Nearly 350 years ago, MacLeod was the devoted lover of Kristin Gilles, a beautiful Immortal who taught him to be a gentleman. When he found another love, Kristin refused to let him go, killing his new lover. Now Kristin is sharing her bed with another new Immortal full of potential — Richie. Methos, who knows MacLeod has never been able to kill Kristin because of his strict code of honor, has arrived in town to watch the fireworks as MacLeod tries to convince Richie that his new-found love is dangerous.

An ancient statue of the Hindu goddess Kali is purchased by the university where MacLeod teaches and is put on display. Its creator, Immortal Kamir, who has been searching for it for centuries, arrives determined to take it back to its' home in India. Deva Ennis, the half-Indian department chairman who found the piece for the university, is equally determined to keep it. MacLeod, who has known Kamir since the Raj period, when India was controlled by the British Empire, knows Kamir is the last of the Thugee, a cult who worshipped Kali by ritually strangling her enemies.

Coming home from the movies, MacLeod and Richie witness a murder attempt on grocer David Markum. MacLeod saves Markum, but Markum's wife Alice is hit and killed. MacLeod and Richie go after the murderer and discover he's Immortal Paul Kinman just as the police arrive and arrest him. MacLeod wants Kinman's head. Kinman killed MacLeod's good friend Dennis Keating when they were in the court of Queen Anne. FBI agent Kaayla Brooks asks MacLeod and Richie if they can testify against Kinman, but MacLeod refuses because he can't kill Kinman if Kinman's in jail.