Customer Reviews

Highlander The Series - Season 3

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Highlander Season Three, a 9-disc set, collects the entire 22-episode third season (1994-1995) of the syndicated action series based on the cult-favorite film about a secret race of Immortals who battle throughout history for ultimate power.

THE STORY

Season 3 delves deeper into the origins of Duncan MacLeod examining his past and the evolution of his character. We learn about his time training in the Orient as well as the time he spent living among the Lakota Sioux. MacLeod also gains a new love interest, surgeon Anne Lindsey, and faces his greatest rival yet, the Immortal opera singer Kalas. Behind all this the Immortals' Game rages on...

THE DVDS:

Here are the contents of each DVD.

Disc 1:

Episode 1: "The Samurai" - MacLeod fulfills a vow he made to his Samurai mentor 200 hundred years ago to protect his family.

Episode 2: "Line of Fire" - MacLeod faces the Immortal who killed his adopted Sioux family a hundred years ago.

Episode 3: "The Revolutionary" - Mac must face his old Immortal freedom fighter friend who has become a warmonger.

Disc 2:

Episode 4: "The Cross of St. Antoine" - Mac and Amanda set out to retrieve a gold Cross stolen from under his protection by an Immortal two hundred years ago.

Episode 5: "Rite of Passage" - MacLeod must protect a newly Immortal teenage girl.

Episode 6: "Courage" - Mac must stop an old Immortal friend who's become addicted to drugs.

Disc 3:

Episode 7: "The Lamb" - Mac and Richie take into their protection an Immortal child whose sweet exterior belies the heart of a ruthless Immortal determined to win the Game.

Episode 8: "Obsession" - Mac's Immortal friend plans to marry the love of his life and no one will stop him, not even an unwilling bride or Mac himself.

Episode 9: "Shadows" - Mac is going insane and only his Immortal friend Garrick can help him. Or can he?

Disc 4:

Episode 10: "Blackmail" - Mac takes on two Immortals and an evil lawyer who tries to blackmail him.

Episode 11: "Vendetta" - Mac crosses paths with the old mob boss who murdered him 50 years ago.

Episode 12: "They Also Serve" - A rogue Watcher has used her knowledge to help her Immortal beat other Immortals, including Mac's old martial arts teacher. Their next target -- Mac himself.

Disc 5:

Episode 13: "Blind Faith" - To the world Kirin's a Saint; to Mac he's an evil traitor and mass murderer who's killed thousands. Which is it?

Episode 14: "Song of the Executioner" - Three hundred years ago Mac stopped the Immortal monk Kalas' plot to kill Immortals by ambushing them as they left Holy Ground. Now Kalas seeks revenge by slowly destroying everyone Mac loves.

Episode 15: "Star-Crossed" - The battle against Kalas continues as Mac returns to Paris and joins up with his old buddy Fitzcairn.

Disc 6:

Episode 16: "Methos" - Looking for the extra power he needs to defeat MacLeod, Kalas seeks out the head of the mythical oldest Immortal Methos.

Episode 17: "Take Back The Night" - After a gang kills her husband the Immortal Ceirdwyn hunts down the thugs one by one. Mac must convince her that revenge is not the answer.

Episode 18: "Testimony" - Mac, Anne and Richie all get caught in the middle of a Russian mob hit by the Immortal Russian mobster Kristov.

Disc 7:

Episode 19 - "Mortal Sins" - Mac protects a mortal priest from the Immortal Nazi officer he "killed" during WWII after the Immortal returns from the grave.

Episode 20 - "Reasonable Doubt" - MacLeod must protect Maurice's niece who's taken up as the partner of an Immortal who was raised from childhood for a life of crime.

Disc 8:

Episode 21 - "Finale, Part I" - Kalas returns. Plus, the widow of a murdered Watcher threatens to reveal the Immortals and Watchers' secret to the press.

Episode 22 - "Finale, Part II" - Mac faces Kalas in a battle to the finish with the secret of the Immortals hanging in the balance.

THE DVD EXTRAS

Anchor Bay improves on the already great previous season releases by including even MORE goodies.

COMMENTARY, NOTES and BLOOPERS

ALL EPISODES include extended commentary from the cast and crew and "Watcher" notes. Improving from past Seasons, the commentaries are longer and are true "behind-the-scenes" features. Also improved, the "Watcher Notes" now include an upgraded "Sword Guide" with more background on the blades and how they were chosen by their Immortal. Also, the MAJORITY of the episodes now include deleted scenes/blooper footage.

AUDIO/VIDEO COMMENTARY

Also improved, audio and video commentary now feature more cast and crew members and are available on episodes 1, 4, 9, 15, 16 and 19.

