The Gathering

Easily one of the more graphically sexual of Highlander: the Series episodes, we begin with Tessa and Duncan making love, while street urchin Richie breaks into their antique shoppe downstairs. Duncan notices a disturbance in The Force and proceeds downstairs, katana in hand, to confront the intruder. Richie experiences theftus interruptus and offers to call the cops in lieu of being beheaded by a half-nekkid, rather buff Duncan MacLeod. Slan Quince, the prototype Q'immie o' the week, breaks through a skylight and threatens them all. Duncan takes exception to said threats, but is stopped from doing battle with Slan by the arrival of Connor MacLeod.

Richie takes a powder. Slan Quince also leaves. Richie is picked up by the cops with some of Duncan's stuff in his pockets. Duncan refuses to press charges, but engages in intimidating behavior toward the urchin, who is released to follow Duncan & Connor throughout the rest of the episode. Duncan and Connor engage in practice bouts with similar katanas, while Tessa seethes in the background, knowing herself to be ignorant of The Game's total awesomeness. Tessa also takes a shower in a glass-brick walled shower and engages in some chitchat with Duncan regarding their relative ages and odds of their being together forever.

Slan makes a run at Tessa, tying her up [a rather regular theme in HL:TS], and Duncan frees her and sends Slan packing. Finally, Duncan and Connor argue over who is to take Slan out of The Game permanently. Connor sucker punches Duncan and begins the battle. Slan cheats and kills Connor [temporarily, of course]. Duncan does the slice & dice on Slan, and has a really cool Quickening on the bridge. Richie ... never mind. Duncan drags Connor out of the water under the bridge. They share a laugh. Duncan says he'll watch the kid. Connor takes Tessa to Duncan's island where we see a really really cool cabin, but we never see the inside of it, and Tessa and Duncan kiss and hug. Connor goes away.

The end.

Questions for discussion:

1. Does Tessa really wear purple panties when making love?

2. Couldn't they have re-filmed that cheesy "Dammit, Connor!"?

3. Doesn't Duncan look totally cool in that poufy shirt?

4. Is Richie's best line in the entire series: "Check it out. One night only. Everything MUST go."?

5. Is that particular color of puke green really found in nature?

6. Who would have made a [better] Slan Quince?