The tragedy of being Immortal is that Friends Die. Even if you've known them for over 200 years, in the ups and downs of The Game, chances are good they'll be whacked. And May-Ling Shen was whacked by Michael Christian, a relative newcomer to The Game, a newcomer who was coached by one of those voyeuristic ne'er-do-wells, a Watcher named Rita. Oops! A Watcher actually involved in The Game! Will wonders never cease? Appears those Watcher vows are observed only when convenient, in spite of what poor uptight, doomed Ian Bancroft might think ... and preach ... and preach ... and preach.
Joe does a little research into May-Ling's history and discovers that she and MacLeod are old acquaintances, so he gives the Watcher's chronicle for May-Ling during that period to MacLeod after informing Mac that May-Ling has died. The local Watchers gather at Joe's Place for cards and gossip, and Rita takes interest in talk of a certain Immortal who hasn't fought for a while, who is a librarian and romance novelist. Then she sets her boy Michael on that bookish Immortal, and Michael wins.
Ian Bancroft smells a rat and confronts Rita, who denies everything and kills Ian. Rita then seeks out Joe and finds that Duncan has gone off without his sword to Think Things Over. He's gone to the island, which is known as Holy Ground. Rita sets Christian to get Duncan as he is unarmed, leaving the island. Joe finds out, and sends Richie to return Mac's sword to him. Too Late! A Quickening is in progress. Richie is alarmed! Oh no! But Duncan comes into sight and all is well. Christian's head is now decorating the 10th Lane at the Highlander Bowl in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Duncan returns to Joe's place, where a disconsolate Rita is being forced to wait for the results of the battle. When Duncan walks in, Rita gets all sad and leaves.
Questions:
1. Rita and Michael: lovers or mother/son? Both?
2. The scene at fireside when May-Ling invites Duncan to be her lover is quite sweet, isn't it? I'd rank that among the top 3 romantic scenes in Highlander. Chemistry. The kind never enjoyed between Duncan and Dr Anne. Damn, they wasted the May-Ling character, didn't they? May-Ling Shen is a worthy mate for Duncan MacLeod down through the centuries.
3. When Ian says "Darius was different!", does that imply that he had some sort of relationship with Darius? Or was Ian just too uptight to even consider such a thing?
4. Mac and Joe are always nattering and agonizing over the Watcher/Immortal relationship. This episode showed several variations on that relationship. Enumerate and elucidate.
5. Hair! Right?