DISC 7

1. Highlander Blooper Reel (also featured on the Season One DVD set)

2. Production Sketches Gallery (not bad, but eh...)

DISC 8

1. Finale Backstage Teaser: 3 minute commercial for a behind-the-scenes feature on how the Finale episodes were filmed.

2. Series Promo: 2 minute blooper of Adrian Paul filming a series TV promo.

DISC 9

1. Scripts: Shooting scripts for ALL 22 episodes in season three including all the lines and stage directions.

2. Call Sheets and Fight Scripts: Other nifty production documents that detail the production for several episodes. Action lovers will love the detailed descriptions and choreography of the fight scenes.

3. Actor, Director and Writer Bios: Filmographies for ALL actors, directors and writers who appeared in or worked on Season Three.

4. Trivia Game: Test your Highlander knowledge (or pick some up).

COLLECTIBLES

This set includes a mail-in coupon for the Season 3 collector's edition Highlander medallion.

THE VERDICT

With its martial arts action, adventure, romance and stunning historical backdrops, Highlander has it all. Fans of the series will be pleased as the DVD sets become better with each release. If you've never been exposed to the world of Highlander before check this series out and see what fans have known for years, "In The End, There Can Be Only One" -- and this series is it!!

Highest Recommendation

This was a series that had everything a Science-fiction fan could want. It had an enigmatic & tormented main character Duncan McCloud, played superbly by English actor Adrian Paul. Each episode had plenty of angst, action, suspense, fine locations, & a fair amount of romance.

This season saw the ever noble immortal Duncan McCloud having to deal with Tessa's death, Richie's new found immortality, facing the mutually repressed feelings he & fellow immortal Amanda have for one another, & the first multi-episode story involving Methos, the oldest known living immortal. These episodes showed an intruiging look into male bonding & the angst that friedship can bring to all concerned. From episode one "The Samurai" to episode nine "Shadows" to the "Finale" episodes numbers twenty one to two. They all spotlighted & magnified the human condition that was relatable even to we non-immortals. Would any of us really want to live forever?


Plus, almost every epiode has three bonus features. Outakes, cut scenes, behind the scenes with cast & crew, interviews, & information on the Watcher Chronicles characters. There are also special features which include a blooper reel & promos. Lastly, several episodes have both video & audio commentary.

Each season of the Highlander TV series DVDs is more feature-rich than the one before. This third season has interviews and commentary for nearly every episode. New to the DVD series is outtakes, alternative takes, and even individual bloopers, for many of the shows. I don't think the video of the episodes has been digitally remastered, but it seems quite acceptable to me. All in all, a very nice package.

Season Three came out less than 4 months after Season Two, which was a nice surprise for Highlander fans. I will gladly forego digital remastering if anything like this release schedule can be maintained. The DVD image is already so much better than on that shelf of videotapes I recorded off the air, takes up a fraction of the space, won't deteriorate over time like tapes do, and gives us all the extra materials. A very well-produced, worthwhile and substantial release. Let's hope that Season Four is already in the works.

In season one, it was all about finding the show's footing. In season two, it was all about fixing the flaws. By the third season, Adrian Paul wasn't "the other MacLeod": he was Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod. Highlander: The Series finally stood out and was receiving international recognization.

And for good reason.

THE SERIES

You thought season two was great? Then you'll love season three! Season three brought many changes to the series, and is one of the most beloved and greatest seasons of the show. Season one was enjoyable, season two was a great improvement, but season three was a masterpiece.

The season opens with "The Samurai", which explains Duncan's origins as a martial arts master and lord of the sword (hey - that rhymes!). By now, Joe Dawson (played by Jim Byrnes) was a regular, and Amanda (Elizabeth Gracen) began to become one of the most frequently-seen characters. Of course, one of the greatest Highlander villains was also introduced - Kalas, who featured in most of the episodes from mid-season on. One of these, "Star-Crossed", featured the return of the beloved Hugh Fitzcairn (The Who's Roger Daltrey) and also bid him goodbye!

There was also "Methos", the episode that introduced Peter Wingfield's ages-old immortal who is now arguably the most popular character in the Highlander universe. The series ended with a terrific two-parter, "Finale", which featured both Amanda and Methos. Fans will be pleased! [9/10]

THE VIDEO

Season three has the best picture yet. The quality of the image is great. The episodes are, like all the rest of the show's seasons, in full screen format. [9/10]

THE AUDIO

Season three perfects the 5.1 surround mix. Unlike the previous seasons, there is an excellent balance between the music and the character's lines. No problem here! [10/10]

THE EXTRAS

As far as extras go, season one was great, season two was excellent - but season three is greater than those two combined! There is everything any Highlander fan could ever want on these 9 discs, including commentary by cast and crew, interviews, and alternate and deleted scenes. There's also production designs and scripts for all 22 episodes. Outstanding. [10/10]

Just when you thought Anchor Bay couldn't do it any better, they once again go beyond what any normal company would do. The third season of Highlander on DVD is a masterpiece in the world of television DVDs.

