From: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org (chakram-refugees-digest) To: chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Subject: chakram-refugees-digest V2 #351 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, December 24 2002 Volume 02 : Number 351 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [chakram-refugees] Who wrote the scrolls? [IfeRae@aol.com] [chakram-refugees] The Callisto Scrolls (was Re:Who wrote the scrolls?) [] Re: [chakram-refugees] <> [cr ] Re: [chakram-refugees] Re: chakram-refugees-digest V2 #349 [cr ] Re: [chakram-refugees] Flirty Xena [KTL ] [chakram-refugees] OT Sais in Movies ["Ribaud, Lynn" ] Re: [chakram-refugees] Flirty Xena [KTL ] Re: [chakram-refugees] <> [cr ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 00:43:13 EST From: IfeRae@aol.com Subject: Re: [chakram-refugees] Who wrote the scrolls? In a message dated 12/23/2002 7:59:39 PM Central Standard Time, cr@orcon.net.nz writes: > > I hate Xena. She must be destroyed. > > > > ________________________________________________ > > > > > > KT > > Very interesting. I approve. All except the poor rat, that was quite > unnecessarily cruel. :( > But sooooo Callisto. Remember the rat she named Hercules (Intimate Strangers?). It didn't fare much better. KT sure has an uncanny knack for getting into Cally's head. Scary, huh? - -- Ife ========================================================= 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: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 00:43:09 EST From: IfeRae@aol.com Subject: [chakram-refugees] The Callisto Scrolls (was Re:Who wrote the scrolls?) In a message dated 12/23/2002 2:26:35 PM Central Standard Time, fsktl@aurora.uaf.edu writes: > Callisto's diary: > > Today, one of the guards came in by himself to try to get me to "have a > little fun with me, baby". Looking at his dead body lying on the floor, I > realized that if I skinned him I could make some parchment and use his > blood as ink and so write down my tumultuous thoughts. I was pondering on > what to use to write with when a rat ran by. I grabbed him, tied him up > tightly with the guards boot laces and pulled out his little claws, > sloooowly, one by one to use as quill tips. I'm all set now. > > I hate Xena. She must be destoyed. > _______________________________________________ I've been thinking about that time I had my sword on Xena, when she stupidly turned her back on me to save that little girl. How I stroked the metal against her cheek. That was a defining moment for me. I had all the power, her life in my hands, and for once she was helpless to stop me. I could've killed her then. Or least scarred that pretty face. But I discovered how much fun it was toying with her. You can only stab somebody so many times before you can't see the new holes anymore. Putting nicks in her reputation, her loved ones -- I could do that forever. But I'm not, am I? No, I'm sitting in this stinking cell -- What is that smell anyway? Oh, yeah, the stuck pig I'm using as a seat -- fantasizing about what I'd like to do to Warrior Sappy. Writing about it with rat's claw. Killing her definitely would've been more fun than this. What was I thinking? I hate Xena. She must be destroyed. - -- IQ ========================================================= 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: Wed, 25 Dec 2002 01:09:06 +1300 From: cr Subject: Re: [chakram-refugees] <> On Tuesday 24 December 2002 12:44, Cheryl Ande wrote: > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "cr" > > " I assumed that this was 'some time later' and Eve had travelled overseas, > tracked by Xena and Gabs. Is there any evidence that this isn't so? > Admittedly, Eve has plenty of scratches on her face still - are they from > the fight with Xena?" > > You are probably right since even the gods now see her as "babbling idiot" > so some time has passed. However one does wonder how someone as distraught > as Eve is managed to find passage on a ship so she could wander the desert. > You can wander the Italian countryside much more easily. I don't think Eve was a babbling idiot all the time. Maybe she just wanted to get away from Italy, and I guess (assuming she had some money stashed somewhere) that a ships captain would take her money as readily as anyone else's. > > " I *knew* it was going to be a good ep when I saw that scene on Olympus. > > > I loved the sniffy look Alecto gave Ares. And that lovely little > > exchange > > > between Aphrodite and Athena: > > APHRODITE (whispers) Can we leave the bard out of this? > > ATHENA Do you have a soft spot for Gabrielle? > > APHRODITE (defensively) She's my friend. > > ATHENA Oh-h-h-h, well. Then don't watch." > > Alecto is a high point for me. She is always so crazed that she is fun to > watch. Yes, always. I think every ep the Furies have appeared in - which is only