It's 7 PM (Hawaii time) on Monday night, you know what that means. Aired February 24th, 1997. This is one I wanted to get to for a while. It's just as much a "labor of love" as Episode 100 was two episodes ago, where you can tell everyone involved put in that extra "this is a special episode" oomph. This one is all about The Dance, something Adrian Paul trained in for real when he studied flamenco. It's pretty clear that this episode was special to him in particular.
I've seen some folks not like this episode and I gotta wonder what they're smoking. Give it another watch and try to appreciate it for what it's doing.
Also, the villain of this episode, Spanish nobleman Otavio Consone, is one of two or three S-Tier fighters that Duncan faces in the entire series. There's Brian Cullen (bogged down by addiction), this guy, and maybe Kronos. I'd probably lean more towards Kronos being in A-Tier (though at the top of it!) with the likes of Kurgan, Grayson, Kalas, Haresh Clay, maybe Xavier. Massive threats, for sure. Consone and Cullen are on another level though, right there with the Macleod boys.
THE DANCE.
Spanish guitar plays as two lovers dance about, culminating with him kneeling in awe of her femininity.
The owner of this dance group, the Vincent-Cassel-in-Black-Swan of the proceedings, is the treacherous Otavio Consone. He wants to marry the fair Anna, the best of all the dancers.
However, she has eyes only for...
....RAFAEL.
"Impossiblay!" says Consone.
Anna: "And I am with his child!"
::gasps are heard from the onlookers::
Consone snaps, perhaps because he can't give her a child, and stabs Rafael before walking out.
Anna, still the finest dancer in the city, moves on with life and has her child, sans Rafael. She was never the same after that day, and aged rapidly. As the years went by, just as she began to get things together, she was run over by a car, no doubt the work of the vile Consone, and never danced again.
In the present-day, her child, Luisa (who is incredibly gorgeous) is now grown-up, and an outstanding Flamenco dancer.
::Richie's eyes slowly roll out of his head::
Duncan: "Put your eyes back in your head, Romeo."
"This is METAL as FUCK!" says Richie as the dance concludes.
Shouldn't he be occupying a window somewhere? Why isn't he with Marina?
In any case, Duncan explains that Anna was one of the best in all the land, and now Luisa is carrying that on. He never got to see Anna dance before the accident. She opened a dance studio here in Paris and he goes there to see their performances.
Luisa, who it should be noted is mind-bogglingly gorgeous, teaches Duncan how to dance. He clearly already knows how and is just humoring her, which she catches on to quickly.
Luisa: "I think you've done this before!"
Richie: "Of course, of course."
Flashback time! Madrid, 1851. Duncan is dancing the Flamenco, and it is a very intense dance.
This episode is worth watching multiple times to pick up on all the nuances that you don't pick up the first time through.
Duncan is a fairly new (in immortal time) student of the Flamenco here, but he's got it pretty much down pat at this point. Onlookers are impressed, not the least of which is Otavio Consone. Duncan looks so much like Ramirez here, it's wild.
What a seedy individual. He isn't fond of Duncan, given how good Duncan is with women compared to him. Consone would be great with women if he wasn't insanely controlling and contemptful.
Seriously, this makes me wonder what this show would have been like if it were a prequel show about Ramirez instead (provided Ramirez actually made it to the present and didn't die 400 years ago). They would have had more than 2500 years of flashbacks to draw on with a Ramirez show, as well.
In any case, this is a great scene, with Duncan swooping in to make this homely old matron (who is actually quite cute, if we're being honest here) feel liked/attractive after Consone belittles her looks.
He then leaves with both her and the Don's daughter, while Consone looks on and growls.
Oh yeah, Duncan is in a romance with the daughter of the local Don. She absolutely adores him, because...well, look at him.
In this episode Duncan is probably the most handsome and attractive he ever is in this entire series.
Duncan wants Richie to get Flamenco lessons from Anna, who was the best. It's too bad he didn't know her personally yet back when she could still dance, but at least he got to see her do it.
They walk up on Anna and Luisa arguing. Anna wants Luisa to stop seeing the mystery guy she's seeing and focus on her training and dancing. Luisa, who is insanely gorgeous, wants to go on dates, dammit! She's insanely gorgeous after all. Nobody puts Luisa in a corner.
After Luisa storms off, Anna refuses a ride home from Duncan, who sensed an immortal in the car that picked up Luisa so now he's curious what's going on.
