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by **HNutz** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:32 pm

We can all agree that the Highlander series was fun back in the day. But something went wrong.

Where did it jump the shark? Was it Highlander 2? The series? The last year of the series? The spinoff series? Highlander 3, 4 or 5? The cartoon series?

If you could fix it somehow (please, no downer suggestions like "Forget it. It's impossible")... how would you do it?

by **GHERU** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:36 pm

I'd watch just the first movie and laugh at the fun of the series
and, maybe if I was desperate, watch the boob parts of the other movies

by **Cernunnos** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:42 pm

There can be only one. If the powers that be had taken Highlander's catchphrase to heart, we wouldn't have been subjected to the crap that followed.

by **PDH** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:55 pm

Yeah, the nature of the premise doesn't lend itself to a series very well. Unless, you changed the first film so that he, you know, didn't kill everybody. There's only one place you can take it from there, which is straight into stupid-town.

by **Nacmir** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:56 pm

Cernunnos wrote:There can be only one. If the powers that be had taken Highlander's catchphrase to heart, we wouldn't have been subjected to the crap that followed.

I think the whole set of inmortals here and there were the most awesome part. Mythos, for example, or all those Duncan's friends that were cool but all ended up killed by the bad-guy-of-the-day. I'd have loved some of them become part of the cast rather than cannonfold.

I'd loved to see more of that world, I mean, other stuff beyond inmortals.

by **Doc Jon** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 9:22 pm

Well, if you mean to fix the franchise then there really is only one thing you can do, reboot.

Start once again with Connor in a new movie that doesn't end with the Gathering. While this is the sound financial move, it unfortunately takes away one of the coolest things from the first movie, that we were seeing the final battle between good evil that has been raging for millenia.

by **bkthomson** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 9:47 pm

Chop it up and start over.

by **Miracloman** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 9:54 pm

Disavow anything after the first movie.

by **Dragavon** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 9:55 pm

Like other people said, have it so the central point of the movie is not resolved in the first movie.

Website · by **prozacman** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:14 pm

I loved the TV series and I think the concept works better as a TV show than movies. That's the way they should go with a reboot. Plan out a five season ark with season five ending with the Highlander as the last immortal standing.

Here is the big change I would do in a reboot. Instead of being set in modern times with lots of flash backs, I would have the show play out chronologically. Have most of the first season deal with Connor MacLeod's origins. Then have three to five episode arks take place in different time periods.

In season 2 or 3 introduce Duncan MacLeod. Though they would do the Obiwan Anikin/Vader relationship. Duncan goes his own way after a few story arks, turns evil in a TV/DVD movie, and then comes back in season five in modern times for the final show down.

by **habitual** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:17 pm

1. Clancy Brown
2. Far more gratuitous nudity (not Clancy)

Hab

by **HNutz** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:20 pm

I really liked the show, but it got repetitive after awhile. Duncan runs into an Immortal that he used to kick it with, flashbacks ensue and Duncan lops off their head in the end. Only like 10 or so were a little different.

But Methos and the Watchers and Ritchie and Kalas and the Fine Young Cannibal... GOOD stuff!

by **Strict31** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:54 am

What's cool about the Highlander concept as an ongoing TV series is that you can set any given episode in any given time period. They relied over much on the flashback method to achieve this...it was cool in the movie, and a great storytelling tool. But it got overused in the series. Duncan's flashbacks would almost always focus on something in the past that related to his struggle in the present. Oh yeah, so-n-so used to rape bitches during the Dark Ages, but now, he's reformed and runs a battered woman's shelter. But when a series of brutal rapes occur, Duncan tracks him down, recalling how similar the current crimes are to this guy's ancient M.O....

And it was almost always like that. Maybe not so much with the bitch-raping...but still.

Maybe have the modern day setting be just one of many time periods the story visits. And as tends to be the trend in TV these days, tell a story arc instead of an episodic deal. Not every episode has to tie into the meta plot, but it would be cool to look at a confrontation in season five and see how this shit was set up all the way back in the third episode or some shit.

And of course, the main storyline would be devoted to setting up the Gathering.

I'd probably throw in other supernatural elements too. Other types of immortals like the occasional vampire lover or enemy. ghosts that may haunt the main character, or even show up to give him some timely advice. Like the ghost of a woman who once was the love of his life. Maybe a sorcerer here and there trying to steal the secret of eternal life. Perhaps a secret cabal of influential mortals that has been in existence for hundreds of years, trying to manipulate the Immortals and the Prize. Like, a more pro-active and slightly more sinister version of the Watchers.

I dunno. I stopped following the series after a while, so maybe they got into exactly that sort of thing.

But make it into a stranger world. Not so much that it steps on the toes of the Highlander concept. But just enough so that every guy he fights isn't necessarily another Immortal.

by **Zechs** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 2:02 am

habitual wrote:1. Clancy Brown
2. Far more gratuitous nudity (not Clancy)

Hab

Gimme the prize!!

by **Doc Jon** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:09 am

Strict31 wrote:What's cool about the Highlander concept as an ongoing TV series is that you can set any given episode in any given time period. They relied over much on the flashback method to achieve this...it was cool in the movie, and a great storytelling tool. But it got overused in the series. Duncan's flashbacks would almost always focus on something in the past that related to his struggle in the present. Oh yeah, so-n-so used to rape bitches during the Dark Ages, but now, he's reformed and runs a battered woman's shelter. But when a series of brutal rapes occur, Duncan tracks him down, recalling how similar the current crimes are to this guy's ancient M.O....

And it was almost always like that. Maybe not so much with the bitch-raping...but still.

Maybe have the modern day setting be just one of many time periods the story visits. And as tends to be the trend in TV these days, tell a story arc instead of an episodic deal. Not every episode has to tie into the meta plot, but it would be cool to look at a confrontation in season five and see how this shit was set up all the way back in the third episode or some shit.

And of course, the main storyline would be devoted to setting up the Gathering.

I'd probably throw in other supernatural elements too. Other types of immortals like the occasional vampire lover or enemy. ghosts that may haunt the main character, or even show up to give him some timely advice. Like the ghost of a woman who once was the love of his life. Maybe a sorcerer here and there trying to steal the secret of eternal life. Perhaps a secret cabal of influential mortals that has been in existence for hundreds of years, trying to manipulate the Immortals and the Prize. Like, a more pro-active and slightly more sinister version of the Watchers.

I dunno. I stopped following the series after a while, so maybe they got into exactly that sort of thing.

But make it into a stranger world. Not so much that it steps on the toes of the Highlander concept. But just enough so that every guy he fights isn't necessarily another Immortal.

I think they did touch on some of what you recommended including something in the last tv movie (which was absolutely reviled). I think it could work and be very cool.