A Comedy of Eros
I have loved this episode since the first time I saw it. I think it's often overlooked by fans, as being one of the better comedies.
Karl Urban proves his versatility once again by playing Cupid as funny, easy-going, and torn between wanting to take care of his son and wanting to errr…take care of his wife.
"Bliss" is an adorable name for a really, really cute little boy. The people responsible for the scenes with him should be proud…they caught the boy at very opportune moments.
How'd they manage to look like he was really flying?
This is yet another go round of jokes at the Hestian virgins expense.
Gabrielle: Think of the faith it takes to become one of them.
Xena: Yeah, not to mention the other requirement..
Gabrielle: Just between you and me, being chaste can be real hard..
Xena: Chaste? No, I was talking about having to answer to that stupid bell your whole life..
Hee hee. Xena is smiling as she walks away from Gabs.
Then all Bliss breaks lose. The look on the curly headed youth when the other lad offers him flowers is hysterical. The curly headed one reminds me of Willie Aames, who played Tommy on Eight is Enough.
Gabrielle and Xena area having a really interesting talk about love, and the merits and disadvantages of it, but they are overshadowed by the chaos which is occurring all around them.
Why didn't Xena notice what was going on?
Poor Joxer, he tries to be SO casual, "Hi Gabby, how ya' doin'?"
Xena's getting hit by the arrow is very subtle. I actually missed it the first time I watched this episode.
Whoa! That was a fairly intense lip lock there! Check out Xena putting her shoulders into the kiss!
And check out how Lucy's vaccination scar shows prominently in this scene.
Xena says Draco "forced things" between them once before. What exactly does that mean?
The minute Draco grabbed her hand, her face grows surly.
Joxer asks what Xena is doing. Gabs replies "It's all part of the plan," then after a beat, "I hope." I'll bet Xena's actions really did throw them for a loop!
Xena's hand, which normally looks rather large, looks very small in Draco's.
When he kisses her hand, her expression immediately changes again.
The look is almost pouting, but when he kisses her hand, she acts more interested and out comes her tongue.
The tongue comes out again as she draws Draco into the duel.
When Xena whirls and kicks Draco, it isn't Draco. It's the stunt double.
Draco deswords Xena very easily. I know, I know, that isn't a word, but I like it anyway!
The tongue flirts once again when Draco mounts his horse.
I have been, and will continue to be shocked, by Xena's hand resting on her breast when Draco rides off.
Lucy's pretty good with the punching bag. Despite her revelation that she is uncoordinated, she never manages to look clumsy.
Xena admits in this one that she likes bad boys. This admission will come to light in future episodes as well.
When she shadowboxes, she shakes her head as though she has no control.
I love the little flourish Xena adds when she says she's going to change Draco, "with my help…huh!"
Joxer's "You heard her, she's got a thing for us dangerous types" is so typical of him, and still funny.
Do ya' think Draco felt like he was being watched as he finished up his bath?
A banana? Oh my! Subtle, the warrior princess ain't!
And then the grapes…Xena puts Carmen Miranda to shame!
What's up with the rubber thing Draco always wears on his head? It's beginning to distract me.
Xena is appalled that riding with her isn't enough. Hee hee!
Hey, that Hestian virgin praying at the altar has some mighty impressive biceps!
I love the little "ah" sound Xena makes as the bad guy comes after her.
And it's a nice exchange of smiles when Draco lifts the veil to reveal Xena's face. They aren't surprised to see each other.
Draco's line is great, 'and I thought I was being sacrilegious."
He follows it with, "You're as good as ever, aren't you?"
"Better," she replies with a waggle of her eyebrows.
The gag on Gabrielle wasn't very well done. You can plainly hear her say, "Xena!"
Draco just grins at Xena. "At least I didn't kill them!".
"And spoil a good shot at ransom?" she quips back.
When Gabbers got hit, she says Xena's name and turns as if to look for her. How come no one else on the show did that when they were struck by one of the arrows?
And Joxer popping up in front of her face wasn't totally unexpected, but is still funny.
Joxer's "Tastes like seat…does yours?" is terrific. And Gabrielle just stares as if he's the most remarkable creature she has ever encountered.
Is there some significance in Xena's hitting her fist into her palm before going off to meet with Draco?