three, IIRC - they've been good value. I think any more would have been over-exposure, though. > > "Actually, I thought that when the woman asked if that was Xena, she was > > > suddenly going to attack them on the grounds that Xena had killed her > > family > > > long ago yadda yadda.... " > > I wondered about that too but it was nice to meet someone who actually > admires Xena and sees her as a hero and not a villain. So actually Xena > now has a repretation as hero after 25 years and is no longer thought of as > a warlord. Yes, that does make a nice change. > " I really get squeamish about these Biblical parallels... but more of that > later..." > > Yeah after the Hindu thing I got nervous about the Christian parralls too. > That was one the reasons I never referred to the Baptist as John the > Baptist (that's what is called on the Whoosh site) besides the fact his > name is never mentioned. I thought it was too close to the Bible. Yes, in the ep he was just called 'The Baptist'. Still a bit too close for my liking. > > > " EVE I should die for my deeds. > BAPTIST You're right. [I thought - here it comes... ] > ... You must die [and this is where I was *sure* he was going to pull > out > a knife} > .... to the things of the flesh (puts water on her head) and be reborn > (puts > water on her head) to the way of love. > [Waaah! Renpics - yah got me fair and square with that one, you > bastards! Love it! :)" > > I never thought of him as an assasin but you are right the set-up is there. He even *looked* like a fanatical assassin, I thought. > " [And I thought, 'Aaaaagh! Oh my gods, Xena isn't gonna be baptised is > she? > I can't stand this!' And ya know what, they got me *again*! Do I > love > those tricky sons of bacchae! 8-)" > > Nope Xena will never be baptised since she has a distrust of all religions. I knew that, I was just afraid TPTB were going to throw all that overboard. Fortunately they didn't. Still, I find it a little odd that Xena should want Eve to be baptised into a religion. > > " Well, almost every moment is good. Virgil inspires me the same way > Perdycorpse does. Anyone notice a certain similarity in appearance > between Virg and Perdy?" > > Well I didn't mention this but Virgil's hug when saying good-by to Gabby > seemed more like he was gropping her than a tender farewell to a friend. > Then there was the surprising kissing noises he was making to the horse but > seemed to be directed at Gabby. Hmmm, I always *knew* Virgil was a bit peculiar :) > > Actually I was very disturbed by the number of people who wrote that Xena > should have put Gabby ahead of Eve. _ Personally found it shocking but > perhaps this explains why so many people seem to stand around while their > lovers or spouses beat their kids. There was a poll recently that a rather > large percentage of people would put their spouses ahead of their children > which surprised me. Now no mention was made if the children were grown or > not. I saw Xena's actions as those of any mother who sees her child being > hurt by another. Okay, if Eve had been killing Gabby then I think Xena would have chackied Eve. The instinctive thing for Xena to do in that situation is to neutralise the aggressor, IMO. It wasn't a matter of choosing one over the other, as I see it. > "ATHENA There's no need for you to be hurt as well Xena. Give us your > daughter. It's true you can kill gods but at four-to- one, it's not great > odds. > XENA Not for you." > > And Xena is very right! And I loved the way Xena growled as she said it. > > > " Deimos is next he throws a fireball at Xena who ducks and the tavern > blows and a large wagon falls on Deimos (this is a bit confusing since I > never could figure out why a wagon would be in a tavern but I think it must > have been an exhibit - the wagon from Death In The Eye). > > "If so, Joxer must have done some major 'restoration' on it, because it > ended > up in burning pieces all over the beach." > > Oh I forgot about that. Then why is there a wagon in the Tavern? Trendy decoration? Actually, many inns had stables attached, and this one did, I think, so maybe the firefight was in the stables rather than in the accommodation itself. I seem to recall a lot of stuff hanging on walls and piled around. I'd have to re-watch to check the exact surroundings of the fight. > > > "XENA Then take us to Olympus. > APHRODITE Why? > XENA I want to offer them a deal. > APHRODITE And you'll kill them if they don't accept? > > I thought that was convincingly bitter." > > Yes Aphrodite is bitter but she is always a good person despite her > pretense of shallowness. I think she actually likes Gabrielle and Xena > more than the family who is so contempuous of her. Well, it was a contrast to Aph's usual temperament. I've never seen her bitter, before or since. But quite understandable in the circumstances. > > " Athena's expression when she