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Kristin Gilles was an Immortal who was of Norman French heritage, and a former lover of Duncan MacLeod. In the late 20th century she was the owner of an internationally known modeling agency, though she had a poor reputation with other agencies.
Early Life[]
Gilles was born in Normandy. In her youth, she considered herself the most beautiful and desirable woman on the continent. When she failed to produce an heir for her husband, he murdered her, triggering her Immortality.
Gilles' first teacher was Grace Chandel. Grace taught her how to handle a sword if she needed to, but to avoid fighting if possible because, like most female Immortals, who lack the brute strength of a man, she would have to rely on her beauty and her brains if she was to survive.
It was a lesson Gilles took to heart, and out of context, and used to kill numerous male Immortals by disarming them with her sexuality and ambushing them when they spoke of leaving her. This caused an irreparable rift between her and Grace. Grace sent Gilles away, saddened over what she had become, and in part blaming herself for the monster she created. This was likely a reason as to why Grace stopped taking heads.
MacLeod[]
Gilles in 1659
Gilles was living in 1659 as a wealthy woman in Normandy.
Duncan meets Gilles, 1659
There, she met the young Immortal Duncan MacLeod, who saved her coach from a highwayman. Gilles was fascinated by him and invited him to her home. There, she tried over several months to make him a gentleman: To dress him anew, to teach him fine table manners, etc. with limited success.
She was alluring, but also highly manipulative and possessive; she refused to accept rejection. After months together, MacLeod, feeling constrained, made noises about moving on. She told him he would not leave her.
Increasingly unhappy under Gilles' thumb, MacLeod fell in love with a portraitist Gilles hired to paint him. When MacLeod informed Gilles he was grateful, but ready to move on, she became irrationally furious and threatened him with a sword, but MacLeod defeated her with ease, and he left her, unarmed but alive.
In response, Gilles murdered the young artist, Louise Barton, by drowning her. When MacLeod confronted Gilles, she denied everything, hoping to be able to regain his undivided attention. When she failed, he left her behind.
Gilles' Watcher during this time period was Giselle Dupin.
Return[]
Duncan warns Gilles off, 1995
In 1995, Gilles opened a branch of her agency in Seacouver, a move that put Methos on the next flight there to warn MacLeod of her arrival. The agency itself was simply Gilles' cover and a means to support herself along with attracting potential lovers and victims over the centuries. Among the Watchers, she had gained a dubious reputation as a killer of both Immortals and mortals.
Shortly after the opening of the local agency, Gilles met the young Immortal Richie Ryan at the job interview of his foster sister Maria Alcobar. Gilles hired Maria and then seduced Richie. MacLeod, acting on Methos' information, warned her off Richie, but she refused to back off. MacLeod then warned Richie about her, but to no avail. As Methos put it, "She's got him tingling in places he didn't even know he had."
Gilles lashes out in betrayal
Richie, thinking he had Gilles' ear, asked her for a release for his friend's exclusive contract so she could take a lucrative offer from an agency that would not work with Gilles. When she refused and slapped him down, Richie realized MacLeod was right about her, and told Gilles he was done. When he turned his back on her, she stabbed him. To escape with his head, he was forced to jump out the window of a high rise office.
When he told Mac and Methos how she attacked him, Methos commented that neither he nor MacLeod seemed to get it, dumping Gilles and then turning their backs on her.
Death[]
Gilles, again irrationally furious at rejection, turned on Maria, thinking she must be a rival. She drugged Maria and dropped her in a pool to drown, apparently her preferred method of murder. In this case, however, Duncan and Methos arrived in time to save Maria. MacLeod confronted Gilles and was no longer willing to believe her protestations of innocence. They fought, and he disarmed her, but he again refused to kill her.
As MacLeod walked away, an Immortal unknown to her ordered her to pick up her sword. In response to her "Who the hell are you?" Methos replied, "A man who was born long before the age of chivalry." MacLeod turned his back on them, accepting the necessity of Methos' challenge. The duel was short and to the point, Methos disarmed and beheaded Gilles with brutal efficiency: "Someone had to."
Aftermath[]
Methos' challenge of Gilles was the first for him in 200 years, a streak he broke for the sake of a friend's well being.
Note: The move that Methos uses to disarm Gilles is the same move Duncan used to disarm him in an earlier sparring bout between them in the dojo. It was perhaps a subtle way of telling Duncan, "I can fight, I just choose not to."
Gilles' last Watcher was Veronique Millet. Veronique spent the evening in question outside Richie's apartment because she had heard from the Area Supervisor (who reportedly heard from Watcher, Adam Pierson) that Gilles and Richie were to meet there, and so missed her subject's death and who caused it.
Fighting Style[]
Gilles' weapon of choice was a Western shortsword with a very narrow and thus light blade, fitting with her seductress ambush MO and low combat power.
Trivia[]
- Gilles' behavior fits with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, being charming and generous until she no longer gets what she wants and thinks she deserves. Clinically speaking, the disorder presents as a person who has an unreasonably high sense of self-importance and requires constant, excessive admiration; who feels that they deserve privileges and special treatment, expects to be recognized as superior, expects special favors and for other people to do what they want without questioning them; they have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others, and are envious of others and believe others envy them. They become angry when they don't receive special recognition or treatment, and react with rage or contempt and try to belittle other people to make themselves appear superior.
- Despite Gilles dying at 39, Ann Turkel, who played her, was 49 when she appeared in the show.
- Ann was the ex-stepmother of Jamie Harris, who would play Daniel Gieger in the same season.