Highlander season 5: Manhunt

How interesting was this episode? Well half way through I picked up a sociology textbook, and when the episode ended I just turned off the TV and kept reading.

It could be an interesting exploration of consequences.
But to me it just looked like white guys reducing blackness to slavery again.

I mean they have Angry Black Man and Liberal White Man, and Liberal White Man teaches Angry Black Man to not be angry any more, because hey, they don't all use whips!

Is vaguely interesting setting up baseball as the route to political power. Because black guys associated with physical power, long time idea. And physical power leading to political power, old time idea. But happening rather differently now.

But... if his big dream was to run for office, why wasn't he running for office?


So, if I start thinking about race themes in this ep, I get vaguely annoyed. And if I ignore race themes it is rather empty.

And what was that random woman doing in the dojo? Was there an actual point to that???


Not a favourite ep.

Even though I do like Bruce A Young quite a lot.

Highlander season 5: Glory Days

Once again highlighting my textbook (nearly finished the chapter on Family now) took precedence over watching

the Immortal part of the story

the Joe part I watched every moment of.

That was a strong little bit of story.

What puzzled me was how it was so utterly disconnected from the Immortal part. I mean from the title, 'Glory Days', we can conclude that the little punk dude was trying to relive a particular glorious moment from his youth just like Joe had a particular image of that time in his life.

But couldn't they find something about disability and Immortals? How about self image, perception, expectations and how you are perceived by others?

I mean Joe had a life changing moment, and afterwards he thought that people from Before couldn't accept how he was After. If that doesn't map to Immortals and their first death I don't know what does. And now he meets a woman but he's afraid she'll find out. Duncan and any mortal woman? Duncan and Anne, acceptance that doesn't last. There are resonances here, but they're between episodes, and the fan has to think of them for themselves. The Immortal story just doesn't have any of it.

Mac being helpful, sort of, in a pushy way.

The risk turning out to be not all Joe's.

This was a good story. For that sub plot.

I do love Joe. Got a lot of character.

this episode though, could have been a lot more than it was.

Highlander season 5: Dramatic Licence

So, once again my sociology student handbook kept my attention (first chapter all highlighted. probably badly. I should go sleep soon.)

up until the author starts crying this is really just very annoying.

trying to be funny is usually trying too hard.

the whole mock bad fanfic aspect is vaguely interesting, briefly. there's mileage in comparing Duncan with the cliches.

but mostly its just not funny.
"I was never cheap"
was the only bit made me giggle.

but the bit about trying to live up to the story, not just dealing with the age gap and the immortality but also trying to fit yourself into the story and finding a great big plausibility gap, that resonates.
"and I'll always be from Newark" is kind of funny because Mac will always be from the Highlands, and there's been plenty of times that just wasn't fashionable at all.

Also, there is Amanda. Being pretty. But petty. And then unexpectedly insightful. And then the talking with Mac.

The episodes don't stick together very well. There is no sense of arc. Or theme. Amanda is suddenly there and has been there long enough to settle in, no explanation. None required, but its a bit jarring when I'm watching a lot of high continuity stuff like Buffy or BSG where things happen all in a row logically. Or at least without leaving you feeling like you've missed an episode. (except for when Dawn turned up, but at that point I actually had missed quite a lot of episodes because of having the newest season instead of the terrestrial one)(/tangent)

So far season 5 has given me a depressing 'could do better' feeling. Theres good bits, but they are bits.

I'm remembering the *other* reason I wanted to write Highlander fic. Because the series just didn't do as much depth and breadth and continuity as the best fic does.