looks at Ares is classic - pitying and > condescending, as if to say 'what can you expect from my idiot brother?'" > > Yes Athena and Ares are terrific as rival syblings. I have often thought > that one of the reasons Ares cures Eve and Gabrielle is that he just > couldn't stand the thought of sharing power with Athena so he throws in > with the mortals. I don't think Ares was that calculating.... but certainly, his clashes with Athena may have helped him to decide to cure Eve and thus protect Xena. cr ========================================================= 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: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 17:01:27 +1300 From: cr Subject: Re: [chakram-refugees] Re: chakram-refugees-digest V2 #349 On Tuesday 24 December 2002 12:55, Cheryl Ande wrote: > However it would been an interesting idea to see a warrior and mom. When > Hercules first came on as movies he was married with children and I thought > than was an interesting concept. A super hero that was a loving family > man, of course that didn't last long and I was disappointed that the idea > was dropped. > > CherylA 'The idea was dropped'. Love it! That's almost as understated and sinister as the good ol' spy story jargon about 'retiring' an agent. What happened, of course, was that Herc's wicked stepmother Hera barbecued his entire family, much to Herc's annoyance. ;) To quote Callisto, "After all, I'm not the one that hung the giant bulls-eye on your family. " cr ========================================================= 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: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 05:38:22 -0900 (AKST) From: KTL Subject: Re: [chakram-refugees] Amphipolis again Ife wrote: I never saw Xena > as > > flirting, so much as appreciating the seductiveness and sensuality, > getting > > revved up for a good fight. Now, if you mean she *used* her powers of > > seduction and sensuality on C&A (but wasn't actually attracted like them), > I > > can agree with your use of flirting. (I know -- "picky," "picky.") > > no, i think it's an interesting distinction and i'm not sure it doesn't > apply to both men and women with xena. draco comes to mind right away as > does marcus. there's just a certain zing there. and rafe. and certainly > antony, cjc and ares. lucifer was a little harder to figure. certainly she > used him. whether she actually felt something was a bit unclear. possibly > just basic lust. I think that Xena's tWitchy sense caused her to recognize right away that Lucifer was NOT a noble being. She hones in on him as the answer to her problems the minute he shows up and says that he's come down to send Xena to hell. My feeling is that she realizes immediately that Lucifer is the type of being that she despises--selfish, using others, worried only about their own private agenda and caring only for their own mission. Acting as if they'd never heard of that greater good concept or personal duty towards creating and maintaining a good, healthy communal society at all. I think lust was working in her heart, but it wasn't specific lust for Lucifer himself. It was just a response to the seven deadly sins miasma that was shrouding the whole town. And I think Xena finds it VERY easy to not be attracted to ignoble bad boys, once she realizes that they are only bad and not bad with redeeming qualities. We see this in her response to Petracles in A Fistful of Dinars. She's angry and vengeful towards him until she realizes that he will put his own life on the line to protect Gabrielle and then finds that he had kept her marriage bracelet after all. And she's hot over Caesar until he betrays her and she realizes he's totally selfish and does everything only for himself--no honor among thieves from him. And of course she's only flirting and playing with Rafe for the sake of conning him into helping them until she realizes that he's got the proverbial heart of gold and then she suddenly gets a whole lot more interested in him. Goody two shoes never turn her on, but a truly bad boy just p*sses her off. > > with female characters, i do see her as flirtatious but not necessarily > sexually so. teasing, sensual, challenging, attractive, come hither but not > too hither. Yeah, I think of flirting as an end to itself. At least, the type of flirting that I see Xena doing with Alainis. It's purely a strategy, a kind of, "Well, looka you!" that she KNOWS will slip inside her opponent's defensive barrier and just maybe throw her a little bit off kilter. Alainis thinks she's hot. Xena plays to that. With Callisto, it was more a response to Callisto's "lust" for Xena. Callisto was SOOO flirty/taunting/teasing with everybody. And Xena responded to that, possibly just to show that 1. it didn't daunt her and 2. that she could do it just as well as Callisto did. > > the difference is that with