There are 10 messages totalling 408 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. HIGHLA-L Digest - 4 Jun 2005 (#2005-59) (3) 2. HIGHLA-L Digest - 2 Jun 2005 to 3 Jun 2005 (#2005-57) 3. the stuff we were talking about... (2) 4. Season Six DVD Commentary: Patient Number 7 5. the stuff we were talking about...yeah, kinda OT 6. Seattle Highlanders (missed opportunities) 7. SG-1 vs. Atlantis: Duelling Cowlicks ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2005 23:22:02 -0500 From: Ginny <RED57@aol.com> Subject: Re: HIGHLA-L Digest - 4 Jun 2005 (#2005-59) T'Mar wrote on 6/5/2005, 12:42 PM: > >Oh my.. this is one visual image I certainly didn't need. :-) Pass the > >brain bleach please! > > I'm so sorry, Sandy! :) > Don't be too sorry, Marina, I find Rodney strangely compelling for a guy who's supposed to be such a cranky whiner. And woof! That John... woof woof. That's all. Woof. Topic: I just returned from a visit to Seacouver - the one that was actually Seattle, rather than the one that was *supposed* to be Seattle. No Immortals were sensed, but did see one dude with a katana at the Folk Life music festival. I did not dare ask him just why it was he felt it necessary to wander around in a large crowd of music fans and Morris dancers with a honkin' big sharp object. -- Ginny RED57@aol.com Fresh out of .sig lines ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 01:19:14 EDT From: Freddy V <Tecnogypsy3@aol.com> Subject: Re: HIGHLA-L Digest - 4 Jun 2005 (#2005-59) In a message dated 6/5/2005 10:06:35 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, RED57@aol.com writes: Topic: I just returned from a visit to Seacouver - the one that was actually Seattle, rather than the one that was *supposed* to be Seattle. No Immortals were sensed, but did see one dude with a katana at the Folk Life music festival. I did not dare ask him just why it was he felt it necessary to wander around in a large crowd of music fans and Morris dancers with a honkin' big sharp object. NO! Ginny, I was there too. I'm the LIVE gay looking guy with a pony tail and pink shirt, and jeans. (those wondering, No I am NOT gay or Bisexual but flattered you thought so) The Northwest has done me good, with the Yoga women around here. And who said a simple T.V. show like Highlander couldn't change anyone's life? (Okay, maybe Vancover's Sarah McLachlan too) ~~~Fred~~~~ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 08:39:32 EDT From: Bizarro7@aol.com Subject: Re: HIGHLA-L Digest - 2 Jun 2005 to 3 Jun 2005 (#2005-57) In a message dated 6/5/2005 12:21:23 PM Eastern Standard Time, tmar@sifl.iid.co.za writes: Heh. Speaking of crossovers, I have thought of a perfect, scientific explanation to explain how Immortals are actually humans who were tampered with by the Goa'uld ten thousands years ago. And like some who have the Ancient gene, some have the Immortal gene. If the SGC got their hands on an immie and did tests, all would become clear. :) Then again, can you imagine what the cast of CSI (Vegas) would make of the bloodwork of someone who'd been host to a Goa'uld? - Marina. Annie and I came up with the same SG-1 theory for a fanfic. Knowing both universes, it *does* make perfect sense. Leah ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 09:08:16 EDT From: Bizarro7@aol.com Subject: Re: HIGHLA-L Digest - 4 Jun 2005 (#2005-59) In a message dated 6/6/2005 1:06:35 AM Eastern Standard Time, RED57@aol.com writes: And woof! That John Shepperd... woof woof. That's all. Woof. My opinion: http://cartoons.ashtonpress.net/atlhair.jpg Leah ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 12:49:06 -0400 From: Heidi <heidi@bronze.lcs.mit.edu> Subject: Re: the stuff we were talking about... >met up with someone who had done something bad, and it was >hurting someone he cared about, or messing with society as a >whole, Methos would just whip out the old sword (or gun ot >poison or whatever was easiest) and take care of the problem. Do you really see Methos that way? I don't. Yes, if Methos had someone he really cared about, he would fix the problem ..maybe with a sword, or a gun or by gathering the person he cared about up and running away. I agree with (I think it was) Wendy. When did we see Methos acting like he'd do something about someone messing with society? Instead we got his `civilizations rise and fall' comments, and he let Duncan deal with what Kronos planted in the fountain. (and didn't seem too concerned about it.) I think the few times we saw him get involved was because Duncan or someone talked him into it after he orignally tried to stay out. Not because he was Methos- since I assume most Immortals would not know that - but because he was either just another Immortal they met.. That brings up another point. One of the things that makes him an interesting character is the fact that we know he's the oldest Immortal and 5000+ years old. And it's something that could be used in HL because he was willing to let Joe/Duncan know. But since people usually don't know, it really couldn't be used much in another series. Most people he meets or already knows would think he's Doc Adams, Adam Pierson, or whatever persona he was using at the time. It wouldn't be believable if he kept meeting up with people who knew he was actually Methos and how old he really