 = Tessa Noël = 
 
 Tessa Noël is a fictional character in the television series Highlander : The Series , portrayed by Alexandra Vandernoot . A mortal artist and sculptor , Tessa is the French lover of the protagonist Immortal , Duncan MacLeod , played by Adrian Paul . Tessa is introduced in the pilot episode " The Gathering " , first shown in 1992 , and appears in all subsequent episodes until " The Darkness " ( 1993 ) , the fourth episode of season two , in which she is killed . Vandernoot returned to the program for a number of guest appearances in the season two finale , " Counterfeit " , broadcast in 1994 , and the two @-@ part series conclusion " To Be " / " Not To Be " ( 1998 ) . 
 Tessa is MacLeod 's mortal companion and bears the consequences of his immortality . These include her aging while he does not , the impossibility of having children together and the dangers of MacLeod 's involvement in the Game , an ongoing battle in which all Immortals must behead each other until a single victor remains . Fully aware of this situation , Tessa stays with MacLeod , demonstrating her courage , understanding , generosity and compassion . 
 The first series of Highlander was a multi @-@ national co @-@ production including the French entertainment conglomerate Gaumont , which resulted in a French @-@ speaking actor playing Tessa . Vandernoot had to adapt to the North American , fast @-@ paced method of series production and worked with a dialect coach . Her performance was generally praised by reviewers , who especially praised the strong on @-@ screen relationship that Vandernoot and Paul created between their characters . When Vandernoot decided to leave the show , her character was killed , leading to fierce protests among the show 's audience and subsequently prompted the producers to have Vandernoot play an evil lookalike of Tessa in the episode " Counterfeit " . Despite her return , Tessa 's death influenced the rest of the series , making it more pessimistic , and creating a significant precedent ; Tessa was the first main character of the series to die . 
 
 = = Story arc = = 
 
 Tessa Noël is a central character , who appeared in every episode of the first season of Highlander : The Series , and in the first four episodes of the second . After the character 's death , she later returned for cameo appearances in the episodes " Counterfeit Part Two " in the second season , and " To Be " and " Not To Be " , the sixth season 's final two episodes . 
 
 = = = Background = = = 
 
 Tessa was born on August 28 , 1958 in Lille , France . When she was seven years old , she fell in love for the first time with then @-@ nineteen @-@ year @-@ old Alan Rothwood ( Anthony Head ) . Tessa recalls in " Nowhere To Run " that she was " heartbroken " when he completed his studies and left the country . She remembered that at her first Christmas party in the ballroom of Alan 's house , she " couldn 't believe anything could be so beautiful . " Tessa mentions in " See No Evil " that she was educated at the Sorbonne in Paris , France . 
 Tessa 's first encounter with MacLeod is shown in a flashback sequence in " For Evil 's Sake " . She had recently left the Sorbonne and was working as an artist and conducting tours of the River Seine in Paris . In May 1980 , to escape Immortal Christoph Kuyler ( Peter Howitt ) who was trying to behead him , MacLeod jumped on a Bateau Mouche on which Tessa was working , and charmed her so that he could stay on board . Another flashback scene in the episode " Counterfeit Part Two " shows how MacLeod revealed his immortality to Tessa . On April 1 , 1983 , MacLeod made Tessa shoot him in the chest with a pistol . After he revived , MacLeod revealed himself to be an Immortal who could not age or father children , but did not mention the Game . MacLeod expected Tessa to show disgust or fear , but instead Tessa expressed compassion and sadness for his loneliness . As Tessa remains unaware of the Game , MacLeod occasionally fights other Immortals without her knowledge . 
 
