Chivalry

Richie gets involved with Kristin, an Immortal who runs a modelling agency that his foster sister Maria has signed up to. Duncan has met Kristin before however and knows just how dangerous she is.

Methos is the saving grace of this episode. Duncan's inability to kill a weaker opponent because it doesn't fit his image, even though good people will probably die as a result, came up with Kenny a few episodes ago and arguably with Felicia Martins and David Keogh. But here Methos gets to call him out on it. Despite claiming to only care about himself, he seems to be here to keep Duncan alive, both by convincing him of the threat of Kristin and by teaching him a valuable lesson about how his ethics can be spectacularly dangerous. In this, he's only partly successful: It feels like Duncan doesn't learn anything here.

While Kristin is obviously psychotic, it's hard not to feel that she has reason to feel aggrieved at Richie and Maria wanting to break her contract after just a few days. Richie is unnecessarily cocky in assuming he can talk her into it.

First appearance of the season for Methos, last seen in the third season finale. He'll be back next episode. An early role for Vancouver stalwart Emmanuelle Vaugier, later one of Lex Luthor's wives in Smallville. Methos says only Duncan and Joe know who he really is and introduces himself to Richie as Adam Pierson: He seems to have forgotten Amanda, who heard Duncan call him by name in Finale.

Is Kristin the only woman to bed both Duncan and Richie?

If you've read my reviews of some episodes of this show, you probably can tell I really don't like the formula so often used where the antagonist, usually an Immortal, has the attitude of killing anyone and everyone who doesn't worship him and often those who do. Well this episode has a nice new element thrown in - Methos.

Much of the tension revolves around the fact that Duncan wants to protect Richie, and so many others, but has a moral code that prevents him here. I think the reason why he stops short is multilayered. Kristin was a lover. She mentored him in some ways. She is a woman. (As much as the modern feminist my want to discount that, it seems to be a real motive in Duncan's mind. Perhaps that objection is moot because I don't think this series is one that will appeal to most feminists.)

Duncan is right as it applies to Richie, but Methos is right as it applies to Kristin and Duncan. Sometimes Richie seems so out of his class as an Immortal and his naivety stands out so much sometimes.