Part 1 of Highlander Rewatched! Season 1, Episode 1, The Gathering Podcast!
There is now a 1:43 preamble, making all of the times wrong by that much.
Highlander Rewatched 1 - 1 The Gathering
0-0:18 I am Duncan MacLeod, born four hundred years ago in the Highlands of Scotland. I am Immortal, and I am not alone. For centuries, we have waited for the time of the Gathering, when the stroke of a sword and the fall of a head will release the power of the Quickening. In the end, there can be only one.
0:19 Here we are, born to be kings, we're the Princes of the Universe! Yeah!
0:42-0:59 I am Immortal, I have inside me blood of kings. I have no rival, no man can be my equal! Take me to the future of you all!
1:00 Keith: Hey everybody! Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Highlander Rewatched Podcast! So, since this is our first episode, I figured I would just kind of talk a little bit about what this podcast is going to be. And the whole kind of scope of it.
1:17 The plan is we're going to watch every single episode of Highlander: The Series, from start to finish. There are six seasons. I think that's about 118 episodes or so. And yeah, we're just going to watch them, talk about them, whatever kind of comes to mind. And we'll get into some behind-the-scenes stuff, some trivia. Whatever!
1:35 And then we might, as we go forward, you know, maybe in between each series, or season, maybe we'll watch one of the movies and talk about that, and then there's the whole Highlander expanded universe.
1:46 Which is really fun, too. There's an anime, there's an animated series, too, there's a card game, there's all sorts of extra stuff to talk about.
1:56 We'd love to hear from everybody out there, so you're going to kind of shape what this podcast is as well, so you can write in to us. Make sure you like us on Twitter, follow us on er, excuse me. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, all that sort of stuff. Yeah, we're excited to see where this all goes.
2:13 So, introducing one of our Re-Watchers! Kyle, want to introduce yourself?
2:17 I'm Kyle. I got into Highlander, not when it originally aired, but later when it was on FX or Spike or whatever man-channel that was. And the thing that grabbed me about it is [that] the concept behind it is awesome even when the episodes are clunky, and it's got Queen and swords. So, really it's a good combination.
2:38 Keith: Cool!
Eamon: I'm Eamon. I got into Highlander... actually, my grandmother used to watch it, and I would watch it with her after school. **Keith: Ah!** I can't remember how old I was, pretty young, but it was cool. I mean, you know, you got guys in trench coats and swords, chopping each other's heads off and stuff, so that's a pretty solid concept alone, without even that they're Immortal and everything like that, so.
3:05 Keith: Awesome!
Kyle: Was your grandmother watching it for Adrian Paul?
3:08 Eamon: I think she was. I think she was. He does have a pretty... Fabio-quality to him, almost? There's definitely a romance novel quality to a lot of these episodes. Like, he's the pony-tailed guy in the open shirts and all that stuff, but--
3:23 Keith: Yeah, awesome. I got into Highlander, I think it was in fourth grade, and my mom... I don't know if it was my mom who started watching it first, but I remember it came on Saturday afternoons, on... here in the Philly area, where we're recording this, it was on UPN. I don't know where it aired--
**Eamon: Yeah!**
--in other parts of the country, but I remember watching it then, and being super into it.
3:45 I started collecting a bunch of Highlander merchandise. When I was younger I had long hair, and so, when Adr--Adrian Paul was [the hero, I thought] "Hey, he has long hair, too! That's cool! 3:56**Eamon: Oh yes!** I can wear a ponytail!" I bought--they had official Highlander hair berets 4:03**Eamon: That's amazing!* in the catalogue, that had Celtic symbols, and they were the ones from the show! And so I would wear them if I ever got dressed up and had to wear a suit--I put on my Highlander beret--But anyway, I love Highlander. I think the concept is super-awesome. I think--
4:18 Kyle: The beret? (laughing)
4:19 Keith: I don't know, what're they called?
Kyle: Like a hair-tie? Keith: Like a hair-tie!
**Eamon: A beret...**
4:22 Keith: Did I say my name? My name's Keith. I'm sorry.
4:26 But yeah, it's awesome. I think Highlander: The Series is the strongest representation of the concept...?
4:34 Kyle: Yeah, hands-down.
4:25 Eamon: Did you guys know... I didn't know it was a movie. I found out it was a movie years later.
4:38 Keith: I didn't know until maybe a little later. I think I heard it was a movie, and I feel like I might have even seen the second movie before I saw... the first one.
4:49 Kyle: Good God!
4:50 Keith: Yeah. Good God indeed! *amused* Yeah and we'll get into that down the road. But yeah, I think Highlander's great, I love--it's got a cool moral core. I think once the show--the show takes a while to find its place and also,
5:02 just to give some thoughts on what this podcast is going to be, we're probably going to rag on some of Highlander a little bit. 5:07**Kyle: Yes!** But as much as I love Highlander, there're all sorts of faults in the series, the movies, but at its core, I think it's the fucking best.
5:16 Eamon: It's from a place of love.
5:17 Keith: Yeah. Absolutely.
5:19 Kyle: But there's some hilarious shit!
5:21 Keith: Oh, absolutely! The show is totally finding its way, especially this first season, and so if you're joining us having never SEEN Highlander before, I still recommend seeing the first season. I wouldn't say skip it. But hang in there. This show gets markedly better.
5:36 I think especially in the second season, it really steps up its game. And I want to say, the third season might be my favorite. It's been a while since I've seen them.
5:45 Eamon: I'm getting excited to rewatch this, because... this is basically me watching it for the first time. It's been so long.
5:53 Keith: Okay, cool. So, did you see it any time since you've originally seen it or -
Eamon: No.
5:57 Keith: Awesome. Okay, cool. Yeah, I've seen it a couple of times since... I feel like, I don't know, I had it on DVD, that sort of thing, and I think I rewatched them. That was probably the last time I rewatched them all was when they all came out on DVD, which of course now is... almost...
**10 years, 10**
6:13 It's ten years ago? So it's been a while since I've actually seen them fresh. So anyway! Let's jump in! This episode's probably going to be a little bit longer than most of our other episodes, because we've got a lot to talk about in the first episode.
6:24 So this is Episode Number 1, Production Number, if you're following along, it's 92102-1. The only reason I say that is because depending on where you're watching this: If it's the DVDs; Hulu; Youtube I think has some episodes; the episodes are numbered a little differently. We're going off of the way it is on iTunes and the DVD sets. 6:47 and these should, I believe, correspond to the air dates? If you want, write in to tell us if these are NOT the correct air dates, but yeah, that's the order we're going to go in.
6:56 And this episode is called "The Gathering". It's the pilot episode. It was first aired on Saturday, October 3rd, 1992. It was directed by Thomas J. Wright, and so I have some fun facts, I think, about some of the people involved in this production. Thomas J. Wright, he's done tons of TV.
7:15 Lots of episodes of NCIS. He's done 36 episodes of that. **Oh Wow** Yeah, Castle, the X-Files, this guy's an industry pro! **Yeah!** Although, aside from all [of] his TV stuff, which I would say is pretty great, I mean, that's all quality network stuff, he is also the director of a little movie called "No Holds Barred"--
**NO WAY!** **Whaaaat?**
Yes! And if you haven't seen this movie, I don't know if it's still on Netflix for free, you can find it online. It stars Hulk Hogan, and **Kurt Fuller* - Kurt Fuller, and Tiny Lester. It's this crazy wrestling movie. That's a fantastic bad movie to watch. And he's the director of it! And this pilot was written by Dan Gordon. I think the pilot does a pretty good job. He's, again, another industry... kind of veteran, but he is... some of the highlights of his career, to kind of bookend them:
In 1993 he wrote the film "Surf Ninjas"--
6:10 **Oh, God!**
--with Rob Schneider-
**Kyle: Is that also Hulk Hogan?**
Keith: Is Hulk Hogan also in Surf Ninjas?
