HLS4: 'Through A Glass, Darkly'

[ithildyn]

Highlander Season Four

Through A Glass, Darkly, Air Date: May 1996

MacLeod's old friend Warren Cochrane is hiding a horrible secret he can't bear to remember. Realizing that an Immortal who won't remember what he is is soon a dead Immortal, MacLeod tries to help Warren by reminding him of the history they shared together, of their battles for

Comments

[amand_r]

This episode is great because of all the funny hats.

[ithildyn]

I have a very similar hat! Amethyst velvet with a purple feather [g]

[amand_r]

I too have such a hat.

[ithildyn]

Hat sisters!

[pat_t]

One of the things I liked about this episode is that they blew a hole in the myth that all Immortal's memories were perfect. Up until then we had seen everything from Duncan's perspective - his memory and we just assumed that was the way it was. But what if it wasn't? It put a whole new spin on things.

And, of course, we had Methos with his words of wisdom - take his head, problem solved! Not to mention those famous canon/fandom words "boyscout".

And Warren taking his student's head and Duncan having such a hard time understanding is quite telling - especially now that we know the rest of the story.

[ithildyn]

I never thought immortals had perfect memories, so this episode didn't do anything to how I saw them. I always assumed Duncan's memories were as fallible as anyone's. As subject to his own perception of events as to what the reality might have been. Though in this case, knowing the history, I'd say Duncan's memories were probably the most accurate.

I loved Methos in this episode, and it always makes me cold watching it [g]

Also love the music. 'Will Ye No' Come Back Again?' as been one of my favourite Scots songs for many many years.

Bonnie Chairlie's noo awa

[aeron_lanart]

I love the beginning of this ep even if it is sad, but it gives the story of Alexa closure and as for the bit at the end where Methos tells MacLeod he's got things in his past he wishes he hadn't done... brrrrr (with hindsight and not just because of the weather).

It's an ep that does make you think about how immortals remember their lives - especially the older ones. Methos had probably forgotten more than MacLeod has ever experienced for a start.

[ithildyn]

Yes, in hindsight, it makes it all that more powerful.

[ithildyn]

I had a similar experience with Forever Knight. Came into it mid episode, mid S2 while channel surfing at 2am.

[amberleewriter]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of the reasons I continue to rewatch Highlander all these years later has to do with the fact that episodes take on additional depth as the seasons progress. "Through A Glass Darkly" is one of those episodes.

I know that David thinks this episode folds in on itself -- caves under its own weight -- and there is a certain amount of truth to this. Rashomon, the classic by Kurosawa, has been rehashed in various ways over the years. The problem with the POV change based story is that you must always wonder which view is "truth." There is a tension which must be maintained for the method to play properly. This tension is absent for me in "Darkly." With Highlander we always assume that Duncan's position is the one of right (even when this is sometimes not the case) because he is our main character and hero. Also, the fact that they introduce Cochrane as "damaged" mentally -- having amnesia and possibly unstable -- does nothing to make us question Duncan's recollection of events.

[ithildyn]

Methos, in a clearcut bit of black and white cynicism, tells Duncan to simply kill Warren instead of helping him.

One of my favourite Methos moments.