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For Tomorrow We Die
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SynopsisXavier St. Cloud, an Immortal thief whose modus operandi is the use of poison gas, pulls a jewelry store heist near Darius' church. Xavier has a history with Darius, who once saved him from the guillotine, but he repays the kindness by forcing the priest to listen as he boasts about his crime, knowing Darius cannot break the seal of the confessional. But Duncan has a score to settle with Xavier, dating back to World War I, and beyond, and once he guesses Xavier is the culprit, he makes it his mission to stop him from killing again. As Duncan tracks him, Xavier plots to kill Duncan with a hidden bomb. Meanwhile, Richie's new love turns out to be a married woman, and Mac and Tessa try to figure out how to break the bad news.
ReviewXavier St. Cloud has to be one of the best Highlander villains of all six seasons--amoral, despicable, and utterly charming. The singer Roland Gift is superb as the devil-may-care Xavier, whose first thought after committing murder and robbery is to confess to Darius to see his reaction. "God! How I love religion!" he gloats. The interplay between Roland and Werner Stocker in this scene is riveting, as the playful amusement of the thief is set against the frustration and mental anguish of the reluctant father confessor.Equally effective is the scene between Adrian Paul and Werner, as Duncan tries to find out what is bothering his friend, and later defends him against the questions and accusations of Inspector LeBrun. Adrian and Werner seem to have a genuine rapport, which comes across beautifully in this scene, and in a later scene outside in the Square René Viviani. Werner's acting style is very restrained and internalized, and Adrian tones down his usual level of energy to match, which gives these scenes a great deal of quiet intensity. We believe absolutely in the depth of their friendship and the mutual respect and trust it is based upon. But the episode is not short on action. An exciting chase scene through the Latin Quarter, a suspenseful subplot involving a bomb, and a rousing swordfight at the barge with a surprise ending provide plenty of adrenaline. And Stan Kirsch, as the lovestruck Richie, supplies comic relief as he shows his lady friend around the barge, pretending he is the owner, only to have Tessa pop up unexpectedly to interrupt his pitch. The look on Stan's face is priceless. So is his scene with Tessa near the end of the episode, as she sooths his wounded feelings with motherly solicitude, and gives him back his sense of self-worth. All in all, this is an excellent episode, which stands up to repeated watching. I give it four stars. |
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The Book of Darius URL: https://www.angelfire.com/film/bookofdarius/ Webmaster: tirnanog (This page last updated 02/28/2002) |