women, well with "good" ones anyway, she lets > her guard down in a way she doesn't with men. did any man ever actually > break her heart? caesar broke her legs and he betrayed her but i don't know > that she was ever actually in love with him. in lust, yeah. attracted, yeah. > stimulated by his power? yeah. but nothing like the love (however defined) > that seems to happen with, again, lao ma, gab, and akemi. akemi breaks her > heart, she owes lao ma a debt so big that she'll sacrifice everything for > her; and she believes she can't live without gabrielle. interestingly, > gabrielle is the one who in the end is willing and able to let xena go at > great personal cost and without incurring debt. she doesn't want to, but she > does it. Good points. But I don't think Xena was indebted to Akemi. She just responded when a person she cared about called to her for help. We've discussed this Xena/Akemi bond before. That probably because of Akemi's accepting her duty, doing what she had to do even though she was really screwed if she did it, Xena found her noble and yeah, reminiscent of her own young self. And Xena was a bad grrl when Akemi used her--certainly Xena has used and screwed enough bad people in her own life, even post reformation Xena, for her to understand that this using a bad person's ambitions for your own purposes is both useful and viable. Just like she did with Lucifer. > > well, i think that's all i have to say about *that*! nice to be back. what > fun. Ain't it though! KT > > md > ========================================================= > 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. > ========================================================= ========================================================= 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: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 06:01:40 -0900 (AKST) From: KTL Subject: Re: [chakram-refugees] Flirty Xena Sojourner wrote: > > I do not agree that X was just being flirty though. I think there is a > strong connection between X's sexual self and her being a warrior. She > is fully alive when fighting - it is her most natural state. Oh wow. Now THAT'S real insightful. Absolutely true. She "gets in the zone" and yeah, her mind and her body are most fully integrated and just chug along seamlessly as one unit when she fights a good opponent. Yeah. And Lucy shows this with those manic grins and that ululating scream of joy when she engages in battle. She can't WAIT to fight. She lusts to fight a good fight with a serious opponent. BUT I think that fighting Callisto at first was not such a joyous thing for her. Because Xena felt Callisto had a right to hate her and to try to avenge her family. Once Callisto hurt Gabrielle by kidnapping her and then later by killing Perdicus, THEN all bets were off and Xena was ready to kill the grrl. As she did in Return of Callisto. And look--she not only "kills" her by letting her die, but also takes away from her the joy Callisto gets from fighting Xena--she doesn't give her a noble warriors death by letting her die by the sword. No, Xena just lets her sink into a quagmire. Snip snipped some fun stuff about Xena's battle lust. > > Just a question about Ares - sex and struggle seemed to go together for X & A. > Did fight scenes between the two end up with the "kiss her/him, you fool!"? No > wonder X was suspicious of the softer "I love you" from Ares. Not part of the > rules..... > > Sojourner Very good point also. And no she doesn't believe him. Until he saves Gabrielle in Motherhood. As he says in Ares Farm, he HAD to save Eve or Xena would be killed by Athena. But Gabrielle--he saved her only because he knew Xena loved her. Just like when he picked Gabrielle's body up off the beach in Looking Death in the Eye. He did that too for love of Xena, out of respect for her love of Gabrielle. Hooo-hooo! Who ever suspected that guy would wind up doing things out of unselfish love? Man, what a show! KT ========================================================= 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: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 10:10:46 -0500 From: "Ribaud, Lynn" Subject: [chakram-refugees] OT Sais in Movies Being fully modern and up-to-date, I just watched "The Mummy Returns" this weekend. There is a fine fight sequence between two women (with the actresses themselves doing most of the action) in the section titled something like "Memories of Nefertiri". This sequence begins with sais. It is also filmed with a "small-angle" shutter, though not as obviously so as that used by Michael Hurst in "To Helicon and Back". (In fact, I didn't even notice it at first -- my attention was drawn to it by the commentary, which in itself is interesting because it is rather sarcastic regarding the movie -- wondering, at one point, whether Anck-su-namun and Imhotep had gotten their