Q is for...

QUEEN
Rock band extraordinaire who provided the soundtrack for the original Highlander movie, and whose track 'Princes of the Universe' is the theme tune for the Highlander TV series. All together now, "Here we are, born to be kings..." Brian May has since expressed his disappointment that neither he nor Michael Kamen were asked to write the music for the second, third (and now fourth) films.

QUICKENING
When an Immortal is beheaded by another, his knowledge and power are transferred to the nearest surviving Immortal - usually the victor. The process looks like a massive electrical storm (and feels like an orgasm, hence its popularity), and can severely damage nearby objects.

R is for...

Alex RAVEN
An Immortal who hails from Dark Age Cumbria (or Cwmbria as she pronounces it). We encounter her in 18th Century Europe, war-torn Poland during the 1940s, and modern-day Paris (F3, 'Sins of the Father'). She was the first of no less than five female Immortals showcased as a potential replacement for Adrian Paul - in the end, nepotism won the day, and Elizabeth Gracen got the gig (see A).

RICHIE RYAN
MacLeod's protege was introduced when he was disturbed trying to steal antiques from Duncan's apartment (A1, 'The Gathering'). Not only does he fulfil American TV's pre-requisite of featuring a streetwise kid, he goes one better when his latent Immortality is triggered a year later when he is 'killed' along with Tess (B4, 'The Darkness'). He eventually left Macleod after his first Quickening (B12, 'Under Cover of Authority'), but returned regularly to his mentor's side. Their last meeting went, um, badly for the kid (E18, 'Archangel'), although he did get to return in an alternate-universe guise in the very last episode (F13, 'Not to Be').