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Amanda (Highlander)
Encyclopedia
Amanda is a fictional character
in the television series Highlander: The Series
and Highlander: The Raven
, portrayed by actress Elizabeth Gracen
. She is one of the Immortals
, immune to old age and death except by beheading. Some Immortals play The Game, seeking each other out for a duel to the death, for which the survivor is rewarded with a Quickening
.
Amanda was created to be a former lover of fellow Immortal Duncan MacLeod
, the protagonist of the Highlander: The Series television series. She originally appeared in the 1993 episode "The Lady and the Tiger" as a "villain of the week" type character. However, the writers and fans enjoyed her cunning, lying, immoral, selfish, and manipulative
ways and she remained a part of the series. She then starred in a short-lived series of her own, Highlander: The Raven.
, France in 820 (though the exact date is unclear). She is poor, starving, and uneducated, and her skills as a thief are rudimentary at best. She is caught stealing food from a plague-ridden house and savagely beaten about the head, resulting in her first death. Since she allegedly consumed contaminated food, her body is to be cast into a cleansing fire in an attempt to keep from spreading the plague further. However, the Immortal Rebecca Horne saves her from that fate just as Amanda breathes her last.
Rebecca becomes Amanda's mentor, but they eventually become good friends. She teaches Amanda about The Game, but also about life and personal growth. It is Rebecca's fondness, empathy, and friendship that motivates Amanda to try and live, if just for a little while, as a "proper lady" should. Amanda leaves Rebecca and the Abbey of St. Anne in 853; as a departure gift, Rebecca gives Amanda a piece of her crystal The Methuselah Stone, something she had done before with some of her other pupils. It is rumored that whoever possesses all the pieces of the stone would become invincible. Breaking up the stone proves to be an effective means of keeping this from occurring, though it would put Amanda's life at risk in "Methuselah's Gift".
During her travels later that same year, Amanda meets the Immortal Hengist the Saxon, who challenges her to The Game. Fearing for her life, she runs back to Rebecca's abbey instead, knowing the Immortal will not fight her on Holy Ground. Rather than coddling her, however, Rebecca advises her ward to consider facing her demons, pointing out that she will not be able to run forever. Gathering her courage, Amanda not only faces the Immortal Saxon, she wins and receives her first Quickening. She leaves the abbey a final time to face an uncertain future.
She eventually gains a reputation for being one of the world's most audacious, enterprising, and elusive of thieves, managing to appropriate items thought to be unstealable – the rarest of jewels, paintings, money, just about anything she desires, and she rarely gets caught.
In 1635, she and Rebecca meet newly Immortal Duncan MacLeod. Her relationship with Duncan becomes intimate and is renewed sporadically through the centuries. They share many misadventures, such as the robbery of the Stone of Scone
(1950) with Hugh Fitzcairn
and the bank robbery days a la Bonnie and Clyde
with Cory Raines (1926). Besides being an accomplished thief, she holds many jobs such as an harem dancer (1753), acrobat, tightwire artist, bank robber, teacher, antique dealer, nightclub singer (1936) and casino owner (1888).
After Tessa's death, Amanda becomes a periodic constant in Duncan's life, and they share many adventures, avenging Rebecca's death by her pupil Luther (1994), meeting Watcher
Joe Dawson (1994), fighting against Kalas (1995) and discovering the secrets of the Methuselah's Stone (1996). It is her relationship with Duncan that ultimately motivates her to leave her life of crime and grudgingly embrace being a law abiding citizen. Even so, Amanda is always willing and perhaps even eager to utilize her skills to benefit friends and loved ones in times of peril, such as in "The Cross of St. Antoine".
. The show lasted one season in 1998–1999.
While Amanda is being investigated for burglary, a police officer named Claudia Hoffman jumps in front of a bullet meant for her, not knowing she is Immortal. Saddened by Claudia's needless sacrifice, Amanda decides to mend her ways. She meets a pre-Immortal cop, Claudia's partner, Nick Wolfe
. He becomes the new man in her life. One day, Nick is poisoned. To save his life, she shoots him to trigger his immortality. When Nick wakes up, he becomes angry with Amanda's decision because it was not her choice to make. He then leaves her.
