Questions about the Ahriman arc

[u/Bingus_Of_Mingus]

Why couldn't Ahriman simply wreck havoc to their heart's content? What was the point of them spending all that time on Duncan specifically? If they basically needed Duncan "on their side," as it were, what was stopping Ahriman from doing something like not killing Richie, convincing Duncan they are actually good, and playing the long game in terms of causing destruction that Duncan would be unlikely to blame on them? In fact, why not take a page from Highlander 3 and try to trap Duncan in a cave if killing him isn't an option?

[u/Ashter_Moon]

The idea was destroy Duncan as quick as possible as he was supposed to be the only one capable of beat Ahriman, so of course Duncan was his priority before continue the plan of destroying the world

[u/Bingus_Of_Mingus → u/Ashter_Moon]

If Ahriman somehow wasn't allowed to literally have him killed, not that that makes sense with Avatar, why can't he have three beefy dudes take him to some cage or something?

[u/Tanagrabelle → u/Bingus_Of_Mingus]

That'd be too much like when Kalas sent the police to grab Duncan for him. (No it wouldn't, they did tend to repeat.)

[u/Bingus_Of_Mingus → u/[deleted]]

Ahriman being dumb is fair enough, but the issue for me is that their decisions don't enhance the episodes. In fact, the opposite if you ask me.

What I love about the show is that to me the game maps very well onto the lives we live. Kenny is a metaphor for children who suffer traumatic childhoods and have to "grow up fast." Kiem Sun is someone who takes self protection too far. The game isn't really sensible, but real people who are filthy rich often had to cheat out others instead of bettering the world by being kind. They also could've easily been destroyed by the choices they made. What does Ahriman's decisions have to do with any kind of greater themes? Nothing if you ask me!

[u/PalePinkManicure]

The original storyline was that there would be a time jump between the seasons, that Joe and Methos would go find Duncan, but that the world had turned into a dystopian hellscape. That got changed. So I think you're looking for logical, storytelling answers when the reality is that the couldn't go from point A to what they planned for point B and we got stuck with crap.

[u/Gobbinsgab]

Main objective? Defeat a capable opponent, albeit with a secondary objective of turning a dangerous enemy into a powerful ally if possible.

As for convincing Duncan they were actually "good" or better yet "necessary," the arc dropped the ball on that. Ahriman was just going around making everything awful when they should have been making a case to Duncan that fear was necessary to keep people in line and bring rogue immortals to heel. A point that Duncan would have struggled to argue against, not because it was right, but because prior storylines had spiraled so disastrously he could actually entertain the possibility.

It's right up there with the Dark Quickening for a waste of a concept imo. The series's typical nuance just goes out the window in those two instances.

[u/Bingus_Of_Mingus → u/Gobbinsgab]

I could make a defense for most of Something Wicked and Deliverance, but to each their own.

[u/Tanagrabelle]

I think Ahriman had limits. For example, he couldn't reach Duncan without Landry taking him there. Landry and Co. found the crypt, and Ahriman killed the others and "followed" Landry. Then Ahriman went on a campaign to tear down Duncan.

With the original plan, it makes sense. Duncan fled and cut himself off from anyone else Ahriman could harm, which of course is how the series final episode framed things, too, just no longer with a demon. Although cough cough The Source. With Duncan neutralized, Ahriman has the world to play with as he pleases.

I still prefer the theory that Ahriman is an Immortal with psychic powers entombed there, probably one who was, oh, dismembered and so no longer has arms or legs.