Highlander: The Series 2x11 - The Fighter

The recent flurry of Duncan Macleod posts is continuing for a couple more days, as I want to get to a very non-special episode called "Bless the Child". But first, here's yet another episode where Duncan must deal with a troubled old friend. I'd hate to be friends with this guy, seriously.

This is the boxing episode. Because there had to be a boxing episode somewhere. Fun Fact: This episode got Highlander temporarily called "the most violent show on TV" because the idiots who keep track of these things count it by punches thrown and only watched this one episode.

Duncan visits his immortal friend Sully, who is a "manager of champions" type guy. On the right is Not Dolph Lundgren, his latest protege.

Whoa, it's that Krychek guy from X-Files.

Sully has an eye for the ladies. Specifically, one lady in particular...

...this waitress, Iris. I'm more into the lady on the right. She looks mischievous.

Even though Sully is about 200, he still gets flustered when beautiful women talk to him. He's like a teenage boy. This makes very little sense.

He also hangs out with this good-looking lad. Duncan is probably the worst wingman ever.

Flashback to olden times, when Sully was promoting this new pugilism thing. He really wants Duncan to be one of his fighters, but Duncan isn't very good at boxing.

"Joe Brock? You want me to fight JOE BROCK?" he asks. This guy must be a badass.

Back in the present, some SEEDY PROMOTERS are trying to recruit Sully's protege, and he's none too happy about that.

Sully: "I'll kill that son of a bitch. Heh heh, just kidding."

This guy is red flag city!

Sully wants Duncan to teach him things that would impress women, like poetry. Duncan says poetry isn't the answer. Just being able to talk to them would be a good start.

Charlie gets back with a hot date. Jesus, Charlie.

Duncan: "Sully's got a little problem, and maybe you can help him."

Flashback, as Duncan battles JOE BROCK~!

This is like something out of Quantum Leap. I keep expecting Sully to be all "Come on, Saaaaam!"

"I'll baste YOUR turkey!" says Brock. Did you hear? He ended the streak.

Duncan gets completely owned in this bloody brawl. This scene is probably why this was labeled "most violent show on television" for a hot minute.

After the bell rings, with neither guy winning, the police show up and everyone flees. Duncan now gets a second wind and starts mauling Brock. Aren't these all kinda cheap shots? Why are you such a terrible person, Duncan?

Charlie gives Sully advice on women. "You gotta be more natural. Be yourself" is the gist of it. "Just make conversation!"

Meanwhile, the villainous promoters are going after Not-Dolph, and Sully is so distracted by his lusting after Iris the Waitress that he doesn't even stop this from happening.

These guys have great chemistry, and it's different from Duncan's relationship with any other characters. Duncan treats him like an equal and a buddy; he never treats Richie like an equal, and he never really trusts Joe. He also couldn't really pal around with Darius. The closest thing is his friendship with Methos, but even that has a mild amount of distrust. Since he knows Charlie won't ever have to fight him, he can relax a bit with him.

Charlie accompanies Sully to talk to Iris. "You probably want to get us anything?" he asks. Oh God.

I take back my first impression of her, she's gorgeous. She's also a little young for him, even discounting that he's secretly 200.

"Your eyes are very... you know... they're very..."

This is great, it's such a man-episode. I didn't give it enough credit at the outset.

 Meanwhile, Jeb Bush the evil promoter has bribed the perky-breasted Iris to have sex with the enigmatic, creepy Dolph. Turns out he wanted her too, and this is enough for him to go over to the evil promoter's side. For Iris' part, she's only doing this because she and her brother Krychek are in the poorhouse.

Basically, everyone here sucks. Iris the least so, but still.

Sully finds out about all of this and transforms into an enraged bat.

He then proceeds to beat up his larger protege until Charlie stops him. THERE'S SO MUCH DRAMA IN THIS EPISODE.

Duncan (as he and Charlie are the only adults in the room) bring Sully to patch things up with Not-Dolph.

"If I knew ya liked her, I wouldn't have done that" says Not-Dolph. Yes, because the guy who switched sides to work for a shady promoter who paid a woman to have sex with him is a beacon of ethics.

All's well that ends well, except that Jeb just turned up dead...and Duncan knows that Sully did it. As usual, he's here to judge.

Duncan talks to Iris, who says she's glad Jeb is dead and whoever did it should get a medal. Why? All he did was -completely consensually- pimp you out that one time.

Meanwhile, that rat bastard Not-Dolph gets a better offer and breaks his contract with Sully again.

Duncan goes over to Dolph's place, suspecting the worst...

...and he's dead too. Sully is on a rampage!

Meanwhile, Sully FINALLY pours his heart out to Iris, telling her how much he likes her.

...while Duncan waits to execute him for his crimes against humanity. It's a shame, really.

They discuss Sully's murdering problem, then...

...they DO BATTLE. Sully is fast and badass.

The fight ends up in a ring, and Sully smacks Duncan with a chair. I'm amazed that they didn't shoot his battle with Roddy piper in a ring like this too. Glad they did the carnival fight, but it seems like perhaps the two should have been switched. I get that this is a boxing-themed episode, but Duncan versus Piper in a ring would have had all kinds of potential.

The final battles continue to be the best things about these episodes.

Sully never really had a chance, as he accidentally cuts the top rope before being beheaded by Duncan.

Duncan Macleod: JUDGE, JURY, AND EXECUTIONER!

This is actually a hell of a quickening.

It includes Duncan trying to "repel" Sully's life-force and succeeding. He then punches the ring in anger. That one made him particularly angry. Well, you could have just not killed your friend, man.

MORE HIGHLANDER POSTS