costumes from "Villains are Us", for example.) I'm not sure that the actresses in the movie got quite as comfortable with the sais as was Renee -- it isn't clear, for example, that they're always holding them properly, and it may be that the action was sped up. Of course, they wouldn't have had the time with the sais that Renee eventually did. But it is a fine sequence nonetheless. Lynn Lynn Ribaud ribaud@bnl.gov ========================================================= 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: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 07:51:03 -0900 (AKST) From: KTL Subject: Re: [chakram-refugees] Flirty Xena > Incidentally, Xena was always so damn sexy, it seems quite amazing looking > back on the series that she had so *few* romantic involvements. I have a > mental impression that she was frequently engaged in such adventures - and I > think she was - it's just that so surprisingly few of them actually came to > anything. > > cr I think that once Xena put herself on the reformation track, she deliberately didn't allow herself to participate in sexual liasons. She has a self-loathing and a real feeling of having to make atonement. And making atonement doesn't usually include enjoying life in general or lustful rolls in the hay in particular. I don't think she considered herself a worthy partner to a worthy person. And she was working away from her past and from the way she used to deal with things in her past. And as we've seen from Evil Xena days, sex for Xena included a high degree of power engagement. Caesar and Borias were very powerful men. And in Fistful of Dinars, Xena talks about her and Petracles having sex as expressions of possession and power. She did love some of the guys in her past, but she only seemed to even consider falling in love only with powerful guys. (Marcus possibly being the only exception--he was a warrior yeah, but was never shown as a leader, was he?) I think this is exactly why she's so wary of any relationship with Ares. He is bad for her, he's the epitome of sex as a battle with a strong and capable opponent. Which is what she did when she was a bad grrl. And I think her relationship with Antony showed how far along she was in feeling better about herself as a person. He was strong, powerful, but noble also. Ambitious and filled with schemes and dreams but willing to work for the betterment of his nation along with his own personal rewards. And Xena was powerfully attracted to him. Including sexually. It wasn't just beach blanket bingo they were interested in under the nose of the Sphinx there. So I think Xena was still interested in physical relationships but felt she didn't deserve them. So perhaps she subsumed sexual longing in fighting and scheming. And playing around with fire, AKA Ares. KT ========================================================= 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: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 01:00:58 +1300 From: cr Subject: Re: [chakram-refugees] <> On Monday 23 December 2002 11:33, Cheryl Ande wrote: > # > # > # > # > # > # > # > > This is a rip roaring action packed episode. It has no less than three > terrific fight scenes, great performances, and the extra added spice of a > fan controversy. I just re-watched the ep specially in honour of your review. (And 'cos it's one of my favourite eps, as it happens :) (some bits snipped) > The story opens with Eve now wandering in the desert (Italy has deserts?). > She is obvious racked with guilt and remorse. Xena and Gabrielle have > spied her from a sand dune and though Xena is ready to save her child, > Gabrielle is still harboring some resentment about Joxer but she will help > Eve for Xena's sake. Just then Bedouins (Italy has Bedouins?) attack Eve > and X & G run to help her. I assumed that this was 'some time later' and Eve had travelled overseas, tracked by Xena and Gabs. Is there any evidence that this isn't so? Admittedly, Eve has plenty of scratches on her face still - are they from the fight with Xena? > On > Mount Olympus Athena has hatched a plan - a plan that Aphrodite certainly > doesn't like. Athena has set the Furies on Gabrielle. Aphrodite begs her > sister to leave her friend alone but Athena contemptuously dismisses > Aphrodite. It is evident that in the Olympian scheme of things Aphrodite > is not important enough to listen to. The Furies now possess Gabrielle > using Gabby's protective instincts for Xena to hopefully turn her into > Eve's assassin. I *knew* it was going to be a good ep when I saw that scene on Olympus. I loved the sniffy look Alecto gave Ares. And that lovely little exchange between Aphrodite and Athena: APHRODITE (whispers) Can we leave the bard out of this? ATHENA Do you have a soft spot for Gabrielle? APHRODITE (defensively) She's my friend. ATHENA Oh-h-h-h, well. Then don't watch. Ouch! That