Amanda's relationship with Duncan is erratic; more often than not, she appears out of the blue, usually to ask some new favor from him. Their relationship is ongoing for centuries and continues into the present. They often go decades without seeing one another, but have been known to spend a year or more together before amicably going their separate ways. Amanda unabashedly exploits him and although he seems to be aware of this, rather than deny her, he merely plays along, more amused by her antics than annoyed, knowing that she usually means well. However, despite her beguiling shenanigans, she is steadfastly loyal to Duncan, and he to her. The two never express their love for each other, but rather show it in their loyalty and devotion to each other. Both become involved in other relationships throughout their lives, but always make their way back to each other. In the series finale, Duncan admits his love to Amanda and tells her that she has always "made his heart glad."
, the only person who can match her. While Duncan endures her wily schemes, Methos admires her cunning, survivalistic nature. Like squabbling siblings, they share a fondness and respect for each other that stems from having such similar life views and pragmatic characteristics, though neither would verbally admit such a thing. This friendship is strained in "Methuselah's Gift", when masked thugs try to kill Amanda to steal the Methuselah's Stone shard from her. She and Duncan play with the idea of Methos being the mastermind behind the plot since it is no secret Methos needs the crystal shard to cure Alexa, his cancer afflicted lover. Upon realizing Methos is not after her head, she helps Methos try to steal the stone in the Watcher's vault, but Methos gets caught by a renegade Watcher. Amanda negotiates an exchange, her piece of the crystal for Methos' life, but the crystal is broken and plummets into the river, destroying any hope Methos has of using it to cure Alexa.
During the original series, her swordsmanship appeared to be less-than exceptional, and in fact she was never actually shown winning, even against an unarmed Kalas. Her skills receive a considerable upgrade after she meets Nick Wolfe
and decides to redeem her life. Somehow, she suddenly becomes a highly-skilled fighter, winning numerous battles in a relatively short time. Below are the Quickenings seen in the original series and The Raven series:
1First beheading.
2Duncan MacLeod defeats Blaine, but Amanda beheads him.
3Beheaded by Nick Wolfe.
:
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the television series Highlander: The Series
Highlander: The Series
Highlander: The Series is a fantasy-adventure television series featuring Duncan MacLeod of the Scottish Clan MacLeod, as the Highlander. It was an offshoot and another alternate sequel of the 1986 feature film with a twist: Connor MacLeod did not win the prize and Immortals still exist post-1985...
and Highlander: The Raven
Highlander: The Raven
Highlander: The Raven was a short-lived spin-off from the television series Highlander, continuing the saga of a female Immortal. The series followed the character of Amanda , an Immortal who had a recurring role in Highlander: The Series...
, portrayed by actress Elizabeth Gracen
Elizabeth Gracen
Elizabeth Ward Gracen is an American actress who won the title of Miss America in 1982. She was born Elizabeth Grace Ward but should not be confused with another Elizabeth Ward who worked as a television actress during the first half of the 1980s....
. She is one of the Immortals
Immortal (Highlander)
Immortals are a group of fictional characters seen in the movies and series of the Highlander franchise. Since they are immune to disease and stop aging after becoming Immortal, they can live forever and they only die when they are beheaded....
, immune to old age and death except by beheading. Some Immortals play The Game, seeking each other out for a duel to the death, for which the survivor is rewarded with a Quickening
Quickening (Highlander)
The Quickening is a phenomenon in the Highlander films and television series. When an Immortal is beheaded, there is a powerful energy release from their body which is called a Quickening. Lead Highlander: The Series actor Adrian Paul explains, "The Quickening is the receiving of all the power and...
.
Amanda was created to be a former lover of fellow Immortal Duncan MacLeod
Duncan MacLeod
Duncan MacLeod is a fictional character from the Highlander multiverse. Duncan MacLeod serves as the protagonist for the TV continuation of the Highlander franchise, which comprises Highlander: The Series and its spin-off movies, Highlander: Endgame and Highlander: The Source...