**Eamon: He's in a sequel. He's in like Thunder Mountain or whatever.** *Kyle? cackle* **No, no, that's 3 Ninjas!**
That's 3 Ninjas.[3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998)]
**Eamon: Surf Ninjas features Sega Game Gear very prominently. That's like a central plot element.** *much laughter*
Keith: But also in the other end of the spectrum, in 1999 he wrote the movie "The Hurricane", with Denzel Washington, whi-
**Kyle: WHAT?!**
-ch was up for Academy Awards and is a really solid movie.
**Eamon: Surf Ninjas to The Hurricane...**
Keith: -To The Hurricane. So, it's written by him. In this episode there are guest stars; we have Christopher Lambert, or Christophe Lambert, as Connor MacLeod, reprising his role from the movie, and Richard Moll from Night Court! Yeah, he was the bailiff, and is okay.
**Eamon: Richard Moll's great! He's also the voice of Two-Face on Batman, the Animated Series.**
Keith: He is! He has a crazy-big resume, too!
**Eamon: Yes. Phenomenal, phenomenal work.**
Keith: So, just to give you a quick description of the episode, we're going off of, I think, the IMDb episode descriptions.
9:14 "Duncan MacLeod is an immortal who has been out of the game for many years. Duncan and his girlfriend Tessa are targeted by Slan Quince, an evil immortal. Duncan is convinced by his friend and fellow immortal Connor MacLeod that he must return to the game to protect Tessa, and to keep from losing his head."
9:32 So, um let's start, I guess at the beginning of this episode. And we should maybe talk about the opening credits?
9:39 Kyle: Yeah, I think that's a good place to start. Because boy, is that intro dense. He dives right in there, reading VERY quickly, this opening sequence with all these terms of art in them, like "The Quickening", "The Gathering," all these things are mentioned, and I think if you... what would you think that meant, if you had never seen Highlander?
10:03 Keith: If I knew nothing--it doesn't give you too much info, really. About what's going on. I mean, I guess it tells you there's something.
10:12 Eamon: Also, while he's talking there're all these different words. There's the really long amble of the text of what he's saying, and then there's also words flying across the screen, 'Immortal', 'Quickening', 'Gathering' so it's just... as much information that can be dumped on you as possible, in thirty seconds, and when he's announcing it, it's like somebody was holding a gun to his head *laughter* "You have to get all this information out in thirty seconds, or I'm gonna kill you! And you ain't coming back, buddy! You're not really immor--" I don't know, it was...
10:45 Keith: Is it just me or does it seem like, when he reads it, there's only one Quickening, ever? There's 'The Time of the Gathering' where there will be one Quickening and it's over. That's what it sounds like he's saying.
10:57 Eamon: Yeah, it does. It is... yeah.
10:59 Kyle: It's the time of the Gathering, when this Quickening will happen. Done!
11:02 Eamon: I don't think this episode... As good as it is, *sigh* I don't think it does a good job of really setting you up with the whole Immortal thing, unless you're already sort of familiar with it. I don't know what you guys think.
10:14 Keith: Yeah, it puts a lot of the pieces there, but it doesn't explain them as well as... I guess maybe the rest of the series does. **Eamon: Yeah.** I think you've got those pieces as you go through the series more and more and it builds the world. But then it kicks in with the Queen song, after the spoken introduction, which is Princes of the Universe. **Eamon: Great Song!** The song is awesome! It's so good! Yeah, and there's kind of a montage, very early 90s. The kind of typography, **Eamon: Oh, sure.** it's all purple and green, it looks--text is flying around...
10:44 Eamon: It looks like a Levi's Jeans commercial. (cackles) And I think a lot of them are wearing jeans in the intro--
11:50 Keith: Oh yeah! Jeans are a big part of this show.
11:54 Eamon: The graphic design sense is very 90s, very... you put in a tape of something you taped when you were a kid, on VCR. It's that kind of style. All the commer--It looks like a commercial or something.
12:07 Keith: Yeah, it does. Something else that I thought was weird that I wrote down is that the Highlander font is not the same. If you're familiar with the series, Highlander the Series has its own logo, it's a fairly stylized, angular font, and it's cool. That doesn't exist yet, and it's just... rocks..?
12:27 Eamon: Yeah, it's just a weird, glowing rock-font.
12:30 Keith: Yeah, I don't know why they chose that, especially because Highlander: The Movie had a pretty stylized logo, I'm surprised they didn't use that. I don't know what they were trying to--Maybe they were trying to make it different?
12:39 Eamon: Probably.
12:41 Keith: And as far as making it different goes, a little behind-the-scenes stuff early on: So, originally this pilot was supposed to be a two-hour made-for-TV movie that led into the series. But there were two things that prevented that from happening. The budget got cut, **Mmhmm** surprise surprise, and then Christophe Lambert didn't really want to do it...
12:56 Eamon: Yeah, I want to talk about this, yes.
12:58 Keith: Yeah, he didn't want to do it, and then he finally kind of agreed in the 11th hour, "Okay, I'll do it," and he was only available for three days of shooting, and so they... it wasn't exactly what they planned on, initially, and also early ideas for this series were it was going to be a prequel. **Ahhhh!** And that Connor MacLeod was going to be the main character. And it was just going to be recast with a new actor, and Adrian Paul, I guess, convinced them to be... No, this should be a standalone character. So they decided to make him Duncan MacLeod.
13:31 Eamon: The decision not to do that introduces all these questions, though, right? Because not to spoil the movie, but... Connor WINS is the plot of the movie.
13:41 Eamon: Right. Kyle: Right. Eamon: So, you're immediately left wondering where in time does this happen? Are we introducing a character that we know in the future is dead-- 13:51 Kyle: Totally, right. Eamon: --because Connor wins
13:53 Keith: Yeah the movie does paint itself into a corner, and I think the movie works on its own. I don't think they ever thought they'd be successful enough to make a sequel, really. So yeah, it kind of ends with the Game ending. And there's no room for a sequel. Ah, but then here's this--there's this series!
14:10 Also, another weird little bit of trivia is; the person originally considered mainly for this role was Alastair Duncan. [He] was going to be Connor MacLeod. I'm curious--I haven't found any sort of confirmation of this, but is that where they get the name Duncan MacLeod from? Was it that the actor who was going to play Connor MacLeod, his name was Duncan?
14:28 Eamon: I would not be surprised.
14:30 Keith: I would not be surprised, either. If they just kept, kind of like that name was floating around in their heads, and they said "Oh, yeah, okay!"
14:33 Eamon: Was Lambert... was he popular at this point? He seemed so reticent. He's like "Yeah, there should be a Highlander TV show. I will have nothing to do with it."
14:41 Keith: Yeah, he only wanted to do movies. I don't know, I mean
14:45 Eamon: He was in a--
14:46 Kyle (laughing): I can't imagine the world was clamoring for this man.
14:50 Eamon: Well he's in a lot of action movies around this time period. I don't know if they were big.
14:54 Kyle: Mortal Kombat. **Yeah, Mortal Kombat.****That's true!**15:00Uh, Yeah! G'head.
Eamon: I was going to say, should we get into this episode, or...
