Studies In Light

This episode works on so many levels!

Studies in Light, Darkness, and Shadow might have been a more descriptive title, but Studies in Light implies all the rest and says just enough without giving away the obvious.

It's all relationships, light to dark and every variation between. Duncan to Gregor; Gregor to Richie; Duncan to Linda; Linda the artist to Tessa the artist; Gregor's work to Linda's work; Duncan to Richie; Gregor's past to Gregor's present; Duncan/Linda past to Duncan/Linda present; Immortality to Mortality; Seeking death to fighting for life; Destruction to creation. They're all there, folks, and more ... and it's all crammed into a single episode of Highlander, and it all makes sense and it's all so .. well ... done.

Gregor was a doctor who was desolate because he couldn't save all his patients. He went sour on the Immortality thing, became an artist specializing in The Dark Side. Linda was an artist who gave up the love of Duncan for the love of her art. Gregor seemingly wanted to experience Death, though he didn't actually wish to die. He found this out through losing to Duncan after attacking the weaponless Scot. Duncan spared his life, though first let him feel what it was to die. Very powerful. Linda had given up Duncan but found him again, though she had aged unto death and he had stayed young. Duncan played along with her assumption that he was a grandson of himself, but gave in and admitted the truth before she died.

Questions:

1. Choose a relationship revealed in the episode and explore the variations of light and dark within the relationship.

2. Motorcycles seem to have a symbolic presence in Highlander: the Series. Besides the obvious facts that Richie rides a motorcycle and that Richie dies on a motorcycle at least once, what does the motorcycle represent in Highlander terms?

3. The purpose of the flashback in Highlander is generally to show Duncan's past as compared to Duncan's present. In this episode, we learn more about the respective pasts of two of his friends. Gregor has Immortality, yet moves inexorably toward death in his art and his life; Linda is mortal, yet moves toward life with her own work. Where does Duncan move? Or does he remain static in respect to his two friends?

4. Linda gave up Duncan in order to more fully pursue her art. Tessa's relationship with Duncan allowed her to pursue her art. Makes this story just a bit more poignant, eh?

5. Nothing as trivial as a question about Duncan's hair should besmirch the serious study of this episode. Or should it?