Anna clearly carries around a ton of pain and baggage. Everything she says and does carries a weight about it.
Lo and behold! Luisa (who is gorgeous)'s mystery man........
......is none other than the vile Otavio Consone, the man who ruined her mother's life, unbeknownst to her.
The Barge: Still a character after all this time. Having walked right where this was parked, there is something magical about this place.
Anna visits to lament how Luisa never returned home last night. She then explains the Duende to Richie. Duende is basically a "heightened state" where the dance takes over and you lose yourself as you approach the climax of the dance. You stop feeling any pain or fatigue and just go all-out.
This could also be applied to a battle.
And...other things.
(booing and hissing is heard from the Telenovela studio audience as Consone shows up outside)
If he looks familiar, it's because this guy is Anthony DeLongis, who also played the villain in the S3 episode "Blackmail". He is a legit sword master, and was one of the Final Four in consideration for the role of Duncan (Connor at the time) for the entire show. IIRC the other two were Alexis Denisov, who ended up playing Wesley in Buffy, and also a Scottish actor I'm unfamiliar with called Alastair Duncan. Guessing that last one is where the name came from after they decided to not go with Connor.
In other words, this guy is a fairly big deal for an "immortal of the week". This is hardly an episode of the week, though, it's got that special/important feeling usually reserved for the two-parters.
Consone wants Duncan to stay out of this. He's having Luisa, and by extension continuing his torment of Anna. Let him be a sadist in peace!
He offers Duncan a simple choice: Stay away from these women, or be killed by him.
And yes, he knows who Duncan is. And doesn't care. Because he's that fucking good.
"CONSONE!" yells Anna. She hasn't seen him since he stabbed Rafael. But that was twenty years ago! How does he still look 35?
Luisa emerges from the car to see her mother freaking out at her boyfriend. Which was no doubt his plan here.
Note how unbothered he is at Duncan. He gives absolutely zero fucks whatsoever!
Anna freaks out about her boyfriend being the one who stabbed her, and Luisa thinks she's completely crazy at this point. She's so mad and possessive that now she's projecting the worst event of her life onto Luisa's lover. Luisa will have none of it, and storms off.
Poor Anna thinks she might actually be crazy, she's so confused at what she's seeing. This is actually a bit painful to watch, knowing Anna is right about everything; and yet, driving her daughter away and into the arms of this psychopath.
Duncan: "I'll see you soon!"
Consone: "Wrong choice."
Anna is convinced that was Consone, and Richie has to try and pretend he wasn't.
Now Richie is putting the moves on Anna! What a CAD.
Duncan gets a box out of storage. One of his many relics from the past that fetch him top dolla at antique auctions.
This is a Spanish dueling rapier/dagger, Consone's weapons of choice. More specifically, a swept-hilt rapier with a fighting dagger to parry and strike. Consone taught him how to fight with them, once upon a time. Now, Duncan is going to challenge him to a duel using his own powerful techniques against him. These weapons are too fast and precise for any other weapon to fare well against them.
Madrid flashback! Consone is training Duncan in how to fight using the Spanish dueling setup.
This involves staying within the "fighting circle" seen on the floor. Each movement is deliberate, each attack has a counter, and each strike is precise. Consone compares it to the precision of a surgeon.
Worth noting, perhaps: While Duncan is using a standard swept-hilt rapier, Consone's variant has a flamberge blade instead of a rapier blade. This makes his weapon look considerably more treacherous, and almost serpent-like. Just a bit of a subliminal signal to the viewer's brain.
He also continually makes fun of Duncan for being "a gypsy" throughout these scenes, as this Madrid foray was right after Duncan's time as a nomadic gypsy with Irina and that fellow.
It isn't easy, but Duncan manages to scratch Consone during the duel!
"Tit for- GACK"
Consone responds by almost immediately IMPALING HIM. Turns out he was holding back and going easy on Duncan the entire time.
Consone: "You must be relentless. If this were a fight to the death, would you let a dagger in the ribs stop you?"
That sounds like a question we'll find out the answer to later in this episode.
So basically, never give up, stand and fight to the last breath.
Later, at the bath-house, Duncan says that Theresa wants to marry him (the woman from earlier) and he isn't certain about it due to their differences in status (she's a noblewoman) and the fact that he can't give her children.
