"The Play's the Thing"

Gabrielle directs a play based on a scroll in this mostly Xena-less ep.

Best: A decent comedy (not written by the usual comedy creeps); Gabrielle's way of love is quickly tested back home in Greece; satire on the show and how fans/critics view it; Minya & Paulina; Zehra & Milo- the cons; various things about the play

Worst: Gabrielle would not have got as upset as she did at times- an out of character thing; i also don't think Gabrielle would cast herself as herself in the play nor would she have been so blind to see that the play on love was way out of character for Xena

Redemption score: 2, mentioned once but i upped it a notch

X&G yin/Yang score: 8.5, the usual even with not a lotta Xena

Diversity score- 6

Greater good comment- Xena arrives in time to capture warlords & cons & the profits go to orphanages

Rating: 8.5

"The Play's the Thing"

Here's what i like about this ep:

1. It was a comedy NOT written by Adam Armus and Nora Kay Foster, the writers responsible for eps about farts, skin rashes, baby poop, etc. They may have written or co-wrote some good eps early on but their writing abilities deteriorated as the show went on. This ep was written by Ashley Gable & Thomas A. Swyden.

2. Gabrielle's way of love gets tested as she faces stoopid Joxer & other stumbling blocks. It was nice of them to start off non-violently but i don't think she would get as upset at times as she did. Still i also don't think hers is the same way of love that Eli has- there has to be hundred or thousands of different ways of love, not just one.

3. The ep and in particular Gabrielle's play can be seen as a satire on how the show appeals or doesn't appeal to fans & critics & passive viewers. The peace & violence aspects especially because of the themes in the India arc. Of course, the themes are just touched upon as it might hurt certain fan-bases to get deeply into discussion in the show, giving a preference to one theme over another or jesting one over the other might shoo away some fans. But at least they touched upon the themes & the satire did seem to work.

4. Good cast: Alison Wall back as common-sense Minya. Jennifer Ward-Lealand & Mark Hadlow as Zehra & Milo the cons trying to get dinars from warlords. Polly Baigent as Paulina whose Xena was athletic but brainless.

5. Several things about the play & the whole "Appian Way" scene were good to very good or else clever. This ranges from character names
(Dustinus Hoofmanus) to warlords who like plays.

more later...

"The Play's the Thing"

Here's what i didn't care about this ep:

1. Gabrielle wouldn't have got so upset about petty things about the play. this was out of character for her.

2. Gabrielle would not have cast herself as herself in the play. She's not that vain! The first chick we saw audition as Gabrielle wasn't too bad.

3. Joxer was an idiot as usual and in the ep too much. Still he has been worse before this ep.

"The Convert"

Xena & Gabrielle meet up with Najara the escaped con while Joxer takes responsibility for death of a warlord.

Best: well, funniest is Gabrielle's smoke compact or baby powder or whatever that stuff was she blew at bad guys; the action was okay this ep & not over the top; some hot chicks were saved

Worst: Return of Najara was disappointing & cliched; Joxer did not kill the warlord- it was Xena who kicked the warlord who landed on a big knife that Joxer just happened to be holding outward like some stoopid kid who plays with scissors; we never learn what happens to Arman at the end after all the trouble of bringing him in the story

Redemption score: 4, mentioned several times or else alluded to

X&G yin/Yang score: 8.5, the usual

Diversity score- 4, not a lot here

Greater good comment- Xena saves novitiates (the hot priestesses), saves Joxer (um maybe not for the greater good) & defeats Najara again

Rating: 6.75 (that's being nice)

i got behind on the ep chat. i will be backies soonage to do more.

more later...

"The Convert"

There were 2 main stories in this ep & both were disappointing or awkward.

Joxer didn't really kill Kryton. He was pushed/thrown by Xena onto the little mini-sword knife thing or maybe he tripped into it- depends on one's interpretation of the scene. Too much was made of it as it was basically an accident.

The return of Najara was basically a rewrite of the debut of Najara. Same preachy stuff, same "hurting Gabrielle is your job", same con on Gabrielle. Only new thing was mentioning Eli but Najara wasn't following his way after Gabrielle showed up. It was back to her own way. i still wish they had written Najara as sincere & not demented.