15:03 Keith: Yeah, let's dive right in! So the episode opens... *gasp***Ye-eh!** The episode opens with just... fucking. It is just... that's how it starts, is Duncan is in bed with his girlfriend, Tess, and they're just going to bones on -(much tittering like children)
15:18 Eamon: They're giggling... but they're rocking back and forth, like... what they're doing is not like how anybody has ever had sex. **Yeah.** They're just like... it looks like he's just lifting her up and putting her down, in a weird rocking-horse type way? And they're giggling, and it's just the weirdest thing I've ever seen. I don't know how to describe it.
15:38 Keith: It is weird!
15:41 Eamon: And it's all just intercut with Stan Kirsch--Richie--**Richie!**, trying to sneak into this antique shop--**Keith: Antique store! Right, um.**--and meanwhile it's just 'Oh, did they forget they're doing it? Let's cut back to them doing it.'
15:52 Keith: Yeah, it's any excuse, especially in the Highlander franchise, to show side-boob, or what-ever.
15:59 Eamon: There's a lot of nudity in this scene. Not 'almost nudity', I mean there is nudity later in the episode, actual nudity, but--**Keith: Yeah, it's-16:05 there's not a lot of skin** Is this on TV? **Yeah!** How did they get away with it?
16:05 Keith: I don't know! I was curious... I know this show's also co-produced with a French production company which is why, as we find out later, half the episodes are filmed in France, and half were filmed here. I'm curious if the French cut is any different, and if there's even MORE hard-core sex! I can totally see that.
16:25 Eamon: Yeah!
16:28 Keith: So Duncan gets a tingling. He gets a sense there's another Immortal around.
16:33 Kyle: He says 'I feel something.' **Keith laughs a lot**
16:36 Keith: 'I would hope so!' is what she says, Tessa, right? **Much giggling*
16:41 Eamon: I was watching this alone with just a dog next to me. I went and audibly groaned-- **Keith: Hahah!** and woke up the dog. It looked at me like, 'What are you doing?'
16:55 (faint sound of papers rustling) Eamon: Meanwhile, while Richie is breaking into the-- so Richie is a thief, **Mmhm?** and he's breaking into an antique store, and he's constantly mugging, and making little comments, and making little jokes, and shining a flashlight around.
17:09 Keith: (slightly appalled note) He walks into the--when he gets into the antique store, he goes 'Everything must go' and he puts the little flashlight in his mouth like it's a ciGAR! *laughter*
17:19 Eamon: He's doing his Groucho Marx impression.
17:22 Keith: So Duncan gets this sense and--you find out later that they get this feeling, this buzz, when they sense another Immortal's around. So Duncan thinks it's Richie, and he comes out with his sword out and he's wearing just his Levis, no shirt, and he's ready to murder Richie. But Richie's 'I don't know what you want, [but] your insurance will cover it! I'm out!' Turns out that Duncan wasn't sensing Richie, but he's sensing someone ELSE who comes crashing through the skylight!
17:53 Keith: Yeah, so... I've got questions about how this sense works. Because I guess it's just a proximity alarm? When an Immortal's nearby, it goes off. But it doesn't tell you how many, or why. Because shortly thereafter Connor shows up, and we don't know that he knows there's more than one... from jump.
18:14 Keith: So, there could be a hundred Immortals, and it's going to seemingly feel the same to him. I think that's what we're supposed to assume at this point.
18:23 Eamon: Yeah. It's never really spelled out, you know? The distance in which this sense kicks in or doesn't kick in is wildly inconsistent.
18:33: Keith: Oh yeah! Sometimes they're really far away. And other times they're... in the next room!
18:38: Eamon: Yeah. Walking around the corner and "Oh, there's an Immortal!" And other times it's... he's on the roof of the building! (Keith laughs) And was Slan just waiting there for them to come downstairs?
18:48 Keith: He **** is to make an entrance!
18:50 Eamon: That's true. He is very theatrical.
18:52: Keith: So, speaking of theatrical, this guy comes down, and this is played by... **Eamon: Richard Moll.** Richard Moll, and he's wearing a BDSM mask... *Kyle: It's a Mankind Mask.** Okay, yeah!
19:04 Eamon: Yeah, it's metal and-
19:06 Keith: And he's a super over-the-top villain. I guess trying to capture Clancy Brown's performance in the original Highlander, really theatrical, like he's kind of metal... and he immediately starts making comments about Tessa.
19:21 "I'm gonna come back for your woman, Highlander!" Because all the villains in Highlander: The Movie, the series, they are very rapey. They are all about--at least early on, they are coming for MacLeod's woman. It's very weird.
19:38 Eamon: Let me have--you have Connor MacLeod [who] makes an appearance, also, out of nowhere--
19:42 Keith: Yeah, for anyone who hasn't seen the movie; Connor is the star of the original Highlander movies.
19:53 Eamon?: Also, just the amount of information Slan has about MacLeod is kind of like raising an eyebrow. He's calling him Highlander. He's immediately... he came here looking FOR HIM. He knows--**Keith: Right.** I was expecting some kind of groundwork, like they had met before, but as we find out, no.
20:11 Keith: Yeah, I can't find any sort of reason why Slan wants to kill MacLeod, other than the fact that that's the Game, and you just have to kill each other, and he's selected Duncan as his next--
20:21 Eamon: Well and why is Connor on to Slan?
20:24 Keith: Yeah, Connor seems to be hunting Slan. "He's mine!"
20:27 Eamon: Well just he's evil, and if he wins the Game, then Connor says it'll be bad for all humanity.
20:34 Keith: Yeah, they do establish another rule, here. So, when Connor shows up and introduces himself as Connor MacLeod, he utters the line--what is it... "I'm Connor MacLeod. Same clan, different vintage," which is GREAT! Because they're kind of related, from the same clan. But then they point out, since there're two MacLeods and only one Slan, that there's no two-on-one. That's a rule--**20:58 Kyle: Yeah.**--in this Game. That's interesting.
21:00 Kyle: So, two things. One: They both feel the need to mention their clan-names? **Mmhm.** In the middle of this thing? (incredulous) Why?! Like, Conn--Duncan hasn't been part of this clan for four-hundred years.
21:14 Eamon: Right! He was exiled as soon as... I mean, unless something happens later--
21:20 Kyle: Right. He still introduces himself to people--he's also just not in Scotland anymore! He introduces it like it's supposed to mean something to the people he's saying it to. And it's probably something like "I'm from the Clan MacLeod," and they're "Huh."
21:35 Eamon: We're going to have to track this. In this episode it makes it seem like it's a thing all Immortals do, because when Slan jumps into the room, he says (gruff) "I'm Slan Quince!" and it's like that's an Immortal thing. You have to introduce yourself.
Keith: Yeah, it's very theatrical.
21:54 Kyle: In this concept that it's a kind of a duel, that's why there can't be these two-on-ones. It almost makes sense that there're these rules on how you engage people? I could see that--I don't know that they flesh it out, but that could be a thing that makes sense. No, you have to have these weird magic fights, and you have to introduce yourself, and then you have to have this honorable one-on-one throwdown. But... there are no two-on-ones. But apparently there's no rule that after your friend fights somebody and wounds them, 22:29 and undoubtedly makes it much harder for them, for you to just jump in and fight them two seconds later.**That's true.** You're not fighting them at the same time, but it seems equally unfair! (laughter)
22:40 Keith: True! So, Connor shows up, and Slan decides he's just going to bale on the situation. So he leaves--first, Richie [says] "I don't know whatever D&D thing you're doing here, but I'm out." He climbs out the window. **Eamon: Yup!** THEN-then Slan [says] "I'll be back for you, MacLeod!" HE climbs out the window.**He jumps out the window.** Yeah, he jumps out the window. And then Connor's "I'm gonna go get him!" and he j--everyone--no one uses the door, everyone's out the window!
