Oh yeah, I like this one a lot...it's among my favorites.
This is one of those episodes where I seem to spot something new with each viewing. The beginning scenes, where Xena experiences a nightmare within a nightmare within a nightmare really freaked with my head the first time I saw it. Did Xena know Cyrene was really Ares by the laugh, or could she just sense it? The early scenes show Xena as about as upset as she gets. Note the beginning scenes are very dark...there is no campfire or moon evident. Stupid question of the episode..."Do you think you can let me down without dropping me flat on my face?" Gabs is playing Mother Hen, bringing out the blanket to wrap around Xena. When Xena falls asleep standing, she's got some serious eye makeup on. How exactly does Xena get to Tartarus in her dreams? Every time Callisto sees Xena, she starts out with some kind of almost flirtatious statement, "Oh, Xena, how I've missed you." And I love this line by Callisto, which I often quote, "Keep telling youself, Dear, and maybe someday you'll believe it." Something is obviously amiss when Xena wakes Gabs up while holding her hand in that funny way. It looks like Cher's hand, when she's singing. The second big clue...Xena and Ares. Had Ares and Callisto already slept together before Callisto inhabited Xena's body? They certainly acted as if they were very familiar with each other. I love that squeaky laugh Xena gives! I dunno,..I would have thought that Gabrielle would have noticed right away that something was wrong with Xena. The Warrior Princess was acting too...slinky. Wouldn't Gabs remember Argo acting skittish before? "And the guilt is going to destroy me...I don't think I can do it again." During those lines, Lucy makes her expression so much like Hudson's that it's scary! Even the lighting of the scene makes her hair look lighter. "I've never felt so...helpless." That got Gabs' attention, and with good reason! The dead can invade the dreams of the guilty? Since when? Some guardian Hades is! He doesn't care WHO goes back to Tartarus as long as someone does! What a reversal...now Gabs doesn't want to fight and Xena has to encouage her. This is a complete reversal of what we saw just a few episodes ago in the Return of Callisto. "Little girl?" Xena calls Gabrielle that...and it's unbelievably cold! "You are pathetic!"...another insult from Xena to Gabs. Reminds me of Xena's first moment in Warrior...Princess from Hercules, when she was drilling with her men. Would Xena really talk to you like that, Gabrielle? Seems to me she should have caught on a lot faster! That was some blow Gabrielle dished out! It took Callisto's breath away! Telling Gabs she's very proud of her had to be even more confusing for the bard. Does Callisto really hold her hand like Cher? Xena as Callisto does it at least twice. Xena saw action in the sack with Ares twice...that has to be disconcerting to know your body has been with him twice, even if the mind hasn't. Hee hee...love the none-too-subtle adjustment Xena gives to her breastplate after her second liason with Ares...reminds me of Captain Kirk pulling on his boots in Star Trek. I gotta give Joxer credit...he was ready to defend Argo to the death! How did he sneak up without Callisto/Xena hearing him? This is Joxer we're talking about! Hudson plays Xena very, very seriously. She doesn't crack a single smile. It only takes one move to release Joxer from the pinch. Why does it sometimes take two or three movements to release someone? When she slit Theodorus' throat, Xena/Callisto looked downright orgasmic. Nice "oops"...Lucy is too good at this! Callisto/Xena has a bionic ear...the camera closes in on it (do do do do do do), and she can hear better. Love the scene where Xena and Callisto first fight! How bizarre that must be to fight someone who is yourself! It boggles my overtaxed brain! Lucy's eyes are exceptionally blue when she's taunting Callisto/Xena about Gabbers. "Of course, if anything happened to Gabrielle, pretty Xena would be crushed, wouldn't I?" Great line! Gabs sounds like she's been hypnotized..."Remember Perdicus?" Callisto taunts. "You killed Perdicus!" Gabrielle responds. Hey, Gabbers has pierced ears! Whens she holding the staff on Callisto/Xena, you can see the holes! I don't like Lucy's hair when she's laying there on the ground. I feel much better having written that! Amphipolis was VERY thriving the last time we saw it. Where did all the people go? I'll bet that was quite a shock to Cyrene when she thought Xena was responsible for her capture. "Look into my eyes, Old Woman. Xena isn't home." Cyrene caught on a lot faster than Gabrielle did. Ares was right on the money about Xena being able to stop Callisto. She shoulda listened! Hudson't war cry is WEAK. Bruce Campbell's was better. Callisto's soul is clean? Come on! Now, that's a deluded soul speaking! How did Callisto's mom know it was Callisto in Xena's