From: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org (chakram-refugees-digest) To: chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Subject: chakram-refugees-digest V3 #18 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 Monday, January 20 2003 Volume 03 : Number 018 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [chakram-refugees] <> ["Cheryl Ande" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 19:40:38 -0500 From: "Cheryl Ande" Subject: [chakram-refugees] <> # # # # # Who's Gurkhan? I wasn't impressed with this episode when I first saw it but it has grown on me and now I count it as one of my favorites. This episode was also the subject of the Creation's behind the scenes video in fan kit 4 and 5. It was fascinating to see how an episode is put together and also I now have to admire all those harem gals and especially Lucy and Ren in their skimpy outfits in an obviously cold studio. Lucy especially gets the trooper award for being doused with water and hung upside down especially with her bad back. This episode has already generated a lot of debate on this list so it is obviously pretty familiar to everyone but here's a quick recap. Gabrielle, Xena, Eve and Virgil arrive in Potadeia and find Lila living at the family farm. Although the reunion is happy it soon turns tragic when Lila tells Gabby that 8 years ago the raider Gurkhan kidnapped her daughter, Sarah. Lila's husband and parents went to Gurkhan to buy the child back but instead, they were beheaded by him. Gabrielle in shock vows vengeance. Gabrielle with Xena and the rest in tow set sail for Mogador Gurkhan's North African fortress in order to kill the raider and rescue Sarah. Xena, concerned that Gabrielle will get herself killed, drugs her and has Virgil sell her into Gurkhan's harem. Xena's plans are confounded when it is discovered that Gurkhan has a number of imposters posing as him. In the harem she meets a number of the captive women and Gurkhan's vicious first wife. Things only get worse when an irate Gabrielle forces Virgil to take her to Gurkhan. While an astonished Xena looks on Gabrielle dances before the various Gurkhans and just as she is about to pull a knife Xena knocks her unconscious. Gurkhan's soldiers now torture Xena but she survives and in the process captures Gurkhan's admiration. Xena released from prison promises Gabrielle that they will both discover where Sara is and Gabrielle will be able to kill Gurkhan. That night Xena is commanded to dance for Gurkhan. After a seductive dance, Xena asks the smitten Gurkhan for Sarah's head - a delighted Gurkhan orders that Sarah, his ruthless number one wife, be taken away for execution. Sarah has now been discovered and now it's time for vengeance. In Gurkhan's bedroom Xena a suggests a threesome and when Gabrielle is brought to Gurkhan, Xena puts the pinch on him and hands Gabby a knife. Gabrielle won't kill him but she does beat the crap out of him. With Gurkhan as hostage the women rescue Sarah. Xena then rescues the other harem girls and all set sail for freedom. In the dungeon Gurkhan now dressed as Sarah is beheaded by guards who are so indifferent to death that they never even look at the person they are executing. The story is actually told in number of set pieces. Two of the most interesting are the two dances performed by Gabrielle and Xena. What is interesting are the two very different ways the dances are performed. Gabrielle has been introduced as a virgin Amazon queen and indeed her dance is rather aloof. If you look at her face it is set and though she smiles occasionally there is a frosty quality around her eyes. She is the picture of the frigid ice queen that only needs the proper man to defrost her even the music with it tinkling quality is controlled and formal. This is what entices Gurkhan but it is actually the manifestation of Gabrielle's resolve to commit murder. The second dance is Xena's seduction of Gurkhan. Here we a very different mood. Xena is all fire - the music is wilder and more seductive. There is no mistaking Xena's intentions - she is sexual and brazen in her dance. Gurkhan is captured and when Xena asks for Sarah's head Gurkhan laughs - - Xena is the woman after his own murderous heart. Gurkhan has been presented with two archetypical male fantasies the ice queen and the fiery seductress - Xena cleverly takes advantage of this fantasy when she tricks Gurkhan into accepting Gabrielle as the third party in their tryst. The other set pieces are also very good. The vengeance scene outside of Gabrielle's home is very melodramatic with the thunder and lighting but it is effective. When Gabrielle vows vengeance it is major development for Gabrielle's character and to herald it with Shakespearean effects was a good choice. Then we have the auction where Xena is sold. The music accompaniment makes this scene work very well - the bidding is wild and fast paced. More importantly it is here that we discover that finding Gurkhan will not be easy since three different men pose as Gurkhan. As Virgil becomes more confused and Xena more aware of her predicament , the cutting becomes quicker and the music more chaotic. The third scene, which is very impressive, is Xena's torture. Her beating is perhaps the most brutal scene of the series or perhaps in any TV series with a PG rating. What makes it interesting are Xena's hallucinations of Gabrielle - as Xena is beaten she sees the seductive Gabrielle in her dancer's outfit - comforting her or just reminding her of her mission. It's an odd juxtaposition of images - intense brutality and seductive beauty. We also have some very interesting character development going on this episode. Gabrielle's reaction to her parents murder and niece's rape (locking a