Highlander: El inmortal

Back in the late '90s, I used to watch a syndicated episode of HIGHLANDER on USA Network every night before going to sleep. It definitely beat SILK STALKINGS! This engaging, oddly sexy show took my mind off the past day and made me forget about my worries for the coming day.

I recently rediscovered the show on Tubi, and it still has the same effect. It's not high art, just pleasant, enjoyable, escapist television. It's also fun to remember stars of the '70s and '80s, and to see a few of today's stars before they were big names.

It's fun, and I recommend it!

This interesting highlander series has a lot more to it than action, fantasy and drama. The characters are well acted, and thought out by the actors and screenwriters, respectively. The plots were excellently written, especially linking Duncan Mcleod's past until now, the current time period. I probably think this because i have always been a fan of time period fantasy dramas such as Highlander (1992-1998), Angel (1999-2004) and Witchblade (2001-2002).

I especially love it when events of the past are explained through such dramas like Highlander. One example of this is within one of my favourite episodes in 19th or 18th century historical England where Mary Shelly, the author of the famous novel called 'Frankenstein', sees one immortal get stabbed and then rise to life again. She goes on to comment that seeing such an event inspired her to write 'Frankenstein'

Thought provoking questions about the series, as some members have already mention, arose such as what was it like for immortals to outlive their loved ones? What was it like to live forever?

Adrian Paul as the lead actor, playing Duncan Mcleod, was excellent. His talents of martial arts and acting skills really shine in this series. Afterall, the series did last for 7 years.

However, the series did have some faults. One of them being how does Duncan beat every immortal he fights, even ones who are much older, wiser and more experienced in combat than he is. I know there is the good old 'smart-aleky' answer of 'because there would be no one else to carry on the show' but it still remains a question unanswered satisfactorily. Other members have brought up even better questions that pick out the faults of this show you can read.

But overall, it is an interesting and good quality series that is worth watching. After a few episodes the characters will grow on you.The interesting plots will also intrigue you. Give it a try! I give it a 4/5

Your average „Highlander"-fan had a hard time deciding whether a series following two sequels to the original movie: having watched the abominable "Highlander: The Sorcerer" and "Highlander: The Quickening", arguably one of the worst movies ever produced, had left scars and had made the fan suspicious.

And how could one not have watched the pilot, knowing that Christopher Lambert would reprise his role as Connor McLeod, introducing the series leading man, Duncan McLeod (Adrian Paul)? The first seasons were slightly tedious, being too TV-ish and, apparently, produced in auto-mode: a few flashbacks in time, Duncan battling (and eventually beheading, though always TV-compatible; no blood, no gore) another immortal; Duncan's relationship with Tessa, etc. Often Adrian Paul's sidekicks, namely Richie (Stan Kirsch) and Amanda (Elizabeth Gracen) would become tedious but casting Adrian Paul – although it's unlikely that the actor will ever score an Oscar – compensating for a lot, him having a similar amiable acting style to the original Highlander, Christopher Lambert. By the end of the second season, story lines became more concrete, interesting and the guest-stars more selected – to name just a few, Roger Daltrey, Kabir Bedi, Werner Stocker, hey, even Roland Gift, singer of the "Fine Young Cannibals", played an immortal.

It may not matter to the general viewer, but what has bothered many-a more 'fanatic' fan, is the fact that the series kept altering the "Highlander"-canon: there are female immortals (not being chauvinistic, but such it was in the original film), the "Quickening" was no longer about the assembling of the last immortals, but simply a prize, which one immortal from each generation could win; the immortals actually died for a while when being 'killed', then returned to life, while the immortals in "Highlander" never died, may they be underwater, having their throats cut or being crushed by elevators. Or take the concept of 'The Watchers', even though Sean Connery assured us that, "no one hash ever known we were among you....until now". But how else to keep a long-running TV-series running, without adding or changing something in the storyline? All in all, one was saddened when the series finally came to an end, having gotten fond of the characters and willing to watch a few more episodes. It was a good seven year run, definitely worth watching, even if you've skipped the last three installments of the "Highlander" movie-franchise.

Overall, a good 7 points from 10.

Far superior to the films, for every reason: Better venue for developing the mythos and the characters, better opportunity to explore the nature and implications of immortality, and a far superior leading man for all the reasons we choose them. Adrian Paul (who inspires whole libraries of romance novels) looks magnificent and convincing in any time period and has ALL the right moves. He's also a vastly superior actor to Christopher Lambert. It is easy to see why the producers regretted not having made Duncan MacLeod immortal in an earlier time period; not only would there have been more history to explore and a richer background for Duncan, but it would have provided more visual riches for the audience.

The series jumped the shark after season 5, which I think had some of its best episodes: "Comes a Horseman", "Revelation 6:8", "Duende", "Dramatic License", "Little Tin God". "The Stone of Scone," which has its defects, represents an episode type that this series should have done more of: a complete flashback without 20th C references. The possibilities of such episodes were a missed opportunity.

The idea of immortals isn't new.This show examines the life of "immortals" and examines the answers to question as: What is like surviving your loved ones?Surviving your family?Your hometown?Your country?Your religion?The civilisation whose ideas you carry on?It can be thoughtful.Especialy once you stop thinking about "good"and "evil"immortals and start examining what makes them act the way they do.It's deeper than most modern TV shows and far better than the movies with the same name.The charachters tend to be very interesting.Especially the cynic,dissilusioned immortal Methos the surviver.Five thousand years old and he is sounding like count Fosca from de Beauvoir's "All Men Are Mortal"who is bitter,dissilusioned and hopelessely alone,destined to survive mankind.Other charachters of interest to viewers are1)Amanda the French,manipulative thieves who seems to enjoy her life more than other immortals seem to do.Has she found the meaning of life?2)Duncan McLeodThe star.Noble and thick-headed.He doesn't hunt other immortals.He waits for them to come and they do.How important is he?3)Darius,general and priest.What made him quit the game anyway.4)Kalas,singer and monk.An immortal killer who loves music and plotting.5)Kronos a horseman.He brings anarchy. The show is definitely worth seing.