I was absolutely delighted with this one the first time I watched it. It was cleverly written, and just a whole lot of fun.
On subsequent viewings, sometimes I found it as great as the first time, but sometimes, less so. However, I have no doubt it will become a Christmas tradition at my house. Gabs would be the one to set the rules on their Solstice spending. Xena looks positively bored. Wouldn't Lionel have cut himself with the chakram with all the running he was doing? I don't know how she did it, but Gabs was ahead of Xena in the chase after Lionel. She must have taken a shortcut. I know it's Xena's main weapon and all, but it always sounds so silly to hear Xena say "it's mine!", in regards to the chakram. Xena calls out "Gabrielle", and Gabs knows that means grab Senticles and get him out of the way. Now, THAT's communication! The way Senticles described the lamb, it sounded as if it were one-of-a-kind. How did Gabs parents come across it? Were they loaded? Why did Gabs bother telling a story she didn't like anyway? I guess it's just a habit. I guess since it was Solstice, Gabbers felt she could convince Xena to change the story. Xena and Gabs share a money pouch? Now THAT's togetherness! Gabs sure loves trying on hats in marketplaces...she'll do it again in other episodes, most recently "Last of the Centaurs". The writers have made Sylvas as unlikable as possible. Boo hiss! When Sylvas says, "You know what I say to that?", and Xena says, "I'll bet I can guess", I was SO ready for Bah Humbug! I kind of felt cheated. Very nice job by the stunt double jumping through the window, and then Xena popping up. Reminds me of a similar scene in Family Affair. I know it's just a matter of timing, but it still looks good. Lionel called the kids "rugrats". Come on! Gabs' description (or explanation) for Xena, "She's a very physical person." There's an understatement for you! Xena barely reacts to Gabrielle's confession about buying Tobias. She's not surprised at all. Xena got all they needed at the castle? They could have wound up with duplicates of everything! 'Course, they could have saved themselves a whole lot of time and just got them out of Argo's miraculous saddlebags! That group of kids is the most well-behaved group I've ever seen. Television children are the best! And, what a surprise, they almost all have Kiwi accents! Shouldn't Sylvas recognize Xena as the Fate? Those eyes are pretty unique, and her disguise wasn't much. And shouldn't Sylvas have noticed that his late wife was being held up by a rope? Nice little eye scrunching silent signals between Xena and Gabrielle! No one whistles at a pretty girl like that man did! "I was speaking metaphorically. We shadows from the past tend to do that." Gabrielle's line is funny enough, but Xena's emphatic nod and "yeah" makes it even funnier! Shouldn't Sylvas know the faces of Fate are of women of three different generations...not a set of triplets?By the time Xena got to the second fate, she was barely disguised at all. She didn't even hide her face half the time. Surely, Sylvas should have recognized her then! Was that really Lucy's deep voice? At that time, would there be the technology to make a lamb that "baas" so realistically? You mean to tell me Lionel didn't recognize Xena either? Oh brother! Lionel sure is well-spoken..."This side of the Aegean..." "Lady Bountiful..." "Tight-fisted." Why doesn't Lionel sing along with the rest of the Kiwi Tabernacle Choir? Xena almost looks like she's getting mushy during parts of the song. More than likely, it was just nausea...that song was too saccharine even for ME. Wouldn't the king's own guards recognize Sylvas? Considering no one seems to recognize anyone else, I guess not. I love Xena's feral gleam, even as a Fate during "Where's your holiday spirit?" So, Gabrielle was the first Christmas elf. Why not? I like the way Gabrielle and Senticles cleaned up their faces before the big fight scene. Seconds before, they were filthy from coming down the chimney. I really get a kick out of the big fight scene...sure, it's ridiculous, but it's also cute and inventive. Gabrielle's line, "You going to help me play with it?' Oh my! Getting clobbered by a sockful of marbles being swung by the warrior princess would smart! I love the Hercules puppet! What a great touch! And I always get a kick out of Gabrielle's "Jingle Bells". The music in this scene is excellent! Every time I hear it on the soundtrack, I can visualize the action perfectly. I'd hate for my kid to have one of those unicorns! There would be eyes poked out all over the place! The kids shooting their little catapults always makes me think of the Ewoks. They were all enjoying that pillow fight! It looked like fun! The final scene is very endearing and sweet, but the actress playing Mary was way too old to be the Virgin Mary. But the characterizations were perfect...and it was a wonderful scene. Xena shows her soft side when she gave that lamb to Gabs. And "Gabrielle, you ARE a gift to me" is the perfect ending for this light-hearted romp. What did Gary have to say? This is pretty much a lightweight episode,with plenty of slapstick humor but with the attitude (to me) of just another "filler" show. Xena and Gabby are at a marketplace when a young boy steals the Chakram. Xena and Gabby pursue the thief and follow him to an orphanage. The Chakram is being used to decorate the top of a pine tree....it is Solstice...not Christmas yet,but the similarity is there with the desire for gifts and an appearance by "Sentecles',vs. Santa Claus. Instead of having Scrooge,we have the King,who bans celebrating the Solstice because his wife left him years ago because of his abusive behavior towards his people. He has been bitter ever since and he sends people to prison for the smallest reason. The orphanage will close at midnight for lack of tax payment,and Xena and Gabby must try to save it and Solstice for the kids. Xena devises a plan that she will be the Three Fates and scare the King into repenting and allow the celebration and repeal his unjust laws. Xena arrives disguised at different times taking the King for a look at his kingdom,showing him the misery that has occurred during his reign. The Sentecles/Santa parallel was pretty good. Sent. is a scribe and sometimes