Neither story was satisfying. Neither was necessary though Najara's return would have potential if they had done something different. That's why this was a weak ep. It really didn't advance the series or change anything for an ep with Najara and Joxer- where for him it wasn't a silly comedy! If Joxer had out & out murdered someone in anger now that might be okay but here it was plain boring.

more later...

"The Convert"

The only other thing worth discussing about this ep beyond the post above is Gabrielle's smoke compact or baking soda puffer or talcum powder projector or whatever.

i still think her way of peace was better when she first started off with the staff but before Xena started throwing guilt on her circa When In Rome. i also think for her to be trying Eli's way of peace she should leave Xena. For her to still be pals with Xena and follow her on her travels contradicts her/Eli's way of peace. The smoke compact can also be looked upon as violence- it certainly would in today's society.

i think TPTB had Gabrielle's Xena Jr fate planned at this point & they were just holding the fort til the next terrible season 5.

"Takes One to Know One"

A bounty hunter is murdered at Cyrene's inn as Xena & friends gather for Gabrielle's birthday.

Best: Discord is hot!; liked the idea of a bounty hunter after Xena; the who-dun-it was okay

Worst: Joxer's stoopid antics; the Clue references were run into the ground; might have been better as a dramedy

Redemption score: 5, because of the bounty hunter mentions

X&G yin/Yang score: 8.5, the usual

Diversity score- 6

Greater good comment- Xena saves most of her pals

Rating: 7

"Takes One to Know One"

Best thing about this ep:



more later...

Special xc Xena-watching Announcement!

Fer anyone readin these posts (and probabababaly laffin at my viewpoints), i am going to start watchin Xena every other weekend instead of every weekend.

Why? ya may ask.

well sadly there's only 3 eps left of S4 & i want to stretch them out

After dat, there's sadly S5 & 6 i promised i'd watch so i rather skip a week so i can get the many bad eps outta my mind while watchin other stuffage.

i reckon it'll be late late late next year before i'm done watchin this round of Xena given holidays.

So there!

"Takes One to Know One"

This wasn't a bad ep, not a great one by any stretch of the imagination but an okay one. it would've been better had it not been so simple. Maybe a drama would've worked better. Maybe a satire instead of a silly comedy. Maybe little to no Joxer or if Joxer had laryngitis or was knocked out for the entire ep.

It's always nice to have Cyrene in an ep cuz she so mysterious and a great actress. Lila is also nice to have in eps tho she was underused here. Minya & Auto were their usual selves- why couldn't they have done some character development for them here?

i liked the idea of a bounty hunter. i got into that next time.

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"Takes One to Know One"

i think havin a bounty hunter after Xena was good but once again TPTB blew it by killin her early. i mean, who put out the bounty and for what crime? That would've made a good story too. Much more than a silly whodunit.

A bounty hunter meets Xena would bring up the redemption issue again. Would Xena surrender herself? Would the crime be an actual dead victim(s) and would it be Xena who's guilty- both these issues were null & void in past eps.

This bounty hunter story could've led into a series finale as well that might match up with the Alti vision. But as always, TPTB copped out.

more later...

"Takes One to Know One"

Giving this a rating of 7 was being nice. Lotta talent wasted. Lotta opportunities for a better story wasted. TPTB took the easy way out instead of giving a basic idea to more talented writers & let them have a go with it.

But waste is the shape of things to come as seasons 5 & 6 approach. Makes me even more glad i decided to skip every other weekend once S5 starts. Hard to watch the sort of crap that Crapert let loose as he just didn't care.

oh well

"Endgame"

Ephiny! Pompey! Amarice! Big boobed Amazons! Caesar! Brutus!

Best: The Brutus-drag; Amarice is a hottie; big boobed Amazons; Pompey loses his head over Xena; Gabrielle lets up on the way of love but not too too much; nice tributes to Ephiny

Worst: "In my tribe..."; death of Ephiny- the best Amazon IMO; Gabrielle's deep voice of "hold the line" was a bit overboard

Redemption score: 1.5, i think it was hinted at a couple times

X&G yin/Yang score: 8.5, the usual

Diversity score- 5

Greater good comment- Xena got the Amazons back in shape, freed the slave Amazons and got the Romans off the Amazon's backs

Rating: 10

"Endgame"

The beginning of this ep introduces Amarice while at the same time kills off Ephiny.