was. Methos' tender feelings towards Alexa. Compassionate,vulnerable, loyal -- we saw all that in him then. It's as real a part of him as the determination to survive is, though certainly he accesses it far less often. I think the `far less often' part may be key though. The fact that it was unusual for him to take chances and go out of his way for a few close friends was part of the character. If we saw him doing it regularly then it would dilute some of what made him that character. People have said there's plenty of time for him to have `played the hero' in the past, but I think part of what alot of people like about the character is the fact that he's ambiguous and not the typical hero. Even if there was a believable way to make that part of some flash- backs, what about the present day episodes? And since he avoids fights and has for awhile, it would be odd to have a HL series with only a few sword fights. While the idea of a Methos series is interesting, it just doesn't seem like something that could actually be done. Especially since it would need to bring in new or occassional viewers who may not have seen HL or enough of it to know all the backstory. =}{= (heidi@bronze.lcs.mit.edu) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 12:50:25 -0400 From: Heidi <heidi@bronze.lcs.mit.edu> Subject: Re: Season Six DVD Commentary: Patient Number 7 The inane love-fests portrayed on most commentaries gets to be a bit much. "He was brilliant" "No, you were brilliant" .. I agree that easily gets overdone. I don't remember now if it was on one of the DVD sets or maybe in the `Watcher's Guide' book where a bunch of people kept going on and on about how great everyone was. It quickly became repetitive and uninteresting. It's great that they liked each other, but how about telling us something about the show instead? ..and it is interesting to hear a director admit that an actor was less than perfect or hear an actor say that another actor was a pain to work with. I'm not saying they shouldn't say anything negative. Saying someone was a lously fighter, wouldn't rehearse fights, couldn't remember their lines or other things directly related to episodes can be interesting. But when it gets into their opinion on things outside of the show that it gets less so. In one I think it was JB made some crack about a guest actor was overweight. While he was obviously right, it seemed an odd thing to point out for a DVD when he could have been talking about the characters, story, etc. Alot of us are interested in commentaries for what additional info they can add about the show. So when it gets into their opinions about someone's personality, ego, etc beyond the show and things that just sound like gossip, it seems a waste. Or like the CAH/R6:8 one where they spent most of the episode making fun of the actors, characters, joking around and adding almost no information about the episodes or show. =}{= (heidi@bronze.lcs.mit.edu) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 15:02:15 -0400 From: Wendy <Immortals_Incorporated@cox.net> Subject: Re: the stuff we were talking about...yeah, kinda OT A necrotic equine continues to dance: Me: > >So... we have a series about Immortals and the main Immortal > shoots the others and chops their heads off while they are dead? You're > serious? He doesn't fight...he "cheats" and what...laughs at how quaint all those > >silly Rules are? Marina: > No, no! Not every week. That's my point. With such a character and > 5000 years (assuming he's not the DPM) of flashbacks, you can do > something totally DIFFERENT every week. For crying out loud, you could > have episodes set in the future in you wanted! Why not? With Immortals > you could do anything. We really only have about 3500 years of flashback , everything else is just Methos blowing smoke. <eg> (which makes him not a whole heck of a lot older than Kronos, Caspian, Silas, Rebecca, etc )(Of course they are all dead) I disagree that you could produce a successful TV show where each week the main character's personality , motives, actions changed. > >I keep hearing you (and others) say there is a way to do this but I > >don't see any concrete ideas as to *how*. > > Oh, come on, Wendy, I've given you lots of concrete ideas. You just > don't like them. All right, yes <EG> . They sound like fanfic. Methos the Lawyer, Methos the FBI man, Methos: Office Drudge. None of them sound like *Methos* - they sound like a fan's urge to put Methos into funny situations. They might even be fun for a old HL:TS fan to watch...but that's not enough to make a series successful...and that's what I have been talking about. Could TPTB have created a *real* TV series starting Methos that would appeal to a large enough audience to pay? I say *no* because the character is too ambiguous. He isn't a bad guy ( generally speaking). He certainly isn't a hero. He doesn't care if society goes to hell as long as some safe corner exists for him ...somewhere... to relax and have a beer. He shows no indication of wanting or needing a 9-5 job. He certainly doesn't want a student Immortal. He doesn't fight unless really pressed. Yes, he has a long past to do flashbacks to but , budget considerations aside, I don't think millions would tune in to see Methos' mostly ambiguous past. > >Give me two sample