 = = = Season one = = = 
 
 When the series begins , Tessa and MacLeod have been in a relationship for twelve years and are the proprietors of an antiques store , " MacLeod and Noel 's Antiques " , in the fictional city of Seacouver , Washington , United States . Immortals Slan Quince ( Richard Moll ) and Connor MacLeod ( Christopher Lambert ) break into their store , making Tessa aware of the Game . When she learns of this ultimate battle of good and evil , in which Duncan MacLeod must behead or be beheaded , she sarcastically remarks ; " And you didn 't think it was important enough to mention . " When Quince threatens Tessa to distract MacLeod , she first wants to flee with MacLeod , who prepared for her departure and beheads Quince . Aware that other Immortals will challenge MacLeod , Tessa decides to stay with him . They also allow Richie Ryan ( Stan Kirsch ) , a quick @-@ talking petty thief and street punk , to live with them because he was aware of MacLeod 's immortality . 
 In " Eyewitness " ( 1993 ) , Tessa witnesses the brutal murder of former artist Anne Wheeler ( Diana Barrington ) , and reacts angrily when she realizes that the police will do nothing about it , saying : " I 'm not hysterical , I don 't see things , and I 'm not looking for attention . I just want something to be done . " She decides to find the murderer on her own . When MacLeod tells Tessa that she is stronger than Anne , and that if something happened to him she would be fine , Tessa retorts , " You only think so because it suits you . " The murderer is Chief Police Officer Andrew Ballin ( Tom Butler ) who is beheaded by MacLeod after Ballin failed to kill Tessa . 
 In " Band of Brothers " ( 1993 ) , Tessa is chosen as the curator of a traveling exhibition entitled " An historical retrospective on sculpture and form " , which is based in Paris , France . Meanwhile , Immortal Grayson ( James Horan ) is seeking Victor Paulus , a protegee of MacLeod 's friend Darius ( Werner Stocker ) . Tessa decides to leave to Paris before MacLeod fights Grayson and her parting words are : " Remember . Paris is our city . I 'll be waiting for you " . After MacLeod beheads Grayson , he , Tessa and Richie , live in a barge on the Seine near Notre Dame de Paris . 
 In " Avenging Angel " ( 1993 ) , MacLeod and Tessa search for information about newborn Immortal Alfred Cahill ( Martin Kemp ) . Becoming Immortal has made Cahill insane ; he believes he is an angel sent by God to free the world from sin . Cahill starts with the last prostitute he met , Tessa 's old friend , Elaine Trent ( Sandra Nelson ) . Tessa is angry to learn the fate of her intelligent , beautiful friend , but later realizes that she " [ sounds ] like her judge and jury . " MacLeod believes that the only way to stop Cahill is to behead him , despite Tessa 's opinion that " Enlightened societies don 't kill their insane . They treat them . " When Cahill comes to the barge looking for MacLeod and finds Tessa alone , Tessa diverts him by welcoming Cahill as a messenger of God . Later , she tells MacLeod with disgust , " I had to crawl inside his head ... I had to think like him ... I had to become like him . " 
 