really set the tone for the episode, I think. (Could it have been a cryptic warning from RT to the Gabfans? I don't _really_ believe in reading such things into episodes, but that fits so neatly I find it almost irresistible :) > As Xena and the now possessed Gabrielle care for Eve, they are approached > by a woman. She wants to know if this Xena could possibly be the one their > religion's founder called the Defender of The Faith. Actually, I thought that when the woman asked if that was Xena, she was suddenly going to attack them on the grounds that Xena had killed her family long ago yadda yadda.... OK, not on this occasion, but I guess (as Xena said to Eve) that sort of thing 'goes with the territory'. I got a slight feeling that the director was tweaking my expectations a little bit here. > Gabrielle says if > that is Eli then yes this is Xena their defender. The woman invites them > to her home. There Gabrielle tells tales of Eli - someone asks if he could > breath fire - Gabrielle says he was just a man and that is where his power > comes from. He believed that all sinners could be saved by love. Eve says > she can't - she has slaughter hundreds, drunk the blood of tortured men, > and killed her mother's friend. While Eve's remorse is obviously genuine, > the Furies make Gabrielle perceive this as gloating I gotta love those Furies. They are just so full of themselves and over the top. > At the seaside the Baptist (played by John Brazier a frequent villain) is > cleansing people of their sins. I really get squeamish about these Biblical parallels... but more of that later... > He welcomes Eve and with baptism he tells > she has been born again. And this was really tweaking my expectations. I'm sure it was deliberate. The Baptist looked so much like a fanatical assassin (like the Magi Assassins in Eternal Bonds...) EVE I should die for my deeds. BAPTIST You're right. [I thought - here it comes... ] ... You must die [and this is where I was *sure* he was going to pull out a knife} .... to the things of the flesh (puts water on her head) and be reborn (puts water on her head) to the way of love. [Waaah! Renpics - yah got me fair and square with that one, you bastards! Love it! :) > As Eve is cleansed a great shaft of light falls upon Xena Now that was incredibly corny, as corny as the tinfoil halos in a kids' Christmas play. Not good at all. > and a spirit tells her something that she reluctantly accepts. XENA If that's the way it must be, then I'm ready. [And I thought, 'Aaaaagh! Oh my gods, Xena isn't gonna be baptised is she? I can't stand this!' And ya know what, they got me *again*! Do I love those tricky sons of bacchae! 8-) > As the trio leaves a host of gods who are impatient with Athena's plan > confront Xena, Gabby, and Eve. Poseidon, Hades, Artemis, Discord, Diemos, > and Hephaestus (the older one from Hercules) have decided to kill Eve > themselves. Xena warns them off but Hades shoots a fireball at her which > she deflects into Poseiden which kills him - Xena now has the power to kill > gods and Olympus shakes. Discord attacks and is beheaded. Hephaestus > throws his hammer but Xena is able to use it against him and he dies. On > Olympus Aphrodite clutches her heart as her husband dies. Athena and Ares > arrive to stop the mayhem. As Gabrielle gives Xena her chakram, Actually Gabby tosses the chacky to Xena who neatly catches it. Nice little bit of byplay. Every moment in this ep is good. > Xena warns > the remaining gods not follow (nice bit where she blows on her chakram like > a gunfighter blows on his gun) and she and her party leave. I loved that little touch. > > Xena now explains to her companions that a spirit sent by Michael told her > that now that Eve has been cleansed she will have to power to kill gods as > long as Eve is alive. Eve is now the messenger of Eli's love but she > wonders how she should begin. Xena tell her she must confront those whom > she has hurt so they go to visit Virgil. Virgil although pleased to see > Xena and Gabrielle, is enraged when he sees Eve. As he is about to strike > her down Xena intervenes. Eve says that she would die to bring Joxer back > but Virgil isn't in a forgiving mood. As Xena takes Eve away, Gabrielle > says good-bye to Virgil who is off to join his mother and siblings in > Athens. Well, almost every moment is good. Virgil inspires me the same way Perdycorpse does. Anyone notice a certain similarity in appearance between Virg and Perdy? > > In the tavern Gabrielle sees shadows. In the backroom she encounters her > worst nightmares. First there is loveable bumbling Joxer who accuses her > of letting him die. As Gabrielle says she didn't let him die who should > appear but Hope. As the Furies whisper to Gabrielle that Eve is a danger > to Xena, Hope goads her mother on. Eve will hurt Xena, she will kill > others, Xena is like Gabrielle she won't kill