One of the best episodes of Highlander, it introduces the beloved and memorable character of Darius, played beautifully and poignantly by the late Werner Stocker.
Darius has molded Duncan’s character in profound ways, forever changing the Highland warrior’s perspective. One of the greatest warriors who ever lived, Darius abruptly rejected the bloodshed, realizing its waste of humanity and—from his vantage as an Immortal—its ultimate futility. He left the Game, left the wars with their spurious glory behind, became a priest and, from Holy Ground, taught his message of peace to whoever would listen.
He imparted this sentiment to Duncan, and over the years the two have become close friends, perhaps the closest male friend the Highlander has ever known. Duncan never lost his warrior spirit; it was too ingrained in his persona. But, after meeting Darius, Duncan vows he will never again wear the uniform of a military combatant. He will fight evil when it appears, but in a personal, intimate way...only when necessary, never with joy.
New Characters:
DARIUS — Immortal priest, one of Duncan’s mentors and best friends. He was formerly a great warrior, changed to become a man of peace. He now remains in his church in Paris, on Holy Ground.
GRAYSON — Immortal, former second in command to Darius, angry that Darius no longer enjoys combat, determined to draw him away from Holy Ground, back into the Game. He is determined to draw Darius out by attacking his pupils, one by one.
VICTOR PAULUS — mortal, a peace activist, protégé of Darius.
A Paris Street
The street is deserted,
Shadowed in gray,
Save for two men,
Hunter and prey.
One seeking refuge,
The other relentless,
The stalker’s Immortal,
The victim, defenseless.
Inside the church,
A priest feels the Buzz,
Cloistered for centuries,
His name’s Darius.
His keen intellect—
Warns him something’s amiss.
His piercing blue eyes,
Look to see what it is.
A flash in the night!
A knife deftly thrown—
Lodges deep in the back—
Of the victim—he’s down!
On Darius’s doorstep—
His student will die.
He won’t leave Holy Ground,
So does naught but stand by.
The killer is Grayson,
Once Second-in-Command—
To Darius, the warrior.
Together, their band—
Laid waste to their enemies,
Gave them no quarter.
But Darius stopped fighting,
Growing sick of the slaughter.
He began to teach peace,
In those long ago days,
Immortals and mortals—
Were his protégés.
He remained in the Church,
Never left Holy Ground,
But his lessons of peace—
Have spread the world round.
Grayson ridicules Darius,
Once revered, now despised,
“Every protégé, I’ll hunt—
One by one, till demised!
You’ll be forced to emerge—
From your coward’s sanctuary,
To become what you were,
Warrior, adversary!”
The Antique Shop
Should Tess fly to Paris,
To act as curator—
For an art exhibition?
But wait—they’ll talk later!
A package has come—
For Mac—it’s from Paris.
It contains runic stones,
A message from Darius.
“I’m getting a visit.”
Mac deciphers the runes.
“Grayson is coming,
He’ll arrive very soon.
Darius tells me—
To be extra cautious,
‘Cause Grayson’s next target,
Will be Victor Paulus!”
Mac’s Cabin in the Wilderness
(Built on Holy Ground)
MacLeod grips his sword,
So intent, is the strain.
Richie is with him,
To help MacLeod train.
Mac builds his stamina—
By jumping the log—
That Rich quickly rotates,
While they dialogue.
Later, they rest—
Outdoors, by the fire,
Duncan tells Richie—
How a change can transpire.
1500 years ago—
At the Paris city gate—
Darius killed an Immortal—
Ancient holy celibate.
Transformed by the Quickening—
Darius halted, then left—
Sparing the city,
From pillage and theft.
Grayson never forgave him,
For abandoning war—
And spreading the message,
That peace is worth more.
Rich poses the question,
“Can it work in reverse?”
If you kill a BAD Immie,
Can YOU turn perverse?”
Duncan reflects—
As he studies the flame.
How many times,
Has he wondered the same?
At the Antique Shop
Grayson’s looking for leverage—
To neutralize Mac,
Without trepidation—
Tessa glares back.
She lets him know firmly,
Not HER, will he use—
As a pawn against Mac,
“Kill me now, if you choose!”
“You can’t blackmail Duncan,
To leave you alone—
So you can kill Paulus!”
Grayson changes his tone.
“You are remarkable,
Showing no fear.”
Tess: “Duncan will never—
Know you were here.”
Back at the Cabin
“The runes say that Grayson,
Will kill Victor Paulus,
As a peace activist,
His message is flawless.”
“Will he murder him first?
Or go after you?”
Mac shakes his head.
“I wish that I knew.”
Flashback
Waterloo, June 18, 1815
“Did Darius change you?”
Rich wanted to know,
Mac thinks back to Belgium,
To the dead, in the snow,
He carries a casualty—
Slung ‘cross in his back,
Sensing the Buzz,
He prepares for attack.
Soft voice, “I am Darius,
And you won’t need that.”
Mac’s hand leaves his sword,
Thankful, not to combat.
The soldier, though wounded—
Darius soon will restore,
While he tells Mac how wasteful—
And useless, is war.
Mac: “I am a warrior,
I choose who I’ll fight.”
Darius: “Look at these dead,
Do they care who is right?
They have lost the most precious—
Possession they’ve known.
All for a battle,
Not even their own.”
Home
Tess purrs, “Come to bed.”
He holds his adored,
Later, restless—he leaves—
More work with his sword.
The empty bed wakes her,
Mac feels an Immortal,
A headless toy soldier,
Has been left at his portal.
The Airport, Next Day
The chopper has landed,
Victor Paulus emerges,
Mac’s dressed like the ground crew,
The crowd now converges.
