From: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org (chakram-refugees-digest) To: chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Subject: chakram-refugees-digest V2 #290 Reply-To: chakram-refugees@smoe.org Sender: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk chakram-refugees-digest Tuesday, October 22 2002 Volume 02 : Number 290 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [chakram-refugees] [XenaLive] From Today's Sun-Times (fwd) [Sarah Anne Pa] [chakram-refugees] <> ["Cheryl Ande" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 15:53:25 -0400 (EDT) From: Sarah Anne Packard Subject: [chakram-refugees] [XenaLive] From Today's Sun-Times (fwd) Just thought I'd pass this good news tidbit on, as it involves Alexandra Billings, who played Warrior Xena in the first installment of "Xena Live!" in Chicago as well as Androgyny in "Xena Live 2"! :) She is an amazing woman. -Sarah, aka the abbagirl- - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Subject: [XenaLive] From Today's Sun-Times LOCAL LIGHT: Chicago's own Alexandra Billings had to cancel her Oct. 28 "The Live CD Event" to head to Hollywood to co-star in the new ABC-TV movie "Romy and Michelle: Behind the Velvet Rope," a prequel to the popular big-screen high school reunion flick, starring Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino. The telepic starts when the girls are still teenagers. Billings will play the role of "Donna," a rich transsexual. After filming finishes in mid-November, Billings heads back here to start rehearsals for "Pirates of Penzance" at Evanston's Light Opera Theater Company. ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 20:12:55 -0400 From: "Cheryl Ande" Subject: [chakram-refugees] <> @ @ @ @ @@ I like this episode very much however I think it would have played better as a two parter. This episode is actually four different character studies and it was just too much to jam into 45 minutes. Some essential plot points were lost. Anyway we introduce two recurring themes for the rest of seasons 5 and 6. First is the twilight of the gods and the part Eli's message will eventually play in this. Also we see Gabrielle's continuing struggle with her warrior path. We also begin to see a subtle change in Xena as she begins to realize that the path of the warrior may not be the solution to all problems. The story begins with a dispute in a tavern among followers of Eli who are urging the people to abandon the gods and those who a fearful about this. Just the argument is about to get violent Xena intervenes but Gabrielle initiates a brawl when she attacks an innocent man mistaking his action as a threat. After order is restored Xena angrily shows Gabrielle her error and Gabby is very defensive. Ares now chooses to pop in. He is surprised to see Xena's condition but he is more concerned about the new philosophy being taught. Xena immediately realizes that Ares is afraid - afraid that this new teaching will herald the end of the gods. Xena and Gabrielle now go to meet up with Eli but the two women are upset with each other. Xena is concerned that Gabrielle is now too quick to fight and Gabrielle is resentful that the woman who was always so quick to fight is now critical of her. Xena admits that she has changed in that regard but Gabrielle will not be mollified. In the village Eli is now preaching open rebellion against the gods - Ares temple has been sacked and his priest (an unimpressive specimen in a funny hat) goes off to report to Ares. Xena, Gabrielle, and Eli have a joyful reunion and while Gabrielle is alone with Eli she confesses that she is confused. In her heart wants to believe that Eli is right, love is the way, but her head says that sometimes you must fight. Eli gives her as much comfort as her can but they are interrupted by Ares who threatens Eli and his followers. Xena on hearing of the threats immediately goes off to confront Ares army which is coming to attack the village. Gabrielle is left behind to safeguard Eli. As Xena prepares to fight Ares's army she is visited by Callisto who asks Xena to allow Eli to handle things his own way. Xena says that his way will get him and his followers killed and off she goes to stop Ares's army. Eli however is having his own spiritual crisis. He must now chose either to have Gabrielle and Xena defend him with violence or confront Ares himself and face death. Eli now has his Gethsemane. Confronted with the Angel Callisto he confesses that he is afraid. Callisto tells him that his fear is good - that it is fear that sets him apart from the gods. The gods have no fear and therefore no love - without the fear of lost we can't love. Love