 = = = Season two = = = 
 
 The first episode of the second season , " The Watchers " ( 1993 ) , shows Tessa , MacLeod and Richie settling back to their antiques store in Seacouver and meeting the Watchers , a secret society that observes Immortals without interfering . In " The Darkness " ( 1993 ) , Tessa meets a fortune teller named Greta ( Traci Lords ) who urges her to flee the city . This reminds MacLeod of another fortune teller , who , back in 1848 , predicted that he would bury many women , but marries none . MacLeod impulsively asks Tessa to marry him , to which she agrees . The next day , Tessa is abducted by Pallin Wolf ( Andrew Jackson ) , a renegade Watcher who wants to behead MacLeod . In the meantime , MacLeod tells Richie that he is getting married because of the thought of losing Tessa . Tessa holds her ground in front of Wolf and tries to escape , but Wolf brings her back to her cell . MacLeod finally finds them and kills Wolf , then sends Tessa home with Richie . On their way to the car , Tessa and Richie are shot dead by Marc Roszca ( Travis MacDonald ) , a drug addict wanting their money . Richie 's previously unknown immortality is revealed when he returns to life on the spot , but Tessa dies . MacLeod , devastated , leaves their home and sells the antique store . 
 " Eye For An Eye " ( 1993 ) shows the aftermath of Tessa 's death . MacLeod tells Richie , " She was part of our lives , Richie . Never pretend she wasn 't . " MacLeod also advises Richie to get used to her loss , because it " won 't be the last time it happens to you . " Later , while MacLeod trains Richie roughly so that he can face Immortal Annie Devlin ( Sheena Easton ) , Richie angrily tells MacLeod , " You can 't get past it , Mac . I know . You 've seen a lot of people die . But you had to be the hero , you sent us out to the car that night , you could have been there ... You look me in the eyes and you tell me you don 't blame yourself for her death . " Some time later , MacLeod bitterly tells Devlin , " Nothing you do brings anyone back . Once they 're dead ... nothing . " 
 In the two @-@ part finale to series two , " Counterfeit " ( 1994 ) , James Horton ( Peter Hudson ) , a renegade Watcher who believes all Immortals must be eliminated , uses killer Lisa Halle ( Meilani Paul ) to try and kill MacLeod . Lisa undergoes plastic surgery to resemble Tessa and therefore is played by Vandernoot from that point on . MacLeod meets Lisa just after he admitted to himself how much he missed Tessa , and he is stunned by her resemblance with Tessa . Despite knowing that Tessa is dead and cannot return , he eagerly pursues a relationship with Lisa . He eventually admits the truth when he discovers a scar on Lisa 's jaw . Horton kills Lisa on Tessa 's grave before being himself killed by MacLeod . 
 " To Be " and " Not To Be " ( 1998 ) , the series finale , respectively depict MacLeod dreaming of a world in which he was never born . Vandernoot reprises her role as Tessa , this time never having met MacLeod . Tessa leads an unsatisfactory life in which she has a husband and children , but is forced to sacrifice her art and sculpture . In this storyline she has an affair with MacLeod but feels she has betrayed her husband . 
 
 = = Characteristics = = 
 
 
 = = = Relationship with MacLeod = = = 
 
 Tessa , and Kirsch 's character Richie , were designed as MacLeod 's mortal companions and contacts . Tessa and MacLeod are lovers and share deep feelings for each other . Adrian Paul commented that MacLeod spent twelve years with Tessa without wanting another relationship and that " ... she was a very important part of his life " . Vandernoot thought that " ... the relationship between Tessa and MacLeod was very deep because very soon , he told her about himself ( ... ) because he trusted her , and I think trust is a very good definition of their relationship . She trusted him entirely and he trusted her . " Tessa is thus MacLeod 's only mortal lover who knows of his immortality . 
 However , executive producer Bill Panzer was intrigued by the idea that a mortal would want to spend their life with an Immortal , this choice having several drawbacks . MacLeod does not age , while Tessa is mortal and will age . Despite their mutual wish , they know growing old together is impossible and this uneasy thought " ... haunts them both , sometimes more than others . " As an Immortal , MacLeod is also sterile and Tessa resigns herself to having no children . " The Sea Witch " deals with Tessa 's choice and its impact upon her life . In this episode , Tessa becomes very fond of a four @-@ year @-@ old girl and muses ; " For a while there , just for a few hours ... I felt like she was mine . I liked how it felt . But , she 's not ... I have my own life and it 's more than enough . " Panzer commented that " The Sea Witch " " ... brings forth in a very powerful way what exactly [ Tessa ] ' s giving up to be with MacLeod . " 
 Tessa occasionally meets MacLeod 's previous Immortal lovers . In " The Lady and the Tiger " , she immediately dislikes Amanda ( played by Elizabeth Gracen ) and the script notes that " ... sparks fly between the two women " . Although she quickly earns Amanda 's respect , Tessa feels like she has to compete with Amanda , while Amanda comments that Tessa is " ... quite refreshing in a gauche sort of way . " Gracen played Amanda 's interaction with Tessa ambiguously and a little flirtatiously . Tessa is usually jealous of MacLeod 's past lovers , but acknowledges in " Saving Grace " that " ... it would take me several lifetimes to find out everything in Duncan 's past . I know there 've been others , but I never thought I would meet one of them . " 
 In addition , Tessa shares with MacLeod the consequences of his involvement in the Game . She dislikes the Game and would like to escape from it with him , since she fears for his life . According to Vandernoot , Tessa " ... always thought that she [ would ] die before [ MacLeod ] " , but when he told her about the Game during " The Gathering " , " she [ realised ] that he [ could ] be killed " , thus she avoided thinking about it . Another consequence of the Game is that Tessa is sometimes exposed to danger from Immortals who want to use her to pressure MacLeod . Despite being captured by Quince in " The Gathering " , by the time of " Band of Brothers " , she is able to face Grayson : " If you think [ MacLeod ] will stand by , ... you have misjudged him terribly . So you 'd better kill me , now , and be done with it . " Grayson releases her and calls her " ... a remarkable woman , well worth keeping alive . " Consequently , Tessa is fully aware of the risks of their relationship , but stays with MacLeod , explaining in " Eyewitness " that " I know the risks I choose to take ... I stay with you because I want to . I won 't run . I 'm not the little woman and I 'll never be barefoot and pregnant . We all have things to face . This is mine . " However , she finds difficult to deal with her fears when MacLeod leaves to fight another Immortal . 
 
