HIGHLANDER WORLDWIDE WORKSHOP: MACLEOD AND METHOS

By: Abbie Bernstein
Date: Saturday, March 05, 2005

The final panel of the two-day Workshop finds series star Adrian Paul and costar Peter Wingfield in a display of extreme good sportsmanship, imagination and not a little insanity doing a panel not on their respective characters, Duncan MacLeod and Methos, but rather as MacLeod and Methos. The two characters quibble, interview each other and occasionally, momentarily revert to their real-life alter egos.

No meeting between MacLeod and Methos would be complete without some one-upsmanship. Methos feels he has more to complain about: "You never crossed the Atlantic in a six-foot paddleboat."

"You've never been in a Scottish bog late at night with moss growing out of your sporran," MacLeod counters.

Methos wants to know what the difference is between Gregor, the self-destructive Immortal in "Studies in Light" who MacLeod allows to live, and Byron, who MacLeod challenges and kills in "The Modern Prometheus." "With Gregor," MacLeod explains, "there was a glimmer of hope. With Byron, there was no hope."

Wingfield steps out of character for a moment, reflecting on a similar situation for Methos: "When Methos first comes back on the scene [when he is first introduced in HIGHLANDER, he offers to let MacLeod kill him], the despair they both were at the edge of the precipice."

Discussing what they care about, MacLeod and Methos list a few things. "I'm passionate about preserving me and my genius," Methos declares.

MacLeod sighs. "Methos always looks out for himself."

This draws a wail of indignation from Methos: "How dare you? The number of times I've saved your ass!"

They get around to the subject of personal philosophy. Methos advises, "Always pay cash, never sign into hotels. Speaking of which," he looks around the hotel ballroom, "I don't know what I'm doing in this place."

"There's a lot of photographs," MacLeod observes.

Is Methos really the oldest living Immortal? Methos denies it. "[HIGHLANDER executive producer] Bill Panzer is the oldest living Immortal."

What about the time of the Gathering, when the last two Immortals will battle for the ultimate Prize? "For us, it could be thirty, forty years off," MacLeod says philosophically.

Methos again reverts to Wingfield. "Since [HIGHLANDER production company] Davis-Panzer's gotten into bed with Miramax, I think it's way, way off."

MacLeod expounds on problems with relationships as an Immortal: "Is [the woman's] soul Immortal? Will you meet them again?"

Methos wonders, "If I'd been courageous enough to open up [to Byron], maybe I would have discovered the poetry in myself."

MacLeod feels Methos couldn't and shouldn't have dissuaded Byron from facing MacLeod: "You can't make decisions for other people!"

Someone asks if Methos sees himself as a mentor to MacLeod. "Did I ever," Methos replies, "but boy, is he a slow study!"

"How old are you?" MacLeod counters.

"Five thousand," says Methos.

"And I'm slow?"

"I'm still growing," Methos protests.

"Into what?" MacLeod challenges.

The audience gives a huge hand to the two actors. Event organizer Carmel MacPherson then takes the stage to offer a farewell speech for the event. "One of the things I love about this is not only that it keeps us together as a community and a fandom, but also [it allows] the HIGHLANDER family to see each other."

MacPherson announces that Bill Panzer has asked Highlander Down Under the original name of the fan organization to become Highlander Worldwide, the official fan club for HIGHLANDER everywhere. "We intend to do many, many more events."

Next up is the Highlander Worldwide Workshop event in Sydney, Australia, April 29-May 1, while tapes and DVDs of the 2004 Workshop are currently available (see the organization's website at www. highlanderworldwide.com for details).

Later, MacPherson notes that watching the interaction of the panelists onstage was a real highlight of the event: "It was so funny, because we became simply sort of onlookers in their lounge room, in terms of Don [Paonessa] saying [to Paul], 'Why did you use this lens, did you use that lens?' It was absolutely fascinating, exactly what I was hoping for. They hadn't actually had the chance to have those discussions [among] themselves, because they were so into it churning out each episode, that actually, the chance to sit back some years later and actually watch that finished product and have some of those discussions is what they really enjoyed. Someone actually came up to me and said, 'Hey, I think they're becoming fans!' " she laughs.

The Workshop guests still present at the end Paul, Wingfield, swordmaster F. Braun McAsh and actor James Horan join onstage for a final toast. Paul declares in conclusion, "To HIGHLANDER, to the fans, to the people who made HIGHLANDER, to the people who make this possible, to the time and the generosity and the love that kept this alive as long as it has."