Mac spots the assassin—
In a white limousine,
He foils the attempt,
Then exits the scene.
Mac returns to the T-Bird,
Parked alone, looking lonely,
But inside waits Randi,
(The one and the only)
She pops up from hiding,
With her interrogation,
Mac is banging his head—
On the wheel, in frustration.
A Cemetery (Holy Ground) Present Day
Flashback, Paris, Jan 29, 1816
While Paulus speaks—
Of war’s evils, various—
Mac thinks back to Paris,
When last he saw Darius,
Men had entered his church,
Robbed, stabbed him and fled,
Outside Duncan stopped them,
“Don’t kill them!” Darius said.
“What else can I do?
I cannot just stand by.
I’m leaving for America.
So, I must say goodbye.”
“Peace be with you, Duncan.”
MacLeod smiled and turned.
In the present, Paulus speaks,
So committed and concerned.
Mac senses the Buzz—
That serves to remind him,
He turns and sees Grayson,
Standing behind him.
Mac foiled his plan once,
Grayson says he’s forgiving,
If Mac remains neutral,
His friends go on living.
“Go to hell!” Mac tells Grayson,
Refusing the deal,
“I protect those I love,”
His cold rage is real.
As Grayson drives off,
(The man who’d destroy him),
Dear Randi appears,
Once again, to annoy him.
Back Home
While Tess packs for Paris—
Tears fill her eyes.
Will she see Mac again?
What if he dies?
Mac gives Rich a ticket,
He’ll take Tess to Paris,
If Mac is defeated,
They’ll be safer with Darius.
A sorrowful parting,
Mac feigns confidence,
“When will you face him?”
“Soon.” No pretence.
“Remember,” says Tessa,
Her concern radiating,
“Paris is our city,
And I’ll be there waiting.”
Later
They meet in a park,
Grayson has a new proffer,
“Why not work for me?”
Duncan turns down the offer.
“You want to hurt Darius,
I can’t let you do it!”
“I want to DESTROY him!
MacLeod, let’s get to it!”
Their fight’s soon aborted,
Bright headlights, loud voices,
Beheading in public?
Not one of their choices!
“Soon!” Duncan says,
He does not appear daunted.
But as he turns away,
His expression is haunted.
A Hotel
Paulus has one last speech—
At this Peace conference,
Slipping in the hotel,
Through a little used entrance...
Again, Grayson’s thugs—
Go for the kill—
But Mac’s quick reflexes—
Prevent them, with skill.
A chop here, a kick there,
The villains are X’ed,
“Why did you do it?”
Asks Paulus, perplexed,
“I’m a friend of Darius’”
“Darius never taught that!”
“I was not a good student.”
Mac has no time to chat.
A Sulfur Pit, Later
In the vast pit of sulfur,
Bright yellow hills rise,
In this foretaste of Hell,
Two men seek the Prize.
Mac can’t accept evil,
He will fight to the death,
Giving all that he has—
To his very last breath.
Grayson takes the offensive,
Mac’s forced to retreat,
His face tense with fear—
Of impending defeat.
Grayson soon draws first blood,
Smiling cruelly, advances,
Mac is on the defensive,
Forced to take reckless chances.
MacLeod’s lost his sword!
Knocked out of his hand!
Leaping into the pit—
He’s enmired in thick sand,
Crawling slowly, in agony—
Fingers grasping through space.
While behind him looms Grayson,
Victory’s smirk on his face.
Mac is clinging to hope,
For one last slim chance.
Holding tight to his sword.
Sensing Grayson’s advance.
Now down on his knees,
Death is nearing behind him,
Grayson raises his blade,
Its keen edge will find him.
But wait! Mac’s katana—
Flashes back overhead!
It blocks Grayson’s blade—
Holds it back by a thread,
Mac whips around slashing—
His foe is undone!
Grayson’s sword’s split in two—
“There can be only ONE!”
Mac is panting, exhausted,
Covered in blood,
He watches as Grayson—
Slowly falls with a thud!
The Quickening takes him,
He screams his release,
In the sulphurous sand—
He falls, spent, on his knees.
Paris
Mac walks toward the church,
Unsure what he’ll find,
In the doorway is Darius,
A welcoming sign,
They hug with affection,
As real brothers do,
“Victor told me you saved him!
Now, my friend—how are YOU?”
Seeing Tess in the doorway—
Running toward his embrace,
“I’m fine NOW,” smiles Mac,
Eyes transfixed on her face.
Rich is there also,
But Mac’s in a hurry,
It’s a spring day in Paris,
With Tess, free from worry.
Peace, Emit
© 2001-2003
Under the Kilt from Highlander: The Official Site:
David Abramowitz, Creative Consultant
“Grayson and Darius. Darius, originally in the script, was written as almost to look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, to be physically ugly and with a glorious soul. And when I got to France, I noticed that they cast this young, handsome German actor named Werner Stocker. I said, ‘Wait a minute. What's going on here? He's supposed to be ugly.’ And it seemed that the Germans, who were putting up a great deal of money, didn't want the only German actor in the show to be ugly; so he wasn't ugly. And this was one of the cases where politics won out and it didn't hurt anything because he was wonderful in the part.”
Don Paonessa, Creative Consultant, Post Production
“It was a show that is one of the more popular shows and I think in one way it was one of the more difficult shows to do because the director shot stuff in a very unique way and it was difficult making that show work. But it was a really good story and we stole stuff and did things and I shot second unit for the Quickening. And we did a thing where we added some stop-motion stuff to the workout. We shot Waterloo in Canada and Steve Geaghan, our Production Designer, went to a lot of effort to create that environment. He did a good job; he's a talented guy.”
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