her evil daughter, Gabrielle > must kill Eve to save Xena. Gabrielle in a trance approached the reading > Eve, she takes her sais from her boots, Hope is snarling at her to "do it > to for Xena." I incline to the idea that Joxer and Hope are both fabrications of the Furies. I seem to remember noticing that Alecto was saying the words a moment before 'Hope' said them. This time round I couldn't spot that, but I think that was the implication. > Now lets stop a moment in our narrative and discuss Xena's chakraming of > Gabrielle. This was a really controversial act for the fandom. Xena has > basically killed her best friend to save her daughter. It is obvious that > the scene was suppose to be a bit different - as it was shot, according to > Adrienne Wilkenson, Xena was filmed shouting at Gabrielle to stop but > Gabrielle wouldn't, the Furies were to be seen and I'm not sure but I > believe the Furies were to be killed and Gabrielle hurt in the process. > Another scenario had Xena flinging her chakram blindly at a shadow. As the > scene stands I think it is very effective. Xena does not throw her chakram > until Gabrielle strikes Eve and then I think it was instinct - a mother > protecting her child. When Xena realizes whom she has hurt she is stunned > and remorseful but I don't think she was wrong. The episode is entitled > Motherhood and what we see is the Xena's commitment to her daughter . > Xena is acting as any mother would - she will protect her child at any cost > especially when the child is as vulnerable as Eve is now. Well, as filmed, I thought that stood up perfectly well. (I *know* I'm a non-Gabfan, and you all know that too , but leaving that aside so far as I can - ) Xena rushes in, sees Gabs stab Eve (and this was a really determined attack on Gabs' part, with obviously homicidal intent) and instantly throws the chacky at Gabs. I think it's an instinctive reaction. If it had been the other way round, and Xena had been surprised by Gabs in the act of killing Gabs' sister Lila, I would not blame Gabby for throwing something sharp and deadly at Xena. > Back to the story. As Xena cares for the wounded, Athena and the other > remaining gods arrive, except for Ares and Aphrodite. You missed a brief scene on Olympus - Aphrodite now in her mourning lingerie, by the way (nice touch that) ATHENA All you had to do was distract her. How was she able to stop Gabrielle? ARES How does Xena do anything? She just does. Notice Deimos nodding just behind Ares - not sure whether he's mocking Athena or Ares at this point, but he's always flaky. Anyway, Athena decides there's no option but a full-on attack. Obviously Ares and Aphrodite, for their own reasons, don't take part. > Athena is smug its > four against one now so Xena has no choice but turn over Eve (Athena has a > short memory Xena just polished off three gods out six a while ago). Xena > rejects the idea - turning over a table she takes refuge with the wounded > and fights back. ATHENA There's no need for you to be hurt as well Xena. Give us your daughter. It's true you can kill gods but at four-to- one, it's not great odds. XENA Not for you. (Nice snappy rejoinder.) > Aphrodite suddenly pops up (in her mourning lingerie) but she > isn't there to fight but to care for the wounded bard - she whisks > Gabrielle out of the line of fire. There was a lovely bit of acting by Alex and Lucy there - Aphrodite looking suddenly very apprehensive, Xena making a little movement with her dagger in Aph's direction as if to warn her that she'd better not try any funny business. > Xena now takes on the pantheon - the fight is furious. This was one of the most spectacular firefights (and I mean *fire* fights ;) in the series, I think. (snip) > Xena get Eve to Aphrodite who is caring for Gabrielle and tells her > to care for Eve, Aphrodite seems none to pleased with this assignment but > Xena doesn't wait, it's back to the fray. The expression on Aphrodite's face was marvellous. Kind of stunned, kind of "I'm not having anything to do with this" > Deimos is next he throws a fireball at Xena who ducks and the tavern blows > and a large wagon falls on Deimos (this is a bit confusing since I never > could figure out why a wagon would be in a tavern but I think it must have > been an exhibit - the wagon from Death In The Eye). If so, Joxer must have done some major 'restoration' on it, because it ended up in burning pieces all over the beach. > The Tavern is now on fire (poor Meg she loses a husband and her business > and home). Xena carrying Eve and dragging Gabrielle through the rain > soaked courtyard. This is a truly an odd scene and just a bit comic - > again this has been explained. Lucy has a bad back and she could not carry > both AW and ROC. Even *without* a bad back, I think it would be asking too much to carry both of them, even for Xena. > So ROC had to be dragged - ROC held