Ephiny was the best Amazon ever IMO, definitely the smartest. As the series went on, the Amazons seemed to get dumber & less interesting. Too bad. But after that 20 yr sleep nonsense, Ephiny would either be too old to fight or had been killed off during the sleep.

i think Ephiny could have defeated Brutus. Not sure why Amarice didn't kill him then & there except for the fact his destiny was to help kill Caesar later. But oh well, the story was served and it went good.

more later...

"Endgame"

i always thought Amarice was hot in a punk/goth way. i can picture her with green hair, a lip piercing and some tattoos (did they have them back then?). Maybe a sheer, fishnet tank-top & frilly high heeled boots. *fans self*

ok, the "in my tribe" stuffage was annoying but that was the writers. i don't see her saying that in character. She had great lines in this ep and the next one.

Too bad they ruined her later on when she falls for Arman in that awful S5 ep. i remember ppl hereabouts compared her to Tara who was more annoying but hot in her own way as the actress who played her was definitely hot. But the two were only similar in that they had some annoying habits.

Anyway, i liked Amarice early on before TPTB ruined her.

"Endgame"

Another actor as Brutus- the final one, too. We knew he'd survive Amarice & the others cuz he's gotta kill Caesar. Right? Well TPTB could've changed history as they are oft to do and have Xena kill Caesar. But the Alti prophecy has to come true. Oh well.

i didn't like the return of Brutus in S5. Especially that he was killed by Gabrielle. That was just terrible. But she was Xena Jr the Xena-bot killing machine by then & the show was in major suckage with no chance of return. Oh well.

more later...

"Endgame"

The scene where Xena was riding Argo into combat against Pompey & his men was awesome. Still, i thought it odd that Xena would take Argo into battle where she could get hurt or killed instead of riding a different horse. Then again, when it comes to the Romans, well, Xena doesn't think straight.

Pompey was an okay character though mostly one-dimensional. They almost could have had a special summer series, "Xena and the Romans", where we get more in-depth characters & stories in this saga. i'm sure they could have done more with Pompey before he lost his head.

The ending with Brutus and Caesar did give an ominous sense of what the near future was gonna hold for Xena who was pushing her luck too much
in her conflict with Caesar. Given the Alti vision i think she should have backed off or maybe backed Pompey to overthrow Caesar by letting him live. But TPTB already had fates written by this time and us long time viewers were bound to get screwed over as much as Crappert was screwing his wife.

oh well.

"The Ides of March"

Xena & Gabrielle are crucified while Caesar gets stabbed by Brutus & the senators.

Best: Xena & Gabrielle getting crucified- best way to have ended the show; Caesar gets stabbed; Amarice (hot!) vs Eli

Worst: Gabrielle becomes mass murderess; Callisto in hell instead of tartarus; Xena ignores all of Callisto's ways of avoiding her & Gabrielle's doom

Redemption score: 3.5, it was an underlying theme

X&G yin/Yang score: 6, the mass murder scene brought it down

Diversity score- 6.5

Greater good comment- Xena saved Eli, Amarice & the others from the prison

Rating: 7.5 -could be higher, could be lower

"The Ides of March"

Callisto. Why can't they keep this character killed off? *sigh*

Why was Callisto in hell instead of tartarus? Did she get traded in a poker game between Hades & Satan? Was she sent there on bad behavior? i think it matters cause she plays an important role in the story and they never tell us why the hell she's in hell instead of tartarus.

Callisto gets Caesar to put a bounty on Xena. We see at least one Xena head in a bag. How many Xena lookalikes were there?

Callisto can't get Xena to accept her offer (more on that later). So she disobeys her "master"'s order of not hurting Xena physically, just spiritually.

Callisto basically moved the story along but it could have done so better without her, imo.

more later...

"The Ides of March"

Xena. i think she was sometimes out of character here, they had her written in the way that matched this ep being the season drama finale.

Caesar had put a bounty on Xena, thanks to Callisto (unknown to Xena). Xena dismisses the Alti vision by thinking that if she goes to Rome alone to kill Caesar that the vision won't come true. But an in-character Xena would realize she doesn't know the details leading up to the vision so that her & Gabrielle being apart doesn't mean the vision won't occur. She should avoid Romans at all cost but no, she heads off into the lion's den. Dumb & out of character.

