Jeanne Rose, interrupting Con mania for a few old fashioned episode thoughts and questions

Well, I didn't have a clue where USA was in the reruns, not having watched any for what seems like weeks, so last night I turned on the TV at 10pm and ran into "Saving Grace".  What a delightful little episode.

Only a few nits - one, the argument between Grace and Paul at the beginning was rather flat.  I had the feeling these two people had only known each other for two weeks.  A relationship that has lasted decades (since he was 20) would have had layers and layers of problems worked through, old arguments, past history that comes out in a crisis such as that.  I didn't get the feeling it was a very healthy relationship.  I didn't sense the underpinning love that would have kept these two together for this long in spite of the mortal/immortal difficulties.

Two, the conflict with the police was not convincingly resolved.  It was basically a plot device, and when the real climax was over, it was brushed aside.

But other than that, I really liked it.  I liked the character of Grace.  I could see myself being sort of like her as an immortal.  It was a little early the series, so we'll forgive them for the fact that she doesn't seem likely to have kept her head as long as she has with running away or being protected by other immortals as her only defense.  Like I keep saying, it's not likely I'd live very long either.

But I loved the flashback where Duncan investigates sounds of a woman screaming only to come upon a woman giving birth, with Grace acting as midwife.  Interesting occupation for an immortal, I must say.  Duncan could have just left, but, interestingly, he doesn't.  He's awkward, fascinated, and humbled all at the same time.  "You wonder what it would be like too, to hold a child of your own in your arms." You notice she says this to him while she still thinks he has come to take her head - interesting woman, reaching out, making a connection, facing a truth and inviting him to do the same as one of her kind, even though she expects him to kill her.

"We are what we are."  But even now he still wrestles with that fact that immortals can't have children - it came up with Tessa, with Anne, and lots of other times in the past few years.  Lots of us have to deal with it to - another way in which Duncan is a mirror for real, mortal struggles with life.

There is actually lots of good, introspective dialogue in the episode.  Grace and Duncan talking about change, and their brief relationship.  Grace and Tessa talking about falling in love and knowing it will lead to loss.  The three of them talking about how much choice you have in who you are, and how precious whatever life you have should be - there was a rich, moving irony in Grace, who has hundreds of years of life, taking the name of a baby who lived only eight days, and Richie, the pre-immortal who doesn't even know he's immortal but will in fact have only a few more years even as an immortal, finding the gravestone and pausing to consider the gift he's had that Isabelle Pontand missed.

I do wish Duncan would have had the good sense to bring up Grace's presence immediately when Tessa came in.  If he'd just looked up and gotten her attention and told her what was going on as soon as she walked in the door, it would have been much less awkward for all of them.  Kudos to Tessa for trusting Duncan anyway, for making Grace feel accepted, and for not being jealous or threatened by the situation.  And it sure was nice to have Darius around.  He's such a gentle soul.  My, I wish he'd been able to be around for longer.

I went to bed last night thinking that maybe now (post 2BN2B) it would be good for Duncan to run into Grace again.  Amanda is obviously going to run off and do her own thing for a while, and I can't stand to think of Duncan all alone again the way he was in season 6.  Grace loved him, and in a way he loved her, and they might be good for each other.

This morning I'm not so sure.  She has a certain inner strength, the strength of gentleness and concern for others, but she doesn't seem to have the fire and will that Tessa or Amanda or even Anne had.  Duncan needs someone who is his emotional equal.  That's why Methos is such a good friend.  They're on equal ground, both quite capable of taking care of themselves but both richer for their association, and learning from each other.  But, anyway, though I think that ultimately Grace and Duncan would not work out in the long term, they might have another "moment" - and it might be good for both of them.

I continue to be haunted by Grace asking Duncan if he's happy, and Duncan saying "Yes."  It sure hasn't happened often in his 400 years, and a lot less in the last six.  He's been threw the wringer again and again, emotionally and otherwise, mostly because we've been watching, of course, and that's what makes a good story.  Now that we're going to leave him in peace for a bit, I would really like to think that he could find some real happiness again.  I'm sure he thought it would be impossible after Little Deer was killed, and it took a long time before Tessa came along.

So, out of all this I have three questions:

1) Would you like to see Duncan and Grace get back together, even for a short period of time?  Any ideas on how it could happen?

2) What would the perfect woman for Duncan be like? (Don't just describe yourself - were not talking fantasy here, we're talking fiction.  If you could create a *character* for Duncan to fall in love with next, what would she be like?) And remember she doesn't have to be just like Tessa, or Amanda.  I swear Duncan has had more relationships than Don Juan, and with a great variety of kinds of women (Kristen, Gina, the girl in India, Mei Ling, that duchess in LotP, that gypsy girl, Bess, Sarah from "Obsession", Annie Devilin, the flapper girl, Linda Plager, etc, etc).

3) What do you think it would take for Duncan to find happiness again?

Hopefully this won't be too deep for all the Anaheim and Anahome excitement.  But I sure do love how this show makes me think and reflect and analyze.

JR