sure fire winners

[aria]

I have a confession: for the past few days, in between all the real life stuff I have been doing, I've been spending my free time not doing more of the Babylon 5 rewatch but instead a rewatch of the Methos bits of Highlander. (Why? I need more Methos fic like burning, and with a few excellent exceptions, the stuff that is out there is giving me the "If you want this story told, tell it yourself" feeling. Oops.) I think I am discovering the full extent of my horrible weakness for 90s television. In any case, I am done with that now and we'll soon return to your semi-regularly scheduled B5-watching; in the meantime, the net result of my Highlander rewatch is mumble nearly 10,000 words of fic notes, what is wrong with me and a bunch of screencaps.

The latter are here reposted for your edification.

This is not a Show Is Awesome post. Show is indeed occasionally awesome, but I am not looking for converts; I didn't even watch the whole thing. I think it's cute, and occasionally hilarious, and sometimes even quite good; I think the bits I watched are well worth watching if, like me, you have apparently a bullet-proof character kink for five-thousand-year-old snarky bastards who occasionally save the world because their dumbass boyfriends like to play hero.

In any case, it means that this is instead a Methos And His Frequent Swordporn Are Awesome post. It started out entirely as caps of Methos getting threatened with swords and making great faces about that, but then it got slightly out of control and comes with a Duncan/Methos agenda, which means stuff like painting houses together and slamming each other against Range Rovers. As you do.

So, when we first meet Methos, he's having an off day or something, because he decides it would be a great idea to offer MacLeod his head. Happily it results in this:




Maybe it's how he test-drives new boyfriends.

Anyway, then he regains his senses. And wears a cute sweater.



Maybe Duncan doesn't like the sweater?





Ladies and gentlemen, above I give you, hm, Exhibits A and B that Methos sort of likes being threatened with swords.

They take a short break from being kinky to do domestic instead.





Methos is not best pleased when Duncan mistakes his nose for part of the house.

Then Duncan gets a bit evil.



Also, other people sometimes threaten Methos with swords. I think Methos likes it better when Duncan does it.



Although he's a bit put out when he isn't expecting it and can't consent.



Sometimes even Joe gets in on the action, although he just sticks with guns. This is why Methos looks a bit bored.



I am fairly sure this next cap had to do with Duncan and Methos discussing matters of Deep Philosophical Import (and disagreeing about every salient point, because that's how they roll) but a still reveals that in fact when they argue morality they are trying very hard to keep from making out.



Swordporn. :D




But the sword is no substitute for Duncan! Pay attention, Duncan.



Methos is a bit fed up with Duncan not paying attention, and then his ex Kronos rolls into town. I am fond of the following cap because Methos has his "I'm being threatened with a sword! I'm definitely not turned on!" face, and Kronos doesn't even have a sword.



Which can be remedied.



Interlude for Methos and Duncan throwing each other against a car with BETRAYAL!! (I'm not gonna lie, Comes a Horseman/Revelation 6:8 is up there for me with Mountie on the Bounty. I am sensing a pattern even though there is a bit of a difference between OLD SHIPS and THE APOCALYPSE.) Anyway:




LOOK AT HIS CRAZY EYES.



The following cap cannot actually capture what I love about it, which is Methos sort of ... caressing the sword with his shoulder. The full awesome of that is best with context. (I. love. this. episode.)



Sometime later, apocalypse mostly averted, Methos feels the need to run around mostly naked with his sword. Thank you, Methos.




More swordporn.



But we haven't had someone put a blade to Methos' throat in four whole caps! Quick, Keane to the rescue!




Someone tell me this man does not enjoy being threatened with swords. Anyone?

Alas, that is the last of the swordporn. We do, however, have a cap for that time when Methos was friends with Lord Byron, and Byron, being a man of taste, comes on to Methos. Textually. Methos is about as surprised as I am:



But eventually he goes to hang out with MacLeod again. Maybe when Methos finishes ... cleaning whatever he's cleaning? ... they can go spar. If you know what I mean.



Thank you and goodnight.

Comments

[gehayi]

I should point out that the Byron episode involves Methos sharing a bed with Mary Shelley AND Byron. Simultaneously. Apparently, Methos has no objections to threesomes.