23:08 Eamon: Yep three windows are broken at minimum in under nine minutes in the beginning of this episode.
23:16 Keith: So, at some point, Richie gets picked up by the police and taken into custody because I guess he has jewelry from the antique store in his pocket, and Duncan shows up at the police station to identify him, but he doesn't want to make--er--doesn't want to press charges. 23:29 So, I was wondering while we were watching this, what is he doing there? Why did he even show up, if he's not pressing charges. So he goes into the interrogation room 'cuz he wants to talk to Richie, and he's gonna let him off the hook as long as he doesn't tell anybody what he saw? **Right.** Not that anybody's believing him anyway, but he's "You didn't see anyone with swords, or anything like that."
23:47 Kyle?: That's a good point. Is he going just because he's worried that people will reveal his secret? That he's an Immortal?
23:53 Keith: I guess so.
23:54 Kyle: I think that's what we were supposed to think. Not that he's an Immortal, 'cuz Richie doesn't know that at this point, just that he's engaged in whatever this shadow-
23:59 Keith: This weird thing is--
24:00 Kyle: This sword fight-club is.
24:07 Eamon: I guess he just doesn't want the cops digging into his personal **Right!** Immortal affairs.
24:11 Keith: So he meets Detective Powell there, who becomes a re-occurring character, in the first season, at least. And he talks about Richie, "He needs to serve some time in Juvie, because next year he's going to prison, and they're going to pass him around for dessert!" And I was again, it's again kind of rapey! Really rapey!
24:31 Eamon: Kind of rapey. Also, we're expected to believe that Richie is seventeen years old. *giggles in background* Which is... he does NOT look seventeen.
24:39 Kyle: Not even close.
24:40 Eamon: He doesn't even ACT seventeen, either, and **Keith: No!** he's portrayed to be a kid, and they call him "the boy" forty-thousand times in this whole episode *laughter* Who are they talking about? Oh, Richie. *more laughter*
24:55 Keith: So Richie gets let go, and Duncan's responsible for that. Then our next scene, we're back in Duncan's antique store. More nudity. Tessa's in the shower, there's butts and boobs,
25:04 Eamon: Yeah, she's in the shower, there's nipple! *sounds mildly shocked*
25:08 Keith: Oh yeah. This is network television.
25:10 Kyle: I couldn't believe that, when I saw it. **Keith: Right!** And I was like good rating? I don't know.
25:17 Keith: If anyone out there knows if this was the real version when it was aired, or if this is the DVD version.
25:22 Kyle: I'm going to go ahead and say no. Because remember how much people flipped out when they said "shit" on NYPD Blue? This would not have-I don't think this flew.
25:33 Eamon: Well they had all those sexy TV shows in the nineties, like Silk Stalkings, and stuff like that. Or it was... it was a cop show, but it was also kind of sexy. Or something. **Yeah.** I don't know if this falls into that category... or something. **25:44 Keith: Maybe.** Or what, I don't know.
25:46 Keith: The show definitely bridges a lot of cool genres, which I think is one appeal to the show. Men, women, different ages, liked this show. It's part romance novel, part action-adventure, it's a little historical, it's fantasy... I think it does a pretty good job of toeing the line of all those different genres... 26:07 Also, one thing in the next scene I notice that runs through the next couple episodes is Adrian Paul as Duncan is wearing hair extensions?! Did anyone notice that? **26:15 Kyle: I didn't notice that.** Very clearly he has **Kyle: His pony-tail?** His pony tail is not real. **Huh!** Which makes me think it's-So that means that was written into the character. Before this started, they [decided] "He needs to have a pony tail." And, I mean I was young when this show came out in 1992, so I wasn't watching this when it first came on. 26:34 But were pony tails that cool? Because they almost seemed like they NEVER were, and I HAD one. *much laughter*
26:41 But they were like "Duncan needs a pony tail."
26:43 Eamon: I think they were cool at some point. **26:45 Keith: I guess so.**
26:49 Kyle: Well I think that feeds into the romance novel portion of it. That's clearly what they're tapping into. Because also, he's allergic to shirts *amused* in this pilot! *laughter* **Oh yeah!** Immortals can't wear one for an extended period of time or they'll break out, or something, I don't know!
27:00 Keith: Yeah, Adrian Paul is very different than Connor MacLeod from the movies. Connor is very-he looks like he's from a noir movie, kind of...
27:06 Kyle?: Yeah, he's really schluffy. **Schluffy, exactly!** He's wearing white tennis sneakers pullover sweaters and jeans, and *much snickering* **Constantly!** And he's raspy, and a little bit...
27:17 Keith: He's [got] a five o'clock shadow.
27:19 Kyle: Kind of rascally, and a little bit threatening.
27:22 Keith: Yeah. Where Duncan is the opposite. He's broad shoulders, he's-I remember my mom always called him a beefcake. And he is! He's tall, dark, handsome, muscles, yeah. **Yeah.** A very different sort of character. But I think [it] works. 27:38 So, him and Tess have this whole discussion, they start to kind of get-they start unpacking, kind of what it is to be Immortal, and we can kind of listen to a little bit of their conversation about what it all means. And I think this is kind of the core of the Highlander franchise? This kind of idea?
27:57 Tessa: From now on, every year you'll look at me, and see someone who looks older, and older than you, while you stay the same. And it'll just be a matter of time... until you want-- D: No I won't! -T: someone else. D: NO! T: Or maybe I will.
28:14 Keith: That's great. I love that little exchange. Also, Queen is playing in the background. "Who wants to live forever," which is one of the more memorable songs from-
28:21 Kyle: They loop that song. That's a pretty long scene, that whole scene, and that song is playing in the background for seven minutes. *giggles* 28:31 Kyle: Also, they fuck eight times in this episode.
28:34 Keith: Yeah, they are constantly pawing at each other like **Yep!** they're all over the place.
28:41 Kyle: I guess we learn somehow, and I think at some point it's revealed that he's with Tess for twelve years? **28:46 Keith: Yeah, I think so.** Is what they said, and how has this not come up before? Because he says he's out of the Game, but it's been twelve years since someone else knocked on his door? Because she doesn't even know that there IS a Game, or that Immortals kill each other. **Right.** She just thinks he's an old magic man.
29:07 Keith: Yeah, I think in the early episodes they don't... it's not like the Immortal-of-the-week sort of thing like it becomes a little later. I think they try to make it like this is a rare occurrence, there's not that many... I think that as the series goes they find their groove and "Oh, we'll have more Immortals and it'll be more fun." 29:22 So, Slan at this point is still stalking Duncan, and Connor is outside of the, is kind of stalking Slan, I guess, in response. **Yeah.** There's one scene where Slan is outside in his car, sees Connor notice him, blows him kisses in the mirror, **Yup!** Gives a "surf's up" sign out the window-29:42 Eamon?: And says "Ciao, baby" 29:43 - and says "Ciao, baby!" **Yeah!** *giggles* It's awesome!
29:45 Kyle: Also, Slan is stalking somebody. They know he's stalking them. His--He's driving this huge vintage car. He's dressed like a biker-metal dude, in a big coat, he has metal gloves. You're the most conspicuous person, EVER. And you're stalking these people who have no idea you're around.
30:09 Keith: At this point he's stalking Tess who--isn't she wearing a Turok the Dinosaur Hunter vest?
Eamon: She's wearing some weird Michael Jackson slash Turok Civil War coat-thing. I don't know what it is. Also, Slan has a-a soccer ball on his keychain? **oh yeah!** Did you see that? That was funny, to me.
