HL's WWI episodes & S4's mental illness explorations

[brightknightie]

Today is Veteran's Day (Remembrance Day, Armistice Day). This weekend, I watched HL's World War I episodes: "For Tomorrow We Die," "The Colonel," and "Deliverance." (I understand that there're also WWI references in the second and fourth movies, and in one episode of The Raven, but I'm mostly content to accept without rewatching that Connor fought for the Allies and that Amanda would have liked best not to collide with history... though maybe I'll check out "The Raven" episode, if it's streaming free.)

I didn't spot any thematic through-line from first-season's "For Tomorrow We Die" (Xavier's introduction) to the two fourth-season WWI episodes, other than the established fact that Duncan served in the ambulance corps.

But! A through-line of season four overall really leapt out when watching "Deliverance" (never a personal favorite, but with some excellent bits, mostly Sean and Methos) and "The Colonel" (a negligible episode, imo) together. Fourth season is importantly about mental health and mental illness, as expressed through the immortality fantasy. Killian of "The Colonel" seems to me to perhaps actually be ill, as well as evil, though he is a shallow one-shot villain of limited analyzability; by simply raising the question, however ineptly, his introduction somewhat contributes to the context of the dark quickenings in "Something Wicked" and "Deliverance," and the reflections of "Through a Glass, Darkly." Granted, this theme isn't limited to season four! ("Avenging Angel" and "Shadows" leap to mind, with "Turnabout" on their heels, and "Obsession" and "Little Tin God" in the vicinity, not to mention "To Be" and "Not to Be.") But season four internalizes it, takes it to heart and holds on.

(Aside: The Eurominutes still surprise me. So many years of HL on recorded-from-US-TV VHS tapes, even though I know them, I never expect them.)

What do you think? Of the WWI episodes, or of season four and mental health themes?

Comments

[malinaldarose]

I just watched "Deliverance" (and the preceding episode) yesterday! The thing that really struck me about it was the holy spring. The extras talked about baptism with a clearly Christian slant and when I saw it, my first thought had to do with mother goddesses, and of course it would take a goddess to heal Duncan's soul.

But that's just me....

[argentum_ls]

I definitely see your point.

[brightknightie]

I also think that's an element, whether the creators intended it or not.

Good symbols usually accumulate, one upon the next, absorbing rather than replacing.