I think... here's the thing. Methos and Grantaire, although both can be shorthanded as "the cynical one", are not actually particularly similar in how they approach cynicism. Grantaire is a sceptic -- he's unconvinced by ANY worldview, including, I would argue, that of the cynic. (At least in the bookverse; I will admit that his Drink With Me verse definitely works to characterize musicalverse Grantaire as a cynic.)
Whereas Methos... I wouldn't go so far as to say he ISN'T a cynic, but -- augh, LAST TIME I HAD IN-DEPTH CONVERSATIONS ABOUT METHOS I HAD RECENTLY WATCHED ALL 20 METHOS EPISODES. That was multiple years ago now! I no longer remember all the details about what makes Methos Methos! Anyways, I don't think he's playing the cynic for the benefit of the idealists he loves. I think he plays the cynic because he wants to be cynical, because he thinks that the idealism that lurks within him is stupid and foolhardy and naive, and he's trying to convince himself of that. And part of convincing himself of that is working on convincing the idealists he loves.
So I think that in Highlander the idealist-cynic tension is fought within Methos, who has contradicting convictions, whereas in Les Mis, Grantaire no convictions at all and the idealist-cynic tension is between Enjolras and the persona that Grantaire wears.
(apparently a bunch of Enjolras/Grantaire slash goes there, with the Grantaire Was Right!!!!! thing. I'm skipping most E/R slash because imo E is ace and I dun wanna read him any other way.)
(do you have recs of good Les Mis fic to read? I'd love to read more!)
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I think... here's the thing. Methos and Grantaire, although both can be shorthanded as "the cynical one", are not actually particularly similar in how they approach cynicism. Grantaire is a sceptic -- he's unconvinced by ANY worldview, including, I would argue, that of the cynic. (At least in the bookverse; I will admit that his Drink With Me verse definitely works to characterize musicalverse Grantaire as a cynic.)
Whereas Methos... I wouldn't go so far as to say he ISN'T a cynic, but -- augh, LAST TIME I HAD IN-DEPTH CONVERSATIONS ABOUT METHOS I HAD RECENTLY WATCHED ALL 20 METHOS EPISODES. That was multiple years ago now! I no longer remember all the details about what makes Methos Methos! Anyways, I don't think he's playing the cynic for the benefit of the idealists he loves. I think he plays the cynic because he wants to be cynical, because he thinks that the idealism that lurks within him is stupid and foolhardy and naive, and he's trying to convince himself of that. And part of convincing himself of that is working on convincing the idealists he loves.
So I think that in Highlander the idealist-cynic tension is fought within Methos, who has contradicting convictions, whereas in Les Mis, Grantaire no convictions at all and the idealist-cynic tension is between Enjolras and the persona that Grantaire wears.
(apparently a bunch of Enjolras/Grantaire slash goes there, with the Grantaire Was Right!!!!! thing. I'm skipping most E/R slash because imo E is ace and I dun wanna read him any other way.)
(do you have recs of good Les Mis fic to read? I'd love to read more!)