Highlander Rewatched 1 - 1 The Gathering
0-0:18 I am Duncan MacLeod, born four hundred years ago in the Highlands of Scotland. I am Immortal, and I am not alone. For centuries, we have waited for the time of the Gathering, when the stroke of a sword and the fall of a head will release the power of the Quickening. In the end, there can be only one.
0:19 Here we are, born to be kings, we're the Princes of the Universe! Yeah!
0:42-0:59 I am Immortal, I have inside me blood of kings. I have no rival, no man can be my equal! Take me to the future of you all!
1:00 Keith: Hey everybody! Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Highlander Rewatched Podcast! So, since this is our first episode, I figured I would just kind of talk a little bit about what this podcast is going to be. And the whole kind of scope of it.
1:17 The plan is we're going to watch every single episode of Highlander: The Series, from start to finish. There are six seasons. I think that's about 118 episodes or so. And yeah, we're just going to watch them, talk about them, whatever kind of comes to mind. And we'll get into some behind-the-scenes stuff, some trivia. Whatever!
1:35 And then we might, as we go forward, you know, maybe in between each series, or season, maybe we'll watch one of the movies and talk about that, and then there's the whole Highlander expanded universe.
1:46 Which is really fun, too. There's an anime, there's an animated series, too, there's a card game, there's all sorts of extra stuff to talk about.
1:56 We'd love to hear from everybody out there, so you're going to kind of shape what this podcast is as well, so you can write in to us. Make sure you like us on Twitter, follow us on er, excuse me. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, all that sort of stuff. Yeah, we're excited to see where this all goes.
2:13 So, introducing one of our Re-Watchers! Kyle, want to introduce yourself?
2:17 I'm Kyle. I got into Highlander, not when it originally aired, but later when it was on FX or Spike or whatever man-channel that was. And the thing that grabbed me about it is [that] the concept behind it is awesome even when the episodes are clunky, and it's got Queen and swords. So, really it's a good combination.
2:38 Keith: Cool!
Eamon: I'm Eamon. I got into Highlander... actually, my grandmother used to watch it, and I would watch it with her after school. **Keith: Ah!** I can't remember how old I was, pretty young, but it was cool. I mean, you know, you got guys in trench coats and swords, chopping each other's heads off and stuff, so that's a pretty solid concept alone, without even that they're Immortal and everything like that, so.
3:05 Keith: Awesome!
Kyle: Was your grandmother watching it for Adrian Paul?
3:08 Eamon: I think she was. I think she was. He does have a pretty... Fabio-quality to him, almost? There's definitely a romance novel quality to a lot of these episodes. Like, he's the pony-tailed guy in the open shirts and all that stuff, but--
3:23 Keith: Yeah, awesome. I got into Highlander, I think it was in fourth grade, and my mom... I don't know if it was my mom who started watching it first, but I remember it came on Saturday afternoons, on... here in the Philly area, where we're recording this, it was on UPN. I don't know where it aired--
**Eamon: Yeah!**
--in other parts of the country, but I remember watching it then, and being super into it.
3:45 I started collecting a bunch of Highlander merchandise. When I was younger I had long hair, and so, when Adr--Adrian Paul was [the hero, I thought] "Hey, he has long hair, too! That's cool! 3:56**Eamon: Oh yes!** I can wear a ponytail!" I bought--they had official Highlander hair berets 4:03**Eamon: That's amazing!* in the catalogue, that had Celtic symbols, and they were the ones from the show! And so I would wear them if I ever got dressed up and had to wear a suit--I put on my Highlander beret--But anyway, I love Highlander. I think the concept is super-awesome. I think--
4:18 Kyle: The beret? (laughing)
4:19 Keith: I don't know, what're they called?
Kyle: Like a hair-tie? Keith: Like a hair-tie!
**Eamon: A beret...**
4:22 Keith: Did I say my name? My name's Keith. I'm sorry.
4:26 But yeah, it's awesome. I think Highlander: The Series is the strongest representation of the concept...?
4:34 Kyle: Yeah, hands-down.
4:25 Eamon: Did you guys know... I didn't know it was a movie. I found out it was a movie years later.
4:38 Keith: I didn't know until maybe a little later. I think I heard it was a movie, and I feel like I might have even seen the second movie before I saw... the first one.
4:49 Kyle: Good God!
4:50 Keith: Yeah. Good God indeed! *amused* Yeah and we'll get into that down the road. But yeah, I think Highlander's great, I love--it's got a cool moral core. I think once the show--the show takes a while to find its place and also,
5:02 just to give some thoughts on what this podcast is going to be, we're probably going to rag on some of Highlander a little bit. 5:07**Kyle: Yes!** But as much as I love Highlander, there're all sorts of faults in the series, the movies, but at its core, I think it's the fucking best.
5:16 Eamon: It's from a place of love.
5:17 Keith: Yeah. Absolutely.
5:19 Kyle: But there's some hilarious shit!
5:21 Keith: Oh, absolutely! The show is totally finding its way, especially this first season, and so if you're joining us having never SEEN Highlander before, I still recommend seeing the first season. I wouldn't say skip it. But hang in there. This show gets markedly better.
5:36 I think especially in the second season, it really steps up its game. And I want to say, the third season might be my favorite. It's been a while since I've seen them.
5:45 Eamon: I'm getting excited to rewatch this, because... this is basically me watching it for the first time. It's been so long.
5:53 Keith: Okay, cool. So, did you see it any time since you've originally seen it or -
Eamon: No.
5:57 Keith: Awesome. Okay, cool. Yeah, I've seen it a couple of times since... I feel like, I don't know, I had it on DVD, that sort of thing, and I think I rewatched them. That was probably the last time I rewatched them all was when they all came out on DVD, which of course now is... almost...
**10 years, 10**
6:13 It's ten years ago? So it's been a while since I've actually seen them fresh. So anyway! Let's jump in! This episode's probably going to be a little bit longer than most of our other episodes, because we've got a lot to talk about in the first episode.
6:24 So this is Episode Number 1, Production Number, if you're following along, it's 92102-1. The only reason I say that is because depending on where you're watching this: If it's the DVDs; Hulu; Youtube I think has some episodes; the episodes are numbered a little differently. We're going off of the way it is on iTunes and the DVD sets. 6:47 and these should, I believe, correspond to the air dates? If you want, write in to tell us if these are NOT the correct air dates, but yeah, that's the order we're going to go in.
6:56 And this episode is called "The Gathering". It's the pilot episode. It was first aired on Saturday, October 3rd, 1992. It was directed by Thomas J. Wright, and so I have some fun facts, I think, about some of the people involved in this production. Thomas J. Wright, he's done tons of TV.
7:15 Lots of episodes of NCIS. He's done 36 episodes of that. **Oh Wow** Yeah, Castle, the X-Files, this guy's an industry pro! **Yeah!** Although, aside from all [of] his TV stuff, which I would say is pretty great, I mean, that's all quality network stuff, he is also the director of a little movie called "No Holds Barred"--
**NO WAY!** **Whaaaat?**
Yes! And if you haven't seen this movie, I don't know if it's still on Netflix for free, you can find it online. It stars Hulk Hogan, and **Kurt Fuller* - Kurt Fuller, and Tiny Lester. It's this crazy wrestling movie. That's a fantastic bad movie to watch. And he's the director of it! And this pilot was written by Dan Gordon. I think the pilot does a pretty good job. He's, again, another industry... kind of veteran, but he is... some of the highlights of his career, to kind of bookend them:
In 1993 he wrote the film "Surf Ninjas"--
6:10 **Oh, God!**
--with Rob Schneider-
**Kyle: Is that also Hulk Hogan?**
Keith: Is Hulk Hogan also in Surf Ninjas?