A Comedy of Eros reminds me of an episode of Three's Company. There are the discarded clothes…the talk of being evenly matched and "you have gotten better" as the camera slowly pans in to find Xena and Draco…arm wrestling.
And, of course, Xena wins.
Was this shot in the fall? There are autumn leaves abound in several scenes.
Apparently, Draco's idea of foreplay is arm wrestling too, as he seems to be enjoying it as much as Xena.
Three's Company continues as the camera pans up Gabs' and Joxer's closing only to find the pair…practicing "Joxer the Mighty".
Ted Raimi has got to be the palest human being alive! That man is so pasty it's frightening!
But he and Gabs singing together is adorable!
Gabrielle is none-too-subtle with her ear blowing.
Back to the more experienced pair, their love play has moved on to Xena giving Draco a backrub.
Xena's expression as Draco rolls underneath her is funny. I don't blame him for hollering when she took off!
Xena needs to make sure the bard gets more to eat. She's nibbling away on various parts of Joxer likes she hasn't eaten in days!
Xena looks absolutely miserable in the water…and uncomfortable…and embarrassed.
Xena's taking Joxer's advice? No, I said "Joxer". Heh heh.
And we get to healer Gabs sing a solo of Joxer the Mighty. Once was enough, Gabs!
Gabs said it herself…"Love is blind."
"You can't be in love with Joxer. He's well…he's Joxer!" Hee hee…Xena seems to be at a loss for words!
Notice how Xena's bangs are soaked one moment, then damp the next. They will change several times during this season. Sometimes her bangs look combed, and other times they are messy. This whole episode is plagued by continuity errors.
Xena is working mighty hard to try to convince both Gabrielle and herself that Draco has changed.
But Gabs's ain't buying…she just gives a condescending nod.
There's yet another error when Draco pushes Xena down. She falls to her hands and knees in the long shot, but in the close-up, she lands face up.
For that matter, how could Draco push Xena down? Even love struck, I don't believe Xena would allow that!
And Gabs' "Leave her alone…She loves you!" makes it even more ridiculous!
Xena gets very suspicious the minute Draco falls for Gabrielle. Odd.
"You can't want Gabrielle. Between you and me, she's a little…" Xena makes an accompanying hand gesture. What was she going to say about the bard?
"Pookie?" Gabrielle calls Joxer, "Pookie?"
Why did Joxer go back for the prayer scroll, other than to move the plot along, of course? Is he really that concerned about it?
I can understand how Joxer was caught so quickly and so easily, but Gabrielle? I thought she got over that tendency during the first season.
"This love stuff is a real pain!" Sure is, Xena…sure is!
The arrows start hitting the door and Xena hightails it back into the temple. Couldn't she have caught a few of them?
I love the sound of Draco's laugh! It's so merry!
Gabrielle: Look cherries! I love cherries!
Draco: Me too.
Gabrielle: Did I mention I was a widow?
I'm kind of surprised she makes light of her marital status, but it's a funny exchange.
Joxer is bummed that Xena was actually the one to free him from his bonds.
Xena is full of nervous tension during this entire episode. She can't hold her hands still for an instant.
I'm surprised Draco got by with calling Joxer a "puissant".
I absolutely LOVE this line by Xena…it's one of my favorites…"I'm sorry, Sweetie, that hurt me a lot more than it hurt you. Sweetie? Did I say sweetie? I've never used that word in my whole life. But he's so cute." Then she claps her hands over her mouth to give a muffled "Joxer."
Actually, she does use the word Sweetie in several other episodes.
I could never figure out what Joxer said as Xena sent him on his way. It sounded like he says something like "Ophelia," which makes no sense to me. I checked the transcript. He says, "I won't fail you." Oh!
Do you think Gabrielle ever felt it was the least bit strange that she was suddenly in love with Joxer? Guess not! She went on and on about what a wonderful man he was for taking on Xena's mission. Xena just pulls a face and agrees that he's "A prince." Hee hee!
When Draco arrives back at the temple, I like the way Xena pulls the arrows out of the door, like he's dropped in unexpectedly and the house is a mess.
Xena is crushed when Draco refers to Gabrielle as "my woman." "Well, ain't love a bitch?" she retorts.
