I love that first shot of Xena peering out at the bad guys, her face framed by leaves. One of my favorite things about the show is the the way Xena loves a good fight.
I can't figure out why Gabs would start to unfasten Argo's halter. Why not just lift the reins? But even so, Xena seemed just a bit too curt with Gabrielle. After all, she did tell Gabs to watch Argo. Gabrielle's reaction when she realized the Titans were under her power was great. It took about two seconds for her to go from bemusement to "I like this". Xena's giving in to Hessia in the tavern was a bit too quick. If this guy was as smart as she said he was, he should have seen through her obvious ploy. Nice elbow to get him to shut up though! After wearing her sword on her back in The Path Not Taken, Xena has taken to wearing it at her side again. I think Gabrielle got a little too carried away a little too fast. Her immaturity shows through during this. Whoever it was under the net (and it sure looked like Lucy), it sure looked like they took a clout in the eye! Ouch! Most of the time, I didn't worry too much about whether or not the shots with the Titan looked real, but the scene where Hessia is talking to them is just too fake. It's difficult to decipher the look on Xena's face when she finds Gabs in bed with Geeky Boy. Whatever it is, she wasn't expcting to see it and she wasn't happy. Gabbers' "I'll show her" by running off scheme showed her immaturity even more. Thank the gods she outgrew that quickly...Xena wouldn't have put up with much of it! How did Gabrielle know she had the right scroll? Were they labelled at the top? And for that matter, why didn't Hyperion just now start going through the scrolls until he found the one he wanted? Wouldn't it have made more sense to go through them beforehand? Beforehand...is that even a word? I love Xena's line..."On the bright side, if anyone can stall, it's Gabrielle." And I know I have a terribly warped mind, but I always giggle when Gabrielle proclaims "I'm not a virgin anymore" and Hyperion counters with "You little harlot!" All right...this is one of the questions that has bugged me since the first time I saw this episode. I know Xena and the villagers trapped one of Hyperion's hands...but why didn't he just use the other one to grab her? Notice the way Xena pronounces the words in the scroll as opposed to Gabrielle. Not only does Gabs emphasize different syllables, but she pronounces the words differently. "There's a piece missing!" Love Gabrielle's echoing of Xena's words, followed by "These things are never easy!" Of course, they aren't Gabs! Xena definitely loosened up with Gabs by the end of the episode. Maybe she felt guilty for being a little hard on the bard. Heh heh. Or maybe she just didn't want Gabrielle to run off into the arms of the next Geeky Boy they encounter. On the whole, The Titans isn't one of my favorite episodes, but I wouldn't rank it as low as others seem to past. I just chalk it up to Gabs youthful impetuousness. Impetuousness? Now, I know that isn't a word! This is how Gary felt about The Titans: This is one of my favorite early episodes,because we see the developing relationship between Xena and Gabrielle,as well as a glimpse of the Titans,who ruled the world before the Greek Gods did. The story opens with Gabby going into a cave where a girl is trying to revive some Titans,who were imprisoned in stone for the ages. The villagers want the Titans to be able to help them by doing tasks that the humans cannot do easily. Gabby notices that the girl is reading a scroll wrong,and Gab reads it correctly,awakening the Titans. She is then believed to be a goddess by the giant beings,and they kneel in worship. Gabby is pretty much taken by their attention and adoration,all but Hyperion,the Sun Titan...he is suspicious of her at once. The other two,a male and a female,want to please the "virgin" and do her bidding willingly. Meanwhile,Xena has a bad guy in custody,and learns of the Titans when Gabby brings them to town. Gabby orders them to do labor for the villagers.They do this,but later are hungry,and want a feast. Hyperion demands Gabby to create a feast with her powers,but Gabby says she does not want to show off. He knocks her over by blowing air at her,and then rampages and destroys the nearby buildings. Xena stabs his foot with her sword,and he from then on wants revenge on Xena. As they are hiding in a temple,Gabby really sleeps alongside a monk,waiting for the chance to take part in putting the Titans back in the stone. Xena awakens Gabby and makes a face...one of jealousy or disappointment? Gabby says it was none of Xena's business if Gabby didn't want to remain a virgin anymore. She says she didn't go thru with it,but could have. The bad guy convinces another man and some villagers to give Xena to Hyperion,who kills his fellow Titan,Crius.They throw a net over Xena and knock her out,and tie Gabby and the monk up. The bad guys take Xena to the Titans,but Xena escapes. They are killed by Hyperion for failing. Xena comes back and frees Gabby and they formulate a plan to trap the Titan. Gabby sneaks out and tries to find the scroll which will make them into stone again,but is captured. She keeps them occupied while Xena and others drag a giant handcuff to the cave. Xena taunts Hyperion and he reaches into a hole in the cave wall where Xena went. She springs the trap and his hand is caught. She then draws her sword and prepares to kill him.It seems that even Hyperion forgot he has another hand,and he could have grabbed Xena and crushed her. The female Titan begs Xena not to kill him...that leaves him time to break away and try to kill Gabby and Xena as they get the scroll to change them back. At the end,Gabby says the words and the Titans are trapped in stone again. This episode was entertaining because we see that Gabby liked being the center of attention,ordering giants around. Gabby also puts Xena in her place when Xena hints that Gabby should not be messing around sexually....Gabby will do as she pleases when the time is right. Both women risk their lives in this episode,and we see that even a farm-girl like Gab is brave and selfless,even for strangers. I like all of the first three seasons' episodes,for various reasons,but it is the "in time of ancient gods..." theme that made the show in general so interesting. Later seasons wandered from the basic premise of the show.