**Eamon: He's in a sequel. He's in like Thunder Mountain or whatever.** *Kyle? cackle* **No, no, that's 3 Ninjas!**
That's 3 Ninjas.[3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998)]
**Eamon: Surf Ninjas features Sega Game Gear very prominently. That's like a central plot element.** *much laughter*
Keith: But also in the other end of the spectrum, in 1999 he wrote the movie "The Hurricane", with Denzel Washington, whi-
**Kyle: WHAT?!**
-ch was up for Academy Awards and is a really solid movie.
**Eamon: Surf Ninjas to The Hurricane...**
Keith: -To The Hurricane. So, it's written by him. In this episode there are guest stars; we have Christopher Lambert, or Christophe Lambert, as Connor MacLeod, reprising his role from the movie, and Richard Moll from Night Court! Yeah, he was the bailiff, and is okay.
**Eamon: Richard Moll's great! He's also the voice of Two-Face on Batman, the Animated Series.**
Keith: He is! He has a crazy-big resume, too!
**Eamon: Yes. Phenomenal, phenomenal work.**
Keith: So, just to give you a quick description of the episode, we're going off of, I think, the IMDb episode descriptions.
9:14 "Duncan MacLeod is an immortal who has been out of the game for many years. Duncan and his girlfriend Tessa are targeted by Slan Quince, an evil immortal. Duncan is convinced by his friend and fellow immortal Connor MacLeod that he must return to the game to protect Tessa, and to keep from losing his head."
9:32 So, um let's start, I guess at the beginning of this episode. And we should maybe talk about the opening credits?
9:39 Kyle: Yeah, I think that's a good place to start. Because boy, is that intro dense. He dives right in there, reading VERY quickly, this opening sequence with all these terms of art in them, like "The Quickening", "The Gathering," all these things are mentioned, and I think if you... what would you think that meant, if you had never seen Highlander?
10:03 Keith: If I knew nothing--it doesn't give you too much info, really. About what's going on. I mean, I guess it tells you there's something.
10:12 Eamon: Also, while he's talking there're all these different words. There's the really long amble of the text of what he's saying, and then there's also words flying across the screen, 'Immortal', 'Quickening', 'Gathering' so it's just... as much information that can be dumped on you as possible, in thirty seconds, and when he's announcing it, it's like somebody was holding a gun to his head *laughter* "You have to get all this information out in thirty seconds, or I'm gonna kill you! And you ain't coming back, buddy! You're not really immor--" I don't know, it was...
10:45 Keith: Is it just me or does it seem like, when he reads it, there's only one Quickening, ever? There's 'The Time of the Gathering' where there will be one Quickening and it's over. That's what it sounds like he's saying.
10:57 Eamon: Yeah, it does. It is... yeah.
10:59 Kyle: It's the time of the Gathering, when this Quickening will happen. Done!
11:02 Eamon: I don't think this episode... As good as it is, *sigh* I don't think it does a good job of really setting you up with the whole Immortal thing, unless you're already sort of familiar with it. I don't know what you guys think.
10:14 Keith: Yeah, it puts a lot of the pieces there, but it doesn't explain them as well as... I guess maybe the rest of the series does. **Eamon: Yeah.** I think you've got those pieces as you go through the series more and more and it builds the world. But then it kicks in with the Queen song, after the spoken introduction, which is Princes of the Universe. **Eamon: Great Song!** The song is awesome! It's so good! Yeah, and there's kind of a montage, very early 90s. The kind of typography, **Eamon: Oh, sure.** it's all purple and green, it looks--text is flying around...
10:44 Eamon: It looks like a Levi's Jeans commercial. (cackles) And I think a lot of them are wearing jeans in the intro--
11:50 Keith: Oh yeah! Jeans are a big part of this show.
11:54 Eamon: The graphic design sense is very 90s, very... you put in a tape of something you taped when you were a kid, on VCR. It's that kind of style. All the commer--It looks like a commercial or something.
12:07 Keith: Yeah, it does. Something else that I thought was weird that I wrote down is that the Highlander font is not the same. If you're familiar with the series, Highlander the Series has its own logo, it's a fairly stylized, angular font, and it's cool. That doesn't exist yet, and it's just... rocks..?
12:27 Eamon: Yeah, it's just a weird, glowing rock-font.
12:30 Keith: Yeah, I don't know why they chose that, especially because Highlander: The Movie had a pretty stylized logo, I'm surprised they didn't use that. I don't know what they were trying to--Maybe they were trying to make it different?
12:39 Eamon: Probably.
12:41 Keith: And as far as making it different goes, a little behind-the-scenes stuff early on: So, originally this pilot was supposed to be a two-hour made-for-TV movie that led into the series. But there were two things that prevented that from happening. The budget got cut, **Mmhmm** surprise surprise, and then Christophe Lambert didn't really want to do it...
12:56 Eamon: Yeah, I want to talk about this, yes.
12:58 Keith: Yeah, he didn't want to do it, and then he finally kind of agreed in the 11th hour, "Okay, I'll do it," and he was only available for three days of shooting, and so they... it wasn't exactly what they planned on, initially, and also early ideas for this series were it was going to be a prequel. **Ahhhh!** And that Connor MacLeod was going to be the main character. And it was just going to be recast with a new actor, and Adrian Paul, I guess, convinced them to be... No, this should be a standalone character. So they decided to make him Duncan MacLeod.
13:31 Eamon: The decision not to do that introduces all these questions, though, right? Because not to spoil the movie, but... Connor WINS is the plot of the movie.
13:41 Eamon: Right. Kyle: Right. Eamon: So, you're immediately left wondering where in time does this happen? Are we introducing a character that we know in the future is dead-- 13:51 Kyle: Totally, right. Eamon: --because Connor wins
13:53 Keith: Yeah the movie does paint itself into a corner, and I think the movie works on its own. I don't think they ever thought they'd be successful enough to make a sequel, really. So yeah, it kind of ends with the Game ending. And there's no room for a sequel. Ah, but then here's this--there's this series!
14:10 Also, another weird little bit of trivia is; the person originally considered mainly for this role was Alastair Duncan. [He] was going to be Connor MacLeod. I'm curious--I haven't found any sort of confirmation of this, but is that where they get the name Duncan MacLeod from? Was it that the actor who was going to play Connor MacLeod, his name was Duncan?
14:28 Eamon: I would not be surprised.
14:30 Keith: I would not be surprised, either. If they just kept, kind of like that name was floating around in their heads, and they said "Oh, yeah, okay!"
14:33 Eamon: Was Lambert... was he popular at this point? He seemed so reticent. He's like "Yeah, there should be a Highlander TV show. I will have nothing to do with it."
14:41 Keith: Yeah, he only wanted to do movies. I don't know, I mean
14:45 Eamon: He was in a--
14:46 Kyle (laughing): I can't imagine the world was clamoring for this man.
14:50 Eamon: Well he's in a lot of action movies around this time period. I don't know if they were big.
14:54 Kyle: Mortal Kombat. **Yeah, Mortal Kombat.****That's true!**15:00Uh, Yeah! G'head.
Eamon: I was going to say, should we get into this episode, or...
