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Highlander Season 1 Episode 1

The Gathering

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8.7

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 10/3/92

Immortal Duncan MacLeod is maintaining a peaceful existence with the love of this life, Tessa Noel when he is challenged to Immortal combat by Slan Quince, an evil Immortal. An old friend and clansman, Connor MacLeod, comes to try and convince Duncan to once more join the fray in the battle of Good versus Evil. Duncan also meets Richie Ryan, a kid from the streets whom he befriends after catching him breaking into his antique store.moreless

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Fan Episode Reviews (4)

Off to a great start!

9.0

By Lady_Taaluma, Jul 28, 2010

This episode contains many of the greatest lines ever spoken in any episode. The plot, although decent, was not my favorite. The show's first villain seemed a rip-off of Connor's first major foe. However, all necessary characters were introduced in a way that made sense (mostly). Not at all a bad way to start a great show!
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We Meet Duncan,Tessa and Ritchie. We find out Duncan's connection with Connor. We see the first TV adaptation of the Highlander.

9.3

By dabandit, Jul 28, 2010

Excellent start. Few TV shows understand how to blend from movie to TV. Without trying to reinvent itself the TV show took the mvie to another level. Ritche's intro was good, as a mischievous kid, and not over the top. Tessa is perfect as always.The story almost went too deep since it didnt explain the history between Connor and Slan.

But overall was an excellent job to introduce such characters with a good stor in an hour. Great character acting from Richard Moll...moreless
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7/10 Average

7.0

By Swiftshark, Jul 28, 2010

I didn\\\'t like this episode that much. Sure it was nice having Connor help bridge the gap from the film to the series, but Slan was a lousy villain. Too over the top for my tastes. I also hated Richie\\\'s first performance. I know they were all getting into their characters for the first time but the episode was lackluster for me.
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Good start to a great series.

8.5

By gmvail23, Oct 26, 2006

Picks up were the first move left off sort of… Christopher Lambert reprises his roll of Connor MacLeod, passing the torch along to his younger clansman Duncan MacLeod.

In the pilot episode we are introduced to the three main characters of season one Duncan MacLeod, Tessa Noel and Richie Ryan. This story starts off with Duncan and Tessa enjoying a quite evening together and you can really see just how much the two characters love one another and the life they have built over the last 12 years. It also shows that Tessa may know about Immortals but that MacLeod has kept her sheltered from the perils that his life truly entails. The pilot does seem to have a tough time deciding just what to do with Richie. While watching the first time I had trouble figuring out whom this kid was and where he was going to fit in to the show. Considering the small size of the cast his character is not showcased in a way that will show us how important he will become to the Highlander saga. Beyond that the Gathering did a good job of introducing the viewers to the world of Immortal while still having swordplay and flashbacks that any fan of the original movie would want to see. I also loved Richard Moll as a somewhat over the top villain.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Stan Kirsch	Richie Ryan
Amanda Wyss	Randi MacFarland (Season 1)
Adrian Paul	Duncan MacLeod
Alexandra Vandernoot	Tessa (season 1)

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Amy Pietz	Reporter	Guest Star
Christopher Lambert	Connor Macleod	Guest Star
Richard Moll	Slan Quince	Guest Star

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (2)
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- In the movie, Immortals simply could not die - even temporarily - unless their head is cut off. That was changed in the series to allow Immortals to be "killed" then come back to life. Anything that kills a human will temporarily kill an Immortal.
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- Mildly contradicts the first movie insofar as there Connor can breathe underwater - here, he "dies" and Duncan has to bring him up and have him come back to life.
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QUOTES (15)
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- Tessa: The problem is, even when you are 400, or 420, you'll still look 35! It makes me sick!
  Duncan: Good skin runs in my family. There's nothing I can do about it.
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- (while sword fighting)
  Connor: A mere pin prick.
  Duncan: By my count you look more like a pin cushion.
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- Connor: Duncan.
  Duncan: Connor.
  (Connor leaves)
  Tessa: You didn't say goodbye.
  Duncan: We never do.
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- Duncan: Tessa, you've already met Connor MacLeod.
  Connor: I'm a friend of Duncan's from the old neighborhood.
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- Tessa: What have these last dozen years meant to you? A summer fling? R&R? 'Sorry darling but I must head back now,'...Damn you! Damn your Gathering! Damn your whole race!
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- Richie: (after he sees sees Duncan behead Slan) Chill, man. Just pretend I'm not here.
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- Richie: I really do appreciate this second chance you're going to give me to become a useful member of society.
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- Richie: I'm on, like, uh, America's Funniest Home Videos, right?
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- Connor: Do you think we ever lived like this? Like a tribe, with a name and a reason for each living thing? Did we ever belong somewhere...a time...a place...however briefly?
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- Connor: I'm Connor MacLeod - same clan, different vintage.
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- Connor: You know what your problem is? You live in the past!
  Duncan: I don't have a problem.
  Connor: Yes, you do!
  Duncan: No I don't.
  Connor: Yes, you do!
  Duncan: No, I don't! Stop arguing with me!
  Connor: I'm not arguing!
  Duncan: You're not?
  Connor: No, it's conversation!
  Duncan: Conversation!?...Well then, end of conversation!
  Connor: Oh sure, take the easy way out, like always...Duncan?
  Duncan: What?
  (Connor punches Duncan out)
  Connor: End of conversation.
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- Sgt. Powell: (Richie) says he heard a strange noise, we went to go check it out, and he saw three grown men with drawn swords, having it out!
  Duncan: Did he also see a guy in a bat costume and a long cape?
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- Connor: As long as I can remember knowing you, you've had all the fun and most of the good women.
  Duncan: Lately.
  Connor: Lately?
  Duncan: That's what I said.
  Connor: What are you talking about?
  Duncan: Well, I seem to remember that girl in London. The red head. Healthy girl.
  Connor: Come on. That was nearly one hundred and sixty years ago.
  Duncan: That's what I said. Lately.
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- Tessa: Win what!? Why does this Slan person want Duncan!?
  (waits for an answer)
  Tessa: Please, don't say anything in front of the lady. Let me just go into the next room and crochet while you guys smoke cigars, drink brandy, and talk about beheadings!
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- Sgt. Powell: He said he didn't break in. He says he heard a disturbance, looked inside and saw three men with drawn swords having it out.
  Duncan (laughing): Did he also see a guy in a batsuit with a long cape?
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NOTES (4)
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- The show's theme song is Princes of The Universe by British rock band Queen, who wrote the soundtrack for the first Highlander movie.
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- The footage of the sword duel between Duncan and Conner is the same the first time they fight and the time Richie watches in.
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- Flashback: American Indian Village 1872
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- Christopher Lambert guest stars in this episode as Connor Macleod. Although they don't go much into their past together, they later elaborate on Duncan and Connor's history together in Highlander: Endgame.
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ALLUSIONS (3)
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- Duncan: Did he also see a guy in a bad costume and a long cape?
  An allusion to the famous superhero Batman whose first comic book appearance was in 1939 and has also appeared in cartoons, TV series and films.
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- Richie: Damn, Sir Lancelot!
  After watching Connor and Duncan spar with their swords, he concludes that the two are friends. Lancelot was Arthur's friend at first according to legend, but was later exiled from Camelot.
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- Richie: Fantasy? Oh, you mean where you and the knights of the round table....
  The Knights of the Round Table are part of the King Arthur legend. They were a group of knights who upheld justice with their swords.
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