Posted by Jeanne Rose, Methos Wife #47 and proud of it on Wednesday, 29 July 1998, at 7:28 a.m.

Finally got around to watching one of the "best of" eps on USA last night. I have to admit, Methos doesn't show up nearly soon enough for my taste. (In the ep I mean, or, well, I suppose, in the series as well.) Kalas torturing his watcher, Richie and the racing team thing - I was flipping back and forth with DS9. The only part that really grabbed me was the fb with Duncan and Maria Campolo, and how Kalas lost his voice (and the cool fight on slippery floors). As much as I like Richie, well, the whole racing bit seemed very out of place. I can imagine how it happened - Abramowitz and Donna and Gillian and whoever else had this piece of script and they decided to split it up over several eps to provide some continuity - and it works OK in "Take Back the Night" and "Mortal Sins" because it at least plays into the story. But here, it just seems to take away from it. The mood is entirely different. The level of conflict just can't compete - I mean, who cares about little interteam rivalries when *Kalas* is around torturing watchers, and he and Duncan are racing to find the oldest immortal?

But then, dear wonderful Methos shows up, and after that, no more flipping channels even during commercials. My, my, my, he is a sweetheart. And his dialogue is quotable right from the start. Thank heaven the aforementioned team saw the character's potential and decided to bring him back. Peter was perfect.

However, I do have to say that the character evolved. No matter how hard you try, I just don't think you can rationalize the way Methos acted here with the character that emerged later. Losing to Kalas? Trying to get Duncan to take his head? Yeah, yeah, I've read all the stuff about "He knew you wouldn't take it" from "The Messenger", and if you really try you can almost believe it for a second, but for me, in the end, it just doesn't wash. The story as it stands hangs together
much more nicely. The oldest immortal, posing as a watcher, clever and unobtrusive but out of it for 200 years, better at hiding than at fighting, is being hunted by a really nasty one. By virtue of Duncan's connections with Joe, Duncan finds him first (how did Kalas find him, anyway?). However, the oldest immortal refuses his protection, and Kalas is right behind. They fight, the oldest immie sees that he isn't going to win, doesn't want his quickening (with all it's implied power) to go to the bad guy, and tries to push Duncan into taking his head, but Duncan won't do it. He faces Kalas instead, but the oldest immie gets the police involved, and gets Kalas arrested instead of allowing the possibility of Kalas besting Duncan.

Now, you can explain some of it in terms of the Methos we know. Refusing Duncan's protection, protecting Duncan instead - that part works. But watch his face when he's offering Duncan his head - Peter is too good to let you believe it's all a charade. The way he bared his neck as if it was the last thing he wanted to do, as if he really was 5000 years old, and was at the end of his rope. Theoretically, it could be explained as - it's all an elaborate plot to get Duncan as his friend and protector. But, frankly, I think that's stretching it a lot.

When does our Methos appear? I think he starts to emerge in "Finale", is mostly there in "Chivalry", by "Timeless" I have fallen in love, and from there we keep getting a few more pieces until "Comes a Horseman" puts the last big one in place. Think about it. CaH wouldn't have made any sense coming right after "Methos".

Methos develops - not the way a normal person would change but as a character is created. Even Peter admits that the "quiet, scholarly" Methos he originally intended has gotten entirely lost as the series progressed. However, I like to think I'm not so obsessed that I can't handle a few reminders that this is a show, with writers and actors, and ideas and characters that develop. I like this Methos too, even though he isn't quite the real thing yet. Hey, Peter is gorgeous to look
upon, period. And it's so fun to watch the Methos we have come to love slowly emerge from that Adam Pierson guy, like a butterfly coming out of a crysalis.

Any thoughts?

Peace, JR
(who is still terribly clasustrophobic in this tiny message box - I have to keep previewing just to be able to read the thing.)

P.S. I forgot to mention that I found it most interesting that Methos disappears at the end of the episode, very reminiscent of the first time we met Joe. Interesting, the little parallels, no?