[aria]

Somewhere, Amanda is throwing a PARTY. And Duncan's head is quietly imploding. :D

[polarisnorth]

Oh man, this post. I may have to ask you for a highlights list of episodes to watch.

(OT note: Earlier today I found an icon of Bones - Star Trek version - that said "Raggedy Doctor" and didn't stop grinning for about five minutes.)

[aria]

...Y'know, of all my friends, you are probably the most likely to appreciate Highlander. It is a bit ridiculous, but Methos. (Basically I'd say do a watch of all the ones with Methos in -- here is a handy list -- excepting 'Archangel' which is part of a deeply weird three-parter that doesn't have much to do with Methos. But I think some of them might embarrassment-squick you hard, and I can also give you quick summaries & how much I love them, so you can weed it down to less than twenty.)

Also, aww, McCoy. <33333

[sophia-sol.livejournal.com]

...this is not helping my impulse control issues. By which I mean, thank you for the beautiful caps of wonderfulness!

[aria]

Mwahaha? :D

(I don't know if I've done this at you yet, but if you don't want to go through the whole series, these are the episodes with Methos. And I apologize if I linked that to you before and forgot, which I sort of suspect.)

[oldstarnewshine]

Dude. Epic swordporn. I keep thinking I should get into this series but I can never figure out what's part of what; there's like a movie, and then a sequel that everyone hates, possibly? And two series, and only one is good, but you need to movie for context, only you don't need the movie for context.

Maybe I'll just watch the episodes with swordporn. Sometimes a girl gets to be shameless like that.

[polarisnorth]

As dangerous as it might be to your free time, I think the TV Tropes page for Highlander was pretty good insofar as figuring out the connections/continuity between each Highlander variation.

[aria]

DON'T LISTEN TO POLARIS. :O By which I mean, I'm sure that the TV Tropes page is excellent, but then you will die still sitting in front of your computer because you were sucked in never to return.

The thing about Highlander, for me, is that usually I am a staunch completist for my canons. BUT, I actually sailed by watching only the twenty episodes with Methos in + a lot of wiki-ing to fill in whatever gaps I wanted filled, and I still feel like I got a great little fannish experience out of it. As far as I can tell, apparently the original film was good but is unnecessary to understand the show (especially because they changed some of the rules & continuity as they went along?) and ... I have decided it is like Doctor Who. If I try to worry about the complete canon, my head will explode.

So I'd say, if you want to try the whole series, go for it, but picking and choosing with episode summaries on hand to fill in gaps should work just as well. :)

Incidentally, since nearly every character in this series carries a sword, there is lots of swordporn. For the specific swordporn I posted, though, I'd just do the Methos episodes.

[gehayi]

Ignore Highlander 2: The Quickening, as it makes no fucking sense when combined with the other movies or with the TV series. Also, it is quite possibly the worst and the stupidest movie ever made.

You might, however, enjoy a two-part sporking of it:

http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/bt/spoonyone/reviews/23079-highlander-2-the-quickening-review-01

http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/bt/spoonyone/reviews/23144-highlander-2-the-quickening-review-part-02

[rivendellrose]

Heeeeeeee, it's all my favorite Methos bits! I swear, half the reason that series worked for me was that Peter Wingfield has the most gorgeous neck ever, and it is shown to perfect advantage every damned time some other immortal wanted to chop Methos' head off.

Also, OMG, that's Ron Perlman up there in the mumble-mumble-some-number picture from the bottom. Good lord, how fandoms will collide.

[aria]

half the reason that series worked for me was that Peter Wingfield has the most gorgeous neck ever

THIS. SO MUCH THIS. Incidentally, I find myself constantly saddened that his ridiculous baggy sweaters aren't even looser, because if they were, we'd probably get more collarbone porn. I just want to lick him.

Yes! Ron Perlman is The Other Methos. :D

[lovelokest]

Highlander would be so awesome while stoned.

[aria]

*cracks up* It was a hell of a party with all your cheap wine, darling. <3

PS, I want to write fic and I blame you.