OVERALL SCORE: [10/10]
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THE SERIES: [9/10] Highlander becomes a stand-alone series; Duncan receives the recognition he deserves.
THE VIDEO: [9/10] Minimal grain, very nice picture.
THE AUDIO: [10/10] DD 5.1 at its best.
THE EXTRAS: [10/10] Enough goodies to keep you busy for months.
OVERALL SCORE: [10/10] A new high for Anchor Bay.

- Thomas Benton

The DVD collections of the Highlander series have just got better and better. I've always loved the series, but what has particularly impressed me has been the extras. I though the individual intros to each episode for Season 1 and 2 were really cool because I hadn't come across that type of approach before, but with season 3 these evolve into mini-documentaries with comments from various cast and crew. I don't tend to have the patience for lengthy audio commentaries, so these are just great - relatively brief and extremely interesting. Season 4 continues the trend.

My favourite episodes in Season 3 are "The Samurai" and "Methos".

My only grumble is I can't stand fold-out packaging -- ugh, you have to spread the wretched thing over half the lounge room floor to find a disk, the coffee table is not even long enough!! I guess I can put up with it though.

A must for any fan of the series!!

The stories of Highlander: The Series set the bar for all other science fiction/action adventure series to follow. Combining a mixture of Celtic legend, immortality, the idea of good versus evil and all the gray areas that go along with that, amazing sword choreography, and romance, Highlander epitomizes what makes for great story telling. And no season has done this more than Season 3 of Highlander: The Series. Each episode of this season furthers the Highlander legend with beautifully constructed flashbacks to various time periods of the past, masterful story telling of human and immortal frailties and the repercussions of past actions upon the present. The joy and agony of mortal love, of friendships torn apart, and the loss of dear friends are all depicted in the 22 intelligent stories that comprise Season 3.

And if that is not enough, the Season 3 DVD set contains many hours of video/audio commentary by our favorite stars, bloopers, details about story development, production notes, Watcher chronicles about all the mortal and immortal characters, and all 22 scripts that can be printed out and followed along with the respective episodes. This is truly a comprehensive collection of behind-the-scenes commentary.

The nine disc set comes in a beautifully illustrated collector's box with each DVD in it's own protective sleeve. The menus on each disc were artistically created and designed for easy navigation. If you were to buy only one season of Highlander, Season 3 is the set to buy. It has always been said that Highlander: The Series is a collection of one-hour mini-movies. I would put Season 3 of Highlander on DVD up against any other movie compilation out there today.

Season 3 has even more extra material than the previous sets! More commentaries, more deleted scenes and interviews. And it actually has 9 discs instead of 8 listed here.

Here the stories start to really kick ass with the introduction of Kalas, one of Duncan's baddest enemies in a multi episode arc that also introduced one of the series' most loved characers, Methos.

One word, Kalas! Finally, no two parters, no one shots but, a Super Villain lurking about bent on destroying Macleod for an entire season! This it folks, Kalas is not just after Duncan but, everyone he talks to looks at cross-eyed or buys a Latte from.
If you dont want to get completely hooked on Highlander the series, then dont watch! This is the season that makes a casual viewer an addict

Highlander Season 3 DVD set is loaded with wonderful television viewing! You don't have to be a sci-fi fan to really enjoy this show! Duncan MacLeod, played my Adrian Paul, is a fabulous man; any woman would love to have known him for 400 years! The acting is fabulous and the action is outstanding.

This DVD set is also loaded with extras! There is behind the scene footage, bloopers, and for the mega fan--watcher chronicles (a personal favorite). The behind the scenes commentary even includes information on the work it took to create such wonderfully designed fight scenes!

This set is a must for anyone interested in great television viewing!

The stories of Highlander: The Series set the bar for all other science fiction/action adventure series to follow. Combining a mixture of Celtic legend, immortality, the idea of good versus evil and all the gray areas that go along with that, amazing sword choreography, and romance, Highlander epitomizes what makes for great story telling. And no season has done this more than Season 3 of Highlander: The Series. Each episode of this season furthers the Highlander legend with beautifully constructed flashbacks to various time periods of the past, masterful story telling of human and immortal frailties and the repercussions of past actions upon the present. The joy and agony of mortal love, of friendships torn apart, and the loss of dear friends are all vividly depicted in the 22 intelligent stories that comprise Season 3.

And if that were not enough, the Season 3 DVD set contains many hours of video/audio commentary by our favorite stars, bloopers, details about story development, and production notes, Watcher chronicles about all the mortal and immortal characters, and all 22 scripts that can be printed out and followed along with the respective episodes. This is truly a comprehensive collection of behind-the-scenes commentary.

The nine disc set comes in a beautifully illustrated collector's box with each DVD in it's own protective sleeve. The menus on each disc were artistically created and were designed for easy navigation. If you were to buy only one season of Highlander, Season 3 is the set to buy. It has always been said that Highlander: The Series is a collection of one-hour movies. I would put Season 3 of Highlander on DVD up against any other movie compilation out there today.