is what leads us to sacrifice for others but sacrifice is meaningless without the fear that must be overcome. She tells him that he is the hammer that will bring down the Greek gods. Eli is now resolved to face Ares and his death. In the square Eli and Gabrielle are again confronted by Ares. Ares taunts Eli, he says that warriors have always shaped history and that Eli's way is false. As he prepares to strike at Eli, Gabrielle pulls her sais and defends Eli twice. Eli however pulls Gabrielle aside and begs her to stop fighting - that defending him with violence only reinforces Ares message that violence is the answer. She must let him handle things his way for "the greater good". Gabrielle tearfully lets Eli confront Ares and he is murdered in cold blood. Gabrielle is devastated - he friend is dead and she is guilty. Once again her belief in the way of love has brought disaster to someone she loves. Xena compounds the problem when trying to comfort Gabrielle she asks if she defended Eli when Gabby can't answer her, Xena is incensed. Gabrielle tries to explain that she did what Eli asked her to do but Xena will have done of it. She says that people like Eli can't exist unless people like her and Gabrielle defend them. Then, Gabrielle shouts, Ares is right the future is molded by warriors and she storms off. Xena is shocked - is it possible that she and Ares share the same world view? Gabrielle now goes off to grieve by attacking a tree (grief-stricken Gabrielle is very hard on trees). Ares however interrupts her. Although she is furious with him and attacks, Ares is not upset with her instead he seems impressed. He tells her that she doesn't actually believe in the way of love that she knows in her heart that might makes right even when wrong. Then he shows what godlike power is and as it courses through her body he offers her that power. Is Gabrielle finally seduced by Ares? It appears so. When she goes to mourn at Eli's shrine where his ashes are she appears ready to follow Ares. She can't understand how Eli has allowed himself to killed. His path has lead only to an urn of ashes. She asks his understanding and then declares that she will stand with Ares. Meanwhile Xena is too trying to cope with Eli's death and not doing a great job either. At Eli's funeral pyre she is visited by Callisto and Xena accuses Callisto of getting Eli killed. Callisto says that things are working out the way they must and Eli will be reincarnated into a new body. Xena is not pleased - she liked Eli's old body just fine. Still Callisto tries to reason with Xena but Xena is bent on revenge and demands that Callisto show her where the Dagger of Helios is. This dagger can kill a god. Callisto at first will not take Xena there but finally relents. Xena is shown the dagger but Callisto says that if Xena kills Ares Eli's sacrifice will be meaningless but Xena is determined to have revenge. Back at the village square Ares is gloating over his apparent victory over Eli. He is threatening Eli's followers but they will not listen to him. Just as he is about to order their slaughter, Gabrielle arrives. Ares says that he doesn't have time for her but they will continue their lessons later (there is a missing scene here where Ares actually does teach Gabrielle). Gabrielle however astounds Ares when she attacks him. He thought she had abandon Xena and her ideals and Gabrielle says she would never abandon Xena for him and she urges the people to fight for their beliefs. I think the implication here is that Gabrielle had a plan to use Ares's training against him. Indeed she does fight Ares and when she is thrown off the platform she is able to disarm Ares and now turns his weapon against him . Ares with distain says that Gabrielle will always be a goody-two shoes but Gabrielle answers: "Yeah, but with a really big sword." They fight in earnest (the priest with the big hat is killed in passing - Ares didn't seem to notice or care that his priest is dead) and Gabrielle is defeated. Gabrielle has tried to use Ares violence against him but has lost. Just Ares is about to lop off her head, Xena arrives. Xena breaks Ares sword but Ares is unimpressed when she pulls a dagger on him. He quickly becomes quit impressed when he finds out it is the Dagger of Helios. Xena now has War at her mercy but then reflected in the blade is the image of Eli and she remembers that he stands for a new way of doing things and that he wants the cycle of violence to end. Xena realizes that even if she kills Ares he wins because she has shown that violence is the answer. Xena throws down her weapon. Eli and his way has won the day. Even as Ares threatens Xena with the dagger