changes the sentences of the King so that people don't have to spend a lot of time in jail. He is blackmailed by Xena to help,but he is scared. Gabby pretends she is the King's long-lost wife. We originally think she is dead,but it is explained that she merely left the King. Gabby tells him to mend his ways,and Xena has drugged his wine to make him more susceptable to the ruse. The guards try to evict the kids and the lady running the orphanage,but Xena,Gabby,and the King fight them with toys. It seems that Sent. is a toymaker,and Gabby remarks that she had a toy sheep when she was young,and convinces the man to give the kids gifts. Since the orphanage is surrounded,Gabby and Sent. come down the chimney with the toys. The big fight scene was funny,with the most inept guards in the world attacking. The gang tosses marbles,food,and all kinds of toys at them,of course winning. The lady reveals herself as the King's wife,and he is grateful and puts all things right again.No eviction,and the Solstice is on again. There is a seconday theme of Gabby buying a donkey to help with the plan,and the critter figures in a small part of the episode. Gabby shows her generosity at the end by giving the animal to a couple resembling Mary and Joseph,who happen to need a ride. Xena gives Gabby the sheep toy from Sent.and when Gabby says she does not have a gift for Xena,Xena says that Gabby IS her gift. This was a feel-good episode,but there was not much substance,other than proving once again that friendship and generosity are important. And here are Andrew's thoughts: Having already rewritten Greek myth and the Old Testament, XWP moves on to the works of Charles Dickens, and why not? After all, the Muppets did it! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * XENA AND GABRIELLEXena is very casual about the theft of her chakram early in the episode, appearing almost amused at Lynal's audacity. She wants to deal with King Silvas in the usual way, i.e. grievous bodily harm, but Gabrielle persuades her otherwise: "Please, just try it my way - just this once." Using all their money to save Tobias the donkey from the tannery is a typically impulsive act on Gabby's part, but fortunately Xena finds everything they need at the palace, eliminating the need for further purchases. Xena's act as the Fates is a hoot - especially the plummy voice she assumes when playing Lachesis. You can also see her almost gritting her teeth as she resists the urge to do things "her way" and thump King Silvas. Eventually, Gabrielle's way turns out to be the right one, the King is reformed and reunited with his long lost Queen. Gabrielle also gives Tobias to a very familiar-looking family who are heading west - to Egypt perhaps? Another impulsive act, and again totally in character for the kind-hearted bard. Also touching is Xena's response to Gabrielle's complaint that she has no Solstice gift for her: "Gabrielle, you ARE a gift to me." GENERAL OBSERVATIONSSenticles? Great name! It actually looks Greek (think of Petracles, Pericles etc.) but is, of course, meant to represent Santa Claus. He's braver than he realises, secretly altering the King's orders to reduces the harsh sentences handed out. His fear of going to prison seems to be caused by claustrophobia, but Gabrielle points out that he's already shutting himself in an enclosed space by being afraid, and he finally overcomes his fear by (you guessed it!) sliding down a chimney. Tobias is cute, although his tendency to react to ANY whistle causes Gabrielle some problems! Melana, the woman who runs the orphanage, turns out to be the Queen. She left Silvas thirty years earlier, but Senticles said she had died. My guess is that Silvas announced her death to cover his embarrassment at being abandoned, and also to prevent her coming back - he doesn't strike me as a very forgiving sort. The final fight in the orphanage is hilarious! Highlights include: Gabby distracting and then capturing two soldiers with a hula hoop (why do these guys ALWAYS think with their gonads?); Senticles snarling "Go ahead - make my day!" as the theme from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" plays in the background; Xena beating up two guards with a Hercules puppet that looks remarkably like Kevin Sorbo; Gabby playing "Jingle Bells" on the helmets of two more guards, thinking a moment then shrugging it off with a dismissive "Nah!"; Xena finding herself armed with a rubber sword; A REALLY NEAT trick with a wheeled unicorn - I'll bet that guard won't sit down for a while! There's a lovely effect when Gabrielle gives Tobias to the travelling family. As the mother says "May God smile on you always for your kindness" the baby's face shines with an inner light. As if that isn't enough of a hint there's also a bright star in the sky, even though it's broad daylight. The toy lamb given to Gabrielle by Xena as a Solstice gift would appear again in GABRIELLE'S HOPE and MATERNAL INSTINCTS. MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS This episode has a lot of original music, much of which can be found on Volume 2 of the XWP soundtrack albums. The most obvious is, of course, the orphans' rendition of "Solstice Night". LITTLE PROBLEMS Why doesn't anyone recognise Xena when she's playing Lachesis? It's not like she makes much of an effort to keep her face covered. Lynal says King Silvas makes the greedy Midas look like "Lady Bountiful", pretty good going when you consider the comic play in which she appeared wasn't written until 1707! The family encountered by Xena and Gabrielle in the final scene are clearly meant to be Joseph, Mary and Jesus, which throws the Xenaverse's chronology into further disarray - after all, the Trojan War ended only a year before this episode takes place! It also makes a nonsense of the pseudo-Christian "God of Love" story arc in Seasons 5 and 6. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After a Halloween episode (GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN) a Christmas episode was inevitable, and the cast carry it off in some style. Lucy clearly enjoys hamming it up as the Fates, and the climactic battle is, of all things, a pillow fight. Not the most memorable of episodes perhaps, but certainly enjoyable, reminding us of the days when XWP was FUN!