This episode was very interesting in spots, but didn't live up to its potential.
Xena obviously doesn't like to shop...my kind of girl! The merchant Gabrielle haggles with is the croupier from King Con. Gabs is a professional when it comes to haggling...nice job! But what is she going to do with that piece of cloth she bought? It's pretty obvious there's something wrong with Xena's eyes as soon as the oil hits them. She starts blinking very hard and rubbing at them...even to the point that she lowers her sword briefly. That was a pretty good fight with Palemon. Xena's confusion over the pinch is great...her utter confidence turns to confusion when Palemon won't give in. Palemon asks, "So, who is this Gabrielle, anyway?" AFTER he kidnaps her! Xena comments, "You kidnapped Gabrielle for money?" She sounds shocked or maybe even appalled by that. Wouldn't that have been the most obvious reason? Check out the sound of the locusts in the background during that scene...sounds like Southern Indiana! Gabrielle describes the king as "incredibly handsome", but uh...her eyes never travelled far enough up his body to see his face. She seems fascinated by other regions. Wow, even blind, Xena kicks serious ass! I'll bet Palemon wouldn't have been so cool if he had known Xena couldn't see when she kicked the sword at him to free him! Gabs must have had an awful lot of sheets on her bed to make such a long rope! Gabbers calls Xena "My best firend, Xena: Warrior Princess." Gabs? Husky? No way! And Thrace and Macedonia is "backwoods"? Gabrielle has peasant muscles and diswhater hands? I don't happen to agree with Vidalis on any of those issues. Gabrielle refers to herself as a "complete peasant stranger", and after a beat realizes what she has just said about herself. It's said when someone loses a sense, the other senses become heightened to make up for it. Xena's supersonic hearing is more incredible than ever before in this one. I love Xena's wry, "Well, not the horses themselves." When Xena first whirls on Palemon in the woods, she is looking directly at him, as if she could plainly see him. "Lady Gabrielle" doesn't look very comfortable in her new duds! I would have thought she could have handled those shoes a little easier, but I guess Xena's the one with the incredible sense of balance. Why did Vidalis chose that hairstyle? It's attrocious! Is this episodes supposed to be a comedy? When the toast is being raised to the future queen, check out the background voices. One of them is saying, "To many healthy children." I kinda like it when Xena goes running off the edge of the cliff. I got a brief impression of Wile E. Coyote doing the same thing. She sure finds that very small keyhold in the manacle easy enough! Why does it have to look so fake when she's falling over the cliff? You'd think by now Hollywood would come up with better special effects. She fell for way too long a period of time to be within such a short distance of Palemon, but I know, I know, it's the Xenaverse physics. Gabrielle appears graceful enough to me. I do like the scrolls on the head though! My fair Gabrielle. Note the sex of Vidalis's "certain someone" is not given. But Gabrielle refers to her special someone as a "him". I love Xena's line, "And I'm the one who's supposed to be blind" in reference to Palemon. Gabs is sitting there holding a dead king's hand...no wonder it's cold! I love her exclamation, "Sweet mother of Zeus!" Hee hee! Pretty cool the way Xena is able to catch the chakram by sound alone! Palemon doesn't have many friends, because they make a person weak. "Oh, is that why?" Xena quips. Xena killed Krakus at Pilon...figures. "Be careful, Palemon, we all eventually become what we pretend we are." Oh, how I wish that was true! Palemon's upper ear clip seems way ahead of its time. Poor Gabs...what a wedding! Gabrielle was looking for a sign from Mt. Olympus, when the minister called for it, but none came, darn it! And I love it when Gabs growls at the bad guy! Wonder who she learned that from? That casket scenario is just bizarre. And a crematorium reminds me too much of the Holocaust. "It's beginning to sound as though you might care." This line from Xena bothers me...it's too formal. I like Vidalis's offhanded, "Leather, huh? Bold choice." Vidalis is played by the same actor who played the merchant in Dreamworker. Xena kind of tips off the fact that she's blind when she enters the crematorium and says, "Where's Gabrielle?" When she gets ready for the final fight, her actions are too "sighted." I could imagine she would be good from instinct, but don't think she would be that good that quickly. It would take a while to adjust. And youda thought Xena could have heard Gabs in the casket, with that bionic hearing of hers. "Out of my way, Fishcake." This line was delivered to Vidalis. Should it have been "fruitcake"? Palemon was choked up by the reunion of Xena and Gabs. Imagine he would have handled a scene like Is There a Doctor in the House? or The Quest! Gabs tells Xena it might sting a little bit when she pours the solution into Xena's eyes. Why would she bother to tell Xena? Xena handles pain every day! The antidote sure worked fast! "Now there's a sight for sore eyes..." I saw that one (pun