Then she asks Draco…"You would kill the woman you love?".
His response? "The question is, would you?" .
That's an unexpected line from an episode in which Xena and Gabrielle are chasing after people other than each other.
Pinellis played by Anthony Ray Parker who also played Bacchus and Mephistopheles. He's a big fellow!
I love Xena's innocent note when Draco looks at her as Pinellis reads the note. No, there's no way she could be responsible!
So, does Gabrielle keep all her Amazon princess duds in Argo's saddlebag? Where did that come from?
When the virgins were hit by Bliss's arrows, shouldn't they fall in love with each other, or Gabrielle whose lead they were following? The bad guys were behind them, certainly not the first people the virgins would see!
Xena's all business during the fight which is surprisingly brutal; then, as soon as it's over, she's back to being lovesick.
But now she seems to have her desire in check, and is determined to find out who's causing all the trouble.
How did Joxer get to wherever Cupid lives? That's even more ridiculous that Gabrielle going to the Fates hangout in When Fates Collide!
Cupid takes the spell off Xena. "That's it?".
"Yeah, easy come, easy go." Ain't it the truth?
Xena and Cupid act like they've met before…they are very informal with each other.
Wouldn't Gabrielle and Joxer hear Xena speaking to Cupid? Neither of them acted as if they did.
Why was Cupid such a grouch towards all the people in love? Sheesh!
Draco is trying so hard…"I'll only kill the old people." He smiles proudly as Gabrielle just stares in horror.
Xena knows that Joxer really loves Gabrielle. Will she tell the bard?
I can't help but feel sorry for Joxer and his pained expression at the end.
Xena apparently felt the same way. Her sympathetic look and hand on Joxer's shoulder had to help.
And thus ends the second season. This seems an odd episode to end the season with, but it's a good one nonetheless.
Here's what Gary thought: This is the final episode of Season 2,and is one of my favorites. I believe
all that was intended to be with regards to Xena:Warrior Princess was in
this faithful show.
First,we see Cupid trying to get his son,Bliss,to go to sleep. He ends up
bribing the kid with a chariot and horses. Meanwhile,Bliss escapes with a
bow and quiver of love arrows to wreak havoc in a town where Xena and Gabby
are.
Bliss shoots towspeople with the arrows,notably a boy who,once he sees the
next person,falls in love ----with HIM.The girl he liked is ignored. We see
next a man falling for a cow,and an older woman for an older man. It seems
that Bliss is very busy.
Then,Xena gets hit and the fun starts.This happens right after Xena and
Gabby are talking about how difficult it would be to be a Hestian Virgin.
Gabby says it is hard being chaste....Xena meant that answering bells is a
problem. Double-entendres run thru this show.
Enter Draco:He is there to kidnap the Virgins and sell them to a warlord
whom we do not see until the end.
Xena wants to stop him,of course,and when she sees Draco,she falls in love
with him. She kisses him,and he is surprised at her reaction. Gabby tells
Joxer it is all part of some plan(she hopes) and Xena will find a way to
save the day.
Draco and Xena fight anyway,and he later leaves. Xena follows him to
his camp and tries to get him to team up with her and do good,which he just
cannot do.
Xena then goes back to town and pretends to be the chief Virgin,while hiding
the girls disguised as normal villagers. Draco finds this out and vows to
discover them.
He had tied Joxer and Gabby up to a pole outside,and Xena releases them.
When Gabby gets hit with an arrow,she sees Joxer first,and instantly falls
in love with him.
The next scene shows Xena using a punching bag to release sexual tension she
feels towards Draco. She hits Joxer off the head with it when she really
pounds the bag. Gabby cannot believe that Xena loves Draco,but is herself in
love with Joxer,who seems oblivious to it all at first.
Xena is seen in the water after being near Draco,at Joxer's
suggestion,taking a cold swim to calm down.
Later are two sight gags. We see clothes and weapons on the ground and hear
Draco and Xena talking in a sexual way....they are really arm wrestling.
The same strewn clothing and weapons are apparent with Gabby and Joxer,with
Gabby wanting to "do it" one more time...it is really them singing the Joxer
Song. As usual in the earlier eps,the double entendre rules.