[nextian]

Ohhh, I so got them backwards. Pleased to hear he's the cute one. I think giandujakiss vidded Highlander! Haven't seen any of these but am spectacularly amused to see 'Nancy Boy' and 'All These Things That I've Done' on there. Also the Sweater Song, oh my god. IF YOU WANT TO DESTROY MY SWEATERRRRR OH OH OH OH

[aria]

YESSSS HIGHLANDER VIDS. <333

Also: I admit I was fairly sure that clearly the cute one had to be Duncan for a long time, and when I discovered that he was Methos, I was simultaneously like "Oh well of course the fandom is nuts for him" and "...damn, the entire series doesn't have the cute one?" ALAS.

[genarti]

Oh my god NOSTALGIA. *starry eyes, and also laughter*

The friend who got me into fanfic in the first place was a big fan of a lot of ridiculous nineties shows. Highlander, SG1, The Sentinel, Magnificent Seven... She would show me random episodes -- this was pre-Hulu and pre-YouTube, so it was whatever ones she happened to have gotten her hands on that weren't too godawful except in hilarious ways -- and link me to fanfic with quick character explanations, and I found Highlander EPICALLY hilarious and kind of addictive.

I keep meaning to go back and rewatch my way through properly. And cackle the entire time. (I like Duncan too, because I am a sucker for the earnest hero type, especially if he's surrounded by snarky bastard friends and not presented as always right. The fact that I find Adrian Paul very pretty does not hurt.)

Damn you for completely encouraging this urge.

[aria]

:DDD (I adore your HAPPY NINE! icon in this context.)

You should absolutely do a proper rewatch! When I did a proper rewatch instead of sort of noodling through and kind of paying attention, I even realized that it does real storytelling and emotional continuity sometimes! (And you may even find yourself having a better time of it than I did, because while I have found my way to finding Duncan mildly attractive, I am more likely to instantly find people like Peter Wingfield very pretty. I only find Adrian Paul pretty occasionally.)

Mwahaha?

[rusty_halo]

Thank you for the delightful picspam. I haven't watched the non-Methos episodes of Highlander since they aired, but I always end up rewatching the Methos ones again and again. He's always going to be near the top of my list of all-time favorite fictional characters.

[aria]

Glad to oblige! :D And yeah, Methos is definitely way up there in terms of favourite fictional characters.

[feverbeats]

THIS IS SO HOT

WHY IS THIS SO HOT?

METHOS IS SO WEIRD-LOOKING

I LOVE IT.

[aria]

HAHAHAHA OH MY GOD

SCOTT

NOT THAT I WOULD MAKE YOU SUBJECT YOURSELF TO THIS

BUT IF YOU WANT TO, THESE ARE THE EPISODES TO SEE

IT IS KIND OF HOT :DDD

[liz_mo]

Thank you for this picspam!
Gods how I love him! And how this show (along with this little scene from a German movie http://www.tribute-to-lex-barker.net/pics/Schut06.jpg :-)) sparked my kink for swordporn before I even knew that such a thing existed.

Also I have shamelessly read through the recs you gave in a comment above and in return would love to give one back.
It's Methos/Joe and basically tells their whole story in one really, epic (and I mean really epic 280,00 words plus sequels) love story here:
http://www.tribute-to-lex-barker.net/pics/Schut06.jpg

[aria]

You're quite welcome! Kink-for-swordporn solidarity! :D

Also, the mere notion of a Methos/Joe epic fills me with SHEER DELIGHT, I cannot even properly express it. Unfortunately I think you linked to your swordporn picture twice, so alas, I do not have the link to it, but you have me very intrigued. :)

[be_themoon]

I just want to note that I found you somehow and then found this and YAAAAAAAY HIGHLANDER. more specifically, YAY METHOS AND YAY METHOS SWORDPORN. OMG.

(I mostly only watched through Methos episodes about six months ago? and have had NO LUCK in finding fandom friends.)

[aria]

YAY METHOS SWORDPORN indeed!

I'm not sure that I have found any specifically Highlander fandom friends! I have other-fandom friends who know what I'm talking about, but it seems like the active fandom is very small, if it exists at all. Ah well.