late. Salzer is dying after being convinced abit by Kalas. Kalas' manners included cutting out Salzer's tounge. He probably didn't take too well to persuasion.

Anyway Salzer can't really tell Duncan anything. Instead he scribbles 'ME' on a page and dies before finishing the word. Hmm, I wonder what he was going to write there..

Then on his way back Duncan get's a very famous phonecall. Joe realises that Kalas apparently knows about the watchers and is going after the watchers involved in researching the Methos chronicles. Now that Salzer is dead there's just one guy who's their main 'Methos' expert. A young researcher called Adam Pierson.

Duncan in full saviour mode goes to protect that young defenseless watcher from the evil k'immie.

Duncan enters the residence of young Adam Pierson.

But Lo! there is something odd going on, an immortal buzz? Can it be? Is it he?

D: Adam? Adam Pierson? You Adam Pierson?

The watcher/immortal/old/young/whothesmegishe?! is relaxed and easy going. Not a sword in sight. He just casually removes his headphones and throws a beer to a puzzled Duncan.

M: Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod. Have a beer. Mi casa es su casa.

Then something clicks in Duncan's head OR he recognized him all along because they've met pre-the Highlander series in quite alot of fanfic.

D: Methos?

Methos just nods and looks mysterious.

Then we flow back to flashback land and see that Duncan cut Kalas' throat in the past. He used to be a big opera singer and now his voice is justa hoarse whisper. Frankly I'd be pissed off too.

Anyway the fight is well done and fun to watch. They're on very slippery floors so they slide all over the place, must have been hell to film.

I think those fight shots are damn nice in a purely compositional/aestetic way so they get to stay fullsize.

Meanwhile Duncan and Methos are having a chat. Duncan brings Methos up to speed on the Kalas situation and then, well it's pretty well done in the show itself so you'll just get dialogue instead of a recap. Can't improve perfection.

M: Made any sense of it? Found any purpose?
D: What? You read minds too?
M: No, it's what I'd ask if I just met me.
D: I just didn't think you existed.
M: Ah, it's good to be a myth.

And this is pretty much what made me fall in love with that character. He's 5000 years old but he's still 'just a guy' or well sort of. He hasn't found any big huge meaning in it all. However he's a good judge of character, intelligent and rather devious.

I mean he's an immortal pretending to be a watcher. He has access to records of all the immortals the watchers have tabs on. Then to top it off he's in charge of finding himself. Want to bet on how well is search is going? No? Me neither.

Then also it makes sense that he's survived by being mostly at the edges of things, not the center. Makes sense that the greatest survivor is not the one that wins all the time but the one that sometimes runs and hides when there's trouble.

Anyway Duncan is not too impressed by Methos' record of taking heads, last one was around 200 years ago. Methos however tells Duncan to stay away. He's got to face his battles himself. Duncan is not too happy about that.

Then later on when Methos is walking down the street, there's a buzz. An immortal is around.

(it's my bandwidth, shut up!)

Aaand it's Kalas turned up to challenge our new favourite immortal.

They fight.

However Kalas gains the upper hand.

I doubt this is a situation Methos enjoys. He agrees with me. However he stays his ever resourceful self and plunges both himself and Kalas into the river.

Tiiiiiiiiimber!

Kudos to the stuntperson that jumped into the river with a big sword. Kalas then drags himself out of the river but Methos is nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile Duncan is wandering around the aaaah! so that's where they film the very dry and clean sewers Angel travels around in.

Then it's "lets stand around looking puzzled because there's an immortal approaching"- time

Who shows up but a very wet and bedraggled Methos. Then to both mine (well the first time i saw the episode anyway) and Duncan's surprise he attacks Duncan.

Duncan wins, sort of.

Then Duncan realised that he was probably at the receiving end of a wee bit of manipulation. Methos is intending to have Duncan kill him. Suicide is not something Duncan is cool with so he takes the sword away. He also doesnt want to kill Methos. He'd rather have that head talking than rolling bodyless on the floor. Im very fine with that decision. Go Duncan!

Methos tries to talk Duncan into killing him. He wants his quickening to go someone like Duncan rather than to someone like Kalas. He also confesses that he lacks the spark, the fire that Duncan has.

So the only sure way to kill Kalas is to have both their strenghts in the same body and it has to be Duncan that does the deed. So Methos basically orders Duncan to cut off his head.

Duncan refuses again and sais they'll find another way.

Kalas is waiting in Methos' flat, an immortal buzz rolls over him and it's.. Duncan! coming to finish their fight.

You can say what you want about Duncan but he can move..

and he's also a Warrior. However a certain someone wasn't sure about how the outcome of that duel would be. So he used his own methods. The police suddenly rolls in. The swords quickly vanish back into their pocket dimensions (small dimensions installed in the inner pockets of the coats of immortals. These coats can also only be bought in small mysterious shops that appear where there used to be an empty wall. The shopkeeper is usually old and talks in riddles. Then when you come back the next day to return some stuff because the ring was faulty, it was supposed to be just a neat present but it seems to stop time when twisted. The shop is just gone.)

Duncan runs off and the police arrests Kalas for the murder of Salzer. Kalas asks what evidence they have etc. but apparently they have a witness.

Kalas is not happy as he is herded into the police car. Duncan follows the events from a safe distance.

Duncan then asks Methos what he was thinking, interfering in a challenge like that. Completely not following the standardized code of behaviour. Methos just states that he didnt know which way the fight would go. He couldn't afford that.

M: Live, grow stronger, fight another day.

And Duncan is left looking pensive as Methos walks away into the night. This is the start of a beautiful friendship.

Then the following day when Duncan comes to check up on Methos, all he finds is an empty flat.

Our Methos knows when to run and he knows how to be a mystery. However, we'll be seeing more of him later. But not in this episode. It's very definately over.

The End.

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