Draco then attacks the temple and confronts Xena. The Virgins and Gabby are
inside,and Xena asks him(he now loves Gabby due to an arrow) if he can kill
the one he loves. He answers it is up to Xena...can SHE kill the one she
loves(Gabby).
Earlier,Xena tells Draco that Gabby isn't his type...that she is "a
little...." shaking her hand sideways. We see two references to Gabby being
not so straight so far.
Joxer and Gabby are captured and brought to Draco's camp. Xena releases
Joxer and sends him back. They had discussed WHO might have put the spells
on everybody...they do not know for sure who it is yet,but Xena knows it has
to be a Cupid relationship.
The warlord who will buy the Virgins shows up with a scroll supposedly by
Draco which says that an Amazon princess is to be in the bargain. Draco
denies this,and knows Xena sent it. Xena denies it,and produces Gabby
dressed up in her great Amazon outfit,complete with colored streamers in her
hair. She looks beautiful and dangerous at the same time. Draco,loving
Gabby,fights the warlord as the Virgins escape.
Bliss,meanwhile,shoots a lot of the Virgins,and they turn on the warriors
chasing them,and they in turn,chase the warriors. I guess it is a lot of
pent-up sex drive.
They end up in the temple,with a speeded-up chase scene,with people running
in and out of rooms,and opening and closing doors.
Joxer finally is able to bring Cupid there to straighten things out. We do
not see the god at first,and Xena directs him to release everyone and put
them back the way they were.
Xena is released first,with Cupid merely putting his hand on her head. Next
is Gabby: She is confronted with a lovesick Draco,who sets the scene. Gabby
runs thru a lot of expressions when Draco says he will will mend his ways
and only kill men over 50...then keeps revising it,as Gabby looks
incredulous,trying to smile and nod,mostly to get away from him.
A great expression on her face is when Draco kisses her hand...she looks
appalled and disgusted.
Xena did not want Cupid to release Draco's love for Gabby...she said it
suits him. Joxer,after being hit a few times by Cupid,still loves Gabby...it
is the real thing.
Draco leaves,all the Virgins are safe,and the girls and Joxer leave.
At the campfire,Gabby laughs and kids with Joxer over the absurd notion that
they could ever be in love. Joxer is really down,and Xena gives him a sad
and knowing look.
This ends the best two Seasons of XENA. Season 3 has the rift,and tho I
liked all episodes,it paved the way for the ultimate degeneration of the
show,mostly in the mid-point in Season 4,and the truly awful S5 and 6.
Good points in EROS:
The dialogue when we think the two couples are making love was excellent.
Draco,upon hearing that Gabby loved cherries,says"me too." Another
double-entendre.
Gabby,forcing her face into a bereavement,says"have I mentioned that I'm a
widow?"
Draco,a great sort-of bad guy,is great with his scenes with Xena.
Gabby,wearing her Amazon outfit,looks beautiful. Her halter top was so
tight,it must have been around 500 p.s.i. stress on the seams. Her cleavage
almost popped out(drat!) and I was hoping for the best...I know....
And here are Andrew's thoughts:
Xena has to keep her old foe Draco from selling a temple full of Hestian Virgins into slavery, but has her work cut out when everyone starts falling in love with everyone else after Cupid's baby son Bliss runs amok with his dad's bow and arrows.
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XENA AND GABRIELLEXena and Gabrielle kick off with an interesting discussion in which Gabby confides "Just between you and me, being chaste can be real hard." Clearly she is not in any kind of sexual relationship at the moment, so all assumptions that she and Xena were lovers prior to Season 3 are incorrect. That puts paid to an awful lot of fan fiction! (Or should that be, a lot of awful fan fiction?)
Gabrielle is clearly shocked by Xena's behaviour around Draco, since the Warrior Princess has just lectured her on the importance of keeping focussed and emotionally detached. She tries to convince herself it's all part of Xena's plan for dealing with Draco, but soon realises that something is wrong when Xena admits to her weakness for "bad boys"!
Xena's exchanges with Draco make several references to their earlier meeting in SINS OF THE PAST, a nice touch. The slow motion "bait and switch" is clever, making the viewer think Gabrielle will fall in love with Xena until Joxer interposes himself. This leads on to a couple of deliberately misleading scenes, which turn out to be perfectly innocent bouts of arm wrestling and singing. I love the "twanging rubber" sound as Gabby bites Joxer's ear, and the fact that Xena takes Joxer's advice to cool down in the lake.