15:03 Keith: Yeah, let's dive right in! So the episode opens... *gasp***Ye-eh!** The episode opens with just... fucking. It is just... that's how it starts, is Duncan is in bed with his girlfriend, Tess, and they're just going to bones on -(much tittering like children)
15:18 Eamon: They're giggling... but they're rocking back and forth, like... what they're doing is not like how anybody has ever had sex. **Yeah.** They're just like... it looks like he's just lifting her up and putting her down, in a weird rocking-horse type way? And they're giggling, and it's just the weirdest thing I've ever seen. I don't know how to describe it.
15:38 Keith: It is weird!
15:41 Eamon: And it's all just intercut with Stan Kirsch--Richie--**Richie!**, trying to sneak into this antique shop--**Keith: Antique store! Right, um.**--and meanwhile it's just 'Oh, did they forget they're doing it? Let's cut back to them doing it.'
15:52 Keith: Yeah, it's any excuse, especially in the Highlander franchise, to show side-boob, or what-ever.
15:59 Eamon: There's a lot of nudity in this scene. Not 'almost nudity', I mean there is nudity later in the episode, actual nudity, but--**Keith: Yeah, it's-16:05 there's not a lot of skin** Is this on TV? **Yeah!** How did they get away with it?
16:05 Keith: I don't know! I was curious... I know this show's also co-produced with a French production company which is why, as we find out later, half the episodes are filmed in France, and half were filmed here. I'm curious if the French cut is any different, and if there's even MORE hard-core sex! I can totally see that.
16:25 Eamon: Yeah!
16:28 Keith: So Duncan gets a tingling. He gets a sense there's another Immortal around.
16:33 Kyle: He says 'I feel something.' **Keith laughs a lot**
16:36 Keith: 'I would hope so!' is what she says, Tessa, right? **Much giggling*
16:41 Eamon: I was watching this alone with just a dog next to me. I went and audibly groaned-- **Keith: Hahah!** and woke up the dog. It looked at me like, 'What are you doing?'
16:55 (faint sound of papers rustling) Eamon: Meanwhile, while Richie is breaking into the-- so Richie is a thief, **Mmhm?** and he's breaking into an antique store, and he's constantly mugging, and making little comments, and making little jokes, and shining a flashlight around.
17:09 Keith: (slightly appalled note) He walks into the--when he gets into the antique store, he goes 'Everything must go' and he puts the little flashlight in his mouth like it's a ciGAR! *laughter*
17:19 Eamon: He's doing his Groucho Marx impression.
17:22 Keith: So Duncan gets this sense and--you find out later that they get this feeling, this buzz, when they sense another Immortal's around. So Duncan thinks it's Richie, and he comes out with his sword out and he's wearing just his Levis, no shirt, and he's ready to murder Richie. But Richie's 'I don't know what you want, [but] your insurance will cover it! I'm out!' Turns out that Duncan wasn't sensing Richie, but he's sensing someone ELSE who comes crashing through the skylight!
17:53 Keith: Yeah, so... I've got questions about how this sense works. Because I guess it's just a proximity alarm? When an Immortal's nearby, it goes off. But it doesn't tell you how many, or why. Because shortly thereafter Connor shows up, and we don't know that he knows there's more than one... from jump.
18:14 Keith: So, there could be a hundred Immortals, and it's going to seemingly feel the same to him. I think that's what we're supposed to assume at this point.
18:23 Eamon: Yeah. It's never really spelled out, you know? The distance in which this sense kicks in or doesn't kick in is wildly inconsistent.
18:33: Keith: Oh yeah! Sometimes they're really far away. And other times they're... in the next room!
18:38: Eamon: Yeah. Walking around the corner and "Oh, there's an Immortal!" And other times it's... he's on the roof of the building! (Keith laughs) And was Slan just waiting there for them to come downstairs?
18:48 Keith: He **** is to make an entrance!
18:50 Eamon: That's true. He is very theatrical.
18:52: Keith: So, speaking of theatrical, this guy comes down, and this is played by... **Eamon: Richard Moll.** Richard Moll, and he's wearing a BDSM mask... *Kyle: It's a Mankind Mask.** Okay, yeah!
19:04 Eamon: Yeah, it's metal and-
19:06 Keith: And he's a super over-the-top villain. I guess trying to capture Clancy Brown's performance in the original Highlander, really theatrical, like he's kind of metal... and he immediately starts making comments about Tessa.
19:21 "I'm gonna come back for your woman, Highlander!" Because all the villains in Highlander: The Movie, the series, they are very rapey. They are all about--at least early on, they are coming for MacLeod's woman. It's very weird.
19:38 Eamon: Let me have--you have Connor MacLeod [who] makes an appearance, also, out of nowhere--
19:42 Keith: Yeah, for anyone who hasn't seen the movie; Connor is the star of the original Highlander movies.
19:53 Eamon?: Also, just the amount of information Slan has about MacLeod is kind of like raising an eyebrow. He's calling him Highlander. He's immediately... he came here looking FOR HIM. He knows--**Keith: Right.** I was expecting some kind of groundwork, like they had met before, but as we find out, no.
20:11 Keith: Yeah, I can't find any sort of reason why Slan wants to kill MacLeod, other than the fact that that's the Game, and you just have to kill each other, and he's selected Duncan as his next--
20:21 Eamon: Well and why is Connor on to Slan?
20:24 Keith: Yeah, Connor seems to be hunting Slan. "He's mine!"
20:27 Eamon: Well just he's evil, and if he wins the Game, then Connor says it'll be bad for all humanity.
20:34 Keith: Yeah, they do establish another rule, here. So, when Connor shows up and introduces himself as Connor MacLeod, he utters the line--what is it... "I'm Connor MacLeod. Same clan, different vintage," which is GREAT! Because they're kind of related, from the same clan. But then they point out, since there're two MacLeods and only one Slan, that there's no two-on-one. That's a rule--**20:58 Kyle: Yeah.**--in this Game. That's interesting.
21:00 Kyle: So, two things. One: They both feel the need to mention their clan-names? **Mmhm.** In the middle of this thing? (incredulous) Why?! Like, Conn--Duncan hasn't been part of this clan for four-hundred years.
21:14 Eamon: Right! He was exiled as soon as... I mean, unless something happens later--
21:20 Kyle: Right. He still introduces himself to people--he's also just not in Scotland anymore! He introduces it like it's supposed to mean something to the people he's saying it to. And it's probably something like "I'm from the Clan MacLeod," and they're "Huh."
21:35 Eamon: We're going to have to track this. In this episode it makes it seem like it's a thing all Immortals do, because when Slan jumps into the room, he says (gruff) "I'm Slan Quince!" and it's like that's an Immortal thing. You have to introduce yourself.
Keith: Yeah, it's very theatrical.
21:54 Kyle: In this concept that it's a kind of a duel, that's why there can't be these two-on-ones. It almost makes sense that there're these rules on how you engage people? I could see that--I don't know that they flesh it out, but that could be a thing that makes sense. No, you have to have these weird magic fights, and you have to introduce yourself, and then you have to have this honorable one-on-one throwdown. But... there are no two-on-ones. But apparently there's no rule that after your friend fights somebody and wounds them, 22:29 and undoubtedly makes it much harder for them, for you to just jump in and fight them two seconds later.**That's true.** You're not fighting them at the same time, but it seems equally unfair! (laughter)
22:40 Keith: True! So, Connor shows up, and Slan decides he's just going to bale on the situation. So he leaves--first, Richie [says] "I don't know whatever D&D thing you're doing here, but I'm out." He climbs out the window. **Eamon: Yup!** THEN-then Slan [says] "I'll be back for you, MacLeod!" HE climbs out the window.**He jumps out the window.** Yeah, he jumps out the window. And then Connor's "I'm gonna go get him!" and he j--everyone--no one uses the door, everyone's out the window!