body? It's so strange seeing Callisto's body and demeanor all calm and sedated. I don't know if I've ever read how this episode originally ended, before Lucy's injury. "Of all the bodies to be stuck in, why did have to be Callisto's?" An excellent question! Gabrielle couldn't have picked a worse person. Gabs has been on a real emotional roller coaster the last few episodes. It's been a difficult year for her. The acting in this episode makes this one a standout. The nuances Lucy and Hudson use in their impersonations are subtle, and chillingly effective. And Renee's Gabrielle and Ted's Joxer make the whole thing believable in their responses to the situation. This is an episode I will watch over and over again. What did Gary think? The most interesting part of this episode is the complete change of personalities of Xena and Callisto. Lucy Lawless does a great impersonation of the evil Callisto,complete with the facial expressions and way she walks. This is amazing,since we have seen Cal only twice before. Conversely,Hudson Leick does a great Xena,complete with Xena's sometimes husky voice,plus even the way she moves her head and even how she walks.It was a great feat of directing,too for these two women to carry it off so well. The story is pretty much as always. The ever-sneaky Ares manages to bring Cal back from Tartaras and he switches hers and Xena's bodies.Xena sees Hades and convinces that even tho she appears as Cal,that she is really Xena. Hades gives her one day to make the switch,or "somebody is going to Tartaras". Joxer is in this ep. and he is his usual self,mostly reacting to Cal's appearance,even tho he knows it is Xena,after some dynamic convincing. Cal is going to be the New Xena for Ares,and lead the armies of the world,since Xena keeps refusing to do it.He fails to convince Cal to leave Xena alone and just wait out the day and she will be free of Xena forever. Cal has other ideas. She wants to capture Amphipolis and burn all the villagers alive as Xena did to Cal's village of Cirra. Posing as Xena,Cal arrives at the warlord's place where her henchman Theodorus is. She cuts his throat,making the rest of the gang believe that she is really Xena going bad again. Meanwhile,Xena,as Cal, finds Argo with a sword wound that Cal committed on the animal.She puts an herbal remedy on it in a real tender gesture,saving its life. Joxer bravely tries to stop her,but she kicks him and puts the Pinch on him,convincing him it is really Xena. Xena meets Cal in the woods and fight.Xena finally gets the upper hand and wants to kill her. Gabby shows up with her staff with the breast dagger tied on the end and thinks that she is seeing Cal trying to kill Xena. Note: There was an earlier scene where Cal tries to get Gabby to fight with her staff. She goads Gabby into hitting her with the staff,saying the truth...that Gabby must think that "Xena" is really Callisto. This enrages Gabby who acts as if she will be sick,since she is giving in to revenge and violence. Back in the woods,Xena convinces Gabby she is for real,since Gabby has not dreamed since Perdicus was murdered. Cal does not know this,so fails the test. She escapes anyway. Cal goes to her cave and the Amphipolans are caged up,including Xena's mother. Cyrene sees the woman before her and cannot believe Xena would want to kill her. Wait until Season Three's THE FURIES,Cyrene. Gabby,Joxer,and Xena make oil-filled jars and toss them at the guards. They flee,since a torch will ignite the oil and burn them,too. Cal and Xena fight,and Cal goes back to the underworld. She sees her mother who didn't want her daughter to be evil.She disappears and we see the Callisto-body on the cave floor above with the freed villagers. Not knowing who it really is,Gabby is ready for anything. The person there is Xena,but is stuck in Cal's body,probably forever. She tells Gabby that her body does not make her who she really is,so the story ends with them trying to cope with this realization. Next is TEN LITTLE WARLORDS which is the second of the two-parter. All is reconciled there. Good points about the show... The opening scene of Xena dreaming is one dream within another,so we see at least three....we are caught off-balance,since we do not know the dream from reality,much like in DREAMWORKER. Gabby's scene learning to fight was an emotional ride for me. She half-heartedly fought attacking "Xena" until she was duped into believing that Xena was Cal for an instant. Joxer,ever the fool,was amusing in his constant screaming and bumbling. His bravery in defending Xena's horse made him a little more of a real man at that point. And here's Andrew: Another great Callisto story - with a twist, as Callisto looks like Xena and Xena looks like Callisto. Confused? Think how Argo must feel! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * XENA AND GABRIELLEGabrielle is, naturally enough, still grieving for Perdicas. We learn that she dreamt many of her stories, but that she hasn't dreamt since her husband was murdered. Xena is determined to track down Theodorus and his crew to eliminate Callisto's influence for good. Despite this, she's haunted by the way in which she let Callisto die. I'm pretty certain this guilt is part of Xena's nature, rather than Ares' work - I think he and Callisto just exploit it. Ares makes an interesting point about Xena never giving Callisto a chance. Okay, Xena did offer the opportunity to reform in CALLISTO, but she was hardly likely to except an offer like that from her worst enemy, was she? As we later learn, Xena turned down at least two earlier chances to reform before she met Hercules. The first came from Lao Ma, whom she abandoned, and the second from Cyane, whom she murdered. When you consider that fact that neither woman had done anything to hurt Xena it kind of puts Callisto's attitude in perspective, doesn't it? Xena's nightmares - dreams within dreams - are enough to keep you thinking "Is any of this real?" For quite some time. The switch certainly fooled me. I didn't realise "Xena" was actually Callisto until she met Ares outside the barn. Hudson Leick puts in a stunning performance as Xena-in-Callisto's-body. She said she found it exremely difficult, but the hard work shows. Her mannerisms are Xena's, and she pitches her voice lower to sound more like Lucy Lawless. Some of her expressions are also pure Xena - quite an achievement considering they look nothing like each other! It's Xena: Warrior Veterinarian! She has many skills... Smart move, too, asking "Xena" what Gabrielle dreamt about to blow her cover. Xena hits Callisto with a drugged dart - a nice reversal of events in THE GREATER GOOD. Happily, Gabrielle has started dreaming again by the end of the episode. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS Joxer's still calling himself "The Magnificent" - me and my big mouth! Nice line from Callisto regarding Tartarus - "Same old torture every day, every day..." Lucy's performance as Callisto-in-Xena's-body, was good, but then we've seen Xena in "psycho mode before so we know she can play that kind of role. I'm surprised Gabby's suspicions weren't aroused by "Xena's" sudden change of heart over her blood innocence - after all, Argo wasn't fooled. Speaking of which, the scene where "Xena" maims Argo is pretty creepy. The breast dagger makes another appearance, this time being used as a makeshift spearhead, and Callisto-as-Xena uses some pretty brutal tactics to get Gabrielle to use it. I find this a little offputting. At this point in the series, such behaviour is wildly out of character for Xena, which again raises the question of why Gabby didn't catch on that something was wrong. I like Joxer's "Over my dead body...maybe!" He KNOWS he can't take "Callisto", but that doesn't stop him trying to defend Argo. As Xena tells him, "Only someone with a brave heart would stand up to Callisto for a horse." I also noticed that he's still bruised from the beating Theodorus and his men gave him - a nice realistic touch. You have to admire the mortally wounded guard - he's determined to make his report! The other outlaws show a remarkable lack of concern for him, though. Great line from "Xena" as "Callisto" is about to throw her chakram - "Ah-ah-ah-aaah. I'll just catch it and throw it back!" Ares doesn't come out of this episode well. Callisto fools him easily, and this probably marks the beginning of the God of War's decline as a serious threat. Callisto's downfall is her obsession with vengeance - if she'd just avoided Ares, she'd have won. She'd also have been able to go on therampage as "Xena", destroying her enemy's heroic reputation. Interestingly, Xena suffers from the same problem with Julius Caesar - she allows hatred and vengefulness to cloud her judgement in both THE DELIVERER and WHEN IN ROME... It'd hardly surprising that Callisto can't accept any responsibility for her crimes. As we see in DESTINY, her development was arrested while she was still a child, and children have a real problem with responsibility. Listen to Callisto-as-Xena trying to defend herself - she sounds more like a child than an adult. By the way, good casting of Lee-Jane Forman as Arleia. She and Hudson look very much alike. Nice twist to the ending, with Xena still trapped in Callisto's body. Certainly not what I was expecting. LITTLE PROBLEMSNothing major, but isn't it convenient that they just HAPPEN to be close enough to Amphipolis for Callisto to grab Cyrene and the others? And doesn't Hades need to do something about security in Tartarus? Callisto's not the first to have escaped, and she won't be the last. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Another top-notch episode, thanks largely to an outstanding performance by Hudson Leick as Xena. Frankly, after this story I'd have been happy to see her take over full-time! |  |