, the protagonist of the Highlander: The Series television series. She originally appeared in the 1993 episode "The Lady and the Tiger" as a "villain of the week" type character. However, the writers and fans enjoyed her cunning, lying, immoral, selfish, and manipulative
Psychological manipulation
Psychological manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics. By advancing the interests of the manipulator, often at the other's expense, such methods could be considered exploitative,...
ways and she remained a part of the series. She then starred in a short-lived series of her own, Highlander: The Raven.
Biography
Amanda is born in the Abbey of St. Anne in NormandyNormandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, France in 820 (though the exact date is unclear). She is poor, starving, and uneducated, and her skills as a thief are rudimentary at best. She is caught stealing food from a plague-ridden house and savagely beaten about the head, resulting in her first death. Since she allegedly consumed contaminated food, her body is to be cast into a cleansing fire in an attempt to keep from spreading the plague further. However, the Immortal Rebecca Horne saves her from that fate just as Amanda breathes her last.
Rebecca becomes Amanda's mentor, but they eventually become good friends. She teaches Amanda about The Game, but also about life and personal growth. It is Rebecca's fondness, empathy, and friendship that motivates Amanda to try and live, if just for a little while, as a "proper lady" should. Amanda leaves Rebecca and the Abbey of St. Anne in 853; as a departure gift, Rebecca gives Amanda a piece of her crystal The Methuselah Stone, something she had done before with some of her other pupils. It is rumored that whoever possesses all the pieces of the stone would become invincible. Breaking up the stone proves to be an effective means of keeping this from occurring, though it would put Amanda's life at risk in "Methuselah's Gift".
During her travels later that same year, Amanda meets the Immortal Hengist the Saxon, who challenges her to The Game. Fearing for her life, she runs back to Rebecca's abbey instead, knowing the Immortal will not fight her on Holy Ground. Rather than coddling her, however, Rebecca advises her ward to consider facing her demons, pointing out that she will not be able to run forever. Gathering her courage, Amanda not only faces the Immortal Saxon, she wins and receives her first Quickening. She leaves the abbey a final time to face an uncertain future.
She eventually gains a reputation for being one of the world's most audacious, enterprising, and elusive of thieves, managing to appropriate items thought to be unstealable – the rarest of jewels, paintings, money, just about anything she desires, and she rarely gets caught.
In 1635, she and Rebecca meet newly Immortal Duncan MacLeod. Her relationship with Duncan becomes intimate and is renewed sporadically through the centuries. They share many misadventures, such as the robbery of the Stone of Scone
Stone of Scone
The Stone of Scone , also known as the Stone of Destiny and often referred to in England as The Coronation Stone, is an oblong block of red sandstone, used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland and later the monarchs of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom...
(1950) with Hugh Fitzcairn
Hugh Fitzcairn
Hugh Fitzcairn is a fictional character from Highlander: The Series, portrayed by actor Roger Daltrey. An Immortal, he is a friend of protagonist Duncan MacLeod.-Appearances:...
and the bank robbery days a la Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
with Cory Raines (1926). Besides being an accomplished thief, she holds many jobs such as an harem dancer (1753), acrobat, tightwire artist, bank robber, teacher, antique dealer, nightclub singer (1936) and casino owner (1888).
After Tessa's death, Amanda becomes a periodic constant in Duncan's life, and they share many adventures, avenging Rebecca's death by her pupil Luther (1994), meeting Watcher
Watcher (Highlander)
Watchers are a secret organization that watches the Immortals in the Highlander: The Series and all subsequent related series and movies.They were introduced in the season 1 finale as a cliffhanger for the following season...
Joe Dawson (1994), fighting against Kalas (1995) and discovering the secrets of the Methuselah's Stone (1996). It is her relationship with Duncan that ultimately motivates her to leave her life of crime and grudgingly embrace being a law abiding citizen. Even so, Amanda is always willing and perhaps even eager to utilize her skills to benefit friends and loved ones in times of peril, such as in "The Cross of St. Antoine".
Alternative Amanda
Once, when Duncan MacLeod is killed temporarily, he is thrown into another reality where he was never born. In this alternate reality, without Duncan in her life, Amanda never leaves her thieving ways and is a lot more evil than the real Amanda. She is beheaded by The Hunters led by James Horton, who are still active because Duncan never existed and nobody has been able to stop them.Spinoffs
Elizabeth Gracen returned as Amanda as the leading lady in the series spin-off Highlander: The RavenHighlander: The Raven
Highlander: The Raven was a short-lived spin-off from the television series Highlander, continuing the saga of a female Immortal. The series followed the character of Amanda , an Immortal who had a recurring role in Highlander: The Series...