 = = = Character traits = = = 
 
 Vandernoot found Tessa 's personality " ... very nice , " " very understanding , generous , supportive . " MacLeod appreciates that Tessa always has a way of reminding him of his humanity . In " For Evil 's Sake " , she tells a guilt @-@ ridden MacLeod that " You may be Immortal , but you 're not omnipotent ... The world is not your responsibility . " Tessa often jokes about MacLeod 's immortality , for example telling him in " For Tomorrow We Die " that the last time MacLeod " ... wore a tuxedo was on the deck of the Titanic . " 
 Tessa is able to empathise with others , feel as they do , think as they do and so become like them . When MacLeod revealed his immortality to Tessa in " Counterfeit Part Two " , she can show compassion instead of the fear or disgust he expects : " I was just thinking how lonely you must be . Your parents , your friends ... having them all die . " Tessa is a very empathic and understanding character , for example , in " Saving Grace " , she is jealous of MacLeod 's former lover Grace ; however , when MacLeod assures her that he no longer loves Grace , her response is simply that " ... that 's all that need to be said . She 's your friend and she 's been hurt . You 'll help her . I 'd expect you to do no less . " 
 Furthermore , Tessa demonstrates great courage , for example in " Mountain Men " , where she is abducted by three mountain men led by Immortal Caleb Cole , who wants to marry her . Tessa refuses to submit and spreads doubt among them , resulting in Cole finally killing one of his own men before MacLeod rescues her . Reviewer Rob Lineberger of DVDVerdict.com commented that " ... this episode shows the tough stuff Tessa is made of . " Tessa is a very selfless character , although it has , occasionally , been known to put her into rather sticky situations , for example , in the episode " See No Evil " , Tessa 's friend , Natalie , is attacked by serial killer Michael Tanovsky and Tessa uses herself as bait : " Nobody 's watching over his next victim , Duncan ... and she 's going to die if you and I don 't stop him . " Lineberger commented that " [ in " See No Evil " ] , Tessa gets a taste for how Duncan 's life must feel when she faces the killer . " She hits Tanovsky with her car , telling MacLeod " I thought ridding the world of evil would feel better than this . " Panzer comments that having Tessa stop the killer " ... was kind of an unusual idea [ in television in 1992 ] , and this was the subject of a lot of meetings with [ then @-@ supervising producer ] David Abramowitz , myself and the people from the various networks , domestic and foreign , who were involved . " Tessa has a reputation for speaking frankly and for refusing to tolerate any nonsense . In " Innocent Man " , when MacLeod refuses to take her where an evil Immortal is , she says , " I know why you don 't want me there . You 're afraid that what happened to Lucas [ MacLeod 's friend who has just been beheaded ] could happen to you . " Tessa has no self @-@ pity and " ... doesn 't like euphemisms " . For example , in " For Tomorrow We Die " , MacLeod calls her " contrary by nature " Tessa parks her car without regard to interdictions , can drive a speedboat , is a poor chess player and dislikes war . 
 
