The episode features no other immortals except Duncan MacLeod. The villains are mortal humans, and the focus is on providing origin stories for both Duncan and Richie Ryan. They both are children of obscure origins, who were eventually adopted.
The second flashback of this episode depicts Duncan confronting his father Ian MacLeod and learning that he is adopted. The scene takes place c. 1623.
The first flashback of this episode depicts the first death of Duncan MacLeod, c. 1622. "Mortal" Duncan is killed in a fight and revives as an immortal. His family and clan believe his recovery to be the work of demons and cast him out.
Matthew Walker first plays Ian MacLeod, the adoptive father of Duncan, in a scene set in 17th-century Scotland. The actor would reprise his role in the episodes "Homeland" and "Prophecy".