. The show lasted one season in 1998–1999.
While Amanda is being investigated for burglary, a police officer named Claudia Hoffman jumps in front of a bullet meant for her, not knowing she is Immortal. Saddened by Claudia's needless sacrifice, Amanda decides to mend her ways. She meets a pre-Immortal cop, Claudia's partner, Nick Wolfe
Nick Wolfe
Nick Wolfe is a fictional character from the universe of the Highlander: The Raven, portrayed by actor Paul Johansson. He is an Immortal.Nick has an older brother, who was 4 when Nick was adopted...
. He becomes the new man in her life. One day, Nick is poisoned. To save his life, she shoots him to trigger his immortality. When Nick wakes up, he becomes angry with Amanda's decision because it was not her choice to make. He then leaves her.
Personality and relationships
Amanda manipulates friend and foe alike; she does whatever it takes to achieve her goals no matter the obstacle. She lives for centuries without looking back, without allowing herself to be distracted by the consequences of her actions. Yet she rarely steals from moral, ethical people, electing instead to pilfer from banks, museums, private collectors and corporations. Lacking in neither confidence or ambition, she is once compared to a shark by Duncan.Duncan MacLeod
Methos
She also develops an ally in, and a complex relationship with, MethosMethos
Methos is a fictional character from the Highlander universe - the film series, the television show Highlander: The Series, and several fiction books. He is an Immortal. He is portrayed by actor Peter Wingfield in both series and the movies. Methos, as one of the The Four Horsemen, represents...
, the only person who can match her. While Duncan endures her wily schemes, Methos admires her cunning, survivalistic nature. Like squabbling siblings, they share a fondness and respect for each other that stems from having such similar life views and pragmatic characteristics, though neither would verbally admit such a thing. This friendship is strained in "Methuselah's Gift", when masked thugs try to kill Amanda to steal the Methuselah's Stone shard from her. She and Duncan play with the idea of Methos being the mastermind behind the plot since it is no secret Methos needs the crystal shard to cure Alexa, his cancer afflicted lover. Upon realizing Methos is not after her head, she helps Methos try to steal the stone in the Watcher's vault, but Methos gets caught by a renegade Watcher. Amanda negotiates an exchange, her piece of the crystal for Methos' life, but the crystal is broken and plummets into the river, destroying any hope Methos has of using it to cure Alexa.
Kenny
800 years ago, Amanda found a 10-year-old Immortal boy named Kenny and taught him about The Game and how to survive it. Being killed so young, he will forever live as a child, thus learns fast that his main weapon is his seeming innocence. After Amanda is captured by the soldiers who have killed him and his family, he runs away. Amanda survives, but is not able to find him. In 1995, she once again meets him. Kenny, however, is no longer the boy she knew. He betrays her and Duncan to Terence Kincaid, who has a grudge against Duncan. Amanda is heartbroken with the idea that Kenny is not a boy, but more a man in a child's body. She always considered him as a son that she could not have, forgetting that he is an Immortal who has grown up and only wants to win The Game.Derrick Markham
Just like Duncan MacLeod, who has been married only once (as far as is known) in the past, Amanda apparently also married an Immortal named Derrick Markham. They were separated and estranged for 132 years. Amanda betrayed him to the authorities because he was a brutal criminal. In 1999, Amanda defeats him in battle, because he wants to kill Amanda and her friends.Characterization
Executive Producer Bill Panzer thinks Amanda is "a beautiful, funny, international grand thief kind of character, who's crazy mad about MacLeod, but also crazy mad about her own freedom. And when Amanda comes into his life, if he's free, they have a moment. And she generally slips off into the night."Amanda in The Game
With no real interest in winning The Game, Amanda instead focuses on staying alive, and so has minimized the number of duels she fights. When faced with another Immortal, she typically runs or cons her way out or has to be rescued by a friend like Duncan. On occasions where she seeks out a battle, she almost always meets with disaster.During the original series, her swordsmanship appeared to be less-than exceptional, and in fact she was never actually shown winning, even against an unarmed Kalas. Her skills receive a considerable upgrade after she meets Nick Wolfe
Nick Wolfe
Nick Wolfe is a fictional character from the universe of the Highlander: The Raven, portrayed by actor Paul Johansson. He is an Immortal.Nick has an older brother, who was 4 when Nick was adopted...
