HLS4: Homeland

[ithildyn]

After a bit of a hiatus, weekly Highlander episode discussions are back.

Highlander Season Four

Homeland, Air Date: October 1995

MacLeod bought a Celtic bracelet once given to the love of his mortal life and after her tragic death he buried it with her. He returns to Glen Finnin to return the bracelet to her grave and learns of several gruesome

Comments

[mamamia1964]

This is also one of my favorite episodes, probably because it gives such an excellent look at DM's earliest life. He seems so young, so naive and oh, I don't know the right word, but he's so different than the modern DM.

I have to admit that I really didn't see the attraction of his first love, forgot her name! (I MUST be getting very forgetful!) I thought the actress looked to old for the part. Plus, I never understood why she had to threaten to throw herself off the cliff. I never got the impression that these two had such a tormented relationship until that last time, when DM's Da attempted to get the marriage between the two arranged.

Duncan isn't the kind, I think, to appreciate the dramatics. While he can be pretty obsessive about his own guilt, he seemed to be unimpressed by dramatics on his own part or others. Perhaps this very incident caused him to be like this.

What a difference there is in Tessa. She's mature, cool headed in a passionate way, direct and well, perfect for the man.

I thought the villian in this episode was pretty lame, and the way that Duncan supposedly takes the message from his mom to always call himself DMotCM silly. (Actually, is there anything in canon that indicates that Duncan NEVER changes his name? I've always wondered.)

Mairi, however, did impress me with how she handed Duncan the sword and tried to get him to take his "rightful" place as leader, despite Duncan's banishment. What a woman! I wonder how Duncan's life would have changed if he's done just that. What would have happened to his clan? Would they have followed him? QWould he have felt guilty for failing to follow his father's command to be banished?

I do like this episode because it gives a good example of how Duncan turned out to be such a good leader and how he could sometimes be so hardheaded and even judgemental. It's hard to shake off the examples our parents set for us, afterall.

OK...I guess I'm long winded. It's nice to see these chats resumed.

[kerravonsen]

Actually, is there anything in canon that indicates that Duncan NEVER changes his name? I've always wondered.

Only that we've never seen him take an alias. Which is reasonable canonical support, but "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence".

[idontlikegravy]

Didn't Methos make a crack about Duncan keeping the same name at some point? I can't remember exactly, so maybe it was in a fic...But it seems like something the old man would say.

[amberleewriter]

I think it was "Blackmail" when Joe and Duncan talked about having to leave town and "change your name." During the conversation Duncan said something to the effect of, "I've done it before" (meaning moved on and used another name).