she says that her death will only strengthen Eli's cause. Ares is now defeated and leaves. As Gabrielle and Xena are reconciled, to the amazement of all, Eli and Angel Callisto appear. Eli says how proud he is of Gabrielle and Callisto reveals that she has given Xena her child to make up for all she has taken from Xena. Callisto's spirit will be reborn in Xena's child and Xena now says she too will have a chance to make up for all she has taken from Callisto. The episode has very interesting themes. The idea here is that Eli's martyrdom is essential to defeat the gods. I have never quite understood how this is suppose to work out. Eli is dead and for all intents and purposes Ares has won. I think however Eli is actually demonstrating the weakness of the gods. He says that without worshippers the gods are dead. Indeed Ares shows that he is right because if he wasn't, Ares wouldn't be so frightened of him. Eli is preaching that the people don't need gods - they can determine their own future (Eli never ever preaches about another god taking the gods' place). Ares by his actions demonstrates that Eli is right. Ares has the power to kill but he can't force the people to worship him and with out that he is as good as dead. Everyone defies him in this episode - Eli faces death with more courage than Ares when he is confronted by Dagger Of Helios, Gabrielle rejects him, and Xena with power to kill him spares him out contempt. Even Eli's followers will not be cowed by him. Ares has accomplished nothing - Eli is dead but his movement is alive. He hasn't even killed Eli - in the end Eli appears to his friends and followers in a new form - - his love has given him another kind of life. Ares has killed his body but his spirit goes on - Ares has no power over the human spirit. This is what Eli's followers have learned - Ares is not all powerful - he cannot kill a loving heart. I also like how Xena and Gabrielle are portrayed here. I think they act very much in character. Xena although now less inclined to violence still has a hard time believing that the answer to evil is not just a good knock down fight. She also bound and determined to protect everyone she can, even if they don't want her too. Xena is and always will be a commander - she decides on a course action and will follow through despite all objections. When Xena is convinced in her own mind that some one she cares about is wrong she will over-ride their judgment in a heartbeat if she believes it will save them. Gabrielle is very different One the things that annoy people about Gabrielle is that she never listens to Xena when she tells her do something. Indeed here Gabrielle again doesn't do what Xena tells her to do - she doesn't protect Eli from Ares. I think the real reason that Gabrielle often doesn't do as she is told is that she has a real sense of her own free will. As much as loves and respects Xena she will follow her own conscious. She also gives this freedom to others - when Eli asks her to stand aside she does - not because she is foolish but because she can't deny him his free will (this is why she didn't dump those ashes in the well in FIN). Gabrielle cannot not put her will above another. If Xena cannot stop herself from trying to control other's destinies then Gabrielle can't stop herself from allowing others to control their own destiny. Neither person is right or wrong in this - - Xena suffers when she can't protect people she loves because she takes their fate on her shoulders - Gabrielle also suffers when people she loves are hurt because she has allowed them the freedom to be hurt. Now on a lighter note some great lines: Ares on seeing a pregnant Xena: I didn't know you were in the market of a father Xena: I'm not Ares: Well some one got the job. Who's the father/ Xena (deadpan): Gabrielle Ares (off of Gabrielle's smirk): I would have paid to see that! Xena on being rushed by a group of Ares soldiers: "Am I getting too old for this?" She answers herself gleefully: "NAH!" Well this it for this week I think. I had a busy weekend and only saw one episode. If I get bored with TV there might be another episode later on in the week. CherylA Trivia note: In the movie About A Boy it is this episode that Hugh Grant is watching. ========================================================= This has been a message to the chakram-refugees list. To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe chakram-refugees" in the message body. Contact meth@smoe.org with any questions or problems. ========================================================= ------------------------------ End of chakram-refugees-digest V2 #290 **************************************