For Evil's Sake

This is visually one of the most disturbing of Highlander's episodes. Men dressed as acrobats, entertaining crowds of people, threatening their victims with joke weapons before actually killing them. The mannequin warehouse where the assassins hang out, standing in whiteface, imitating the soulless, expressionless mannequins whose realm they inhabit. Kuyler the Immortal assassin is addicted to absinthe, and in this case absinthe does make the heart grow fonder. It is an expensive addiction, according to Kuyler, who seems happy that the business he's in makes his habit affordable.

We're introduced to inspector LeBrun, who seems hell-bent upon making a connection not only between himself and Duncan, but Duncan and Kuyler. French police in the Highlander universe seem quite taken with their power to put persons in jail for the rest of their lives. LeBrun glories in threats. He doesn't seem like much of a cop, but with trouble following Duncan like an affection-starved puppy, all he has to do is set up camp on Duncan's doorstep and the bad guy will inevitably make an appearance. So Kuyler killed a baron friend of Duncan's in the flashback, which makes him suspect in the present epidemic of assassinations. Duncan flings a bag of groceries at one assassin, but is forced to give up pursuit when the fellow obtains a motorcycle and roars away.

Tessa is supportive and tender. We see how she and Duncan met, as she was a guide on the boat Duncan used as escape vehicle when running from a younger inspector LeBrun.

Richie is ... well ... Richie is just Richie. Immature and with that nervous laugh that kind of raises the hair on the back of my neck.

LeBrun threatens Duncan. LeBrun gets shot by an assistant assassin (how would you like to type that on your resume), who is then shot by Kuyler for being stupid. LeBrun's assistant inspector is in cahoots with Kuyler (ooooh, alliteration seems the order of the day) and fetches Duncan to a meeting with LeBrun, but it's really a meeting with Kuyler, and LeBrun threatens everyone.

There we go. Kuyler and Duncan fight it out amongst the mannequins. Duncan kills Kuyler. Quickening. Many mannequins explode. Duncan picks up both swords and exits before LeBrun can find him amongst the wreckage.

A note about hair: say what you will about the extensions: Duncan's hair in this episode was absolutely fabulous ... most of the time. There was a return of the rat-tail extension for at least one scene, but for the most part that ponytail was full and lush and gorgeous.

Questions:

1. Were those freakin' acrobats really all that entertaining? Am I the only person who wondered why all those people stood around laughing, when the acrobats were obviously deranged disciples of Satan, intent upon stealing their immortal souls?

2. Wandering into the future for a moment, do we take notice that Duncan traps Xavier by tracing down the source of golden caviar just as he traces Kuyler through his lust for absinthe, and Da Scalper in See No Evil through his Indian motorcycle? Discuss this trend as if it were of interest.

3. For an assassin, Kuyler seemed rather afraid of death. His expression as he awaited the death blow from Duncan's sword wasn't quite the pleasant weary acceptance that our beautiful Grayson wore in Band of Brothers. Discuss the pros and cons of dying in a sulfur yard as opposed to shuffling off one's Immortal coil in a mannequin warehouse.

4. Kuyler seemed surprised when Duncan pulled a sword out in the warehouse. Not really a mental giant, is he?

5. Duncan's pants: better in Seacouver or Paris?

6. Tessa seemed slightly disturbed when Duncan jumped on her tour boat and started correcting her guide spiel. She seems to have gotten over it, yes? And wasn't Duncan fetching in that cap and that saucy grin?