Highlander Revisited
Following the advice of trusted experts KathyH and SelenaK, I began my admittedly several years belated viewing of Highlander's season two right with 'The Watchers'. Episode 2x01, first DVD of the set. My first impression:
There's a pleasant 1990s flair about the whole thing which I had not expected. The set design, the clothes, the cars and also the series' theme song by Queen were like the proverbial blast from the past.
While the exposition, due to it's heavy recycling of older, Darius-related scenes, felt somewhat clunky, the introduction of watcher Joe Dawson, this episode's secret star, was handled superbly. Maybe this is just hindsight speaking, but I got the impression that this very first encounter between Joe and Duncan was like an overture to the theme of complex loyalties and instinctive personal trust which would later dominate their entire relationship.
I also was rather impressed by how natural Joe's disability was depicted, not as main characterizing feature, but rather as just one aspect among many. So I wonder whether the actor (Jim Byrnes, gorgeous and talented man, real life amputee, for those of you who don't know) might have had a say in this portrayal.
Cavendish and I later pondered on whether today's TV shows with their apparent fixation on youth and physical perfection would ever make such an unusual but brilliant casting decision.
As for Horton: Cold-blooded and creepy, just as I had remembered him.
Oh, and I fear I rather enjoyed the sub-plot featuring Richie and Tessa despite its apparent silliness. One really would expect these guys to carry cell phones to be able to reach Duncan whenever they need to. After all, The X-Files, which even during their early years so heavily relied on cell phones as plot advancing gimmicks, began filming in the very same year.