Consone makes up his mind for him. HE is a nobleman, Duncan is a mere gypsy! HE shall marry Theresa! He already asked her father for approval.
Duncan: "Have you asked the lady what she thinks?"
And now, Duncan's time as his student comes to a screeching halt, as he orders Duncan to leave Theresa and leave Madrid. Consone says she might not love him now, but she will eventually.
Duncan: "You are so wrong."
This leads to the two of them fighting for real for the affections of fair Theresa. ...except Duncan already has those affections and Consone is just being an asshole.
Consone easily wins, again. I mean he just absolutely kicks Duncan's ass.
Theresa begs him to spare Duncan's life and says she'll marry him. Welp.
So Theresa marries Consone, and Duncan is banished from Madrid.
Duncan practices his dual-wielding in the fighting circle. This show is SO CLASSY when it gets out of Seacouver.
Richie: "You couldn't beat this guy before. What makes you think you can now?"
Duncan: "I'm a lot better now."
Richie: "Maybe so is he."
In order to find out where Consone is, Richie goes into Richard Redstone mode and goes to talk to Luisa's roommates. They'll know where she is.
Luisa's roommates are almost as gorgeous as she is, and prance around in towels.
What's with this sudden blast of nubile young women?
No telling what intensely hot things have transpired within this apartment.
Richie arrives, and turns on the charm. ...well, mostly he's just turned-on.
God Help Him
Richie needs 3 flamenco dancers for his hotel. It's great pay, free room and board, and private dressing rooms.
Tell them about how you'll be lurking outside the window, Richie! Tell them THE TRUTH!
Long story short, he gets them to divulge where Luisa is staying, so he can talk to her about the job. Thus, Duncan is able to find Consone's evil lair.
No word on if they dragged Richie into the apartment and had their way with him. In my version of the show, of course, they did. #JusticeForRichie
Duncan arrives at casa del Consone, a bit of a nervous wreck.
Seriously, this is about as nervous as we ever see him before a duel. This is like Martin Hyde Fight levels of nervous twitching.
Madrid, the past. Duncan goes to see Theresa two years later.
"She hasn't been out of my heart for the past two years" he says, before the homely matron tells him what she really doesn't want to tell him.
Theresa is no longer with us. She continued to have feelings for Duncan, and it made Consone insanely jealous.
Eventually she fell down a long flight of stairs, while he just stood there and let it happen. Or maybe he pushed her himself.
Duncan is ready to go fight him to the death, but she tells him not to. If he does, Consone will probably win. Just leave Madrid and don't come back. Theresa gave up herself so that Duncan would live, and living would honor that. So he goes ahead and leaves...long as Consone doesn't cross his path again.
Well, here's the path-crosser himself, as Consone shows up at Anna's dance studio.
As she collapses to the floor, he reveals that he is indeed who she thinks. And furthermore, the accident that took away her ability to dance... was him.
Now...he will go away with her daughter, the final twisting of the knife.
Luisa is so gorgeous that it's physically painful. Why can't Consone be happy with having her, rather than using her as a pawn to hurt this woman who rejected him 25 years ago? What is his malfunction? Is he just that psychotic? The worst thing you can be to him is a woman who doesn't want him back.
Consone arrives home to greet Duncan. The couple are now newlyweds. Luisa is Mrs. Consone.
Duncan talks to Consone about everything, and unbeknownst to the villain, Luisa is inside listening to all of it. She hears Consone's own words telling her how vile he is and how his only mission in life is hurting Anna.
She doesn't take the betrayal too well, and shouts at him before running off. I hope she doesn't go home and barge in on Richie with her two roommates.
Anyway, this marriage is over.
...Uh oh. She did the one thing you can't do: She rejected him. She just instantly shot up from "pawn against Anna" to "his new obsession"
He talks about how he will pursue Luisa and torment her for the rest of her days, kill her lovers, etc.
Time for their big duel, which takes place in the rain. If Duncan were using his normal weapon he would probably still be at a disadvantage against Consone's dual-wielding. Using the same weapons, that he is less familiar with, should put him at even more of a disadvantage. However, the dual wielding is likely better against itself than a katana would be, so...perhaps not.
This fight transpires entirely on the fighting platform for Spanish duelists, in the rain.
This is the best fight in the entire Highlander series. I'll just be quiet.
It gets later and later in the day, as they fight and fight.
