HL Ep Review: Free Fall, S1x05

Nov 2015

In the Highlander Worldwide group, we’re rewatching the series, one episode a week. I thought it would be fun to try to review each episode as I rewatch it with the group. Please be aware there are spoilers not just for this episode but the whole series.

This was a weird episode, as it was filmed first due to filming schedules, and so it definitely didn’t have a lot of things down yet, such as the looks and tones of the characters or the show mythology. Also, Felicia is kind of crazypants and I don’t completely get what she’s trying to accomplish. But I like Joan Jett in the role.

Free Fall

First lines in the episode:
Woman: “I liked the ones upstairs. What about this?”
Man: “Nah. Thanks, thanks, no, I want something a lot more modern than that.”

Last line in the episode:
Richie: “Mac… I’m sorry.”

Favorite quote:
Duncan: “That sword I gave you was a noble weapon. I told you to make it part of yourself, but you cannot do that when you do not know who you are. It would have served you well… against any other sword but this one.”

Things I love:

First female immortal! Also this: “Your strength is in the blade, not in the arms. That’s why you’ll be able to fight as well as a man.” Nice to know that there are female immortals and that they can stand their ground against the men legitimately.
“If anyone should have Band-aids handy, it’s gotta be MacLeod. Big band-aids.”
“Richie, the whole world can’t revolve around your hormone level.”
Not really knowing who the bad guy or good guy is for a while. Felicia even calls attention to it, asking how you tell the good guys from the bad guys.
“If I were to take your head off right now, I would receive all your knowledge and strength. That is the Quickening.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have very much knowledge or strength.”
“Guess I’d better wait a while.”
Richie’s Leonardo Da Vinci shirt
Richie picking up a sword and trying to protect himself against an immortal. Awww. How cute and foreshadowy!
Queen’s “Don’t Lose Your Head” and an interesting outdoor location for the sword fight scene. I like the water element, considering that Felicia drowned a woman earlier in the episode

Things I dislike or don’t get:

Tessa joking about a dead woman down at the morgue. I understand that it was probably to establish the “we’re kind of against the cops” vibe, but it just doesn’t feel like something that Tessa would joke about.
Felicia’s jump/character. It just doesn’t make sense to me. Was she evading Devereux? Not hard to do, considering the guy seems barely able to turn a car around. Was she pretending to be Duncan’s student so that he would fight Devereux for her? Was she just doing it to mess with Duncan so that she could take his head later when he didn’t expect it? What was with all the crazy at the beginning, though? That was for no one’s benefit as Devereux, Richie, and Mac couldn’t even see her. Is she acting crazy or is she actually crazy?
What was the point of Devereux watching for Duncan and Felicia to leave and then go in and ask about Felicia? Later he says “MacLeod is here?” Um, yeah. All that stalking and you didn’t bother reading the sign on the door that reads “Noel and MacLeod Antiques”?
I cringe at Duncan’s sword origin story, knowing that Connor didn’t give him the sword and he hasn’t had it for 400 years. Just the sort of inconsistencies in canon that you get when you don’t have an entire series planned out ahead of time. Plus, this was filmed as the first episode, I think, so I’ll forgive them this inconsistency. It just makes me cringe to hear, knowing how important the flashbacks in The Samurai are.
Richie’s “I’ve got time on my side. Not like you” to Tessa. Whoa. NOT COOL, man. Not cool at all.
What’s with Duncan grabbing Felicia’s head during the fight and immediately letting go? What was that supposed to accomplish?

Things that make me squee:

Felicia in her more “me” outfit. I love her look. Though she is especially gorgeous during the flashback.
Richie: “I can take care of myself.” Not the first time this line will be said in the series
“Your pride’s showing, lad.” I love that someone calls him “lad” as if Duncan is so much younger. Heehee
Tessa’s “I’ll give you a facial you won’t forget!” to Felicia

Things that make me think:

Richie’s been accidentally mixed up in immortal business before (I’m thinking of “The Gathering” and “Road Not Taken” ) but this is the first time he’s really messed things up for Duncan, and it’s interesting to see Duncan spare Felicia’s life because of his request (which tells a lot about how he views Richie) and to see Richie apologize and Mac just walk off. This is a fascinating moment in their relationship, the first time Richie’s ever actually interfered with the outcome of a fight.
I would love to see a fanfic where Richie and Felicia meet up again after Richie has become immortal. How would that go? Would he challenge her right off the bat? Would he still have teenage feelings for her? Would she manipulate him to gain the upper hand? That would have been such a cool situation to see a more mature and immortal Richie deal with.

Ten images:
Richie practices flirting with a crazy woman.