As is her not realizing that a 6 mil dinar bounty is nothing but a trap. A trap she knows she would have little problem getting out of under normal circumstances. That should have tipped her off even without knowing of Callisto's involvement but no. Dumb & out of character again.

In Rome, Xena's assassination plot fails, thanks to Callisto. After she escapes, her & Callisto have a discussion. Callisto tells her about being in hell, the boss there interested in Caesar, confirms Caesar plans to declare himself emperor, that Brutus will be sent to Gaul, that Gabrielle is in Roman hands, and that the boss wants a deal with Xena which Xena doesn't listen to.

Somehow Xena runs into Brutus and finds out that Callisto was right that Gabrielle was captured by the Romans. She is in prison at Mt. Amaro where Brutus confirms it's snowing as in the vision. So- Xena knows Callisto has told the truth thus far and that her going to Mt. Amaro will even more so bring about the vision's fate so what does she do? She heads to Mt. Amaro- no chakram (lost that to Callisto) and no backing help (is she too proud to get some when things look this bleak?). Dumb & out of character again & again.

Here are 2 chats with Callisto once Xena reaches the prison area:

quote:

Callisto: "I just keep coming back. In that way, I'm more dependable than your chakram. My lord sees everything, Xena-- and you don't have to go through with this. I can arrange it for you and Gabrielle and all her peaceful little friends-- to just walk out of here-- and no one gets hurt. And you and Gabrielle can live happily ever after."

Xena: "What's the catch?"

Callisto: "Well, there is one little thing. You have to drop your sword-- and join Gabrielle-- in fulfilling a life of loving kindness."

Xena: "I'm still not interested."

Callisto: "That's because you haven't heard it all, yet. I'm offering you complete serenity."

Xena: "Go on."

Callisto: "There's a reason you can't allow you and your partner peace. It's your guilt-- it motivates everything you do-- torments you. Invite me into your soul-- and I can purge you of that guilt. I can cleanse you of that shame-- that-- drives you. I can give you peace if you let me. What's it gonna be, Xena? Serenity and happiness-- or another ride in that wagon with your friend, Gabrielle? [Whispers] Think of your vision."

Xena: "You're trying to tempt me from my way by offering me peace."

Callisto: "In a nutshell."

Xena: "That guilt you're depending on-- I put it all behind me. You see, I know now what I have to do. I have to be the best warrior I can be. To redeem myself, I have to fight evil with a sword-- and that's what I'm gonna do no-- matter what the consequences."

Callisto: "Damn!"

And:

quote:

Callisto: "All right, let's keep it simple. I keep the vision from coming true-- and you leave Caesar alone."

Xena doesn't reply

Callisto: "OK, Xena-- you had your chance.

After the first offer above, Xena could have said okay and later used her wits to get out of it. With Caesar out of the way- which no one knew was going to happen though Xena should have had more faith in Brutus- the Roman threat should have subsided. It would have been great seeing Xena use her skills in getting out the deal with Callisto's master.

But no. The second offer was even easier! Avoid killing Caesar! Doesn't mean she had to stop being a warrior. Dumb & out of character again & again to the max! If this weren't a near-season ender and a major series change on the way then maybe they would not have had Xena so outta wack. She should have known that with Callisto there that the prison escape would be foiled. After all, Callisto had powers & the chakram.

So Xena gets her spine broke & drags Gabrielle into another off character moment (more on this later) & the 2 end up just as the Alti vision showed since the first of the season. Would have been more brave to have had them foil the vision but guess that's too creative for TPTB.

more later...

"The Ides of March"

Gabrielle. Also out of character though she does ask Xena not to kill Caesar. Still she doesn't see the trap for what it is.

For most of the ep she is in her way of love phase which is fine by me. She covers Amarice when Amarice almost gets run through by Brutus' men in the prison.

But then the bad stuff happens after Xena gets her spine broke by the chakram. Why doesn't Gabrielle cover Xena likewise? The soldier probably wouldn't killed either for fear of disobeying orders- he probably knew that the gals were to be crucified-alive. Her going on a vicious killing spree was way out of character especially since she should have known her & Xena were doomed. The idiot should have realized the vision was coming true once she saw the crosses and the snow.