 = = = Employment and career = = = 
 
 Tessa is a prominent professional artist . She organises exhibitions of her works and sells a metallic sculpture to the City of Seacouver to adorn a park . Tessa is often seen making art works and welding large pieces of metal together , drawing or using modelling clay . She is also seen sketching people with whom she has problems . Tessa believes that " ... an artist should never grow complacent . Change is good , " and fears the Paris art critics because " ... they are the worst " . 
 
 = = Character concept and development = = 
 
 In the script of " The Gathering " , Tessa is described as " ... a beautiful , elegantly casual woman , artist , free spirit , and proprietor of the most unusual antique shop in the city . " The script of the episode " Saving Grace " says that she has grace and style . Tessa is portrayed as a tall , thin woman with blonde hair and blue eyes . Because Highlander : The Series was an international co @-@ production , the producers cast a French @-@ speaking actor to play Tessa . Producer Gary Goodman explained that they wanted someone " ... that would be appealing on a television screen ... in the sense that you were comfortable with her accent and her character " . They chose Belgian actress Alexandra Vandernoot because she " ... was able to be exotic , pretty and not so unfamiliar to an American audience that she was accepted . " 
 Vandernoot recalled , " I think I was quite close to Tessa , she was very well written , very easy to play and I wish I was like that . I 'm not sure I 'd like that but ... it 's very nice , you know , to play a character with nice feelings and nice emotions . " Vandernoot had to adapt to the North American way of filming series and learn to work fast . She said that filming the series was " ... exhausting but formative " , and that filming in English was " challenging " . Vandernoot , who is a native French speaker , had a dialect coach . 
 Vandernoot and Paul created a strong on @-@ screen relationship between their characters . David Abramowitz , creative consultant from the second season onwards , said , " When I saw her and Adrian together , I thought that if I died , and there was a Mount Olympus , that the two of them would be standing together with thunderbolts around them . They were god @-@ like . They were so beautiful and had such presence . " Paul said that he was " detached " from the fictional relationship between Tessa and MacLeod , but that " ... it was a good relationship " . Later , he said he " ... was sad to see it go . " 
 Producer Barry Rosen said , " We were very lucky that [ Vandernoot and Kirsch ] were so human @-@ grounded , so we could really play off of them and the way they looked at things that [ Paul ] went through . They were also able to get into real @-@ life situations , romances , getting in trouble , jealousies and so on . " Although Vandernoot and Kirsch are three years apart in age ( Vandernoot being the older of the two ) , on set Vandernoot treated Kirsch like a young boy , while Kirsch seemed to her like a younger brother because of his youthful appearance . 
 
