From: owner-chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org (chakram-refugees-digest) To: chakram-refugees-digest@smoe.org Subject: chakram-refugees-digest V9 #23 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 Saturday, February 27 2010 Volume 09 : Number 023 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [chakram-refugees] Who's Gurkhan and Legacy [cr ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:36:07 +1300 From: cr Subject: [chakram-refugees] Who's Gurkhan and Legacy This episode and the following one bring back my Gabbiphobia with a rush. A pity, she had been doing so well - capable and reliable in Coming Home and, at least, not a liability in Haunting of Amphipolis and Heart of Darkness. But once again, like the bad old times, Gabby drops Xena right in it. More or less as usual, Gabs goes against all Xena's advice in pursuing Gurkhan (so what else is new?) and of course is about to get herself caught, when, to be accurate, she doesn't drop Xena in it for once, rather Xena drops herself right in it to save Gabby. This does not, strangely enough, make me feel any better about it. And then Xena acts all submissive to the thug who is torturing her instead of breaking loose and tearing his head off, this is not the Xena we know and love. And she tells him she wants to give herself to the great Gurkhan - is anybody going to believe that? (In the interviews, Rob T and Michael Hurst discuss how they had to tone down that scene as shot). Oh yes, and this is all on account of Gabrielle's family who, on last encounter in A Family Affair, treated Xena like a bad smell. And on account of Gabs niece Sarah, who turns out to be the most obnoxious person in the episode. She undoubtedly earned herself a good thrashing which, as Gabs' precious niece, she escaped. The only very small saving moments were the looks Xena was giving 'Virgil the slave trader' as Gurkhan's agent inspected her - this did not bode well for Virgil's future prospects. And Xena and Eve discussing Gabrielle's chances like a couple of old pros discussing a talented amateur - "kill Gurkhan in cold blood? We could've done it but she just ain't got it". This was Adrienne Wilkinson's favourite scene with Xena. (And they were right - even after Xena sets up Gurkhan for Gabby, all she can do is punch him? How useless is that?) But it was left to Xena to set up Gurkhan to be killed by his own guards by mistake - echoing Crassus in When in Rome, of course. There were a few fleeting moments in Gurkhan's palace, when wives were drifting silently past in the background, that were reminiscent of Antony & Cleopatra. Same director of course. But the huge difference was that in that episode Xena was impersonating a queen, and in control; in this ep, Xena was impersonating a harem slave. Not so good. Legacy - the scene at the start, where Kahina doubts Xena's authenticity and Xena convinces her with a fancy chakram thow, is to my mind a little too neat and tidy and the dialogue a little too pat. (It reminds me of the moment in Sin Trade where Yakut is holding Xena's sword on her and Xena kicks it out of Yakut's grasp, catches it and sheathes it all in one flowing movement, and all the young Amazons gasp in amazement. And Yakut siezes an axe and holds it warily - nice touch that, and all much more subtly done than in this episode). And then of course, Gabby goes a bit hair-trigger and does to Kora what she couldn't do to Gurkhan (okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, accidents will happen when you've got a loaded sai in your hand). But - why didn't she just knock him out? What is far worse is that Gab's over-active conscience (or is it death-wish?) impels her to confess, even though that is sure to disrupt the resistance against Rome - which is doing a far greater disservice to Kora's people than letting them believe a lie or even killing Kora was. And, yet again, derails Xena's plans. Will Xena be able to save Gabby? Will Gabby ever get a clue? Fortunately, the Ring trilogy is looming, so the answer to both questions is Yes. Kahina has probably the most perceptive line in the episode when she says to Gabby 'left a few details out of those stories, didn't you?'. The ambush-from-burial tactic gets another use (Xena previously used it against Caesar in Deliverer and in Endgame, just with buried weapons, against Pompey). It's notable that Gabby doesn't seem to be killing any Romans, just whacking them with her staff, and of course she chances to save the life of Kora's father, how convenient. Xena, on the other hand, is quite prepared to kill all the Romans she can. With a 'tell Caesar Xena sends her regards'. This presumably referring to Caesar, Julius Caesar. Which raises the interesting point, the current Caesar is surely Augustus, who was last heard of as an ally in 'Eve' and who, as Octavius, seemed to have renounced trying to conquer bits of Africa in 'Antony & Cleopatra'. Or am I reading too much into that? 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 #23 *************************************