herself very stiffly > so she wouldn't be dead weight and a piece of cardboard was under her so > she would slid in the mud (ah the glamorous life of an actress). I thought it was very convincing, actually. The alternative would have been to carry one out and then go back for the other - but with predatory gods around and the building about to collapse, Xena had good reasons not to do that. > Aphrodite appears and she is very upset. Her husband is dead, her friend > is dying and Xena will probably lose the two people she loves the most in > the world. Aphrodite is in tears. Xena wants to know if she is so upset > why doesn't she cure Gabrielle but Aphrodite can't - the gods can only cure > with Athena's blessing. Xena asks Aphrodite then to transport them to > Olympus so she can bargain with Athena. Aphrodite is reluctant - she > doesn't want more family killed XENA Then take us to Olympus. APHRODITE Why? XENA I want to offer them a deal. APHRODITE And you'll kill them if they don't accept? I thought that was convincingly bitter. > Aphrodite is gone but who should pop up but Ares. He has an offer - Xena > gets godhood (there are quit a few openings now), Hmm, that hadn't occurred to me, but I guess you're right. I wonder if Xena would have had to sign some sort of agreement that she wouldn't try to depose Athena and take the place over ;) > Gabrielle is a negotiable > point, but Eve has to die. Xena points a crossbow at Ares and says no but > Ares points out she had at least two chances to kill him and she can't do > it. Xena answers that observation by shooting Ares in the leg and chaining > him with Heph's chain. Ares is incensed "no one shoots the God of War" but > it is of no use. That was one of the funny moments in this ep - Ares was so confident Xena wouldn't shoot him, and he was as much outraged as hurt when she did: ARES You shot me! I'm the God of War! Nobody shoots the God of War! > He, Eve, and Gabrielle get dragged before Athena. Athena's expression when she looks at Ares is classic - pitying and condescending, as if to say 'what can you expect from my idiot brother?' > Xena makes her offer to Athena - cure Eve and Gabrielle and Xena will leave > Olympus in peace. No other gods have to die but Athena seeing Artemis > sneaking up says no. Artemis fires her arrows, Xena catches them and kills > Atremis with them. Athena now charges Xena and they fight viciously. Eve > and Gabrielle are fading fast and indeed Eve soon dies of her wounds and > when Xena finally stabs Athena nothing happens. And again, Athena's expression when she realises she can't feel a thing is beautifully done. I have to say that I don't like Athena - she's far too smugly superior - but she's excellently acted. > Xena is reunited with her daughter and friend. She turns to Ares there are > hardly any words she can say to Ares except thank you and with a simple nod > of his head Ares acknowledges her. Ares and Aphrodite have survived the > twilight. The Goddess of Love survives because of her compassion and > friendship for a little bard. Ares survives because he loves a woman whom > he can't have but was willing to sacrifice for her. In the end love and > war were wiser than wisdom. Athena the Goddess of Wisdom never knew when > to quite. At any point the gods could have survived by simply leaving well > enough alone. In every confrontation with Xena, Xena told the gods to leave > but they insisted on the war that destroyed them. Nicely put. And Ares kept telling them that, but they wouldn't take any notice of him. > > This was very good episode. Outstanding action sequences were one of the > highlights of the episode. There was also wonderful acting by Alex Tydings > as Aphrodite - AT has made Dite one of the most appealing characters in the > show. Here there is wonderful mixture of the absurd (Dite's skimpy mourning > clothes) and touching (Dite holding the blood-splattered Gabby in her lap - > you know for anyone else this would just be too gross). Lucy was as always > wonderful as she battles all comers. ROC was very good also - her > performance was very subtle as Gabrielle - there was a kind of distant > pre-occupied quality to her Gabrielle that demonstrated that Gabby wasn't > quit with it but not enough to signal a very busy Xena that something was > wrong. Yeah, I noticed that too. Good acting by ROC. > Then as Hope she was deliciously vicious and even was able to > overcome the rotten wig (perhaps the Furies just couldn't conjure up Hope's > hair very well). Yep, even noticed that. Nicely backed up by Alecto and the other two Furies crowding round Gabby's head, being malicious. In fact, I think, good acting by everybody concerned. cr ... With thanks to XT for the transcripts ========================================================= 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 #351 **************************************