 = = Death = = 
 
 In 1993 , Vandernoot wanted to leave the show because shooting Highlander was too demanding and required her to spend several months each year in Canada . Vandernoot also wanted to spend more time with her family . According to Abramowitz , a further , artistic , reason was that " ... a small part of [ Vandernoot ] being a really strong actress wanted to play a more aggressive part in the show and sadly , the nature of the beast was that it couldn 't happen and she made a decision . " Panzer said that creating interesting female characters in the Highlander franchise was often a challenge because the producers found it difficult to " ... have the women be something other than a victim , a hostage , other things when [ one is ] dealing with an immortal hero . " Consequently , the creative staff needed to write Tessa out of the show but were restricted because of the character 's strong relationship with MacLeod . Associate Creative Consultant Gillian Horvath said that , " There was no way ... to have a scene where she said , ' Okay , I 'm going to go to Paris without you . Nice knowing you , MacLeod . ' " The writers decided that the only solution was for Tessa to die , despite Abramowitz 's feeling that her death was " ... sad " and " ... heartbreaking " . 
 Tessa 's death occurs in the fourth episode of the second season ; " The Darkness " . The creative staff decided Tessa would die in a random carjacking incident . Tessa 's death played no role in the episode 's main storyline . It was not formulaic ; the writers wanted to shock the audience . Abramowitz said that " ... it would have been easier to kill her off in the episode , " but the writers " ... wanted it to be a surprise and show how shocking [ Tessa 's death ] was to [ them ] . " Horvath said that " ... losing a loved one to a random act of violence isn 't something that only happens to television action heroes or Immortals or people in another type of life , it happens in the real world too- totally unexpectedly , at a moment that makes no sense dramatically . " Tessa 's death scene shows MacLeod kneeling next to Tessa and cuddling her , then Richie reviving and speaking with MacLeod . 
 During the filming of the episode , however , no dialog was recorded . The final version of the episode shown in North America did not show Richie revive . The European version showed Richie reviving , but no dialog was present . This scene was later re @-@ recorded in Paris in 1994 during the filming of the season finale " Counterfeit Part Two " , this time including the dialog . However , this footage was not seen in the final version ; the footage was eventually used in the season four episode " Leader of the Pack " . 
 
 = = = Viewers ' reception = = = 
 
 " The Darkness " had the desired effect ; Lineberger wrote that " I was taken aback by the dark tone and emotional range generated by this episode . Highlander is a fantasy series , yet I cared about the characters as though I know them ... Vandernoot gave Tessa such vitality and charm that her death left me reeling . " Abramowitz said that Tessa 's death strongly angered many viewers , and that " ... people hated me for killing her . " 
 The audience became angrier still when in the following episode , " Eye For An Eye " , MacLeod made love to Immortal Annie Devlin . Abramowitz explained the creative decision of his staff by saying that " ... someone once told me that death was an aphrodisiac . It 's a thing that pushes you to life and the greatest thing in life , that 's ' seize life ' , is sex . " Lineberger wrote in his review of " Eye For An Eye " , " This one caused an uproar — one I feel is justified . [ Abramowitz ] gave a defense ( in my opinion a weak one ) ( ... ) I have a high tolerance for insensitive guy stuff , but this got to me . When Duncan rolled into Annie 's arms , part of me smirked in appreciation of Duncan 's magnetic charm . But the rest of me found his actions cruel to the viewers . " Abramowitz confirmed that " ... the fans hated it . And the women wanted to string me up . I was a ' cad ' and a ' card ' ... " Paul also reported an angry reaction from the audience after the seventh episode , " The Return of Amanda " , in which MacLeod sleeps with Amanda . 
 Tessa 's death was a turning point in Highlander : The Series . It marked the first time that a regular character died in the show ; it would be followed by the deaths of Charlie DeSalvo and Richie Ryan . Horvath recalled that " ... it changed the tone of the show . It made Highlander the show where you couldn 't be positive that the characters were safe because they were in the credits . " Tessa 's death also gave the show a pessimistic tone that influenced the remaining characters . Rosen explained that " ... in the years that followed without her and with [ Kirsch 's character ] becoming Immortal , ( ... ) you had to play the show differently . " Lineberger said that " Richie and Duncan relate to each other differently from now on , and Duncan is bereft of much of his joy [ and ] moodier as well . Tessa is no longer around to lighten him . " 
 