It is virtually a stalemate, with both guys following the fighting art to the letter and neither making any mistakes.
Night falls, the rain becomes a downpour. The platform becomes icy and slippery.
A moment, as Consone is actually pushed out of the circle by his former student.
Consone finally scores a perfect parry, and impales Duncan...the exact same way he did when teaching him this style. A stab through the ribs. Will Duncan let a stab through the ribs stop him?
...no. He pulls the blade in, to keep his opponent from drawing it for the Shiiing. I think he's done this precise move before somewhere, but I can't remember where and it's driving me nuts.
Then he turns things around on Consone by scissoring him with the daggers.
For all intents and purposes Consone had the fight won, and Duncan just used a desperation move with the last of his strength.
After the shiiiiing, Duncan just immediately falls over.
THISH ISH
a really big
Gigantic Quickening
That goes on
And on
...best fight in the series, was that also the biggest quickening in the series? It might well have been, only the Kronos/Silas double quickening comes to mind as being maybe close?
That was an astronomical, movie-level quickening.
Luisa and Anna have made amends, forgiving each other for their disagreements. Anna has settled down a bit and Luisa realizes Anna was right.
Duncan shows up and tells them that Luisa is now a widow. Anna says they won't ask questions. All that weight is now lifted off of her, no doubt.
Luisa is now an extremely wealthy widow.
And gorgeous, with cake for days.
Richie, who has finally returned from his "assignment" covered in the scent of nubile flamenco-dancing women, wonders how Duncan defeated Consone at his own weapon art. Duncan says that Consone rigidly conformed to the movements that go with that fighting style, while Duncan lost himself in it. You could actually see that play out during their battle if you look closely.
Richie: "The Duende. ...see, I'm learning."
FIN.
One thing is for sure in all of this: Luisa was gorgeous. I wanted to see more of this actress, Deborah Epstein (no relation), but it looks like she was only really in this, and single-episode appearances in a couple of French programs.
Final thoughts on this? Outstanding episode. It is very Spanish Telenovela, but it is made by the villain and the final fight, as well as the dancing sequences. 10/10.
This guy is further proof that younger immortals can be some of the toughest out there, and age doesn't necessarily equate to power. Being trained by Ramirez makes a ton of sense, given the context of this episode. Duncan never met Ramirez, did he? That was a "two ships passing" situation, with Duncan coming along several decades after he was gone. I think Duncan spoke fondly about Ramirez at some point, but more in terms of the legend of the man than a personal acquaintance.
He definitely could have used a two-parter (and Season 5 could have used more episodes). Then again, Duende being one single episode actually boosts it somewhat; everything is contained in this one episode, which will no doubt help it when I eventually do some episode rankings. This, Band of Brothers, and Prodigal Son are all major standout episodes that could have easily been two-parters, and probably benefitted from being solo eps.
This paragraph is to sword-connoisseurs what that Duncan Macleod romance novel is to women.
If you look closely, he does indeed use the dagger to entrap his foe's sword before going for his kill-stab.
For more Anthony DeLongis action, check out the "Blackmail" episode from Season 3. I re-watched it after "Duende" and it's a pretty good episode. The final battle is outstanding, just like this one. It's a fight that punches way above the weight of your standard Season 3 fight, so it's no wonder they wanted him back for more. I think they should have called an audible and had him play Kalas; he would have been a better Season 3 main villain than the actual main eventer.
For another blast from the past, here's my very first Highlander post, which was about The Source. I was much younger and take no responsibility for its relative good or bad ness. Also it's unfortunate that I went "they're the ones who DID this" while Lawnmower Man director Brett Leonard's name is on screen, because according to Brett Leonard himself he was stymied at every opportunity and then the movie was re-cut without him, despite him being the director.
I speculate in the post that the script was originally written for an entirely different movie, probably a horror movie. Well, it later turned out that the script really was a rejected horror movie script that got repurposed. Duncan wasn't even in it at first.
Not sure when the next episode will be, might be a bit due to life. Posts are on a bit of a hold while I deal with this. Really wanted to get to Duende and revisit this episode in particular, and I just made it.
Lastly, here's a Gofundme to help me with my current life issue. I never put any ads on this site or even a Patreon, so this is the first time I've ever added any sort of "donation button" on here. Normally things are well in hand, but things went a bit sideways the past two years. If you like what I do here, any donation would help.
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