Highlander

[pontifex]

I've been watching through the Highlander series on Hulu. I'm getting close to the end of season 1. I've seen episodes here and there on TV and I've seen the movies but I can't remember if these questions have been answered.

What if a mortal takes the head of an immortal? Does the mortal become immortal?

In some episodes, an immortal's head has been taken by something other than a weapon. For instance, one time it was a boat propeller and another was by a subway train. How does the Quickening know where to go? In the episode with the subway decapitation, there were 2 immortals (Duncan and Grace) who survived, but only Duncan was fighting the bad immortal.

Why is the Quickening effect seems to be different sometimes. For example, sometimes it will blow out lights or windows, but other times it won't. Or in the case of no lights, the ground explodes (but in one episode, that didn't happen when there was a lack lights/glass either).

Why does there seem to be many more evil/bad immortals compared to good ones? It seems extremely lopsided. I guess it wouldn't make for a good story if Duncan didn't have anyone to fight though.

 

[Swag1138]

Well, for 1, nothing happens. Immortal dies, mortal gets smug sense of self-satisfaction

2-3: eh...got me.

4: The same reason that there tend to be more self-serving normal humans in the real world. Plus, they're immortal, and become more powerful with each head they take (plus, the whole taking heads thing isn't conducive to making one a happy-go-lucky sort) and power corrupts.

 

[bearxor]

I think that as the show wore on, they only had a certain budget for the quickening effects. IIRC, they really cheaped out in some of them.

I don't want to spoil it, but I think there IS a way for a mortal to become immortal, but it's been a LOOOOOOOOONG time since I've seen a single show of the series.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

And why did the quickening always seem to happen in an area where there were many windows to be blown out?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: bearxor
I don't want to spoil it, but I think there IS a way for a mortal to become immortal, but it's been a LOOOOOOOOONG time since I've seen a single show of the series.

I'm pretty sure that was not in the TV show or first 4-5 movies, maybe it was in that recent one on scifi that I ignored.

1 - nothing, the quickening dissipates.
2 - nearest immortal? (guess).
3 - budget, director, writer for that episode.
4 - nice guys get their heads chopped off by not-so-nice guys. And Swag1138 had a good point about the surviving nice guys changing over time.

 

[Muadib]

This thread make me . I never got to see the final year of the series.

Must see what is this Hulu....

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Muadib
This thread make me . I never got to see the final year of the series.

Must see what is this Hulu....

they have like 7 seasons worth. i don't know if that is every season or not though.

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Muadib
This thread make me . I never got to see the final year of the series.

Must see what is this Hulu....

they have like 7 seasons worth. i don't know if that is every season or not though.

It seems to be...

 

[Bateluer]

There were only 6 seasons of Highlander, but only the first 5 are worth watching. 6 was pretty bad.

 

[A Casual Fitz]

Originally posted by: pontifex

What if a mortal takes the head of an immortal? Does the mortal become immortal?

In some episodes, an immortal's head has been taken by something other than a weapon. For instance, one time it was a boat propeller and another was by a subway train. How does the Quickening know where to go? In the episode with the subway decapitation, there were 2 immortals (Duncan and Grace) who survived, but only Duncan was fighting the bad immortal.

Why is the Quickening effect seems to be different sometimes. For example, sometimes it will blow out lights or windows, but other times it won't. Or in the case of no lights, the ground explodes (but in one episode, that didn't happen when there was a lack lights/glass either).

Why does there seem to be many more evil/bad immortals compared to good ones? It seems extremely lopsided. I guess it wouldn't make for a good story if Duncan didn't have anyone to fight though.

1. An immortal killed by a mortal just dies with no quickening
2. The quickening depends on the person that gets their head chopped
3. It's the time of the gathering, every immortal is drawn to one another. However there are plenty of good immortals that end up getting killed because their ideals don't coincide with modern society's standards.

Like this episode I saw where an overall good immortal wanted to stop the president of a 3rd world country by assassinating him and Duncan was like "I can't let that happen" and ending up taking his head. If this were in the 800s he would easily be able to pull this off and probably wouldn't feel bad. I feel like really old immortals especially would have their morals built for them whenever they were born. Like that 5000 year old Methos. I thought someone that old would act way different than he does on the show.

 

[waggy]

yeah methos for a 5k year old guy and one of the 4 horsemen you think he wouldn't be such a wimp

 

[Xed]

Watching just about everyone he ever knew or cared for die for 5000 years probably messed him up a bit

 

[Glayde]

I loved the highlander series, I wish they hadn't scarred my memories with that highlander:souirce blasphemy.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: waggy
yeah methos for a 5k year old guy and one of the 4 horsemen you think he wouldn't be such a wimp

He withdrew for a few thousand years as a scholar, no swordplay for a long time.

 

[Gothgar]

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: waggy
yeah methos for a 5k year old guy and one of the 4 horsemen you think he wouldn't be such a wimp

He withdrew for a few thousand years as a scholar, no swordplay for a long time.

just a few thousand years... imagine the wealth of knowledge you'd have...

 

[bobross419]

I know this is probably a retarded question, but I never really got into the whole Highlander thing....

If they are all immortal anyways, why do they have to cut each others head off and why can there "be only one?"

This came up in a convo at work one day and no one really knew. I mean... why can't they all just get along?

 

[Gothgar]

Originally posted by: bobross419
I know this is probably a retarded question, but I never really got into the whole Highlander thing....

If they are all immortal anyways, why do they have to cut each others head off and why can there "be only one?"

