An Evening At Joe’s, a Highlander: The Series Tie-in Anthology

Fiction by the Cast and Crew of Highlander. Edited by Gillian Horvath. Forward by Bill Panzer. Published September 1, 2000.

Methos features heavily in Highlander: An Evening At Joe’s

“A unique anthology featuring original short fiction written by members of the cast and crew of the popular syndicated television series Highlander and based on the show features works by actors Jim Byrnes, Stan Kirsch, and Peter Wingfield, as well as by producer Ken Gord, script coordinator Laura Brenna, director Dennis Berry, and others.” — Amazon.com blurb

October 5-18, 2000 — Reading the new book and writing micro-reviews of the stories as I go along! Where the character Methos appears, I’ve marked the story with a bookmark icon.

• “Letters From Viet Nam” by Jim Byrnes (“Joe Dawson”) — Sentimental and humorous. I can see Jim’s foresight references to what will happen to Joe’s character in his future as he writes home to his sister and mother from the war as a kid.
• “Train From Bordeaux” by Gillian Horvath (associate creative consultant) — I didn’t really like this one. Methos is on a train thinking about the horseman after “revelations” is over.
• “The Star Of Athena” by Laura Brennan (script coordinator) — An excellent Amanda caper. Very fun to read, written by the woman who worked on Highlander season six and then The Raven.
• “Words To The Highlander” by Peter Hudson (“James Horton”) — Man, I hate that evil watcher Horton! This is written from the grave... or is it? Still taunting Duncan, I can call you Duncan, can’t I?
• “Pants” by Donna Lettow (associate creative consultant) — Hilarious take on the Olympics. Gotta hand it to Methos with his ‘Been there, done that’ attitude.
• “Consone’s Diary” by Anthony De Longis (“Octavio Consone”) — I love this one. Very sword-technical but colorful and adventurous! The passion, the drama of the swordfight/training is all there. It reminds me greatly of the new series, “Queen of Swords” of which De Longis did have a great influence on.
• “Down Towards The Outflow” by Roger Bellon (composer) — Strange. Very strange. Set in the far future (yes, there are still immortals in 900 years!). We get to experience a near-death-and-revival experience of an immie.
• “The Methos Chronicles: Part 1” by Don Anderson (assistant props master) — I want more more more! Part 2, part 3, etc. This is a story of how Methos’ beginnings may have come about. His growing up with his family, his first death, his teachers, the horsemen, and finally his century stay at an eastern monastery. He explains how he learned of immortality, beheading, the game, the quickening, holy ground, and the prize.
• “From The Grave” by Stan Kirsch (“Richie Ryan”) — Man, I wanna just cry. Richie writes letters from heaven to Mac, Joe, Amanda, Methos.
• “Postcards From Alexa” by Gillian Horvath And Donna Lettow — Just read it yourself. I don’t want to spoil anything or color your experience.
• “He Scores!” by Ken Gord (producer) — Macleod played professional hockey! Or did he? Is he pulling Joe’s chain?
• “The Staircase” by Valentine Pelka (“Kronos”)
• “Death Shall Have No Dominion” by F. Braun Mcash (swordmaster) — Lots and lots of words, vocabulary, complicated phrasing. And the author is no question a swordmaster, very detailed fight scenes. The great description and history that are along for the ride through the first part of this story are worth it when you get to the end. First Hans Kershner, the cuckolded husband from “the modern prometheus”, is back. Then, in Highlander present, Dawson and Methos sort out Prince Dracula’s existence as a vampire/immortal.
• “A Time Of Innocents” by Peter Wingfield (“Methos”) — Man, I’ve read this too many times. And I have a whole page worth about it below; keep scrolling!
• “The Other Side Of The Mirror” by Dennis Berry with Darla Kershner (director) — Pretty cool take on the Highlander show production. Looks through Adrian’s eyes as he shifts between Duncan “fantasy” and Duncan “reality”. And Stan/Richie ends up wearing a dress!

“A Time Of Innocents”

On page 273 by Peter Wingfield (“Methos”), Reviewed by Rain

The title itself, “A Time of Innocents”, is a pun. But meaning what exactly? I wonder if I’ll ever figure it out on my own to my satisfaction.

“child’s balloon at Christmas”. Is this some English custom? I don’t know what it refers to.

The first time I read Peter’s story (which was two minutes after I unwrapped the book from the mailer it arrived at my door in) I thought: How utterly disgusting and how dishearteningly vague! It made no sense. I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to read it again.

But I did. The next day.
And Peter’s story is AMAZING. It is so deep. And true. And examining of the Horsemen’s natures. And Immortality in general.

The child Immortal’s fear and instincts,
Caspian’s hunger and rashness,
Silas’ smothering, frightening pseudo kindness,
Kronos’ calculated, slow torture,
and of course, Methos’ cold, hard, unfeeling mercy.

There are two halves/scenes to the story: the child alone, confused and in discovery; and then as the Horsemen arrive on the scene, interaction and the end of one given forever much too prematurely.

Does what the Horsemen do in this short piece reflect their final fates in “Revelations”? I like to think so.

Caspian: crazy and eager: died first, by MacLeod’s hand.
Silas: big and simple: tired out by swinging his axe against Methos, his friend and brother whom he trusted.
Kronos: confident and sure with his playthings: overpowered mentally and physically by Methos and MacLeod.
Methos: merciful by practicality: spared by Cassandra, broken to tears by having to kill Silas, whom he liked.

I HAD TO read this story again the next day!

My third time through: The two parts as they are divided with empty space, are the same story practically, told different ways. First the emphasis is on finding himself alone in the bloody battlefield. Second, the emphasis is on being passed from Horseman to Horseman. The first half is more emotional, no names for anything, he sees the man-horse as a single creature, and the “Devil Heads” are indistinguishable from one another. The second half illustrates more intelligence and rationalization, and analyzing of the situation.

In both halves I see comparisons, and the child seeing “a mirror of himself” in the small broken bodies he sees around him. His reviving howl “echoed his first sound in this world”. In Silas’ coat, he half remembers “a time of peace and safety, another body’s warmth surrounding him, nourishing him”. Kronos' eye was “icy and still as a glacial fjord”.

In this time of analyzation, the child first experiences fear at his continuing nightmare, then absolute horror in Caspian's hands, comfort in Silas’ embrace. But then his “hope of Paradise Found” comes crashing down with Kronos’ cold, paralyzing, foreboding touch. In Methos custody, he feels NOTHING.
He feels the Creature of Methos feeling Nothing. “No anger. No hatred. No fear. No peace.”

“this one, he could trust.”

BRILLIANT, Peter! So many layers. I’m still only scratching the surface of this one.

Layers, just like Immortality itself — lives lived over and over and over, growing and maturing but repeating mistakes or goodness, or both.

More About An Evening At Joe’s

Don’t miss a review of the book by Christine Speakman, originally posted at cinescape.com.

Check out the HL:TS Books article at Highlander Wiki.