and decides to redeem her life. Somehow, she suddenly becomes a highly-skilled fighter, winning numerous battles in a relatively short time. Below are the Quickenings seen in the original series and The Raven series:
- Hengist the Saxon1, 853 ("Methuselah's Gift")
- Zachary Blaine2, 1993 ("The Lady and the Tiger")
- Mario Cardoza, 1998 ("Full Disclosure")
- Stefan Collier, 1998 ("Immunity")
- Wilson Geary, 1998 ("Passion Play")
- Crysta, 1998 ("A Matter of Time")
- Andre Korda, 1998 ("The French Connection")
- Frank Brennen, 1999 ("The Rogue")
- Talia Bauer, 1999 ("Inferno")
- Derrick Markham, 1999 ("Love and Death")
- Vladimir Rankov, 1999 ("The Manipulator")
- Dr. Julian Heller3, 1999 ("The Ex-Files")
- Evan Peyton, 1999 ("Dead on Arrival")
1First beheading.
2Duncan MacLeod defeats Blaine, but Amanda beheads him.
3Beheaded by Nick Wolfe.
Watchers
The following is a list of all of Amanda's known WatchersWatcher (Highlander)
Watchers are a secret organization that watches the Immortals in the Highlander: The Series and all subsequent related series and movies.They were introduced in the season 1 finale as a cliffhanger for the following season...
:
| Years | Watcher |
|---|---|
| 850–853 | Melucine |
| 853-?? | Whitread the Tinker |
| ??-1182-1183-?? | Elsbeth of Maldon |
| ??-Sep 1635-?? | Gabriel Sabatini |
| ??-Sep 1753-?? | Nabil al Alem |
| ??-1804-?? | Claus Sieger |
| ??-Oct 1888–?? | Wallace Hammond |
| ??-Mar 1936 | Otto Goff |
| Mar 1936–?? | Gerta Schoernin |
| ??-Dec 1950 | Richard Bryce |
| Apr 1951–?? | Richard Bryce |
| 1969–1970 | Renee Ginsburg |
| 1995 – Mar 1996 | Daniel Geiger |
Highlander: The Series episodes
- "The Lady and the Tiger" *"The Return of Amanda"
- "Legacy"
- "The Cross of St. Antoine"
- "Rite of Passage"
- "Finale"
- "Finale Part 2"
- "Double Eagle"
- "Reunion"
- "The Colonel"
- "Methuselah's Gift" *"The Immortal Cimoli" *"Dramatic License" *"Money No Object"
- "The Stone of Scone" *"Forgive Us Our Trespasses"
- "To Be"
- "Not To Be"
Raven episodes
- "Reborn"
- "Full Disclosure"
- "Bloodlines"
- "Immunity"
- "So Shall Ye Reap"
- "Birthright"
- "Crime and Punishment"
- "The Unknown Soldier"
- "Cloak and Dagger"
- "Passion Play"
- "The Devil You Know"
- "A Matter of Time"
- "The French Connection"
- "The Rogue"
- "Inferno"
- "The Frame"
- "Love and Death"
- "Thick as Thieves"
- "The Manipulator"
- "The Ex-Files"
- "War and Peace"
- "Dead on Arrival"
Books
- White SilenceHighlander: White SilenceHighlander: White Silence is the ninth official Highlander novel based on Highlander: The Series. It was written by Ginjer Buchanan.-Plot introduction:...
- An Evening at Joe'sHighlander: An Evening at Joe'sHighlander: An Evening at Joe's is an anthology written by the cast and crew of Highlander: The Series.-Main characters:*Duncan MacLeod*Richie Ryan*Joe Dawson*Amanda*Methos-Stories:Letters From Viet Nam by Jim Byrnes...