child up in a harem as a sexual toy is nothing else than rape) is shocking in its intensity. Gabrielle may be expected to want to save her niece and get justice for her parents but to have her demand vengeance is apparently out of character for the bard. Yet in many ways in makes sense because Gabrielle is not only dealing with the destruction her family but her own guilt. Gabrielle must feel that if she would have been around eight years ago she and Xena could have saved Sarah and thus protect her family. There is also the fact that Gabrielle's relationship with her parents was always strained and now any hope of reconciliation is gone. Her fury is understandable - Gurkhan robbed her not only her of her parents lives but also of any hope that they would someday accept her choices. Of course Gabrielle's decision to kill Gurkhan puts her in conflict with Xena. Xena knows Gabrielle is not a murderer; indeed the mere though of what she is about to do causes Gabrielle to be physically ill. Xena now has a real problem on her hands - she wants to fulfill Gabrielle's quest to save Sarah and punish Gurkhan but she also wants to prevent Gabrielle from becoming a murder. Her solution was to drug Gabrielle and take over her mission. It was a bad decision, although typically Xena. Xena always will opt to do any dirty work herself valuing Gabrielle's well being over her own. It was bad decision because after being with Gabrielle for six years she should have known Gabrielle wouldn't tolerate being left behind. I can only assume Xena thought Virgil and Eve could stop Gabrielle from following her. That was a false hope. Gabrielle ignores Eve and browbeats Virgil into taking her the Gurkhan. Xena's plans are destroyed when Gabrielle shows up and her tussle with Gabrielle gets her a beating and it many ways it is her own fault. Xena knows the power of vengeance indeed she has just experienced it herself in Amphipolis. Xena risked being sent to hell in order to avenge her mother and protect her daughter. Why should she have expected any less from Gabrielle? Gabrielle has a righ to seek vengeance and Xena had no right to take that choice from her. This does not mean Xena simply had to stand aside and let Gabrielle get killed or become a murder. What it does means is that that a cleave woman like Xena could have found a way to accomplish Gabrielle's goals with a plan that gave Gabrielle a role in the action. Gabrielle didn't need an assassin - she needed to be the one who got justice for her family. She needed that for her own peace of mind and Xena should have recognized that. The other interesting character in this peace was Sarah. Tandi Wright did a wonderful job with this role. When we first meet The Number One wife we see a four star bitch - she is arrogant and brutal. She seems to be secure in her place as Gurkhan's favorite and future mother of his heir. Yet watch her when Virgil introduces Gabrielle to Gurkhan and Gabby starts to dance - Sarah watches the dance with unease as she evaluates her new competition. There is insecurity there. Then we see her again when Xena dances and there is now real worry - she can she Gurkhan's fascination with this women who can survive torture and turn it to her advantage. When Gurkhan turns on her and orders her death, Sarah is shocked but accepts the death sentence with dignity. Finally we have the dungeon scene with Gabrielle. Her fabled aunt and companion have come to rescue her but it's too late. In order to survive she has turned into a monster that her family can't love. Gabrielle reassures her that she isn't responsible - she was child coping with murder and abuse. Sarah then pours her story out never looking Gabrielle in the eye but keeping her eyes fixed on Gabby's bracelet as if she is afraid to see rejection in her aunt's eyes. It's a touching performance and it rings true. How does anyone cope with keeping a sadist happy for eight years? Perhaps the only way is to become a sadist too but when salvation comes how does one forgive oneself for that decision. But as Gabrielle later says if anyone can teach Sarah how to cope with guilt, she, Xena and Eve can. The set decorations were wonderful. Michael Hurst did an outstanding job of direction. The various slave girls did a good job at making their characters interesting. It was nice to see Virgil finally exhibit a bit of his father. I liked his Superlious the Pirate and he cringed very well when Xena forces him to participate in her plot. There was one thing here that I never thought of until someone pointed it out to me. In the scene where Virgil takes Xena to the auction, the auctioneer rips Xena's clothes off, Virgil stares opened mouth at Xena's naked body. Virgil's mother is Meg; Meg is Xena's double therefore Virgil was staring at his mother's naked body - I wonder if TPTB forgot this - I certainly did. Adrienne Wilkens Eve developed a bit more character too - at least when Virgil shows up singing his pirate song she was able to give the impression that she now thinks of him as an idiot cousin. Although I think Eve is getting more and more on Gabby's nerves - when Gabby wakes up to find Xena gone and Eve just smiles benignly at her Gabrielle growls: "Eve your peaceful little smile doesn't cut it." I however am sorry that Gabby's fight with someone in the harem was cut. I like to watch Gabby kick butt and I am curious about just who she fought and why. I had always hoped we would get an extended version of this episode once DVDs came out. With Panzar Davis doing the DVDs that just won't happen - too bad it would have been nice. CherylA ========================================================= 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 V3 #18 *************************************