 = = = " Counterfeit " = = = 
 
 Tessa remained extremely popular with the audience after her death , prompting the producers to develop the season two finale episode " Counterfeit " to bring her back . According to Kirsch , Vandernoot did not realize her , or her character 's , popularity before attending conventions . Paul said that Vandernoot was surprised that her character had so much influence on the show and that her return was " ... fun for her to do , especially to play a different character which was similar to Tessa but also had an evil intent to her . " 
 The " Counterfeit " story features the character Lisa undergoing plastic surgery to become Tessa 's double . Lisa was played by Meilani Paul before the surgery and by Vandernoot after it . The producers wondered whether the story needed to explain the change in Lisa 's voice , as she would be played by a different actor . They considered suggesting that her voice changed because of the surgery , then decided that Lisa would have voice training . After her operation , Lisa speaks with Vandernoot 's voice when posing as Tessa , and with Meilani Paul 's voice when the character was not acting . This was achieved using automated dialogue replacement during post @-@ production . 
 Adrian Paul said that Vandernoot portrayed Lisa as a smoker to mark her out as a different character from Tessa . Paul also said that his lovemaking scene with Vandernoot had to reflect the different relationship between MacLeod and Lisa from that between MacLeod and Tessa . According to Paul , Lisa was more like a temptress to MacLeod than was Tessa . According to Panzer , the original script featured Horton sending Lisa to kill MacLeod on the latter 's barge . After reading the draft script , Adrian Paul thought the idea of Lisa trying to kill MacLeod on Tessa 's grave would have a more dramatic effect . 
 
 = = Critical reception = = 
 
 Bill Panzer said that Tessa became popular with the program 's audience . Rob Lineberger called Tessa " ... beautiful and spirited , " and said that " ... she is the perfect mortal foil for MacLeod 's heavy concerns . She lightens and strengthens him . " Reviewer Abbie Bernstein of the Audio Video Revolution website wrote that Tessa was " ... depicted not as a screechy , in @-@ the @-@ dark Lois Lane but rather as a woman who handles her lover ’ s supernatural aspects with remarkable pragmatism . " Berstein added that Tessa was " estimable " and " ... an unusually gutsy love interest ( not to mention a refreshing sexually active heroine , as opposed to the coy ' sexual tension ' -generating females who usually populate the genre ) . " Other reviewers had a more negative opinion . Reviewer Gord Lacey of TVShowsOnDVD.com " ... found it odd that everyone liked Tessa because [ he ] found her rather annoying . " Reviewer Doug Anderson of The Sydney Morning Herald wrote that Tessa was " ... too arty and sympathetic to serve any purpose other than an emotional spur for the hero 's vengeance . " 
 Reviewer David M. Gutierrez , also of DVDVerdict.com , noted the " ... strong on @-@ screen chemistry between Tessa and MacLeod . " So did Lineberger : " One gets the feeling they have been together for years , though the series is fresh out of the box , " and he added , " Together , they are a model couple . They have healthy banter , intense arguments , plenty of romance , and an easy comfort with each other . " Bernstein wrote ; " Paul and Vandernoot are charming separately and together " . Joanne Ostrow of The Denver Post wrote that " Paul and Vandernoot don 't look like typical American TV @-@ style bimbos and hunks , and for good reason . They were cast to appeal internationally . " 
 Discussing Vandernoot 's performance , Lineberger called her a " ... gifted actor " , saying that " ... she has the poise , restraint , and grace to be both sensual and frustrated , accomplished yet vulnerable , mortal but aware of greater concerns . " John Goff of Variety noted that Vandernoot was " attractive " and Anderson called her a " ... Michelle Pfeiffer look @-@ alike . " 
 Reviewing the episode " Counterfeit " , Gutierrez wrote that " ... despite the fact that the having an exact twin of Tessa 's pop up is flatly ludicrous , it plays out due to MacLeod 's desire to have Tessa back overriding his sense of reason . ( ... ) Vandernoot likes the Tessa character quite a bit and gave me the impression she was sad to see her go , " and that she " ... looks like she enjoys playing the good / bad Lisa . Her triple performance as Tessa shows Vandernoot 's range . " Kathie Huddleston of Scifi.com felt that " ... a visit from Tessa in " Counterfeit " , even an evil Tessa look @-@ alike , is a welcome nod to a significant character from the first season , and it gave our boy Duncan a moment or two to reflect on his recent lost love . " 
 
 