plots of what you envision as a typical episode. > > No, no, with Methos you could NEVER have a typical episode! That's my > entire point! The only thing you could hope to expect is that he will > do whatever he needs to in order to survive. And you'd root for him > on that basis. And *my* point is that you can't sell a TV series with a main character whose only defining quality is his survival instinct. Inevitably, the plots would have to show him surviving by either doing the "right thing" or by beating "bad guys". You are just not going to sell a show, nor find an audience for , an Immortal guy who has no compunction about whacking honorable guys or walking away from those in need if his own survival odds dictate it. Shows about bad guys (The Sopranos, Shield etc) "work" , as someone else said , because the other characters are as bad or worse. While I disagree in part, it's true enough for the sake of this argument. Methos' world is *not* populated *only* by bad guys - unless you only show those times when he faced bad guys - which sanitizes the character. IMGLO, someone could certainly write 22 entertaining episodes about Methos. You could *not* actually produce such a series and have an audience for it. Wendy(I wonder where the DHFAQ is?)(On a disk somewhere.....) Immortals Inc. immortals_incorporated@cox.net "Weasels for Eternity" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 15:22:00 -0400 From: Wendy <Immortals_Incorporated@cox.net> Subject: Re: the stuff we were talking about... Heidi says: > That brings up another point. One of the things that makes him an > interesting character is the fact that we know he's the oldest > Immortal and 5000+ years old. And it's something that could be used > in HL because he was willing to let Joe/Duncan know. But since people > usually don't know, it really couldn't be used much in another series. > Most people he meets or already knows would think he's Doc Adams, > Adam Pierson, or whatever persona he was using at the time. It > wouldn't be believable if he kept meeting up with people who knew > he was actually Methos and how old he really was. Yes! Thank you. Something has been bothering me all along and I couldn't quite place it. That's it! Somewhere along the line Methos quit advertising who he was. Unlike Duncan who is always DMOTCM, Methos changed his name along the way. There is no indication that he ever told any mortals about what he was (I guess he told Alexa before she died). Immortals are not in the habit of announcing their age to each new Immortal they meet (quite the opposite, I'd say) He certainly didn't go around introducing himself as "The Oldest Living Immortal". So, while the flashbacks could move through 3000+ years, his age couldn't really be used "internally" - except with some kind of voice-over narration ("I'd faced this problem a thousand times before but each time it was hard...")(Bleech) One gets the idea that perhaps Methos didn't leave very many Immortals alive that knew who he really was and , perhaps, didn't leave too many alive who might remember him centuries down the line- regardless of who they thought he was. That means he either killed every Immortal ( good, bad or indifferent) he crossed paths with over the years - or ran away fast enough that no one saw his face. Wendy(Methos didn't actually become the "Oldest Living Immortal" until Darius killed the previous holder of the title.)(And Methos can't even prove he is the OLI because, of course, the *real* OLI is much better at hiding than Methos is<g>) Immortals Inc. immortals_incorporated@cox.net "Weasels for Eternity" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 20:12:46 -0500 From: Ginny <RED57@aol.com> Subject: Seattle Highlanders (missed opportunities) Freddy V wrote on 6/6/2005, 12:19 AM: > NO! Ginny, I was there too. I'm the LIVE gay looking guy with a > pony tail > and pink shirt, and jeans. (those wondering, No I am NOT gay or > Bisexual but > flattered you thought so) > > The Northwest has done me good, with the Yoga women around here. > > And who said a simple T.V. show like Highlander couldn't change anyone's > life? (Okay, maybe Vancover's Sarah McLachlan too) ARGH! Okay, now I regret not sending a warning to the list advising of our impending trip to Seattle. It was the first time attending Folk Life for us in 10 years, so it was a very sentimental journey indeed. What with all the Utilikilts (and regulation kilts) being worn, it was like being in an extended HL flashback (with a really eclectic soundtrack). -- Ginny RED57@aol.com Fresh out of .sig lines ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 20:15:36 -0500 From: Ginny <RED57@aol.com> Subject: SG-1 vs. Atlantis: Duelling Cowlicks Bizarro7@AOL.COM wrote on 6/6/2005, 8:08 AM: > And woof! That John Sheppard... woof woof. That's all. Woof. > > My opinion: > http://cartoons.ashtonpress.net/atlhair.jpg Excellent good cartoon! I've been laughing at that raging nest of cowlicks ever since the premiere. I used to laugh at RDA's hair and call him General Cowlick, but Sheppard's hair is mucho mas macho. -- Ginny RED57@aol.com Fresh out of .sig lines http://www.blogula-rasa.com ------------------------------ End of HIGHLA-L Digest - 5 Jun 2005 to 6 Jun 2005 (#2005-61) ************************************************************