This came up in a convo at work one day and no one really knew. I mean... why can't they all just get along?

Yes, it is perfectly in human nature to all just get along right?

And humans naturally don't try to attain more power either.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Gothgar

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: waggy
yeah methos for a 5k year old guy and one of the 4 horsemen you think he wouldn't be such a wimp

He withdrew for a few thousand years as a scholar, no swordplay for a long time.

just a few thousand years... imagine the wealth of knowledge you'd have...

he has said in the show something like "i know everything there is to know.." and then something about pop colture.

Originally posted by: Glayde
I loved the highlander series, I wish they hadn't scarred my memories with that highlander:souirce blasphemy.

yeah. just ignore Highlander 2 and the source and its a good series heh

 

[CrazyLazy]

Originally posted by: Gothgar


just a few thousand years... imagine the wealth of knowledge you'd have...

Compound interest FTW.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: CrazyLazy

Originally posted by: Gothgar


just a few thousand years... imagine the wealth of knowledge you'd have...

Compound interest FTW.

They showed Duncan doing that in one episode, collecting on a savings account that his "grandfather" had set up.

 

[Jadow]

Originally posted by: bobross419
I know this is probably a retarded question, but I never really got into the whole Highlander thing....

If they are all immortal anyways, why do they have to cut each others head off and why can there "be only one?"

This came up in a convo at work one day and no one really knew. I mean... why can't they all just get along?

The problem with the Highlander "thing" is that they had such a great concept, and a great first movie, and totally botched the execution on everything subsequent to that. Talk about blowing a chance for something really cool!

 

[pontifex]

Ok, more questions after getting to season 3.

Part of one of my questions was answered in the last episode I saw. It was what happens if an immortal burns to death or has a limb chopped off or say his/her body gets cut in half? One immortal was burned alive as a witch and survived (although he became insane apparently). Does the limb grow back? Is it able to be reattached magically, sort of like how they heal magically?

Along the same lines, why does the length of healing process vary? I think in one episode, Duncan cut himself or something and it magically healed instantly. Other times they seem to take forever to heal. I can understand it caries on the injury, but several times they have had several similar minor injuries that didn't seem to heal very quickly.

Is there ever any explanation as to why or how they are immortal or why "there can be only one"?

Why is it that they can feel immortals from "3 blocks away" (quoted from Richie) but in other episodes (the one with the young kid immortal) they can sneak up behind another immortal without them feeling it until the last second.


Also, there seems to be new immortals popping up all the time. Duncan even said that they can tell if someone will become an immortal. How? At the end, when there is only 1 immortal, will there still be more being born or will he/she be the last immortal?

 

[rasczak]

Originally posted by: pontifex
I've been watching through the Highlander series on Hulu. I'm getting close to the end of season 1. I've seen episodes here and there on TV and I've seen the movies but I can't remember if these questions have been answered.

What if a mortal takes the head of an immortal? Does the mortal become immortal?

In some episodes, an immortal's head has been taken by something other than a weapon. For instance, one time it was a boat propeller and another was by a subway train. How does the Quickening know where to go? In the episode with the subway decapitation, there were 2 immortals (Duncan and Grace) who survived, but only Duncan was fighting the bad immortal.

Why is the Quickening effect seems to be different sometimes. For example, sometimes it will blow out lights or windows, but other times it won't. Or in the case of no lights, the ground explodes (but in one episode, that didn't happen when there was a lack lights/glass either).

Why does there seem to be many more evil/bad immortals compared to good ones? It seems extremely lopsided. I guess it wouldn't make for a good story if Duncan didn't have anyone to fight though.

this plot happens later in the series. if there's an immortal nearby when the mortal takes another immortal's head, then the quickening goes to the nearby living immortal if i remember.

Originally posted by: pontifex
Ok, more questions after getting to season 3.

Part of one of my questions was answered in the last episode I saw. It was what happens if an immortal burns to death or has a limb chopped off or say his/her body gets cut in half? One immortal was burned alive as a witch and survived (although he became insane apparently). Does the limb grow back? Is it able to be reattached magically, sort of like how they heal magically?

Along the same lines, why does the length of healing process vary? I think in one episode, Duncan cut himself or something and it magically healed instantly. Other times they seem to take forever to heal. I can understand it caries on the injury, but several times they have had several similar minor injuries that didn't seem to heal very quickly.

Is there ever any explanation as to why or how they are immortal or why "there can be only one"?

Why is it that they can feel immortals from "3 blocks away" (quoted from Richie) but in other episodes (the one with the young kid immortal) they can sneak up behind another immortal without them feeling it until the last second.

1. limbs do not grow back, check out the episode with Xavier St. Cloud (For Tomorrow We Die) and then (Unholy Alliance).

2. can't remember

3. never thought about that. now i'm scratching my head.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: rasczak

1. limbs do not grow back, check out the episode with Xavier St. Cloud (For Tomorrow We Die) and then (Unholy Alliance).

2. can't remember

3. never thought about that. now i'm scratching my head.

Oh yeah, forgot about Xavier. But if he could have picked up his hand before leaving, would it have been possible for it to be reattached "magically"?

 

[rasczak]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: rasczak

1. limbs do not grow back, check out the episode with Xavier St. Cloud (For Tomorrow We Die) and then (Unholy Alliance).

2. can't remember

3. never thought about that. now i'm scratching my head.

Oh yeah, forgot about Xavier. But if he could have picked up his hand before leaving, would it have been possible for it to be reattached "magically"?

no