23:08 Eamon: Yep three windows are broken at minimum in under nine minutes in the beginning of this episode.
23:16 Keith: So, at some point, Richie gets picked up by the police and taken into custody because I guess he has jewelry from the antique store in his pocket, and Duncan shows up at the police station to identify him, but he doesn't want to make--er--doesn't want to press charges. 23:29 So, I was wondering while we were watching this, what is he doing there? Why did he even show up, if he's not pressing charges. So he goes into the interrogation room 'cuz he wants to talk to Richie, and he's gonna let him off the hook as long as he doesn't tell anybody what he saw? **Right.** Not that anybody's believing him anyway, but he's "You didn't see anyone with swords, or anything like that."
23:47 Kyle?: That's a good point. Is he going just because he's worried that people will reveal his secret? That he's an Immortal?
23:53 Keith: I guess so.
23:54 Kyle: I think that's what we were supposed to think. Not that he's an Immortal, 'cuz Richie doesn't know that at this point, just that he's engaged in whatever this shadow-
23:59 Keith: This weird thing is--
24:00 Kyle: This sword fight-club is.
24:07 Eamon: I guess he just doesn't want the cops digging into his personal **Right!** Immortal affairs.
24:11 Keith: So he meets Detective Powell there, who becomes a re-occurring character, in the first season, at least. And he talks about Richie, "He needs to serve some time in Juvie, because next year he's going to prison, and they're going to pass him around for dessert!" And I was again, it's again kind of rapey! Really rapey!
24:31 Eamon: Kind of rapey. Also, we're expected to believe that Richie is seventeen years old. *giggles in background* Which is... he does NOT look seventeen.
24:39 Kyle: Not even close.
24:40 Eamon: He doesn't even ACT seventeen, either, and **Keith: No!** he's portrayed to be a kid, and they call him "the boy" forty-thousand times in this whole episode *laughter* Who are they talking about? Oh, Richie. *more laughter*
24:55 Keith: So Richie gets let go, and Duncan's responsible for that. Then our next scene, we're back in Duncan's antique store. More nudity. Tessa's in the shower, there's butts and boobs,
25:04 Eamon: Yeah, she's in the shower, there's nipple! *sounds mildly shocked*
25:08 Keith: Oh yeah. This is network television.
25:10 Kyle: I couldn't believe that, when I saw it. **Keith: Right!** And I was like good rating? I don't know.
25:17 Keith: If anyone out there knows if this was the real version when it was aired, or if this is the DVD version.
25:22 Kyle: I'm going to go ahead and say no. Because remember how much people flipped out when they said "shit" on NYPD Blue? This would not have-I don't think this flew.
25:33 Eamon: Well they had all those sexy TV shows in the nineties, like Silk Stalkings, and stuff like that. Or it was... it was a cop show, but it was also kind of sexy. Or something. **Yeah.** I don't know if this falls into that category... or something. **25:44 Keith: Maybe.** Or what, I don't know.
25:46 Keith: The show definitely bridges a lot of cool genres, which I think is one appeal to the show. Men, women, different ages, liked this show. It's part romance novel, part action-adventure, it's a little historical, it's fantasy... I think it does a pretty good job of toeing the line of all those different genres... 26:07 Also, one thing in the next scene I notice that runs through the next couple episodes is Adrian Paul as Duncan is wearing hair extensions?! Did anyone notice that? **26:15 Kyle: I didn't notice that.** Very clearly he has **Kyle: His pony-tail?** His pony tail is not real. **Huh!** Which makes me think it's-So that means that was written into the character. Before this started, they [decided] "He needs to have a pony tail." And, I mean I was young when this show came out in 1992, so I wasn't watching this when it first came on. 26:34 But were pony tails that cool? Because they almost seemed like they NEVER were, and I HAD one. *much laughter*
26:41 But they were like "Duncan needs a pony tail."
26:43 Eamon: I think they were cool at some point. **26:45 Keith: I guess so.**
26:49 Kyle: Well I think that feeds into the romance novel portion of it. That's clearly what they're tapping into. Because also, he's allergic to shirts *amused* in this pilot! *laughter* **Oh yeah!** Immortals can't wear one for an extended period of time or they'll break out, or something, I don't know!
27:00 Keith: Yeah, Adrian Paul is very different than Connor MacLeod from the movies. Connor is very-he looks like he's from a noir movie, kind of...
27:06 Kyle?: Yeah, he's really schluffy. **Schluffy, exactly!** He's wearing white tennis sneakers pullover sweaters and jeans, and *much snickering* **Constantly!** And he's raspy, and a little bit...
27:17 Keith: He's [got] a five o'clock shadow.
27:19 Kyle: Kind of rascally, and a little bit threatening.
27:22 Keith: Yeah. Where Duncan is the opposite. He's broad shoulders, he's-I remember my mom always called him a beefcake. And he is! He's tall, dark, handsome, muscles, yeah. **Yeah.** A very different sort of character. But I think [it] works. 27:38 So, him and Tess have this whole discussion, they start to kind of get-they start unpacking, kind of what it is to be Immortal, and we can kind of listen to a little bit of their conversation about what it all means. And I think this is kind of the core of the Highlander franchise? This kind of idea?
27:57 Tessa: From now on, every year you'll look at me, and see someone who looks older, and older than you, while you stay the same. And it'll just be a matter of time... until you want-- D: No I won't! -T: someone else. D: NO! T: Or maybe I will.
28:14 Keith: That's great. I love that little exchange. Also, Queen is playing in the background. "Who wants to live forever," which is one of the more memorable songs from-
28:21 Kyle: They loop that song. That's a pretty long scene, that whole scene, and that song is playing in the background for seven minutes. *giggles* 28:31 Kyle: Also, they fuck eight times in this episode.
28:34 Keith: Yeah, they are constantly pawing at each other like **Yep!** they're all over the place.
28:41 Kyle: I guess we learn somehow, and I think at some point it's revealed that he's with Tess for twelve years? **28:46 Keith: Yeah, I think so.** Is what they said, and how has this not come up before? Because he says he's out of the Game, but it's been twelve years since someone else knocked on his door? Because she doesn't even know that there IS a Game, or that Immortals kill each other. **Right.** She just thinks he's an old magic man.
29:07 Keith: Yeah, I think in the early episodes they don't... it's not like the Immortal-of-the-week sort of thing like it becomes a little later. I think they try to make it like this is a rare occurrence, there's not that many... I think that as the series goes they find their groove and "Oh, we'll have more Immortals and it'll be more fun." 29:22 So, Slan at this point is still stalking Duncan, and Connor is outside of the, is kind of stalking Slan, I guess, in response. **Yeah.** There's one scene where Slan is outside in his car, sees Connor notice him, blows him kisses in the mirror, **Yup!** Gives a "surf's up" sign out the window-29:42 Eamon?: And says "Ciao, baby" 29:43 - and says "Ciao, baby!" **Yeah!** *giggles* It's awesome!
29:45 Kyle: Also, Slan is stalking somebody. They know he's stalking them. His--He's driving this huge vintage car. He's dressed like a biker-metal dude, in a big coat, he has metal gloves. You're the most conspicuous person, EVER. And you're stalking these people who have no idea you're around.
30:09 Keith: At this point he's stalking Tess who--isn't she wearing a Turok the Dinosaur Hunter vest?
Eamon: She's wearing some weird Michael Jackson slash Turok Civil War coat-thing. I don't know what it is. Also, Slan has a-a soccer ball on his keychain? **oh yeah!** Did you see that? That was funny, to me.