Nice quote from Gabrielle: "Maybe that's what love is - it's blind. I should write that down!" So THAT's where the phrase came from! Meanwhile, Xena tells Draco "You can't want Gabrielle. Between you and me she's a little..." Now what is THAT supposed to mean? The love-struck ladies have some hilarious lines, notably Gabby's distraught cry of "Pookie!" after Joxer hurts his hand hitting Draco and Xena's words over the unconscious warlord "Oh, but he's so cute!", followed by a horrified clapping of hands over her mouth.
It's nice to see Gabrielle in her Amazon royal regalia again - I wonder what else she keeps in Argo's saddlebags!
Xena cleverly convinces Draco that the only way to Gabrielle's heart is to change his ways, then tells Cupid not to lift the spell on him. In doing so she effectively rids the world of another warlord, without actually having to kill him.
The final campfire scene is touching. Gabby remains oblivious to the reality of Joxer's love for her, but Xena sympathises with him. The look in her eyes clearly says "I know what you're going through." Is she referring to an earlier unrequited love, or something else? Just how deep do Xena's feelings for the little bard run?
GENERAL OBSERVATIONSGreat title, although I dare say Shakespeare is turning in his grave! Eros is the Greek name for the God of Love - only the Romans called him Cupid. Speaking of which, it's nice to see Karl Urban in this role again. His efforts to get his young son to sleep will strike a chord with any parent, and I love the moment when he thinks he's "lost his touch" with Joxer.
Bliss is an amusing character in his own right, much closer to the Valentine's Day image of Cupid. His wild aim makes for some hilarious situations, not least the man ardently pursuing a cow!
Draco makes a welcome return in this episode, his first appearance since SINS OF THE PAST. Smart, strong and charismatic, he's a worthy opponent for Xena. He also has an interesting interpretation of not hurting Joxer, namely a quick, painless death! Draco's funniest moment comes when he tells Gabrielle he's going to change his ways for her. He seems genuinely crestfallen when his offer to "only kill the old people" fails to impress her!
Joxer has his moments, too. He bravely attacks Draco in an attempt to save Gabrielle, and lags not far behind Xena in initially suspecting Aphrodite as the culprit. Xena also trusts him to find Cupid, and he comes through for her. Joxer is the greatest victim of this story - the guy's obviously lonely (remember his comment about wanting a "happy ending" for once in FOR HIM THE BELL TOLLS?), and when Gabrielle suddenly throws herself at him he falls head over heels for her. Well, who could resist her? (I know I couldn't!) Unfortunately, as Cupid had nothing to do with it he's unable to reverse the condition - Joxer's stuck with a bad case of unrequited love.
FAMILIAR FACESAnthony Ray Parker, who plays Pinullus the slave trader, was previously seen as Bacchus in GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN.
LITTLE PROBLEMSDraco's henchman Craigan mentions Xena's "mind games" with Zagreus in A DAY IN THE LIFE, to which Draco replies "He didn't know her", but in that episode Xena said she used to ride with Zagreus. It stands to reason, therefore, that Zagreus DID know her.
Doesn't Draco EVER take his hat off?
Xena disguises the Hestian Virgins as ordinary villagers, yet they keep their veils on, a dead giveaway! While we're on the subject, there are ten Hestians (including the priestess) seen releasing the doves. In later scenes, however, there are never more than nine. Did one of them manage to give Draco's men the slip? Perhaps it was her dress and veil that Xena borrowed.
Bliss scores only three hits on the Hestians as they run from Draco's men, yet they ALL turn on their pursuers - why? Besides, wouldn't the Hestians who were hit have fallen in love with those running in front of them, or with Gabrielle? Draco's men were behind them, out of sight.
As one Hestian yanks open a temple door to surprise of one of Draco's men, the whole set wall moves!
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One of the better comedy episodes, With both Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor having a chance to flex their comic muscles. Joxer is not overused, and is allowed to be pretty smart for once. The guest stars are good, and the episode comes as a welcome change from some of the heavy drama seen in Season 2.
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