And how does peaceful Gabrielle who was not only out of practice with a staff but only little practice with a sword be able to kill several Roman soldiers? Only in a fantasy. It would have been more realistic if she was run through with a sword or javelin. Her killing spree really undermined the whole spiritual quest of S4, She tells Xena she chose the way of friendship at the end. Really? Would anyone viciously kill that way for their pals? i wouldn't.

That there was no remorse for what she did made it even more out of character. No reflection on her continuing the cycle of violence and hatred. That is so un-Gabrielle like. But as we know, her days as herself have ended and the Xena Jr/Xena-bot/mindless Gabrielle thing have begun.

How does a killing machine make it onward in the supposed karmic cycle? More on that next time.

more later...

"The Ides of March"

Lemme see if i got this right:

Callisto's new master is interested in Xena. According to the fellow in Hell with Callisto, the master "thought he had in his grasp-- but now he's-- not so sure." And as for where Xena would end up after death- "Probably-- not paradise. Most likely, she'll be born-- higher up the karmic ladder."

Okee, so we later see X&G in Heaven or the gateway to Heaven or wherever. Clearly it's Christianity-based paradise as there are angels and specifically the arch-angel Michael, assuming he's the same New Testament angel.

But Christianity does not preach "higher up the karmic ladder" stuff. So the after-world biz going on in these eps gets even more confuzzled which is par for TPTB, i guess.

And how does mass murderer Gabrielle wind up in Heaven or any paradise or even "higher up the karmic ladder"? Whatever happened to thou shalt not kill? Then ya got Xena whose way of the warrior extends beyond wars. Now in wars, combat, Xena as a soldier might have an excuse for killing as a warrior but she often exceeds those limits. Sure it may be for the greater good but are those always times where she should have killed instead of wounded? Nope.

Callisto wondered why Xena cooked her family, destroyed her life and she ends up in Hell while Xena gets another shot at life. Well never mind that Callisto i believe to be evil even before Xena, but yeah, Xena still should end up in Hell. All the nice deeds & life saving heroics are great but can you really say they make up for all her killing? No. Redemption of her kind to attempt can never be met. It's not just unfair to Callisto- evil or not- but to the memory of all those she killed and their families.

And the way the series ended with Xena committing suicide to redeem a village fire that really was not her fault is even more a slap in the face to those she killed in cold blood and their families. Crapert & Co just don't get it. They probably side with real life murderers over their victims as well!

more later...

"The Ides of March"

How to improve on this ep?

1. Xena sees writing on the wall- avoid Rome and Romans. Her & Gabrielle take a boat & "discover" America- after the Native Americans, of course.

2. Xena knows saving Gabrielle will bring about the vision. So she asks friends Amazons, King Gregor, Meleager the Mighty, Cecrops, etc to save her. It works.

3. Xena takes Callisto up on either of her offers & then has to use her wits to get out of the deal.

4. Gabrielle covers Xena instead of becoming mass murderer. Either a) her & Xena are run thru by soldier with sword or b) crucified anyhoo or c) rescued by unexpected 4th party such as Hades or even Alti

5. The chakram thrown by Callisto kills Xena who winds up in Hell. Brutus later frees Gabrielle.

6. The chakram misses Xena but hits Rob Crapert and kills him and the show gets willed off to xenacrazed. ha ha

7. After they're crucified, Xena & Gabrielle wake up- realizing all of season 4 was a dream- and they're back in Dahak's temple where Xena is about to kill Hope again til Gabrielle takes Hope and jumps in the lava pit with her- again!

oh well.

"Deja Vu All Over Again"

Harry, Mattie & Annie discover their past lives as Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer.

Best: i like the past lives premise; nice light ep; good ending; Renee hot as a brunette

Worst: Cut back on the clips & give more story; how did anyone think Harry was a woman as Xena vigilante?

Redemption score: 1, nothing really but...

X&G yin/Yang score: 6, low because it wasn't really Xena & Gabrielle

Diversity score- 5

Greater good comment- Xena vigilante and Xena/Harry saving the others from the bomb

Rating: 9