a5c7b9f00b Taken from the film, Highlander, Duncan MacLeod, clansman of Connor in the film also finds he is being stalked by not only other immortals trying to kill him before the time of the gathering, but also a secret society of mortals who call themselves 'The Watchers' and also seem intent on killing him but "The Watchers" observe and record and never interfere. Duncan and the other immortals can only be killed by decapitation and often live for centuries. Inspired by the movie of the same name follows the life of Duncan MacLeod, a clansman of Connor MacLeod, star of the movie. Duncan's an immortal, who has been alive for four hundred years. The first season follows his attempt to live a normal life with his French girlfriend, Tessa. He took in a young street kid named Richie, whom he confided his secret--that he's an immortal and can only be killed when he is beheaded. And also once beheaded their power goes into the one who beheads them, which means that there's always an immortal who wants to take their head. The second season Duncan discovered there's a secret society, whose duty is to record what immortals do. And the one assigned to "watch" Duncan is Joe Dawson. It seems that some of their members feel that immortals are abominations and must be disposed, which they tried. Also Tessa and Richie were killed but Richie then learned that he is an immortal which is why Duncan took him in and confided in him. Duncan would constantly run into Amanda who in an immortal and a thief but Duncan tries to reform her and has occasional success. He would also meet Methos who is supposedly the oldest immortal. Now the first half of each season begins in North America while the second half takes place in Europe, mostly France. Very good. this show is about the life and modern times of quentin MacCloud. I watched it when they were making new ones - and i still watch the reruns when i am home during the day on Sci-Fi channel... Actually when i heard of another sequel coming out i came and wrote this (with Princes of the Universe by Queen playing on MP3 in the background). Your average „Highlander"-fan had a hard time deciding whether a series following two sequels to the original movie: having watched the abominable "Highlander: The Sorcerer" and "Highlander: The Quickening", arguably one of the worst movies ever produced, had left scars and had made the fan suspicious.<br/><br/>And how could one not have watched the pilot, knowing that Christopher Lambert would reprise his role as Connor McLeod, introducing the series leading man, Duncan McLeod (Adrian Paul)? The first seasons were slightly tedious, being too TV-ish and, apparently, produced in auto-mode: a few flashbacks in time, Duncan battling (and eventually beheading, though always TV-compatible; no blood, no gore) another immortal; Duncan's relationship with Tessa, etc. Often Adrian Paul's sidekicks, namely Richie (Stan Kirsch) and Amanda (Elizabeth Gracen) would become tedious but casting Adrian Paul – although it's unlikely that the actor will ever score an Oscar – compensating for a lot, him having a similar amiable acting style to the original Highlander, Christopher Lambert. By the end of the second season, story lines became more concrete, interesting and the guest-stars more selected – to name just a few, Roger Daltrey, Kabir Bedi, Werner Stocker, hey, even Roland Gift, singer of the "Fine Young Cannibals", played an immortal.<br/><br/>It may not matter to the general viewer, but what has bothered many-a more 'fanatic' fan, is the fact that the series kept altering the "Highlander"-canon: there are female immortals (not being chauvinistic, but such it was in the original film), the "Quickening" was no longer about the assembling of the last immortals, but simply a prize, which one immortal from each generation could win; the immortals actually died for a while when being 'killed', then returned to life, while the immortals in "Highlander" never died, may they be underwater, having their throats cut or being crushed by elevators. Or take the concept of 'The Watchers', even though Sean Connery assured us that, "no one hash ever known we were among you....until now". But how else to keep a long-running TV-series running, without adding or changing something in the storyline? All in all, one was saddened when the series finally came to an end, having gotten fond of the characters and willing to watch a few more episodes. It was a good seven year run, definitely worth watching, even if you've skipped the last three installments of the "Highlander" movie-franchise.<br/><br/>Overall, a good 7 points from 10. When the producers of the first film made it, they didn't anticipate that it would be the hit that it was and spawn multiple sequels and television shows. There really hasn't been an official explanation for this, however when asked about it, the producers for the main television series have suggested that Connor didn't actually win the prize in the first movie, it was just a very powerful quickening. Fan theories explore the concept that Connor's was only one 'Prize' rather than the ultimate one. Immortals grow and age normally until they die for the first time and after that they never age, we see Immortals who are still children despite being hundreds of years old but we also see them as old men because they didn't die for the first time until they were that age. They can sustain massive wounds which heal almost immediately and if their injuries are enough to be fatal to an ordinary human they die but come back to life again a short time later. They cannot regenerate severed limbs etc as shown in S02E14 'Unholy Alliance I' and we know that when Ramirez cuts the Kurgan's vocal chords in the original film neither they nor the scar across his neck heal. They can sense one another's presence and also are able to detect when a mortal human is destined to become an Immortal. They can be killed only by decaptiation whereupon a nearby Immortal can absorb their knowledge and power through 'The Quickening'. They can also breathe underwater although they do need to eat and drink. Immortals can never have children even when they marry one another, although we see many adopt orphans and raise them to adulthood before faking their own deaths and creating a new identity. Immortals are forbidden to fight on holy ground of any religion. This was originally construed as just a tradition but in Highlander 3 we see the appearance of a spirit like apparition (similar to the one glimpsed in Highlander when Connor wins 'The Prize') which actually forbids it when 2 Immortals try. Combat between Immortals is always supposed to be one on one and using swords although we see some cheat during the course of the series. When a group of Immortals has amassed enough kills and the 'Quickenings' which accompany them they feel an irrestible urge to come together in what is known as 'The Gathering' to fight to the death. The winner receives 'The Prize', a new set of mental abilities coupled with the ability to grow old and have children should they wish to. Should only one Immortal remain out of them all they will be all-powerful. At first the answer is decisively no, Duncan is actually dismissive of the idea to Richie. However in later seasons we see Immortals cast illusions, read minds, exhibit mind control, prophesise the future, have psychic visions and out of body experiences and undergo spiritual cleansing using magical pools. We also establish the existence of demons and possibly of werewolves/shapeshifters. We know from the original Highlander film that when Connor wins 'The Prize' he gains the power to read and influence people's minds all over the world so it may be that other Immortals who exhibit special abilities have also won a 'Prize' at some stage. Highlander 2 postulates the theory that Immortals are actually aliens, exiles from the planet 'Zeist' who are youthed into babies and placed at different periods of Earth history. The directors cut of the film establishes that Zeist civilisation instead existed on Earth in the ancient past, suggesting that Immortals are indeed human but with added abilities. Notably Highlander; The Series and Highlander; Endgame establish that all Immortals are foundlings (abandoned babies adopted by strangers).