From: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org (chakram-refugees-digest) To: chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Subject: chakram-refugees-digest V9 #15 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, February 1 2010 Volume 09 : Number 015 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [chakram-refugees] Motherhood [cr ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 00:54:04 +1300 From: cr Subject: [chakram-refugees] Motherhood One of my favourite episodes, the gods are always fun to watch, even when they're getting killed. Besides, the only two gods most of us cared for, Ares and Aphrodite, weren't really under threat. And it had the Furies in it as well, surely the most exuberantly over-the-top villains in XWP. It was also visually great, with the bright lighting of Olympus contrasting with the gloomy inn in which the spectacular and fiery fight took place. Worst special effect in the ep (and one of the worst in Xena) was when Michael's messenger appeared to Xena as a face on the end of a beam of light - incredibly corny. Could have been done way better, I think. I'm not sure if the irony was intentional where Michael's messenger tells Xena that Eve would prepare the way for the god of love, and in the next sentence that Eve's baptism gives Xena the power to kill gods. And this has also got to be one of the most incongruous plot devices. Okay, as Tapert said, it was that operator Michael using Xena to do his dirty work. But why tie that ability to Eve being alive? And howcome the gods can't revive the dead without Athena's permission? (Has this rule been breached before? Certainly Zeus revived people, but then Zeus was king of the gods so obviously he could permit himself to). However, I'll forgive all that ad-hocery since it led to such marvellous scenes as the firefight in the inn, and Xena being unable to kill Athena on Olympus, then finding she can because Ares has revived Eve by giving up his immortality. Paris Jefferson was very good as Athena, a character I don't like much. The supercilious looks she gave Ares were nicely in character. As was her retort to Aphrodite - Aphrodite: Can we leave the bard out of this? Athena: Do you have a soft spot for Gabrielle? Aphrodite: She's my friend. Athena: Well, then, don't watch. Ouch! I'm not a Gabfan, but Athena just lost any sympathy I might have had with that crack. Aphrodite, by the way, looked very fetching in black. (Mourning for Hephaestus - a nice touch by the wardrobe staff). Xena chackying Gabs - didn't worry me, it was quite understandable in the circumstances. After all, on previous occasions, Xena had made determined attempts to kill Gabs' daughter, Gabs had successfully caused the death of Xena's daughter, Xena had with malice aforethought attempted to kill Gabs and Gabs had pushed Xena off a cliff. What's a quick chackying between friends? (It was amusing to watch the video commentary on the DVD - Lucy was of the opinion Xena didn't ought to have done it, Renee said well, Gabs had just killed her daughter, Lucy said 'but she's only known her for a few seconds'). Favourite Ares lines: "So, what we need is a distraction. Ooh, pick me." "You shot me! I'm the God of War. *Nobody* shoots the God of War!" And, "I'm sorry, but I've got a thing for her". Even after (or maybe because) she shot him. 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. ========================================================= ------------------------------ End of chakram-refugees-digest V9 #15 *************************************