intended) coming a mile away! Vidalis as Palemon's sidekick? Nahhhh! Gabs says sidekicking is good work if you can find it. I wish she'd make up her mind! It's so funny seeing Xena do a curtsy, especially in her "working" clothes. And what's up with "Oh yeah...two hands...check it out." She must be feeling mighty good! Palemon's character and his relationship with Xena was the most interesting factor of this episode, in my opinion. I would have liked to have seen Palemon turn up in a later episode, as he was a character with a lot of spirit. And Gary says: Okay...this episode was good in parts,and I generally liked Gabby's situation rather than Xena's. In town,Gabby does a little shopping,and ends up with a shawl. The bad guy,Palemon,kidnaps Gabby and tells Xena that he killed her. This is to ensure that Xena will fight him. He believes that he can beat Xena,and is brave enough to take on the Warrior Princess.He wants the reputation of killing Xena. The fight is pretty good,but Xena gets him,and in the process,her eyes are sprayed with a liquid,which if not treated,her eyes will fail...she will be blind. Xena puts the Pinch on him to get him to talk,because she does not believe that he really killed Gabby. He will not talk,and is dying. He is amused that he beat the Pinch,and tells the townsfolk that he really won. Xena ties him up and they go to where Gabby is kept hostage. Gabby's story: She is taken to the kingdom so that the King can have a new Queen. There are pictures and statues resembling Gabby all over the room. There is also a statue of the King,naked,and Gabby is really taken by how "handsome" he is,while staring at his crotch. Vidalis makes his entrance. He is sort of a court official,and his job is to take the reluctant bride-to-be and make her into "a lady". He frowns at Gabby's "peasant muscle" and coarse hands,but says her posture isn't bad. He says "backwoods is backwards",and does not think Gabby has it in her to be regal at all. She undergoes walking lessons,balancing scrolls on her head,and diction lessons. She tries to escape later by climbing down bedsheets,but is stopped. Meanwhile,Palemon says he is a great warrior and killed some guys. Xena knows he is lying because SHE killed tham.There is the fight outside the castle,with the blind Xena doing miraculous things while fighting,and she lets Pal. loose so he can help. When they win,she puts handcuffs on him,and leads him to the castle. How she knows where everything is,including the cuffs,is a mystery. They get to the castle,and both climb up in broad daylight. Never mind that the army is out looking for them...they go up the wall right in the open. Once inside,They fight the bad guys to get to Gabby. Meanwhile,Gabby is "married" to the dead king. It seems that the chancellor killed the king,and if Gabby dies,too,the kingdom will be in his control. The King is cremated,and Gabby is placed in the coffin,being dragged towards the firey pit to her doom. As usual,Xena and her friends,including Vidalis,win out,and Xena feels her way to the coffin,and manages to reverse the machinery to save Gabby. Vidalis has the proper herbs to fix Xena's eyes,and Gabby washes Xena's eyes with the solution,saving Xena's sight. I liked the scene where Xena is looking up,and it was well-done all around. This episode was okay. I didn't really like Pal. all that much(but Vidalis did at the end). Gabby was funny trying to walk like a lady in the prescence of the court,and her trips were amusing. Her super-revealing dress was great(I know....)and she did look beautiful,even tho she had a strange hairdo. Xena's "blindness" was overdone. She should have not seen so much,considering how bad off she was. The cliff scene,and the inevitable vine hanging there to save her was just a bit much. It was noble of Xena not to seek treatment for the stuff in her eyes. She wanted to save her friend at all costs,so that was a good point. Pal. was okay as warlord-wannabes go,and we see him again as Pompey in later shows.It would have been good to see him in another ep. as Palemon,tho. We could have seen if he really changed. Vidalis provided the comic relief,and was entertaining as an aloof courtier.He once had a boyfriend,and will follow Pal. as a sidekick. I think Pal. would have let him travel with him. At least Vid.did fight in the big fight scene at the end. And here are Andrew's thoughts: Xena has to deal with both blindness and a reluctant ally in order to rescue Gabrielle, who is being given the full Eliza Doolittle treatment as the even more reluctant bride-to-be of a deceased monarch. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * XENA AND GABRIELLEI'm not surprised to discover that Gabrielle enjoys shopping for fun, or that Xena doesn't. Gabby knocks the stallholder down to 40% of his asking price, yet he's obviously happy with the deal - clearly five dinars was extortionate. When Gabrielle calls the King "incredibly handsome" she gives the statue's face only the most cursory glance - in fact she's barely able to raise her eyes above his waist. It seems our little bard isn't as innocent as we thought! There's a great exchange when Vidalus is explaining that Gabrielle is to be the new Queen: Gabby: "I can't, I won't, you can't make me!"